GTS Finnjet - Timeline of Key Events
GTS FINNJET - TIMELINE OF KEY EVENTS
FHS version 1.2.
1970's
| Date (dd.mm.yyyy) | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 05.12.1973 | Ordered1 |
| 20.05.1975 | Keel laid at the Wärtsilä Hietalahti shipyard in Helsinki, Finland. |
| 28.03.1976 | Swum up in building dock without ceremony. |
| 09.12.1976 | Sea trials until 12.12.1976. |
| 01.03.1977 | Sailed to Kiel, West-Germany for the painting of the underwater hull, also called at Travemünde, West-Germany for trial berthing. |
| 14.03.1977 | Second sea trials |
| 28.04.1977 | Delivered to Enso-Gutzeit Oy (c/o Oy Finnlines Ltd.), Helsinki (1576); Christened FINNJET by Mrs. Annikki Mattila, wife of Olavi J. Mattila, chairman of the board of Enso-Gutzeit Oy. |
| 01.05.1977 | Due to Finnish seamen's strike, the maiden voyage had to be postponed by two weeks. |
| 12.05.1977 | Gas turbine test drives. |
| 13.05.1977 | Commenced liner traffic on the route Helsinki-Travemünde |
| 16.05.1977 | Collided with the berth in Travemünde, minor damages to the bow door. |
| 06.06.1977 | Stowaway passengers discovered in a lifeboat. |
| 16.11.1977 | Bow visor damaged in heavy waters, visor is inoperable. |
| 22.08.1978 | Gearbox damage forces reduced speed. |
| 09.02.1978 | Stuck in ice and freed with tug assistance. |
1980's
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 05.1980 | Docked at HDW, Kiel. |
| 16.06.1980 | During docking installation of a hoistable car deck, capacity for 24 more cars added. |
| 08.11.1980 | Due to strikes out of traffic until 15.11.1980 |
| 24.10.1981 | Installation of two diesel-electric engines at Amsterdamsche Droogbok Maatschappij BV until 11.12.1981 in Amsterdam, Holland. |
| 01.02.1982 | Remeasured: 25 042 GRT / 10 360 NRT / 1885 dwt. |
| 25.05.1982 | to 28.05 arrived at Helsinki for minor refurbishment. |
| 13.08.1982 | A refugee from the German Democratic Republic was taken onboard whilst traveling on an inflatable beach mattress, the crew hindered Finnish officials from deporting the refugee back to GDR, subsequently the crews handed the man over to West-German authorities. |
| 1982 | During winter season three cruises to Tallinn roads. |
| 01.01.1983 | Marketing and operation handed over to Oy Finnjet-Line Ltd., Helsinki (75% Effoa / 25% Enso-Gutzeit) |
| 22.01.1985 | Stuck fast in pack ice near Harmaja / Gråhara off Helsinki |
| 25.03.1985 | to 31.03 arrived at HDW, Kiel for installment of new radar equipment. |
| 12.01.1986 | Arrived at Wärtsilä's Helsinki shipyard to be fitted with 29 Commodore Class cabins on the upper sundeck. |
| 08.02.1986 | Returned to service, now 1 544 passengers in cabins. |
| 13.05.1986 | Remeasured: 25 908 GRT / 11 202 NRT / 1 885 dwt. |
| 03.06.1986 | Sold to Effoa - Suomen Höyrylaiva Oy - Effoa - Finska Ångfartygs Ab, Helsinki, without change of name; technical managers remained Finnlines, operating and manning by Oy Silja Line Ab. |
| 16.12.1986 | Touched bottom whilst leaving Helsinki at 1900 h, refloated and reberthed with tug aid, resumed voyage the following day; sustained a damaged propeller portside, repairs at Howaldtswerke Deutsche Werft AG, Kiel (HDW). |
| 21.12.1986 | Returned to service. |
| 01.01.1987 | Marketing taken over by Oy Silja Line Ab when Silja Line purchased Oy Finnjet-Line Ltd. |
| 06.01.1987 | Silja flag hoisted in the mast. |
| 12.01.1987 | Had to turn back to Travemünde due to freezing sea spray on the superstructure. |
| 20.03.1987 | Sold to Oy Efjon-Trading Ab, (c/o Effoa - Suomen Höyrylaiva Oy - Effoa - Finska Ångfartygs Ab) Helsinki. |
| 04.04.1987 | until 12.04. repainted in Silja colours during docking at Kiel, 1 602 berths. |
| 29.05.1987 | Delivered to Oy Efjon-Trading Ab. |
| 17.02.1988 | Owners name changed to Rederi Ab Effjohn - Varustamo Oy Effjohn. |
| 10.04.1988 | to 17.04. docking at HDW, Kiel. Interiors refurbished. |
| 16.04.1989 | to 23.04. docking at HDW, Kiel. Interiors refurbished. |
| 01.05.1989 | Whole management incl. technical matters taken over by Silja Line Ab. |
| 15.12.1989 | Sold to Partrederiet för GTS Finnjet (Oy Silja Line Ab, Helsinki (partners in Partrederiet were Effoa Cruise and Ferry Oy Ab with 61% and Johnson Cruise and Ferries AB with 39%). |
1990's
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 20.05.1990 | until 25.05. ducktail installed during docking at HDW Kiel, new length 214,96 m. |
| 11.04.1991 | to 30.04. docking at HDW, Kiel. |
| 27.12.1991 | Sold to Effdo 1 Oy (Oy Silja Line Ab), Helsinki. |
| 03.04.1992 | to 08.04. docking at HDW, Kiel. |
| 09.06.1992 | Called at Muuga in Tallinn, Estonia for the first time with passengers, trials for this call in May 1992. |
| 15.01.1993 | Homeport Mariehamn, Finland (1378). |
| 23.06.1993 | Owners merged into Oy Silja Line Ab. |
| 01.11.1993 | New Register No. 50258. |
| 01.01.1994 | Remeasured in accordance with IMO 1969 convention: 32 940 GRT / 17 284 NRT / 2 728 dwt. |
| 07.04.1994 | Arrived at HDW for overhauls and installation of new gear boxes for simultaneous use of gas turbines and diesel-electric machinery, max speed increased to 33 kn, modernization of the bridge, preparation for ECDIS navigation system. |
| 01.05.1994 | Returned to service. |
| 28.09.1994 | Participated in rescue operations in the Estonia disaster. |
| 04.10.1994 | Bow door taken out of use and welded fast. |
| 04.1995 | Third watertight door installed at HDW in Kiel, bow door back to use. |
| 05.07.1995 | Owners renamed Silja Line Oy. |
| 02.04.1996 | to 04.04. serviced in Helsinki. |
| 11.11.1996 | Sold to Sally Ab, Mariehamn (Silja Line Oy, Helsinki). |
| 18.09.1997 | to 06.10 docked at Göteborg, Sweden for installment of a more powerful bow thruster, old thruster unit was installed in the stern in a new casing, interiors refurbished. |
| 09.10.1997 | Helsinki-Muuga service. |
| 04.06.1998 | Helsinki-Travemünde service. |
| 15.09.1998 | Helsinki-Muuga service. |
| 01.1999 | Started to call at Tallinn instead of Muuga (using passenger terminal D). |
| 05.06.1999 | Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock service. |
| 11.09.1999 | Helsinki-Tallinn service. |
| 23.12.1999 | Christmas cruise from Helsinki to Riga. |
2000's
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 03.06.2000 | Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock service. |
| 12.09.2000 | Helsinki-Tallinn service. |
| 23.12.2000 | Christmas cruise from Helsinki to Riga, Latvia. |
| 27.05.2001 | to 02.06.2001 Vessel is equipped with new fast reaction boat, ramps are removed from car deck, propeller blades with the nickname "racing blades" are installed. |
| 02.06.2001 | Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock service. |
| 11.09.2001 | Two cruises to Riga. |
| 15.09.2001 | Helsinki-Tallinn service. |
| 23.12.2001 | Christmas cruise to Riga and Tallinn. |
| 01.06.2002 | Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock service. |
| 07.07.2002 | A ship's waitress goes missing after midnight. |
| 09.09.2002 | Helsinki-Tallinn service. |
| 23.12.2002 | Christmas cruise to Travemünde and Tallinn. |
| 20.05.2003 | Helsinki-Tallinn-Rostock service. |
| 29.05.2003 | to 31.05 minor refurbishment at Helsinki, new steering gear is installed. |
| 09.09.2003 | Helsinki-Tallinn service. |
| 23.12.2003 | Christmas cruise to Riga. |
| 25.04.2004 | Last sailing Helsinki-Tallinn-Helsinki. |
| 27.04.2004 | Arrived at Aker Finnyards Oy, Rauma for extensive refurbishment, bridge wings enclosed, new rudders, aft ramp extended, propeller blades changed, public areas and restaurants on board completely rebuilt. |
| 14.06.2004 | Remeasured 32 975GT / 15 098 NT / 2828 dwt. Passenger certificate extended to 1 781 passengers / 1 631 berths. |
| 17.06.2004 | First departure on new route Rostock-Tallinn-St. Petersburg, Russia, departure was delayed due to technical problems, therefore St. Petersburg could not be called, vessel made turn-around in Tallinn instead. |
| 17.09.2004 | Laid up in Roctock due to unsatisfying booking situation for the winter season. |
| 11.04.2005 | Arrived at Aker Finnyards Oy, Rauma, for docking and minor repairs/overhaul (last visit of the vessel to Finland) |
| 28.04.2005 | Rostock-Tallinn-St. Petersburg service. |
| 02.05.2005 | After arrival in Rostock left empty for Riga, chartered to the Latvian Government as accommodation vessel during the visit of US President George W. Bush 04.-08.05.2005. |
| 09.05.2005 | Returned to service. |
| 16.09.2005 | Charter deal with Louisiana State University Health Science Center (LSUHSC) for a six-month period as accommodation vessel after buildings of LSUHSC had been devastated by hurricane "Katrina" on 29.08.2005, last round-trip Rostock-Tallinn-St. Petersburg cancelled. |
| 20.09.2005 | Departed Rostock for Baton Rouge after minor service work. |
| 24.09.2005 | Stopover in Ponta Delgada, Azores, for bunkering. |
| 05.10.2005 | Arrived at Port Allen (Port of Baton Rouge), Louisiana. |
| 10.10.2005 | First tenants arrive on the vessel. |
| 04.06.2006 | Final tenants depart the vessel. |
| 06.06.2006 | Left Baton Rouge with destination Freeport, Bahamas. |
| 09.06.2006 | Arrived at Freeport, Grand Bahama, laid up for sale, "Silja Line" logos on hull and funnel painted over. |
| 27.06.2006 | Ship management transferred from Silja Oy Ab to Sea Containers Ltd. |
| 19.07.2006 | Sold to Finnjet Bermuda Ltd. (managers Sea Containers Treasury Ltd., Portsmouth). |
| 20.07.2006 | Registered under Bahamas flag, homeport Nassau. |
| 13.02.2007 | to 16.02. Vessel is docked at Freeport; one gas turbine is kept stored at their facility. |
| 01.2008 | Ownership changed to Club Cruise of Holland. |
| 16.01.2008 | Renamed Da Vinci. |
| 25.01.2008 | Departed Freeport for Gibraltar. |
| 07.02.2008 | Bunkered at Gibraltar. |
| 18.02.2008 | Arrived Genoa, Italy. |
| 12.03.2008 | Gas turbine assemblies removed by former Finnish crewmen at T.Mariotti yard, Genoa, Italy; gas turbines sold and shipped forward to Texas, United States, for use as spare engines for a land-based power plant operator, vessel designation GTS ceased. |
| 17.04.2008 | Vessel was inspected by a Finnish party for an undisclosed potential buyer. |
| 08.05.2008 | Single certificate issued for voyage to India. |
| 10.05.2008 | Departed Genoa for Port Said, Egypt. |
| 16.05.2008 | Arrived at Port Said; 17.05. entered Suez Canal. |
| 19.05.2008 | Members of the Espoo city council in Finland proposed to purchase the vessel for the city as a housing vessing. |
| 21.05.2008 | Arrived at Jeddah, Saudi-Arabia, renamed Kingdom, registered under Panama flag, homeport Panama. |
| 26.05.2008 | Finnish entrepreneur group ProFinnjet Turku notified the public of searching for funds to purchase the ship as a low-cost housing and dormitory vessel for the city of Turku, Finland.2 |
| 27.05.2008 | Single voyage certificates issued. |
| 30.05.2008 | Vessel continued to await payment for bunkering outside of Jeddah, bunkered at Jeddah, departed for Aden, Yemen on 31.05. |
| 04.06.2008 | Bunkered at Aden, Yemen. |
THE FINAL WEEKS in more detail3
| Date | Event Description |
|---|---|
| 13.06.2008 | Arrived at Alang, India. Vessel is extensively searched for contraband items; radio gear is removed along with several key consoles in accordance to local laws.4 |
| 19.06.2008 | Beached on one diesel-electric engine, bulbous bow touched ground on plot number 109 of Rishi Ship Breakers, Alang-Sosiya, Gujarat, India. |
| 04.07.2008 | The shipbreaker missed a significant high tide opportunity to winch the vessel closer to the beach when pulling chains broke, vessel remained lightly beached. |
| 27.07.2008 | Final deadline given for voluntary Finnish-German rescue group JetFinn to arrange for full payment of the ship, or vessel would be winched closer to the beach on the high tide of this day; after successful winching breakage was further delayed when local officials required documentation to prove that the vessel was free of hazardous materials. So far only furnishings and loose items were removed from the vessel.5 |
| 06.08.2008 | Senate chancellery of the city Hamburg, Germany declined to offer moorage for JetFinn group after their appointed specialists come to a negative conclusion; vessel is cited for being unsuitable for future harbor development plans and is further cited for not having a connection to the city; Hamburg ends up being the only city to officially consider prime location moorage. |
| 21.08.2008 | An undisclosed group sent three former Finnish crewmen to inspect the ship.2 |
| 26.08.2008 | to 27.08 five Europeans visited the vessel and became the last former passengers to spend the night on the vessel. |
| 27.08.2008 | JetFinn group announced that a potential Middle Eastern buyer was working on plans to save the vessel for utilization as a hotel ship; rising steel prices elevated the price of the vessel; the potential buyer and owner of the vessel were reportedly unable to agree on the new price. |
| 05.09.2008 | After initial plans a Baltic Sea ferry operator decided against the vessel, citing an inspection report, which pointed to the deterioration of the vessel in hot and humid climate without running air conditioning. |
| 08.09.2008 | The shipbreaker announced that he will no longer re-float the vessel for potential buyers, but would sell the vessel on the beach. |
| 12.09.2008 | The harbour of Helsinki declined moorage for JetFinn group; cutting of the steel of the vessel commenced hours later.6 |
| 15.09.2008 | JetFinn group announced failure to save the vessel after a last-ditch attempt to persuade a Middle Eastern potential buyer to negotiate with a Baltic Sea ferry operator; this ended the saving trials.7 |
The following sources were used to compile this list:
- Marko Stampehl's chronicles, 'Siljan Viisi Vuosikymmentä', ISBN 978-951-98405-7-4
- Finnjet Historical Society ry, Society Archives
- FINNJETweb.com, Dates retrieved for first half of the year 2008.
- Helsingin Sanomat,
and unidentified parties to whom we are thankful.
Issues:
*) When comparing to the vessel's logs, we could even state ten minute delays in schedules. Should we have different editions of this listing? Compact and extensive?
**) Is there really only one noteworthy entry from the year 2007?
1) The Finnlines era is not properly documented yet. We need to go thru our archives and fill out some very obvious gaps. (Naantali...)
2) There will be no other mentions of the ProFinnjet Turku "foundation" while another group has claimed to have paid for the very same inspection in India. The leader of this expedition, Mr Veikko Haapanen (chief engineer on Finnjet for 25 years) has repeatedly stated to our chairman and vice chairman that he was not sent to India by ProFinnjet Turku.
3) "The final weeks in more detail" is a problematic section. Does a failed action warrant a notice? Here a failed action however means the destruction of the vessel. How to differentiate minor efforts from serious efforts? Basically this section is here to service the public with dates that can't be retrieved from elsewhere. Perhaps these will be later moved to a subsection covering the rescue efforts in more detail.
4) What exactly was removed before beaching and what directly after the beaching?
5) To what extent did the missing permits and saving efforts halt the cutting of the steel? Cutting did not start until after nearly three months after the beaching.
6) Did the negative reply of Helsinki initiate the cutting of the steel or was this coincidental timing? MTV3 channel's 1900hours (Helsinki time) news stated that the cutting has commenced, but not when. Could this have started already on the 10th or 11th day?
7) At what precise point does a vessel truly cease to exist? Suggestion: Query Mr Knego about this and if he can provide with a date when the time comes.
This listing is not yet complete and it may contain errors. Please do not publish this list elsewhere with a lower version number than 2.0. We have only started our compilation. Additionally, please help in making the list more complete. Please also cite sources. We intend to have every event with a proper reference point, preferrably have cross-references.