MV St Damian

Ex Ionian Spirit, Roslagen, Wasa Express, Viking 3, Wasa Express, Viking 3

Twin screw motor vessel built in 1972 at Jos L Meyer Werft, Papenburg-Ems, Germany (Yard No. 565) for Rederi Ab Sally, Mariehamn as a passenger and vehicle roll-on/roll-off ferry

Technical Data

Length: 108.72m (overall), 96.50m (between perpendiculars)
Breadth: 17.56m (extreme), 17.25m (overall)
Depth: 6.0m
Draught: 4.60m (maximum)
Height on vehicle deck: 4.20m
Tonnage: 4,239 gross/1,880 net/1,000 – 1,110t deadweight
Engines: Two 12-cyl, Deutz SBV 12M 350 diesels
Power: 5888 kw/8000 bhp
Speed: 18.75 knots
Capacity: 1,200 passengers, 265 cars or 26 x 12m haulage vehicles
Call Sign: OIAP (1971-2006), J8B3748, 3FC6
IMO Number: 7128887
Registry: Helsinki/Finland, Saint Vincent & Grenadines, Kingstown/Panama
Sister-ships: Apollo, Viking I, Diana, Viking 5, Azteca, Coromuel, Puerto Vallarta

History

September 9th 1970: Ordered

July 19th 1971: Keel laid.

December 17th 1971: Launched.

April 16th 1972: Delivered.

April 21st 1972: Arrived in Mariehamn.

April 22nd 1972: Presentation in Helsinki.

April 24th 1972: Entered service for Viking Line between Naantali, Mariehamn and Kappelskär.

November 17th 1972: Trial trip between Naantali – Turku.

December 17th 1972: Ran aground at Korpo, Finland. Passengers evacuated to VIKING 1. Arrived the following day and repaired in Nystad.

January 16th 1976: Commenced service between Stockholm and Helsinki.

June 12th 1973 – September 1st 1973: Service between Naantali / Turku, Mariehamn and Stockholm.

January 16th 1974 – February 1974: Service between Stockholm and Helsinki.

February 20th 1976: Sold to Oy Vaasa-Umea AB, Vaasa with delivery in May.

April 28th 1976: Last day in Viking Line service.

April 29th 1976: Dry-docking in Nystad and transfer to the new owner.

May 4th 1976: Renamed to WASA EXPRESS.

May 7th 1976: Commenced service between Vaasa and Umeå/Örnsköldsvik/Sundsvall.

June 1st 1979: Transferred to Vaasanlaivat OY, Vaasa.

September 1st 1982: Transferred to Rederi AB Sally (Vaasanlaivat OY), Vaasa.

March 29th 1983: Renamed VIKING 3, home port: Mariehamn.

April 12th 1983: Commenced service for Sally The Viking Line between Ramsgate and Dunkerque.

March 1984: Returned to the Baltic Sea.

April 10th 1984: Again renamed WASA EXPRESS and used between Vaasa and Umeå. Port of Vaasa.

Jurgen Stein Collection

August 8th 1988: Sold to Rederi AB Eckerö Mariehamn handover in November.

October 31st 1988: Last departure between Vaasa and Umeå.

November 1st 1988: Taken over by Eckerö and renamed ROSLAGEN. Home port: Eckerö.

November 9th 1988: Arrived in Berghamn.

November 11th 1988: Commenced service between Grisslehamn and Eckerö (Berghamn).

February 9th 1989 – March 17th 1989: Chartered to Viking Line (Slite) and used between Kapellskar, Mariehamn and Naantali.

January 21st 1990 – March 15th 1990: Chartered to GT-Link A / S, Gedser and used between Gedser and Travemünde.

October 22nd 1992: To Roslagen Navigation Corp.. (Eckerö Line Ltd..), Nassau.

October 23rd 1992: In Port of Tallinn.

October 25th 1992 – May 30th 1993: Chartered to Inreko Laeva AS (Estonian New Line) and used between Helsinki and Tallinn.

June 12th 1993 – August 23rd 1993: Service between Grisslehamn and Eckerö (Berghamn).

August 26th 1993: Arrived in Tallinn. The proposed charter to Inreko failed and the ship sailed a few days later to Mariehamn.

January 16th 1994: Registered to Rederi AB Eckerö, Mariehamn.

February 1st 1994: Port of registry: Eckerö.

February 18th 1994: Entered service between Grisslehamn and Eckerö (Berghamn).

May 24th 1994: 6652 GT, 1000 dwt

March 1st 2001 – April 22nd 2001: Rebuilt in Alandia yard, Mariehamn in order to meet the SOLAS requirements. 6748 GT, 1320 passengers, 210 cars.

May 2001 – June 2001: Rebuilt at Klintkajen, Mariehamn, with “ducktail” sponsons.

February 15th 2006: Laid up in reserve.

October 17th 2006: Chartered to the Swedish Navy and sailed from Grisslehamn to Naantali.

October 24th 2006 – October 25th 2006: Journey from Naantali to Grisslehamn and charter completed.

May 24th 2007: Sold to Anonimi Naftiliaki Metaforiki Eteria, Zakynthos with delivery in September.

August 19th 2007: Last day of service.

August 20th 2007: Laid up in Berghamn.

September 27th 2007: Sale fell through.

October 5th 2007: Sold to Agoudimos, Piraeus.

November 13th 2007: Renamed IONIAN SPIRIT and registered for Bluray Maritime Inc. (Agoudimos), Majuro. Port of registry: Kingstown.

November 19th 2007 – December 2nd 2007: Sailed from Berghamn, via Kiel Canal, to Keratsini. Rebuilt with 50 extra cabins.

June 27th 2008: Sailed from Piraeus to Igoumenitsa.

July 2nd 2008 – July 6th 2008: In Igoumenitsa due to safety issues concerning anchor chain.

July 10th 2008 – August 31st 2008: Igoumenitsa, Corfu (Paxos) – Brindisi.

2008: Brindisi – Vlore.

December 2008: Laid up in Perama with engine problems.

February 27th 2011: Arrived in Valletta, with 1,024 evacuees from Misurata.

March 4th 2011 – March 5th 2011: Service from Valletta to Sirte.

March 7th 2011: Arrived in Souda (Crete).

March 16th 2011: Left Souda for Brindisi.

April 2011: Chartered to the International Organization for Migration (IOM).

April 10th 2011: Left Brindisi for Benghazi, and then on to Crete.

April 12th 2011 – April 13th 2011: Benghazi to Misurata.

April 15th 2011 – April 16th 2011: Misurata – Benghazi with 1,172 passengers on board.

April 16th 2011 – April 18th 2011: Benghazi to Misurata.

April 18th 2011: Misurata – Benghazi with 971 passengers.

April 25th 2011: Arrived in Vlore.

March 26th 2012: Arrested in Brindisi.

March 2016: Sold at auction to Seamed for 1,175,000 €.

October 12th 2016: Registered Owner/Manager; Seamed Trading Shipping Srl, Brindisi, Italy and renamed ST. DAMIAN.

November 19th 2016: Left Brindisi for Piraeus.

November 21st 2016: Arrived Eleusis.

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: Carsten Dettmer, Frank Heine, Dirk Jankowsky, Ken Larwood, Aleksi Lindström, Frank Lose, Marko Stampehl, Jurgen Stein and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.