|
The
residents of Istanbul finally sighed with relief. On
2nd November, gigantic aircraft-carrying cruiser «Varyag» from
Black sea through the strait Bosphorus passed into Marmoreal, and then through
the Dardanelles sailed away into vastness of Mediterranean, passing hundreds of
small and large Aegean islands. Alas, on 6 November came report about the death
of Dutch seaman from crew of one of the tugs, which accompany the unfinished
aircraft carrier. He was lost during the attempt to fasten the rope, when «Varyag»
was located on Greece coasts. Passage 307 - meter giant through Bosphorus strait
was truly grandiose spectacle. Visualize the monstrous trough with a height of
43 m, with a width of 73 m and with a displacement of 37 thousand tons. And this
entire huge thing does not have engine, armament and steering control, since the
technical readiness is only 70 percent. We conducted a small study in order to
reproduce entire picture with technical details.
The
building of cruiser began on with Nikolayevsk military shipbuilding plant in
1978, although some newspapers and sources indicated 1985. In 1991 financing its
building was ended, and expenditures for super-cruiser as a whole by this time
were about 500 billion rubles in the prices of 1993. As the part of the Soviet
military inheritance, «Varyag» after the disintegration of USSR reached to
Ukraine and caused considerable headache to it. In order to finish building in
Ukraine, there would be no money, since were required about 300 million dollars.
For this reason, they decided to utilize it, but only cutting would manage into
200 million dollars. Ovchinka preparation, as said, did not cost. There were
buyers and it was possible to sell «Varyag» to the scrap metal; however, the
gain would be in this case only 5 million dollars.
But
indeed in the world market, value of this cruiser reaches to 2,5 billion dollars.
Finally, Ukrainian authorities, decided to get rid of this huge thing by the
fact that in 1998 they sold it for 20 million dollars to Chinese company, which
planned to convert cruiser into floating hotel with entertainment institutions,
casino, by restaurants, by disk libraries and by commercial compartments. They
believed the assertions of Chinese not immediately. CHINESE PEOPLES' REPUBLIC
for long persuaded Ankara along diplomatic channels, in order to obtain
permission to the passage of straits. Chinese authorities promised even sending
of two million their tourists into Turkey. After the contact row of MFA of
Turkey with the nuclear powers in Russia and USA, suspicions regarding the
concealed plans of China almost disappeared to acquire by nuclear powered
aircraft carrier. Meanwhile Turkish shore duty and MFA disputed regarding surety
of safety of the passage of aircraft carrier and ripened scandal.
Turkish
Mass-Media already for the second year continually focused on the problem,
connected with passage «Varyag» through the strait. Expectation tightened
itself for the almost twenty months, during which the cruiser dangled in the
neutral waters of the Black Sea. Finally, administration of Turkish straits,
which was not for long solved not in order to pass this huge ship, fearing
catastrophic consequences, nevertheless it yielded. They were adequately
substantiated from one side, fear, since the discussion dealt with largest-scale
operation on the Bosphorus. Moreover the vessel was passed not under its own
power, but on the thrust. From other side, according to the international rules
and regulations, there was no formal occasion for the failure. Indeed no one can
give technically complete guarantees; however, were taken all measures, in order
to decrease risk to the minimum of 30 percent.
Chinese
carried out a passage in the virtual medium taking into account probable speed
of wind and flows, maximally reproducing actual conditions, and then presented
all materials to Ankara. Were taken into account all bends, sharp rotations (to
80 degrees in Yenikeya), narrowest sections (to 800 m in Kandilli), whirlpools,
flow, and also places of the sunk large vessels to the bottom (the smallest
depth on the fairway of approximately 20 m). If one considers that together with
the tugs, the scope of water area was approximately 550 m into the length more
than 100 m into the width, then will become clear entire/all arch-complexities
of operation. Turkish side required insurance of two-year guarantee in the
amount of 1 billion dollars, after basing so large a sum fact that other vessels,
which is not permitted the passage through the straits, can desired require
compensation, referring to passage «Varyag» as the precedent. Chinese besides
insurance agreed also that telecommunication equipment would be established with
the passage on the cruiser. Turkish services obtained the right of access and
checking of vessel with the passage in any composition, with the necessary
instruments, including control and inspection of tugs with checking of
documentation. Passage was allowed only in daytime on condition that the
visibility must be more than 5 by mile. According to understanding was
preliminarily approved the test passage «Varyag» near the Black Sea neck of
Bosphorus. Let us note that only for the services to five basic and six spare
towing vessels, which were conducted “Varyag” through the thorns of
Bosphorus, on the contract were paid more than million dollars of USA, without
considering the payment to Turkish services and to pilots. Cruiser was selected
from the Black Sea, because of five to towing vessels, among which there was the
largest in the world tug 99 - meter «Fotiy Krylov», leased by Greek
water-rescue company «Tsavliris».
After harboring respiration, enormous city followed the slow
movement of gigantic vessel along the picturesque shores with the luxurious
villas, drowning in the verdure. Operation with the participation is more than
250 specialists and seamen continued four and the more of hour. Besides tugs
were drawn also 3 rescue vessels, 3 fire launches, 2 emergency flipper mounting.
To 30 - kilometer Bosphorus was shut the motion of vessels from both sides. In
radius, three by mile around «Varyag» motion of water transport was forbidden
from the moment of entrance «Varyag» in the strait to its going out from the
Dardanelles to Aegean Sea. In the sections of Enikey, Kanlydzha and Kandilli
tugs close «adhere» to the enormous housing «Varyag» and correcting its
motion into necessary riverbed and without giving to it to go with the flow and
by inertia to the coast during rotation. It transported in the fact that the
height did not create problems with the passage under the bridges of Bogazichi
and Fatih, thrown above the strait. Operation was completed successfully and, as
joked journalists, «Varyag» of 20 - against the centuries it sailed out into
21century.
Now,
true, heavy meditations regarding of safety of aqueous transportation through
the straits followed. After passed «Varyag» and its example, no longer it will
not be simple reject to the super-tankers with oil, whose number grows with each
year and passage of which is vital threat for deco-million Istanbul. «Varyag»
left forever, but the problems of straits remained.
|
