Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping

Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping (Czech: Československá námořní plavba) was a Czechoslovak shipping company founded in 1959. Privatised in 1992 and renamed Czech Ocean Shipping in 1994, it ceased shipping operations in 1998.

Seagoing ships sailed under the Czechoslovak flag shortly after the founding of Czechoslovakia. The first such ship was the schooner Kehrwieder in 1920. The Treaty of Versailles made it possible to use national flags of landlocked countries on seagoing ships; Czechoslovakia ratified this treaty in 1924. Prague became the port of registry, and through treaties Czechoslovakia leased areas in the ports of Stettin (now Szczecin in Poland) and Hamburg (the area of Moldauhafen) for 99 years.

During the First Czechoslovak Republic, Czechoslovak seagoing ships belonged to various companies, for example, the ship Legie in 1920 was owned by Legiobanka; other ships were owned by the Bata Corporation, or by foreign companies. In the inter-war period 80 future officers graduated from a naval academy in Yugoslavia, so after World War II, Czechoslovakia had a number of experienced sea captains.

On 18 September 1953 the joint-stock company for maritime transport Čechofracht was founded. Shortly afterwards, it became a state-owned company. In February 1959, the Ministry of Foreign Trade granted Čechofracht the right to establish an international joint-stock company, responsible for operating, purchasing, selling and renting ships. The new company, Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping, was formally established on 1 April 1959 by registration in the Company Register, and on 4 June 1959 the Minister of Foreign Trade authorized the new company to operate maritime shipping.

Because the People's Republic of China was subjected to an international trade embargo over its involvement in the Korean War, it was unable to operate its own maritime transport. As part of an agreement China participated in the establishment of the Czechoslovak Ocean Shipping company financially and in the construction of a number of ships for its fleet. These ships were then providing transport services for chinese needs.

Because Czechoslovakia was a landlocked country, ships were built by shipyards in coastal states — for example, Poland, Yugoslavia, Bulgaria and Japan. All seagoing ships were subjected to approval by foreign classification organizations (e.g. Lloyd's Register), which by their requirements affected the construction of the ships.

During the years of its existence, the company owned 44 seagoing ships, the largest of which was the 13,339 GRT tanker Ostrava, measuring 560 feet 0 inches (170.7 m) long and 71 feet 10 inches (21.9 m) beam, with a maximum speed of 15.5 knots.

The operation of the ships was very profitable. Czechoslovak ships exchanged goods, among others, with China and Cuba, ie with states that at that time were partially blockaded for political reasons. They made it possible to get the products of Czechoslovak industry all over the world and to import scarce raw materials without much need for foreign exchange.