MS Superfast IX

MS "Superfast IX" is a fast Ro-Pax ferry owned by the Estonian ferry company Tallink. Since October 2008 she has been under charter to the Canada-based Marine Atlantic. She is due to enter service for Marine Atlantic in September 2008 under the name MS "Atlantic Vision" following rebuilding at Luonnonmaan telakka, Naantali, Finland. She was built in 2002 by HDW, Kiel, Germany for Attica Enterprises's subsidiary Superfast Ferries.

ervice 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.Fact|date=April 2008 "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" was laid up at the shipyard that had built her. 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 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. [cite web |url=http://64.239.60.141/Adriatic/English/press/NewsDetailed.aspx?IDPrint=62 |title=Conclusion of sale of Superfast VII, Superfast VIII and Superfast IX to AS Tallink Grupp |accessdate=2008-04-02 |date=2006-07-21 |format= |work=Superfast Ferries press release |publisher=Superfast Ferries ] Following this the "Superfast IX" and her sisters were re-registered to Paldiski in Estonia, 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,Fact|date=April 2008 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,Fact|date=April 2008 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.cite web |url=http://www.portofhelsinki.fi/default.asp?docId=13792 |title=Tallinkin Superfast alusten siirtyminen liikennöimään Helsingistä Saksaan |accessdate=2008-04-02 |date=2006-11-07 |last= |first= |format= |publisher=Port of Helsinki |language=in Finnish ] As the same time all remaining Superfast logos and hull markings were removed. At the time it was reported that conincing 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. [cite web |url=http://www.finnjetweb.com/en/news/index.htm |title=Finnjetweb News: Nothing new in the West |accessdate=2008-04-02 |date=2006-10-23 |last=Saken |first=Mathias |format= |work=Finnjetweb ]

In April 2008 Tallink made an agreement for chartering the "Superfast IX" to Marine Atlantic, a Canadian Crown Corporation, for five years from October 2008 onwards. [cite web |url=http://www.tallink.com/mainMenu/pressRoom/stockExchangeReleases/sr_25042008_sf9_charter.htm |title=Charter of MS "Superfast IX" |accessdate=2008-04-25 |date=2008-04-25 |format= |last= |first= |work=Tallink press release |publisher=Tallink ] The Government of Canada will provide Marine Atlantic with $101 million over five years to fund the charter. [cite web |url=http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/en/NewVessel/newsrelease.shtml |title=Government of Canada Funds New Vessel for Marine Atlantic Inc. |accessdate=2008-04-27 |date= |format= |last= |first= |work=Marine Atlantic press release |publisher=Marine Atlantic ] The ship will be used by Marine Atlantic on their service between Port aux Basques, Newfoundland [cite web |url=http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/en/NewVessel/newvessel.shtml |title=Our Ship is coming and she's a beauty |accessdate=2008-04-27 |date= |format= |last= |first= |work= |publisher=Marine Atlantic ] and North Sydney, Nova Scotia.Fact|date=April 2008 A naming competition was held for the ship, with students in Newfoundland and Labrador and in Cape Breton eligible to make entries. [cite web |url=http://www.marine-atlantic.ca/en/Contest/newsrelease.shtml |title=Name the Vessel Contest Launched by Marine Atlantic |accessdate=2008-04-27 |date= |format= |last= |first= |work=Marine Atlantic press release |publisher=Marine Atlantic ] On 2008-06-21 the results of the competition were published, and "Atlantic Vision" was chosen as the new name for the vessel. [cite web |url=http://www.thewesternstar.com/index.cfm?sid=146006&sc=23 |title=Atlantic Vision chosen as ship’s new name |accessdate=2008-06-22 |date=2008-06-21 |format= |last= |first= |work= |publisher=The Western Star ]

2008 onwards: Marine Atlantic service

The "Superfast IX" ceased service with Tallink on 2008-08-31 and subsequently sailed to Luonnonmaan telakka in Naantali, Finland for reconstruction into her new service.

References

External links

* [http://www.tallinksilja.com/en/tab2/ships/superfast/ Tallink Silja official website for Tallink Superfast]

fi:M/S Superfast IX