Happy Giant

The largest ship ever constructed was the Happy Giant, formerly called the Seawise Giant, with a deadweight tonnage (the weight of the ship without its load) of 622,571.5, a length of 1,504 feet (458 meters), and a beam (width) of 226 feet (69 meters). Attacked and damaged by Iraqi Mirage jets in the Persian Gulf on December 22, 1987, and again on May 14, 1988, the tanker is in the process of being repaired. The steam turbines are being replaced with a diesel engine, which will decrease the ship's deadweight tonnage to about 420,000 long tons (one long ton is equal to 2,240 pounds).