EENDRACHT

Photo by: Max

Today's SotD is a well-known vessel in the port of Rotterdam. The three masted schooner Eendracht (IMO: 8814275, Port of Registry: Rotterdam) is used to get anyone, especially young people, acquainted with the adventure of sailing at sea. The vessel was built in 1989 by Damen Shipyards, Gorinchem, is 59 metres long, 12 metres wide, has a maximum sail area of 1,206 m2 and a mast height of 41.7 metres. The vessel has a crew of 13 and a passenger capacity of 40 for trips of more than one day. She has 15 two-person cabins, 6 four-person cabins and one single person cabin. The Eendracht will return today to Rotterdam after a wintertrip of four months in the Caribbean.

ALEXANDRA

Today we have a 'golden oldie' as the SOTD. It is the, in 1963 built, tug Alexandra (IMO: 5418630, flag: United Kingdom). The Alexandra is with its gross tonnage of 164 only small amongst all the large ships on this page, but since it's 43 years old, it is worth mentioning that she will arrive this morning in Dordrecht. The tug is still in service, owned by Niarcos Shipping, Rochester, UK and managed by G.P.S. Marine Contractors. She is 28 meters long, 7.6 meters wide and has a maximum BHP of 1066. The following towing gear is available:

• Auto winch hydraulic single drum towing winch
• 500M x 32MM wire with spelter sockets
• 2 x 220M x 64MM Nutech polyprop ropes
• 2 x 20M 20 ton tested wire bridles
• 2 x 10M 20 ton tested wire bridles

The Alexandra sails in the extended European area IE North Cape, Full Baltic/Gulf of Bothnia in season, full Meditarranean and the Black Sea.

GSF BRITANNIA

The GSF Britannia (IMO: 8750560, Port of Registry: Aberdeen, Great Britain) is a jack-up drilling rig, built in 1968 by Norsmec Redcar, Great Britain as the Norsmec 1. She was designed by Breit Engineering. The rig is 68 m long and 61 m wide, has a crew capacity of 88 persons and 4 legs of about 97 metres long with which it can operated in water of up to 60 metres deep. She is equipped with 3 cranes of resprectively 45 tons, 27 tons and 16 tons lifting capacity. The rig is currently owned by GlobalSantaFe, Houston and operates in the Northsea.

The GSF Britannia is expected to arrive later this morning at Keppel Verolme Shipyard. She will be accompanied by the tugs Magnus, Bugsier 19 and Bugsier 21.

RAMBIZ

Today's SotD is the Rambiz. The Rambiz is a crane vessel equipped with two cranes that can both reach to a lift height of 90 meters. The vessel is suitable for platform installation and removal, wreckage removal and other special heavy lifting tasks and is fully certified for ocean passage with the cranes fully erected. The cranes can be loaded independent or simultaneous with a maximum load capacity of 3300 tons.
The platform of the vessel is 85 meters long, 44 meters wide, is propelled by 4 units of 2200 kW and can accomodate up to 28 persons. The ship is owned by the Belgium based company Scaldis Salvage & Marine Contractors and was one of the cranes used in salvaging the Tricolor in 2004. For more details see: http://www.tricolorsalvage.com/.


The Rambiz has entered Rotterdam this morning accompanied by the tug Stevns Icecap(IMO: 9364368, Flag: Denmark) and will take berth at the Keppel Verolme terminal.

CHRISTIAN RADICH

The Christian Radich (IMO: 5071729, Port of Registry: Oslo, Norway) is a sailing vessel of the type Windjammer. She was built in 1937 by Framnæs Mekaniske Verksted, Norway. This tall ship is 73 metres long overall, 9.7 metres wide and 37.7 metres high, has a sail area of 1360 sq.m., which consists of a total of 27 sails. This gives the vessel a maximum speed of 14 kts. The Cristian Radich is in use as a training vessel since 2005 and can be chartered for trips.

The Christian Radich has entered the port of Rotterdam this morning. She is currently berthed at the Parkkade, Rotterdam.

ELEONORA MAERSK

The Eleonora Maersk (IMO: 9321500, Port of Registry: Svendborg, Denmark) is, together with its sisters 'Emma Maersk' and 'Estelle Maersk', the largest containership ever with a total teu capacity 11,000 teu (of which 1,000 forty foot reefer containers) according to the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group. Rumours are that a total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweigth of 156,907 tons. Amazingly, all this size and capacity requires a crew of only 13. The specially designed Wärtsilä diesel engine delivers 80,000 kW. A waste heat recovery system is installed to optimize the use of the energy produced, so that the engine can deliver up to 90,000 kW. The vessels in this series will also establish new standards for safety and environmental responsibility. Environmentally-safe silicone paint, for example, is used on the hull, below the water line, reducing water resistance, and thereby fuel consumption, by 1,200 tons per year. The ship was built by Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd in 2006.

The Eleonora Maersk is scheduled to arrive later today at the APM terminal, Rotterdam from Felixstowe. Tomorrow, the vessel will set sail for Bremerhaven. She will return within 10 days to Rotterdam.

The Eleonora Maersk seen arriving at Rotterdam at her last call (24-1-2007 12:47). Many thanks to Rene Nicolaes of Sea-Ships.com for the photo!

Click here for the current position of the Eleonora Maersk

CHARLOTTE MAERSK

The Charlotte Maersk (IMO: 9245744, Port of Registry: Fredericia, Denmark) is a S-class containervessel owned by A.P. Moller and built in 2002 by Odense Shipyards, Denmark. She is currently deployed on the AE-2 loop between the Far East (Korea / China) and Europe. The vessel is 347 metres long, 43 metres wide, has a deadweight tonnage of almost 110,000 and a teu capacity of 6,600.

The Charlotte Maersk is expected to arrive later today at the APM Terminal, Rotterdam from Bremerhaven. She is scheduled to depart later tomorrow with destination Algeciras.

EMMA MAERSK

The Emma Maersk is the largest containership of all times with a total teu capacity 11,000 teu (of which 1,000 forty foot reefer containers) according to the A.P. Moller - Maersk Group . Rumours are that a total capacity of 13,500 teu is also possible. This capacity is possible by stacking the containers in 22 rows wide. The vessel is 397 meters long, 56 meters wide, has a depth of 30 meters and a deadweigth of 156,907 tons. The specially designed Wärtsilä diesel engine delivers 80,000 kW. A waste heat recovery system is installed to optimise the use of the energy produced, so that the engine can deliver up to 90,000 kW. The ship was built this year by Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd. The Emma's sister vessels are: Estelle Maersk and Eleonora Maersk.

The Emma Maersk will arrive at the APM terminal, Rotterdam from Felixstowe later this day. The vessel will then set sail for Bremerhaven, Gothenburg and Aarhus on the APM AE1 line. She will return within about 10 days to Rotterdam.

ANNA MAERSK

The Anna Maersk (IMO:9260421, Port of Registry: Aabenraa, Denmark) is a Post-Panamax, Series S, container vessel owned by A.P. Møller-Maersk. The vessel was built in 2003 by Odense Steel Shipyard, Denmark as one of 29 almost identical ships. She is 352 metres long, 43 metres wide, has a maximum draught of 15 metres and a maximum official teu capacity of 6,600 but believed to carry a maximum of up to 10,000 teu.

The Anna Maersk has arrived this morning at the APM terminal, Rotterdam from bremerhaven. Her next port of call will be Felixstowe. The Albert Maersk is scheduled to return to Rotterdam in two months.

ITAL CONTESSA

The Ital Contessa (IMO: 9293806, Port of Registry: Majuro, Marshall Islands) was built in 2006 at Samsung Shipbuilding & Heavy Industries. The containership has a teu capacity of 8,000, is 334 meters long, almost 43 meters wide, has a draught of 14.5 meters and a deadweight tonnage of 101,000.
She is currently owned by Conti Reederei, Germany, managed by NSB Niederelbe, Germany and is sailing for the Italian based Italia Marittima (previously: Lloyd Triestino) on their China-Europe-Mediterranean Service.

The Ital Contessa entered the port of Rotterdam this morning and is currently (dis)charging at the ECT Terminal. The vessel's next destination is Taranto (Italy). From there the vessel will sail towards the Far East. She will return in Rotterdam within two months.

ALEXANDER CARL

The Alexander Carl (IMO: 9039169, Port of Registry: Pusan, Korea) is an in 1993 built bulk carrier owned by Keoyang Shipping Co., Korea and managed by Hanjin Ship Management. The vessel is 311 metres long, 50 metres wide, has a maximum draught of 18 metres and a deadweight tonnage of 208,000. She was built by Daewoo Shipbuilding, Korea. The Alexander Carl is deployed in worldwide triangular services for the transportation of iron ore and coal under long-term contracts with POSCO, the world's largest steel mill and Australian mining companies.

The Alexander Carl has arrived this morning at the EECV terminal, Rotterdam.

GUDRUN MAERSK

Until the delivery of the Emma Maersk half a year ago, the Gudrun Maersk (IMO: 9302877, Port of Registry: Svenborg, Denmark) was, together with its sisters Gjertrud Maersk, Gerd Maersk, Grete Maersk, Gunvor Maersk and Georg Maersk, the longest containership sailing at that time. The Gudrun Maersk is 367 meters long, 43 meters wide and is capable of transporting 8,500 teu. With these capacities the Gudrun Maersk comes to a deadweight tonnage of 115,700.

The vessel entered the Maersk fleet in June 2005 and was built by Odense Steel Shipyard, Denmark. Currently this Post-Panamax ship is sailing on the Far East - Europe line on which it visits, amongst others, Singapore, Kobe, Hong Kong, Felixstowe, Bremerhaven and of course Rotterdam. The Gudrun Maersk should arrive today in Rotterdam at the APM terminal from Bremerhaven, Germany, however this is still unsure since tugboat company SMIT is on strike in the Port of Rotterdam. The next port of call will be Algeciras, Spain and from there she will sail towards the Far East. The vessel will return in Rotterdam within two months.

CMA CGM NORMA

The CMA CGM Norma (IMO: 9299812, Port of Registry: Marseille) is an in 2006, by Hyundai Heavy Industries built, Post-Panamax container vessel, capable of transporting 9415 teu. She is 350 metres long, almost 43 metres wide, has a maximum draught of about 14.5 metres and a deadweight tonnage of 107,200. The CMA CGM Norma is the first of eight super mega container vessels deployed in the new European (FAL2) service jointly operated by CMA CGM and China Shipping.

The CMA CGM Norma is expected to arrive later this morning at the ECT Terminal, Rotterdamand with the last port of call at Le Havre. She is scheduled to depart tomorrow morning with destination Hamburg.

BERGE STAHL

Source: http://www.BeeldbankVenW.nl, Rijkswaterstaat

Today's SOTD is the Berge Stahl (IMO:8420804, Port of registry: Stavanger, Norway) which has returned to Rotterdam after being out of service for a few months for maintenance. The Berge Stahl is the largest bulk carrier currently sailing with its deadweight of 364,767 tons. The vessel is owned by Bergesen Worldwide Shipping, was built in 1992 by Hyundai Heavy Ind. Co. Ltd. Ulsan, Korea, is 343 meters long, 65 meters wide, ore carrier has a draught of 23 meters, has 7 holds and hatches and was built . She transports iron ore from the 'Companhia Vale do Rio Doce' mines in the eastern part of the Amazone, Brasil to Rotterdam about 9 or 10 times a year. From Rotterdam the iron ore is transported in barges to the steel mills of ThyssenKrupp and Hüttenwerke Krupp Mannesmann in Germany. The Berge Stahl has arrived this morning at the EECV terminal, Rotterdam from Ponta da Madeira, Brasil. Rotterdam and Ponta da Madeira are the only two ports in the world which are deep enough to receive the vessel.