MS Kongshavn

MS "Kongshavn" is a cruiseferry owned by the Norway-based ferry operator Kystlink, operated on their Langesund—Strømstad service. She was built in 1979 as MS "Turella" by Wärtsilä Shipyards, Turku, Finland for SF Line for use in Viking Line traffic. She has also sailed under the names MS "Stena Nordica", MS "Lion King" and MS "Fantaasia" before entering service with her current name.

History

1979-1987

The cheapest bid to build SF Line's new ferry was actually made by Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, but the Finnish Government subsidised Wärtsilä so that they could eventually underbid Mitsubishi and hence get more jobs to Finland. The new ship's interior and exterior design was basically an extended version of M/ "Aurella" from 1973. [fi icon [http://www.fcbsweb.com/forum/index.php?topic=5817.0 FCBS Forum: M/S Rosella/Turella verrattuna M/S Aurellaan] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] The ship, eventually named MS "Turella", was delivered on 4 July 1979, 11 days ahead of schedule. She was initially placed on Viking Line's Turku—Mariehamn—Stockholm service, but when her sister MS "Rosella" was delivered the next year, Turella was moved to the less prestigious Naantali—Mariehamn—Kapellskär route.sv icon [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/rosella_1980.htm Fakta om Fartyg: M/S "Rosella" (1980)] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007]

1988-1996

In September 1988 SF Line took delivery of the new MS "Amorella", which replaced Rosella on the Turku—Stockholm route. Originally SF Line had agreed to sell the "Rosella" to Stena Line upon delivery of the new ship. However due to the Amorella being delivered seven months behind schedule the "Rosella" could not be delivered to Stena when originally agreed. In the end the "Turella" was sold instead of "Rosella," as it was generally in a better condition and easier to convert for the traffic Stena planned her for. [fi icon [http://www.fcbsweb.com/forum/index.php?topic=9391.msg42169#msg42169 FCBS Forum: Sliten konkurssin syyt ja seuraukset + muuta 1980-90-l. taitteen Vikingistä] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] After rebuilding at Cityvarvet, Gothenburg, the Turella re-emerged as MS "Stena Nordica" (a name carried by many Stena Line ships over the years). "Stena Nordica" was placed a route connecting Gothenburg to Fredrikshavn in Denmark and Moss in Norway. She also occasionally served on the Gotheburg—Kiel route when the ships normally sailing that route were docked. In 1996 "Stena Nordica" was rebuilt at Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden, transferred to the fleet of Stena's subsidiary Lion Ferry and renamed MS "Lion King". During the next 1,5 years she sailed on routes Halmstad (Sweden) — Grenå (Denmark) and Karlskona (Sweden) — Gdynia (Poland).

1996-2005

In the end of the year 1997 "Lion King" was sold to Tallink, who renamed her MS "Fantaasia" and placed her on the Helsinki—Tallinn route (where she served alongside her old Viking Line fleetmate MS "Meloodia"). In 2002 after the delivery of the new MS "Romantika", the "Fantaasia" was moved to the Tallinn—Stockholm route, where she sailed alongside another old fleetmate from the Viking Line days, MS "Regina Baltica". [sv icon [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/romantika_2002.htm Fakta om Fartyg: M/S "Romantika" (2002)] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] sv icon [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/viking_song_1980.htm Fakta om Fartyg: M/S "Viking Song" (1980)] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] In 2004 the new MS "Victoria I" replaced Fantaasia on the Tallinn—Stockholm route, [sv icon [http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/victoria_2004.htm Fakta om Fartyg: M/S "Victoria" (2004)] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] and from the start of April of the same year "Fantaasia" opened a new Helsinki—Tallinn—St. Petersburg route for Tallink. Due to a rise in port fees issued by the Russian government and due to visa regulations not being prognosed to get any better between Russia and the European Union as it had been presumed when the line was started, the line was terminated by Tallink on January 2, 2005. [fi icon [http://www.fcbsweb.com/forum/index.php?topic=7257.msg44359#msg44359 Tallink press release reprinted at the FCBS Forum] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007]

2005-present

Following the collapse of the St. Petersburg traffic, the "Fantaasia" was swiftly chartered to Algerie Ferries for duration of nine months, during which she sailed between France and Algeria. After the end of the charter she spent some five months laid up in Tallinn until she was placed on Tallink's new Riga—Stockholm route in April 2006. However after little over a month of traffic she was replaced by the larger "Regina Baltica", and subsequently chartered to COMANAV until April 2007. Following the end of charter to COMANAV, she was again chartered to Algerie Ferries until October 2007.

Following the second Algerie Ferries charter, the "Fantaasia" was chartered to the Norway-based Kystlink [no icon [http://www.varden.no/article/20071010/NYHET/710100012/1088/_ Varden: Kystlink hyrer finsk ferje] , retrieved 10. 10. 2007] for three months (with an option for three additional months) from [ [http://www.baltic.omxgroup.com/market/?pg=details&instrument=EE3100004466&list=2&tab=news&news_id=218639 OMX Group: CORRECTION: Chartering Fantaasia] , retrieved 19. 10. 2007] to replace their MS "Pride of Telemark" that was out of service following an accident where the ship rammed the breakwater at Hirtshals, Denmark. [ [http://www.fcbsweb.com/forum/index.php?topic=11599.msg86293#msg86293 Aftenposten english article reprinted at the FCBS Forum] , retrieved 18. 10. 2007] Before entering service for Kystlink, "Fantaasia" was be docked at Cityvarvet, Gothenburg. [fi icon [http://www.fcbsweb.com/forum/index.php?topic=11787.msg88701#msg88701 FCBS Forum: Fantaasia vuokrataan Kystlinkille?] , retrieved 18. 10. 2007] On November 15 the Swedish Maritime Authority Sjöfartsinspektionen deemed the ship unsafe and prohibited it from leaving Cityvarvet until 18 faults found during the inspection were fixed. [sv icon [http://www.gp.se/gp/jsp/Crosslink.jsp?d=361&a=383133 Göterborgs-Posten 17. 11. 2007: Färja kvar i hamn med allvarliga fel] , retrieved 17. 11. 2007] Twelve of the faults were considered severe, including several permanently open watertight doors, a nonfunctional loudspeaker system, blocked emergency exists and nonfunctional winches used for lowering lifeboats. [sv icon [http://www.gt.se/nyheter/1.929930/personfarjan-panikstoppad GT.se 17. 11. 2007: Personfärjan panikstoppad] , retrieved 17. 11. 2007] [et icon [http://www.postimees.ee/171107/esileht/siseuudised/296181.php?tallinki-parvlaev-kuulutati-rootsis-soidukolbmatuks Postimees.ee 17. 11. 2007: Tallinki parvlaev kuulutati Rootsis sõidukõlbmatuks] , retrieved 17. 11. 2007] According to Tallink, the inspection was made while refitting of the ship was still in process, which they cited as the reason why several onboard systems were turned off-line and normal safety procedures were not observed. [et icon [http://www.postimees.ee/171107/esileht/siseuudised/296201.php?tallinki-ohutusjuht-fantaasia-oli-ulevaatuse-ajal-remondis Postimees.ee 17. 11. 2007: Tallinki ohutusjuht: Fantaasia oli ülevaatuse ajal remondis] , 18. 11. 2007] On 11 December the ship entered service with Kystlink on their Langesund—Hirtshals and Langesund—Strömstad routes.

On 2008-04-15 the "Fantaasia" was sold by Tallink to Kystlink, with delivery date set for June of the same year. She was eventually delivered to her new owners on 2008-06-30, subsequently re-registered into Norway and renamed MS "Kongshavn".

References

External links

* [http://www.kystlink.com/ Kystlink official website]

fi:M/S Fantaasia