B-438 / FR. ZUBRZYCKI
Semicontainer ship FRANCISZEK ZUBRZYCKI (type B-438)
Keel laid: 4 December 1972
Launched: 10 April 1973
Delivered: 25 October 1973
General cargo vessel that could carry containers, built for Polish Ocean Lines. At the time, a cutting-edge fast all-purpose general cargo ship design. Type B-438 vessels ushered the first stage of the containerisation of the Polish Ocean Lines fleet. The good reviews received by these ships persuaded Polish Ocean Lines to build more semicontainer vessels in other shipyards.
Technical specifications:
capacity: 10 116 GRT, 5640 NRT; 11,680 DWT; 214 TEU;
dimensions: 161.0 x 22.9 x 9.7 m
propulsion: Sulzer-Cegielski 6RD90 combustion engine with 17,400 hp
speed: 21.0 knots
crew: 36 (+ 12 passengers).
Eleven type B-438 vessels were built in 1972-1979: seven for a Polish shipowner and four for South American shipowners.
Polish Ocean Lines were a pioneer of containerisation in Poland and Central Europe. The first four container ships were purchased in 1965 to carry fresh beef to London. The first containerised cargo was carried on the American line in 1967. So it was no wonder that in the second half of the 1960s Polish Ocean Lines began to think about obtaining container-carrying vessels. Polish shipyards did not build container ships at the time, so in April 1972 a series of five general cargo ships able to carry 214 20-foot containers were ordered from Gdańsk Shipyard for the North American line. They were named after soldiers who fought for the Polish People’s Republic: Franciszek Zubrzycki, Mieczysław Kalinowski, Bronisław Lachowicz, Gen. Stanisław Popławski and Roman Paziński. Three additional ships were ordered shortly afterwards, named after people who had distinguished themselves in the Polish maritime economy: Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, Tadeusz Ocioszyński and Aleksander Rylke. While being outfitted, the Rylke, the last in the series, was sold to a shipowner from Ecuador and operated as the Isla Santay. Soon after, the same shipowner ordered another such vessel (the Isla Baltra), and a Brazilian shipowner ordered two more (the Cantuaria and Calandrini). The last of them began operation in 1979.
The new vessels were called semicontainer ships because containers were only part of their cargo. They were a big step forward compared to Polish Ocean Lines’ classic general cargo vessels, but remained just a half measure because by that time there were ships built dedicated exclusively to carrying containers.
The prototype Franciszek Zubrzycki sailed without incident until August 1991. It was then sold to a foreign shipowner, who operated it until 1995, when it was scrapped. The other Polish vessels from this series met the same fate; they were scrapped in the second half of the 1990s. The Ecuadorian and Brazilian vessels sailed somewhat longer and were scrapped in 2000-2002.
The concept of the semicontainer ship proved attractive for other shipowners and further semicontainer ships, types B‑434 (five vessels), B-469 (three ships) and B-464 (three ships) built for foreign, mainly South American, customers were subsequently designed in Gdańsk Shipyard.
Polish Ocean Lines were a pioneer of containerisation in Poland and Central Europe. The first four container ships were purchased in 1965 to carry fresh beef to London. The first containerised cargo was carried on the American line in 1967. So it was no wonder that in the second half of the 1960s Polish Ocean Lines began to think about obtaining container-carrying vessels. Polish shipyards did not build container ships at the time, so in April 1972 a series of five general cargo ships able to carry 214 20-foot containers were ordered from Gdańsk Shipyard for the North American line. They were named after soldiers who fought for the Polish People’s Republic: Franciszek Zubrzycki, Mieczysław Kalinowski, Bronisław Lachowicz, Gen. Stanisław Popławski and Roman Paziński. Three additional ships were ordered shortly afterwards, named after people who had distinguished themselves in the Polish maritime economy: Eugeniusz Kwiatkowski, Tadeusz Ocioszyński and Aleksander Rylke. While being outfitted, the Rylke, the last in the series, was sold to a shipowner from Ecuador and operated as the Isla Santay. Soon after, the same shipowner ordered another such vessel (the Isla Baltra), and a Brazilian shipowner ordered two more (the Cantuaria and Calandrini). The last of them began operation in 1979.
The new vessels were called semicontainer ships because containers were only part of their cargo. They were a big step forward compared to Polish Ocean Lines’ classic general cargo vessels, but remained just a half measure because by that time there were ships built dedicated exclusively to carrying containers.
The prototype Franciszek Zubrzycki sailed without incident until August 1991. It was then sold to a foreign shipowner, who operated it until 1995, when it was scrapped. The other Polish vessels from this series met the same fate; they were scrapped in the second half of the 1990s. The Ecuadorian and Brazilian vessels sailed somewhat longer and were scrapped in 2000-2002.
The concept of the semicontainer ship proved attractive for other shipowners and further semicontainer ships, types B‑434 (five vessels), B-469 (three ships) and B-464 (three ships) built for foreign, mainly South American, customers were subsequently designed in Gdańsk Shipyard.
