Knock Nevis is the largest tanker in the world, also known as Jahre Viking, Happy Giant, Seawise Giant and Mont. The oil tanker was designed and manufactured by the Japanese in 1974-1975, for a long time remaining the largest ship ever built. In 2010, the "marine giant" was decommissioned and subsequently dismantled for scrap.
Record holder
The Knock Nevis tanker was the largest vessel with a length of 458 meters, built in the 20th century. It had a volume of 260,851 registered tons (RT), which corresponds to 738,208.3 m 3 . Only in 2013, the Prelude FLNG supertanker was manufactured in South Korea, whose length was 30 meters higher than the previous record holder. However, in terms of displacement, it significantly loses to the giant from Japan (600,000 tons against 657,000).
This ship is so large that four football fields can accommodate on the deck. Its stopping distance is about 3.5 miles (5.6 km), and when fully loaded, the sediment in the water reaches 80 feet (over 24 meters).
After the catastrophic leakage of oil from the Exxon Valdez tanker in the waters of Alaska on March 27, 1989, the US government decided to use double-bottom vessels to transport oil products. Ships that do not meet these requirements are not allowed in US territorial waters. This initiative was supported by many countries. The manufacture of hulls of this design is very difficult technically, so some record-breaking characteristics of the Knock Nevis tanker will not be beaten for a long time.
In the foreseeable future, ships of the "floating city" type may exceed the tonnage of the Japanese heavyweight. Some of the ship-city projects are already at the implementation stage, however, their practical implementation will require years and billions of dollars of investment.
Knock Nevis tanker comparatives
The ship, designed by engineers of the Land of the Rising Sun, is one of the largest ships in the history of civilization. Even the mighty aircraft carriers against his background do not seem so intimidating. Comparative characteristics among his fellow supertankers:
- Knock Nevis (1975-2010): displacement - 657 018 tons, volume - 260 851 RT, length - 458.5 m.
- Prelude FLNG (2013): displacement - 600 000 tons, volume - 300 000 RT, length - 488 m.
- Pierre Guillaumat (1977-1983): displacement - 555 051 tons, volume - 274 838 RT, length - 414 m.
- Prairial (1979-2003): displacement - 554 974 tons, volume - 274 826 RT, length - 414 m.
- Battilus and Bellamya (1976-1986): displacement - 553,662 tons, volume - 273,550 RT, length - 414 m.
- Esso Atlantic and Esso Pacific (1977-2002): displacement - 516 000 tons, volume - 259 532 RT, length - 406 m.
The newest TI class tankers, manufactured since 2002, are slightly inferior in terms of the characteristics of the “old guard”. Their displacement is “only” 509 484 tons, volume - 234 006 RT, length - 380 m. However, building larger vessels is not always advisable, since they will not be able to pass through the English Channel, Suez and Panama Canals.
Creature
The construction of the Knock Nevis tanker began in 1974 by the Japanese company Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Osaka for the Greek ship magnate Aristotle Onassis. However, due to an oil embargo in the 1970s, a billionaire was declared bankrupt even before the ship was built.
The rights to the giant ship were bought by the Hong Kong shipowner Tang. He instructed the builders to increase its length and increase its carrying capacity from 480,000 to 564,763 tons. Since the tanker was actually already assembled, I had to cut the hull in half and weld an additional section. Japanese experts coped brilliantly with an unparalleled task. After launching in 1979, the ship was named Seawise Giant.
Specifications:
- Type of vessel - oil tanker.
- Dimensions (length, width) - 458.45 / 68.86 m.
- The height of the sides above the waterline with a maximum load of 24.6 m.
- Displacement - 657 018.5 tons.
- Deadweight (full load capacity taking into account cargo, crew, food and water supplies) - 564 763 t.
- Power plant capacity - 50,000 liters. from.
- Cruising speed - 30 km / h (16 knots).
- The number of members of the crew is 40 people.
- The braking distance is 5.6 km.
Start of operation
Initially, the Knock Nevis tanker delivered oil from the fields of the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean to the United States. He was later transferred to the Persian Gulf to export oil from Iran. In the 80s, a war broke out between the neighbors of Iran and Iraq. In 1986, the ship during its movement along the Strait of Hormuz was attacked by Iraqi aircraft. Several Exocet missiles hit the ship. Enormous damage was caused to the tanker during the attack. Ultimately, he sank in the shallow waters of the island of Hark.
Rebirth
It would seem that the fate of the “Sea Wise Giant” (Seawise Giant) was a foregone conclusion. However, a few months after the end of the Iran-Iraq war, in August 1988, Norman International bought a sea-going tanker resting at the bottom. Specialists managed to pick it up and tow it to the Keppel shipyard in Singapore. The ship was restored and renamed the “Happy Giant” in honor of the miraculous salvation.
Experts note that such a costly operation to lift and repair a supertanker was not caused by economic feasibility, but by the prestige of owning the world's largest ship. By the way, almost all record supertankers built in the 70s were disposed of by the early 2000s. The oil carrier outlived its “colleagues” for a dozen years.
Further fate
In 1999, a deal was made to transfer the Knock Nevis tanker to Norway. In March 2004, he was sent by the new owner (First Olsen Tankers) to the dry docks of Dubai, in which the ship was converted into a floating oil storage and unloading terminal. Under the name Nok-Nevis, he began working at the Al-Shahin field in the waters of Qatar.
In December 2009, the Knock Nevis tanker was sold to Indian processors for recycling. To the place of the last mooring, the ship sailed under the name Mont. Upon arrival, the ship was intentionally stranded off the coast of the Indian state of Gujarat in the waters of the port of Alang. On January 4, 2010, the last official photo of Knock Nevis was taken, after which the dismantling of the legend of the seas began.
As a reminder of the existence of a giant supertanker, its anchor, weighing 36 tons, is exhibited as a valuable exhibit at the Maritime Museum of Hong Kong (People's Republic of China).