BOI BRANCO is a veteran livestock carrier with a particularly unusual history, having begun her career not as a livestock vessel but as a vehicle carrier. Built in Japan in 1976, the ship originally entered service as WILD ROSE before becoming LIBAN CAR in 1988. She was converted into a livestock carrier in 2009 and renamed BOI BRANCO, a role in which she has subsequently traded between the Mediterranean, South America and other livestock-export markets.
The vessel has a long association with the wider Piraeus and Perama area. She was photographed at the Perama repair zone in December 2017 and again at Piraeus/Drapetsona in May 2019. That same month, BOI BRANCO attracted considerable attention when a major fire broke out while she was berthed for repairs at Drapetsona, west of the main Port of Piraeus. Firefighting vessels and several fire engines were deployed to the incident.
BOI BRANCO returned to Piraeus again in August 2026. AIS voyage records show her departing Beirut on 31 July and arriving at Piraeus on 5 August 2026, illustrating the vessel’s continued operation half a century after her construction.
Vessel Details
Name: BOI BRANCO
Former Names: LIBAN CAR, WILD ROSE
IMO: 7527306
MMSI: 671996000
Call Sign: 5VFL7
Type: Livestock Carrier
Flag: Togo
Built: 1976
Builder: Hashihama Zosen, Imabari, Japan
Yard Number: 584
Length Overall: 137.27 m
Beam: 18.31 m
Depth: approx. 8.08 m
Draught: approx. 6.3–6.7 m
Gross Tonnage: 9,998 GT
Deadweight: 4,728 t
Main Engine: SEMT-Pielstick / IHI 16PC2-2V-400
Service / Maximum Speed: historically about 18 knots
Livestock Capacity: approximately 2,200 head
Classification: International Naval Surveys Bureau
History
The vessel was delivered in 1976 as WILD ROSE, later becoming LIBAN CAR in 1988. During that period she operated as a vehicle carrier. In 2009 she underwent conversion for the carriage of live animals and received the name BOI BRANCO. Contemporary reporting on the conversion described accommodation for around 2,200 head of livestock, marking a substantial change in her operational role.
Despite her age, BOI BRANCO has remained commercially active into 2026. Current vessel databases list her at 9,998 GT and 4,728 dwt, with a length of about 137 metres, making her an increasingly rare example of a 1970s-built Japanese cargo vessel still engaged in international trading.
PiraeuShips Record
BOI BRANCO has been recorded in the Piraeus area on several occasions during her long career, including visits to Perama and Drapetsona. Her return to Piraeus in August 2026 is particularly notable because the vessel is now approaching 50 years of service, having passed through two former identities and a major conversion from vehicle carrier to livestock carrier.