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MS Estonia

MS Estonia model.jpg
Estonia
History
Name:
  • 1980–1990: Viking Sally
  • 1990–1991: Silja Star
  • 1991–1993: Wasa King
  • 1993–1994: Estonia
Owner:
Operator:
Port of registry:
Ordered: 1979-09-11
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, West Germany
Yard number: 590
Laid down: 18 October 1979
Launched: 26 April 1980
Acquired: 29 June 1980
In service: 5 July 1980
Identification:
Fate: Capsized and sunk on 28 September 1994
General characteristics
Type: Ro Ro Passenger Cruise
Tonnage:
Length:
  • 155.43 m (509 ft 11 in) (as built)
  • 157.02 m (515.16 ft) (1984 onwards)
Beam: 24.21 m (79 ft 5 in)
Draught: 5.55 m (18 ft 3 in)
Decks: 9
Ice class: 1A
Installed power:
  • 4 × MAN 8L40/45
  • 17,625 kW (23,636 hp) (combined)
Speed: 21 knots (39 km/h; 24 mph)
Capacity:
  • 2,000 passengers
  • 1,190 passenger berths
  • 460 cars

MS Estonia, previously Viking Sally (1980–1990), Silja Star (1990–1991), and Wasa King (1991–1993), was a cruise ferry built in 1979/80 at the German shipyard Meyer Werft in Papenburg. The ship sank in 1994 in the Baltic Sea in one of the worst maritime disasters of the 20th century. It is, after the Titanic, the second-deadliest European shipwreck disaster to have occurred in peacetime and 852 lives were lost.

Coordinates: 59°23′0″N 21°40′0″E / 59.38333°N 21.66667°E / 59.38333; 21.66667

The ship was originally ordered from Meyer Werft by a Norwegian shipping company led by Parley Augustsen with intended traffic between Norway and Germany. At the last moment, the company withdrew their order and the contract went to Rederi Ab Sally, one of the partners in the Viking Line consortium (SF Line, another partner in Viking Line, had also been interested in the ship).

Originally the ship was conceived as a sister ship to Diana II, built in 1979 by the same shipyard for Rederi AB Slite, the third partner in Viking Line. However, when Sally took over the construction contract, the ship was lengthened from the original length of approximately 137 metres (449 ft) to approximately 155 metres (509 ft) and the superstructure of the ship was largely redesigned.


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Wikipedia

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