Silja Symphony in Helsinki, 9 July 2013

I had lined up images of the Silja Symphony to post today. These turned out doubly fitting as I recieved information last night that my upcoming book on the history of Silja Line, Silja Line from De Samseglande to Tallink, has come out of the printers. I shall make a more detailed post about the book once I get an actual, physical copy in my hands. If you already know you want to buy one, the book can be ordered from from the website of the publishers, Ferry Publications.

We now return to normal programming.

Silja Symphony

IMO 8803769
Built 1991, Kvaerner Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 58 377 GT
Length 203,03 m
Width 31,93 m
Draught 7,12 m
Ice class 1A Super
2 852 passengers
3 001 berths
410 cars
1 600 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä-Vasa diesels, combined 32 580 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
1 stern thruster
Speed 21 knots

Why yet another set of photos of the Silja Symphony, you may ask. Well, apart from the fack that I rather like this particular set of images, there is also a different reason. As most of you probably are aware, Silja Line introduced a new graphic identity in 2013. Most of the fleet have kept the old logos until recently, but now things are changing: the Silja Serenade was repainted with the new logos earlier this year, and the Symphony will follow this autumn. Thus, the ship as she appears in these images will soon be history.

The photos below show the Silja Symphony departing Helsinki South Harbour in the afternoon of 9 July 2013. Photographed from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

Peeking behind the trees.

Out of the strait.

Unsuspecting bystandars find themselves as foreground objects in a photograph.

Next time: Serenissima.