A new ship with a long history

	Two generations – both with remarkable histories.

Newbuildings are always projects where patience, flexibility and a good deal of creativity are necessary virtues. “Stena Freighter” is a project where those virtues were really tested to the limit. Six shipyards in three countries and a berth in a French port were all involved – as well as towage operations covering a couple of thousand nautical miles – before the new vessel could enter into its new service.

Although being newly delivered, “Stena Freighter” already has a remarkable history. In 1998, SEC in Italy delivered the first vessel in a series of five 2,700-lane metres ro-ro ships ordered by Stena Ro Ro. But at that time when the Sea Centurion entered service for the British Ministry of Defence, MOD, the shipyard had for some time been in financial trouble. The main reason was that SEC had for environmental reasons been denied to expand its building site. As a consequence, the ro-ro series was planned to be built in three sections at three different locations, a set-up that became too complex. The first vessel was originally intended for UND, but when the Turkish operator cancelled due to the delay, MOD which was to take vessel number two and three in the series, stepped in and took delivery of the first vessel. The delay was so significant that the delivery of the Sea Centurion almost coincided in time with the original plan for the delivery with the second vessel in the series.

Different stages of completion
Delivery problems continued and the financial problems grew for the shipyard, which finally filed for bankruptcy and MOD cancelled the order for the second vessel. At that time, Stena Ro Ro had found a new customer for two of the vessels, Spanish Transmed, leaving the Swedish operator with fixed deals for four ships in the series, but with a shipyard running out of steam.

So, when the bankruptcy proceedings were initiated one of five vessels had been delivered, the Sea Centurion (today sailing as Mont Ventoux in the Mediterranean). The other four units were in different stages of completion. Number two, with the working name Sea Chieftain and intended for the MOD, was finished to about 50 per cent with hull works completed. Number three, built for charter to Transmed and to be named Aronte, had been launched. The aft section of vessel number four, also intended for Transmed were being assembled on the slipway and steel cutting of the fifth had begun.

	“Stena Freighter”.

In 2002, Stena Ro Ro bought vessel number two from the bankruptcy estate at an auction. Ship number three was sold to an Italian owner.

Stena Ro Ro wanted to move the vessel from the shipyard site a.s.a.p. to avoid potential disputes. The company paid swiftly and prepared to heave anchor and to start towage to France. The mills of Italian bureaucracy grind slowly however, and for ten days Stena Ro Ro was in a situation where they had paid for the vessel but without a Bill of Sale to prove their ownership. In such a situation, it takes a strong owner to fend off banks pressing for collateral.

When the Bill of Sale at last was handed over, the tug, which fare meter had been ticking for ten unexpected days, started to pull and the half-finished vessel was towed to a berth in Toulon, France. Engine works commenced and several shipyards were invited to inspect the vessel and to file tenders for the completion works.

Finally, a shipyard in Slovenia was chosen and preparations started to tow the vessel from Toulon after six months at berth. The deal, however, fell when the shipyard couldn’t deliver sufficient financial guarantees. A Croatian sub-contractor already working on electrical installations then provided an alternative, in which they teamed up with the Kraljevica shipyard in Croatia, and the towage to the Adriatic Sea could commence.

	Easy access to all cargo decks.

In February 2003, the equipage arrived at the Kraljevica Shipyard. Here, plans were once more disturbed by another troubled shipyard. Originally, the intention was to dry-dock the vessel at the Victor Lenac shiprepair yard in Croatia. Victor Lenac however filed for bankruptcy, and a new dry dock facility was needed. This was found at the Arsenale Shipyard in Venice on the other side of the Adriatic Sea.

Once again, the vessel was moved under towage to a shipyard. After inspections and hull works, the tow headed back to Kraljevica for finishing works. The vessel had however to make acquaintance with yet another shipyard before being put into service. Delivery dry-docking was carried out in Trieste, Italy, but this time the vessel steamed to the shipyard under her own power.

In the end of February this year, almost six years after the original plans, the vessel was delivered to its owner and put into service for her charterer Stena Line on its route between Göteborg and Travemünde. Named “Stena Freighter”, she replaces the namesake legendary ro-ro vessel, which has plied these waters since the early 80s.

So what about number three in the series, the one that was bought by an Italian owner? This was bought by Stena last autumn, and delivered this spring after having been completed by the shipyard Marina di Carrara, in Italy. Named “Stena Carrier” she has also replaced a namesake vessel and teamed up with Stena Freighter on the Göteborg–Travemünde run. Together they have almost doubled the capacity on the Stena Line Sweden–Germany link.

//Rolf P. Nilsson