MS Superfast IX
Encyclopedia
MV
Ship prefix
A ship prefix is a combination of letters, usually abbreviations, used in front of the name of a civilian or naval ship.Prefixes for civilian vessels may either identify the type of propulsion, such as "SS" for steamship, or purpose, such as "RV" for research vessel. Civilian prefixes are often...
Atlantic Vision is a fast ro-pax ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
owned by the Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
n ferry
Ferry
A ferry is a form of transportation, usually a boat, but sometimes a ship, used to carry primarily passengers, and sometimes vehicles and cargo as well, across a body of water. Most ferries operate on regular, frequent, return services...
company Tallink
Tallink
Tallink is an Estonian shipping company currently operating Baltic Sea cruiseferries and ropax ships from Estonia to Finland, Estonia to Sweden, Latvia to Sweden and Finland to Germany. They also own Silja Line and a part of SeaRail...
, under charter to the Canada
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
-based Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
. As of 2009 she is operated on Marine Atlantic's service between Port aux Basques and/or Argentia, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
.
The ship was built in 2002 as MS Superfast IX by Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) in Kiel
Kiel
Kiel is the capital and most populous city in the northern German state of Schleswig-Holstein, with a population of 238,049 .Kiel is approximately north of Hamburg. Due to its geographic location in the north of Germany, the southeast of the Jutland peninsula, and the southwestern shore of the...
, Germany
Germany
Germany , officially the Federal Republic of Germany , is a federal parliamentary republic in Europe. The country consists of 16 states while the capital and largest city is Berlin. Germany covers an area of 357,021 km2 and has a largely temperate seasonal climate...
for Attica Group
Attica Group
Attica Holdings S.A. is an operator of international ferry services in Europe. The Group’s main operations are with its subsidiary Superfast Ferries which began in 1995 with the launch of its first ships, Superfast I & Superfast II...
's subsidiary Superfast Ferries
Superfast Ferries
Superfast Ferries is a Greece-based ferry company founded in 1993 by Pericles Panagopulos and Alexander Panagopulos. Superfast Ferries is a member of Attica Group and operates 5 ultra-modern car-passenger ferries, offering daily connections between Ancona and Bari and Patras and Igoumenitsa...
.
2002-2006: Superfast Ferries service
In 2001 Superfast Ferries had made a deal with the SwedishSweden
Sweden , officially the Kingdom of Sweden , is a Nordic country on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. Sweden borders with Norway and Finland and is connected to Denmark by a bridge-tunnel across the Öresund....
government to operate a ferry connection between Södertälje
Södertälje
Södertälje is a city and the seat of Södertälje Municipality, Stockholm County, Sweden with 86,069 inhabitants in 2010.The industrial city, about south of Stockholm, is the home to truck maker Scania AB and a top 10 pharmaceutical company AstraZeneca....
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 the 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
Rosyth - Zeebrugge ferry service
The ferry service between Rosyth and Zeebrugge is a freight-only service operated by DFDS. The current service replaces a passenger and freight service that was operated by Norfolkline from 18 May 2009 until 15 December 2010 . It is the only direct ferry route between Scotland and Continental Europe...
for Superfast, connecting Rosyth
Rosyth
Rosyth is a town located on the Firth of Forth, three miles south of the centre of Dunfermline. According to an estimate taken in 2008, the town has a population of 12,790....
(Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
) to Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge
Zeebrugge is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with hotels, cafés, a marina and a beach.-Location:...
(Belgium
Belgium
Belgium , officially the Kingdom of Belgium, is a federal state in Western Europe. It is a founding member of the European Union and hosts the EU's headquarters, and those of several other major international organisations such as NATO.Belgium is also a member of, or affiliated to, many...
). In February 2004 she was rebuilt with extra cabins at Fosen Mekaniske Verksteder, Fosen
Fosen
Fosen is a traditional district in Trøndelag, consisting of the municipalities Osen, Roan, Åfjord, Bjugn, Ørland, Rissa, Agdenes, Snillfjord, Hemne, Hitra and Frøya. The district is dominated by forested valleys, lakes, coastal cliffs but also shallow areas, and in the interior mountains reaching...
, Norway
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
. In November 2005 the Superfast IX was moved to Hanko—Rostock route.
2006-2008: Tallink service
In March 2006 Superfast sold their Baltic Sea operations to Tallink for €310 million. Following this the Superfast IX and her sisters were re-registered to PaldiskiPaldiski
Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the Pakri peninsula of north-western Estonia. Originally a Swedish settlement known as Rågervik, it became a Russian naval base in the 18th century. The Russians renamed it Балтийский Порт Paldiski is a town and Baltic Sea port situated on the...
in Estonia
Estonia
Estonia , officially the Republic of Estonia , is a state in the Baltic region of Northern Europe. It is bordered to the north by the Gulf of Finland, to the west by the Baltic Sea, to the south by Latvia , and to the east by Lake Peipsi and the Russian Federation . Across the Baltic Sea lies...
, and the route changed to Hanko—Paldiski—Rostock from April 2006 onwards. 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 back to Hanko—Rostock. 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. As the same time all remaining Superfast logos and hull markings were removed. 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
Silja Line
Silja Line is a Finnish cruiseferry brand operated by the Estonian ferry company AS Tallink Grupp, for car and passenger traffic between Finland and Sweden. The former company Silja Oy – today Tallink Silja Oy – is a subsidiary of Tallink Grupp, handling marketing and sales for Tallink and Silja...
, but this did not came to pass.
In April 2008 Tallink made an agreement for chartering the Superfast IX to Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic
Marine Atlantic Inc. is an independent Canadian Crown corporation offering ferry services between the provinces of Newfoundland and Labrador and Nova Scotia.Marine Atlantic's corporate headquarters are in St...
, a Canadian
Canada
Canada is a North American country consisting of ten provinces and three territories. Located in the northern part of the continent, it extends from the Atlantic Ocean in the east to the Pacific Ocean in the west, and northward into the Arctic Ocean...
Crown Corporation, for five years from October 2008 onwards. The Government of Canada
Government of Canada
The Government of Canada, formally Her Majesty's Government, is the system whereby the federation of Canada is administered by a common authority; in Canadian English, the term can mean either the collective set of institutions or specifically the Queen-in-Council...
will provide Marine Atlantic with $101 million over five years to fund the charter. The ship will be used by Marine Atlantic on their service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney, Nova Scotia
North Sydney is a community in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton Regional Municipality.Located on the north side of Sydney Harbour, along the eastern coast of Cape Breton Island, North Sydney is an important port in Atlantic Canada as it is the western terminus of the Marine Atlantic ferry service...
. A naming competition was held for the ship, with students in Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador
Newfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400...
and in Cape Breton
Cape Breton Regional Municipality, Nova Scotia
Cape Breton Regional Municipality often shortened to simply CBRM, is a regional municipality in Nova Scotia's Cape Breton County.According to the 2006 Census of Canada, the population within the Cape Breton Regional Municipality is 102,250...
eligible to make entries. On 21 June 2008 the results of the competition were published, and Atlantic Vision was chosen as the new name for the vessel.
2008 onwards: Marine Atlantic service
The Superfast IX ceased service with Tallink on 31 August 2008 and subsequently sailed to Luonnonmaan telakka (Turku Repair Yard) in NaantaliNaantali
Naantali is a city in south-western Finland, known as one of the most important tourist centres of the country. The municipality has a population of , and is located in the region of Finland Proper, west of Turku....
, Finland
Finland
Finland , officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country situated in the Fennoscandian region of Northern Europe. It is bordered by Sweden in the west, Norway in the north and Russia in the east, while Estonia lies to its south across the Gulf of Finland.Around 5.4 million people reside...
for reconstruction into her new service. The changes made included the installation more powerful bow thrusters, rebuilding the bow and stern ramps as well as refurbishing the interiors. The ship was renamed MV Atlantic Vision in November 2008. The reconstruction was completed on 14 November 2008, and on the same date the ship was officially delivered to Marine Atlantic.
The Atlantic Vision arrived in St. John's, Newfoundland on 7 December 2008. 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.
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.
The Atlantic Vision entered service on the Port-aux-Basques—North Sydney route on 1 April 2009. 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 the 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.The Atlantic Vision was again forced to dock when a fire broke out in the second of two heating units on 29 July 2009. 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 the Atlantic Vision returned to service later that day.
On 7 October 2009, Marine Atlantic received a bomb threat directed against the Atlantic Vision, which was docked in Port-aux-Basques at the time. The vessel was evacuated and investigated by the Royal Canadian Mounted Police
Royal Canadian Mounted Police
The Royal Canadian Mounted Police , literally ‘Royal Gendarmerie of Canada’; colloquially known as The Mounties, and internally as ‘The Force’) is the national police force of Canada, and one of the most recognized of its kind in the world. It is unique in the world as a national, federal,...
(RCMP), but the threat was determined to be a hoax, and the Vision returned to service shortly thereafter.
On 22 December 2009, the 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 Vision 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 the Vision was being repaired. The Atlantic Vision was repaired and returned to service late on 23 December 2009.