MS Superspeed 1

MS Superspeed 1 is a fast ro-pax ferry owned and operated by Color Line. She was built by Aker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland in 2008, and entered service on the Kristiansand—Hirtshals route on 13 March 2008.[1]

MS Superspeed 1
History
Name: MS Superspeed 1
Owner: Color Line
Operator: Color Line
Port of registry: Kristiansand,  Norway[1]
Route: Kristiansand—Hirtshals
Ordered: 15 December 2005[1]
Builder: Aker Finnyards, Rauma, Finland
Cost: €126 million[2]
Yard number: 1359[1]
Laid down: 28 February 2007[1]
Launched: 1 August 2007[1]
Acquired: 27 February 2008[1]
In service: 13 March 2008[1]
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics [2]
Class and type: Superspeed class fast ropax ferry
Tonnage: 34,231 GT
Length: 211.3 m (693 ft 3 in)
Beam: 25.80 m (84 ft 8 in)
Draught: 6.70 m (22 ft 0 in)
Decks: 11[3]
Installed power: 4 × Wärtsilä 9L46 diesels, combined 38,400 kW
Speed:
  • 27 kn (50.00 km/h) service speed
  • 31 kn (57.41 km/h) maximum speed
Capacity:
  • 2400 Total after expansion in 2011 (Crew+Passengers)
  • 2325passengers
  • 54 passenger berths
  • 764 cars
  • 2036 lanemeters
Crew: 75

Concept and construction

Since its establishment in 1991, Color Line had operated various conventional ferries between Norway and Denmark. From 1996 onwards fast ferries were used to enhance the service during the northern hemisphere summer season.[4][5][6] After an evaluation period of several years, the company began the planning process for two new large, fast, ferries in spring 2004, with the concept name Color Line Superspeed. The new ships were planned with a high enough service speed to eliminate the need for overnight crossings entirely and as a result they only include cabins for truck drivers and the ships crew.[2] On 15 December 2005 the construction of the ships was awarded to Aker Finnyards' Rauma shipyard.[7] Aker Finnyards had previously built what was at the time the world's largest cruiseferry MS Color Fantasy for Color, and was at the time in the process of building MS Color Magic, a slightly enlargened version of the Color Fantasy.[8] The delivery times for the Color Line Superspeed vessels were originally planned for December 2007 for the first ship and April 2008 for the second.[7] Due delays in construction, including technical problems with one of the auxiliary engines, the first ship, MS Superspeed 1, was not delivered to Color Line until 27 February 2008.[1][2]

Design
MS Superspeed 1, without the aft extension of the superstructure, ported in Kristiansand

Both the exterior and interior design of Superspeed 1 was handled by the Oslo-based Falkum-Hansen Design.[2]

Exterior design

The hull shape of the Superspeed 1 has been designed for optimized speed performance and good sea-keeping characteristics.[2] The ship has a fairly high, short bow, a rounded superstructure raising straight up to the bridge. The rear of the ship is relatively long, with a large entry space between the rear of the superstructure and the actual rear of the ship. The hull has been painted in the traditional dark blue of Color Line, with a red decorative stripe on top of the blue area. The blue hull paint raises upwards in an arch from the front of the ship, following the shape of the bow, and then arches all the way down to the waterline at the rear. A wide black stripe has been painted along the windows on deck 8, and the window frames of the bridge and the rears windows on deck 7 and 8 are also painted black. The funnel, located very close to amidship, is of a similar design to the funnels of MS Color Fantasy and MS Color Magic.

Interior design

Most passenger spaces on the Superspeed 1 are located on decks 7 and 8, above the multi-deck car deck complex and storage rooms. A two-deck high atrium is located by the entrance amidship.[2]

References
  1. Asklander, Micke. "M/S Superspeed 1 (2008)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Archived from the original on 2008-03-28. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  2. Johannessen, Anders. "Color SuperSpeed – Ferry for the future" (PDF). Cruise Business Review 1/2008. Cruise Media Oy Ltd. Archived from the original (PDF) on 2008-07-04. Retrieved 2008-03-07.
  3. "SuperSpeed Tomorrow's voyage starts soon". Color Line. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  4. Asklander, Micke. "HSC Hoverspeed Belgium (1991)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  5. Asklander, Micke. "HSC Hoverspeed France (1991)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  6. Asklander, Micke. "HSC Silvia Ana L (1996)". Fakta om Fartyg (in Swedish). Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  7. "A new era in the traditional traffic between Norway and Denmark". Color Line press release. 2005-12-15. Archived from the original on 2007-07-29. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
  8. "Rauma saamassa kaksi risteilijätilausta". Helsingin Sanomat (in Finnish). HS-STT. 2005-11-02. Retrieved 2008-02-29.
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