Leif Ericson |
|
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 1991-2001: Stena Challenger 2001 onwards: Leif Ericson |
| Operator: | 1991-1995: Stena Sealink Line 1995-2001: Stena Line 2001 onwards: Marine Atlantic |
| Port of registry: | St Johns, Canada |
| Builder: | Fosen Yards, Norway |
| Yard number: | 50 |
| Laid down: | 13 March 1990[1] |
| Launched: | 4 October 1990[1] |
| Completed: | 1 May 1991[1] |
| In service: | 1991– |
| Identification: | IMO number: 8917388 Call sign: VOCJ |
| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics [2][1] | |
| Tonnage: | 18523 GT 5556 NT 4598 DWT |
| Length: | LOA 158 m (518.4 ft) LBP 142 m (466 ft) |
| Beam: | 24.3 m (79.7 ft) |
| Draught: | 7.9 m (25.9 ft) |
| Depth: | 13.2 m (43 ft) |
| Ice class: | DNV ICE-1B |
| Installed power: | 2 x Sulzer 8 ZAL40S diesels |
| Propulsion: | 2 x controllable pitch propellers |
| Speed: | 18 kn (33.3 km/h; 20.7 mph) |
| Capacity: | 500 passengers 1550 lane meters |
The MV Leif Ericson is a Canadian commercial/passenger-vehicle ferry operated by Marine Atlantic. It is also the oldest vessel currently being operated by Marine Atlantic, after the MV Caribou and the MV Joseph and Clara Smallwood had their final voyage.
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The vessel was built in Fosen, Norway in 1991 as the MS Stena Challenger for Stena Line. She originally operated across the English Channel between Dover, England and Calais, France.
The vessel was purchased by the Government of Canada for its Crown corporation Marine Atlantic in 2001 and underwent modifications in preparation for operating the 178 km route between North Sydney, Nova Scotia and Port aux Basques, Newfoundland and Labrador.
She was renamed Leif Ericson in honour of the 1000th anniversary of Leif Ericson's settlement in Newfoundland, reportedly the first European to set foot in the "New World".
In June 2010, Marine Atlantic announced an extensive midlife refit of approximately $18 million over the next twelve months for the MV Leif Ericson.[3]
The vessel has a capacity of 500 passengers and 300 passenger vehicles (combination of automobiles and tractor trailers).
She operates carrying commercial vehicles only on the North Sydney-Port aux Basques route in conjunction with the sister ships MV Blue Puttees and MV Highlanders.