Le Soléal in Tallinn, 13 June 2018

My recent attempts of heading out for ship photography have not been too successful – on days when the weather has been good, I haven't had the time to out for photography, and on days when I would have had the time, the weather has been rubbish. Thus, this week we will go back a bit, to last June, and look at what is one of my favourite ships in terms of the exterior design: Ponant's Le Soléal.

Le Soléal

IMO 9641675
Built 2013, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 992 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draft 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 passenger berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Service speed 16 knots

There's not much to say about the history of Le Soléal. It is the third ship of Ponant's four-strong Le Boreal -class, the previous installments in the series being Le Boréal and L'Austral, with Le Lyrial following after Le Soléal.

The photos below show Le Soléal in the Vanasadam (Old Harbour) in Tallinn on the afternoon of 13 June 2018, photographed from onboard the inbound Finlandia. As always, click on the images to see them in larger size.

I'm not a huge fan of pictures of ships at the quay, but this time the views were rather impressive.

In case you were wondering, that's Brilliance of the Seas in the background.

I'm still not a huge fan of the lighter grey hull instroduced on the Le Soléal, the darker hue in the first two sisters looked better to my eye.

But having said that, this livery is still miles better than what most cruise lines have these days.

The preferved scrane makes for a nice detail in addition to the ship.

Kships, as always, will return.

Le Soléal in Helsinki, 12 June 2015

Le Soléal

IMO 9641675
Built 2013, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 992 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draught 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

Le Soléal is the third unit in Compagnie du Ponant's (or simply Ponant's, as the company changed their name since the ship was delivered) attractive Le Boréal -class. She was delivered in June 2013 from Fincantieri's Ancona shipyard and entered service in July 2013. Soon afterwards, the ship became the first French-registered ship ever to have navigated through the Northwest Passage. Apart from that, there is very little to say about the history of the ship. She is after all only two years old.

Le Soléal is easy distinguish from her older sister by her different livery, with a lighter shade of grey used on the hull than in the older sisters. The superstructure stripes and funnels have been painted with the darker shade used on Le Boréal and L'Austral, however, which does compromise the ships' good looks somewhat. The original livery, as seen on the older sisters, is beautifully coordinated, but putting in an additional shade simply does not work; where the Le Boréal and L'Austral look stylish, the Le Soléal looks cheap.

Criticism aside, let us get on to the photographs. Unsurprisingly, these show the Le Soléal passing through the Kustaanmiekka Strait in the afternoon of 12 June 2015, shortly after departing Helsinki Eteläsatama (South Harbour). Photographed from Kustaanmiekka. As per the usual, click on the images to see them in larger size.

The sea was somehow very dark on this particular day, creating quite dramatic images.

I agree that the hull colour in the older sisters sometimes looked a bit too dark, but this one looks far too light. Maybe the best answer would have been to use a slightly lighter shade than in the first sisters, and use that on both the hull and the superstructure stripes?

All the criticism doesn't change the fact that the ships are superbly designed.

Notice the French flag - although the ship is actually registered at Mata Utu on one of France's Pacific Islands; I strongly suspect it's cheaper to register a ship there than in mainland France.

Next time: Minerva.

L'Austral in Helsinki, 20 May 2014

L'Austral

IMO 9502518
Built 2011, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 700 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draught 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

L'Austral is, as is evident from her looks, the second ship in Compagnie du Ponants super-chic Le Boréal -class trio (soon to be quartet). There is very little to say about the history of the ship itself, as it was completed only three years ago. Up until this year, Le Boréal has been Compagnie du Ponant's primary ship on the Baltic Sea cruise circuit, but this year L'Austral made two calls. And since the Stirling Design International -styled exteriors of these ships are some of my favourites, of course I had to catch the ship while I had the chance.

So, the photographs below show L'Austral in the Kustaanmiekka strait on the afternoon of 20 May 2014, shortly after departing Helsinki South Harbour. Photographed from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

As is the tradition, when I got to Suomenlinna the weather and lighting were delightful. But as departure time for the ships drew nearer, the skies darkened.

I'm not saying this wouldn't be good... it just would have been better had the ship departed a bit earlier.

The L'Austral and Le Boréal can be distinguished from their newer sister Le Soleal by the dark grey hull - Le Soleal has a much less effective light grey shade. It remains to be seen how the upcoming Le Lyrial will be painted.

And of course, just as the ship came to the spot with the juiciest views, the sun was obscured by clouds.

And just seconds later, it was sunlight again.

French flag with Mata Utu as the port of registry.

Next time: Tomorrow I will (probably) head out to photograph the Azores, so that will probably be the next installment.

Le Diamant in Helsinki, 7 June 2012

Le Diamant

IMO 7325629
Former names: Begonia, Explorer Starship, Song of Flower
Built 1974, Kristiansands Mekaniske Verksteds, Norway
Rebuilt as a cruise ship 1986, Lloyd Werft Bremerhaven, West Germany
Tonnage 8 282 GT
Length 124,19 m
Width 16,03 m
Draugth 4,97 m
198 passengers
2 Wichman diesels, combined 5 202 kW
2 controllable pitch propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 15 knots

Le Diamant is a luxury cruise ship belonging to the French cruise line Compagnie du Ponant. Unlike all other Ponant ships she is not a a purpose-built luxury cruise ship but rather a ship with multiple previous owners and a fascinating history, having started out as a ro-ro freighter.

Le Diamant was originally built as the Begonia for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Oostzee in Netherlands Antilles (a subsidiary of the Norwegian Fearnley & Eger). As built she was one of the standard ro-ro freighters built by Kristiansands Mek. for many different owners (amongst others Silja Line). She could transport 695 lane metres of freight and 12 passengers. In 1985 the Begonia and her sister Gardenia were transferred under the ownership of the Lloyd Werft shipyard in Bremerhaven, to be converted into a pair of luxury cruise ships. In the end only the Begonia was rebuilt, while the Gardenia remained in the ro-ro trades until scrapped in 2001. The Begonia's radical rebuild was designed by Petter Yran (of Yran & Storbraaten fame). She was given an unusual interior arrangement for a cruise ship with public rooms aft and cabins forward (away from the engine noise). Following the refit the ship re-emerged in 1986 as the Starship Explorer for Exploration Cruise Line. She was used for cruising to off-the-beaten-path destination in North America.

Already in 1988 Exploration Cruise Line went bankrupt. The Starship Explorer returned to Fearnley & Eger (presumably she had been owned by F&E but chartered to Exploration Cruise Line?) and laid up. The next year the Starship Explorer was sold to the Meiyo Corporation in Japan for their new Seven Seas Cruises brand - or to Skaugen Marine in Norway, the sources I discovered in my quick research for this entry do not agree (any and all clarifications are welcome!). Whatever her actual owners, she was renamed Song of Flower and used for cruising under the Seven Seas Cruises brand. In 1997 Seven Seas Cruises merged with the Finland-based Diamond Cruises to become Radisson Seven Seas Cruises.

In 2003 the Song of Flower was sold to Compagnie du Ponant and was renamed Le Diamant. Although Ponant's website claims that she sails under the French flag, she is in fact registered in Nassau, the Bahamas. After a rebuilt which decreased the number of passengers carried by over sixty the ship entered service for Ponant in early 2004.

The photographs below show Le Diamant at and departing from Helsinki on 7 June 2012, photographed from the ferry to Suomenlinna (either Suokki or Suomenlinna II) and from Kustaanmiekka. Click on the images to see in larger size.

At Katajanokka in front of the now-demolished Kanavaterminaali (Channel Terminal).

I was somewhat surprised to discover the ship had a blue hull, as I thought she was white. Later research revealed that she had been repainted sometime this spring. In my humble opinion the colour looks rather cheap, particularly when compared to the ultra-elegant Le Boréal.

The blue hull colour also exaggerates the size of the already-oversized funnels - particularly as the funnels are white. In conclusion, the amateus graphic designer does not approve.

But having said that, I do find the ship utterly fascinating. And even beautiful in some strange way.

The traditional photogenic ramparts.

And some panoramica for a change.

Notice the fact that the paint has peeled a bit from the starboard funnel - at first I thought it was intentional styling, but the port funnel looks different.

Le Boréal in Helsinki, 23 May 2012

Le Boréal

IMO 9502506
Built 2010, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 700 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draugth 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

Le Boréal has become something of a permanent fixture in the Helsinki cruise scene, visiting the city several times every summer. And since it's such a sexy-looking ship, I seem to photograph it every summer at least  once. This year's at least once was yesterday (well, technically the day before yesterday as I'm writing this just past mightnight). So, photos of Le Boréal departing Helsinki on 23 May 2012, photographed from Kustaanmiekka (where else?). Click on the images to see in larger size.

Entering this Kustaanmiekka strait, with Helsinki's archipelago looking very photogenic in the spring colours.

Only a narrow angle for good photographs from this location, but you get nice foregrounds.

Through the strait, with only two onlookers at this point.

Cannons in the foreground and a surpisingly large bow wave for Le Boréal.

Le Boréal in Helsinki, 9 & 11 June 2011

Le Boréal

IMO 9502506
Built 2010, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 700 GT
Length 142,00 m
Width 18,00 m
Draught 4,70 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
264 berths
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

There's really nothing much new to say about Le Boréal  that I wouldn't already have said in the previous entry about her. She's still a magnificient yatch-like cruise ship with superbly attractive stylings both inside and out, with the white-grey-red exterior colour scheme also carried over to the inside in a most tasteful manner. This is one ship I would not mind sailing on... not that I would have the money to do so in the foreseeable future.

Le Boréal called in Helsinki twice within three days in early June this year, first on 9 June. On this day she departed early, at 14.00, and the photo opportunities were less than ideal, but below are two images from that day. Click on the image(s) to view larger size.

At the Katajanokka cruise quay, with the ship and the sun for once positioned so that a nicely lit photo of the ship's rear was possible.

On Kruunuvuorenselkä, bound for the Kustaanmiekka strait.

The same ship again in Helsinki on 11 June 2011. This time she left at the more practical time of half past four, which yielded nice photo opportunities at the Kustaanmiekka strait. Click on the individual images to see larger size.

From the point of view of the history of ship design it's interesting to note that two funnels located on the sides of the ship, which once was the sign of a workmanlike ferry, have now become increasingly common on luxury cruise ships.

You wouldn't nescessarily think a predominantly grey livery makes for a good-looking ship, but it does work amazingly well on the Le Boréal and her sister.

Through the strait. The warm day attracted a lot of people to Suomenlinna and surprisingly many were taking photographs of the ships passing by, as the two people visible here.

18th-century military architecture and 21st-century maritime architecture in the same image.

Proudly flying the French flag... even if the ship is actually registered at Mata-Utu in the French overseas collectivity of Wallis and Futuna in the Pacific.

Off she goes for more cruising around the Baltic.

Le Boréal, 10 July 2010

Le Boréal

IMO 9502506
Built 2010, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 10 700 GT
Length 142 m
Width 18 m
Draft 4,7 m
Ice class 1C
264 passengers
Diesels, combined 6 400 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 16 knots

Le Boréal is the newest addition to the fleet of the France-based luxury-yacht cruising brand Compagnie du Ponant. The sleek exterior was designed by Stirling Design, Nantes, while the chic interiors are by Jean-Philippe Nuel. The company website for Le Boréal has an attractive array of pictures from the inside of the ship. An interesting detail on the exterior is that the anchors are only for decoration; the ship is equipped with a dynamic positioning system that makes the usage of ancors unnescessary.

Click on image(s) to view full size.

Le Boréal passing Kustaanmiekka strait after departing from her maiden call in Helsinki on 10 July 2010. She departed relatively early and resultingly the lighting in these pictures, taken from Kustaanmiekka itself, is less than ideal. I've done my best to improve this, but there's only so much you can do.