MV Atlantic Vision

MV Atlantic Vision entering the harbour at Port aux Basques in May 2014.
History
Name:
  • 2002–2008: Superfast IX
  • 2008 onwards: Atlantic Vision
Owner:
Operator:
Port of registry:
Route:
Builder: HDW, Kiel, Germany
Yard number: 359[3]
Launched: 18 November 2000[1]
Christened: 11 January 2002[1]
Acquired: 8 January 2002[1]
Maiden voyage: 10 January 2002[1]
In service: 10 January 2002[1]
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics (as built)[1]
Type: Ropax ferry
Tonnage:
Length: 203.30 m (667 ft)
Beam: 25.00 m (82 ft)
Draught: 6.68 m (21 ft 11 in)
Depth: 9.1 m (29 ft 10 in)
Decks: 10[4]
Ice class: 1 A Super[4]
Installed power:
Propulsion:
Speed:
  • 30.4 knots (56.3 km/h; 35.0 mph) (maximum)[4]
  • 25.5 knots (47.2 km/h; 29.3 mph) (service)[5]
Capacity:
  • 626 passengers (as built)
  • 728 passengers (after 2004 refit)[4]
  • 962 passengers (after 2008 refit)[5]
  • 661 cars (as built)
  • 531 cars (after 2008 refit)[5]
  • 2,425 lane meters

MV Atlantic Vision is a fast ro-pax ferry owned by the Estonian ferry company Tallink, under charter to Canadian operator Marine Atlantic. In February 2015, Marine Atlantic announced that the lease on the vessel had been renewed until November 2017 for a cost of C$40 million.[6] As of 2016 Atlantic Vision operates on Marine Atlantic's services between North Sydney, Nova Scotia, and the Newfoundland ports of Port aux Basques and Argentia.

The ship was built in 2002 as MS Superfast IX by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel, Germany for Attica Group's subsidiary Superfast Ferries.[1]

She is currently the fastest RoPax and largest KW rating ferry operating in North America.

Service history

2002-2006: Superfast Ferries service

In 2001 Superfast Ferries had made a deal with the Swedish government to operate a ferry connection between Södertälje in Sweden and Rostock for ten years, starting from spring 2002. Superfast IX inaugurated this service in January 2002 (she started service on 10 January but wasn't officially named until the 11). The route proved to be unprofitable, and in April of the same year the it was closed down, with Superfast IX laid up at HDW in Kiel. On May of the same year Superfast IX, alongside her sister MS Superfast X, started a new service for Superfast, connecting Rosyth (Scotland) to Zeebrugge (Belgium). In February 2004 she was rebuilt with extra cabins at Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder, Fosen, Norway. In November 2005 Superfast IX was moved to Hanko—Rostock route.[1]

MS Superfast IX departing Helsinki for Rostock, May 2007.

In March 2006 Superfast sold their Baltic Sea operations to Tallink for €310 million.[7] Following this Superfast IX and her sisters were re-registered to Paldiski in Estonia, and the route changed to Hanko—Paldiski—Rostock from April 2006 onwards.[1] Calling at Paldiski proved problematic as Estonia was not a member of the Schengen Treaty, and in June of the same year the route reverted to Hanko—Rostock.[1] According to the agreement Tallink could keep the Superfast marketing name until the end of 2007, but the ships' hulls soon sported the texts "Superfast operated by Tallink". From the beginning on the year 2007 the ship's route changed to Tallinn—Helsinki—Rostock, with the West Harbour as the port in Helsinki.[8] As the same time all remaining Superfast logos and hull markings were removed.[1] At the time it was reported that coinciding with the move to sail from Helsinki the Superfast ships would be transferred to the fleet of Tallink's subsidiary Silja Line, but this did not came to pass.[9]

In April 2008 Tallink made an agreement for chartering Superfast IX to Marine Atlantic, a Canadian Crown Corporation, for five years from October 2008 onwards.[10] The Government of Canada will provide Marine Atlantic with $101 million over five years to fund the charter.[11] The ship will be used by Marine Atlantic on their service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and North Sydney, Nova Scotia.[12][13] A naming competition was held for the ship, with students in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Cape Breton eligible to make entries.[14] On 21 June 2008 the results of the competition were published, and Atlantic Vision was chosen as the new name for the vessel.[15]

2008 onwards: Marine Atlantic service

Superfast IX ceased service with Tallink on 31 August 2008 and subsequently sailed to Luonnonmaan telakka (Turku Repair Yard) in Naantali, Finland for reconstruction into her new service.[1] The changes made included the installation more powerful bow thrusters, rebuilding the bow and stern ramps as well as refurbishing the interiors.[16] The ship was renamed MV Atlantic Vision in November 2008.[1] The reconstruction was completed on 14 November 2008, and on the same date the ship was officially delivered to Marine Atlantic.[1][17]

Atlantic Vision arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland on 7 December 2008.[1] During the crossing from Finland to Canada the ship suffered damage to the bow with a part of the front loading ramp breaking off and paint peeling from the bow. The clam doors protecting the cardeck were undamaged. A renaming ceremony was held for the ship on 11 December 2008, although she had officially been renamed already during the previous month.[1]

There are still Estonian language instructions on the vehicle decks boilers from the ferry's homeland port in Estonia, as well as Superfast pictures and wallpapers in the Children's Playroom and near the restaurant.

Atlantic Vision entered service on the Port-aux-Basques—North Sydney route on 1 April 2009.[18] In the summer months, the ship also operates on the North Sydney - Argentia Route.

Incidents

On 27 December 2008, while the ship was still moored in North Sydney awaiting the beginning of service, a fire broke out in one of the two heating units of Atlantic Vision at 11:50 PM local time. The North Sydney fire department assisted the crew in containing the fire to the boiler room. The fire was extinguished by 1:00 AM on 28 December. No injuries were suffered, but the damage to the ship delayed her entry into service, which was originally slated for March 2009.[19]

Atlantic Vision was again forced to dock when a fire broke out in the second of two heating units on 29 July 2009.[20] The ferry was briefly taken out of service again on 18 August, after striking the dock in Port-aux-Basques, causing a "small abrasion" in the fender at the stern of the vessel. The damage was inspected and repaired and Atlantic Vision returned to service later that day.[21]

On 7 October 2009, Marine Atlantic received a bomb threat directed against Atlantic Vision, which was docked in Port-aux-Basques at the time. The vessel was evacuated and investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police (RCMP), but the threat was determined to be a hoax, and she returned to service shortly thereafter.[22]

On 22 December 2009, Atlantic Vision was again taken out of service after high winds forced the vessel against the fenders during docking procedures at Port-aux-Basques, causing a puncture 5 meters above the waterline at the stern of the vessel. The temporary loss of the ship caused additional delays, as other ferries on the North Sydney - Port-aux-Basques run were unable to dock and offload in Port-aux-Basques while she was being repaired.[23] Atlantic Vision was repaired and returned to service late on 23 December 2009.[24]

References

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 Asklander, Micke. "M/S Superfast IX (2002)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  2. ↑ Port of registry: MS/Atlantic Vision, retrieved 2012-01-04
  3. 1 2 3 "Atlantic Vision (31780)". DNV GL Vessel Register. Det Norske Veritas. Retrieved 2012-06-13.
  4. 1 2 3 4 "MV Atlantic Vision vessels specifications". Marine Atlantic. Retrieved 28 January 2009.
  5. ↑ "Marine Atlantic renews lease for MV Atlantic Vision". CBC News. 2015-02-03. Retrieved 2015-05-26.
  6. ↑ "Conclusion of sale of Superfast VII, Superfast VIII and Superfast IX to AS Tallink Grupp". Superfast Ferries press release. Superfast Ferries. 2006-07-21. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  7. ↑ "Tallinkin Superfast alusten siirtyminen liikennöimään Helsingistä Saksaan" (in Finnish). Port of Helsinki. 2006-11-07. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  8. ↑ Saken, Mathias (2006-10-23). "Finnjetweb News: Nothing new in the West". Finnjetweb. Retrieved 2008-04-02.
  9. ↑ "Charter of MS Superfast IX". Tallink press release. Tallink. 2008-04-25. Retrieved 2008-04-25.
  10. ↑ "Government of Canada Funds New Vessel for Marine Atlantic Inc.". Marine Atlantic press release. Marine Atlantic. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  11. ↑ "Our Ship is coming and she's a beauty". Marine Atlantic. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  12. ↑ Tom Peters, "Marine Atlantic gets bigger ferry: Fuel-efficient vessel will join NS-NL route starting in March", The Chronicle Herald [Halifax NS], December 11, 2008, p. C2
  13. ↑ "Name the Vessel Contest Launched by Marine Atlantic". Marine Atlantic press release. Marine Atlantic. Retrieved 2008-04-27.
  14. ↑ "Atlantic Vision chosen as ship's new name". The Western Star. 2008-06-21. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
  15. ↑ "2008-11, M/S Atlantic Vision". Turku Repair Yard Ltd. 18 December 2008. Retrieved 28 December 2008.
  16. ↑ "Charter of Superfast IX" (PDF). Tallink press release. Tallink. 18 November 2008. Retrieved 18 November 2008.
  17. ↑ "MV Atlantic Vision". Marine Atlantic. Retrieved 29 January 2009.
  18. ↑ "Marine Atlantic investigates blaze aboard newest ferry". CBCnews.ca. CBC. 29 December 2008. Retrieved 30 December 2008.
  19. ↑ "Fire forces ferry to return to NS". CBC News. 29 July 2009. Retrieved 29 July 2009.
  20. ↑ "N.L. ferry strikes dock, repaired quickly". CBC News. 19 August 2009. Retrieved 8 September 2009.
  21. ↑ "Hoax delays N.L., N.S. ferries". CBC News. 7 October 2009. Retrieved 7 October 2009.
  22. ↑ "Crash punctures ferry between N.L. and N.S.". CBC News. 22 December 2009. Retrieved 22 December 2009.
  23. ↑ "Marine Atlantic ferries getting back on schedule". CBC News. 24 December 2009. Retrieved 24 December 2009.
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