Southland Maru

Built to service the Tiwai aluminium smelter in Bluff, Southland, NZ, the Southland Maru was delivered in 1984 and flew the Japanese flag. Almost immediately she was renamed Tiwai Maru, after the smelter in the background, and transfered to the Panama flag. She still trades as Tiwai Maru for Gearbulk although, at only 18,000 tonnes deadweight, she is something of an odd man out in the fleet.