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The Star: New fast ferry on the Gulf of Finland
In April Tallink took delivery of their latest newbuilding, the Star, from Aker Yards and put her into service between Tallinn and Helsinki. According to the owner, she is the fastest vessel ever built for such a short route.

During the last years the Estonian ferry operator Tallink Group has shown an amazing development. In addition to an ambitious newbuilding programme, the company has also acquired the large ferry company Silja and the Baltic Sea activities of Superfast Ferries. Above all, the traffic area and liner network of Tallink have grown significantly, now spanning the whole Baltic Sea.

However, the largest investments in newbuildings have been achieved in the traffic area where it all started. Tonnage renewals in the group’s ferry traffic between Tallinn and Helsinki will continue, freeing existing tonnage for other routes.

	Captain Vahur Sõstra is pleased with the performance of the vessel.

New vessels
The Star is the first of two newbuildings of a similar type, intended for fast crossings on the Gulf of Finland. The second vessel is being built in Italy and will be handed over in April 2008. The intention is to sell the last of the small high-speed ferries, AutoExpress 2, when the ongoing season has come to an end.
In addition to the two vessels of the Star type, the second cruise ferry of the Galaxy type will be employed on the Tallinn–Helsinki route after delivery from the shipyard Aker Yards in summer 2008. Additional capacity on the route will as now be provided by the two Superfast ferries, which are employed on the Helsinki–Rostock service. During their stay at Helsinki they do a day crossing to

Tallinn and back, thus connecting this German ferry link with Estonia too. Even though none of Tallink’s small high-speed ferries are likely to remain in service in summer 2008, the company is able to offer seven sailings a day from both ports on the Tallinn–Helsinki route – all of them with capacity for freight as well. Of these sailings, five from each port are with fast ferries of the Star type.

When replaced by her younger sister on the Gulf of Finland in summer 2008, the cruise ferry the Galaxy will be transferred to the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route. The Silja Festival will thereafter be employed in Tallink’s traffic between Stockholm and Riga. When a new generation of cruise ferries is introduced on the Tallinn–Helsinki service in summer 2009, the yet unnamed Galaxy II will also be transferred to the Turku–Åland–Stockholm route.

	Four MaK main engines of 12,000 kW each provide a service speed of 27 knots.

Year-round service
The total renewal of Tallink’s fast ferry concept on the Tallinn–Helsinki route is the result of many years of experience with different types of aluminium-built high-speed vessels. Managing director Keijo Mehtonen of Tallink Silja Oy says that the general idea is to offer the customers a fast and non-weather-sensitive service throughout the year.

“Until today many of the travel agencies ceased booking group trips on our small fast ferries in September, when the possibility for bad weather increases on the Gulf of Finland. There was always an uncertainess to setting off that was due to weather conditions”, mr Mehtonen explains.

The new concept still includes a fast ferry link, but on a larger and more sea worthy vessel, which is able to sail all year round, also in the winter. The season of the smaller fast ferries used to end, at its latest, when ice began to form. The Star is equipped with fin stabilizers to make the journey as comfortable as possible also in rough weather. Mr Mehtonen says that the transports are also much more cost efficient on a larger vessel, as the costs for each carried passenger are considerably lower than on the high-speed ferries.
“Combining passengers, private cars and freight on the same vessel is a good and efficient concept, as the different categories complement each other”, he states.

Powerhouse
The Star is a fast car and passenger ferry with Finnish Swedish Ice Class 1A. In open water the service speed is 27 knots, enabling a crossing time between Tallinn and Helsinki of two hours. The present schedule includes a total of six

crossings a day, three in each direction. The distance between Tallinn and Helsinki is about 45 nautical miles.

	The integrated bridge system is delivered by Kelvin Hughes.

The impressive speed resources are achieved by four MAK 12M43C medium speed main engines with an output of 12,000 kW each at 514 rpm. The engines are coupled in pairs to two shafts with a rotation speed of 145 rpm. The 5.2 metres diameter propellers are made by Wärtsilä. The fuel consumption is declared to be 195 tons of 380 cSt heavy fuel oil a day.

There is also space reserved for a future installation of a catalytic exhaust gas cleaning system. The engine room is divided into two sections by a watertight transverse bulkhead, with one engine for each shaft in each compartment.
On sea trials the recorded maximum speed was 29 knots. The main engines may be operated in different combinations, of which the most usual are 1+1 or 2+2. With two engines running, one coupled to each shaft, the service speed is some 23 knots. The hull lines have been designed to create as little swell as possible.
Three pre-engineered medium speed 1350W8L20 generating sets, supplied by Wärtsilä, are installed for supply of electrical power. There are also two shaft generators from Leroy Somer.

Good manoeuvrability
According to the captain of the vessel, Vahur Sõstra, the manoeuvrability is excellent. In addition to the twin screw arrangement there are two Becker rudders as well as two 1,500 kW bow thrusters and a 1,000 kW stern thruster. The thrusters are supplied by Wärtsilä.

	The self-service restaurant Food Wave.

The integrated bridge is optimised for efficient watch keeping across the busy sea lane of the Gulf of Finland. The navigation system is supplied by Kelvin Hughes.
The layout of the cockpit-type bridge is based upon experience from the previous vessels delivered to Tallink by Aker Yards. It is designed in cooperation by the shipyard and the owner.
The crew consists of 100 persons and the vessel sails under the Estonian flag.

Day crossings
Although the Star is mainly a ferry for day crossings in her present traffic, she has 131 passenger cabins with a total of 520 beds. 66 of them are outside cabins, of which two are specially equipped to accommodate disabled persons. The passenger cabins are situated in the aft parts of decks 8 and 9.

In the present traffic the cabins are mainly used by truck drivers for a short rest. But mr Mehtonen stresses that Tallink never designs a vessel only for one specific route. With a significant number of cabins the vessel may be employed on any route where fast crossings and large cargo capacity is demanded. This is important not in the least in the future when it is time to sell the vessel.
The passenger areas on the Star are spacious and provide a large number of seats, which is of course important in a ferry with mainly day crossings. The maximum passenger capacity is 1,900.

Passengers embark the vessel on deck 7, on which also a business lounge with 120 seats is situated. Access to the lounge is granted to passengers with First Class tickets, also including food and beverage as well as newspapers. On the same deck aft are also Pub Seaport with 485 seats and the 1,500 sqm shopping area.

On deck 8 the forward part is Food Wave, a self-service restaurant with 450 seats. The cafeteria Snack Time on the same deck has 320 seats. There is also an à la carte restaurant.

The Quick & Easy restaurant on deck 9 serves fast food like hamburgers and pizza. The interiors are mostly delivered turnkey. Among the main turnkey suppliers are Merima (restaurants and cafes on decks 8 and 9), Kaefer (passenger cabin area), Jonmeri (main stairs and toilets), Parmarine (passenger cabin units) and Loipart (galleys).

Two cargo decks
Trucks, buses and private cars are carried on two decks. Deck 3 (main deck) has drive-through capability with access in the stern and in the bow. The bow ramp is 18 metres long and 4.7 metres wide while the stern ramp has the corresponding dimensions of 11x18 metres.

A tiltable leads to deck 5 (upper deck), a 49 metres long and 6 metres wide ramp on the port side of the vessel. It may be lifted with trucks stowed on it. Free height on both decks is 4.9 metres.

The cargo capacity is 980 lane metres on the upper deck and 1,000 lane metres on the main deck. On the starboard side of the upper deck there are also hoistable car decks for private cars. The car decks and ramps have been delivered turnkey by TTS Ships Equipment.

Text & photo: Pär-Henrik Sjöström

Latest update 30-08-2007 15:31

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