United Spirit ?

[LakeLeaf]

The ship that many have speculated as being the delivery ship for most of the early Leafs is the United Spirit. It's arrivals in LA have coincided with two batches of deliveries - but no one seems to have seen it in port at the Oppama plant.

Has Nissan been transporting the initial Leafs to another location, and then put them on the United Spirit, or has this ship just not been involved at all?

Interestingly, it has just arrived back in Japan - but didn't head to Oppama.

http://www.marinetraffic.com/ais/default.aspx?oldmmsi=636011280&zoom=10&olddate=2/23/2011%209:15:18%20AM

Can folks try to watch this ship for the next 24-48 hours to see where it goes in Japan, and if it ever hits the Oppama plant?

(n.b. There are some other ships docked at Oppama now, but I don't think we've seen these dropping cars in LA as of yet).

April deliveries should be shipping any day now!

 

[MaryC]

What I have noticed is there are 2 smaller car transports in Oppama, the PHOENIX and the NISSEI, that seem to be feeder ships. They make several trips to the other port where the UNITED SPIRIT and all the others dock before they head for Los Angeles.

 

[LakeLeaf]

What I have noticed is there are 2 smaller car transports in Oppama, the PHOENIX and the NISSEI, that seem to be feeder ships. They make several trips to the other port where the UNITED SPIRIT and all the others dock before they head for Los Angeles.

Yes - it's interesting to watch the traffic and try to figure out who is shipping what to where, isn't it?

The United Spirit docked for almost 24 hours in north Tokyo Bay (not at the Oppama plant) and is now headed west. I have seen some other ships go west to other ports in Japan, and then turn and head east. We'll have to see if the United Spirit turns around and heads east, or continues west. In either case, it's clear that it's not a ship-load of Leafs headed to the US - or it wouldn't be making other stops. Maybe it's headed to Europe, or maybe to another place in Japan to pick up more cars and then head to LA. Of course - it could turn around, stop in Oppama, and then head to LA - but since it's already been in Tokyo Bay it seems unlikely.

Stay tuned!

 

[SkiTundra]

If Google would just upgrade to live sat feeds instead of 18 month old static images then everyone could just watch the cars rolling out of the plant. Much easier than all this guessing

 

[EVDRIVER]

What happened to the "Tracking Ships Thread"

 

[Randy]

http://www.mynissanleaf.com/viewtopic.php?f=4&t=2091&start=240

 

[EVDRIVER]

Seems this belongs there.