I just became a member of this list, looking for information on the current status of M.S. Odessa. Reading the past posts about ex Soviet vessels left me breathless. Coming here about a month ago would have saved me quite a bit of time spent researching the current status of many older Soviet vessels. Patrick Wetter was especially useful (what is happening with M.S. Odessa nowadays Patrick?).

Anyway, this is to announce a new webpage Flotsam'n Jetsam: A Very Personal Ship Database at http://thayer.dartmouth.edu/~abilgili/Ships/index.htm. It is to replace my old site at http://nemo.unh.edu/aqualung/ships.htm, which will be offline in time. The new one contains about 15 vessels now, mostly BLASCO, but it is updated pretty much on a daily basis. Many more vessels (passenger & cargo) from all over the world that I interacted in the past will be added. I will keep it short and easy to update to keep it on the web as long as possible. Please visit and let me know any errors, updated info, etc...

Being a shipping enthusiast for the past 30 years and growing up in Istanbul, Turkey in the 70's and 80's, I am pretty attached to the ships of BLASCO and that's why they're the first ones in the database.

Talk to you later.

She is rusting more and more.

In Spring 1995 she was under Charter of the German Company TRANSOCEAN, Bremen, which has nowadays the ASTOR and starting in March the ASTORIA, the former ARKONA. The Ukrainean Company which ownes the Odessa at that Times had Problems with open Invoices.

So, Italian Customs take her Prisoner and the German Passengers get Flights home. The Cruise was interrupted.

It shows, that nowbody will buy her...

quote:

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Originally posted by Amerikanis:
flotsam'n jetsam, the ODESSA is in Harbour of Naples, Italy since Spring 1995.

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yes you are right, at least as of August 2001, you were!... And their only transportation to land is by tender, I think!.. Read the following for more info:

http://news.independent.co.uk/world/europe/story.jsp?story=86793

Good cruising.

I have a question to you, at the bottom in this link, about the M/S Khabarovsk:

http://www.travelserver.net/travelpage/ubb-bin/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic&f=1&t=001843

I'd be very delighted if you had time to answer to my question, or write me a mail at: alindstrom84@hotmail.com

Kindest regards,
AJL

So here they are:

Flotsam'n Jetsam

Ata's Shiplovers' Page

Hope this works.

quote:

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Originally posted by Patrick:
Reports from people who said that the crew has sold much of the furniture and electronic devices to get money are absolutely wrong. All is onboard !

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The link above to The Independent report last year, states that the crew were all very proud that not even a cup had gone missing. But it did say some of the chairs were a bit mouldy. I hope if she does get bought and has another life, those crew get all their back pay.

check out

MF GRUZIYA

later,

quote:

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Originally posted by flotsam'n jetsam:

MF GRUZIYA

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I appreciate it!

On another note, any idea what happened to the following ladies: Litva, Latvia, Adzharia, Abkhazia, Sovetskiy Soyuz (ex Hansa, 1923), Rossia and Pobeda?

Later,

I need information on the histories of the following vessels. I know quite a bit about them, later names and fates but detailed info (owners, dates, etc...) would be helpful for the Soviet Ships webpage that I am keeping:

Ivan Franko
Abkhazia of 1970's-80's
Litva
Latvia
Rossiya
Pobeda

Thank you.

MIKHAIL LERMONTOV sunk in New Zealand.

ALEKSANDR PUSKIN is now MARCO POLO of ORIENT LINES.

SHOTA RUSTAVELI and TARAS SHEVCHENKO: One is now the ASSEDO, this is Odessa from right to left written.

I think, it is the Taras, but i am not sure. The other may be layed off or scrapped, i do not know.

The IVAN FRANKO was renamed in FRANK in 1997 prior sailing to Aliaga for scrapping. Due to an incident (the ship took water) in the port of Ilychevsk, BLASCO decided to sell her for scrap.
The LITVA which was owned by BLASCO once was supposed to be transfered to Odessa Sun Ltd. based in Malta and renamed ODESSA DREAM (like her sister ODESSA SUN). But it wasn't realized and the ship instead remained with BLASCO. In 1994 she changed name into BOGUCHAR for service between Istanbul and Odessa but since this did not turn into a successfull operation with this already old vessel, the ship was sold for scrap in 1995.
The LATVIYA of Baltic Shipping Company in St. Petersburg remained in the ownership until being replaced by newer units. The result was also scrapping in 1992.
The ABKHAZIYA is one of a series of 11 expedition-vessels built by MTW yards in Germany for Far Eastern Shipping Co.. Unfortunately it is not so easy to find back her way through the history but most of these vessels remain in ownership of Russian scientist-companies. Her sister AKADEMIK VERNADSKIY for example is now Vival Marine's GLORIYA which comes sometimes to Istanbul too.
The ROSSIYA was build in 1938 at Deutsche Werft AG, Hamburg-Finkenwerder as the PATRIA for Hamburg-Amerika-Linie. Between 1940 and 1942 she was laid up in Stettin as a home-ship and Electricity-provider. Later on she was moved to Flensburg. There she was used as the location or office of the German government under Admiral Dönitz. In July 1945 the ship was taken by the british military and renamed EMPIRE WELLAND. She became a troop-carrier after a rebuilt at Harland & Wolff in Belfast. In 1946 it was already sold to the Soviet Union and was renamed ROSSIYA, often used by BLASCO between Havanna and Odessa. In 1985 renamed ANIVA and sold for scrap to Japan.
The POBEDA was build in 1928 as MAGDALENA at Schichau GmbH in Gdansk for Hamburg-Atlantik-Linie. In 1935, HAPAG used the ship with only one funnel left as the IBERIA. During the 2nd world war she was used as a home-ship and in 1946 she was sold to the Soviet Union and renamed POBEDA. A fire broke out in 1948 between New York and Batumi which caused a major repairing of the ship.
Later on she was one of the most popular ships of the Soviet fleet. In Mai 1956 she did the first cruise from Odessa to Leningrad and was the first ship to provided a new form of holiday for Soviet tourists which could see 5 different countries like this.In 1977 she performed her last cruise and she was scrapped in Pakistan in 1978.

Ata, an outstanding website. By the way, I was in Istanbul in 2000 and enjoyed it very thoroughly.

Now what about that !!!