Throughout its three-decade lifespan, the Seawise Giant garnered numerous accolades, being hailed as the world’s largest vessel, the heaviest ship, boasting the highest capacity, and standing as the largest human-made vehicle ever constructed. It also underwent several name changes, including Seawise Giant, Happy Giant, Jahre Viking, Knock Nevis, and Mont. Classified as a super tanker, this colossal vessel had the capability to transport vast quantities of oil, yet its sheer size rendered it unable to access many ports and restricted its passage through vital interoceanic routes like the Panama Canal and the Suez Canal.
Commissioned in 1979 at the Sumitomo Heavy Industries shipyard in Oppama, Japan, the Seawise Giant’s construction was purportedly initiated by a Greek magnate who ultimately abandoned the project. Subsequently, in 1981, it was acquired by Hong Kong entrepreneur Tung Chao-yung, founder of the Orient Overseas Container Line shipping company, who christened the ship Seawise Giant as a tribute to his father, Tung Chee-hwa.
In a bid to augment its capacity, an additional section was incorporated into the original design, resulting in the vessel’s unprecedented length of 458.45 meters. This expansion surpassed the dimensions of prominent landmarks such as the Petronas Towers in Malaysia and the Empire State Building in New York. With a beam measuring an impressive 68 meters, the Seawise Giant boasted colossal tanks capable of accommodating nearly 4 million barrels of oil, equating to multiple round trips to the Sun and back for an average car. When fully laden, its weight exceeded 657,000 tons, necessitating the consumption of 220 tons of fuel per day to propel its immense mass.
During the peak of global oil trade, the Seawise Giant traversed the world’s oceans, doubling as a floating storage facility. However, its operational efficacy was curtailed by its inability to navigate critical maritime passages and restricted access to numerous ports due to its mammoth proportions.
Following a tumultuous period that saw the vessel endure attacks during the Iran-Iraq War, it underwent multiple transformations and was repurposed as a floating oil storage unit by the Norwegian First Olsen Tankers. Renamed Knock Nevis, the vessel ceased operations in 2009 and was dismantled in India, leaving behind only its 36-ton steel anchor, which is now on display at the Hong Kong Maritime Museum a testament to its legacy as the largest supertanker ever constructed.
