Belorussiya-class cruiseferry
Delphin in Helsinki South Harbour, May 2009
| |
Class overview | |
---|---|
Builders | Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Turku, Finland |
Operators | Numerous |
Built | 1975–1976 |
In service | 1975–2020 |
Completed | 5 |
Lost | 1 |
Retired | 4 |
General characteristics (as built)[1] | |
Type | Cruiseferry |
Tonnage | |
Length | 156.27 m (512 ft 8 in) |
Beam | 22.05 m (72 ft 4 in) |
Draught | 5.90 m (19 ft 4 in) |
Depth | 16.31 m (53 ft 6 in)[5] |
Decks | 9[3][4] |
Ice class | ICE-C[6] |
Installed power |
|
Propulsion | Two propellers[2] |
Speed | 21.50 knots (39.82 km/h; 24.74 mph) |
Capacity | |
Crew | 216[5] |
The Belorussiya-class was a class of cruiseferries (sometimes also referred to as the Gruziya class)[3] that were built by Wärtsilä Turku Shipyard, Finland in 1975–1976 for the Black Sea Shipping Company, Soviet Union. The five ships in the class were originally used in cruiseferry service around the Black Sea. During the 1980s all ships in the class were rebuilt into cruise ships. During the end of the 1990s all ships in the class were sold to other operators.[7] The remaining ships in this class ended service in 2020. All ships as of 2022 have been scrapped except for the Enchanted Capri, which was shipwrecked on the Gulf coast of Mexico and only has partially been dismantled.[8][1][9][10][11][12]
Concept and construction
During the early 1970s, the Black Sea Shipping Company of the Soviet Union decided to order five cruiseferries to be used on domestic traffic around the Black Sea.[7] Instead of having the ships built domestically or ordering them from Comecon member states, the new ships were ordered from the Wärtsilä shipyards in neutral Finland.
The Belorussiya-class ships were built to the same standards of technology and passenger comfort as the cruiseferries built in the western world at the time.
When the Belorussiya-class ships entered service, it soon turned out their car-carrying capacity was too small in comparison with their passenger-carrying capacity. Due to their high standards of passenger accommodation, it was decided that instead of rebuilding the ships with larger car-decks, they would be converted into cruise ships with minimal car-carrying facilities.[7] Between 1981 and 1988 all ships in the class were rebuilt at West German or British shipyards,[1][9][10][11][12][13] with the car decks built in with cabins and additional public spaces, and the forward superstructure slightly expanded.[7]
Following the collapse of the Soviet Union and the sale of the Belorussiya-class ships to different operators around the world, some of the ships have received further rebuildings.[1][9]
Service history
During their career under the Soviet flag, the Belorussiya-class ships were used on domestic traffic between Crimea and the Caucasus, as well as considerable cruising both for Soviet passengers as well as under charter to travel companies outside the Eastern Bloc.[7] Following the collapse of the Soviet Union, the ships were initially transferred under Ukrainian flag,[14] then towards the end of the 1990s they were transferred under various flags of convenience but soon afterwards sold off to other operators.[7]
The ships
Belorussiya
The Belorussiya was launched on 6 March 1974 and delivered on 15 January 1975. She was named after the
Gruziya
The Gruziya was launched on 18 October 1974 and delivered on 30 June 1975.
Azerbaizhan
The Azerbaizhan was launched on 14 April 1975 and delivered on 18 December 1975. She was named after the
Kazakhstan
The Kazakhstan was launched on 17 October 1975 and delivered in June 1976. She was named after the
Kareliya
The Kareliya was launched on 14 April 1976 and delivered in December 1976.
In 1995 the Kareliya was transferred to Maddock Trading and re-flagged to Liberia. In 1996 she reverted to Ukrainian flag. On 17 March 1997 she was arrested at Nouméa due to debts of her owners. In May 1998 she was sold to Kaalbye Group, renamed Olvia and moved back under the Liberian flag. On 17 September 2001 she was sold to K&O Shipping and used for service with Peace Boat. On 20 December 2004 she was renamed Neptune, on 14 April 2005 CT Neptune and on 27 May 2006 she reverted to Neptune. Subsequently, she was sold to Walden Maritime and used for casino cruising out of Hong Kong. The ship was sold to China International in 2011 and renamed the Starry Metropolis continuing to sail as a gambling ship. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic shutdown in 2020, the ship was in debt and was sold for scrap on March 25, 2021. It was the last casino ship to operate out of Hong Kong, China.[28] The ship was beached in Alang, India on June 14, 2021, and has been since broken up for scrap.[29]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g Asklander, Micke. "M/S Belorussiya (1975)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ ISBN 0-486-28137-X.
- ^ a b Asklander, Micke. "Översiktsritning på Gruizya klass". Fakta om Fartyg. Archived from the original on 2008-05-24. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ ISBN 981-246-739-4.
- ^ a b c d "Belorussija". The Soviet Fleet. Infoflot.ru. Archived from the original on 2007-10-31. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ "Van Gogh—summary (21933)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV. Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c d e f g ""Belorussija" class". The Soviet Fleet (in Russian). Infoflot.ru. Archived from the original on 5 March 2008. Retrieved 4 March 2008.
- ^ a b Voytenko, Mikhail. "Former Soviet cruise liner, now a ghost ship, decaying in Gulf of Mexico". FleetMon. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b c d e f g h Asklander, Micke. "M/S Gruziya (1975)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c d e f Asklander, Micke. "M/S Azerbaihzan (1975)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c d e Asklander, Micke. "M/S Kazakhstan (1976)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b c d Asklander, Micke. "M/S Kareliya (1976)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-03-04.
- ^ a b Miller (1995). p. 56.
- ^ Miller (1995). pp. 14, 20, 56, 63–64.
- ISBN 1-877058-50-5
- ^ "End of the road for the Delphin, as former Soviet cruise ship sold for scrap". LatestCruseNews.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ a b Newman, Doug (2008-01-21). "New Club Cruise Subsidiary to Market Van Gogh in UK - Updated". At Sea with Doug Newman. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- ^ "Dubai-based ship trader buys Salamis Lines sole cruise ship". Cruise Arabia & Africa. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "Titan". Maritime Traffic. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Miller (1995). p. 14
- ^ Boyle, Ian. "Commodore Cruise Line". Simplon Postcards. Archived from the original on 2 March 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- ^ "Desguazarán el flotel Enchanteo Capri en Coatzacoalcos". Vanguardia de Veracruz (in Spanish). 16 October 2020. Archived from the original on 2020-10-22. Retrieved 3 March 2021.
- ^ Miller (1995). p. 64
- ^ Boyle, Ian. "Ukraina (SeaEscape: 1996–1998) - Island Adventure (SeaEscape: 1998– )". Simplon Postcards. Archived from the original on 25 February 2008. Retrieved 2008-03-05.
- ^ "WSVN-TV - Sea Escape cruise ship heads to auction block". www.wsvn.com. Archived from the original on 9 February 2013. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
- ^ Knego, Peter. "ADVENTURE (ex KAZAKHSTAN, ISLAND ADVENTURE etc.)". MidShipCentury. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ Miller (1995). p. 63
- ^ Boonzaier, Jonathan. "Recycling interests emerge as auction buyers of Hong Kong's last casino cruiseship". TradeWinds. Retrieved 13 November 2022.
- ^ "STARRY METROPOLIS". VesselTracker.com. Retrieved 13 November 2022.