The motor ship "Zarya" or a river tram was created according to the project of A. A. Oskolsky and many specialists of the Central Research Institute. Ak. Krylov in 1962. At that time, its design was a real breakthrough. The vessel could move along absolutely non-navigable rivers of the country with a rocky bottom. In connection with this purpose, the developers incorporated a number of features into the design of the ship, which until that time no ship of the Soviet Union had, and there were no analogues of such technology in world practice.
The Zarya-type motor ship is a planing vessel that transported people and luggage along small rivers, but only during the daytime. Let's take a closer look at why its design made it possible to pass in places where another ship would not even start moving.
Ship design features
The ship "Zarya" used fiberglass. This significantly reduced the weight of the ship and made it possible to carry passengers on the small rivers of the Soviet Union. For the first time in the world, on the Zarya, the developers installed air lubrication of the bottom. This technology has been known for a long time, but in practice it has not yet beenapplied. This made it possible to reduce the resistance of the ship, significantly increasing speed.
The contours were combined: in the bow of the vessel they used the "Sea Sleigh" system with reverse deadrise, and at the stern - the usual one. Thanks to this property, the ship can move on a rocky shallow bottom.
At first, a single-stage semi-submerged water cannon with a straightening vane and with a preloaded outlet section up to 0.8 was installed on the ship "Zarya", but during the experiments, the technologists came to the conclusion that this device slightly increases the speed of the vessel, and decided not to put. As a result, the ship does not have a directing vane for the water jet.
A vessel of this type is capable of mooring on sloping shores, without mooring facilities, as it has a low draft - 0.5 meters and can go straight to the land with its bow. A ladder is not even used to descend passengers.
Specifications
The ship "Zarya" has a diesel four-stroke supercharged engine with 12 cylinders and a capacity of 900 horsepower. The engine is reliable and economical. At 1400 rpm, about 130 kg of fuel is consumed per hour.
The diameter of each cylinder is 18 cm.
The vessel is 23.9 meters long and 3.93 meters wide.
The displacement of the ship with cargo is 29.85 tons, and when empty - 19.45 tons.
The ship "Zarya" can reach speeds of up to 45 km/h.
The ship has two rudders behindjet nozzle cut, which provide good maneuverability both when moving forward and during reverse, when the dampers are closed and water is directed into special channels that ensure the reverse of the vessel.
There is a protective grill on the water intake, which is cleaned through a special small hatch.
The structure of the ship
The ship's hull is made of aluminum-magnesium alloy. The upper settings of the ship are mainly made of fiberglass. The engine room and wheelhouse are located in front of the vessel. The cabin for passengers is of a bus type with soft and comfortable seats designed for three people near each side.
There are 60 seats on the ship. In such ships there is also a luggage compartment. On others, where the space for carrying cargo is not calculated, there are more seats. Accommodates 66 people. The rules also allow standing passengers. Then 86 people are accommodated on the ship. But you can stand on the ship only when the duration of the voyage is no more than two hours.
The engine compartment is separated from the passenger compartment by a cargo compartment and a toilet.
Operation of Zarya type ships
For the first time this ship passed sea trials on the Msta River in 1964. Showed himself great. A lot of time has passed since then, and the passengers and various shipping companies of the vast country liked the river buses.
There were remote settlements with no roads. The only means of transport for people livingin the outback, there were rivers. Before the development of such motor ships, it was impossible to reach such settlements, since the rivers had a rocky bottom and were shallow. With the advent of such glider trams, people got the opportunity to travel to large towns and cities for shopping and work.
Such vessels were present on almost all rivers and shipping companies in Russia (except for the Kuban).
Flaws of courts
Motorships of the Zarya type were periodically repaired and their designs improved. There were about 200 motor ships operating on the rivers of Siberia, the Urals, the Far East and the North-West of Russia. The ships transported tourists and mushroom pickers who came to admire the beauty of the nature of those places. But because of the planing design, the vessels shook violently, especially at the slightest disturbance on the river. The noise in the cabin was such that people had to raise their voices to hear each other.
The developers struggled with the shortcomings, but blue smoke from the engine and fumes spoiled the ecology of those places, often oil emissions fell overboard. With gentle stops, the structure of the coastline was disturbed, the coast was eroded. On ships with one engine, there were frequent accidents associated with engine failure.
Restrictions
In the European part of the country, the operation of the Zarya is prohibited. Now ships can only be found on Siberian rivers. According to the schedule, the ship "Zarya" makes trips from May 15 to October 11, carrying passengers twice a day.
