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Tuesday 12 December 2017

Russian floating dry dock nearly collided with Dutch steamship Simaloer according to the Dutch newspaper Het nieuws van den dag voor Nederlandsch-Indië dated Wednesday 16 June 1937

An item reported that on Monday morning  7th June Sabang, Dutch East Indies was harassed by a very heavy western wind increasing to the strength of a small hurricane. The 5.000 tons large Russian dock destined towards Vladivostok (1) drifted away to the coal wharf when she lost her moorings buoys. At that moment was the Dutch steamship Simaloer of the Stoomvaart Maatschappij Nederland there bunkering. It happened so fast that the tugs Toros and Taifun were not able to act on time and the crew of the Simaloer abandoned the ship. Suddenly the dock stopped when her crew managed to lower an anchor which stuck in an anchor chain of a buoy stopping the dock. The two tugs were now able to enter the dock proving a disaster. The whole day was needed to prepare the departure and finally forced the Russian to cut the dock anchor stick stuck in the chain of the buoy. At 20.00 o’clock left the Taifun and the Toros Sabang.

Note
1. Built within 20 months at Nikolajev, Ukraine with the dimensions 129 x 31 metres. Departed Early April Odesssa. The Dutch newspaper De Telegraaf dated 15 April 1937 reported that she was towed by the in the Netherlands built tugs Toros and Taifoen. The dock was to be used at Vladivostok for ships occupied with fishery, timber transport and so on. The De Telegraaf dated 7 June 1937 reported that the dock departed on 9 April from Odessa reaching on 4 June Sabang. The Dutch newspaper Het volksdagblad dated 22 July 1937 reported that she left Odessa on 18 March arriving on 21 June Hong Kong. The expectation was that due to the favourable weather on 15 July Vladivostok was reached, a month earlier than planned.