Mv Van Gogh

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the Van Gogh started life as the M.F. Gruziya of BLASCO (Black Sea Shipping Company) and was built in 1975 by Oy Wartsila AB, Turku Shipyard, Finland as a cruise/car ferry.

[edit] Technical

Overall length: 157 m
Beam: 22 m
Draft: 6 m
Gross Tonnage: 15,402 Grt
Passengers: 506
Power: 2 Pielstick-Wartsila diesels, 18000 HP
Max speed: 20.0 knots
Cruising speed: 16.5 knots

[edit] Owners

- 1975-1995: Black Sea Shipping Company, Odessa, Ukraine. - 1995-1999: Black Sea Shipping Company UK, under Liberian flag. - 1998-1999: Eltek Europe B.V., Kingstown, Saint Vincent, chartered to Club Cruise of Rotterdam, Netherlands. - 1999-Present: Martiem & Leasing Ltd., Kingstown, Saint Vincent.

[edit] History and Current Status

Between 1975 and 1994, she was under the management of the Black Sea Shipping Company (BLASCO) of the Soviet Union, and then Ukraine. She got converted to a cruise vessel in 1992. In 1994, she got transferred to BLASCO UK and started sailing under the Liberian flag with a new name, MS Odessa Sky. In August, 1995, she got arrested in Montreal, Canada because of BLASCO's debts. In late August 1996, she returned to Odessa, to be arrested again in Wilhelmshaven in September, 1996, for a period of 18 months. In 1998, following her purchase by Eltek Europe B.V., she went through renovations at Lloyd-Werft in Bremerhaven, Germany, between September 1998 and April 1999. In May 1999, she got christened MS Club I and resumed cruising under the management of the Club Cruise of Rotterdam. She spent one season cruising in Northern Europe and the Mediterranean.
In December 1999, France based group, Nouvelles-Frontieres chartered her for 3 years, with a possible 2 year extension. As of December 2001, she was still operating under charter to Nouvelles-Frontieres under the new name, M.S. Van Gogh. On 20th May 2002 she was chartered to Travelscope.