SV Estelle

• Monica
• Westa
• Vesta

Finnish Maritime Authority

IMO no. 5108883

The Estelle is a traveling under the Finnish flag three-masted gaff schooner steely hull. The ship in its use as part of the aid flotilla for the Palestinian territories became known.

History

The Estelle was built in 1922 in Emden at Schulte & Bruns as a fishing boat. She was wearing the name of Vesta, was renamed Westa 1954 and received in 1959 the name Monica. Since 1961 she is called Estelle.

Her hull was extended in 1957 to eight meters to 53 meters. She ran to about 1986 as a cargo ship, then went into the possession of Eestaas Ltd. and was repaired for ten years, reconstructed and converted into a sailing ship. In 1994, the first test drive after starting the restoration phase. Since 1997, the ship is registered as Finnish merchant ships, they also became a training ship. Since 1999, she also holds a certificate for high sea voyages. In 2002, she completed a trip to Angola and a Greenpeace tour; In 2003, she participated in several regattas. As before, it is used as a sailing cargo ship.

Companies was the ship from the ecological- political association Uusi Tuuliry ( New Wind ) from Finland. In 2012 it went to the club Ship to Gaza Sweden, the fitting out there for an auxiliary transport for the Gaza Strip.

Auxiliary transport and deposition in 2012

Early October, ran out of the Estelle from the port of Naples. On October 16, 2012, she broke off the Greek island of Gavdos south of Crete on with 20 people on board the Gaza Strip.

Soldiers of the Israeli Navy went on October 19, 2012 aboard the Estelle. The masked soldiers took control of the boat at a maritime location, which is, according Ship to Gaza Sweden almost 50 kilometers off the coast of Gaza. The crew of the ship did not resist, according to Israel. Five to six Israeli navy ships had surrounded the Estelle. The ship should be spent in the approximately 100 kilometers away Israeli port of Ashdod.

With the action, the participants wanted help to quit since 2007 existing Israeli blockade of the Palestinian Gaza Strip. On board were 17 pro-Palestinian activists from Finland, Sweden, Norway, Canada, Spain, Italy, Greece and Israel. Four of them were at the time of the trip incumbent or former member of parliament. They were expected and fixed in Ashdod by the Israeli police.

Technical data and equipment

The ship is equipped with a two-stroke diesel engine manufacturer Burmeister & Wain with an output of 180 kW. Under engine the ship reaches a speed of up to 8 knots.

For the power supply a total of three generators are installed, two with a capacity of 25 kW and with a power of 6 kW.

The ship has two charging compartments with a volume of 123 cubic meters or 200.8 m³. The carrying capacity of the ship is 220 tons.

On board are nine cabins with a total of 15 beds.