tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-54937927631466626252024-03-21T09:40:15.008+02:00kshipsMaritime photography and occasional other nautical ramblings by Kalle Id.Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.comBlogger562125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-28429655270780462682024-03-21T09:39:00.001+02:002024-03-21T09:39:42.017+02:00Now on Flickr I'm not dead, though this blog would easily give an impression to the contrary. If anyone still following this blog wants to keep up with my newer photography, I am active on Flickr these days, posting ship and other photos on my account under my new name. So take a gander over there!Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-9219799511462214812022-01-07T11:54:00.000+02:002022-01-07T11:54:33.334+02:00The Sally Saga: The Rise and Fall of a Shipping VentureWhile this blog has been inactive, I have not. So it's time to introduce a new book.Kalle Id, John Bryant and Joonas Kortelainen The Sally Saga: The Rise and Fall of a Shipping VentureFerry Publications: Ramsey 2021152 pagesFor a time, the Finnish shipping company Rederi Ab Sally were the dominant partner in Viking Line, and for a while they owned numerous other shipping companies in Finland and Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-25219270674492497132021-01-01T10:40:00.006+02:002021-01-01T10:40:45.804+02:00An updateIt probably has not escaped anyone's attention that this blog has been inactive of late. And it is quite likely it will continue to be inactive at least for the immediate future. As has perhaps been evident from the slowing pace of updates, I really just don't enjoy keeping a ship blog in the same way as I used to. I have had plenty of ideas about future entries – there remains a backlog of stuffKalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-24909848666989153292020-05-15T21:23:00.001+03:002020-05-15T21:23:26.836+03:00Gallery: CalMac ships in Craignure and Oban, 5 June 2016I was originally planning to publish something else this month, but it turns out I really don't have the time to work on a full new entry. So instead you're getting the back-up I prepared earlier: still more unpublished photos from my summer 2016 visit to Scotland. Yes. Because there's just so many Caledonian MacBrayne ferries there, especially if you happen to visit Oban (as I did). So, today Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-19084875009967056592020-04-19T22:17:00.000+03:002020-04-19T22:18:03.615+03:00Ferries in the time of coronaThe COVIC-19 pandemic has upset many things – but not my work, which is the reason for the recent lack of updates. Now that I finally had the time to write something for here and take a look at photos taken during the last year or so, I thought we'd take a quick roundup of what is and isn't running during the pandemic in my home region, as well as some of the oddities caused by it.
An unusual Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-51912631842513656022020-02-08T12:54:00.000+02:002020-02-08T13:09:57.412+02:00Travelling on CalMac: a Nordic perspectiveIn 2016, I visited Scotland on two separate occasions and travelled on a small selection of Caledonian MacBrayne (CalMac) ferries, connecting Scotland's Western Isles to the mainland and each other. An abundance of photos from those trips have been sitting on my hand drive ever since, waiting for publication. For this blog's new concept, I thought I'd finally record some of my impressions of Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-42765932071304105052020-01-15T12:26:00.000+02:002020-01-15T12:34:03.643+02:00Grandma's Place pop-up restaurant onboard the Gabriella, 3.10.2019–3.2.2020Finally, after the few book entries, we can get to the first proper entry in the new concept of this blog. Earlier this month, I made a short ferry cruise to Stockholm with my family, primarily because our three-year old wanted to go on a ferry again. The ship happened to be my personal favourite of the four sailing on the Helsinki–Stockholm route: Viking Line's Gabriella. I especially like the Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-44473476758968334742020-01-02T16:52:00.000+02:002020-01-02T16:52:28.580+02:00Book news: The North Sea Bridge: Ferry Connections Between Scandinavia and Britain 1820-2014
New year, new book. Alright, technically it's not a book of the new year, as The North Sea Bridge was published in December 2019, but my own copies reached me yesterday, so we're starting off the new decade with a book review.
Kalle Id
The North Sea Bridge: Ferry Connections Between Scandinavia and Britain 1820-2014
Ferry Publications: Ramsey 2019.
160 pages.
Back in 2014, I was asked to Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-68349279309622327662019-12-09T17:02:00.000+02:002019-12-09T17:02:17.056+02:00Book review: Bretagne – 30 Years Of Splendour
Let's start with a little bit of background for this one: a little over three years ago, my friend (of the internet variety) Vitor Francisco got in touch with me as he had an idea for a maritime book (several, in fact!) and he was keen to have my advice on publishers and how to get things started. In the end, however, it turned out he didn't need it: last May, he got in touch with me again, Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-52544576924918015712019-11-27T12:00:00.000+02:002019-11-27T12:00:04.379+02:00Strikebound in Helsinki
The Mariella and Gabriella laid up together at Katajanokka on 26.11.2019 due to the strike, with the Lotus (Danish-flagged and therefore outside the strike) bunkering the Gabriella and slightly messing up my envisioned shot.
The Finnish postal services have been on strike for the past two weeks, after the employer decided to unilaterally move a part of the workforce under a different Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-54664741743227994592019-11-26T11:06:00.001+02:002019-11-26T11:06:37.032+02:00Where is this blog going?A perfectly valid question to ask about a blog that hasn't been updated in almost five months. And, frankly, I don't have a proper answer, although the plan is to wake this place up from it's slumber in some manner.
But let's take things from the beginning.
Unlike this blog, the Mariella won't be going anywhere today, as she is strike-bound in Helsinki. This photo shows her departing HelsinkiKalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-57965170379742065992019-07-04T22:04:00.001+03:002019-07-04T22:04:41.118+03:00Finnmaid in Helsinki, 25 June 2019As promised, this week we return to last week's jaunt at Vuosaari and photos of Finnlines' Finnmaid.
Finnmaid
IMO 9319466
Built 2006, Fincantieri Ancona, Italy
Tonnage 45 923 GT
Length 218,80 m
Width 30,50 m
Draft 7,00 m
Ice class 1 A Super
500 passengers
500 berths
4 216 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 48 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thrusters
Speed 25 knots
The Finnmaid was delivered Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-41734752244615485892019-06-26T11:14:00.000+03:002019-06-26T11:14:48.439+03:00Finbo Cargo in Helsinki, 25 June 2019This blog has been very inactive recently, as I have been putting the finishing touches on the manuscript and photos of The North Sea Bridge – Ferry connections between Scandinavia and Britain 1820-2014. Today, however, the blog comes back to look at our new Helsinki-Tallinn ferry, the Finbo Cargo.
Finbo Cargo
IMO 9181106
Name history: Midnight Merchant, El Greco, European Endeavour, Finbo Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-35783899317828673092019-05-17T13:21:00.000+03:002019-05-17T13:21:18.818+03:00Baltic Queen on the Bay of Tallinn, 14 May 2019Last Tuesday, I had the chance to do a shot trip on the Megastar and try out the special Tallink 30th anniversary menu in the gourmet restaurant. Those of you who speak Finnish can read my review of the menu on the Ulkomatala website here. In this entry, however, we will be looking at photos of the Baltic Queen – which has finally received the current-style Tallink logos – taken during the same Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-7190192006210152092019-04-27T23:21:00.000+03:002019-04-27T23:21:05.851+03:00Astor in Helsinki, 27 April 2019The 2019 cruise season in Helsinki started today (and is expected to break passenger records again), with CMV/Transocean Kreuzfahrten's Astor being the first ship of the season. Since the weather was unusually warm and sunny for the season, I thought I'd head out to take some photos. And it was high time, too, as the last time the Astor appeared in this blog was way back in 2011!
Astor
IMO Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-13302220912548499422019-04-05T12:54:00.001+03:002019-04-05T12:54:31.177+03:00Silja Europa outside Helsinki, 13 June 2018I realised recently that I haven't posted any exterior photos of the Silja Europa since her late-2016 return to the Helsinki-Tallinn 22-hour cruise circuit, and that there is no up-to-date history of her in this blog. So today, we will look at some photos of the SE from last summer.
Silja Europa
IMO 8919805
Name history: Europa, Silja Europa
Built 1993, Meyer Werft, Germany
Tonnage 59 912 GT
Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-15192349707216486632019-03-28T14:41:00.000+02:002019-03-28T14:41:02.103+02:00Finlandia on the Bay of Tallinn, 26 March 2019Before we move to the main attraction of today's entry, I would like to take a chance to showcase two articles I did this month for a new customer, Ferry Shipping News: I had the chance to interview both Björn Blomqvist, the managing director of Rederi Ab Eckerö (who of course own Eckerö Linjen, Eckerö Line and Birka Cruises), and Jan Hanses, the president and CEO of Viking Line, with both Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-24683900649222684622019-03-08T21:58:00.002+02:002019-03-09T20:47:40.025+02:00Isosaari in Helsinki, 23 June 2018To start off, I must apologise for the longest hiatus in the history of this blog. Both my work and my personal life has been really hectic of late, and the blog has been an easy thing to drop off. Things are looking a bit easier in the near future and I will hopefully be able to return to a more normal update frequency.
For today's entry, we will be looking at a something of an unusual ship forKalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-12242782088353226912019-01-21T08:14:00.002+02:002019-01-21T08:14:37.800+02:00Upcoming book: The North Sea Bridge
I am happy to finally officially announce that this year will see the publication of another book by me. The North Sea Bridge – Ferry connections between Scandinavia and Britain 1820-2014 will, es the name suggests chronicle the history of the passenger ferry services between Scandinavia and Britain (plus Finland and Iceland to Britain) from the beginning of regular scheduled services right Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-48982590399567984792019-01-05T16:16:00.001+02:002019-01-05T16:16:26.230+02:00Wasa Express interiors, 13 March 2014Happy belated new year to all Kships readers! There was a bit of a hiatus over christmas and new year, as you probably noticed – in addition to being "regularly busy" with the festivities, there were also other issues of a personal nature that kept me from the regular update schedule. But now we're back and hopefully will be back to the weekly updates.
Today, we will look at an older photo set Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-88902315356858849572018-12-14T18:02:00.000+02:002019-04-09T11:36:24.642+03:00Roald Amundsen under construction, 13 December 2018Yesterday, I had the chance to visit the Kleven shipyard in Ulsteinvik, Norway (as a representative of Cruise Business Review) and see Hurtigruten's new expedition ships Roald Amundsen and Fridtjof Nansen under construction. I have written a bit about the event and ships for Cruise Business' website here, and a more detailed article will follow for the magazine's next issue. Here on my blog, Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-77564087798112255362018-12-10T13:01:00.000+02:002018-12-10T13:01:43.330+02:00Book review: Ferries of Scandinavia by Matthew Punter
Matthew Punter: Ferries of Scandinavia, the Baltic Sea and the Nordic countries. Ferry Publications: Ramsey 2018. 144 pages.
For a change, I'm featuring a book here that I haven't written anything for – instead, Matthew Punter's Ferries of Scandinavia features numerous photos that I have taken. Most of them will of course be familiar from this blog, but certainly it's different seeing them Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-3109796887796565552018-12-02T16:16:00.002+02:002018-12-02T16:16:53.307+02:00Trollfjord in Ålesund, 2 October 2017Since I will be heading back to the lovely Norwegian town of Ålesund soon (unfortunately only passing through en-route elsewhere), I thought this week would be a fine time to post some previously unreleased ship photos taken there.
Trollfjord
IMO 9233258
Built 2002, Bruce Shipyard Landskrona, Sweden (hull) / Fosen Mek. Verksted Rissa, Norway (outfitting)
Tonnage 16 140 GT
Length 135,75 m
Width Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-47880568538176666202018-11-27T23:15:00.001+02:002018-11-27T23:20:13.913+02:00The new Silja Serenade interiors, 27 November 2018Earlier today, I had the chance to attend the press showing of the Silja Serenade, showcasing her most recent interior refit. So, let's get down to business
Silja Serenade
IMO 8715259
Built 1990, Masa-Yards Turku New Shipyard, Finland
Tonnage 58 376 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 dieselsKalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5493792763146662625.post-2968074844658081342018-11-18T16:12:00.000+02:002018-11-18T16:20:40.678+02:00Gennadiy Nevelskoy & Stepan Makarov in Helsinki, 27 November 2016And now for something completely different – namely, Russian icebreakers. As some of you might already know, the Arctech Helsinki Shipyard (previously belonging to Wärtsilä, Masa-Yards, Aker and STX) in my home town is for sale by its Russian owners OSK (Объединенная судостроительная корпорация, the state-owned shipbuilding company), with the likely buyers being a group of Russian investors. Kalle Idhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16093802522905486536noreply@blogger.com0