Stena Germanica in Kiel, 23 May 2011

Stena Germanica

IMO 9145176
Built 2001, Astilleros Españoles Puerta Real, Spain
Tonnage 46 353 GT
Length 240,10 m
Width 28,70 m
Draught 6,00 m
1 300 passengers
1 067 berths
300 cars
3 907 lane metres
4 Sulzer diesels, combined 24 000 kW
2 propellers
3 bow thrusters
Speed 21,5 knots

The current Stena Germanica (not to be confused with the previous Stena Germanica) was the fourth and final ship of the Seapacer class ordered by Stena Line from the Astilleros Españoles shipyard. The first two ships in the class were eventually delivered not to Stena Line but to Finnlines as their Finnclipper and Finneagle. The last two ships were delivered to Stena Line in 2000-2001 and became their Stena Britannica and Stena Hollandica, the latter being the subject of this entry.

On delivery the two Seapacers were planed on the Harwich-Hoek van Holland route. However, after just three years in service the Stena Britannica was replaced by a newer, larger Stena Britannica and the old ship sold to Finnlines to join her sisters in their fleet as the Finnfellow. The Stena Hollandica was then paired on the Hoek-Harwich route with a not-identical ship.

To come with increased demands of the route, the Stena Hollandica and her route-mate were both lenghtened to 240 metres in 2007. In case of the Stena Hollandica this meant putting in a 53-meter midsection. To cope with the increased mass the midsection also included an additional engine (or several) with it's own separate exhaust pipe. However, by this time Stena Line were already building two new ships that would eventually replace the Stena Hollandica and her routemate.

In 2010 the new Stena Hollandica was delivered to Stena Line. Resultingly the old Stena Hollandica was drydocked and rebuilt for the Gothenburg-Kiel route, on which she entered service later that year as Stena Germanica III. The III was soon dropped from her name however, and the ship became just Stena Germanica.

The photographs below is of the Stena Germanica at Schwedenkai in Kiel on 23 May 2011. Click on the image to view larger size.

Not quite as good-looking as her not-lenghtened Finnlines sisters. Unfortunately the ship's small third funnel is on the side not visible on this pic.