In English (3.67 MB) - Finnlines

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Mongolia Yangtze river Beijing Yellow Sea Himalayas China Nanjing Shanghai East China Sea India Burma Vietnam Hong Kong Taiwan South China Sea A ship springs to life on the mighty Yangtze Building an oceangoing ship is a complex task, requiring skilled design, meticulous planning, and the man-hours of a small army of craftsmen over many months. As the ship nears completion, it is also, increasingly, an emotional undertaking and that was certainly the case for the officers and crew of the Finnlines newbuilding Finnbreeze as the vessel took shape at a yard in China’s Jiangsu province. Meticulous testing prior to sea trials As its chief engineer, Emanuel Sparring, reports, this is now an immense industrial area through which passes the mighty Yangtze River, its banks teeming with shipyards and terminals. Sparring had travelled from the lush provinces of southern China to join the ship as it prepared for its sea trials. It had just been moved from its birthplace in the Nanjing shipyard to another facility down-river for a final coat of paint. 10
Emanuel Sparring The Finnlines newbuilding Finnbreeze is being prepared for its sea trials. For this it was moved from Nanjing down the river also for a final coat of paint. As Sparring says: “Even though the final paint-job is just a small part of the complex process of building a ship, it still gives you the feeling that she is alive and ready for the sea.” The days following his arrival and prior to those all-important sea-trials were taken up testing and re-testing the myriad parts and systems on-board before the vessel could be commissioned. “Every little detail has to be tested and approved,” he says, “from lifeboats and radars to mess-rooms and cabins.” Creative minds find solutions When the big day finally arrived, reaching the ship proved to be easier said than done. Heavy fog shut down the bridge over the Yangtze and delayed the crew’s arrival at the yard. And when they finally made it through, they discovered that the ship had been banked alongside two immense and decrepit bulk carriers that they had to pick their way across in order to access Finnbreeze. Reaching the sea-trial area was also a challenge, with large vessels unable to sail the river at night, wisely so given how dense the traffic is and how poorly lit, and the decks of the ship teeming with shipyard personnel who had to be fed and accommodated. Indeed, Sparring reports that so many were on board that the crew had to turn the outside container deck into a food court. “these ships will deliver the performance expected and perhaps even more. with all the technology upgrades built into these vessels they will be an interesting challenge to operate.” The sea trials exceeding all expectations Thankfully, the sea-trials went exactly as planned. Says Sparring: “After all kinds of performance tests, we started to feel secure that these ships will deliver the performance expected and perhaps even more. The machinery control systems and bridge systems are a significant upgrade on the older, sister ships, and with all the technology built into these vessels they will be an interesting challenge to operate.” Finnbreeze will have the Yangtze River as her home for a few months more before Sparring and his fellow crewmembers are able to sail her away. He, for one, is already looking forward to it. As he says: “Ships have souls, as all seafarers know, and it could be that she will always remember her first manouveurs in these muddy waters. Hopefully, too, she will come to appreciate her new home in the clean, cold waters of the Baltic. 11
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In English (3.67 MB) - Finnlines

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