The ships are designed as multi-purpose dry cargo ships with a deckhouse arranged far aft, a long middle and a shorter forward hold . They are mainly used in the transport of bulk goods, piece goods, small project loads or containers. The container capacity is 375 TEU. The ships are equipped with two electrohydraulic NMF ship cranes attached to port, each with a lifting capacity of 45 tonnes, which can move packages of up to 90 tonnes in coupled operation . The holds of the ships are closed with hydraulic folding hatch covers.
The ships are powered by an 8-cylinder four-stroke diesel engine of the type MAN 8L 32/40 with an output of 3840 kW. The motor acts on a controllable pitch propeller and enables a speed of around 14 knots. There are also four auxiliary diesels available. The berthing and casting off maneuvers are supported by a bow thruster.
Atlantic Cruiser
The Atlantic Cruiser of the shipping company Bockstiegel was stopped in front of a Syrian port on April 13, 2012 because there was suspicion that the ship had loaded 7,200 tons of military equipment and ammunition for Syria in Djibouti. The Atlantic Cruiser , built as BBC Italy , sailed under the flag of Antigua and Barbuda in charter from the Ukrainian company White Whale Shipping . On the night of April 17-18, 2012, it called at the Turkish port of İskenderun , where it was investigated by the authorities. German and Turkish authorities officially confirmed that no military equipment or weapons were found during the investigation by Turkish authorities.
The ships
Stocznia Gdańska 8203
Building name
Build number
IMO number
delivery
Client
Later names and whereabouts
Harle
8203/1
9210244
2000
Cassaday Shipping, Limassol
2000 BBC Norway , 2000 SCM Mexico , 2001 BBC Norway , 2001 SCM Mexico , 2002 BBC Norway , 2005 Lady Gloria
Eastern Cape
8203/2
9210256
2000
Krey Schiffahrts GmbH, Leer
2005 SDS Rain
Norderney
8203/3
9210268
2000
Cassaday Shipping, Limassol
2000 BBC Finland , 2010 Lady Gaia
North Cape
8203/4
9210270
2000
Krey Schiffahrts GmbH, Leer
2004 Flinternoord , 2005 Normed Hamburg , 2008 North Cape , 2013 BBC North Cape