MV St Damian
Ex Ionian Spirit, Roslagen, Wasa Express, Viking 3, Wasa Express, Viking 3
Viking 3 – © Andreas Wörteler (Emden, 16/04/1972)
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, 3EFC6
- MMSI Number: 372573000
- IMO Number: 7128887
- Registry: Helsinki/Finland 🇫🇮, Saint Vincent & Grenadines 🇻🇨, Kingstown/Panama 🇵🇦
- Sister-ships: Apollo (1969) Viking 1 (1970) Diana (1972) Viking 4 (March 1973) Coromuel (July 1973) Puerto Vallarta (November 1973) Viking 5 (March 1974) Azteca (November 1974).
Location Data
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History
Constructed between 1969 – 1974, the nine so-called ‘Papenburg Sisters’ were all built at Jos. L. Meyer Werft shipyard at Papenburg-Ems, West Germany.
September 9th 1970: Ordered
July 19th 1971: Keel laid.
December 14th 1971: Launched.
Viking 3 – © Andreas Wörteler (Emden after trials)
April 16th 1972: Delivered.
Viking 3 – © Andreas Wörteler (Emden, 16/04/1972)
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.
Wasa Express – © Jurgen Stein
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.
Viking 3 – © Ken Larwood (all)
March 1984: Returned to the Baltic Sea.
April 10th 1984: Again renamed WASA EXPRESS and used between Vaasa and Umeå. Port of Vaasa.
Wasa Express – © Jurgen Stein
Wasa Express – 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
Roslagen – © Marko Stampehl
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.
Roslagen – © Andreas Wörteler (both)
Roslagen – © Carsten Dettmer (Eckerö, August 2005) (both)
Roslagen – © Andreas Wörteler
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.
Ionian Spirit – © Dirk Jankowsky (Kiel Canal 21/11/2007)
Ionian Spirit – © Aleksi Lindström
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.
Ionian Spirit – © Frank Lose
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.
Ionian Spirit – © Frank Heine (Bari, 30/07/2011)
March 26th 2012: Arrested in Brindisi.
March 2016: Sold at auction to Seamed for 1,175,000 €.
Ionian Spirit – © Frank Heine (Brindisi, 09/08/2016)
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.
November 25th 2016: Dry-docked at Elefsina shipyard.
January 31st 2017: Left Elefsina for Brindisi.
February 21st 2017: Services Brindisi – Vlore.
St Damian – © Frank Heine (Brindisi, 31/07/2017)(Left) (Brindisi, 31/07/2017)(Right)
January 2018: Laid up in Brindisi
June 8th 2018: Services Brindisi – Vlore.
September 27th 2018: Laid up in Brindisi.
April 10th 2019: Services Brindisi – Vlore.
February 20th 2020: Arrested by Albanian Criminal Police Dept in Vlore, suspected of “discharge of hazardous solid waste ashore”.
June 2020: Services Vlore – Brindisi
September 22nd 2020: Lay up in Brindisi.
August 2021 – September 2nd 2021: Services Brindisi – Vlore.
September 2021: Offered for sale.
October 6th 2021: Left Brindisi for Paloukia.
October 12th 2021: Arrived Paloukia, Salamina Island for further lay up.
St Damian – © Axilleas Tzathas (Docked at Salamina island, 30/10/2021)
February 2022: Known to have been sold for scrap.
April 3rd 2022: Having been renamed IAN she was towed from Paloukia by tug CHRITOS 14
April 5th 2022: Arrived at Aliaga and became the last “Papenburg Sister” to be scrapped.
Ian – 🆕 © Selim San (Aliaga
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, Selim San, Marko Stampehl, Jurgen Stein, Axilleas Tzathas and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
