The very first vehicle, or rather, even a means of transportation in the history of Mankind, was the boat. Long before the invention of the wheel, during the Mesolithic period, about 11 thousand years ago, a man, sitting on the banks of the river, saw a floating log. He swam to it, grabbed it and realized that in this way you can overcome a certain distance without making any effort and without wasting energy.
Over time, the log turned into a boat, improved and now the seas and oceans plow comfortable liners and large transport vessels.
People began to get their first knowledge of the land during sea voyages. The ancient Greeks, Phoenicians, Genoese were the first to replenish the treasury of our knowledge of the seas and coastlines.
It was the ships that allowed man to know the whole world, discover new lands, islands and continents. The whole world remembers Cook's expeditions, the discovery of the American continent of Columbus, the first circumnavigation of Magellan, the discovery of Antarctica Lazarev and Bellingshausen.
Today transoceanic transitions of passenger liners have become commonplace. The main purpose of water transport is to transport people and transport goods. We will tell our story about the largest transport ships in the world.
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RSD44 project “Volgo-Don Max”
River transport should not be overlooked. Let's take a short excursion and consider one project of a river shipping company.
Russia, as the country with the largest number of large rivers and lakes, was one of the first in the world to implement projects to create ships for transporting goods along rivers. Today the Volga-Don Max RSD44 Project is being successfully implemented.
During the implementation of the project from 2011-2012, 10 vessels of this type were created. The length of the vessels is 140 meters, the overall width of the river carriers is 16.80 meters. Engines provide a speed of 10.5 knots. The Volga-Don ships are made in such a way that they can go from rivers to the waters of lakes and seas.
The thoughtful design of the ships of this project makes it easy to load and unload ships, and also ensure the reliability of the vessel in operation. These innovations affected primarily the corps. The ships have 2 bottoms and double sides.
The deadweight of the project ships project RSD44 “Volgo-Don Max” with a draft of 3.60 meters is about 5 543 tons, with a draft of 3.53 m in the sea - 5 562 tons. The total volume of cargo holds of ships of this class is 7,090 m³. Many ships of this class are sold to foreign companies for commercial purposes. Ships received the names of famous captains of the USSR and Russia.
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Esso Atlantic
The oil megatanker of its time, the Esso Atlantic was built in Japan in 1977. The ship was 407 meters long, and the tanker was 71.07 meters wide. In terms of displacement, he was also much ahead of his relatives - 516 891 tons.
The vessel was actively used by European and Asian companies to transport oil to European countries from the Persian Gulf region.
With the advent of new projects, the Esso Atlantic was outdated and decommissioned. In 2002, a Pakistani company acquired it and was cut into scrap metal.
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Mozah
The tanker designed to transport liquefied gas has become the largest Q-Max class vessel.
The dimensions of the tanker are truly impressive. Its length is 345 meters and a width of 54 meters. The height of the Mozah's sides is 12 meters. The gross tonnage of this ship is 163,922 tons.
This tanker was designed in 2008 specifically for the transportation of gas from Qatar. This is the largest tanker of the built series of 14 ships.
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Vale Sohar
But “Vale Sohar”, attributed to the Marshall Islands, is the largest cargo ship in the world. It began to operate in 2012.
From the first day of operation, this vessel became the property of the Brazilian mining company. Its flights are mainly operated between Brazil and the United States.
The length of this marine giant is 362 meters. Sohar holds the championship in deadweight of 400,315 tons.
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CMA CGM Marco Polo
The large container ship is operated by a French company based in Marseille. But the port of registry of the ship is London. In November 2012, the construction of the ship was completed, and it immediately began to operate after 2 days. The first load of CMA CGM Marco Polo was Christmas gifts for children and adults in Europe.
The displacement of the vessel is 175 343 tons, with dimensions:
- length - 396 meters;
- width - 53.60;
- height is almost 30 meters.
A structural feature of the container ship was a certain forward shift of the cabin to provide a better view.
The ship was rebuilt somewhat after the start of operation. They thought that first of all it was necessary to put not on speed, but on profitability. At the time of launching, the ship had the most powerful engine at that time. It was slightly modified, due to which the speed of the ship decreased to 22.5 knots.
The South Korean shipbuilding company received orders for the construction of eight more ships of this class.
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Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller
The Danish container ship whose gross tonnage is 194,849 tons. One of the longest ships of this type. The ship is 400 meters long and 59 meters wide. The height of the sea container ship is almost 15 meters.
A ship was put into operation, named after the head of the company from 1965 to 1993, Kinney Miller, in July 2013. In August 2013 he passed through the Suez Canal. The maximum speed of this class E container ship is 23 knots.
The ship had to be rebuilt, since there were no cranes in the ports adapted for its unloading and to fully load the ship. Because of this, he is considered the most inefficient ship in the history of shipping. Big money was spent on the project, but the payback due to incomplete loading of the vessel is small.
8
Blue marlin
The largest ship in the world for the transport of large and non-standard cargo. It can take to its platform, if they are placed on top of each other up to 15 large river bulk carriers.
Due to the large deck, whose area is 11,227 m², it can accept all kinds of cargo of large and oversized sizes. The length of the Blue Marlin is 224.8 meters, and the ship's carrying capacity is 76,000 tons. The speed that the ship develops is 14.5 knots.
Of course, it causes respect and surprise when you see this powerful machine created by man. The transporter is controlled by a crew of 60 people. A hotel cabin is equipped for each crew member. On board there is a swimming pool, sauna and gym.
The Norwegian company currently has two such vessels. The Blue Marlin has the twin ship MV Black Marlin. Two ships were created by one company, China Shipbuilding Corporation.
These two large Dutch ships are often leased by the US Navy to transport their battleships and destroyers.
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Dockock vanguard
Unusual in construction and purpose, the docking ship Dockwise Vanguard set off on its first sea voyage on February 1, 2013, under the flag of the Netherlands. A feature of the ship is its ability to lower the loading platform below sea level.
Of its class, it is the second largest semi-submersible docking vessel. This ship is capable of carrying goods weighing 110,000 tons. The ship is 275 meters long and 79 meters wide.
The vessel is widely used in the oil and gas industry. The size of mining towers installed above the shelves has increased. For their transportation, it was also necessary to create a ship capable of transporting them over long distances. In addition, Dockwise Vanguard is used to transport other ships and can act as a dry dock for ship repair and re-equipment.
For ships of this type, the transporter has a rather high speed of 14.4 knots. Superstitions at sea, more than on land and on November 30, 2012, the ship Dockwise Vanguard was christened.
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Cscl globe
Hong Kong is one of the world's largest marine container carriers CSCL Globe. The tonnage of this vessel is 187,700 tons.
In November 2014, the ship was launched and began its cargo transportation flights. A very powerful diesel engine is installed on the ship, which enables the transporter to reach a speed of 20.5 knots. There was a case when a team squeezed 22 knots from a ship in the open ocean. The lead engine, 17 meters high, is the largest of those installed on container ships. The length of the CSCK Globe is 400 meters and a width of 59 meters. The crew for these types of ships is quite large by modern standards - 31 people.
There were cases and landings. In 2016, with steering failure in the northern Indian Ocean, the CSCL Globe ran aground. Only after draining the fuel, the ship was freed with the help of specialized ships.
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Berge stahl
It turned out interesting with the Berge Stahl transport. The world's largest bulk ship (bulk carrier) belongs to a tiny state located in the Irish Sea, the Isle of Man.
The ship was built in record time, in just 5 months, and on December 5, 1886 went on its first voyage. The deck length of the Berge Stahl is 342.08 meters. The specifics of the bulk cargo ship determined the width of the ship at 63.53 meters. The ship can take 175 720 tons of cargo to its deck.
Only one engine is installed on the bulk carrier, which provides a speed of 13 knots across the water. By the way, thebiggest has a very interesting article about the largest engines in the world.
It is an amazing fact that when the Berge Stahl ship is fully loaded, only two ports in the world can accept unloading. In Brazil, it is the port of Ponta da Madeira and Europort near the Dutch Rotterdam.
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Emma mærsk
The Danish shipowner named this large container ship in honor of his late wife Emma, who died in 2005. And on September 8, 2006, a ship with a displacement of 156 907 tons was launched, bearing the inscription “Emma Mærsk” on it.
The size of the container ship was the largest among ships of this type. The length of the ship was a little short of 400 meters and was 397.71 meters and a width of 56.55 meters. For its class, this is a high-speed vessel capable of speeds of 33 knots.
The Panama Canal was closed for this vessel, which determined the transportation routes. From Asia through the Suez Canal to Europe and further to the Baltic. For a year, if you add up the total mileage of container ship flights, it goes around the equator 7 times.
And Emma’s payload is one of the largest in the world. A ship can take 11,000 containers weighing 14 tons each on its decks. This oceanic colossus is managed by only 13 people.
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Knock nevis
Norwegian supertanker plowed the sea and under other names "Seawise Giant", "Happy Giant". Indeed, a giant with a body length of 458 meters and 69 meters wide. The displacement of the tanker was 657 018 tons. The ship's anchor alone weighed 36 tons. With such dimensions, the tanker developed a speed of 13 knots. Its main purpose is the transportation of crude oil.
The restructuring of the ship in 1977 deprived him of the opportunity to pass through the English Channel and Suez Canal. Draft for these facilities was too large.
The peaceful ship had to participate in hostilities. On May 14, 1986, the tanker was attacked by an Iraqi combat fighter. After the attack, the tanker ran aground and was considered flooded in the lists of international maritime organizations. In 1988, it was bought out and repaired by a Norwegian company.
In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, the Knock Nevis was the largest transport ship in the world. The ship served a man of 36 years. They launched it into the water in 1976, and in 2010 it was disposed of in the Indian port of Alang, during the year, cutting a giant tanker into scrap metal.
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MSC Oscar
Under the flag of Panama, the ship “MSC Oscar”, the largest container ship in the world, plows the vast oceans of the world. The ship is 396 meters long and 59 meters wide. The total carrying capacity of the vessel is 197,362 tons.
The container ship was launched in January 2015. Its size and tonnage allow you to enter only some ports in the world. Over the past two months, the ship has entered five ports. In 2017, in two ports of China and in December 2016 in three ports in Europe (Antwerp, Rotterdam and Sines).
The MSC Oscar has a two-stroke diesel engine from the German company Man. Its power allows the ship to reach a speed of 22.8 knots.
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Prelude FLNG
The displacement of this floating plant is 6 times larger than the largest aircraft carrier in the world (a list of which you will find on thebiggest.ru) and amounts to 600,000 tons. Prelude is a plant for the production and processing of liquefied natural gas. Today, Prelude FLNG is the largest floating object on Earth. Its length is 458 meters and a width of 74 meters. The height of this giant is also amazing. In height, this ship reaches 105 meters. Compare that the height of the Ostankino tower is 504 meters. That is, the length of the ship is only 100 meters less. The ship-factory is managed by a crew of 240 people.
The creation of the ship was the realization of the idea of developing and producing natural gas from small offshore fields that are located far from the coast. To build above similar shelves surface towers or underwater structures is too expensive and unprofitable pleasure. With the advent of Prelude FLNG, mining was made possible at the lowest cost.
The ship was launched on November 30, 2013 and now about 5,000 people are involved in its completion. The design is unique in that the floating plant is resistant to storms and strong winds of the 5th category, from 55 to 75 meters per second.
Conclusion
As you can see, different ships are needed, all sorts of ships are important. The genius of human thought was able to create mechanisms that are much heavier than water, freely plow the expanses of the seas and oceans. With their enormous dimensions, these vessels are quite maneuverable for their types. And besides, they carry bulky and heavy loads. Surprising is the fact that these vessels are serviced and operated by small crews, from 13 to 35 people.
It is difficult to overestimate the benefits of maritime transport for the development of the economy, and indeed the development of mankind. Today, work is underway to create less energy-consuming vessels. Another problem is environmental protection; therefore, projects with the lowest emissions of harmful substances into the atmosphere are being developed. TheBiggest hopes you were as pleased to read this article as we were pleased to write it.
Article author: Valery Skiba