Mr Crichton has identified this ship as the dredger RIO ORINOCO comparing this with photo’s of the ship, I agree. Stanley Gibbons, Ships on Stamps list the vessel as a bulk carrier but this is wrong.
Built as a trailing suction hopper dredger under yard No 317 by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Hiroshima, Japan for the Venezuelan Government and managed by Instituto Nacional de Canalizaciones, Venezuela.
31 January 1979 launched as the RIO ORINOCO.
Tonnage 8,070 grt, 3,442 net, 3,498 dwt. Dim. 148.7 x 28.0m, length bpp. 116.0m.
Powered by two 9-cyl. 9PC2-2L diesel engines, manufactured by Nippon Kokan K.K., Tsurumi Works, 3,282.4 kW, speed 11 knots.
July 1979 completed.
Since the stamp was issued a helicopter pad has been added in front of the bridge.
According to Equasis she has been laid up since 2009. IMO No 7807952
Venezuela 1987 2b sg2691.
Sources: Lloyds’s List of Ship Owners 1991-92. Equasis. American Bureau of Shipping.
http://www.dredgers.nl/default.htm?Galleries.html.
http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/pho ... lid=762722
http://www.miramarshipindex.org.nz
Peter Chrichton