Tankers and Passenger Ships
Oil tankers
There are many different types of tanker, ranging from those carrying crude oil, through those built to transport various refined hydrocarbon products, to highly specialized ships that carry liquefied petroleum gas and natural gas. There are even tankers designed to carry cargoes such as fresh water, wine or orange juice. The first purpose built tanker was the Gluckauf, a 3,000 dwt vessel built in 1886. It had a steam engine and two masts. In size terms, the heyday of the tanker was the early 1970s, when the so-called Ultra-Large Crude Carriers (ULCCs), capable of lifting more than half a million tonnes of cargo, sailed the oceans.
After the oil crisis of the 70s, tanker owners became a little more modest in their ambitions and, since then, most large modern tankers are in the 200-300,000 tonnage range. These are still massive vessels and enormously expensive to build, but today's high price of oil means they can pay for themselves in a relatively short period of time.
Classes and sizes:
Panamax : The largest size crude oil tanker that can travel through the Panama Canal: up to 70,000 DWT.
Aframax: Size of crude oil tanker which uses the Average Freight Rate Assessment (AFRA) method to calculate the cost of transportation: 70,000 to 120,000 DWT.
Suezmax: largest size crude oil tanker that can travel through the Suez Canal while Loaded: 120,000 - 200,000 DWT.
Very Large Crude Carrier (VLCC): Size of a large crude oil carrier (200,000-325,000DWT)
The world's largest ship was a 564,765 dwt tanker with a length overall of 458.45m (1,504ft); She was longer than many of the world's tallest buildings with an interesting and varied history. Built in 1976 and having undergone some work to increase her load-carrying capacity, she was finally floated two years later and named Seawise Giant. At first, she operated in the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea, but was then used for exporting oil from Iran during the Iran-Iraq War. In 1986, she was attacked but not sunk in the Strait of Hormuz and at the end of the war in 1989 she was repaired and renamed Happy Giant. In 1991, she was renamed again, this time to Jahre Viking. In March 2004, the ship was sold and sent by its new owner to be refitted as a floating storage and offloading unit. There, she was renamed Knock Nevis and she operated in the Al Shaheen oilfield in the waters of Qatar until 2010 when, renamed Mont, she was delivered for breaking up at Gujarat's Alang-Sosiya shipyard in India.
Chemical tankers
Passenger ships
Passenger Ships Today
Ferries range from small passenger ferries crossing rivers such as the River Hudson or Norwegian fjords, to big Ro-Ro (Roll-on Roll-off) ferries with a capacity to carry 3000 passengers and 650 cars such as those operating across the English Channel. In both categories, the size, sophistication and the sheer number of passengers that can be carried have reached mind-boggling proportions.
Because of their individuality, as well as their resonance with the great ocean liners of a bygone era, these ships tend to be the best known and most recognized among the general public at large.
One of the finest modern examples is the world's largest cruiseship Oasis of the Seas delivered by STX Europe's Turku shipyard in Finland for Royal Caribbean International in 2009. 13 A true maritime giant, her capacity of 6,360 passengers plus some 2,100 crew is quite astonishing, and, with a gross tonnage of 225,000 tons, makes her the largest passenger ship afloat. It is difficult to find the words to aptly describe such a feat of naval architecture, shipbuilding and marine engineering; but �monumental� and �awesome� spring to mind. She incorporates all the very latest international standards with regard to safety, security and environmental protection, offering her passengers an unparalleled opportunity to experience the wonders of ocean travel in the finest style. Her sistership, the Allure of the Sea was delivered at the end of 2010.
Despite the economic downturn, which has clearly had a negative impact on revenues throughout the leisure market, the Cruise Lines Industry Association reports that �the 13.44 million people, who cruised in 2009, represented a 4.8 per cent increase on 2008, a strong sign of continuing consumer interest and demand.� It seems, therefore, that the cruise and passenger sector remains one of the shipping industry's more vibrant, witnessing substantial growth on all fronts - numbers of passengers, numbers of ships, new destinations and ship sizes.