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World's largest ships

 1. Supertanker- Knock NevisSupertanker - Knock Nevis.jpg

General Characteristic:

Tonnage:          260,941GT (214,793 NT)

Length: 458.45m (1,504.10ft)

Beam:  68.8m (225.72ft)

Draft:   29.8m (97.77ft)

Capacity:    564,650 DWT

 

The KnockNevis is a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO) currently owned by theNorwegian company Fred Olsen Production. The unit was previously a supertankerand as such held the record for the world's largest ship. As a tanker the shipwas known under the names Seawise Giant, Happy Giant, and Jahre Viking.Knock Nevis was built in 1979 at Sumitomo Heavy Industries'sOppama shipyard as Seawise Giant. The ship was built for a Greek owner who wasunable to take delivery of the ship.

 

Theshipyard then exercised its right to sell the ship. A deal was brokered with Hong Kong shipping magnate C. Y. Tung  founder of the shipping line Orient OverseasContainer Line. A deal wasreached, but Tung required the ship's size be increased by several metres inlength and 87,000 metric tons of cargo capacity by jumboisation. Two yearslater, the vessel was launched and named Seawise Giant. After therefit, the ship had a capacity of 564,763 metric tons of deadweight (DWT), alength overall of 458.45metres (1,504.1ft) and a draft of 24.611metres(80.74ft). She had 46 tanks, 31,541square metres (339,500sqft) of deck space,and was too large to pass through the English Channel. From 1979to 2004, she was owned by the company LokiStream AS. Duringthis period she flew the Norwegian flag.  In thisperiod, she was renamed Happy Giant from 1989 to 1991. JordenJahre bought the ship in 1991 for the sum of US$39 Million. It was at thisstage that the ship was renamed Jahre Viking. It was sold in 2004. The shipwas damaged during the Iran–Iraq War while transiting the Straitof Hormuz. As a result she was declared a total loss and laid upin Brunei.At the end of the war, she was towed to the Keppel Company shipyard in Singapore,repaired, and renamed Happy Giant. The ship was sailing again in October 1991. In 2004,she was bought by First Olsen Tankers Pte. Ltd., renamed Knock Nevis andconverted into a permanently moored storage tanker.On November 30, 2004 theconversion to FSO was completed. Since 2004, she has been owned by First OlsenTankers Pte. Ltd. The ship is now permanently moored in the Qatar Al Shaheenoil field in the Persian Gulf, operating as anFSO. In terms oflength, Knock Nevis has a length overall of 458.45m (1,504ft), making her thelargest ship ever constructed. The vessel is longer than many of the world'stallest buildings are tall, for example the Petronas TwinTowers at 452metres(1,480ft). She is smaller than the SearsTower at 527.3 metres(1,730ft), and Taipei101 at 509.2metres (1,671ft), and considerably smaller than the skyscraper BurjDubai, currently under construction, at 636metres (2,090ft).


2. Container Ship - Emma MaerskEmma Maersk.jpg
GeneralCharacteristics:

Tonnage:  170,974GT (55,396 NT)

Length: 397metres (1,300ft)

Beam:  56metres (180ft)

Draft:   15.5metres (51ft)

Capacity:  156,907 DWT, 11,000TEU

 

Emma Mærskis a container ship owned by the A. P. Moller-Maersk Group. When she waslaunched, Emma Mærsk was the largest container ship ever built, and as of 2008the longest ship in use. Officially, Emma Mærsk is able to carry around11,000 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) according to the Maersk company'smethod of calculating capacity, which is about 1,400 more containers than anyother ship is capable of carrying. By normalcalculations, Emma Mærsk's cargo capacity is significantly greater than thelisted capacity — between 13,500 twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) and15,200 TEU. The difference between the official and estimated numbers is becauseMaersk calculates the capacity of a container ship by weight (in this case, 14tons/container) that can be carried on a vessel. For the Emma Mærsk, this is11,000 containers. Other companies calculate the capacity of a container shipaccording to the maximum number of containers that can be put on the ship,independent of the weight of the containers. This number is always greater thanthe number calculated by the Maersk method. The shipwas built at the Odense Steel Shipyard in Denmark. In June 2006, duringconstruction, welding work caused a fire within her superstructure. It spreadrapidly through the accommodation section and bridge. Emma Mærskwas named in a ceremony on August 12, 2006. The ship is named after Emma Mærsk,Mærsk Mc-Kinney Møller's late wife. The ship set sail on her maiden voyage on 8September 2006 at 02:00 hours from Aarhus, calling at Gothenburg, Bremerhaven, Rotterdam, Algeciras, the Suez Canal, and arrived in Singapore on 1October 2006 at 20:05 hours. Emma Mærskdeparted Singaporethe next day, headed for Yantian in Shenzhen. She sailed on to Kobe, Nagoya,arrived at Yokohama on 10 October 2006, and returned via Shenzhen, Hong Kong,Tanjung Pelepas, the Suez Canal, Felixstowe, Rotterdam, Bremerhaven, Gothenburgand finally to Aarhus, with arrival at that port 11 November 2006 at 16:00hours. Sheappeared in headlines prior to Christmas 2006, when she was dubbed SS Santabecause she was bound for the United Kingdomfrom Chinaloaded with Christmas goods. The return journey after Christmas 2006 saw herreturn to southern China,loaded with UK wastedestined for recycling in China. Herappearance in the news prompted China'sState Environmental Protection Administration to promise to "closely watchthe progress of investigation into the dumping of garbage in south China by Britain". It added that noofficial approval had been given to any company in the area to import waste. EmmaMaersk's regular round trip involves Ningbo, Xiamen, Hong Kong (westbound), Yantian (westbound),Tanjung Pelepas (westbound), Algeciras(westbound), Rotterdam, Bremerhaven,Algeciras (eastbound), Tanjung Pelepas(eastbound), Yantian (eastbound), Hong Kong (eastbound) and Ningbo.


3. Ocean Liner- Queen Mary 2Queen Mary 2.jpg
GeneralCharacteristics

Tonnage:  148,528GT

Length: 345m (1,132ft)

Beam:  41m (135ft) waterline, 45m (147.6ft)extreme (bridge wings)

Draft:   10m (32.8ft)

Capacity:  2,620 passengers

TheRMS Queen Mary 2 (QM2) is a Cunard Line ocean liner named after the earlierCunard liner Queen Mary, which was in turn named after Mary of Teck, the QueenConsort of George V. At the time of her construction in 2003 by the Chantiersde l'Atlantique, the QM2 was the longest, widest and tallest passenger shipever built, and at a gross tonnage(GT)of148,528tons, was also the largest. She lostthe gross tonnage distinction to Royal Caribbean International's 154,407GTFreedom of the Seas in April 2006, but QM2 remains the largest ocean liner (asopposed to cruise ship) ever built, and her width, length, and waterlinebreadth are unsurpassed by any other passenger ship. Also, the QM2 displacesapproximately 76,000 tons; the Royal Caribbean Freedom ships displace about64,000 tons. The QueenMary 2 is the current Cunard flagship and makes regular transatlanticcrossings. The ship was constructed to complement the RMS Queen Elizabeth 2 (QE2)—theCunard flagship from 1969 to 2004—replacing it on the transatlantic route. Thefirst RMSQueen Mary sailed the Atlantic from1936 to 1967. QM2 had the Royal Mail Ship (RMS) title conferred on her, as agesture to Cunard's history, by Royal Mail when she entered service in 2004 onthe Southampton to New Yorkroute. On 12January 2004, the Queen Mary 2 set sail on her maiden voyage from Southampton, Englandto Fort Lauderdale, Floridain the United States,carrying 2,620 passengers under the command of her first captain RonaldWarwick, who had previously commanded the Queen Elizabeth 2. Warwick is the son of William (Bil) Warwickwho had also been a Cunard officer and had also been the QE2's first captain. During theXXVIII Olympics the QM2 sailed to Athens and docked at Piraeus for two weeksfor use as a hotel-ship, serving the then Prime Minister of the UK Tony Blairand his wife Cherie, the French President Jacques Chirac, US president GeorgeH. W. Bush, and the US Olympic men's basketball team. In January2006 the QM2 embarked on a circumnavigation of South America (the ship is toolarge to pass through the Panama Canal). Upondeparture from Fort Lauderdale one of herpropeller pods was damaged when it struck a channel wall, forcing the ship tosail at a reduced speed, which resulted in Commodore Warwick's decision to skipseveral calls on its voyage to Rio deJaneiro. Many of her passengers threatened to stage asit-in protest because of the missed calls, before Cunard offered to refund thevoyage costs. The QM2 continued to operate at a reduced service speed, andseveral itinerary changes were necessary until repairs had been completed afterthe ship returned to Europe in June, where theQM2 paid a visit to dry dock, and the damaged propeller pod was unseated. InNovember the QM2 was dry-docked once more at the Blohm + Voss yard in Hamburg (drydock Elbe17) for the reinstallation of the repaired propeller pod. At the same time,sprinkler systems were installed in all of the vessel's balconies to complywith new safety regulations which had come into effect since the MV StarPrincess fire. Additionally, both bridge wings were extended by 2 metres to improvevisibility. Aftercompleting the journey around South America, on 23 February 2006, the QM2 mether namesake, the original RMS Queen Mary, which is permanently docked at Long Beach, California.Escorted by a flotilla of smaller ships, the two Queens exchanged a"whistle salute" which was heard throughout the city of Long Beach. On 10January 2007 the QM2 started her first world cruise, circling the globe in 81days. On 20 February, she met her fleet-mate, the Queen Elizabeth 2, also onher 2007 world cruise, in Sydneyharbour. This is the first time two Cunard Queens have been together in Sydney since the originalQueen Mary and Queen Elizabeth served as troop ships in 1941. Despite the earlyarrival time of 5:42 am, the QM2's presence attracted so many viewers that the Sydney HarbourBridge and Anzac Bridgewere blocked. With 1,600 passengers leaving the ships in Sydney, Cunard estimated the stopoversinjected more than $1 million into the local economy. Famouspassengers and/or guests of the QM2 include Queen Elizabeth II, Prince Philip,Duke of Edinburgh, former French President Jacques Chirac, former British PrimeMinister Tony Blair, jazz musician Dave Brubeck, former US president George H.W. Bush, comedian and actor John Cleese, actor Richard Dreyfuss, author andeditor Harold Evans, director George Lucas, singer Carly Simon, singer RodStewart, CBS Evening News anchor Katie Couric, and financier Donald Trump. Followingthe retirement of QE2, Queen Mary 2 will be the only operational ocean linerleft in active passenger service.


4. Bulk Carrier - Berge Stahl
Berge Stahl.jpg
GeneralCharacteristics:

Length: 343m (1,122 ft)

Beam:  65m (208,3ft)

Draft:   23m

Capacity:  364,767

The MSBerge Stahl is the largest bulk carrier ship in the world. She is registered inStavanger, Norway. She was previouslyregistered in Monrovia, Liberia. An iron orecarrier, the Berge Stahl has a capacity of 364,767 metric tons of deadweight(DWT) she was built in 1986 by Hyundai Heavy Industries. The Berge Stahl is 1,122 feet (343 m) long, has a beam, orwidth, of 208.3 feet(65 m),and a draft, or depth in the water, of 23 m. Her HyundaiB&W 7L90MCE diesel engine is 30feet (9 m) high, drives a single 30foot (9 m) screw, and puts out 27,610horsepower (20.59 MW), has a top speed of 13.5 knots, and has a 30foot (9 m) high rudder. She isowned by the Norwegian shipping company Bergesen d.y. ASA. Because ofher massive size, the Berge Stahl can only tie up, fully loaded, at two portsin the world, hauling ore from the Terminal Marítimo de Ponta da Madeira in Brazil to the Europoort near Rotterdamin the Netherlands.Even at these ports, passage must be timed to coincide with high tides toprevent the ship running aground. The Berge Stahl makes this trip about tentimes each year, or a round-trip about every five weeks. In September of 2006,the ship carried ore to the port of Majishan, China, where she was dry-docked andgiven her twenty-year inspection. On the return voyage to Rotterdam,she picked up a partial load of ore in Dampier, Western Australia, and SaldanhaBay in South Africa (where the maximumdepth permitted is 21 m). 

5. Aircraft Carrier - USSEnterpriseUSS Enterprise.jpg

GeneralCharacteristics:

Length:  1,123ft (342m)

Beam: 132.8ft (40.5m)

Draft:   39ft (12m)

USSEnterprise (CVN-65), formerly CVA(N)-65, is the world's first nuclear-poweredaircraft carrier and the eighth U.S. Naval vessel to bear the name. Like herpredecessor of World War II fame, she is nicknamed the "Big E." At1,123feet (342.3m), she is the longest naval vessel in the world, though her93,500tons displacement places her as the second heaviest supercarrier,surpassed only by the Nimitz-class. Enterprise is currently homeported at Norfolk,Virginia. As one of the oldestcarriers in the fleet, she is scheduled for decommissioning in 2014-2015. Herintended replacement is the USS Gerald R. Ford (CVN-78). Her current commandingofficer is Captain Ronald Horton. In 1958 Enterprise’s keel waslaid at Newport News Shipbuilding and Drydock Company. On September 24, 1960the ship was launched for the first time, sponsored by Mrs. W. B. Franke, wifeof the former Secretary of the Navy. On November 25, 1961 the Enterprise was commissioned, with CaptainVincent P. DePoix in command. On January 12, 1962 the ship then made its maidenvoyage conducting a three-month shakedown cruise. After commissioning, Enterprise began alengthy series of tests and training exercises designed to determine the fullcapabilities of the nuclear-powered aircraft carrier. USSEnterprise is scheduled to be decommissioned in 2014-2015, with the exact yeardependent on the state of the nuclear fuel currently in the carrier’s reactors.The subsequent fate of Enterpriseis, as of yet, unknown. One possibility is that the CVN-65 may end up as anaircraft-carrier museum ship, because Enterpriseis the world’s first nuclear powered aircraft carrier and the only remainingship in the lineage of U.S. Navy ships named Enterprise. It is also possible that shecould end up in the Ship-Submarine recycling program, in which case Enterprise would becomethe first nuclear powered carrier to be dismantled as part of the program. Because ofthe huge cost of her construction, Enterprisewas launched and commissioned without the planned Terrier missile launchers.These were never installed and the ship’s self-defense suite instead consistedof three shorter ranged RIM-7 Sea Sparrow, Basic Point Defense Missile System(BPDMS) launchers. Later upgraded to carry two NATO Sea Sparrow (NSSM) andthree Mk. 71 Phalanx CIWS gun mounts. One CIWS mount was later removed and two21 cell RIM-116 Rolling Airframe Missile launchers were added.


6. Cruise Ships - Freedom Class (Independence of theSeas)
independence-of-the-seas.jpg

GeneralCharacteristics
Tonnage: 154,407GT

Length:  338.92m (1,111.9ft)

Beam: 38.6m (127ft) hull, 56m (180ft)extreme width of superstructure

Draft:   8.8m (29ft)

Capacity:  4,370 passengers

MSIndependence of the Seas is a Royal Caribbean cruise ship, which enteredservice in April 2008. The 15-deck ship can accommodate 4,370 passengers servedby 1,360 crew. She was built in the Aker Finnyards drydock in Turku,Finland, builder of Freedomof the Seas and Libertyof the Seas, her sister ships of the Freedom Class. At 154,407 gross tons, shejoined Freedom of the Seas and Libertyof the Seas as the largest cruise ships and passenger vessels ever built (atthe time of construction). She is 1,112 feet (339m) long, and typically cruisesat 21.6 knots (40 km/h).The vessel operates from Southampton,England. Independence of the Seas is the third of theFreedom Class vessels. In 2009, the first in a new Oasis Class of ships isslated to displace the Freedom class as the world's largest passenger ships. Independence of the Seas,as of current, is the world's largest passenger cruise ship. Independence of the Seas features an interactivewater park (including the FlowRider onboard wave generator for surfing), adedicated sports pool (for volleyball and basketball), and whirlpools whichextend from the ship's sides. An internal street lined with shops, pubs andwine bars. An innovative "bridge" can be loweredfrom the ceiling voidto provide a performance space above the crowds. A three story theatre the Alhambra seating 1,200,there is a complete conference centre, The show cabaret lounge is based on anancient egyptian theme, known as the Prymid Lounge. A brand new Mortag sportscar is bolted to the floor outside of the vintages wine bar . On a lower levelis an ice skating rink ( home to a series of highly professional ice shows) andalso available for personal skating. She also features a coffee shop andbookstore, Sorrento'sPizzeria, and a Ben and Jerry's ice cream shop. Other amenities will be a rockclimbing wall, ice skating rink, Wi-Fi capabilities throughout the ship, flatscreen televisions in all staterooms, and cell phone connectivity. Independence of the Seasis also the first Royal Caribbean ship to feature heated, fresh water pools. Independence of the Seas is based at Southampton,United Kingdom.After doing some preview sailings from Oslo, Norway, Southampton,UK and Hamburg, Germany,her itineraries will alternate between Mediterranean treasures and ItalianMediterranean itineraries, both 14 nights in length. She will also do three4-night sailings to Cork, Ireland. In the Autumn she will dothree 11-night sailings to the Canary Islands.During the winter months Independence of theSeas will be based at Fort Lauderdale,Florida.