Amorella off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

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

We are nearing the end of the Kobba Klintar series - though it's not over just yet. Today's entry is one of the most ignored ships in this blog: Viking Line's Turku-Stockholm ferry Amorella, which was (until now) the only ship in the current Viking Line fleet to be featured in just a single entry. There is a very good reason for this, as the ship sails in the morning departure from Turku and I'm definately not a morning person. ;) Well, that and the fact she's a bit challenging to photograph from the Helsinki-Stockholm ferries too. In any case, the lack of Amorella is now being corrected with this entry. For a short account of the Amorella's (uneventful) history, see the first entry on her.

The photographs below show the Amorella departing Mariehamn for Stockholm in the afternoon of 24. June 2012, photographed from Kobba Klintar. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Coming out of Mariehamn, the Amorella leads and Isabella follows. Notice also how faded the funnel of the Isabella looks compared to her sister; clearly maintainance is not a top priority for a ship soon to be sold.

The Split Sisters have very impressive bow waves (slightly reminescent of the Finnjet, albeit in smaller scale). Compare, if you will, with the Galaxy photos taken on the same day in the same location.

Presumably the exterior design of these ships was largely the work of the Split shipyard, as there is an almost completely dissimilar suggestion for the same ship by Wärtsilä in Viking Line's 50th anniversary book (which is great and well worth a read). The then-Yugoslavs did an awesome job, tror jag.

*insert stereotypical caption about Finnish granite here*

That lighthouse again, now competing for the position of the photogenic add-on with a sailing boat.

Stockholm awaits (the passengers, at least. For me, what awaited was the Isabella that was soon passing Kobba Klintar behind my back).

Next time: Isabella.

Silja Europa off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Silja Europa

IMO 8919805
Built 1993, Meyer Werft, Germany
Tonnage 59 912 GT
Length 201,78 m
Width 32,60 m
Draught 6,80 m
Ice class 1 A Super
3 123 passengers
3 696 berths
350 cars
932 lane metres
4 MAN diesels, combined 31 800 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 22 knots

The Silja Europa, photographed from Kobba Klintar departing Mariehamn on 24 June 2012. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Here you can clearly see how the shade of blue used in the rest of the ship does not match the Silja Line text on the hull. Apparently they did not repaint anything else to match - or they used a different hue for the text by mistake.

Rederi AB Slite - the company who originally ordered this ship - had a very neat common exterior styling during the late 80s and early 90s with the Athena (now Pearl Seaways), Kalypso (now Star Pisces) and Europa. The Europa is bulkier than the previous pair, but has a similar profile that builds up to the funnel. Of course, the older ships did not have that brilliant two-deck high window on the side.

Photographing in the archipelago does sometimes have the problem of islands getting in your way...

...but that's not always a bad thing.

Next time: Amorella

Galaxy off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Apologies for posting some of the pictures from the same day in two parts. The previous Galaxy entry was of the ship arriving in Mariehamn on 24 June, this one is of her departing from the same port.

Galaxy

IMO 9333694
Built 2006, Aker Finnyards Rauma, Finland
Tonnage 48 915 GT
Length 212,10 m
Width 29,00 m
Draught 6,40 m
Ice class 1A Super
2 800 passengers
2 138 berths
420 cars
1 130 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 26 240 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

About an hour after the photos posted in the previous Galaxy entry, the ship (and her running mate Silja Europa) departed Mariehamn again, to continue towards Stockholm and Turku, respectively. Photographed, again, from the Kobba Klintar ex-pilot station island outside Mariehamn. As always, click on the images to see in larger size.

This photo gives you some idea of how busy Mariehamn is during the mid.day Turku-Stockholm ships' calls: the Galaxy and Silja Europa depart in tandem, having passed the Amorella and Isabella which are inbound - you can just see their funnels above the trees between the Galaxy and Silja Europa.

The Galaxy is, thanks to her unusual livery, one of the few ships that actually photographs better against a clouded background than clear skies.

Very neat red granite the foreground. This photo also gives you a good view of the details of the unsual livery: notice the five-legged cow below the lifeboats (I'm fairly certain it used to have six legs...) and the stange winged beast below and aft of the bridge wing.

Art imitating life: painted sky versus the sky.

Sailing onto the short stretch of open sea before the Stockholm archipelago.

Next time: Silja Europa

Isabella off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Isabella

IMO 8700723
Built 1989, Brodogradiliste Split, Yugoslavia
Tonnage 35 154 GT
Length 169,40 m
Width 27,60 m
Draugth 6,40 m
2 480 passengers
2 166 berths
364 cars
900 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels, combined 23 760 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 21,5 knots

For a history of the Isabella, see this previous entry. It also seems we are nearing the last few months when you can photograph the Bella; her replacement Viking Grace is due for delivery in mid-January 2013 and the most recent reports indicate that on the delivery of the Viking Grace the Isabella will be sold. It will be interesting to see who the Isabella will actually be sold to. She is actually a rather elderly ship, and while her interiors are in surprisingly good condition (considering the fact she's spent the last 15 years on the very punishing Turku-Stockholm service), she has been plagued all her life with engine problems. So, if you want to travel on this ship and haven't yet done so, do it now.

The photographs below show the Isabella inbound to Mariehamn on 24 June 2012, photographed from the former pilot station Kobba Klintar. Click on the images to see in larger size.

Isabella with that lighthouse.

And slightly further, without that lighthouse.

Well-kept for a soon-to-be-sold ship. Though when seen in the flesh it was evident that the funnel in particular was in need of a new lick of paint.

Inbound to Mariehamn, soon to meet the sister Amorella that was inbound from Turku. The photos with both sisters weren't good enough to make the cut in my opinion, so this will have to be enough for today.

Next time: Galaxy (yes, again!).

Galaxy off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Galaxy

IMO 9333694
Built 2006, Aker Finnyards Rauma, Finland
Tonnage 48 915 GT
Length 212,10 m
Width 29,00 m
Draught 6,40 m
Ice class 1A Super
2 800 passengers
2 138 berths
420 cars
1 130 lanemeters
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 26 240 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 22 knots

More from Kobba Klintar, the Galaxy inbound to Mariehamn. Not the best photos ever, thanks to the lighting. It seems that I'm posting the arrivals and departures as separate entries, so expect more Galaxy goodieness later on.

Artist's impression of the Galaxy.

Inbound to Mariehamn; Europa leads and Galaxy follows.

Next time: Isabella.

Silja Europa off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Silja Europa

IMO 8919805
Built 1993, Meyer Werft, Germany
Tonnage 59 912 GT
Length 201,78 m
Width 32,60 m
Draught 6,80 m
Ice class 1 A Super
3 123 passengers
3 696 berths
350 cars
932 lane metres
4 MAN diesels, combined 31 800 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 22 knots

More from my midsummer visit to Mariehamn with the delightful Bruce Peter: the Silja Europa passing Kobba Klintar, inbound from Stockholm to Mariehamn on 24 June 2012. Click on the images to see in larger size.

As you can see, the lighting condition detoriated compared to what they had been when the Rosella passed us about and hour earlier. Still neat.

Yeah, that lighthouse again. It looks photogenic.

And, as you probably have noticed already, the Silja Europa has been repainted with the new Silja Line logo. Not too bad once your eyes have the chance to get used to it (though perhaps not as refined as the old one), though the short lenght of the horizontal line of the 'Ls does bother me.

Delightful Scandinavian  ice-sculpted rock there in the foreground.

Mariehamn barely visible in the background. Well, not really, but that's where the ship is headed anyway.

Rather impressive wave formation to the aft of the ship.

Next time: Galaxy.

Rosella outside Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012

Kobba Klintar is an island outside Mariehamn in the Åland Islands, Finland. It previously housed a pilot station, but today the island is open as a museum. It is also superbly situatied for ship photography, being just south of the point where the east- and southbound shipping lanes out of Mariehamn split. I ventured to the island on 24 June with my friend Bruce Peter to photograph the Turku-Stockholm and Mariehamn-Kapellskär ferries during their afternoon calls at Mariehamn. (Bruce was also kind enough to pay the fairly steep fare of the transportation to the island arranged by Kobba Klintars vänner for me as well as himself).

Ships photographed from the island were Amorella, Isabella, Rosella, Silja Europa and Galaxy. We start of with the Rosella.

Rosella

IMO 7901265
Built 1980, Wärtsilä Turku, Finland
Tonnage 16 879 GT
Length 136,11 m
Width 24,24 m
Draught 5,60 m
Ice class 1A
1 530 passengers
1 200 berths
340 cars
720 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels, combined 17 652 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 20,2 knots

For a detailed account of the history of the Rosella, see the first entry on her (it can also be handy to keep that entry in hand for comparisons, the ship has undergone a refit that also affected her exterior since then). The photographs below show the Rosella passing Kobba Klintar, inbound to Mariehamn on 24 Jyne 2012. Click on the images to see in larger size.

No idea what the white-painted rocks in the foreground are for - but their make for good photo accessories.

The "Rustella" is living up to her nickname a bit too well. But a fine photo, even if I say so myself.

Passing the Marhällan lighthouse (thanks Juhani!).

Notice (in addition to the fantastic composition and colours!) the round windows on the superstructure. These are the result of a 2011 refit in which the public spaces were expanded.

For some reason I really like the pool of water on the rock in the foreground.

Going past and towards Mariehamn.

After this photo the Rosella passed into shade and... well, compared to the photos above they didn't look as good and hence I decided to end with this one.

Next time: Silja Europa.