Isabella off Kobba Klintar, 24 June 2012 (part 2)

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

Okay, these are the final photos from my venture to Kobba Klintar with Bruce Peter. Possibly these are also my final pictures of the Isabella. As most will probably know, she is likely to be sold on the completion of the Viking Grace, and I don't have any trips planned between now and next January that would allow further Isabella photography. Of course, Viking Line might still surprise us and find a deployment for the ship in their own fleet... but time is running short, if and when they need to publicise the new itineraries before next January. Anyway, onwards to the photographs.

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

23 years and still going strong - for a few months more, anyway.

The lighting here was so much better than when the 'Bella came in.

Foreground islands yay!

I thought I'd make a panoramic photo of this one - but then it looked so much better without any further cropping.

Upright photo! Mark the occasion on your calendars!

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.

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!).

Isabella in the Stockholm archipelago, 26 February 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 brief history of the Isabella, see this entry. The photographs below show the Isabella in the Stockholm archipelago, outbound from Stockholm to Mariehamn and Turku on the morning of 26 February 2012. Photographed from the upper sun deck of the Silja Symphony. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

We passed the Isabella in the section where the shipping lane forks so it was sheer luck the Bella happened to be in a good position for photographs.

A pretty ridiculous amount of fiddling with colour curves went into these photos to get them right - though I think in the end I paid more attention to the trees in the fore- and background than to the actual ship itself. But the trees do look good... ;)

Impressive sky (mother nature did get a little image editing program help).

I rather like the composition on this one. The Isabella looks like a natural extension of the islands - perspective is a wonderful, wonderful thing.

Isabella in Turku, 12 August 2011

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 short history of the Isabella, see the first entry on her.

The photographs below show the Isabella departing from Turku on the evening of 12 August 2011, photographed from Ruissalo (from a different spot than the preceeding Turku images). Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

Departing the harbour, with Sea Wind also preparing to depart in the background.

Passing Pikisaari.

The yellow glowy thing is not an added effect, but luck with the way the rays of the setting sun interacted with the clouds.

She is a very pretty ship, in my humble opinion.

Cathing the evening sun.

Sailing in to sunset (well, not quite... yet).

I really miss those calm summer evenings.

Really sailing into sunset this time, turning into the deep channel between Ruissalo and Pikku-Pukki.

Isabella in Turku, 9 August 2011

An announcement to those of you fortunate enough to speak Finnish: the latest issue of the Ulkomatala webmagazine was published yesterday and can be read for free on the magazine's website. This issue also includes two articles by yours truly: a review of Thom companies shipping history book From High Arctic to Antarctica by Matti Pietikäinen and a look into the prospects of the English Channel ferry operator SeaFrance. Check it out.

Now onwards to the actual entry.

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 the history of the Isabella, see the first entry on her.

The photographs below show the Isabella arriving in Turku on the evening of 9 August 2011. Photographed from a birdwatching tower in Ruissalo (well, it was more of a quay, really). I apologise for the fact that there are quite many images here... this was the first time ever I had a chance to photograph the Isabella in decent conditions with a proper camera.

Click on the individual images to see in larger size.

Personally I have always been a big fan of the Isabella's exterior. The added red stripe along deck 6 that's missing from her sisters in particular improves her looks.

Do I really need to say anything about this photo?

By the looks of it I should have rotated this one counterclockwise a bit. Still, it's a nicely atmospheric pic.

Inbound to Turku harbour.

Doing a(n almost) 180 degree turn before reversing into quay.

Beginning to reverse into quay, with Silja Europa already berthed on the left.

Almost at the terminal.

Isabella interiors, January 1994

Isabella

IMO 8700723
Built 1989, Brodogradiliste Split, Yugoslavia
Tonnage 34 000 GT
Length 169,40 m
Width 27,60 m
Draught 6,40 m
Ice class 1 A Super
2 200 passengers
2 184 berths
420 cars or 53 trucks
4 Wärtsilä-Pielstick diesels, combined 24 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 21,5 knots

(Technical data from Viking Line's 1992 brochure for the ship).

So then, for Kships' first anniversary I'd like to give you something a bit out of the ordinary. In early January 1994 at the tender age of ten I made a 24-hour cruise from Helsinki to Tallinn roads on the Isabella together with my grandmother (who, bless her, was willing to go on a multitude of ferry cruises with me. Today she actually travels more on ships that I do). She also bought me a disposable camera for the trip which I used to take what are amongst my very first ship photographs ever and certainly my first (and for many years only) attempt to document the interiors of a ship.

As usual, click on the individual images to view larger size.

The Bella Sky observation lounge on deck 11 (that was added in a refit in 1992). On the right is my grandmother, perusing (iw would seem) a brochure of the ship that I still have in my archives.

The Casino on deck 8. Yes, photographing isn't allowed in casinos... but you get away with all sorts of things when you're a 10-year-old kid.

Dancing Café Amanda in the front of deck 7 was probably the most popular entertainment venue onboard. Compare, if you will, with this image of the same space as she appears today.

Staying on deck 7, the gift shop located on the starboard side of a central arcade (alongside a perfumery), with the main tax-free shop on the port side. In the most recent (2007) refit of the ship this space was demolished when all the shops were combined into a larger single tax free shop and a new corridor was built on the starboard side of the ship.

Sauna Riviera located right at the bow of the ship on deck 6, with four saunas, two jacuzzis and a small swimming pool.

A B1-class cabin, located on deck 6 if memory serves.

While the Isabella was on cruise service, there was naturally no use for her car deck. Resultingly a part of the car deck was built into an exhibition area. The car deck also housed the set of the popular Finnish TV game show Megavisa (seen here) that was shot onboard the Isabella.

Isabella interiors, 6 October 2010

Isabella

IMO 8700723
Built 1989, Brodogradiliste Split, Yugoslavia
Tonnage 35 154 GT
Length 169,40 m
Width 27,60 m
Draught 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

The Isabella's interiors were largely rebuilt in 2007, with the addition of new restaurants and rearranging and redecorating the existing public spaces.

A handful of interior photographs from the Isabella, taken during a Stockholm-Turku crossing on 6 October 2010. Click on the images to view full size.

The Tapas & Wine bar on Deck 8, off the Arcade that links the Buffer in the front of the ship to the Fun Club aft.

Ella's restaurant, located aft of the Tapas and Wine Bar.

Fun Club in the aft of deck 8.

Sea Side Café, the large cafeteria located in the forward part of deck 7.

Isabella, 6 October 2010

Isabella

IMO 8700723
Built 1989, Brodogradiliste Split, Yugoslavia
Tonnage 35 154 GT
Length 169,40 m
Width 27,60 m
Draught 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

Isabella was the second of two ships ordered in the mid-80s by SF Line from the Brodogradiliste Split shipyard in the (then-)Yugoslavia. Her older sister Amorella was completed for the Turku-Stockholm service in 1988. Isabella was planned to follow in 1989 and she was to be placed on the Naantali-Kapellskär -route. However, the port authorities of Kapellskär were less than thrilled about the thought of expanding their harbour to accommodate the Isabella (and her envisioned running mate, RAB Slite's Athena). In the end Naantali did expand their harbour to accommodate the new ships, while Kapellskär did not. To make the best of the situation, SF Line decided to place the Isabella on a new service linking Naantali to Stockholm when she was delivered in June 1989.

Originally the Isabella was planned to be around the year on the naantali-Stockholm service, but this proved unprofitable and instead she was moved to doing 25-hour cruises to nowhere from Helsinki for the 1989-1990 winter season. For the summers of 1990 and 1991 Isabella returned to Naantali, but by this time the Naantali-Stockholm service was deemed a failure and from autumn 1991 she sailed exclusively on the 25-hour (later changed to 24-hour) cruise service from Helsinki. In spring 1992 she was rebuilt with the addition of an observation lounge on deck 11, converting the garage on deck 5 into cabins and on the exterior, the addition of a red stripe running along the windows of deck 6. During the summers of 1993 and 1994 the Isabella made occasional cruises from Helsinki to Visby.

In the aftermath of the bankruptcy of Rederi AB Slite, the other partner of Viking Line, in 1993 the Isabella swapped routes with the Cinderella after the 1994 summer season, moving to the Helsinki-Stockholm service. During the 1996 summer season the Isabella's (and her running mate Mariella's) route was briefly extanded to Tallinn-Helsinki-Stockholm. This was not a success and the excercise was not repeated. When the Gabriella was acquired in 1997 she took over the Isabella's place on the Helsinki-Stockholm service. Isabella in turn moved to the Turku-Stockholm service (replacing the Rosella), pairing for the first time in her career with her sister ship Amorella.

The Isabella remains in the Turku-Stockholm service at the time of writing. However, Viking Line have publically stated they plan to replace the Isabella and Amorella with a pair of newbuilt ships that could possibly be as large as 60 000 GT. Should these newbuildings be realised, Viking Line are reportedly planning to move the Isabella back to the 24-hour cruise service from Helsinki to Tallinn following the delivery of the new ships.

Isabella preparing to load cars for the evening departure from Turku on 6 October 2010. Click on the image to view full size.