ex- SS Hamburg, SS Maxim Gorkiy

[redlinekid2]

Originally Posted by Lenkinap

Hello,

Where have you found this information ? S. Mehta is not the only pretender for the title of "worst of all the breakers".

Mehta's name was mentioned on the German forums. There are two that are listed. Just click on the previous 2-3 pages in this trend. The German members were talking about the man who broke up the SS Norway.

[Majaorca100]

let's hope for a miracle!

[WhiteStarLine]

Oh no, you seem to be right 'redlinekid2'
For some reason I didn't notice that before, but in all probability Mr. Mehta seems to be the owner of the MAXIM GORKIY

It's an up and down...
Whatever the Hamburg Port Authority seems to impede the project.... slowly but surely we have not much time left .... the ship will enter the indian territorial waters today or maybe tomorrow....



Best regards
Eric

[redlinekid2]

Originally Posted by WhiteStarLine

Oh no, you seem to be right 'redlinekid2'
For some reason I didn't notice that before, but in all probability Mr. Mehta seems to be the owner of the MAXIM GORKIY

It's an up and down...
Whatever the Hamburg Port Authority seems to impede the project.... slowly but surely we have not much time left .... the ship will enter the indian territorial waters today or maybe tomorrow....



Best regards
Eric

With Mr. Mehta, as owner of the ship, he might want at least 10-20 Million Euros for the ship. Considering that he scrapped the SS Norway, it appears that he'll see to it that the TS Hamburg is beached and stripped before he sells the ship, if at all. So unless the Hamburg investors makes him an offer that he can't refuse, forget about saving the ship.

[pakarang]

Originally Posted by redlinekid2

With Mr. Mehta, as owner of the ship, he might want at least 10-20 Million Euros for the ship. Considering that he scrapped the SS Norway, it appears that he'll see to it that the TS Hamburg is beached and stripped before he sells the ship, if at all. So unless the Hamburg investors makes him an offer that he can't refuse, forget about saving the ship.

It better be a good offer because as far as I remember, the same person got a very good offer on the Norway as well: an offer he could not refuse, but which in the end he chose to refuse anyway.

This is nail-biting I think and cutting it very close!

[Steve.B]

I do not have a list of people i do not like, but if i did, i can safely say i know who would be top of the list!

[WhiteStarLine]

MAXIM GORKIY is in Alang now

According to the latest news the MAXIM GORKIY is in Alang now and will be beached soon if there is no effort to buy the ship

About one hour ago there should be the last decision in Hamburg if they buy the ship or not, but up to now there is no official announcement





Best regards
Eric

[Ralf__]

...just took a flight over Alang beach with Google Earth. There are about 60 ships to be scrapped at the same time.
This is hard stuff. There is nothing around but dirt and mud.
First degree pollution! For the nature and the people. That's why these guys are so fast. Make fast money, before there will come more regulations.

[redlinekid2]

Originally Posted by WhiteStarLine

MAXIM GORKIY is in Alang now

According to the latest news the MAXIM GORKIY is in Alang now and will be beached soon if there is no effort to buy the ship

About one hour ago there should be the last decision in Hamburg if they buy the ship or not, but up to now there is no official announcement





Best regards
Eric

I just couldn't understand why the investors didn't just buy the ship. This whole matter could have been avoided if they had bought the ship from the original owner. Why did they have to wait on the stupid Senate's approval before buying the ship? By the time the Senate makes a final decision, it'll too late. A very bad oman, in my opinion, to have to wait for a decision before buying the ship.

[WhiteStarLine]

Now Gerd Wüsthoff (CRUISETRAVEL Consulting & Marketing), one of the main initiators of the project, comments on the actual situation.
You can read the whole article (in german) on www.hotelschiffhamburg.de
In the following I tried to translate the most important parts

========================================

• MAXIM GORKIY / HAMBURG is in Indian waters and it's lying in the roads
• The ship is still owned by a trader and it's not bought to a breaker [up to now Mr. Mehta does not own the ship !!! ]
• Because of continuing unclarities regarding the berth place the prior investor group retreats disappointed from this project; the senate is not to blame for these problem, the senate supported and still supports the project; rather lower authorities are responsible for all the problems
• The initiators now are looking for new investors
• Just today (Monday) new contacts to possible investors were established; tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be concrete talks

Why is there still a chance?

• Despite the opposition there are still enough supporters
• Administration and senate provide a berth place at the "Kirchenpaukerkai" which is usable from year 2015

They will fight for the ship as long as a salvage is realistic.
As soon as the ship is bought to a breaker they will stop the fight.

========================================


Best regards
Eric

[redlinekid2]

Originally Posted by WhiteStarLine

Now Gerd Wüsthoff (CRUISETRAVEL Consulting & Marketing), one of the main initiators of the project, comments on the actual situation.
You can read the whole article (in german) on www.hotelschiffhamburg.de
In the following I tried to translate the most important parts

========================================

• MAXIM GORKIY / HAMBURG is in Indian waters and it's lying in the roads
• The ship is still owned by a trader and it's not bought to a breaker [up to now Mr. Mehta does not own the ship !!! ]
• Because of continuing unclarities regarding the berth place the prior investor group retreats disappointed from this project; the senate is not to blame for these problem, the senate supported and still supports the project; rather lower authorities are responsible for all the problems
• The initiators now are looking for new investors
• Just today (Monday) new contacts to possible investors were established; tomorrow (Tuesday) there will be concrete talks

Why is there still a chance?

• Despite the opposition there are still enough supporters
• Administration and senate provide a berth place at the "Kirchenpaukerkai" which is usable from year 2015

They will fight for the ship as long as a salvage is realistic.
As soon as the ship is bought to a breaker they will stop the fight.

========================================


Best regards
Eric

Thanks for the update, Eric. I was under the impression that the final talks was with the current owner of the ship, and not the matter with securing a berth. I just wish that the project was conducted in other major port cities, besides Hamburg. IMO, securing the ship should be top priority over everything else.

To wait for the politicians to grant a suitable berth, while the ship is at Alang, was stupid idea because by the time when an acceptable berth is found, it would be too late. I just hope that the other investors are not as dense as the first group, who wanted a berth before buying the ship at Hamburg only.

[WhiteStarLine]

Hi redlinekid2,
to buy the ship seems not to be the big problem because the charged broker seems to know the current Indian owner very good, the problem still seems to be the berth but the matter with the berth seems to be a bit difficult.
Although the senate supports the project other authorities can prevent it. The question is WHY??? According to the German forum the reason for this has a historical background. The first owner of the TS HAMBURG and boss of the German Transatlantic Line, Axel Bitch-Christensen, was from Danmark and he created a booming company. The fact that a Dane in Hamburg had such a big success in a typical Hamburg branch brought him many enviers. As the German Transatlantic Line got into economical trouble the Hamburg gouvernment denied Axel Bitch-Christensen support. Today there are still people working in key positions in Hamburg authorities that denied Axel Bitch-Christensen support and now they deny his former ship the support.
I can't gage if that's really true or not but it would be an explanation for the continuing opposition.

The option Travemünde is still possible but the problem is that there is no investor...

After the prior Hamburg investor group retreated from the project the initiators are looking for new investors. And there is already a possible new investor but the problem is that he can't support the project now but in three or four months....

Another thought is to buy the ship and to charter it for one season to METROPOLIS TURS which are still looking for a ship (they were also interested in the MAXIM GORKIY but SOVCOMFLOT claimed to high rates) so there would be a bit more time to find a berth. All concerned parties were informed today...




Best regards
Eric

[HurtigruteMartin]

Sorry to interrupting this serious thread-news.
But I was reading this thread tonight. And still have tears in my eyes. It is so depressing that someone wants to scrap this beautiful, and still young Lady.


I just wanted to see Maxim again. And post some images of Maxim Gorkiy in Bodø, Norway september 1997.

Dear Maxim, I`ll pray for your eternity. And may you still live among us..........

[pakarang]

Those are two really great evening / dusk images of the ship!!

It's really sad when the world needs to scrap beauties like this. I hope and pray for every single last hope in saving this ship.

[WhiteStarLine]

MAXIM GORKIY will be beached tomorrow

Now it is official, the ship is under command of the breaker (Mr. Mehta).

It's said, that the ship is currently out of sight of the beach and a permission for beaching isn't given yet but nevertheless it is announced that the ship will beached tomorrow at 6:00 AM


The Hamburg project initiator will try to obtain an adjournment, but my personal opinion is that the ship is lost. Of cause I still hope that I'm wrong, but there is not much hope left



(We need a cry smiley)



Best regards
Eric

[redlinekid2]

Originally Posted by WhiteStarLine

MAXIM GORKIY will be beached tomorrow

Now it is official, the ship is under command of the breaker (Mr. Mehta).

It's said, that the ship is currently out of sight of the beach and a permission for beaching isn't given yet but nevertheless it is announced that the ship will beached tomorrow at 6:00 AM


The Hamburg project initiator will try to obtain an adjournment, but my personal opinion is that the ship is lost. Of cause I still hope that I'm wrong, but there is not much hope left



(We need a cry smiley)



Best regards
Eric

Such ashame to see this ship go the way of the SS Norway. I simply wished that the so called first investor would have just bought the ship before it had the chance to make it to Alang. As for this last minute action to postpone the beaching, it is not going to happen. It's either the new investors have the money or not.

[WhiteStarLine]

LATEST NEWS:

The MAXIM GORKIY was not beached today! The next target and probably final date is February 26. (Thursday). A contact man who spoke with Mr. Mehta said that Mehta sees no reason to let the ship lying in the roads.


BYE BYE MAXIM GORKIY




Best regards
Eric



BTW: Today there started an online voting "Does Hamburg need a Hotel Ship as an Attraction?"
ok, it's nothing official but maybe it shows the Hamburg authorities what the people want...
http://maxim-gorki.beepworld.de/index.htm
it's only possible to vote once!
if you click on "Ergebnisse" you can see the results

[pakarang]

Originally Posted by WhiteStarLine

BTW: Today there started an online voting "Does Hamburg need a Hotel Ship as an Attraction?"

I have done my duty!

[WhiteStarLine]

MAXIM GORKIY is on the beach


I'm sorry to say that now, but the saga is over.
Irina, a former crew member of the MAXIM GORKIY, just told in the German forum that the MAXIM GORKIY was beached early this morning.
So now another legend is gone




On this stage I want to thank everyone who supported the project in any way and especially I want to thank the Hamburg initiators as well as Captain Yakimov and his crew who were aboard down to the tire (it must have been a horrible task for them to beach the ship)


Best regards
Eric

[pakarang]

Tragic, just simply tragic... makes me wonder which will be the next one?