Where Have All the Con-Ros Gone - Part 4 The Russians are Coming

USSR

The Russians Are Coming (repeat) was a hilarious movie about Russian submariners landing in the United States. Had there been a real invasion from the USSR it would likely have been supported by their large fleet of very large Con-Ros, many built with ice strengthening, decks reinforced for heavy cargoes, heavy stern ramps and communications gear "far in excess of purely commercial requirements" (1)
 

Anatoliy Vasilyev, built by Valmet in Helsinki, Finland, in 1981 has a 1499 TEU capacity, could carry 242 cars, 81 trailers, loaded via a 60 tonne stern ramp (nicely sized for military tanks) and had berths for 12 passengers. Its two MAN engines of 19,850 bhp were geared to a single screw, giving a stated speed of 21.75 knots.
It left the Russian flag in 1997 and served as 97: Katsina, 99: Jolly Celeste, 00: Laura Delmas, 02: Republica de la Boca, 02: Laura, 04: NDS Prospectro, 08: Niledutch Prospector, 10: Spector and  arrived in Alang July 13, 2010 where it was soon broken up.

This intensely serious looking Con-Ro, named Kapitan Mezentsyev came from the Chernomirskiy shipyard in Nikolayev in 1979 and you know when a USSR ship was built in the USSR that is was serious.
Of 32,596 grt it could carry 1246 TEUs, 241 cars, 250 trailers, and was powered by two Russian built gas turbines, delivering 47,020 shp to two screws. Its declared speed was 24.75 knots. But with turbine propulsion it was likely capable of more.
In 1997 it was transferred to the St.Vincent and Grenadines flag, and renamed Balakleya, but was undoubtedly still in Russian control. It arrived in Alang April 17, 2002 for breaking up.

Skulptor Vuchetich came from the Gdanska Lenina shipyard in Poland, and measures 22,211 grt. It could carry 634 TEU, 320 cars, and its two Sulzer engines of 20,800 bhp geared to a single controllable pitch prop gave stated speed of 20.5 knots. Its sleek hull suggests better than that.
In 1996 it was sold and renamed Utari and in 1998: Carlina under the Indonesian flag. It arrived in Alang for breaking up January 22, 2000.
In the photos above, with Point Chebucto assisting, it was on the first of three trips to Halifax substituting for ASL Sanderling (now Oceanex Sanderling) when it was in drydock for maintenance. The thawing of relations after the demise of the USSR made possible what had been unthinkable only a few years before - a Canadian coasting license for a Russian ship. 

Ivan Derbenev, the bow loading Con-Ro (see previous post: http://shipfax.blogspot.ca/2014/12/green-lake-more-autoport.html) is not carrying containers on this trip, but it often did both in its grey livery and black livery days. The Lada cars it carried came wearing Russian tires. These were replaced with North American tires on arrival at Autoport, and the old tires were sent back to Russia in containers, for the next load.
The ship features several more antennas aft than one would expect on a normal commercial vessel. Although not capable of great speed, its bow loading feature was no doubt an important strategic asset for certain situations.


Footnote:

(1) Lt.Cmdr. E.C.Talbot-Booth in Merchant Ships of the USSR, Marinart Ltd, Sandwich, Kent 1977.

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Green Lake - more Autoport

Today's arrival at Autoport was the US flag Green Lake. Central Gulf Lines of Mobile, AB is one of several US operators of non-Jones Act car carriers. As US flag, but not US built, the ships are still eligible for preference in carrying US government and military cargo. They also earn their keep on regular trade routes, in this case carrying Dodge vans, which are essentially rebranded Fiats built to North American regulations.

Green Lake with ramp down at Autoport. The McAsphalt jetty is in the foreground, with its heated asphalt pipeline. Notice the boxlike deckhouse, and bridge set well back. Newer PCTCs have adopted the more streamlined appearance of yesterday's Florida Highway.

Built in 1998 by Shin Kurushima of Oshima, Japan, the 57,623 grt ship was called Cygnus Leader until 2001 when it migrated to the US flag.

How cars were handled before RoRo. This is a bit of Russian private enterprise at work in 1990. Crewmen on the fishing vessel Sergei Vasilisin bought some used North American cars to take home and sell. The fish factory had lots of derricks and deck space, so they used the old fashioned loading method.

Before there was an Autoport, cars arrived on board general cargo ships and were offloaded in Halifax using slings and derricks. There was much opportunity for damage in handling, but also from other cargo stowed nearby. In one famous case a corrosive liquid seeped onto a cargo of 1958 Morris Oxford cars, etching the paint from the roofs. They were repainted in Halifax with a darker green roof and sold for the price of of a one colour car (two-tones normally cost more.) I know about this because I learned to drive on one of these two-toners - owned by my father.

The bulk shipping operator Anders Jahre of Norway, long an innovator, installed movable car decks in his bulk carrier Jarabella. The ship brought autos to North America, then restowed the car decks and returned to Europe with bulk cargo. The cars were unloaded using conventional derricks, but the masts were set closer to the ships rails than normal to ensure a good reach ashore.

 

No points will be awarded for guessing the brand of cars Jarabella unloaded at pier 30 in 1966.

Jarabella, 13,173 grt, 19,650 dwt, built 1963 by Kaldnes MV of Tonsberg. lasted until 1993 when it was broken up on this day, December 30, in Nantong China. In 1972 it was renamed Atlas Counsellor and sailed for Hyundai International Inc of South Korea, long before that company was known here for its cars!

The infamous Russian Lada automobiles were imported to Canada for a number of years. They arrived at Autoport on USSR flagged ConRos, among them Ivan Derbenev*. Its 242 TEU capacity was also used, but its car decks were full of Ladas, and some heavy machinery was carried on the weather deck. Its bow door, a feature more often seen on ferries, was connected by ramps and hatches all the way to the weather deck.

Point Valour assists Ivan Derbenev on its approach to pier 31.

Once alongside the bow visor was opened and the ramp extended to the pier. On this trip, the ship also loaded containers (note they are stowed athwartships), but it did make calls at Autoport alone.

Measuring only 3987 grt (under tonnage mark regulations) it was later remeasured at 8,467 grt under new regulations when the car decks were classed as enclosed space for tonnage purposes. In May 1991 it loaded 270 used cars in Milwaukee and 50 in Detroit to take to Poland and the USSR respectively. There was quite a trade in used North American cars for time, but that seems to have faded now.
The ship was sold to Dutch operator Vanuden RoRo and operated as Delfshaven from 1999 until it was broken up in Alang May 22, 2001.

As a finale to the Autoport story, here is the scene this morning with yesterday's Audis clogging the lots.

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* Lloyd's Register shows the ship as "Ivan Derbenyev". Transliteration issues persist with Russian names, but I believe that the ship's namesake was an early 20th century satirist and cartoonist, and his name is usually rendered as Ivan Ivanovich Derbenev.