Strandfaraskip Landsins

Strandfaraskip Landsins is the government agency for public transport in the Faroe Islands. It is owned by the Faroese national government under the Ministry of Finance (Fíggjamálaráðið) and runs eight ferry routes and a number of bus routes.

Strandfaraskip Landsins
TypePublic transport
HeadquartersTvøroyri,
Faroe Islands
Area served
North Atlantic
ServicesPassenger transportation
Freight transportation
OwnerFaroese Government
Websitewww.ssl.fo
Strandfaraskip Landsins routes
MS Smyril – the company's largest ship
MS Teistin en route between Streymoy, Sandoy and Hestur islands

History

Strandfaraskip Landsins was established in 1917 when the government took over the ferry Smiril from the brothers Petur og Niels Juel Mortensen from Suðuroy.[1] They had bought the ship in 1895 and operated a scheduled service between Tórshavn and several ports in Suðuroy. In the first half of the 20th century, several other private regional services were founded, which combined freight, mail, passengers and milk transport to and from Tórshavn. Due to the lack of roads, ferries also served as a means for transport between villages-on-the-same-island. Many routes and vessels were taken over by Strandfaraskip Landsins in the 1960s and 1970s.

From 1960 onwards the road network was being extended rapidly and several private bus routes were founded. In 1980 the government agency Bygdaleiðir was established and tasked with the integrated bus network in central Streymoy, linking Tórshavn to the ferry service to Vágar, and on Sandoy. Several private companies were taken over in the subsequent years. Bygdaleiðir fused into Strandfaraskip Landsins in the 1990s.

In 1980 Strandfaraskip was appointed responsibility over the new helicopter network. This was transferred to Atlantic Airways in 1994. Strandfaraskip's freight branch was privatised in 2006, with the exception of public service obligations to the outer islands.[1]

Until February 2008 the administration of Strandfaraskip Landsins was located in Tórshavn, but in 2007 Jacob Vestergaard, then-Minister of Internal Affairs, moved it to Tvøroyri on the island of Suðuroy. This served to decentralise jobs in the public sector and was a kind reminder of Strandfaraskip Landsins' roots in Suðuroy.

The name Strandfaraskip Landsins means 'national coastal transport', reminiscing of its original focus on seaborne transport. It is often referred to Strandferðslan or SSL.[2] The ferry routes are known as oyggjaleiðir (Island routes) and bus routes as bygdaleiðir (Village routes).

Ferries

Routes:

M/F Smyril - the ferry to Suðuroy

MS Smyril is the fifth Smyril in service between Tórshavn and Suðuroy since 1895, the name meaning merlin. She takes up 975 passengers and up to 200 cars and was built in 2005.[3] The crossing over Suðuroyarfjørður takes two hours and five minutes in normal weather and swell conditions, though especially in winter trips are often cancelled or severely delayed. As of 2020 Smyril crosses the Suðuroyarfjør either twice-daily (3 days per week) or thrice-daily (4 days per week).[4] It is common for Suðuroyingar to stay at friends or family in Tórshavn during weekdays, though others commute on a more-less daily basis.[5]

The frequency has been topic of extensive public and political debate, where the islanders would be served best with three trips a day whereas the Faroese government also is concerned about the cost-efficiency. The crossing distance is 60 kilometres (37 mi).

Planning-wise, 3.5 return trips per day are theoretically feasible, based on 45 minutes turnaround time and a 10-minute margin for delay, and a timeframe from 6 to 23 o'clock. When the Sandoyartunnilin opens in 2023 and provided that a suitable ferry terminal were available in Sandoy, Smyril could possibly reduce the crossing distance down to 38 kilometres (24 mi), allowing an increase in frequency to five return trips per day.

M/F Teistin - the ferry to Sandoy and Hestur

Teistin (black guillemot) operates the second-busiest route, between Skopun on Sandoy and Gamlarætt on Streymoy. It takes 288 passengers and up to 33 cars. M/F Teistin was built on Skála Skipasmiðja in 2001.[6] Teistin has a frequent schedule, it goes up to 9 times daily each way (9 times from Skopun and 9 times from Gamlarætt). Teistin also sails the route between Gamlarætt and Hestur, all trips on prior request by telephone.[7]

In addition to Teistin, the ferry Hasfjord has operated a cargo-only services on both routes since 2020.[8] With a capacity of 12 passengers, she can also be used for passenger services in rare cases.[9]

M/F Ritan – the ferry to Svínoy and Fugloy

For many years Másin sailed the route from the village of Hvannasund on Viðoy to the two smaller islands of Svínoy and Fugloy. Presently Ritan (kittiwake) which earlier plied the route between Tórshavn and Nólsoy, now sails this route.

M/F Ternan - the ferry to Nólsoy
Ternan M/F in Tórshavn

M/F Ternan (Arctic tern) is the main ferry to Nólsoy, until December 2020, when the trimaran was (briefly) taken in use. Ternan earlier sailed the route to Sandoy, and before the subsea tunnel to Vágar opened in 2002, it shuttled together with Sam between Vágar and Vestmanna.

M/S Sam - the ferry to Kalsoy

M/F Sam was built in 1981 and was earlier in service on the route between Vágar and Vestmanna. Since the opening of the Vágatunnilin in 2002 Sam sails the route to Kalsoy; the first ro-ro car ferry to the island.

M/F Sildberin - the Skúgvoy ferry

M/F Sildberin was built in 2014 and plies the Skúgvoy-Sandur route. The name refers to the Atlantic puffin carrying sandeel (sild) in its beak.

HSC Erla Kongsdóttir - the replacement ferry

The construction of HSC Erla Kongsdóttir (white wagtail) was commissioned by Strandfaraskip Landsins in 2018 as a support ferry for other routes, especially when other ferries need maintenance (except route 7 to Suðuroy).[10] Numerous similar high speed catamarans (hurtigbåt) have shown suitable for the Norwegian coast. She has place for up to three cars and is equipped with a ro-ro. Erla was delivered to the Faroe Islands in November 2020 and put in service on 7 December.[11] Her maiden voyage was delayed due to misfitting ramps in Tórshavn and Nólsoy, especially at high and low tide. On the first official day of service, swell-related vibrations shattered several windows, leaving the ferry out of order for weeks. This propelled public debate about the use of high-speed catamarans in Faroese waters. It also raised questionmarks around Strandfaraskip Landsins' credibility, which at the same time was accused of being little forthcoming with its network redesign in response to the new Eysturoyartunnilin.[12]

Another boat, Jósup, is regularly commissioned by Strandfaraskip to replace vessels that are out of order.

Earlier sea routes replaced by subsea tunnels

The sub-sea tunnels to Vágar (2002) and the Northern Isles (2006) dismantled two important ferry links. Streymin Bridge (1973) and Norðoyrartunnilin (1976) had suspended the ferry between Hósvík and Selatrað (1976) and Tórshavn-Toftir-Strendur (2003). The Sandoyartunnilin will replace the current ferry link in 2023. The proposed Suðuroyartunnilin would cease the need for seaborne routes to Skúgvoy and Suðuroy.

Buses - Bygdaleiðir
One of the buses of Bygdaleiðir

The bus network was moderately changed with the opening of the Eysturoyartunnilin in 2020. At present the network covers:

Several municipalities operate municipal routes.

Directors

The list is not complete

  • 1 June 2014 - Hilmar Eliasen[13]
  • 13 January 2014 - Regin I. Jakobsen caretaker until 30 April 2014.
  • From 16 December 2013 - Hans Jóhannes á Brúgv caretaker until 13 January, while Bogi Mortensen was on sick leave[14]
  • 1 February 2009 - Bogi Mortensen
  • 1 May 2008 - 31. jan. 2009 Dánjal Andreasen
  • 19 Nov. 2007 - 30. Apr. 2008 - Jákup Danielsen
  • 1 May 2007 - 19. Nov. 2007 - Regin Vágadal[15]
  • Sep. 2006 - 30. April 2007 - Niels Juel Arge (yngri)
  • 1 January 2003 - Sep. 2006 - Kristian Davidsen[16]
  • Jan. 1997 - Des. 2002 - Reidar Nónfjall[17]
  • Oct. 1996 - Jan. 1997 - Erling í Liða
  • Dec. 1994 - Okt. 1996 - Thomas Arabo
  • Dec. 1992 - Dec. 1994 - Thomas Magnussen
  • 1991 - Dec. 1992 - Johan Restorff Jacobsen
  • 1989 - 1991 - Thomas Arabo
  • 1981 - 1989 - Johan Restorff Jacobsen
  • 1973 - 1981 - Thomas Arabo
  • ca. 1965 - 1974 - Johan Restorff Jacobsen
  • From the early 1960s - ca. 1965 - Dánjal Danielsen
  • Borghild Schrøder, Evensen's wife takes over the administrative tasks and continues as administrator (director) until the mid 1960s
  • From around 1920 Eivind Evensen is administrator (director) until he dies.
  • From 1917 the ferry Smyril (Smiril) is run by the Faroese government, before that the Mortensen brothers in ran the ferry Tvøroyri

See also

References
  1. Fólk á ferð. Strandferðslan 100 ár. Tvøroyri: Strandfaraskip Landsins. 2017.
  2. Sprotin.fo. "strandferðsla". Sprotin.fo (in Faroese). Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  3. SSL.fo M/F Smyril
  4. "7 Tvøroyri - Tórshavn". SSL. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  5. "Pendling | Hagstova Føroya". hagstova.fo. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  6. ssl.fo, M/F Teistin
  7. "61 Gamlarætt - Hestur". SSL. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  8. "M/F Hasfjord". SSL. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  9. "Hasfjord siglir fyri Erlu Kongsdóttir". Kringvarp Føroya (in Faroese). Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  10. "Løgtingslóg nr. 137 frá 8. oktober 2018 um at byggja eykabát til Strandfaraskip Landsins". logir.fo. Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  11. "Erla Kongsdóttir í sigling í kvøld". Kringvarp Føroya (in Faroese). Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  12. "Óvist nær Erla Kongsdóttir fer aftur í sigling". Kringvarp Føroya (in Faroese). Retrieved 2020-12-22.
  13. in.fo, Strandferðslan fingið nýggjan stjóra
  14. in.fo, Johan Dahl vísir øllum skuldsetingum aftur
  15. ssl.fo, Regin nýggjur stjóri á Strandfaraskipum Landsins
  16. ssl.fo, Nýggjur stjóri á Strandfaraskipum Landsins
  17. samband.fo, Reidar Nónfjall
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