Marshall island low carbon cargo ship
SV JUREN AE arriving to Majuro
We’re out in the world. This year we took a major part in building the rig on a new sailing cargo ship the Juren Ae. Captain Evy and a team of ex-Kwai crew installed the Indosail rig on the Juren Ae in Geoje Korea. Working 35 meters in the air and then covering over 3500 sea miles the Island Ventures team installed the sailing and cargo rigs and then delivered the ship from Korea to the Marshall Islands. The route was under Japan then 1200 miles to the East above 30N to reach the longitude of Majuro. From there the course was south across the trade winds. The route afforded trials on all points of sailing and weather from calm to 40 knot squalls.
The Juren Ae is a new sailing cargo vessel recently delivered to Marshall Islands Shipping Corporation (MISC). This design and construction in Korea was financed by Deutsche Gesellschaft fuer Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in cooperation with Hochshule Emden/Leer (HEL) University of Applied Sciences and the Micronesian Center for Sustainable Transport (MCST).
Teitera and Chrissy former kwai crew during the delivery voyage
Our involvement in Korea came to be as a part of a united effort orchestrated by GIZ project manager Rafael Held (also past Kwai crew member.) Our contribution was the physical installation of gaffs, booms, winches, and standing and running rigging. The construction yard had subcontracted this work to a local sailmaker, Mr Park, who gladly accepted the help on this monumental task. While the shipyard continued the installation of shipboard systems including solar panels and an innovative charging system that will allow electrical generation from the free wheeling propeller IVL and Kwai crew along with Siegfried Wagner from HEL, installed the sail power. Five ex Kwai crew worked with the local Korean sailmaker and shipyard to put up the sailing and cargo rigs. Captains Evy Ben Resheph and Teitera Turei working for MISC, Christina Shyne, contracted to GIZ, worked for months putting up the heavy standing and sailing rigging. The work required more personnel and former Kwai crew Carson Tak and Ben Kukolj flew in from Canada and volunteered their time aboard.
Evy and teitera tuning the sailing rig
testing cargo gear
Of the delivery crew, Raffael Held, the Project Director for GIZ and Ben Vroom, Instructor for College of the Marshall Islands are former Chief Engineers on SV Kwai. Steven Tawake, MISC Captain, sailed on Kwai during the ocean plastic recovery charters of 2022. Under contract to IVL, Captains Ross Berkman and Carson Tak sailed on the 34 day delivery voyage. In the end 8 of 9 on the delivery crew had sailed on SV Kwai, which is still actively working general cargo and copra in RMI.
kwai rigging team during sea trail
The Indosail rig, designed by Professor Peter Schenzle and implemented by the HEL team including Professor Michael Vahs and Siegfried Wagner sets the standard for interisland sail transport. The sails are furled on rollers and the whole rig balanced together to afford maximum lift with minimal strain. The delivery voyage offered a good chance for all of us to familiarize and observe this exceptional rig.
setting sails