The ship “Gaviota”, later “Gera”, naval registration from Gijón

At the beginning of the 1970s, the Marítima Astur company from Gijón contracted with the S. A. Juliana Constructora Gijonesa shipyard for the construction of two twin general cargo ships named “Gaviota” and “Gavión”. The first was launched on April 4, 1973, the second just a month later, and both entered service in June and July of that year.

The first of them went to sea under the name “Ana María” and the flag of the company María Navigation Co. S.A. (ISM Group). In its last stage, it flew the Cambodian flag and was engaged in general cargo and bulk traffic in the Black Sea and Bosphorus area. On December 29, 2011, it arrived in Aliaga (Turkey), where it began to be scrapped.

In 1986, the ships “Gaviota” and “Gavión” changed to the flag of Naviera del Nalón, being renamed “Gera” and “Guillón”, respectively. In April 1991, they were listed as owned by Navinorte, one of the companies of Gumersindo Junquera, and in 1994 they were exported. The ship in this story was briefly renamed “Ville de Nantes”. Its subsequent history is as follows: “Melquiades” (1994-2003), “Dimitra” (2003-2004), and “Ana María” (2004-2011), which we have already mentioned and with which it ended its maritime life.

Construction number 230 from the aforementioned shipyard, it was a ship of 2,997 gross tons, 1,919 net tons, and 5,792 deadweight tons, with a hull measuring 94.19 m in total length – 86.54 m between perpendiculars – 15 m in beam, 9 m in depth, and a maximum draft of 7.36 m. It had two holds and the same number of hatch covers with a capacity for 6,368 cubic meters of grain cargo. Powered by a MAN engine – manufactured under license at the AESA workshops in Sestao – with a power of 2,590 horsepower on a shaft and a fixed-pitch propeller, it had a speed of 12 knots. IMO Code 7311678.

Photo: Brian Fisher (shipspotting.com)