MV 2GO Masinag

History
Japan
Name	Ferry Fukuoka 2 Ferry Fukouka II
Owner	Meimon Taiyō Ferry Co., Ltd. (Cityline)
Port of registry	Osaka, Japan
Route	Osaka - Kitakyushu
Builder	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries (Shimonoseki, Japan)
Way number	1087
Laid down	November 2001
Launched	June 14, 2002
Maiden voyage	October 18, 2002
In service	2002–2022
Out of service	March 27, 2022
Homeport	Osaka, Japan
Identification	Call sign: 4DJM6 IMO number: 9258416 MMSI number: 548401900
Fate	Sold to Seaworld Express Ferry
South Korea
Name	Queen Mary 2
Owner	Seaworld Express Ferry
Operator	Seaworld Express Ferry
Port of registry	Busan, South Korea
Route	Busan - Jeju
Acquired	2022
Maiden voyage	2022
In service	2022–2023
Out of service	2023
Homeport	Busan, South Korea
Fate	Sold to 2GO Group
Philippines
Name	2GO Masinag
Owner	2GO Group
Operator	2GO Travel
Port of registry	Manila, Philippines
Route	1. Manila - Cebu - Manila (2025) 2. Manila - Davao - GenSan - Iloilo - Manila (2025) 3. Manila - GenSan - Davao - Cebu - Manila (2025)[1]
Acquired	2023
Maiden voyage	2024
In service	2024–present
Homeport	Manila, Philippines
Fate	In active service
General characteristics
Type	ROPAX ferry
Tonnage	9,975 GT
Length	167 m (547 ft 11 in)
Beam	27 m (88 ft 7 in)
Depth	14 m (45 ft 11 in)
Ramps	1
Installed power	2 × Pielstick/NKK 18-cylinder 18PC2-6V diesel engines (19,860 kW (26,630 hp))
Propulsion	Controllable Pitch Propeller(CPP) 2-shaft
Speed	21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph) max
Capacity	697 (normal) 877 (max)
Crew	26

2GO Masinag is a passenger ferry of the Philippine shipping company 2GO Travel that went into service in 1999 as Ferry Fukuoka II.^[2][3][4]

She is the sister ship of 2GO Masikap, the former Ferry Kyoto II, acquired by 2GO a few months before 2GO Masinag. The difference between these the acquisitions of the two ships is that 2GO Masikap had an existing two-piece cargo ramp at the portside quarter aft area which was refitted when she was still under the Hanil Car Express Ferry while 2GO Masinag only utilized its original aft ramp from Japan. The addition and installation of her passenger gangplank and her quarter aft portside ramp were installed upon arrival in the Philippines.

At the dawn of the 2000s, the Meimon Taiyō Ferry company wanted to standardize the quality of its services on the routes between Osaka and the island of Kyūshū. Despite being put into service in 1989, the twins Ferry Kyoto and Ferry Fukuoka had too great a gap with the Ferry Osaka and Ferry Kitakyushu in terms of the comfort of the facilities. In order to offer homogeneous services within the fleet, the construction of a new pair was decided.

Based on the sister ships Ferry Osaka and Ferry Kitakyushu, the future ships generally take up the general characteristics of their predecessors such as the single funnel as well as a similar layout of the interior fittings. With a length fixed at 167 meters, they are slightly more imposing but have however a lower passenger capacity. Incorporating some of the latest standards of shipbuilding, their propulsion system is designed to reduce CO 2 emissions by 19% , they are also among the first passenger ships in Japan to be equipped with devices to facilitate the movement of people with reduced mobility on board 2. Intended to succeed the Ferry Kyoto and Ferry Fukuoka, these two ships are named Ferry Kyoto 2 and Ferry Fukuoka 2.

The ships were ordered from Mitsubishi Heavy Industries in Shimonoseki, Ferry Fukuoka 2 was laid down on November 12, 2001, a few weeks after her sister ship, and launched on June 14, 2002. After three and a half months of finishing, she was delivered to Meimon Taiyō Ferry during the month of October. She was ordered as the Ferry Fukouka II of the Meimon Taiyo Ferry Co. Ltd. based in Osaka, Japan. The vessel was launched in 2002.

In 2005, it was remodeled to add a second-class Western-style cabin and a first-class Western-style cabin to the starboard bow. The ship is barrier-free, with multi-purpose toilets and elevators installed.

In 2015, the numerical notation of ship names was changed from Arabic to Roman numerals.

In 2022, She was retired and replaced by her successor, also named Ferry Fukuoka. she was acquired by South Korean operator Seaworld Express Ferry Co. Ltd. and renamed Queen Mary 2 (not to be confused with RMS Queen Mary 2). During this time, she received significant updates to her interior.

2GO Travel has been on a "buying-spree" since SM Investments took full ownership of the company sometime in 2023. It negotiated a deal to acquire both sister ships (ex-Blue Pearl and ex-Queen Mary 2) as they fit the current needs of the company. The first to arrive in the country is the ex-Blue Pearl, now 2GO Magalang/2GO Masikap and then ex-Queen Mary 2, now 2GO Masinag. After ex-Queen Mary 2 was turned over from her previous operator (around first quarter of 2024), she immediately went to a floating dock in Mokpo, South Korea for drydocking and repainting works before heading to the Philippines. She left Mokpo, South Korea around April 18, 2024 to embark on a three-day journey heading to the Philippines where she arrived on April 21, and she was anchored off the coast of Cavite.

• Business Class for 1
• Business Class for 2
• Business Class for 4
• Stateroom for 2
• Suiteroom for 2
• VIP Suiteroom
• Mega Value Class
• Tourist Class

• Horizon Cafe
• Island Fiesta
• Cafe 2GO
• Front Desk
• Main Lobby
• Miniso and Kultura
• Watsons and ShipMart
• Salon
• Pet Room
• Massage Chairs
• Sundeck

On August 30, 2004, as Typhoon Chaba approached, the Ferry Fukuoka 2, which had sought refuge in the Hiuchi Nada Sea in the Seto Inland Sea, dragged its anchor and collided with the cargo ship Century Hope, also taking refuge there. The Ferry Fukuoka 2 was monitoring for anchor dragging using radar and GPS but had not kept its engines ready. When the anchor began to drag at 9:10 PM, the ship was swept away as it could not use its engines to prevent the drift.

The Century Hope noticed the Ferry Fukuoka 2 drifting and tried to warn it with whistles and searchlights. Despite reversing its engines fully, the Century Hope was struck at 9:19 PM when the Ferry Fukuoka 2's port stern collided with its bow. The Ferry Fukuoka 2 sustained damage to its port rear hull and a bent propeller, while the Century Hope suffered damage to its bulbous bow and bow shell.

On January 7, 2007, while docking at the Nanko Ferry Terminal at the Port of Osaka, the Ferry Fukuoka 2 was pushed away by strong winds and collided with the Ferry Kitakyushu, docked at the neighboring berth. At the time, winds reaching a maximum speed of 21.5 meters per second were blowing from the west.

Despite using its engine, bow thruster, and assistance from a tugboat, the Ferry Fukuoka 2 was pushed off course by the strong wind hitting its starboard stern. As a result, the center of its port side struck the starboard stern of the Kitakyushu, causing damage to the outer plating and fenders of both vessels.

On the evening of March 18, 2018, at around 7:35 PM, the Ferry Fukuoka II collided with an 8-ton buoy on the west side of the Akashi Strait. According to the Kobe Coast Guard, the ferry had departed Osaka South Port at 5 PM, heading to Shin-Moji Port in Kitakyushu, Fukuoka Prefecture, carrying 509 passengers and crew.

Before the collision, a passenger had fallen seriously ill, prompting the Himeji Coast Guard Office to dispatch the patrol boat Nunobiki to transfer the person for medical attention. While the ferry was stationary without dropping anchor during the transfer, its starboard stern came into contact with the buoy. Although no injuries occurred, part of the starboard propeller was suspected to be damaged, rendering the ferry unable to navigate.^[5]

Early on March 19, the anchor-lifting ship Oyashio from Fukada Salvage arrived to assist. Divers discovered that the buoy’s anchor chain had become entangled in the starboard propeller. They cut the chain, and by 3 PM, the ferry was able to proceed using only the port propeller, which was less affected. The ferry began its return to Osaka Nanko Port, and with tugboat support, it docked after 6 PM, 25 hours after its initial departure.^[6]

The ferry operator announced refunds for all passenger fares and compensation of 15,000 yen (96 US Dollar) per person. The Japan Transport Safety Board dispatched a marine accident investigator on March 19 to determine the cause of the incident. All sailings of the Ferry Fukuoka II were canceled from March 19 onward due to necessary repairs for the damaged starboard propeller.

1.) She is the actually the sistership of M/V 2GO Masikap. They have the same vessel design with the length, beam and specification identical to one another back then when they were still fleetmates in Japan.

Their fate as sister ships went separate ways when they were both sold overseas, specifically in Korea in 2002 to different ferry operators. The ex-Ferry Kyoto 2 was sold to Hanil Express Ferry as the Blue Pearl while the ex-Ferry Fukuoka 2 went to the South Korean operator: Seaworld Express Ferry Co. Ltd as the Queen Mary 2 (not to be mistaken with the RMS Queen Mary 2). After 2GO Travel acquired the sisterships 2GO Masinag and 2GO Masikap, they have again reunited together but now under the 2GO Travel fleet.

2.) M/V 2GO Masinag is the successor of the former 2GO Travel vessel: M/V St. Therese of the Child Jesus (STCJ). Back then when they were still under the Meimon Taiyo “Ferry Co. Ltd days, the ex-Ferry Fukuoka 2 (current 2GO Masinag) was built in order to replace the ex-Ferry Fukuoka (current M/V St. Therese of Child Jesus) which was sold to the WG&A Philippines Inc as the M/V SuperFerry 16 together with ex-Ferry Kyoto (M/V SuperFerry 15) in 2002.

3.) She is also the successor of the current M/S St. Michael the Archangel (SMA) from her South Korean operator? She was the ex-Queen Mary back then in 2008 to 2011 before she was acquired by Negros Navigation and was renamed as the M/S St. Michael the Archangel.

4.) She is the 5th vessel (together with her sister ship M/V 2GO Masikap) in the M series that was acquired since SM Investments took full control of the company. With the 3 new liner acquisition of 2GO (Masikap, Masigla and Masinag), M/V 2GO Maligaya and M/V 2GO Masagana still remains to be the biggest, and the longest in its fleet which definitely gives them the title “Flagship” Vessel.