AMAURY NEYRAND (IMO 9940019) Table Bay, Cape Town
AMAURY NEYRAND IMO 9940019 | Cape Town Ship Spotting
AMAURY NEYRAND (IMO 9940019), a modern LPG carrier photographed and documented for Vernon Chalmers Photography's Maritime Observation & Ship-Spotting project.
Photographer's Note: AMAURY NEYRAND (IMO 9940019) 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.
AMAURY NEYRAND (IMO 9940019)
For the Maritime Observation & Ship-Spotting (MOS) project, AMAURY NEYRAND is an interesting example of a comparatively compact, modern gas carrier whose appearance can initially be mistaken for that of a conventional tanker.The vessel carries the distinctive identity IMO 9940019, making it possible to separate her from other ships with similar dimensions and appearance. She is a Panama-flagged LPG carrier, built in 2022, with an overall length of approximately 150.72 metres and a beam of 24 metres. Her registered gross tonnage is 12,477, while her deadweight is approximately 9,575 tonnes. (ClassNK)
What makes AMAURY NEYRAND particularly useful from a photographic observation perspective is the combination of modern hull proportions and specialised cargo equipment. ClassNK identifies her intended service as LPG (pressure) and describes her as a gas carrier. Her cargo capacity is approximately 14,977 cubic metres. (ClassNK)
Vessel Specifications
- MMSI Number: 352001872
- Call Sign: 3E2782
- Gross Tonnage (GT): 12,477
- Summer Deadweight (DWT): 9,575 metric tons
- Dimensions: 151 metres long (LOA) by 24 metres wide (Beam)
- Classification Society: Nippon Kaiji Kyokai (ClassNK)
Vernon Chalmers Ship Spotting Photography Portfolio
Recognising the vessel
At roughly 151 metres long, AMAURY NEYRAND is considerably smaller than the large crude-oil tankers and LNG carriers that can dominate a harbour scene. This gives her a relatively balanced appearance: the hull is substantial, but the vessel does not have the immense visual mass of a VLCC or large container ship.
The 24-metre beam is an important part of that visual character. Viewed broadside, the vessel presents a long, relatively low profile, while a three-quarter bow or stern viewpoint reveals considerably more of the ship's working structure.
For the ship spotter, the most useful approach is therefore not simply to photograph the whole vessel, but to look for the combination of:
the approximately 151-metre hull;
the 24-metre beam;
the deck arrangement associated with LPG carriage;
the superstructure and accommodation block;
the cargo-handling equipment;
and, most importantly, the vessel's identifying markings and IMO number.
The IMO number is the permanent photographic identification anchor. Even if the vessel subsequently changes ownership, management or flag, IMO 9940019 remains associated with the ship. (MarineRadar)
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A Cape Town Maritime Observation Ssystem subject
AMAURY NEYRAND has particular relevance to Cape Town-based maritime observation. AIS records show repeated South African port activity, including Cape Town, Port Elizabeth and Saldanha. More recent tracking records also show the vessel departing Port Elizabeth in August 2026 on a voyage towards Warri, Nigeria. (myShipTracking)
There is consequently a useful photographic lesson here: a ship does not have to be enormous or visually spectacular to be an excellent MOS subject.
A specialised vessel such as AMAURY NEYRAND provides an opportunity to practise identification through visual details. The photographer begins with the overall silhouette and then progressively works inward—hull, superstructure, deck equipment, markings and other identifying characteristics.
This is particularly valuable when working with a long-lens camera from a distant harbour viewpoint. At greater distances, atmospheric haze can reduce fine detail, making the vessel's overall geometry increasingly important. A sequence of photographs taken as the ship approaches, passes and departs can therefore become a visual record of both the vessel and the observation conditions.
Table Bay Maritime Environment Through Photography
Photography and observation
AMAURY NEYRAND also illustrates why ship spotting and ship photography are related but not identical activities.
A conventional ship photograph attempts to make the vessel look impressive. MOS photography has a different objective: to record and understand the vessel.
That changes how the photographer works.
A broadside frame can establish the ship's proportions. A three-quarter view can reveal hull depth and deck structures. A tighter image can document the bridge, accommodation block, cargo equipment or identification markings. A stern view can provide another useful perspective on the vessel's configuration.
The resulting set of photographs becomes more informative than a single aesthetically successful image.
For Canon photographers, this is an excellent situation in which to think about focal length, atmospheric conditions, shutter speed and AF behaviour as observational tools rather than simply camera settings. A ship moving steadily through harbour waters offers a predictable subject, but the distance, background and light can change considerably during the encounter.
The value of the IMO number
For MOS work, IMO 9940019 should accompany the photographic record.
The vessel's other identifiers include MMSI 352001872 and call sign 3E2782. (ClassNK)
These identifiers turn an otherwise anonymous photograph into a traceable maritime record. The photograph documents what was seen; the IMO number connects that visual observation to the vessel's formal identity.
That is one of the strengths of the MOS approach: photography becomes a form of field documentation.
AMAURY NEYRAND in perspective
AMAURY NEYRAND is not the largest vessel likely to appear in Cape Town, nor is she necessarily the most visually dramatic. Her interest lies elsewhere.
She represents a modern, specialised LPG carrier, built only in 2022, with a clearly defined industrial function and a size that makes her particularly manageable as a photographic subject. Her movements between southern African ports and destinations further north along the African coast place her within a wider regional maritime network. (myShipTracking)
For the MOS photographer, therefore, AMAURY NEYRAND is more than another tanker-shaped silhouette on the horizon.
She is an opportunity to practise identification, observation, documentation and photography as a single integrated activity.
And that is ultimately what makes a ship such as AMAURY NEYRAND worth stopping to photograph.
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
