August 31, 1986 30 years ago The passenger liner “Admiral Nakhimov” sank in Novorossiysk Bay
On August 31, 1986, the cruise ship Admiral Nakhimov spent the entire day in the port of Novorossiysk. The ship became very hot in the sun. Returning to their cabins, the passengers, tired from numerous excursions, opened the portholes to ventilate the premises.
At 10 p.m. the ship left the pier. At this time, the bulk carrier “Peter Vasev” with a cargo of grain was traveling towards him from Canada to Novorossiysk. At 23:12 he collided with the Admiral Nakhimov. The ship suffered extensive damage to the hull, water poured into the open portholes, and within 10 minutes it sank.
As a result of the disaster, 423 people died, including 359 tourists and 64 crew members. According to experts, the cause of the tragedy was the incorrect actions of the captains of both ships.
It is known for sure that at the moment of the collision, “Nakhimov” was moving at full speed at a speed of at least ten knots (about 5 meters per second). The Vaseva's bulb began to cut open the side of the Nakhimov, like a can opener cutting through a metal can. In a matter of seconds, a hole with an area of several tens of square meters was formed. Three compartments were probably filled with water. “Nakhimov” could not withstand this and began to quickly dive on the starboard side. Open portholes on the lower decks also played a fatal role, as well as, possibly, an additional heeling moment from the impact of the bulb on the lower part of the side
It is worth mentioning one more technical detail that played an important role in the tragedy. Openings are made in the transverse watertight bulkheads that provide buoyancy to the vessel to allow people to move from compartment to compartment. In safe sailing conditions, these openings remain open, but in the event of the slightest threat to safety, in particular the entry and exit of a ship from the port, the openings are closed with a so-called clinket door - a special waterproof shield. And on the Nakhimov, according to some experts, the clinker doors in the transverse bulkheads were open, and the water pouring into the hole could quickly spread from compartment to compartment.
In 1987, on the high slope of Cape Doob in Tsemes Bay, near the lighthouse, a monument was erected in memory of the tragic death of the steamship Admiral Nakhimov.
It contains a clock that was recovered from a sunken ship and stopped at the time of the tragedy. The words are inscribed on the cast-iron stele: “To those who died in the shipwreck of the steamer Admiral Nakhimov on August 31, 1986.”
