M/S Casino Express

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M/S Casino Express is car-passenger ferry owned by the finnish shipping company RG Line, and has been laid up in Vaasa, Finland since August 2005. She was built in 1966 by Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden as M/S Fennia for Siljavarustamo / Siljarederiet. During her long career the Fennia also sailed for Jakob Lines and Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna, and spent short times chartered to Sessan Linjen, SAGA Linjen, B&I Line, Baltic Line and SeaWind Line. It is notable that despite the changes of ownership and services for different companies the ship retained her original name for 35 years.

1 History
2 Specifications
- 2.1 As built
- 2.2 Currently
3 External links

[edit] History

[edit] 1966-1984

In the 1960's Siljavarustamo / Siljarederiet (daughter company of Finland Steamship Company (FÅA), Steamship Company Bore and Rederi AB Svea) started traffic between Finland and Sweden for the first time on genuine car-passenger ferries, the first of these being delivered in 1961. In 1964 a new, larger ferry was ordered for service between Turku (Finland) and Stockholm (Sweden) from the Swedish Öresundsvarvet shipyard. On May 7, 1966 the brand-new ferry, christened M/S Fennia started traffic. She was at the time the largest ferry in Finland - Sweden traffic.

Already in the same year the Fennia faced problems however. On October 16 1966 she ran aground near Bogskär. On the following day cars and trucks carried onboard were transferred onboard her fleetmates M/S Holmia and M/S Nordia, and on October 18th she sailed with the help of a tugboat to Finnboda shipyard, Stockholm for repairs. The repairs took quite some time and it was not until December 17 that the Fennia returned to traffic.

In spring 1968 an American company made an offer to buy the Fennia, but it was turned down. In June 1970 the ship's ownership passed to Svea Line (Finland), when the ownership of Silja Line was reorganised and the former joint daughter company became a marketing company for FÅA, Bore and Svea. In early 1971 the Fennia was painted in Silja Line's new all-white livery. During the same year she suffered from two accidents, first on March 10 when she accidentally rammed the quay in Turku in dense fog, suffering serious damage to her bow, and the second time on December 14 when she collided with the polish freighter Rusalka in the Turku archipelago. This time damages were minimal.

In 1975 Silja Line partner companies took delivery of three new large ferries for Helsinki - Stockholm and Turku - Stockholm routes, which meant the Fennia spent portions of the following years either laid up or chartered to other companies. Between January and April 1975 she was docked in Helsingör, where her engines were changed to more powerful MaK diesels. Between July and October of the same year the ship sailed on the Turku - Åland - Norrtälje (Sweden) route. In June 1976 the Fennia became the first ship to visit Valmet's new shipyard in Kotka. In October 1977 she was laid up in Turku until the Swedish Sessan Linjen company chartered her for traffic from Gothenburg (Sweden) to Travemünde (Germany) and Frederikshavn (Denmark) between January and March 1978. After the charter she was briefly laid up again, until in late April she returned to Turku - Stockholm traffic. She was again chartered off for the duration of January 1979, when she sailed between Malmö (Sweden) and Travemünde for SAGA Linjen.

After the charter the Fennia stayed on the Turku - Stockholm traffic until November 1982 when she was laid up and put for sale. No buyer was immediately forthcoming, and for the summer season 1983 she was chartered to the Irish B&I Line for traffic between Pembroke - Cork. The Fennia was found to be ill-suited for this traffic however as she had no stabilisers. Finally in November 1983 the Fennia was sold, to the Finnish Jakob Lines for delivery in 1984. Before her sale the Fennia served for Silja Line one more time, this time on the Helsinki - Stockholm route in January and February 1984 when the route's normal ships were being docked.

[edit] 1984-2000

In May 1984 the Fennia began service with Jakob Lines. Initially she was set on the new Jakobstad (Finland) - Örnsköldsvik (Sweden) route, later also on Jakob Lines' traditional Jakobstad - Skellefteå route. On November 28 two passengers were injured during a heavy storm. The Fennia was from the beginning a too large ship for Jakob Lines and already in December 1985 she was sold to Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna (in exchange for M/S Fenno Express and 19, 1 million Finnish marks). Between January and April 1986 the Fennia was heavily rebuilt at Wärtsilä Turku shipyard. Her terraced rear superstructure was built in with cabins, the midship dummy funnel / observation lounge was removed, the two actual funnels to the rear were given a sleeker appearance and to support the additions rear sponsons were added.

On March 25 1986 the Fennia began her service for Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna on the Vaasa (Finland) - Sundsvall (Sweden) route. During her service with Vaasanlaivat She also served on the Vaasa - Umeå, Jakobstad - Umeå and Jakobstad - Skellefteå routes (the latter two after Vaasanlaivat bought Jakob Lines in 1989). In the beginning of the year 1990 Vaasanlaivat changed it's name to Wasa Line. In November 12, 1991 an accident in the engine room resulted in 14 tons of fuel oil leaking into the sea outside Örnsköldsvik.

Between April and October 1992 the Fennia served on the routes Vaasa - Umeå, Jakobstad - Umeå, Jakobstad - Skellefteå and Kokkola - Skellefteå. In October 1992 the Fennia was chartered to Baltic Line for traffic from Norrköping (Sweden) to Riga (Latvia). In the beginning of 1993 Wasa Line was merged into Silja Line. Fennia's charter to Baltic Line ended in March 1993 and in May of the same year the Fennia retuned to her previous routes across the Kvarken, now back in Silja Line colours. In 1994 the line from Kokkola was terminated. For the winter season 1994-1995 the Fennia was chartered to Silja Line's subsidiary SeaWind Line for traffic on her old route Turku - Stockholm. After the end of the charter in May 1995 the Fennia again returned to traffic across the Kvarken, sailing Vaasa - Umeå during the winter season and a varied itinerary from Vaasa and Jakobstad during the summer.

In 1997 the Kokkola - Skellefteå route was reopened, although traffic was limited to weekends during the summer season. In 1998 the traffic from Kokkola was again discontinued (this time for good), but Fennia continued to traffic on the Vaasa - Umeå, Jakobstad - Umeå and Jakobstad - Skellefteå -routes. A special Jakobstand - Luleå cruise was also made during the summer. In May and June 1999 Fennia trafficked from Jakobstad for the last time, the end of tax-free sales in intra-EU traffic in July 1999 meant that the traffic from Jakobstad was no longer profitable. The end of Tax-Free sales also affected the Vaasa - Umeå route badly, and on September 23 1999 the Fennia was laid up and put for sale.

Pending a potential charter to a Turkish company the Fennia was docked in May 2000 and all Silja Line markings were painted over. The charter didn't materialise, but the Fennia was chartered to SeaWind Linebetween June and August of the same year as a freight-carrying ship. At the end of the charter the Fennia returned to Vaasa for another lay-up.

[edit] 2001-

In February 2001 the Fennia was sold to the Finnish RG Line for traffic between Vaasa and Umeå (RG Line had won the bid for subsidiaries from the Finnish State for that route). On May 1 2001 the Fennia was renamed for the first time during her career, into M/S Casino Express. RG Line planned to gain additional income from the onboard casino, but this proved highly unpopular and was removed during the same year.

It soon became evident that in the new situation the Casino Express was a too large ship to operate profitably in year-round traffic, even with state subsidiaries. In 2002 RG Line planned to register the ship as a freighter during the winter season to cut costs, but the plan fell through as the ship was not in a good enough condition to be approved as a freighter in the Finnish ship registry. As a result, the ship was reregistered into Umeå in September 2002. In January 2003 the ship docked in Kopli, Estonia. After the ship returned to traffic, traces of asbestos - that should have been removed before the ship returned to traffic - were found on her cardeck. In February and March of the same year difficult ice conditions led to cancellation of several departures.

On November 24, 2004 the Casino Express was grounded while entering the port of Umeå due to high winds. All passengers and some of the crew were evacuated during the following night, and during the following three days all cars carried onboard were transported to shore. On December 5 the ship was finally refloated and sailed to Tallinn, Estonia for repairs.

After repairs were completed the Casino Express resumed traffic in May 2005. However, by this time RG Line had another ship, M/S RG 1 in traffic, and it was decided that at the end of the 2005 summer season, in August, the Casino Express would be laid up and put for sale.

The Casino Express remains laid up in Vaasa, awaiting buyer (as of January 10, 2007), but none have forthcoming thus far, and it seems somewhat unlikely a buyer will emerge for the aged ship.