MS Birger Jarl in the Stockholm archipelago in July 2007. |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1953—1973: SS Birger Jarl 1973—1977: SS Bore Nord 1978—1982: SS Baltic Star 1982—2002: MS Baltic Star 2002 onwards: MS Birger Jarl[1] |
| Owner: | 1953—1973: Rederi AB Svea 1973—1977: Jakob Lines 1977: Steamship Company Bore 1977—1978: Minicarriers 1978—2002: Caribbean Shipping Company 2002—2005: Rederi AB Allandia 2005 onwards: Rederi Birger Jarl AB[1][2] |
| Operator: | 1953—1970: Rederi AB Svea 1970—1973: Silja Line 1973—1977: Jakob Lines 1978—2002: Ånedin Linjen[1][2] |
| Port of registry: | 1953—1973: Stockholm, Sweden 1973—1977: Jakobstad, Finland 1977—1982: Turku, Finland 1982—2002: Colón, Panama 2002 onwards: Stockholm, Sweden[1] |
| Route: | Stockholm—Mariehamn (as of 2009) |
| Builder: | Finnboda varv, Nacka, Sweden[2] |
| Yard number: | 351[2] |
| Launched: | 15 January 1953[1] |
| Christened: | 15 January 1953 by Margit Hagander[1] |
| Acquired: | 4 June 1953[1] |
| In service: | 9 June 1953[1] |
| Identification: | IMO number: 5044893[1] |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (as built, 1953)[1] | |
| Type: | passenger liner |
| Tonnage: | 3,236 GRT 850 metric tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 92.50 m (303 ft 6 in) |
| Beam: | 14.28 m (46 ft 10 in) |
| Draught: | 5.50 m (18 ft 1 in) |
| Ice class: | 1 C |
| Installed power: | Quadruple steam engine with exhaust steam turbo compressor, 3,300 hk |
| Propulsion: | 1 propeller |
| Speed: | 15 knots (27.78 km/h; 17.26 mph) |
| Capacity: | 600 passengers 252 passenger berths 30 cars (lo-lo) |
| General characteristics (as rebuilt, 1989)[1] | |
| Type: | cruise ship |
| Tonnage: | 3,564 GT (gross tonnage) 864 DWT |
| Installed power: | MAN-B&W 4SA diesel engine, 2,795 kW |
| Speed: | 15.50 knots (28.71 km/h; 17.84 mph) |
| Capacity: | 369 passengers 369 passenger berths[2] |
M/S Birger Jarl is a cruise ship owned by Ånedinlinjen and operated on cruise service between Stockholm, Sweden and Mariehamn on the Åland Islands (Finland). She was built in 1953 as a passenger liner at Finnboda shipyard in Nacka, Sweden as S/S Birger Jarl for Rederi AB Svea. In 1973 she was sold to Jakob Lines, was renamed S/S Bore Nord and converted into a ferry. In 1978 she passed under the ownbership of Ånedin Linjen and was renamed S/S Baltic Star. In 1982 the ship's original steam engines were replaced by new diesel engines, hence the ship's prefix was altered into M/S. In 1989 the engines were again changed to new diesels. In 2002 the ship reverted to the name Birger Jarl.[1]
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S/S Birger Jarl was ordered by Rederi AB Svea at Finnboda shipyard in Nacka where the keel of the ship was laid on 16 November 1951. She was launched on 15 January 1953 and named after the 13th century Swedish statesman Birger jarl. Her maiden voyage was made on 9 June 1953 to Helsinki, after which she started regular service on the routes Stockholm - Helsinki and Stockholm - Turku.
S/S Birger Jarl is known as one of the Olympia-ships, which were built in order to upgrade the ferry traffic in view of the 1952 Summer Olympics in Helsinki. Her two sisterships, S/S Aallotar and S/S Bore III, entered service before the Olympics, but S/S Birger Jarl was delivered only the year after.
Between 1973 and 1978 the ship was sailing under the name S/S Bore Nord and between 1978 and 2002 her name was S/S Baltic Star / M/S Baltic Star. In 2002 she got her original name back.