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Post by Deleted on Apr 28, 2009 8:28:24 GMT
The Knock Nevis is the largest supertanker ever built. Built in Japan in 1979 for a Greek shipping magnate, who went bankrupt before it was even delivered, it was sold to a Hong Kong owner, who promptly increased her length even more. In 1981 “The Seawise Giant” was born, biggest among ships. The ship has a draft of 24.6 m (81 ft) when fully loaded, which means it is unable to navigate the English Channel, the Suez Canal or the Panama Canal. In May, 1988, the ship was attacked and heavily damaged by bombs dropped from Iraqi jets while lying at the Iranian Hormuz terminal in the Strait of Hormuz. In the mmeantime, it has gone through several name changes, including Seawise Giant, Happy Giant, and Jahre Viking. It has the largest diesel engine in the world. In March 2004, the ship was sold again and sent by its new owner to the Dubai shipyard to be refitted as a floating storage and offloading unit (FSO). In other words, it is now an oil reservoir, and oil tankers are filled from it, or the oil is sent through a pipeline. Here's how it compares to some of the tallest buildings in the world of standing on end. And here is how it compares to the world's biggest building, the Pentagon. Size comparison of the Knock Nevis (in red) and other ships and buildings: The Pentagon, 431m (Light Blue) USS Enterprise, 342m (Yellow) RMS Queen Mary 2, 345m (Pink) Hindenburg, 245m (Green) Battleship Yamato, 263m (Dark Blue) Empire State Building, 443m (Grey)
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Post by bixaorellana on Apr 28, 2009 13:48:17 GMT
Dang! I'd heard of this ship, but had never seen the specs. When laid out like that next to the buildings, its hugeness becomes more real. The engine is mind-boggling.
Does it have more than a double hull? It would seem that its present incarnation makes more sense than its original one.
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