MS Scandinavia (2003)

The Rigel II is a cruiseferry owned and operated by Greek shipping company Ventouris Ferries. The vessel sailed overnight between the Polish city of Gdańsk and Nynäshamn in Sweden. The Rigel II is the first of two sister ships built. The second vessel currently operates for SNAV as the SNAV Toscana.

For other ships with the same name, see MS Scandinavia.
MS Scandinavia in Gdańsk
History
Name:
  • 1980–1990: Visby
  • 1990–1990: Felicity
  • 1990–1997: Stena Felicity
  • 1997–2003: Visby
  • 2003–2003: Visborg
  • 2003–2015: Scandinavia
  • 2015 onwards:Rigel II
Owner: Ventouris Ferries
Operator:
Port of registry:
Builder: Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden
Yard number: 278
Launched: 25 January 1980
Identification: Call sign: 5BGR4
IMO number: 7826788
MMSI number: 209077000
Status: In service
General characteristics (after 1997 rebuild)[1][2]
Class and type: Visby class cruiseferry
Tonnage: 23,842 GRT
Length: 146.10 m (479 ft 4 in)
Beam: 25.90 m (85 ft 0 in)
Draught: 5.71 m (18 ft 9 in)
Installed power: 4 × B&W 8K45 GUC diesels
Propulsion:
  • 2 × controllable pitch propellers
  • 2 × bow thrusters
Speed: 18 kn (33.34 km/h; 20.71 mph)
Capacity:
  • 2072 passengers
  • 515 cars

History

The Scandinavia was launched in January 1980 as the Visby for Rederi AB Gotland. She was the first of two identical ships built by Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona.

The Visby entered service between Gotland and the Swedish mainland ports of Nynäshamn and Oskarshamn. In 1987 the contract to run ferry services to Gotland was awarded to Gotlandslinjen. The Visby was charted to the new operator until replaced by the Nord Gotlandia in 1990.[3]

In 1990 the Visby was chartered to United Kingdom based ferry operator Sealink British Ferries for service between Fishguard and Rosslare. Following a major refit in Tilbury the vessel entered service in March 1990 as the Felicity. She remained the largest ferry on the Irish Sea until the arrival of the Isle of Innisfree in 1995. The Felicity was renamed Stena Felicity in 1991 following the acquisition of Sealink British Ferries by Stena Line.

The Felicity's cinema was on one of the lowest deck, and close to the centre of the vessel between port and starboard, fore and aft. Adjacent were separate male and female saunas with Jacuzzis. Either was an ideal place to cross the St George's Channel in stormy weather because, being so low down and close to the centre of the ship, the rough sea state had very little effect. As there were few customers for the saunas and Jacuzzis, the staff facilitated couples in using a single sauna and Jacuzzi.

In 1997 the charter of the Stena Felicity ended. Her place on the Fishguard route was taken by the Koningin Beatrix. Following a rebuild in Germany, the vessel re-entered Gotland service in 1998 under her original name of Visby. In 2003 the Visby was renamed Visborg to release her name for a new vessel under construction in China.

In 2003 she was sold to Polferries and renamed Scandinavia for service between Gdańsk and Nynäshamn.

Last trip between Nynäshamn and Gdańsk 8 May 2015

Sold to Ventouris Ferries and renamed to Rigel II

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References
  1. "Our ferries - M/F Scandinavia". Polferries. Archived from the original on 11 October 2010. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  2. "M/S Visby (1980)". Faktaomfartyg. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
  3. "Gotlandslinjen". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 4 November 2010.
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