Amorella, 2 June 2007

Amorella

IMO 8601915
Built 1988, Brodogradiliste Split, Yugoslavia
Tonnage 35 384 GT
Length 169,40 m
Width 27,60 m
Draught 6,35 m
2 480 passengers
2 046 berths
350 cars
900 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels, combined 23 760 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 21,5 knots

Amorella was the first of the four near-identical ships built by Brodogradiliste Split in Yugoslavia/Croatia. Interestingly, while her sisters Isabella, Gabriella and Crown of Scandinavia (soon to be renamed, presumably, Crown Seaways) have led a varied existance, the Amorella has spent her entire career sailing for one company, on the same route, without major structural alterations.

SF Line ordered what was eventually be the Amorella (the project name was lillasyster, "little sister" [of the Mariella]) from the Split shipyard in December 1985. In fact, SF Line had initially signed an Memorandum of Agreement with Chantiers de l'Atlantique in France, but when the Bank of Finland (that had to approve all purchases from abroad by Finnish companies at the time) did not give their approval until the MoA had expired, Chantiers de l'Atlantique had taken a different order and could not give SF Line the construction slot originally agreed on. As a result SF Line decided to place their order in Yugoslavia - which came as something of a shock to the Finnish shipbuilder Wärtsilä who had been convinced they would get the order (this what, in part, led to Wärtsilä offering to build the Cinderella to SF Line in 1986).

The Amorella was meant to be delivered in the beginning of 1988, but her construction was severely delayed and she was not delivered until September 1988 (resultingly she got the nickname "Eventuella", from the Swedish word eventuell, "possible"). On delivery she was placed on the Turku-Mariehamn-Stockholm service, replacing the Rosella. Initially the Amorella sailed parallel to the Viking Sally (perhaps better known as the ill-fated Estonia), then from 1990 until the end of 1993 her route-mate was the Kalypso. When the Kalypso was sold following the bankruptcy of Rederi AB Slite, the Rosella returned to the Turku service as Amorella's running mate. During the summers 1995 and 1996 the Cinderella sailed in place of the Rosella. In 1997 the Isabella joined Amorella on the Turku route and since then, the that service has been operated by the two sisters.

During her career the Amorella has suffered two notable accidents: a grounding near Stockholm in February 1993 and a minor collision with Finnlines' Finnfellow while both ships were stuck in heavy ice in March 2010. Much of the ship's public spaces were rebuilt during a docking at Landskrona in September 2008.

The Amorella is likely to be replaced by a new ship sometime after 2013, following the replacement of the Isabella by the as-of-yet unnamed newbuilding, due for delivery from STX Europe's Turku shipyard in 2013.

The photographs below show the Amorella in the Stockholm archipelago, en-route to Stockholm from Turku and Mariehamn on the evening of 2 June 2007. Photographed from onboard the Mariella. Click on the image(s) view larger size.

I admit that probably every ship-buff in Finland or Sweden has taken this photo at some time. Doesn't make it any less good tho'.

I don't know about you, but I find the Amorella a very good-looking ship with her bridge placed so high.

It's impressive longevity that the ship looks almost exactly the same in this pic as she did back in 1988. Apart from some small changes she's exactly the same ship.

No blowing the horn when passing ships of the same company here - the people with summer cottages along the shores would be mad. Plus it kinda gets old when it happens every day.

On towards Stockholm and another pile of passengers.