M.F. BELORUSSIYA
Black Sea Shipping Company (BLASCO)
Soviet Union, Ukraine
Picture taken in Istanbul,
1984.
Built: 1975 by Oy Wartsila AB, Turku Shipyard, Finland as a cruise/car ferry. Rebuilt and renovated 1986 and 1993 by Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Technical:
Overall length: 156.2 m Beam: 21.9 m Draft: 5.9 m Gross Tonnage: 16214 tons Passengers: 640 Power: 2 Pielstick diesels, 18014 hp Service Speed: 21.5 knots Operating Routes: Used to make Odessa based
European/Mediterranean cruises. She is operating worldwide now, spending winter
months in the Caribbean, South America and Australia and summer months in
Northern Europe, Mediterranean, Greenland and USA Sister Ships: M.F. Azerbaydzhan, M.F. Kareliya, M.F.
Gruziya, M.F. Kazakhstan. Former Names: None Later Names: M.S. Kazakhstan II (1993), M.S. Delphin (1996) History and Current Status: Between 1975 and 1995, she
sailed under the flags of the Black Sea Shipping Company of Odessa, Ukraine.
In 1986, she went through a major refit at Lloyd-Werft and got converted into a cruise ship, with
her bow unloading doors permanently welded in. In 1992, while being serviced at
Singapore's Singmarine Dockyard, she toppled over when a
floating dock sank with her in it. In 1993, she went through
renovations at Lloyd-Werft again and got completely modernized and elegantly
re-equipped. At the same time, the Delphin Seereisen GMBH of Offenbach, Germany, chartered her for a
period of 10 years. The name was also changed to M.S. Kazakhstan II because she was almost a
new ship then. In 1995, during the fall of BLASCO, she was purchased by the Limassol, Cyprus
based Lady Lou Shipping, that continued chartering her to Delphin Seereisen. In 1998, she
was purchased by the Dolphin Maritime Ltd. of La Valetta, Malta, and renamed M.S. Delphin. She is
still under charter to Delphin Seereisen as of May 2002 and it is being marketed for a mostly German clientele very
succesfully. It is the best kept vessel in the Belorussiya class and said to be in very good condition inside and
out. E-mail all information on her to ata.bilgili@dartmouth.edu. Notes: Named after the Soviet Republic of Belorussiya
(White Russia), she was another regular caller at the port of Istanbul. Her very
typical silhouette, shared by her other 4 sisters with minor differences, was
for me an indispensible part of the docks of Karakoy, and the appearance of that
silhouette was almost always guaranteeing that I was going to see Belorussiya
and not the other sisters. At the end of the 70's and through the 80's, I was
able to see her almost once every week. It was always a great joy to see her
slowly float away on the waters of Bosphorus, gliding through the green hills and old
seaside houses. In the late 80's, on my way to the Naval
Architecture Faculty of the Istanbul Technical University, I used to contemplate
her from the Bosphorus ferries and admire the perfect combination of the
ferryboat / cruise ship designs. Time proved me correct!... It is good to know that as of
May, 2002, she is still in service, although not as handsomely painted as
in her BLASCO days. I regret now not having taken more photos of her
while she was still in the BLASCO colors. I dedicate these memories and page to
my long time friend and tutor Senih Onur, who had the opportunity to sail on her. Links: Line Drawings: From the book "Soviet Bloc Merchant Ships" by
Bruno Bock and Klaus Bock, 1981. Other Pictures: Postcards from My Collection:
- 1975-1995: Black Sea Shipping Company, Odessa, Ukraine.
- 1995-1998: Lady Lou Shipping Co. Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus,
operated by Delphin Seereisen
GMBH, Offenbach, Germany.
- 1998-Present: Dolphin Maritime Ltd., La Valetta, Malta,
operated by Delphin Seereisen
GMBH, Offenbach, Germany, under the Maltese flag.
- Delphin Seereisen GMBH.
- M.F. Belorussiya and M.S.
Delphin pictures from Shipwest.no
-
Philippe Brebant's M.F. Belorussiya.
- Heikki
Helen's M.S. Kazakhstan II Page.
- The All At Sea
Network's M.S. Kazakhstan II Page.
- The
Cruiseferry.de M.S. Delphin page.
- The
M.S. Delphin from Jan Tiedemann.
- The
Daniel Carneiro's M.S. Delphin page.
- Ferry
Gallery's M.S. Delphin page.
- Micke
Asklander's M.S. Delphin page.
- Alexi Lindstrom's M.S. Delphin page.
- Steven McLachlan's Maritime Ship Covers' M.S.
Delphin page.
- Expedia.com's M.S. Delphin page.
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
Southbound in Bosphorus.
Istanbul, 1980's. Leaving Karakoy.
Istanbul, 1980's. Leaving Karakoy northbound.
Istanbul, 1980's. Northbound in Bosphorus.
Istanbul, end of 1970's. Northbound in Bosphorus.
Istanbul, end of 1970's.
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
BELORUSSIYA
KAZAKHSTAN II
BLASCO issued.
1978. BLASCO issued.
1976. BLASCO issued. Purchased onboard.
From Senih Onur. Delphin Seereisen issued
postcard.
1994.
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