TOTE Ships
Orca Class
A combination of increased business demand and changing customer requirements prompted TOTE's decision to build new vessels for the Alaska trade. TOTE's customers have expressed their need to utilize larger high-cube equipment of up to 53 feet long and 8 feet 6 inches wide. The new Orca Class vessels easily carry 53-foot and larger length trailers. Automobile shippers also have dedicated vehicle stowage on the ships, in addition to benefiting from TOTE's ISO 9002 certified vehicle process.
The M. V. Midnight Sun completed construction in April 2003, entering Alaska service at that time. She is the first Orca Class vessel, a class of vessels built especially for the rigors of the Alaska trade.
The M. V. North Star completed construction in August 2003, and began service on August 29th. She is the second Orca Class vessel. The Orca Class vessels are a full 50 feet longer than the Ponce Class vessels and 24 feet wider at the beam.
The Orca Class vessels were efficiently designed to handle more freight while still maintaining the speed and quick port turnaround time of the current ships.
| Principal Characteristics | Orca Class Ship | Ponce Class Ship |
|---|---|---|
| Overall Length | 839' - 0" | 790' - 9" |
| Beam | 118' - 0" | 92' - 0"/105' - 0" |
| Speed at 90% MCR | 24 knots | 22 knots |
| Trailer Capacity | 600 FEU | 380 FEU |
| Auto Capacity | 220 | 120 |
| Internal Ramps | 13 | 5 |
| Propulsion Plant | diesel-electric | steam turbine |
TOTE's new ships were also designed with the environment foremost in mind, with features such as:
- Double hull fuel compartments
- State of the art sewage treatment
- Shoreside trash disposal
- Fuel efficient, reduced emissions diesel electric system
- Fresh water ballast system with no discharge to the environment
- Navigation and propulsion system redundancy
Ponce Class
The S.S. Great Land, S.S. Westward Venture, and S.S. Northern Lights, of the Ponce Class have served TOTE and the Alaska community faithfully over the past 25 years.
S. S. Great Land
The S. S. Great Land was the first of three Ponce Class ships TOTE owned. She entered TOTE service on September 10, 1975, making her maiden voyage from Seattle, Washington to Anchorage, Alaska. In August 2003, TOTE chartered the Great Land to Matson Navigation in Hawaii to serve as a vehicle carrier. Currently, she is plying the waters between Hawaii and the U.S. West Coast, still under charter to Matson.
S. S. Westward Venture
The S. S. Westward Venture, the second Ponce Class ship owned by TOTE, entered the Alaska trade in 1977. When the new Orca Class vessels went into service in 2003, the Venture was chartered by the Military Sealift Command to aid in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom. In early 2006, after three years of outstanding service, her military charter ended. She is currently standing ready to serve wherever TOTE needs her next.
S. S. Northern Lights
The S. S. Northern Lights, another Ponce Class steamship, was purchased by TOTE, stretched and refurbished, and entered into the Alaska trade in 1993. In February 2003, she too was chartered by the Military Sealift Command to aid in Operation Enduring/Iraqi Freedom. She was in constant service supporting U.S. forces until her military charter ended in late 2005, at which time she was modified to a Ro/Con vessel and renamed the S. S. El Faro. She is now in service with TOTE’s sister company, Sea Star Lines, making weekly runs between Jacksonville, Florida and San Juan, Puerto Rico.
