Ross Revenge (FREYR) - Design

Ross Revenge Seebeckwerft

1958 - 1960 - THE DESIGN YEARS
Looking through the orginal MS Freyr blueprints we can see that the design (and build) of the MS Freyr was a two year process, employing some of the biggest names in marine engineering at the time - in particular, Werkspoor, Rudolph Shultze Gmbh and Deutz AG.

At the time of the MS Freyr build three other 'sister' ships were also built to similar specifications, those being the Vikingur (AK100) | Sigurdur (IS33) and the Mai (GK346)

The photo opposite shows the MS Freyr at SeebeckWerft at what is most likely the mid point of the build, prior to the main superstructure being installed.

All four ships were built by A G Weser at SeebeckWerft, Bremmerhaven, and were fitted out to an extremely high specification for fishing trawlers of that era. Vulkan Couplings, Vari Pitch Propellers and Dual Wound Shaft Generation were considered to be ahead of their time when these ships were built. We will go into more detail on each of these features further on in this website and also how, ironically, these features were to be useful tools in the Ross Revenge arsenal during the latter years of 1972 to 1976 - The Cod Wars.

SeebeckWerft Dockyard SeebeckWerft
SeebeckWerft Located on the banks of the River Weser at Bremerhaven - SeebeckWerft was founded in 1876 by Georg Seebeck. The shipyard was a renowned world leader in shipbuilding. As you can see from the photo opposite, SeebeckWerft occupied a vast area on the banks of the River Weser. This is where the history starts.

In 1988 Seebeck joined forces with another local shipbuilding giant, Schichau GmbH, and continued building ships under their new brand name of Schichau SeebeckWerft Gmbh (SSW) Schichau SeebeckWerft GmbH ceased operations in 2009

Rudolf Schultze GmbH
One of the smaller, but equally successful partners in the MS Freyr build were Rudolf Schultze KG, based in Wilhelmshaven, Germany. Rudolph Schultze were responsbile for the design, manufacture and installation of the electrical switchgear and controls installations onboard the Freyr. Some sixty plus years later, many of these systems are still fully functional, and relied upon by the current Ross Revenge.

Deutz AG
Deutz AG were responsible for supplying and installing DC power generation onboard the Freyr. Founded in 1864 by Nikolaus Otto, inventor of the four stroke combustion engine, in Cologne, Germany. Otto was joined many eminent engineers of the time including Rudolph Diesel and Robert Bosch - both famous for their own accomplishments in power generation. Deutz provided both Port and Starboard DC generator sets onboard the Freyr.

Werkspoor NV
Based in Amsterdam, and founded by Paul van Vlissingen in 1850, Werkspoor provided what can only be decribed as the Engine Room 'Centre Piece', ... the Werkspoor 2400hp main engine. The history of Werkspoor is a diverse one, starting as a repair shop and eventually building some of the most respected steam and diesel engines of their time. If you are visiting Amsterdam its worth visiting the Werkspoor Museum, where you can see just how diverse their operations were.