M/V KAR / TCXU
TURKISH DB CARGO LINES
D.B. DENIZ NAKLIYAT T. A. S.









M/V Kar at left, seen with M/V General R. Gumuspala momentarly anchored possibly waiting a shuttle service from headquarters right on the coast line. In the winter of 1973 while attending her sale Kar had been a permanent occupant of the Besiktas anchorage.

Built in 1951 by Kristian Sands M/V - A/S, Norway.
Grt/Net : 767/831
L/B/D : 65,5/9.7/7 m.
Engine: Manchester Crossely Brothers Ltd., 1350 Hp. diesel, single screw.
Sunk outside Tartous breakwater 20.1.06

History :
1951 ANNAVORE
1954 KING REEFER
1958 KAR
1974 TAHIR KIRAN
1990 GUCLU 4

In 1958 Kar was bought by the state owned Meat and Fish Institute of Turkey. Later on the ownership had passed to Turkish Cargo Line, but the management of this unique reefer had turned out to be unprofitable also in this second company. So, she was sold to private sector in 1973. Under new owners she was thoroughly modifed as seen on the pictures below. On this second part of her life she was maintained relatively well and worked hard but she could not escape her unfortunate end.

Blow-up from the above picture, 1973.


Under her new name M/V Guclu - 4, former M/V Kar seen sailing southbound in Istanbul Strait, early 1990's.
Stern view. Inmarsat-C antenna shows that GMDSS was installed on this old ship many years before the 1999 deadline.


A clip from a daily newspaper telling that the master had lost his life, a sailor was missing and the other five of the crew members were saved when the ship had foundered in bad weather while at anchor off the breakwater at Taurus on January 20,2006. The ship had a load of marble.