MANHATTAN
As part of the project “Incredible Port”
In May 1964, Odesa witnessed a true maritime sensation. The Odesa Port received for unloading the first 100,000-ton steamship in its history - the supertanker Manhattan. The giant, with a deadweight of 106,000 tons, delivered over 80,000 tons of American wheat. The ship’s dimensions were staggering: 290 meters long and 40 meters wide. It was a veritable steel metropolis on the water. Given its massive size, the unloading operation was decided to be carried out directly at sea.
The operation was unprecedented. Six combined teams of port workers and mechanics worked around the clock. On board the ship, 21 vacuum machines (“Vacuwaiters”) and eight “Shermans” transferred the grain into the holds of six oil-ore carriers moored alongside the Manhattan. Additionally, a port floating grain pump was deployed to transfer grain onto barges.
Weather and technical challenges, however, played their part. Stormy winds tore apart grain conveyor lines, and vacuum machines broke down after hours of work, having to reach the 24-meter depth of the Manhattan’s tanks—a height equivalent to an eight-story building! Yet, thanks to coordinated efforts and careful organization, the unloading was completed in less than two weeks instead of the planned month.
The second arrival of the Manhattan in Odesa in April 1973 was an even more remarkable event. Formally, it was the same vessel, but in reality, it had become a completely different giant. Between its two grain voyages to the Black Sea, the tanker had participated in a unique experiment - transporting oil by sea from Alaska through the Arctic. During preparations for the Arctic expedition, the supertanker underwent a major renovation. The vessel was lengthened to 306.9 meters, widened to 46 meters, reinforced with steel beams, and armored along the waterline so it could navigate ice fields up to one meter thick. Thus, the Manhattan became one of the largest icebreakers in the world
Its appearance in the Black Sea was a true spectacle. In the first stage, 103,000 tons of wheat were unloaded at anchor, and once the draft allowed, the giant was brought into the harbor. The remainder was then unloaded at the port. During the operation, the bow of the ship was moored to the berth, while the stern was held stationary on both sides by port tugboats.
Once again, the work was completed ahead of schedule. For this, the shipowner, American millionaire Norman Kann, rewarded the port workers with ten state-of-the-art Vacuwaiters. The ship’s captain, Greek Ernest Kachikis, happily distributed postcards featuring photos of the unique supertanker.
