MS Stena Superfast VII
Superfast VII
- Superfast VII
IMO no. 9198941
The Stena Superfast VII is a ro-pax ferry the Estonian Tallink Group, which is currently being chartered to the Swedish Stena Line. It is used between Belfast and Cairnryan.
History
The ship was built in 2001 in Kiel at HDW - German shipyard for Superfast Ferries. In 2006, she went over to their new owners of Tallink and is chartered to Stena Line since 2011.
The Stena Superfast VII was the first of four ships of her class ordered together with her sister ship Superfast VIII in 1998 HDW. On 8 November 2000, the launch took place and it was passed on 8 May 2001 at their owners. On 17 May 2001 it started operating between Rostock and Hanko. On 12 November 2004, the Superfast VII was heavily damaged in a storm in the port of Hanko. On 14 November 2004, the ship sailed to Naantali to the shipyard Luonnonmaan Telakka. On November 27, 2004, she was finally able to resume operation. On 21 March 2006 Superfast Ferries sold the entire Baltic Sea operating with the ships Superfast VII, Superfast VIII and Superfast IX to Tallink. The route was changed on 17 April 2006 and since then, the Estonian port of Paldiski was also started. But since there were problems with the port operators was changed back to Hanko -Rostock in June the route. From 1 January 2007, the ship sailed the route Helsinki -Rostock and from 14 January, the Tallinn-Helsinki route -Rostock. Due to rising fuel costs and declining passenger numbers the route was changed in late 2008 back to Helsinki -Rostock, and one of the three ships on this route, which chartered Superfast IX to Marine Atlantic. Since here only the ships Superfast VII and Superfast VIII were used. From January to the end of April 2010, the ships were launched in Tallinn, then they took the service back on. On December 29 and 30, 2010, Superfast VII replaced the superstar on the Tallinn-Helsinki route because of a shipyard stay. In March 2010, Stena Line announced that the Superfast VII and Superfast VIII to charter. Since 21 November 2011, the ships are now on the route Belfast - Cairnryan used.