When it comes to the largest ship in the world, many people might first think of the American supercarrier, which can carry dozens of aircraft and thousands of crew members, truly living up to its name as a maritime behemoth.
However, in reality, compared to certain specialized civilian vessels, the scale of aircraft carriers can be considered minor league. The largest ship ever constructed by humans is actually a super tanker.
The Seawise Giant belongs to the ULCC (Ultra Large Crude Carrier) class of super tankers. The scale of these ships is so immense that they require a separate classification within naval architecture, a rarity in human history.
The dimensions of this vessel, dubbed the Seawise Giant, are naturally quite astounding.
Take, for example, its length of 458.45 meters, a figure that might be difficult for many to comprehend. To put it into perspective, if the Seawise Giant were stood upright, it would surpass even the height of the World Trade Center towers that collapsed during the 9/11 attacks.
Such an elongated hull naturally results in an astonishing displacement.
The Seawise Giant's fully loaded displacement reaches a staggering 825,000 tons, whereas the current largest supercarrier in the world, the Ford-class, has a displacement of only 110,000 tons when fully loaded. This means that the displacement of one Seawise Giant is equivalent to the sum of eight Ford-class carriers.
In comparison, the total tonnage of the three aircraft carriers currently owned by the Chinese Navy is approximately 210,000 tons, whereas the displacement of the Seawise Giant is equivalent to nearly four of these Chinese Navy carrier groups combined.
Despite its enormous size and displacement, the Seawise Giant boasts respectable maneuverability.
The ship's top speed can reach 16 knots, quite impressive for a colossal vessel weighing over 800,000 tons.
To propel the Seawise Giant, Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan developed their own Stal-Laval AP steam turbine, capable of producing 50,000 horsepower.
The genesis of why the Seawise Giant was constructed as such a surpassing super tanker dates back to 1974.
At that time, a Greek shipowner approached Sumitomo Heavy Industries in Japan, seeking to commission the construction of a ULCC tanker with a carrying capacity of 418,000 tons. With their extensive experience in this field, Sumitomo Heavy Industries managed to launch the vessel within just six months.
However, in March 1976, during the maiden sea trials of this tanker, numerous issues arose, particularly concerning abnormal vibrations when the turbines were reversed.
Even minor vibrations in machinery could significantly accelerate metal fatigue, leading to structural integrity issues.
Faced with the problems encountered with the tanker, the Greek side refused to take delivery, initiating a protracted legal battle.
However, before the legal dust settled, the Greek shipowner declared bankruptcy due to a break in the financial chain.
Sumitomo Heavy Industries did not wish to retain ownership of the tanker and, thus, named it after the location of their shipyard and sold it at a low price.
Upon seeing Sumitomo Heavy Industries openly selling the tanker, Hong Kong shipping magnate Tung Hwu-Yong immediately purchased it and renamed it the Seawise Giant, commencing operations for transporting crude oil from Japan to the Persian Gulf.
Realizing that the vibration issue could compromise the safety of the vessel, the Seawise Giant was sent to the Kojima Shipyard in Japan for modification.
Engineers at the Kojima Shipyard proposed a redesign of the vessel's center of gravity and implemented a solution by adding to the midsection of the hull to eliminate the vibrations.
Following the modification, the Seawise Giant's fully loaded displacement doubled, officially making it one of the largest vessels in the world.
Tung Hwu-Yong was very pleased with the modification of the Seawise Giant because the greater the payload of the vessel, the greater the profit from each shipment.
Following sea trials, during which the modification solution addressed the vibration issue, the Seawise Giant became one of the largest vessels in the world to date.
However, in 1988, the Seawise Giant was attacked by Iraqi warplanes firing Exocet anti-ship missiles in the Strait of Hormuz, causing severe damage and eventual sinking, thus ending its legendary and tumultuous life.
After the end of the Iran-Iraq War, the Seawise Giant was salvaged, purchased by an international shipping company in Norway, and sent to Singapore for repairs.
It is said that repairing the Seawise Giant required a whopping 3,200 tons of steel and $60 million.
After repair, the vessel was renamed the "Happy Giant," symbolizing its rebirth.
However, from that point on, the Seawise Giant changed hands multiple times and undertook various tasks for shipping companies worldwide.
In 2009, the Seawise Giant arrived at its final resting place in India, where it was sold to India's shipbreaking industry for scrap metal, thus ending its legendary and tumultuous life.
Though the giant vessel was eventually dismantled, the stories and legends it left behind continue to fascinate people.
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