Cadiz Yard Of AESA Delivers Three Containership Conversions

Wesley D. Wheeler Associates, Ltd. of New York, exclusive agents in the U.S. for Astilleros Espanoles, S.A. (AESA), has announced the recent delivery of three major containership conversions by the Spanish shipbuilder's Cadiz yard. The vessels are owned by United Arab Shipping Company of Kuwait.

Three 16,900-dwt general cargo ships—the A1 Ahmadiah, A1 Rumaithiah, and A1 Shamiah—had their entire cargo sections removed and replaced with complete new midbodies, which are outfitted for the stowage of either 20-foot or 40-foot containers in a cell guide system specially designed by AESA-Puerto Real.

The new midbodies extend the vessels' length by 24.726 meters (81.126 feet), while maintaining the original beam and depth. The new deadweight is 15,000 tons.

Keeping the vessels' original 21.80-meter (71.52-foot) beam necessitated the addition of 4,500 metric tons of cast iron ingot ballast in each ship, surrounded by a high-density, pumpable gel having anticorrosive and antibacteria properties.

Classed by Lloyd's Register of Shipping, the converted vessels have an overall length of 194.326 meters, length BP of 180.726 meters, and depth of 13.20 meters (about 637.54/592.93/43.31 feet).

Their new draft is 9.50 meters (31.17 feet). Powered by the original 12,000-bhp, single-acting, two-cycle diesel engines built by the Bryansk Engine Works in Russia, the vessels have a service speed of approximately 18.5 knots. The original ships were constructed at the Nosenko Shipyard in Nikolayev, U.S.S.R., in 1968-70.

New features of these vessels include 16 AESA/MacGregor pontoon hatch covers in each ship, and a modern heel control system that is actuated by a large-capacity pump rated at 1,150 cubic meters per hour at a seven-meter water head. This system can compensate for up to 60 tons of cargo placed as far as 9.7 meters off the vessel's center line. It responds within 90 seconds, limiting the vessel's heel to within five degrees port or starboard.

Provision has been made to accommodate 100 40-foot deck reefer containers, for which deck receptacles are provided. For these reefer containers, power is furnished by three additional R u s t o n / G E L , 938-kva 380-volt generators, complete with switchboard.

Smoke detecting and C02 fire fighting systems supplied by John Kert, Liverpool, are installed in the wheelhouse. The wheelhouse was raised one level for better visibility over the deck containers.

This necessitated relocation of all the navigation equipment.

One of the advantages of the Cadiz yard is its proximity to AESA's newbuilding yard at Puerto Real, where 1,200-ton lifts are possible in the drydock and wet basin, as well as the availability of extensive engineering and technical services.

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