MV Finnforest

Ex Bore Britannica, Stena Britannica, Stena Hispania, Kotka Violet, Stena Hispania, Merzario Hispania, Atlantic Project, Stena Project

FinnForest – © Simonwp (Travemunde, 01/04/2010)

Steel twin screw “Stena Searunner” class motor vessel built in 1978 by Hyundai Shipbuilders & Heavy Industries, Ulsan, South Korea (Yard No 648) as a Passenger RoRo Cargo vessel.

Technical Data

• Length: 151.01 (BB) – 155.19 m (overall) 137.01 m (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth: 21.97 – 22.71 m
• Depth: 14.66 m
• Draught: 7.319 m
• Tonnage: 5466 – 5753 gross/2685 – 2680 net/8811 – 8672t deadweight
• Engines: Two Vee Oil 4SA Pielstick 12 -cylinder 12PC2-5V-400 V-diesels
• Power: 11475 kW/15600 bhp
• Speed: 17 knots
• Capacity: Passengers 12/1700 – 2100 lane metres/ TEU; 562/ C HO; 82 x 20’, C RoRo Deck; 242 x 20’, C Deck; 238 x 20’
• Call Sign: 9HQQ (1984-85) OIZE (1988 – 1996) SGKI (1996 – )
• IMO Number: 7528623
• Official Number (LR: 1984 – 1985): 0564 
• Port of Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Valletta/Malta 🇲🇹, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, George Town/Cayman Islands 🇰🇾, London/UK 🇬🇧, Turku/Finland 🇫🇮, Stockholm/Sweden 🇸🇪
• Sister-Ship:

  1977; Merzario Ausonia, Stena Freighter, Jolly Giallo, Jolly Turchese, Stena Freighter, Global Freighter (642)

  1977; Stena Runner, Alpha Progress, Hellas, Doric Ferry, European Tideway, Ideway, Stena Transfer, Transfer (643)

  1977; Launched Stena Shipper, Norsky, Stena Shipper, Merzario Ionia, Constellation Enterprise, Stena Shipper, N+T 700, Graip, Chong Ming Dao, Kilmore (644)

  1977; Elk, Tor Baltica, Balticum (645)

  1978; Stena Prosper, Atlantic Prosper, Merzario Ionia, Stena Ionia, Stena Gothica, Bore Gothica, Finnbirch (646)

  1978; Tor Felicia, Merzario Grecia,Tor Grecia, Stena Grecia, Atlanic Freighter, Pelagitis (647)

  1978; Alpha Enterprise, Syria, Stena Transporter, Cerdic Ferry, European  Freeway, Freeway, Stena Partner, Sea Partner (649)

  1978; Imparca Express I, Stena Carrier, Imparca Miami, Stena Carrier, Jolly Bruno, Jolly Smeraldo, Stena Carrier, Global Carrier (650)  

  1978; Merzario Espania, Merzario Hispania, Nordic Ferry, Pride of Flanders, Flanders, Stena Transporter, Strada Corsa, La Paz Star, Med Star, Star (651)

  1978; Stena Trader, Finnrose, Stena Transporter, Baltic Ferry, Pride of Suffolk, European Diplomat, Diplomat, Pavilion (652)

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History

In total, 11 vessels of the Stena Searunner design were built by Hyundai Heavy Industries, South Korea, and the first vessel was delivered in 1977. Those vessels remaining in service are operated by a number of operators around the world and as a group they are considered to be one of the most successful classes of RoRo vessels ever built.

1977: Keel struck as STENA PROJECT.

November 29^th 1977: Launched.

March 23^rd 1978: Delivered to Stena Container Line Ltd, London, England.

March 23^rd 1978: Chartered to Atlantic Container Line. (ACL.) and renamed ATLANTIC PROJECT.

1978: Services between Southampton – Antwerp – Rotterdam – Le Havre – Liverpool – Gothenburg – Bremerhaven – Halifax – Montreal.

Atlantic Project – © Cees De Bijl (Hoek of Holland, 01/05/1978)

1979: Side sponsons added.

1981: Sold to Stena RoRo Line Ltd, Valletta, Malta.

1981: Chartered to Andrea Merzario S.P.A. Genoa, Italy and renamed MERZARIO HISPANIA. Services between Italy and Saudi Arabia.

November 1983: Returned to her owners after charter and transferred to Stena RoRo Line Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus. Renamed STENA HISPANIA.

Stena Hispania – © Simonwp (Felixstowe, 01/09/1984)

Stena Hispania – © Simonwp (Immingham, 06/11/1984)

1984: Transferred to Stena Caribbean Ltd, Georgetown, Cayman Island (c/o Swedish Caledonian Marine Management Ltd Clydebank).

1984: Chartered to Kotka Line Oy, Kotka, Finland and renamed KOTKA VIOLET. Services between Finland – Great Britain – West Africa.

1985: Returned from charter and renamed STENA HISPANIA.

Stena Hispania – © Ulrich Streich Kiel, 1985)

January 8^th 1986: Renamed STENA BRITANNICA. Management av Stena Ab, Gothenburg.

1986: Additions  made to her weather deck at Hapag Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, Germany.

Stena Britannica – © Simonwp (Felixstowe, 16/06/1986)

1986: Stena Portlink services between Sweden – Great Britain.

Stena Britannica – © Simonwp (Terneuzen, 01/05/1987)

🆕 Stena Britannica – © Ken Larwood (1988)

January 1988: Chartered to Oy Rettig Ab, Helsinki, Finland and renamed BORE BRITANNICA.

January 1988: Chartered to Bore Ro-Ro for services betweeen Finland – Great Britain.

December 1^st 1988: Sold to Oy Rettig Ab, Turku, Finland.

December 7^th 1988: Handed over to the new owners for services between Helsinki – Kiel.

Bore Britannica – © Capt Jan Melchers (Elbe, 10/08/1989)

January 14^th 1991: Collided with DRONNING MARGRETHE II in Fehmarn Belt.

January 1992: Chartered to Finncarriers Oy Ab, Helsinki, Finland for services Turku – Rauma – Rauma – Travemünde – Rostock – Lübeck.

Bore Britannica – © Simonwp (Hull, 20/07/1994)

November 4^th 1996: Sold to Bore Lines Ab, Stockholm.

November 21^st 1996: Renamed FINNFOREST.

1997: Chartered to P&O North Sea Ferries, For a round trip between Hull – Zeebrugge.

1999: Registered for Strömma Turism & Sjöfart AB, Stockholm.

October 2001: Services between Helsinki – Aarhus.

January 2007: Services between Helsinki – Gdynia.

Finnforest – © Andreas Wörteler (Gdynia, 05/05/2007)

December 4^th 2007: Sold to Weissfiord Shipping Ltd, c / o Celtic Link Ferries ltd, Dublin, Ireland and chartered out to Finnlines for services between Helsinki – Gdynia. 

Finnforest – © Wolfgang Fricke (Helsinki, 04/11/2009)

2009: Services between Turku – Travemünde.

Finnforest – © Andreas Wörteler (Travemunde, 24/04/2010)

July 6^th 2010 – July 12^th 2010: Left Travemünde for Dublin.

July 29^th 2010: Laid up in Waterford.

Finnforest – © ? (Waterford)

September 30^th 2010: Left Waterford for Rosslare then Naples.

October 13^th 2010: Chartered to SNAV for services Naples – Palermo.

Finnforest – © Commis

June 2011 – August 12^th 2011: Services Palermo – Genoa.

August 12^th 2011: Left Palermo for Alang..

September 3^rd 2011: Arrived Alang for scrapping.

 

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All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Cees De Bijl, Wolfgang Fricke, Capt Jan Melchers, Simonwp, Ulrich Streich and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)