M/V Rochdale One was a cruise ship built by the French shipyard Ateliers et Chantiers Dubigeon-Normandie at Nantes in 1977 for the Soviet Union. As the Ayvasovskiy (Russian: Айвазовский) she was operated by the Danube Shipping Company [ru], mainly in the Black Sea and the Mediterranean. At around 7,600 GRT, with a length of 121.5 metres (399 ft) and a draught of 4.5 metres (15 ft), she was small for a cruise ship and carried only 328 passengers.[2]

As Rochdale One in Amsterdam
History
Cyprus
Name
  • Ayvasovskiy (Russian: Айвазовский) (1977-1997)
  • Carina (1997-2000)
  • Primexpress Island (2000-2004)
  • Rochdale One (2004-2013)
OperatorDanube Shipping Company [ru]
BuilderAteliers et Chantiers Dubigeon-Normandie, Nantes, France
Launched27 July 1976
IdentificationIMO number7411959
FateScrapped in 2013
General characteristics [1]
TypeCruise ship
Tonnage7,662 GRT
Length121.49 m (398 ft 7 in)
Beam17.48 m (57 ft 4 in)
Draught4.5 m (14 ft 9 in)
Depth9 m (29 ft 6 in)
Propulsion2 × Pielstick 8PC2-5L-400 diesel engines, 7,650 kW (10,259 hp)
Speed16.5 knots (30.6 km/h; 19.0 mph)
Capacity328 passengers

In 1997, she was chartered by German company Phoenix Reisen, and renamed Carina. In 2000, she was sold and renamed Primexpress Island, sailing out of Cyprus as a floating casino. However, in 2001 the ship was arrested at the port of Limassol because of unpaid bills.[2]

Eventually the ship was acquired by three Dutch housing associations; Algemene Woningbouw Vereniging (AWV), DUWO, and Woningstichting Rochdale, who agreed to cooperate in order to alleviate the extreme shortage of student accommodation in Amsterdam.[3] The ship was towed to Greece to be converted into an accommodation vessel before sailing to Amsterdam, arriving there on 8 July 2004. Renamed Rochdale One, she was used at Amsterdam from 2004 until 2009 as a home for 194 students.[2][4] The ship was then laid up until August 2011, when she was towed to 's-Gravendeel, Netherlands,[5] before being sold to a Lebanese company. In February 2012, she was towed to Tripoli, Lebanon.[6]

In July 2013, after a failed attempt to sell the ship to Russian buyers,[7] she sailed to Aliağa, Turkey, to be scrapped.[8]

References

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  1. ^ "Rochdale One". havenkade.nl. 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  2. ^ a b c "Rochdale One". cruiseshipodyssey.com. 2012. Archived from the original on 29 April 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  3. ^ "DUWO: Specialist in student housing". duwo.nl. 2012. Archived from the original on 19 November 2011. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  4. ^ van der Tol, Johan (16 September 2004). "Studentenhuisvesting is hot". www.nul20.nl. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  5. ^ "Neptun 9 towed former Russian passenger liner" (PDF). Tugs Towing & Offshore Newsletter. 13 (8). Hans van der Ster: 7–8. 26 February 2012. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  6. ^ Oosterboer, Jan (20 February 2012). "Vertrek ROCHDALE ONE naar Tripoli". tugspotters.com. Retrieved 15 October 2012.
  7. ^ "ROCHDALE ONE Scrap". Cruise Travel - Cruise Talk. 23 July 2013. Retrieved 24 November 2013.
  8. ^ Knego, Peter (21 August 2013). ""The Love Boat's" Final Act Continues…". maritimematters.com. Retrieved 24 November 2013.