Seawise Giant

Seawise Giant, later Happy Giant, Jahre Viking, Knock Nevis, Oppama, and Mont, was a ULCC supertanker that was the longest ship ever, built by Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan. She possessed the greatest deadweight tonnage ever recorded. Fully loaded, her displacement was 657,019 tonnes.

Knock Nevis, formerly Seawise Giant, leaving the Dubai Drydocks
History
Name:
  • Seawise Giant (1979–1991)
  • Happy Giant (1991)
  • Jahre Viking (1991–2004)
  • Knock Nevis (2004–2009)
  • Mont (2009–2010)
Owner:
  • Amber Development (2009–2010)
  • First Olsen Tankers Pte. (2004–2009)
  • Loki Stream AS (1991–2004)
Operator: Prayati Shipping (2009–2010)
Port of registry: Norway (1980–2010)
Builder:
Out of service: 2009
Identification:
Fate: Scrapped in 2010
Notes: [2][3][4]
General characteristics
Type: Crude oil tanker
Tonnage:
  • 260,941 GT
  • 214,793 NT
  • 564,763 DWT
Displacement:
  • 81,879 long tons light load
  • 646,642 long tons full load
Length: 458.45 m (1,504.10 ft)
Draft: 24.611 m (80.74 ft)
Depth: 29.8 m (97.77 ft)
Propulsion:
Speed: 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Notes: [3]

The heaviest ship of any kind, and with a laden draft of 24.6 m (81 ft), she was incapable of navigating the English Channel, the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. Overall, she is generally considered the largest ship ever built.[5][6] Her engines were powered by the Ljungström turbine technology.

She was sunk during the Iran–Iraq War, but was later salvaged and restored to service.[7] The vessel was converted to a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) in 2004, moored off the coast of Qatar in the Persian Gulf at the Al Shaheen Oil Field.[8]

The vessel was sold to Indian ship breakers, and renamed Mont for her final journey in December 2009. After clearing Indian customs, the ship sailed to Alang, Gujarat, where she was beached for scrapping.[8][9]

History

Seawise Giant was ordered in 1974 and delivered in 1979 by Sumitomo Heavy Industries, Ltd. at its Oppama shipyard in Yokosuka, Kanagawa, Japan, as a 418,611-ton Ultra Large Crude Carrier (ULCC).[10] The vessel remained unnamed for a long time, and was identified by her hull number, 1016. During sea trials, 1016 exhibited severe vibration problems while going astern. The Greek owner refused to take delivery and the vessel was subject to a lengthy arbitration proceeding. Following settlement the vessel was sold and named Oppama by S.H.I.[5]

Size comparison of some of the longest ships. From top to bottom: Knock Nevis (ex-Seawise Giant), Maersk Mc-Kinney Møller, Vale Brasil, Allure of the Seas, and USS Enterprise (CVN-65).

The shipyard exercised its right to sell the vessel and a deal was brokered with Hong Kong Orient Overseas Container Line founder C. Y. Tung to lengthen the ship by several metres and add 146,152 tonnes of cargo capacity through jumboisation. Two years later the ship was relaunched as Seawise Giant.[5][11] "Seawise", a pun on "C.Y.'s", was used in the names of other ships owned by C.Y. Tung, including Seawise University.[12]

After the refit, the ship had a capacity of 564,763 tonnes deadweight (DWT), a length overall of 458.45 m (1,504.1 ft) and a draft of 24.611 m (80.74 ft). She had 46 tanks, and 31,541 m2 (339,500 sq ft) of deck space. When Seawise Giant was fully loaded, the ship sank too deep into the water to safely navigate the English Channel.[5] Her draft of 25 meters or 81 feet was too great for the relatively shallow waters of the Channel.[5] The rudder weighed 230 tons, and the propeller weighed 50 tons.[13]

Seawise Giant was damaged and sunk[7] during the 1980–1988 Iran–Iraq War by an Iraqi Air Force attack while anchored off Larak Island, Iran, on 14 May 1988 and carrying Iranian crude oil. The ship was struck by parachute bombs. Fires ignited aboard the ship and blazed out of control,[14] and she sank in the shallow waters off the coast.[15] The ship was declared a total loss and was written off.[16]

Shortly after the Iran–Iraq war ended, Norman International bought the shipwreck, salvaged and repaired it.[7] The ship was renamed Happy Giant after the repairs.[3] These repairs were done at the Keppel Corporation shipyard in Singapore after towing the vessel from the Persian Gulf. she entered service in October 1991 as Happy Giant.[16]

Jørgen Jahre bought the tanker in 1991 for US$39 million and renamed her as Jahre Viking. From 1991 to 2004, she was owned by Loki Stream and flew the flag of Norway.[16]

In 2004, the tanker was purchased by First Olsen Tankers, renamed Knock Nevis, and converted into a permanently moored storage tanker in the Qatar Al Shaheen Oil Field in the Persian Gulf.[5][16]

Knock Nevis, ex-Seawise Giant (in red) compared to large ships and buildings:
  The Pentagon, 1,414 feet, 431 m
  RMS Queen Mary 2, 1,132 feet, 345 m
  USS Enterprise, 1,123 feet, 342 m
  Hindenburg, 804 feet, 245 m
  Yamato, 863 feet, 263 m
  Empire State Building, 1,454 feet, 443 m
  Knock Nevis, ex-Seawise Giant, 1,503 feet, 458 m
  Apple Park, 1,522 feet, 464 m

Knock Nevis was renamed Mont, and reflagged to Sierra Leone by new owners Amber Development for her final voyage to India where she was scrapped by Priyablue Industries. The vessel was beached on 22 December 2009.[4][9][17] The ship's 36 tonne anchor was saved and sent to the Hong Kong Maritime Museum for exhibition.[18][19]

Size record

Seawise Giant was the longest ship ever constructed, at 458.45 m, longer than the height of many of the world's tallest buildings. Although slightly smaller than Taipei 101's 509 m (1,670 ft), she was larger than the Petronas Towers' 451.9 m (1,483 ft).

Despite her great length, Seawise Giant was not the largest ship by gross tonnage, ranking sixth at 260,941 GT, behind the crane ship Pioneering Spirit and the four 274,838 to 275,276 GT Batillus-class supertankers. She is the longest and largest by deadweight: 564,763 tonnes.[20][21]

Seawise Giant was featured on the BBC series Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines while sailing as Jahre Viking. According to her captain, S. K. Mohan, the ship could reach up to 16.5 knots (30.6 km/h) in good weather. It took 9 km (5 1⁄2 mi) for the ship to stop from that speed, and her turning circle in clear weather was about 3 km (2 mi).[22]

See also

References
  1. "JAHRE VIKING (370263)". Port State Information Exchange. United States Coast Guard. Retrieved 16 October 2012.
  2. "Knock Nevis (94118)". Shippingdatabase.com.
  3. "20th Century Ships: Seawise Giant (Happy Giant) (Jahre Viking) (Knock Nevis) (Mont)". Relevant Search Scotland. 17 January 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  4. "World's largest ship Knock Nevis to be scrapped". Bluepulz. 16 December 2009. Archived from the original on 8 July 2011. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  5. Baljit Singh (11 July 1999). "The world's biggest ship". The Tribune. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  6. Rich Galiano. "Artifacts & Shipwrecks: Tanker". NJScuba.net. Archived from the original on 2 July 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  7. Trex, Ethan. "Seawise Giant: You Can't Keep A Good Ship Down".
  8. "The world's largest ship to be scrapped". Bluepulz. 5 September 2009. Archived from the original on 17 March 2010. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  9. Bhavnagar (19 December 2009). "Crude oil carrier Mont awaits clearance to dock at Alang". The Indian Express. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  10. Clarkson Research Studies Ltd. (1987). Tanker Register 1987. International Publication Service. ISBN 0-8002-4143-6.
  11. Sandra Burton (23 December 1996). "Beijing's Capitalist". Time Magazine. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  12. "The Tung Dynasty". Far Eastern Economic Review. 116 (17): 76–78: 76. 23 April 1982. Like other "Seawise" ships in Tung's fleet, this vessel punned on C. Y.'s initials for its name.
  13. Seawise Giant INC Alumni Association. Retrieved: 24 July 2010. Archived 18 November 2010 at the Wayback Machine
  14. "Iraq Hits 5 Ships in Persian Gulf".
  15. "Largest Ship in the World".
  16. John Pike (1 November 2006). "Knock Nevis / ex-Jahre Viking". Global Security. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  17. "World's Largest Ships: Supertanker – Knock Nevis". Maritime Connector. 2010. Archived from the original on 14 August 2008. Retrieved 4 June 2010.
  18. "Recycled ULCC's anchor arrives in Hong Kong". Tanker Operator. 2 July 2010. Retrieved 11 November 2014.
  19. Wilhelmsen Ships Service (1 July 2010). "Main Anchor of the Jahre Viking/Seawise Giant arrives in Hong Kong". Maritime Information Centre. Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 2 September 2011.
  20. Shaw, John (May 2018), "Pioneering Spirit: Profile of the World's Biggest Ship", Ships Monthly: 33–37
  21. "Pioneering Spirit". Allseas.com.
  22. Jeremy Clarkson (15 August 2008). "Powerrrrr!: Yara Viking Ship, Largest Man Made Moving Machine on the Planet!". Jeremy Clarkson's Extreme Machines. BBC. Retrieved 14 June 2010.

Further reading
  • Watt, Nick (4 January 2007). "Skipper Shortage: Supply Not Keeping Pace". ABC News Nightline. Retrieved 5 April 2008.
  • Clarkson Research Studies Ltd. (1987). Tanker Register 1987. International Publication Service. ISBN 0-8002-4143-6.
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