Nordlandia, 15 July 2009

Nordlandia

IMO 7928811
Built 1981, AG Weser Seebeckswerft, Bremerhaven, West Germany
Tonnage 21 473 GT
Length 153,40 m
Width 24,70 m
Draugth 8,80 m
Ice class 1A
2 048 passengers
938 berths
450 cars or 42 trucks
4 Pielstick diesels, combined 15 300 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 20 knots

Although built in 1981, in terms of (exterior) design the Nordlandia looks more like the product of 1970s ferry design, with a low and slightly lifting bow (not that well visible in these photographs of course), a finely rounded and slightly streamlined forward superstructure, a terraced aft superstructure and even a neat smoke deflector in the funnel (though this was something of a trademark for Olau Line and their owner TT Line well after such deviced had disappeared from general use).

The Nordlandia is something of an unusual Baltic ferry in the sense that she was originally a cross-channel ferry (Olau Hollandia for Olau Line), when the general trend since the 1970s has been that old Baltic ferries are sold for further trading in the English Channel or the North Sea after being withdrawn from service in the Baltic. But then again, when Olau Hollandia was built she was an unusual channel ferry as well, offering standards of accommodation and service well above those of other cross-channel ferries of the time. Together with her younger sister Olau Britannia the Olau Hollandia begun a cruise/ferry type service and such their arrival was a revolution comparable to that of the Finnjet together with Silja Line and Viking Line's first generation cruiseferries in the north Baltic.

Photographs below are of the Nordlandia departing Tallinn Reisisadam on 15 July 2009, photographed from onboard Viking XPRS. Click on the images to view full size.

In the Reisisadam harbour pool moments after departure.

On the Tallinn bay soon afterwards, having passed the harbour breakwater.