S/S “Birger Jarl”:
Classic beauty
returns to Swedish flag

	The yachtlike steamer “Birger Jarl” passing Tjärven lighthouse in the mid 1950’s.

In spring 2003 the Swedish passenger vessel ”Birger Jarl” will be fifty years old. Nowadays Nordic vessels in international traffic seldom reach this age and in many ways the history of the ”Birger Jarl” is not only long and full of variation, but the vessel also represents the kind of architecture, atmosphere and rhythm that are unusual at sea today.
The fact that last spring, after years under other colours, she was re-entered into the Swedish registry and got back her original name makes her even more interesting.
Like so many other vessels in Finnish traffic during the years, she has been registered both in Sweden and Finland, but for 24 years she sailed under Panamanian flag as the Baltic Star.

Olympic vessel
The ”Birger Jarl”, which now is employed in cruise traffic between Stockholm’s Skeppsbron and Mariehamn on the Åland islands, was delivered in 1953 by Finnboda Varf, which was situated by the channel leading to the heart of Stockholm. The quay below Svea’s beautiful office at Skeppbron was her berth for 18 years when she was trading to Helsinki and Turku. She is berthing at the same place today.
”Birger Jarl” was built as the third and youngest sister in a trio of classic passenger steamers called the “Olympic vessels”. They were designed and ordered for the Olympic games in Helsinki in 1952. Her two older sisters were the Finnish-flagged Aallotar, delivered one month before the opening of the Olympic games in July 1952, and Bore III, which entered service before Christmas the same year.
They were ordered by the shipping companies Finland Steamship Company in Helsinki, Bore Steamship Company in Turku and Stockholms Rederi AB Svea, which from 1918 were united in a co-operation, the tradition of which lives on today in Silja Line.
Both of the two elder sisters were destroyed by fire – fortunately while being laid up during winter – and live on only in memory. The ”Birger Jarl”, the most beautiful of the three, has despite an extension of her aft superstructure, preserved her beauty and is popular especially among Swedish retired people on short cruises to Mariehamn.
When she was delivered, she represented the most modern and elegant tonnage on the trade Helsinki–Stockholm. In those days this service was only operated during the ice-free season, while the passenger traffic was directed to the Turku–Stockholm trade between January and April. She has also sailed on the Gulf of Bothnia between Finland’s Pietarsaari and Sweden’s Skellefteå, and she has been moored in Stavanger as an accommodation vessel.

1950’s style
Her length is about 92 m and beam 14 m. The hull and superstructure are painted white, which in combination with a streamlined exterior with a beautiful stem gives her a yacht-like appearance.
The 1950’s style of corridors and small cabins has been preserved in the interior. The former first-class smoking lounge is now called bar, but the visible changes on board have mostly been made with a cautious hand. In addition to the built-in aft superstructure the largest change is perhaps that from steam engine to diesel propulsion 20 years ago. Without that operation, the vessel would hardly sail today.
The”Birger Jarl”, which over the years has also been named “Bore Nord”, “Minisea” and “Baltic Star”, flew the Finnish flag for five years (1973–78) and in 1975 she made cruises from Turku to Visby. Ten years later she created headlines in the world press when 400 exile Balts chartered her for a cruise along the Baltic coast to Helsinki, where a demonstration was held against the Soviet occupation of the Baltic States.
In July 1990, already before the Soviet Union left Estonia, the “Baltic Star” anchored close to the island of Vormsi off the west coast of Estonia when the church of Vormsi was reopened with Swedish assistance. Tallinn, Saaremaa and Riga have also been Baltic destinations of the vessel.
However, for a long time the 81 nautical miles between Stockholm and Mariehamn have been her main trading area. Faithful frequenters from different parts of Sweden return time after time to eat, talk, play cards, dance a little and of course do some tax free shopping – Åland holds an exceptional position within the EU – during the night crossing to Mariehamn and the return over the Åland sea during the next day.
//Thure Malmberg

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Latest update 18-10-2006 8:49

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