BULGARIAN MERCHANT SHIPS WITH ROUND-THE-WORLD VOYAGES FROM THE 1970s TO TODAY
After our first “Magelan” ships dozens more have made round-the-world voyages. For merchant ships, this is not an end in itself, but is a result of commercial contracts and the cargoes transported. These long passages, often with unpredictable situations, require the crews to deal with various difficulties and challenges, but they give them valuable experience and new adventures.
FINAL DATES OF SUCCESSSFULLY COMPLETED ROUND-THE-WORLD VOYAGES:
12 April 1979 – motor ship “Rodina” with Captain Marian Spasov and Chief Engineer Rudin Gardev
The ship completed the circumnavigation by crossing the course she had set out on 118 days earlier. The time taken to complete the voyage was the shortest recorded for Bulgarian shipping.
1 September 1983 – motor ship “Lilyana Dimitrova” with Captain Stoyan Kovachev and Chief Engineer Costa Atanassov
Motor ship “Lilyana Dimitrova” set off in April 1983 from Burgas for Philadelphia, USA. Without the crew going ashore due to a ban by American authorities, the ship was loaded and headed for Japan. In the Gulf of Mexico, it encountered the powerful tropical cyclon „Adolph”. The storm broke out abruptly with 8 – 9 bales of rough seas. Heavy tropical rain fell, the sky and the water merged into one, visibility was near zero. With skilful manoeuvres Captain St. Kovachev led the ship out of danger zone. After passing the Panama Canal, she crossed the Pacific Ocean, and after 41 days reached Japan. Next were Singapore – Aden – Suez Canal. On 1 September 1983 the ship returned to homeland. The round-the-world voyage lasted 137 days, which 96 were underway, 25 – at anchor, 16 – in port.
1987 – motor ship “Yordan Lyutibrodski” with Captain Nicolay Stanchev
The ship was the ninth in the series of 38 500-ton bulk carriers built for Shipping Company “Bulgarian Maritime Fleet” in “G. Dimitrov” shipyard in Varna. Her flag was solemnly raised on 7 January 1987 at Varna Sea Station. Her first voyage after acceptance by the shipyard was circumnavigation.
14 February 1990 – motor ship “Lilyana Dimitrova” with Captain Stoyan Kovachev
On 22 July 1989 the ship sailed from Varna to Yuzhny (then in USSR), where loaded 32 000 tones nitrogen fertilizer. She unloaded in Beilun Gang (China) and set a course for port of Mackay, Australia where loaded 17 400 tons of sunflower. Followed 5 000 miles across Pacific Ocean – Panama Canal – Tampico, Mexico – USA – Casablanca, Morocco. On 14 February 1990 the MS “Lilyana Dimitrova” returned from its second round-the-world voyage. For 208 days the ship travelled 38 239 miles and transported 115 450 tons of cargo.
20 December 1988 – motor ship “Gotze Delchev” (the second with that name) with Captain Gencho V. Genchev
The ship completed the round-the-world voyage in front of Cape Mattapan (Greece). 25 890 miles have been sailed in 200 days and 7 hours. 12 seas ant 3 oceans were crossed.
1989 – motor ship “Geo Milev” with Captain Stoyan Stoyanov.
The ship departed in early January 1989 from Bulgaria for Luanda, Angola. Next were Nicaragua – Panama Canal – Chile – Surabaya, Indonesia – China – Turkey. The voyage lasted 196 days, one of the shortest circumnavigations. 38 250 miles have been covered, over 30 000 tons of cargo have been transported, 12 seas and 3 oceans have been crossed.
1992 – motor ship “Milin Kamak” with Captain Borislav Arnaudov.
The route was: San Lorenzo on the Parana River – Cape of Good Hope – Strait of Malacca – Japan – China – Panama Canal – Port Arthur in the Gulf of Mexico – New Orleans, USA – Atlantic Ocean – Tangier, Morocco.
1994 – motor ship “Alexander Dimitrov” made round-the world voyage.
20 December 2004 – motor ship “Balchik” with Captain Alexander Danailov
The ship departed on 4 September 2004 from the Russian port of Kaliningrad. She crossed the Atlantic, Pacific, Indian Ocean and passed through the Panama and Suez Canal. The longest leg is across the Pacific Ocean from Panama to China for 32 days. The double crossings of the North Atlantic were difficult. She avoided hurricanes “Jane”and “Ivan”, in the Strait of Malacca the crew took additional measures against pirates, and in African ports they counteracted to thieves.
On 20 December 2004 at 15:00 local time, crossing the 20°28.5′E meridian, the MS “Balchik” completed the circle around the Earth. It travelled 24 254 nautical miles in 107 days and 3 hours (85 days and 16 hours underway) On 22 January 2005 the crew of the MS “Balchik” was welcomed at the port of Varna West.
2005 – motor ship “Trapezitsa” with Captain Strahil Ivanov.
The ship visited all continents except Antarctica.
2007-2008 – motor ship “Bogdan” with Captain Hristo Minev and Chief Engineer Ivan Genev.
On 20 December, the ship sailed from Illichivsk (now Chernomorsk), Ukraine to the Netherlands on the route: Iskenderun, Turkey – Damietta, Egypt – Bayonne, France – Ghent, Belgium. She crossed the Atlantic Ocean and passed through the Panama Canal. Followed: Chimbote, Peru – Antofagasta, Chile – Vancouver, Canada – Vancouver, USA. She crossed the International date line, missing 22 April 2008. Bunkering in Singapore and on 21 May she arrived in Durban, South Africa. From here, part of the crew returned to Bulgaria, after having travelled 32 thousand miles through several seas and 3 oceans and has crossed the equator three times.
9 May 2025 – motor ship “Milin kamak” (the second with this name) commanded consecutively by two FGM Lybomir Yovchev and Milen Angelov and two Chief Engineers: Ivan Ivanov and Nicolay Georgiev.
The ship sailed after bunkering from Singapore on 14 August 2024 to Machong, China. Followed by Gwangyang and Pohang, South Korea – Los Angelis, USA – Ensenada, Manzanillo and Lazaro Cardenas, Mexico – Anacortes, USA – Panama Canal – Port Alfred, Canada – Sorel, Canada – Foynes and Dublin, Ireland – Rotterdam, Netherlands – Sohar, Sultanate of Oman. After unloading in Sohar “Milin kamak” sailed for Zhenjiang, China and on 9 May 2025 she passed through Singapore, which completed her round-the world tour.
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“Our ship, built by the shipbuilders of Varna, performed excellently. It demonstrated very good seaworthy and manoeuvrable characteristics even in the most complex situations.”
FGM Stoyan Kovachev
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„Sailing around the world is no more difficult than „navigation” on the coast”
FGM Alexander Danailov
