GTS Finnjet

Finnjet approaching Helsinki in spring 2004.
History
Name
  • 1977–2008: Finnjet
  • 2008: Da Vinci
  • 2008: Kingdom
Owner
Operator
Port of registry
Ordered5 December 1973
BuilderWärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Helsinki, Finland
Yard number407
Laid down20 May 1975
Launched28 March 1976
Christened28 April 1977
Completed1977
Acquired28 April 1977
In service13 May 1977
Out of service19 September 2005
IdentificationIMO number: 7359632
FateScrapped in Alang, India, 2008.
General characteristics (as built)[1]
TypeCruiseferry
Tonnage
Length212.96 m (698 ft 8 in)
Beam24.40 m (80 ft 1 in)
Draught6.60 m (21 ft 8 in)
Ice class1 A Super[3]
Installed power
Speed31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,800 passengers
  • 1,532 passenger berths
  • 380 cars
General characteristics (after 2004 refit)[3]
TypeCruiseferry
Tonnage
Length214.96 m (705 ft 3 in)
Installed power
Speed33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph)
Capacity
  • 1,781 passengers
  • 1,631 passenger berths
  • 325 cars
  • 815 lanemeters
Crew178
NotesOtherwise the same as built

The GTS Finnjet was a cruiseferry, built in 1977 by Wärtsilä Helsinki Shipyard, Finland for Finnlines traffic between Finland and Germany. At the time of her delivery, Finnjet was the fastest, longest and largest car ferry in the world, and the only one powered by gas turbines. At the point of her scrapping in 2008, she remained the fastest conventional ferry in the world, with a recorded top speed of 33.5 knots (62.0 km/h; 38.6 mph).[4]

Finnjet had remained out of service since 2005, laid up in Baton Rouge, Freeport and Genoa. Although she was purchased by Club Cruise in November 2007 and renamed MS Da Vinci in January 2008 for rebuilding into a cruise ship,[1][2][5] the ship was sold for scrap in May 2008.[6] Following the sale she was renamed MS Kingdom for her final voyage to the scrapyard in Alang, India where scrapping finally started in September 2008.[7]

  1. ^ a b c Asklander, Micke. "GTS/M/S Finnjet (1977)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  2. ^ a b Kaukiainen, Salomon. "Finnjet Chronicle". Finnjetweb. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  3. ^ a b Saken, Mathias. "The Extensive Technical and Further Data of GTS Finnjet". Finnjetweb. Retrieved 25 November 2007.
  4. ^ "Finnjet's Records". Finnjetweb. Retrieved 14 September 2008. fastest conventional ferry of the world (1977–1994; 1994–2001; 2001– ), 31 knots (57 km/h; 36 mph); 33 knots (61 km/h; 38 mph) [..] since May 1977
  5. ^ Saken, Mathias (20 January 2008). "It's official: Finnjet is sold!". Finnjetweb. Retrieved 21 January 2008.
  6. ^ Tukkimäki, Paavo (6 May 2008). "GTS Finnjet headed for breaker's yard". Helsingin Sanomat International Edition. Helsingin Sanomat. Archived from the original on 11 May 2008. Retrieved 8 May 2008.
  7. ^ "Helsingin Sanomat - International Edition - Home". Archived from the original on 14 December 2013. Retrieved 9 December 2013.