Aleksey Kosygin/Atlantic Forest Fleet?

[Sea_Angel12]

Hey guys,

I'm really new to ship spotting and I'm even newer to this site and forum, so please forgive me if I post in the wrong section or something. I couldn't find a more suitable section for this, though.

A few years ago, I saw the ship Atlantic Forest. It's a Russian vessel, previously known as the Aleksey Kosygin (up until 1996). Someone told me, the other day, that the Atlantic Forest is one of a fleet of four ships in this class.

What makes it special is that I find it to look like some American cargo ships, and that is fascinating.
Do you guys know where I can find information about the rest of this fleet?

I've seen some pictures here on the site of the vessel and it is the very one I saw.

[rd77]

The ALEKSEY KOSYGIN was part of a series of Soviet-built LASH ships. The Soviets were one of the very few other nations (besides the US) to take up the LASH trade. It suited them, as the LASH barges could be moved up the extensive river network in the former Soviet Union.

The ALEKSEY KOSYGIN was completed on 29/12/'83 at the Khersonskiy Sudostroitelnyy Zavod yard in Kherson (nowadays in Ukraine). She was yardno. 4001 and was a Project 17502 design (the Russians still number all their designs to this day). Sisters were the INDIRA GHANDHI (yardno. 4002, completed 1985 for Soviet account, despite the name), the LE DUAN (yardno. 4003, completed in 1987) and the ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA (yardno. 4004, completed in 1989).

The ALEKSEY KOSYGIN was renamed ATLANTIC FOREST in 1996 and arrived at Alang for breaking on 5/5/'07.
The INDIRA GANDHI was renamed QUAN YIN in 1998, folled by a renaming to QUAN in 1999 for a one way trip to the breakers. She arrived at Alang on 30/7/'99
The LE DUAN was renamed WILLOW in 1997 and arrived for breaking in China in August 2003.
The ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA was renamed GAYSIN in 1996, then HICKORY in 1997 and EIDE CARRIER in 2007. It would appear that she has been laid up in Norway since 2007. Eide is a Norwegian company specializing in heavy transport.

Hope this helps!

[Phil English]

> The ERNESTO CHE GUEVARA was renamed GAYSIN in 1996, then HICKORY in 1997 and EIDE CARRIER in 2007. It would appear that she has been laid up in Norway since 2007. Eide is a Norwegian company specializing in heavy transport

^The plan was to convert her to a semi-submersible heavy lift but the project was abandoned.

Brgds
Phil

[Sea_Angel12]

Thank you so much!
Very detailed answers. I truly appreciate it.

[Sea_Angel12]

Oh, one more thing, since you came up with these great details?

Are all four ships of the same Project Design? I suppose so, right? Since it's called PROJECT Design.

[rd77]

Hi,

All four are of the project 17502 design. "project" itself refers to nothing, it is not a brand name or anything. The number is what counts. Ship designs in Russia are made by lots of different design bureaus, yet they all receive a project number in the end.

[Sea_Angel12]

Ah, wonderful.

Thank you!
#newbie