SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO © MOL

DLU Ferry acquires another ferry in Japan

FerryMOL Sunflower’s RoPax SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO has reportedly been sold to Indonesian operator DLU Ferry (PT Dharma Lautan Utama). It is further reported that SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO, which has been anchored off Balikpapan, Indonesia, since July 28, will be renamed DHARMA RUCITRA V under its new ownership.

The ferry, built in 2001, was delivered by Mitsubishi HI as NEW RAINBOW BELL to Kyuetsu Ferry, but was sold in 2007 to Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, which merged its two subsidiaries, MOL Ferry and Ferry Sunflower, in 2023.

The sale follows MOL Sunflower’s introduction earlier this year of two newbuilds, SUNFLOWER KAMUY and SUNFLOWER PIRKA, on the Oarai–Tomakomai route. SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO has overnight accommodation for 154 passengers and space for 62 cars. Its lanemetre capacity is 2,000, and its service speed, typical for long-distance Japanese ferries, is relatively high at 24.9 knots.

Prior to the yet-to-be-confirmed acquisition of SUNFLOWER SHIRETOKO, DLU Ferry operated 26 RoPax ferries larger than 1,000 GT, all but one of Japanese origin - the exception being the Indonesian-built KIRANA VII, delivered in 2021.

Oct 03 2025