The Bonga passes the statue of Lord Collingwood as she sails from the Tyne.
The biggest vessel ever to be seen on the Tyne finally made a safe journey out to sea on Sunday 19 October 2003.
INFO
Bonga Hotline Tel: 2958711 The latest information about the Bonga
FACTS
The journey from South Korea to Tyneside has taken almost four months, with the Bonga travelling at an average speed of 5 knots - similar to a walking pace.
The Bonga is roughly the size of three football pitches and weighs the same as 30,000 double decker buses.
The vessel is 300 metres long, 75 metres wide and the height of a 12-storey building.
It will eventually be capable of producing 225,000 barrels of oil per day.
We have just received some stunning new pictures of the Bonga in the Bay of Biscay - more in our massive Bonga photo gallery
On Saturday 16 November 2002 the Bonga became the largest vessel ever to sail up the River Tyne.
She docked at the Amec yard at Wallsend, where £300m worth of work to install new oil production machinery was carried out.
Bonga sails past North Shields Fish Quay
Eight deep sea tugs were employed in towing the vessel up the river Tyne.
The operation had already been delayed twice since arriving in local waters in October 2002. Bad weather forced the 300,000 tonne Bonga to sail over the North Sea and take shelter off Rotterdam.
On Sunday 19 October 2003, following a massive re-fit, the Bonga finally left the Tyne. Hundreds of people turned out on both sides of the river to wish her farewell despite the cold wind and rain.
