Wonder what the biggest boats in the world are? Rafts, wooden boats, tankers, yachts, submarines, and so on. Since the inception of mankind, humans have come up with various devices that could help them conquer the seas, for a multitude of reasons: harvesting its resources for nourishment, warfare, transportation, and so on.
Shipbuilding technology is constantly evolving and the boats built nowadays have come a long way. Wondering which are the world’s biggest boats? We have compiled a list of the 8 most impressive, in terms of size, water-designed vessels around. There are many indicators one can take into account when determining a ship’s size but, in general, the most commonly used one is the overall length or LOA. The LOA is the distance measured between the fore and the aft, or the front and back of a ship.
Let’s take a look at the countdown.
No. 8: Globtik Tokyo
Photo Credit: Don DeBold
The “smallest” boat on our countdown is the Globtik Tokyo. An oil tanker measuring 1,243 feet in length, the Globtik started sailing the seas in February 1973 and remained in service for an additional 13 years.
See the rest of the world’s biggest boats:
No. 7: TI Oceania
Photo Credit: MrHicks46
TI Oceania is one impressive oil tanker, measuring 1,246 feet in length. The coolest thing about it? When viewed from above or from a long distance, the oil tanker very much resembles a huge iceberg floating on the ocean’s surface.
No. 6: Emma Mærsk
Photo Credit: RoyvanWijk
All the big boats in our countdown are no longer in service. With the exception of Emma Mærsk. In addition, with a length of 1,305 feet, Emma is currently the biggest container ship ever built.
No. 5: Esso Atlantic
Photo Credit: Terry Whalebone
Esso Atlantic, an oil tanker with a LOA of 1,334 feet, was one of the best ships of its kind throughout the 35 years in which it navigated the world. The ship was ultimately dismantled in 2002 in Pakistan.
No. 4: Prairial
Photo Credit: Ryan Crierie
Prairial is one of few huge supertankers that managed to sail for several decades; 34 years to be more exact. Built in 1979, France, and boasting a length of 1,359 feet, the ship sailed under various names until it was scrapped in 2003: Sea Brilliance, Hellas Fos, and Sea Giant.
No. 3: Batillus
Photo Credit: Patrick Savalle
Batillus, a French supertanker built in 1976 voyaged the seas for less than a decade, until 1985, when it was scrapped in Taiwan. The reason for such an early demise? Its sheer size (1,359 feet in length) and gross tonnage meant that its uses were limited and the consequent demand for the ship was scarce.
No. 2: Pierre Guillaumat
Photo Credit: Roger Wollstadt
The French supertanker was built in 1977 and named after a famous politician. Unfortunately, the vessel was not the most profitable of constructions, in part because its huge size did not allow it to navigate through certain canals or traits. Apparently, size does matter. The ship, which measured 1,360 feet in length was finally dismantled in 1983.
No. 1: Seawise Giant
Photo Credit: Daniel Naish
Seawise Giant was indeed a giant boat. A ship so big that it couldn’t even fit through the English Channel. The supertanker, which was built in 1976, had an LOA of no less than 1,504 feet. The Giant triumphantly sailed the seas of the world until it was finally scrapped back in 2010.
