MS Stena Nautica
Encyclopedia
MS Stena Nautica is a ro-pax ferry currently in operation between Varberg and Grenå for Stena Line
. She was built in 1986 as MS Niels Klim and served on the DSB Arhus - Kalundborg along with her sister MS Peder Paars until 1991.
Århus—Kalundborg
route from the Nakskov Skipsværft in Nakskov
, Denmark. Although ordered by the ferry division of the Danish State Railways, the ships did not have the facilities for transporting trains, but were constructed to transport road freight and passengers. Both ships were named after characters from the works of Ludvig Holberg
, a Norwegian-born writer considered to be the father of modern Danish literature. First of the ships, delivered in 1985, was named MS Peder Paars after the poem Peder Paars. The second, delivered a year later, was named MS Niels Klim after the protagonist in Niels Klim's Underground Travels
.
. The Peder Paas was renamed MS Stena Invicta and served on the Dover
- Calais
route for most of the 90s. The Niels Klim was renamed MS Stena Nautica but spent most of 1991 laid up in Arhus. In 1992, she was chartered to B&I Line for use on their Irish Sea services and was renamed MS Isle Of Innisfree; Initially she served Pembroke Dock
- Rosslare
and later Holyhead
- Dublin. However, her slow service speed of 17 knots frequently resulted in delays.
and operated on their Lion Ferry
subsidiary between Varberg
/ Halmstad
and Grenå
. She has since remained on that route, despite occasional charters, the closure of the Halmstad
leg and the incorporation of Lion Ferry
into Stena Line
.
In 2002, she was rebuilt in order to transport more freight. Her lower passenger deck was converted into another vehicle deck, and her passenger certification was subsequently reduced from 2000 to 653, while her freight capacity increased from 604 lane meters to 1235.
. The Nautica was eventually towed to Verberg, and later to Gothenburg and Gdansk for repairs. She reentered service four months later.
http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/niels_klim_1986.htm
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
. She was built in 1986 as MS Niels Klim and served on the DSB Arhus - Kalundborg along with her sister MS Peder Paars until 1991.
Concept and construction
In September 1983 DSB ordered two relatively large ferries for service on the intra-DenmarkDenmark
Denmark is a Scandinavian country in Northern Europe. The countries of Denmark and Greenland, as well as the Faroe Islands, constitute the Kingdom of Denmark . It is the southernmost of the Nordic countries, southwest of Sweden and south of Norway, and bordered to the south by Germany. Denmark...
Århus—Kalundborg
Kalundborg
Kalundborg is a city with a population of 16,434 in Kalundborg municipality in Denmark and the site of its municipal council. Kalundborg is on the main island Zealand, with Copenhagen, but opposite on the far western edge....
route from the Nakskov Skipsværft in Nakskov
Nakskov
Nakskov is a town in south Denmark. It is in Lolland municipality in Region Sjælland on the western coast of the island of Lolland. The town has a population of 13,560 . To the west is Nakskov Fjord, an inlet from the Langeland Belt that runs between the islands of Lolland and Langeland...
, Denmark. Although ordered by the ferry division of the Danish State Railways, the ships did not have the facilities for transporting trains, but were constructed to transport road freight and passengers. Both ships were named after characters from the works of Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg
Ludvig Holberg, Baron of Holberg was a writer, essayist, philosopher, historian and playwright born in Bergen, Norway, during the time of the Dano-Norwegian double monarchy, who spent most of his adult life in Denmark. He was influenced by Humanism, the Enlightenment and the Baroque...
, a Norwegian-born writer considered to be the father of modern Danish literature. First of the ships, delivered in 1985, was named MS Peder Paars after the poem Peder Paars. The second, delivered a year later, was named MS Niels Klim after the protagonist in Niels Klim's Underground Travels
Niels Klim's Underground Travels
Niels Klim's Underground Travels, originally published in Latin as Nicolai Klimii Iter Subterraneum , is a satirical science-fiction/fantasy novel written by the Norwegian-Danish author Ludvig Holberg...
.
Early career
That year both ships were taken over by Stena LineStena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
. The Peder Paas was renamed MS Stena Invicta and served on the Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
- Calais
Calais
Calais is a town in Northern France in the department of Pas-de-Calais, of which it is a sub-prefecture. Although Calais is by far the largest city in Pas-de-Calais, the department's capital is its third-largest city of Arras....
route for most of the 90s. The Niels Klim was renamed MS Stena Nautica but spent most of 1991 laid up in Arhus. In 1992, she was chartered to B&I Line for use on their Irish Sea services and was renamed MS Isle Of Innisfree; Initially she served Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock
Pembroke Dock is a town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, lying north of Pembroke on the River Cleddau. Originally a small fishing village known as Paterchurch, the town was greatly expanded from 1814 onwards following the construction of a Royal Naval Dockyard...
- Rosslare
Rosslare Harbour
The village of Rosslare Harbour grew up to serve the needs of the harbour of the same name , first developed in 1906 by the Great Western Railway and the Great Southern and Western Railway to accommodate steamferry traffic between Great Britain and Ireland...
and later Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
- Dublin. However, her slow service speed of 17 knots frequently resulted in delays.
Current operations
In 1995, she returned to Stena LineStena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
and operated on their Lion Ferry
Lion Ferry
Lion Ferry was a Swedish ferry company which operated passenger and freight ferry services in Scandinavia and North America.-History:1960The Prins Bertil enters service between Halmstad and Aarhus....
subsidiary between Varberg
Varberg
Varberg is a locality and the seat of Varberg Municipality, Halland County, Sweden with 26,041 inhabitants in 2005.Varberg and all of Halland are well known for their 'typical west coast' sandy beaches. In Varberg the coast changes from wide sandy beaches to rocky terrain that continues north into...
/ Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
and Grenå
Grenå
Grenaa or Grenå is a town in central Denmark with a population of 14,308 . The town centre is about 2 km west of the east coast of the Djursland peninsula in Jutland's Region Midtjylland...
. She has since remained on that route, despite occasional charters, the closure of the Halmstad
Halmstad
Halmstad is a port, university, industrial and recreational city at the mouth of Nissan in the province of Halland on the Swedish west coast. Halmstad is the seat of Halmstad Municipality and the capital of Halland County...
leg and the incorporation of Lion Ferry
Lion Ferry
Lion Ferry was a Swedish ferry company which operated passenger and freight ferry services in Scandinavia and North America.-History:1960The Prins Bertil enters service between Halmstad and Aarhus....
into Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
.
In 2002, she was rebuilt in order to transport more freight. Her lower passenger deck was converted into another vehicle deck, and her passenger certification was subsequently reduced from 2000 to 653, while her freight capacity increased from 604 lane meters to 1235.
Collision
On February 16, 2004, MS Stena Nautica had a mid channel collision with the freight ship, MS Joanna, in heavy fog. The Nautica was holed just above the engine room and took on a significant amount of water. Fortunately, sea conditions were calm, which meant the event could have been much worse. All passengers were evacuated to MS Stena GermanicaMS Stena Germanica
MS Stena Germanica may refer to:* Stena Germanica - Sunk near Puerto Rico in 1985* Stena Germanica - Now Stena Vision with Stena Line* Stena Germanica - Current Stena Germanica...
. The Nautica was eventually towed to Verberg, and later to Gothenburg and Gdansk for repairs. She reentered service four months later.
http://www.faktaomfartyg.nu/niels_klim_1986.htm