The period when the construction of mixed river-sea vessels began in our country dates back to the mid-sixties of the twentieth century. By this time, the creation of a unified deep-water system for the European part of the country had been completed, which made it possible to connect inland waterways with the seas: the Baltic, Northern, White, Black, Caspian, and Mediterranean. Waterborne non-transshipment export-import transportation began to actively develop, bringing high income to domestic shipping enterprises and serving as a significant source of foreign exchange earnings to the state budget. Between 1970 and 1990, international traffic volumes increased almost sixfold. The largest role in the implementation of such transportation was played by the following shipping companies: North-West, Belomoro-Onega, Volzhskoye, Volga-Donskoye, Volgotanker.
Currently, Russian shipping companies operate about 700 vessels with a carrying capacity of 2 million tons. The average age of ships is 28 years. About 30 million are transported by river and sea. tons of cargo per year, of which 50% is oil (the rest is grain, metal, fertilizers, timber), revenue is about 500 USD million.
During the year, these ships make about 14 thousand ship calls to 670 ports in 46 countries.
The main types of vessels engaged in multimodal transport are the following:
Sormovsky - pr. 1557, 488, 614 (large carriers using this fleet are the following shipping companies: Volzhskoye, Volga-Donskoye, Belomoro-Onega);
Bakhtemir - pr. 326 and STK-1000 - pr. 326.1 (Volzhskoye, North-West, Northern);
ST-1300 (Vegetable truck) - pr. 19620 and 191 (Volzhskoe, Moskovskoe);
Volga - pr. 19610 (Belomoro-Onezhskoe, Volzhskoe);
Volzhsky - pr.05074A (Moskovskoye);
Amur - pr. 92040 (Belomoro-Onezhskoe, North-Western, Northern, Volga-Donskoe);
Volgo-Balt – pr. 2-95, 2-95AR (Belomoro-Onega, North-West, Volga-Don);
Baltiysky - pr. 613 (Belomoro-Onezhskoye);
Baltiysky-201 - pr. 16290 (North-West);
Onego (Seg, Vyg, etc.) – project 10523 (Belomoro-Onega);
Omsky - pr. 1743, 1743.1 (North-West, Volga-Donskoe);
Ladoga – pr. 285, 787 (North-West);
Sibirsky - pr. 292, 225 (Lenskoye United, North-West, Volzhskoye);
Volgoneft - pr. 1577, 550A (Volgotanker);
Lenaneft - Ave. R-77, 621 (Lenskoye United, Irtyshskoye).
A total of 2,262 insurance companies are registered, of which 94 have the right to operate in the foreign market. 90% of the mixed navigation fleet is concentrated in 13 companies: SZP, BOP, Volgotanker, etc.
Currently, the largest shipping companies are beginning to order new fleets for use in foreign transportation. In particular, the fleet of ships of the Volga and North-Western Shipping Companies is replenished with cargo ships of the type “Rusich” (project 00101) and “Valdai” (project 01001 - modification of the vessel “Rusich”). The multi-purpose dry cargo vessel of the RSD44 project is a self-propelled mixed river-sea vessel, with two cargo holds, a stern superstructure and a bow deckhouse, designed for the transportation of general and bulk cargo, including containers.
Dry cargo ships RSD 44 (Fig. 4, Table 1) will gradually replace ships of the previous Volgo-Don series. Their carrying capacity, in comparison with Volgo-Don dry cargo ships, is 500 tons higher; at the same time, the overall height of the new ships will allow them to pass under the Neva bridges and the Rostov railway bridge without their wiring. The ships will be fully automated and equipped with modern rudder propellers, providing high maneuverability and good controllability.
The lead vessel of the series "Captain Ruzmankin" was launched from the stocks of the Okskaya Shipyard in November 2010. A total of 10 vessels of this series were built at the first stage.
| Rice. 4 Bulk carrier of the RSD 44 series Table 1 – Characteristics of the vessel of the RSD 44 project | |
| Overall length, m | |
| Length according to vertical line, m | 138,9 |
| Maximum width, m | 16,5 |
| Side height at midship, m | |
| Height from OP by non-removable parts, m | 8,2 |
| Fully loaded draft, m, Hg | 3,6 |
| Light draft, m, Np | 1,8 |
| Vessel carrying capacity, t, Qp | |
| Capacity of cargo holds, cubic meters, E | |
| Container capacity TEU/FEU | 140/73 |
| Main engine power, kW | 2x1200 |
| Vessel speed in ballast, km/h. | |
| Vessel speed when fully loaded, km/h. | |
| Crew | 9,00 |
| Autonomy, days. | |
| Range, nm | |
| Capacity determined according to the "Rules of the International Convention on Tonnage of Ships 1969": |
General technical trends in the construction and modernization of a dry cargo fleet of mixed navigation are as follows:
According to their intended purpose, vessels are, as a rule, universal, i.e. designed for transportation of a wide variety of cargo;
The holds have a “box” shape with a high degree of vertical permeability (90-100%), their number does not exceed two (modernized “old” ships may have three or four);
The hulls of all vessels are equipped with double sides and a double bottom;
Ships are equipped with waterproof hatch covers with rubber seals;
Vessels are equipped with bow thrusters, and in some cases, stern thrusters;
The most commonly used location is the aft location of the engine room and deck superstructure;
The overwhelming majority of ships built to order from domestic shipowners are twin-screw. Their advantage, compared to single-rotor ones, is high maneuverability, which is especially important when working in river conditions and when maneuvering in port waters. Foreign shipowners mainly order single-screw (single-shaft) ships equipped with one main engine. The advantages of such vessels are: higher propulsion efficiency. (less engine power is required to achieve the same speed as a twin-shaft vessel); lower specific fuel consumption; less equipment in the engine room, which, in turn, makes it easier to maintain, reduces metal consumption and creates the prerequisites for automation of control;
Modern ships, and primarily the ships of Western shipowners, are characterized by a high degree of automation, which makes it possible to significantly reduce the number of crews (up to 7-9 people);
The vessels are equipped with a satellite radio navigation system;
The carrying capacity of ships is, as a rule, in the range from 1500 to 5000 tons. The loading capacity is limited by the navigable dimensions of inland waterways and the size of the locks;
The rated speed is usually 10-11 knots (19-21 km/h), which is slightly lower than that of purely seagoing vessels.
When managing the operation of river-sea vessels, in addition to the basic standard operational and technical characteristics applied to river vessels (carrying capacity, main engine power, overall dimensions, speed and other characteristics contained in the fleet dispatch handbook), it is also necessary to know some other characteristics, characteristic mostly of naval vessels. These include the following.
Deadweight is the total mass of cargo and variable supplies (fresh water, fuel, provisions, baggage, oil, etc.) when loading the ship at the design draft (at the load line).
Net carrying capacity is the mass of cargo that a ship can accept when loading it at its design draft. Net tonnage is determined by the difference between the deadweight of the vessel and the amount of variable reserves. Thus, it is not a constant, but depends on the amount of reserves on board the ship.
Gross registered tonnage – the total volume of the hull rooms and closed superstructures, with the exception of the volumes of double bottom compartments, ballast tanks and some special rooms.
Net (net) registered tonnage is the volume of all premises of the ship that can be used for commercial purposes (hold, storerooms, storage rooms, cabins for passengers, salons for their service, etc.).
The gross and net register tonnage of a ship (GRT and NRT) are measured in registered tons or cubic meters. One registered ton is 2.83 cubic meters. m (100 cubic feet). The method for calculating registered tonnage is regulated by the International Rules for the Measurement of Ships.
These characteristics are widely used to calculate port and canal dues.
Permissible conditions and navigation areas for mixed navigation vessels (Table 2) are established in accordance with the class confirmed by the Russian Maritime Register of Shipping (KM mark) or the River Register (SP).
Table 2 - Navigation conditions and areas
In the old days, due to the imperfect design of ships, large volumes of cargo could only be transported along rivers and lakes, so for centuries the main type of water transport was river ships.
The ship, as a rule, rowed or sailed against the current; sometimes it was pulled by a towline army of workers called barge haulers. In the 19th century, horse-drawn vessels that were actually driven by horses became widespread. But soon the steam engine changed the face of the river fleet - the winch was replaced by steam. However, in the second half of the 19th century, the paddle wheel replaced all other types of propulsion. And at the beginning of the 20th century, especially in central Europe, where a large network of rivers and canals contributed to the development of the river fleet as the main mode of transport, they began to build the most advanced river vessels for their time. Now river fleet vessels transport passengers and cargo along rivers and lakes, which include self-propelled cargo ships, pusher tugs, non-self-propelled scows, barges, passenger ships and auxiliary vessels. In this publication, the reader will be presented with an expanded classification of river vessels, which has no differences either in domestic or foreign shipbuilding. However, to understand the many, in my opinion, diverse types of river vessels, it is necessary to understand some categories.
river boat is a floating structure designed to transport goods, passengers and perform various types of work to ensure inland navigation on lakes, rivers and artificial waterways. Unlike sea vessels, which can withstand strong winds and rough seas, river vessels are subject to less stringent requirements for stability, and therefore can be made of composite materials. River vessels are limited by their navigation capabilities, which are determined by the width and depth of the rivers where the vessel operates, as well as the height of the bridges, which require a height-adjustable rudder and retractable masts for unobstructed passage under them. In any state, the existence of different types of river vessels depends on the characteristics of navigable rivers and canals, taking into account the availability of infrastructure, including primarily the railway network. River transport is a slow but inexpensive mode of transport that is best suited for transporting bulk cargo and containers.
An equally important concept in the classification is the division of river vessels into River Register classes. For clarity, they are summarized in a table.
Navigation conditions on inland waterways, namely their wind-wave regime, impose certain requirements on the strength of river vessels and their seaworthiness. Depending on the design features of vessels, the River Register divides them into five classes: “M-SP”, “M”, “O”, “R” and “L”.
"M" class vessels of the river register
"M" class river vessel
Class “M” includes vessels that can sail in “M” category pools without weather restrictions. The strength of the hull of these vessels must be sufficient for sailing in waves, when the wave height reaches 3 m and the length reaches 40 m. These river vessels have special requirements for stability, closing hatches, doors, and portholes. In order to reduce flooding of the deck in fresh weather, the edge lines of a river vessel are sheer at the bow and stern. On all open parts of the main deck of passenger and tugboats of class “M”, strong metal bulwarks with a height of at least 0.9 m are installed, and on tugboats up to 0.6 m. Cutouts with a total area of at least 10 percent of the area are made in the bulwarks for water drainage bulwarks. These openings are protected with metal bars or storm covers. Such openings in the bulwarks are called storm porticoes. On non-self-propelled ships of the "M" class, instead of a bulwark, a strong railing with a height of at least 0.9 m is often installed. Such fences are installed on all open areas of the deck, as well as on the decks of superstructures and deckhouses. Deck superstructures on all M-class river vessels are made of steel or light alloys. To illuminate interior spaces in deck superstructures, instead of ordinary windows, portholes with a metal frame, round or rectangular, with blank covers are installed. To prevent water from entering the hull when ships are sailing in rough seas, deck hatches are equipped with coamings with a height of at least 300 mm. All external doors are made of waterproof metal, which are closed using latches. Cargo hold hatches are equipped with waterproof closures. The side height of class M river vessels is greater than that of vessels of other classes. The anchor chains of M-class river vessels must be longer and stronger than the chains on vessels of other classes.
M-SP class vessels of the river register
mixed-use tanker "M-SP" class
Multi-sea vessels "M-SP" are equipped to sail in sea conditions. In addition to increased hull strength and seaworthiness compared to river vessels of the "M" class, they are equipped with navigation instruments, life-saving equipment, sound and light signals, have emergency equipment, and all closures on these vessels are made according to the rules of the register for sea vessels. In addition to mixed navigation vessels of the river-sea type, there are vessels of the sea-river type. These are sea vessels, part of the voyage of which passes through inland waterways, while they are partially unloaded and have a reduced draft.
class "O" vessels of the river register
"O" class river vessel
Class "O" includes vessels that can sail in pools classified as "O" without any weather restrictions. The strength of the hull of these river vessels must be sufficient for navigation in waves, when the wave height reaches 2 m and the length is 20 m. Class “O” river vessels are subject to less stringent requirements for stability, closures, supplies, rescue, navigation and other equipment, than to "M" class ships. The freeboard of class "O" ships is made higher than on river ships. The main deck is also made with sheerness in the bow and stern. However, the freeboard height and sheer value may be less than for M-class vessels. In the freeboard of river vessels of this class, portholes with blind covers are made. The height of hatch coamings must be at least 150 mm. Hatches of cargo holds are equipped with splash-proof covers. Deck superstructures of class “O” ships are made of metal; Instead of portholes, windows are allowed in them. The open lower decks of O-class ships are protected by solid metal bulwarks on passenger ships and railings on all others.
One of the oldest methods of transporting cargo is river transportation. Previously, some cargo that could float could be transported by rafting; they were simply dumped into the river and caught downstream. Today, river transportation of goods is carried out using a developed network of river transport. Although the entire territory of Russia is penetrated by large and small rivers, river freight turnover is only 4% of the total freight turnover in the country.
There are quite a lot of types of goods transported along rivers, and, basically, these are goods that do not require fast or urgent delivery. Such cargoes include grains, oil products, fuel (coal, coke), building materials (for example, river sand with delivery), that is, bulk and liquid cargo. However, river vessels can transport goods in small containers and containers, however, this depends on the type of vessel and its capacity.
(Total 14 photos)
All river vessels can be divided into twoe large categories:
1. Vessels equipped with an engine, that is, self-propelled. This includes motor ships, steamships, boats, motor boats, etc.
2. Vessels without an engine, that is, non-self-propelled. These are primarily cargo barges, as well as pontoons and other structures.
The main type of self-propelled vessel is a bulk carrier. Bulk carriers transport cargo in a hold located inside the ship's hull. As the name implies, dry cargo ships carry cargo that is not desirable to be exposed to moisture, which is why dry cargo ships are equipped with special hatches.
Among dry cargo ships, there are three types of vessels:
1. Roller (ro-ro). This vessel is equipped with vertical loading; it transports cars and other equipment.
2. Cars can enter the ship under their own power through folding bow ramps.
3. Bulk carrier. This type of vessel is designed for the transportation of bulk, non-packaged (and sometimes liquid) cargo. For example, if the cargo is river sand for delivery, then most likely it will be delivered on a bulk carrier.
4. Bulk bulk carrier. Such bulk carriers transport various types of liquid cargo, such as oil, ammonia, liquid fuel, etc.
If we talk about non-self-propelled vessels, the leader here is the cargo barge. There are several types of barges:
* Bilge (closed and open),
* Areas for bulk transportation,
* Tent,
* Self-unloading,
* Car carriers,
* Cement tankers,
And others.
However, all these types belong to dry cargo barges; there are also liquid barges.
Advantages of river transport
1. River transportation of goods has a fairly low cost, and this is a big plus for customers. Low cost is possible due to the low speed of transportation and the presence of currents on the rivers.
2. There is no need to build and, accordingly, repair transport routes, as is done for road and rail transport.
Disadvantages of river transport
1. Paradoxically, what provides the main advantage is the main disadvantage. We are talking about the low speed of river vessels and, accordingly, long delivery times.
2. Relatively weak capabilities in relation to transportation volumes.
3. Pronounced seasonality of transportation associated with short navigation. In other words, in winter the rivers freeze and ships are laid up.
4. The different depths and widths of rivers in different places and the sizes of vessels impose additional restrictions on transportation.
1. The largest displacement belongs to the Volgo-Don vessel and is 5000 tons.
Volgo-Don - river dry cargo ships designed for transporting bulk cargo (coal, ore, grain, crushed stone, etc.) along large inland waterways. Built from 1960 to 1990, one of the most massive series of Soviet river vessels (in total, up to 225 ships of various series were built).
During construction, the vessels were repeatedly modified:
Projects 507 and 507A - first modifications, open hold-bunker without bulkheads
Project 507B - machines with lower power were installed (1800 hp instead of 2000 hp)
Projects 1565, 1565M - closed holds, modern superstructure
Project 1566 is a composite vessel that had a self-propelled part and a non-self-propelled barge attachment.
Open holds. The only ship was built in 1966 under the name “XXIII Congress of the CPSU”.
A further development of the project was the Volzhsky type motor ships. In the 1990s, some vessels of the Volgo-Don type were reconstructed into the river-sea type, which allowed them to enter inland seas and make voyages, for example, to the UK.
The reconstructed ships are shorter, have a higher bow and more advanced hold equipment. Vessels of projects 507, 507A, 507B and 1566 were built at the Navashinsky shipyard "Oka", Pr.1565 and 1565M - there and at the Santierul Navale Oltenita plant, Romania.
Structurally, the vessels are motor ships with a carrying capacity of 5000-5300 tons (Project 1566 - 10,000 tons with an attachment) with open or closed holds.
The length of the vessels is 138-140 m, width 16.6-16.7 m, draft 3.5-3.6 m. Main engine power 1800-2000 hp, light speed 21-23 km/h. Vessels of the Volga-Don type have been actively used and continue to be used on the Volga, Kama, Don, Volga-Baltic water system, on the Dnieper, as well as on the Yenisei below the Kazachinsky rapids. Since the 1990s, many ships, especially reconstructed ones, have been sailing in the Azov, Black, Caspian and Baltic seas.
3. PROJECT RSD44
The implementation of the project for the construction of a series of RSD-44 ships is carried out under a leasing scheme for state support of domestic shipbuilding: joint financing by the state-owned United Shipbuilding Corporation (85%) and the future owner of the ships - Volga Shipping Company (15%) on the terms of state subsidies 2/3 refinancing rates of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
The carrying capacity of the RSD44 project vessels in comparison with the Volgo-Don bulk carriers is 500 tons higher and amounts to 5.5 thousand tons; At the same time, the overall height of the new ships is 8 meters (almost 2 times lower). The ships will be fully automated and equipped with modern rudder propellers, providing high maneuverability and good controllability.
The bulk carrier "Captain Ruzmankin" was laid down at the Okskaya Shipyard on February 24, 2010 and delivered to the customer in 2011 after sea trials. The ship is named after the Volga captain Pyotr Fedorovich Ruzmankin, who died at Stalingrad in 1942.
Multi-purpose dry cargo vessel with a deadweight of 5458 tons of the "Volgo-Don max" class
The dry cargo vessel "Volgo-Don max" of the RSD44 class "Captain Yurov" made a unique voyage from Ladoga to the Southern port of Moscow with a cargo of crushed stone. At the first stage, the ship took on board 5,400 tons of cargo; upon arrival at the Northern Port, part of the cargo was loaded. Having on board 3680 tons of crushed stone and a draft of 2.80 m, the “Captain Yurov”, having a length of 140 m, passed along the Moscow River with its small radii of curvature of the ship passage under low-size Moscow bridges (overwater clearance 8.6 m) to the South Port.
The ship "Captain Yurov" was built at the Oka Shipyard (director Vladimir Kulikov): laying down on 12/28/10, launching on 10/14/11, delivered on 11/18/11.
During the 2012 navigation season, Volga Shipping Company OJSC (director Alexander Shishkin) launched all ten vessels of the new series at once.
The series can be called “the series named after the Heroes of Stalingrad” - all ten captains of the Volga Shipping Company, in whose honor and memory the ships of the RSD44 project are named, gave their lives defending their Motherland in the battles for Stalingrad.
It should be noted that the series of vessels of the RSD44 project set a record not only for the speed of construction, but also for deadweight in the river with a draft of 3.60 m (5540 tons based on the results of inclining the lead vessel and weighing the second) and speed during testing (average speed along the current and against the current during sea trials of the lead vessel was more than 12 knots).
The RSD44 project was developed by the Marine Engineering Bureau.
Class of the Russian River Register - + M-PR 2.5 (ice 20) A.
New dry-cargo vessels of the RSD44 "Volga Max" class class (length according to the waterline 138.9 m, width 16.5 m, side height 5.0 m, coaming height 2.20 m) are intended for transportation along the inland waterways of the Russian Federation of general, bulk, timber and large cargo, grain, lumber, potash and mineral fertilizers, sulfur, coal, paper, building materials, metal products, as well as up to 140 containers.
The deadweight of the vessel with a draft of 3.60 m in the river is about 5543 tons, with a draft of 3.53 m at sea - 5562 tons. The volume of cargo holds is 7090 cubic meters. m.
The operation of vessels is also envisaged along the Volga-Don Shipping Canal (VDSK), the Volga-Baltic Canal, in the Sea of Azov to the port of Caucasus and in the Gulf of Finland. Passage under the Nevsky Bridges in the area of St. Petersburg and under the Rostov Railway Bridge (Rostov-on-Don) is supposed to be carried out without their wiring (the maximum freeway clearance when passing under the bridges is 5.4 m).
The dimensions of the RSD44 project (overall length 139.99 m, overall width 16.80 m) make it possible to ensure the operation of ships through the VDSK, including through the “old” branch of the Kochetovsky lock without the “special wiring” mode.
Double bottom and double sides along the entire length of the “box” cargo holds (hold dimensions: hold N1 37.8 m x 13.2 x 6.22 m, hold N2 49.8 m x 13.2 x 6.22 m) and fuel, oil and waste tanks make it possible to ensure the convenience of loading and unloading cargo, high operational reliability of the vessel, and also guarantee environmental protection and reduce the risks associated with environmental pollution in the area where the vessel is operating.
The propulsion system consists of two full-rotary rudder propellers, combining the properties of propulsion devices and controls in a single complex, which can significantly improve the maneuverability of the vessel in cramped river conditions. The vessel is equipped with two medium-speed diesel engines, each with a power of 1200 kW, running on heavy fuel.
The hull shape of the vessels, made as technologically advanced as possible to ensure low cost of hull work, is at the same time sufficiently seaworthy and optimal in terms of fuel consumption for the given operating conditions in the M-PR river class, providing an operational speed of 10.5 knots.
To ensure sufficient visibility of the water surface from the vessel's steering position, the wheelhouse is located at the bow end of the vessel. When passing through narrow passages and locks, the vessel is controlled from onboard control panels installed on the open deck on each side in the wheelhouse area.
The vessels are equipped with a 120 kW propeller-in-tube bow thruster.
Due to the need to ensure the passage of ships under the Nevsky Bridges and the Rostov Railway Bridge without their wiring, single-tier residential deckhouses are provided in the stern of the ships.
The ships provide all the necessary conditions for a comfortable stay of the crew on board, including a developed climate control system and the use of anti-vibration and anti-noise coatings indoors.
Crew - 8 people, captain and chief engineer are accommodated in block cabins, the rest in single cabins.
It is interesting to note that, according to the proposal of the Volga Shipping Company, the total number of seats is 16, which will allow taking on board cadets, specialists performing equipment maintenance, as well as members of the crew’s families (wives). The latter can be a serious advantage when selecting personnel to work on a new series.
The market demand for transport services of inland water transport will not be able to be satisfied in 5-10 years due to the rapid aging and prospect of decommissioning of the fleet. The railway will also not be able to cope with the growing demand in the transport market, since it is already operating at the limit of its carrying capacity. In this regard, the problem of updating the river dry cargo fleet by building new river vessels of the “Volga Max” class to replace vessels of the “Volgo-Don” and “Volzhsky” types (in total there are 161 such vessels in Russia’s GDP, and the vessels of Project 507B have average age is about 37 years, project 1565 - 33 years, project 05074M - 22 years).
The deadweight of the vessel, project RSD44, with a draft of 3.60 m in the river, is 7% higher than that of the newest existing vessels of the Volzhsky type (project 05074M).
The surface dimension in ballast of the proposed vessel is only 5.4 m (even less when loaded), which will allow it, unlike the Volzhsky, to pass under bridges across the Neva River and under the Rostov railway bridge without raising them. As a result, the vessel will save time waiting in line for bridge construction, which amounts to up to 20 days per navigation.
The volume of cargo holds of the RSD44 project is 21% larger than that of the Volzhsky, which will allow it not only to transport large-sized cargo, but also to significantly increase the load when transporting “light” cargo - barley, sunflower seeds, cotton, scrap metal and large-diameter pipes and etc.
With the same length and width, the dry cargo vessel pr. RSD44 has a lower side height, as a result of which its module is 8% smaller than that of Volzhsky type vessels, which will save up to 8% of the total costs for port and navigation fees.
Thus, the RSD44 project vessels, serially built by the Okskaya Shipyard, represent a unique engineering complex that combines optimal dimensions for inland waterways with modern equipment and navigation technology, which has significant advantages over existing analogues.
The first vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Ruzmankin,” was laid down on 02.24.10. Launched 11/23/10. Put into operation on 05/20/11.
The second vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Zagryadtsev,” was laid down on April 27, 2010. Launched 04/12/11. Put into operation on 06/16/11.
The third vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Krasnov,” was laid down on June 26, 2010. Launched 05/05/11. Put into operation on 07/14/11.
The fourth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Gudovich,” was laid down on August 26, 2010. Launched 05/27/11. Put into operation on 08/10/11.
The fifth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Sergeev,” was laid down on September 29, 2010. Launched 07/15/11. Put into operation 09/07/11.
The sixth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Kadomtsev,” was laid down on November 29, 2010. Launched 08/16/11. Put into operation on 10.10.11.
The seventh vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Afanasyev,” was laid down on December 28, 2010. Launched 09/14/11. Put into operation on 11/10/11.
The eighth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Yurov,” was laid down on December 28, 2010. Launched 10/14/11. Put into operation on 11/18/11.
The ninth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Shumilov,” was laid down on 05/05/11. Launched 11/22/11. Put into operation on 04/29/12.
The tenth vessel of the RSD44 project, “Captain Kanatov,” was laid down on June 22, 2011. Launched 01/18/12. Put into operation on 04/29/12.
(data as of September 2012)
The vessels were built under a leasing scheme, according to which 85% of the funds were provided by the United Shipbuilding Corporation (USC) as part of state support for domestic shipbuilding, and 15% was financed by the Volga Shipping Company. The terms of the scheme are that the state subsidizes 2/3 of the refinancing rate of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation.
And we move on to passenger ships:
River passenger ships of project 92-016 are large passenger ships designed for river cruises. This project is unique in that motor ships 92-016 are the largest river cruise ships in the world. The construction of Project 92-016 ships for our country was carried out at the Czechoslovakian shipyard “Slovenske Lodenice Komarno” in the city of Komarno. During construction, it was planned that motor ships of this project would replace motor ships of Project 26-37 on the “fast” Volga lines. The lead motor ship of project 92-016 “Valerian Kuibyshev” was laid down on the stocks in 1975. Construction of the series continued until 1983; a total of 9 motor ships of Project 92-016 were built.
The motor ships of project 92-016 delivered by the shipyard were placed at the disposal of the Volga and Don Shipping Company (the ship of the Don Shipping Company had a serious accident in 1983, after which it also entered the balance of the Volga Shipping Company). The vessels were operated on the Volga tourist routes. Today, most of the ships are used in the North-Western cruise direction; they make flights between Moscow and St. Petersburg, and short cruises from St. Petersburg. Some ships operate on the Volga tourist routes from Nizhny Novgorod and Samara, along the Volga, Don, Kama and the Volga-Baltic waterway. Initially, the design for the ships included one-, two-, three-berth cabins, each equipped with an individual bathroom, the premises of two restaurants, a cafe, salons and a cinema hall with a sliding roof.
During the operation of the ships, modernization was carried out on almost all ships: the salons were transformed into bars, the cinema rooms on the sun deck were converted into bars and conference rooms. The cabins were partially remodeled; on some ships the number of luxury and semi-luxury cabins was increased by combining several standard cabins into one. To operate in the North-West direction (Lake Ladoga and Onega), the ships are equipped with a large number of life-saving equipment (life rafts) to meet the requirements of class “M”.
Main technical characteristics of vessels of project 92-016: Vessel length: 135.8 m Vessel width: 16.8 m Vessel height (from the main line): 16.1 m Number of passenger decks: 4 Average speed: 24-26 km/h Number of main engines: 3 Power of each engine: 1000 l/s River Register class: “O” (inland waterways, rivers and reservoirs, passage through Lakes Ladoga and Onega with limited height and wavelength)
List of vessels of project 92-016
Motor ship "Alexander Suvorov"
Motor ship "Valerian Kuibyshev"
Motor ship "Georgy Zhukov"
Motor ship "Mstislav Rostropovich" (before the fire and reconstruction by Mikhail Kalilin)
Motor ship "Mikhail Frunze"
Motor ship "Semyon Budyonny"
Motor ship "Sergey Kuchkin"
Motor ship "Fedor Chaliapin"
Motor ship "Felix Dzerzhinsky"
And the longest ship in this series Motor ship Valerian Kuibyshev— four-deck vessel of project 92-016. Built in 1975 in the Czech Republic. It has a length of 137.5 m. A distinctive feature of the ship is the absence of passenger cabins on the lower deck.
Speed – 24-26 km/h. Passenger capacity – 321 people.
But there is also a ship that can compete with our project:
The American rear-wheel cruise ship American Queen (built in 1995) is superior to Project 92-016 vessels in the following parameters:
Width - 27.2 m
Height - 29.7 m (primarily due to high “traditional” chimneys, but the number of passenger decks is also greater than on 92-016 - 5 decks plus a sixth promenade)
Number of passenger cabins - 222
Number of beds - 436
Mark Twain named wheeled steamships, floating down the mighty Mississippi River as "floating wedding cakes." At the end of the 20th century, a ship appeared that became the largest wheeled steamship in the history of shipbuilding. Although it is carefully hidden, the ship is literally packed with surprises of a river cruise. This is a modern ship with roots in the past. 150 years after the dawn of steamboats on the Mississippi River, " American Queen"gives its passengers a unique vision of the world.
River steamer was built in 1995 at the shipyard " Mc Dermott» Louisiana and cost the owners $65 million. When launched onto the water, it was not a traditional bottle of champagne that was broken on the beautiful river vessel, but a large bottle of Tabasco sauce, the pride of the state. The river cruise ship is included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest paddle steamer in the world.
Several designers worked on its construction and were inspired by early steamships: “ Mayflower», « J.M. White», « Republica», « Southland" and some of their details were implemented on " American Queen" Designed by " Rodni and Co» famous for its floating casinos.
The river boat has a real steam engine. It was removed from an old steamer and fitted with modifications. This design now allows the power to be doubled by drawing steam from the boiler and using two pistons to act twice on one wheel shaft. The steam enters two low pressure cylinders, then cools and returns to the boiler. The paddle wheel is made of wood. If it hits a rock or a jar, it will break and this part can be replaced, but if this were not the case, then the accident would lead to a malfunction of the entire mechanism, which is quite expensive, and maybe even to an explosion of the steam boiler.
Although steam engine technology " American Queen"Almost two centuries old, the auxiliary mechanisms on it are from the 21st century. In addition to the paddle wheel, under the bottom of the vessel there are three steering propulsors with four-blade propellers. They can rotate around their axis. This makes the vessel very maneuverable, which is very important when moving through the narrowness of the river. They provide 60 percent of the ship's power. Naturally, if the river steamer " American Queen"If he tried to move himself with one paddle wheel, he would have remained at the pier forever as a floating hotel. In the old days, fire was a constant threat to steamships, so the riverboat " American Queen» differs from others in its fireproof steel hull and steel partitions on six decks. Each of them has its own name: the first is main, the second is salon, the third is “Texas”, the fourth is observation, the fifth is promenade and the sixth is sunny.
The ship operated primarily 3-4 day cruises up the Mississippi from New Orleans. Prices were high: for a 3-day cruise - from 750 US dollars in an inside cabin, from 1200 US dollars in an outside cabin
The small draft of a large ship allows it to navigate the river without problems. The main salon is distinguished by special architectural delights. The dining rooms are arranged according to historical designs. In addition, there is a two-tier theater and a library on board named after the great writer Mark Twain. All cabins are designed in Victorian style: carpets, wallpaper and furniture are all decorated with the luxury of the period. Everything on board the ship is designed to make passengers feel like guests of one of the Victorian era houses. The menu is varied enough to suit the tastes of any passenger.
American travel company Green Line"founded in 1890, it owns several cruise ships, but the most popular remain " American Queen», « Delta Queen" recently renamed to " Majestic America" And " Mississippi Queen».
Intended for work on cruise river and sea lines, that is, in the mixed river-sea class of navigation, as well as plans for this type, it is worth remembering how they tried to implement similar projects during the USSR, what was proposed for this and why not one of the projects was never implemented.
In the second half of the 1980s, who then headed the Central Design Bureau of the Ministry of River Fleet of the RSFSR, where all projects of river vessels that were intended for work in the USSR were developed, believed that the real financial results from the operation of the river cruise fleet built in the 1970-1980s (ships projects 92-016, 040, 056, 065, 301 and 302), quite modest, since due to climatic conditions their effective use is limited to the summer period.
A way out of this situation, in his opinion, could be the creation of vessels of a qualitatively new type, which has no direct analogues in domestic and foreign practice - passenger tourist vessels of mixed navigation, for the operation of vessels in the autumn-winter period in sea areas with favorable climatic conditions. Vessels of this class can operate on inland waterways, as well as in sea areas with waves up to 6 points with a distance from the place of refuge in closed seas of up to 100 miles and a distance between shelters of up to 200 miles.
“New routes would connect Moscow, Leningrad and Gorky with seaports such as Tallinn and Riga, Baku, Makhachkala, Sukhumi, Batumi, Yalta, Kherson, Odessa and Izmail. And through the international bureau “Sputnik” there would be the possibility of direct flights from the USSR to the GDR, Poland, Finland, to the lower Danube to Bulgaria, Romania, as well as to the Black Sea coast of Bulgaria,” Gorbachev said.
In the European part of the country, the operational period can be increased by expanding the navigation area, that is, ensuring the possibility of ships entering the coastal zones of closed seas - the Baltic, Caspian, Azov, Black, and in the future the Mediterranean. Access to coastal sea areas will attract an additional flow of tourists to cruise lines, which can be constant throughout almost the entire navigation period due to the switching of ships at the end of navigation to the southern regions with more favorable climatic conditions.
In addition to serving Soviet tourists, the new ships could also be used for guests from abroad, the head of the Central Design Bureau believed. For example, a cruise for foreign tourists Kazan - Rostov (until 1990 - the only river route in the RSFSR open to foreign tourists - website note) can cover the coastal areas of the Azov and Black Seas. In the future, the possibility of chartering passenger ships of mixed navigation in November-December and March-April to serve foreign lines is not excluded. Approximate economic calculations show that when built under the same conditions, river-sea mixed navigation vessels, due to their wider operational capabilities, will certainly be profitable at existing tariff rates, while analogue vessels turn out to be economically ineffective.
“From today's perspective, it seems clear that continuing to build traditional tourist boats was a mistake. In any case, we should expect that in the coming period of economic recovery, the development of the tourist fleet will follow the path of creating mixed navigation vessels,” Gorbachev believed.
According to Gorbachev, studies on mixed-sea tourist vessels were carried out at the Central Design Bureau by chief designer A. Ter-Akopov back in the early 1980s, but these proposals did not find support.
Thus, in 1981, a promising project of a vessel with index 2163 appeared. It was ordered by the Ministry of River Fleet of the USSR for operation on the inland waterways of the USSR, as well as work in the Black, Caspian, and Baltic seas. The characteristics of the vessel, according to the technical proposal, were to be as follows: length - 136 meters, width - 16.5 meters, side height - 5.5 meters, draft - 3.25 (in the river) and 3.75 (at sea) meters, surface dimensions - 13.2 meters, displacement - 4850 tons. Three engines with 1500 hp each. each would allow the ship to reach speeds of up to 27 km/h. The maximum navigation autonomy would be 20 days. Passenger capacity - 280 people (124 double cabins, of which two are Luxury and eight cabins in quadruple occupancy), crew and staff - 99 people, with accommodation in single and double cabins (49 crew). Maritime register class - II-SP. The ship's passenger infrastructure was the maximum possible at that time: a two-tier cinema hall with 280 seats, a buffer bar, a music bar, a restaurant, a lounge, a swimming pool, an arcade with a billiard room.
By the mid-1980s, the ship's construction site and project name had been determined. Motor ship "60 years of the USSR" were to be built at a shipyard located in the Slovak city of Komarno (at that time - Czechoslovakia). The layout of the ship clearly shows the similarity with the passenger ships built there in 1975-1983. In the final version, the project numbering should have been 92-273 .
Model of the project 92-273 vessel. Photo from the archive of Alexey Semin.
The ship was also supposed to be built there in Komarno project 92-12, whose project name was "Kyiv", and the ship was to be operated on the Dnieper, Danube and the Black Sea, working on the line Kyiv (Ukraine) - Passau (Germany). The design of the vessel was developed by specialists from a Slovak shipyard in the mid-1980s upon order (at that time - the Main Directorate of River Fleet under the Council of Ministers of the Ukrainian SSR), but it remained “promising”. Judging by the layout, common features with .
The characteristics of the vessel were to be as follows: length - 127.6 meters, width - 16.6 meters, side height - 3.8 meters, draft - 2.08 meters, surface clearance - 9.2 meters. The total power of the two main engines is 2420 kW, speed is 22.5 km/h. Passenger capacity - 200 people, crew - 75 people.
By the early 1990s, the project came close to implementation, right up to the development of a detailed construction design, but in the end it was rejected due to economic inefficiency. In terms of its structural comfort, the vessel corresponded to the 3-4 star class, but its passenger characteristics were almost as unfavorable as on earlier serial river vessels.
Model of the project 92-12 vessel. Photo from the archive of Alexey Semin.
The third project of the vessel is a passenger ship project 303, which is a continuation of the series of four-deck ships and, but more seaworthy class. The characteristics of the vessel were to be as follows: length - 129.15 meters, width - 16.7 meters, side height - 4.5 meters, draft - 2.90 meters, surface dimensions - 13.2 meters, displacement - 3830 tons. The power of the main engines is 3x772 kW, speed is 25 km/h. Passenger capacity - 200 people. Maritime register class - II-SP.
The vessel's "filling" would be similar to the 302M vessels, but the galleries of the main deck are covered up to the upper deck and aft solution and instead of windows there are paired portholes. The construction of Project 303 ships, the lead of which would have been, was planned to be carried out at the shipyard, where Project 301-302 ships were built, but in the end only the hull was laid down, which was dismantled there in 1993-1994 - part of it was used for construction of the Ocean Diva vessel.
One of the reasons why the program for building a new type of fleet was never implemented was that in the mid-1980s, existing river vessels were accepted, and the program for building new ones was frozen until better times - not earlier than the early 1990s , when the series of Project 302 ships was supposed to be completed. But for known reasons, by that time there was no longer a need for new construction.
