A ship that dwarfed the Eiffel Tower and the Empire State Building in length is an epic tale of engineering ambition.
At 1,504 feet in length – and with a cargo capacity exceeding 564,000 tons – the Seawise Giant was the longest, largest and heaviest ship ever constructed.
The Seawise Giant sailed the oceans for over 20 years before its retirement and dismantling the colossal vessel required more than a year and the efforts of 18,000 workers. No ship of such magnitude has been built since.
In the late 1970s, Tokyo-based Sumitomo Heavy Industries was commissioned by a Greek businessman to construct a massive supertanker.
However, in 1979, when the ship was nearly complete, the businessman unexpectedly cancelled the order.
Some reports suggest he went bankrupt, while others speculate he simply changed his mind. The true reason for his decision to abandon the Seawise Giant remains unknown.
Two years later, Tung Chao Yung, owner of the Hong Kong-based Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL), reached out to Sumitomo Heavy Industries with an interest in acquiring the supertanker, but he had one condition: he wanted the ship to be even larger.
The shipbuilders agreed, and when Tung’s company finally took delivery, the vessel measured 1,504 feet in length, with a rudder weighing an astounding 230 tons.
It was Tung who named the ship “Seawise Giant.” This supertanker was unmatched in scale. Turning the ship required at least 2.719 square miles of open water.
Additionally, if the vessel was cruising at its top speed of 16.5 knots (~30.5 km/h) and the captain needed to stop, it would take another 5.6 miles for the ship to come to a halt.
Due to its massive size, stopping the Seawise Giant immediately was neither practical nor safe. The sheer inertia generated by the ship’s weight could cause internal shaking, similar to how passengers in a fast-moving, fully loaded bus might be jolted if the driver suddenly applied the brakes.
However, everything changed for the Seawise Giant in 1988 during the Iran-Iraq War. On May 14 of that year, while fully loaded with Iranian crude oil and preparing to depart from Larak Island, the ship came under attack from the Iraqi Air Force, which dropped bombs and missiles in the vicinity.
The oil in the Seawise Giant’s tanks ignited, and within moments, the once-glorious vessel was engulfed in flames. It suffered severe damage and ultimately sank, but this was not the end of its story.
By the conclusion of the war, Orient Overseas Container Line (OOCL) had incurred significant losses due to the sinking. Although they knew the location of the wreck, they opted not to recover it, as their analysis indicated that salvaging and repairing the supertanker would not be economically feasible.
Surrinder Kuman Mohan, who captained the Seawise Giant for ten years, in an interview: “She was declared a total constructive loss and laid up in Brunei Bay. But the tides of fortune had other things in store for her.”
This situation presented a significant opportunity for a Norwegian company, Normal International, which decided to salvage, repair, and own the vessel. Although it cost them millions of dollars, they successfully restored the supertanker using 3,700 tons of steel.
They renamed it Happy Giant. However, their ownership was short-lived, as interest from wealthy buyers grew. In 1991, Normal International received an irresistible offer from Norwegian shipping mogul Jørgen Jahre, who purchased the ship for $39 million and renamed it Jahre Viking.
Eventually, as the vessel became unsuitable for storage, it was sold to a ship-breaking yard in Gujarat, India, and renamed Mont.
The Seawise Giant embarked on its final journey, reaching its destination in December 2009. For the following year, 18,000 workers dismantled it piece by piece. The only remnant of the supertanker that remains today is its anchor, which weighs an impressive 36 tons and is displayed at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum.
“To my great regret, I do not think another vessel the size of Jahre Viking will ever be built, as it is not financially viable considering the current new building costs, legislation regarding double hulls, and the demand for crude oil,” Mohan reflected.
