KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651) Table Bay, Cape Town

KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651) — Container Ship in Cape Town

KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651), a large Post-Panamax container ship, photographed in Table Bay, Cape Town, as part of the Maritime Observation System.

Photographer's Note: KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651) was photographed by Vernon Chalmers in Table Bay, Cape Town. The image forms part of the Vernon Chalmers Photography Maritime Studies Project and is also published in the Shipspotting.com database.

KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651) is a large Post-Panamax container ship photographed in Table Bay, Cape Town. The vessel's scale, container configuration and distinctive superstructure provide a detailed example of international commercial shipping observed through the Maritime Observation System.

A Cape Town Observation of a Post-Panamax Container Ship

KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651)

KOTA LIMA (IMO 9267651) is a large container ship built in Japan in 2002. The vessel has a length overall of approximately 278.94 metres, a beam of 40 metres, a gross tonnage of 66,292 and a deadweight of 67,197 tonnes. Its nominal container capacity is approximately 5,544 TEU. Vessel records identify the ship as having been built by Koyo Dockyard, part of Imabari Shipbuilding, and as a Post-Panamax container vessel. (danaosshipping.gr)

Vessel Details

• Type: Container Ship / Post Panamax
• IMO Number: 9267651
• Built: 2002
• Flag: Liberia
• Length (LOA): 278.94 meters
• Width (Beam): 40.1 meters
• Deadweight (DWT): 67,197 tonnes

Vernon Chalmers Maritime Studies

The scale of KOTA LIMA is immediately apparent from its proportions. At almost 279 metres long and 40 metres wide, it represents the substantial ocean-going container ships that form the backbone of international liner shipping. Its configuration is dominated by the large cellular cargo area, with the accommodation and navigation bridge positioned towards the stern. The vessel's working dimensions allow thousands of containers to be carried on a single voyage, linking different regions through the global container-shipping network.

KOTA LIMA also has an interesting identity history. Maritime records show that the vessel was originally launched as GENOA BRIDGE in 2002 and subsequently operated as GENOA before taking the name KOTA LIMA. The IMO number 9267651 provides the constant identity through these changes of name. This is an important principle in maritime photographic documentation: vessel names may change, but the IMO number provides a reliable reference for connecting observations across different periods of a ship's career. (VesselFinder)

Vernon Chalmers Ship Spotting Photography Portfolio

The vessel has been associated with Pacific International Lines (PIL), whose KOTA naming convention is familiar throughout international container shipping. Current shipping data also shows KOTA LIMA operating on services connecting southern African ports with Asian hubs, illustrating the continuing importance of Cape Town within international containerised trade. Recent AIS records document a Cape Town call in August 2026 before the vessel continued towards Singapore. (myShipTracking)

KOTA LIMA in the Cape Town Maritime Landscape

Photographed in the Cape Town area, KOTA LIMA becomes more than simply another container ship recorded in a shipspotting collection. The photograph represents a moment in the operational life of an identifiable ocean-going vessel and places that vessel within the physical maritime environment of Table Bay.

For the Maritime Observation System (MOS), this distinction is important. A photograph of a ship records its visual appearance, but the combination of vessel name, IMO number, location and photographic date creates a more useful documentary record. In the case of KOTA LIMA, the IMO number allows the Cape Town observation to remain connected to the vessel even if its name, flag, ownership or commercial employment changes in the future.

The photograph also provides an opportunity to observe the scale of modern container shipping from the shoreline. A vessel approaching or departing Cape Town can appear deceptively distant, yet its dimensions become evident when compared with harbour infrastructure, smaller vessels and the surrounding coastline. KOTA LIMA's long hull, extensive container stacks and large stern accommodation block create the characteristic visual geometry of a major container ship.

ShipSpotting.com for Maritime Photographers

A Photographic Maritime Record

KOTA LIMA therefore occupies a useful position within the VCP maritime collection. It represents international containerised trade, but it is also an individual vessel with a documented identity and history. The photograph preserves the ship's appearance at a particular point in time and place, while the IMO number provides the permanent reference required to connect that observation with the wider maritime record.

From a photography perspective, large container ships are particularly effective subjects for observational work because their scale, repetitive container geometry and distinctive superstructures provide strong visual information. Their changing positions relative to the Cape Town coastline also make them useful subjects for studying distance, atmospheric conditions, perspective and focal-length requirements in maritime photography.

KOTA LIMA thus becomes one more identifiable element in an expanding visual record of Cape Town's maritime environment: a Japanese-built container ship, almost 279 metres in length, photographed in Table Bay and documented through its unique IMO identity.

Table Bay Maritime Environment Through Photography

Photographic Equipment

Camera: Canon EOS R6 Mark III

Lens: Canon RF 800mm f/11 IS STM Lens

Photographic Genre: Maritime Photography / Ship Spotting

Post Processing: Adobe Lightroom Classic Version 15

Location: Table Bay, Cape Town, South Africa

References

Danaos Shipping. (n.d.). KOTA LIMA — vessel particulars. (danaosshipping.gr)

MyShipTracking. (2026). KOTA LIMA — IMO 9267651. (myShipTracking)

VesselFinder. (2026). KOTA LIMA — IMO 9267651. (VesselFinder)