Translandia, 22 August 2008

Translandia

IMO 7429229
Built 1976, J.J. Sietas Werft Hamburg, West Germany
Tonnage 13 700 GT
Length 135,49 m
Width 21,71 m
Draugth 6,46 m
100 passengers
63 berths
1624 lane metres
2 MAN diesels, combined 9312 kW
2 propellers
Speed 19 knots

I'm not normally too keen on photographing freighters nor putting up photos of them, but these photos from 2008 looked rather nice, and I've already posted pics of other Eckerö Line ships, so I thought, why not?

Translandia is Eckerö Line's freight-carrying ship sailing between Helsinki and Tallinn. She started life in 1976 as Transgermania for West Germany's Poseidon Schiffahrt, serving between Finland and West Germany. Poseidon later formed a joint service with Finncarriers and the Transgermania came to be marketed under the joint Finncarriers-Poseidon brand.

In 1990 the Transgermania was supplanted by the newer Translubeca and spent the entire decade under charter to various other shipping companies, most notably Stena Line. In 1993 she was renamed Rosebay and during a charter to Sally Line in 1995-1998 first Eurostar which was later amended to Eurocruiser. After the end of the charter in 1998 she reverted to Rosebay.

Following the end of her last Stena charter in 2001 the Rosebay was sold to the Finnish Rederi Ab Engship who chartered her to Botnia Link, a new company established to offer service across the Gulf of Bothnia. Renamed Transparaden, the ship sailed on a route linking Vaasa to Härnösand and Umeå. This was not a success and already in 2002 Botnia Link went bankrupt. The Transparaden again spent the next two years under various charters (again), until she was sold to Eckerö Line in 2004. Her name was amended to Translandia (presumably to match the name of her route-mate Nordlandia) and she was placed in service between Helsinki and Tallinn where she remains to this day.

The photographs below show the Translandia arriving in Helsinki West Harbour on 22 August 2008, photographed from Vattuniemi. Click on the images to view full size.

A very Finnish view passing Pihlajasaari, with birch tress and all. The ship's livery has since been altered to a slightly-different "Eckerö Line Cargo" livery.

About to turn and back into the quay at West Harbour. As a freighter, the Translandia also moved to the new Vuosaari harbour when it was opened in late 2008.