This oil/chemical product tanker was built in the hearth of Russia, in the shipyard Okskaya Sudoverf (Oka Shipyard), in Navashino, a small town on the Oka River, about 5 to 6 hours car drive east of Moscow. As reported in shipping news, this ship together with her two sister vessels were ordered back in 2006 by the Italian shipping company Pietro Barbaro Group, but then the contract was cancelled. Later the contract was taken-over by the Singapore office of AET (American Eagle tankers) Tanker Holdings of Malaysia, a subsidiary company of MISC, Malaysian International Shipping Company. This river/sea tanker was the second ship of the three vessels ordered, originally intended for service in the Caspian Sea and was constructed under hull number 1217. Her keel was laid in December 2007, but then construction stopped and was only resumed in 2009. According to various news reports, it was first intended to name the vessel EAGLE ASTANA, but also AET ASTANA was mentioned.
At the begin of November 2009 the tanker was moved to Astrakhan for completion and delivery, just before the Volga river was closed to navigation for the winter season. During the whole winter season 2009/10 the tanker stayed on a lay-by berth in a shipyard in Astrakhan with very little work being performed. In the mean time the original plan to trade in the Caspian Sea under the flag of a local state were abandoned and it was decided, that the builder's had to bring her to Rostov on Don, Russia for delivery to her owners AET, Singapore*). End May or begin of June.2010 she was registered under the flag of the Marshall Islands (in the South Pacific) under the name AET SANJAR (official No.: 3590, call sign: V7RW6) and was delivered to the owners. Commercial operation was done by the owners and the technical management was allocated to ABCmaritime, Nyon, Switzerland.
The AET SANJAR is a double hull product tanker for oil and chemicals and is classed for unrestricted, coastal service. She has 6 centre cargo tanks with a total volume capacity of 7597 m3. Propulsion is by 2 diesel engines, Cummins 16 cylinders in V configuration, 4 stroke with gearbox and 2 azimuthing FP-rudder/propellers. The two main engines have a power output of 2 x 1193 kW at 1,800 RPM, giving a speed of about 9,0 knots. Electrical power is provided by 3 diesel generators and one emergency diesel generator.
She had a complement of 16 persons, mainly from the Ukraine and was trading in Black Sea and Mediterranean Sea.
In early 2012 the vessel was sold together with her two sister vessels to the Russian company Rosewood Shipping LLC, Rostov on Don, Russia (Management: Rosewood Shipping LLC, Rostov on Don). On 31.05.2012 the vessel was handed-over to her buyers, renamed SANAR-4 and registered under the Russian flag with home port Taganrog (call sign: UBPI3).
*) It is not allowed for foreign flag vessels to sail on any waterway within Russia, therefore the shipyard has to bring the vessel to an international port for delivery to foreign flag owners.
SwissShips HPS, July 2012