The Scrapping of the Ships “Gala del Mar” and “Gloria del Mar”

The photo dates back to June 2009. It is not common for two twin ships, built in the same shipyard and for the same company, in this case one of the companies of the Contenemar conglomerate, to be beached for scrapping at the same site, in this case Aliaga (Turkey). These are the ships “Gala del Mar” (IMO 8012255) and “Gloria del Mar” (IMO 7819101).

Construction number 393 from the Enrique Lorenzo y Cía. shipyard (Factorías Vulcano), Vigo, the ship “Gala del Mar” entered service in November 1982. The first owner was Naviera Telde and in 2000 it was transferred to Bestdene Española, changing its registration from Vigo to Las Palmas de Gran Canaria. In 2008, it was flagged in Panama under the name of Imot SL and for its last journey to scrapping, it was flagged to St. Kitts & Nevis, shortening its name to “Gala D”. On June 8, 2009, it was beached at the Kalkavantar GS Ticaret facility.

Regarding the ship “Gloria del Mar”, construction number 398 from the aforementioned shipyard, it entered service in November 1980. Like the previous one, the companies Naviera Telde and Bestdene Española are listed as its owners, and the end of its maritime life came on June 10, 2009, when it was beached side by side with its “sister ship”. Both were part of a quartet of ro-ro type ships: the other two were named “Julia del Mar” (which was chartered for years to the Molares Group) and “Gracia del Mar”.

With a gross tonnage of 3,972 tons and a deadweight of 8,492 tons, they measured 122.80 m in overall length – 108 m in length between perpendiculars – and 19.40 m in beam. They had a capacity of 533 TEU, a ramp at the stern for rolling cargo, and were powered by a Barreras-Deutz RBV12M540 engine, allowing them to maintain a speed of 14.5 knots.

Both ships reached the end of their maritime lives side by side

Photos: Capt. Selim Sam