MS SNAV Toscana
MS Peter Wessel in the Larvik Fjord
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| Ordered: | October 1978 |
| Builder: | Öresundsvarvet, Landskrona, Sweden |
| Yard number: | 279 |
| Laid down: | 1 June 1980 |
| Launched: | 1 November 1980 |
| Christened: | 24 June 1981 |
| Acquired: | 24 June 1981 |
| In service: | 1 July 1981 |
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| Status: | In service |
| General characteristics (as built) | |
| Class and type: | Visby class cruiseferry |
| Tonnage: | 14,919 GRT |
| Displacement: | 2,410 t DWT |
| Length: | 142.32 m (466 ft 11 in) |
| Beam: | 24.52 m (80 ft 5 in) |
| Draught: | 5.51 m (18 ft 1 in) |
| Decks: | 11 |
| Ice class: | 1 A |
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| Speed: | 21 kn (38.89 km/h; 24.17 mph) |
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| General characteristics (as rebuilt, 2003) | |
| Tonnage: | 30,317 GT |
| Displacement: | 3,515 t DWT |
| Length: | 168.49 m (552 ft 9 in) |
| Beam: | 26.04 m (85 ft 5 in) |
| Draught: | 8.10 m (26 ft 7 in) |
| Depth: | 13.45 m (44 ft 2 in) |
| Speed: | 19 kn (35.19 km/h; 21.86 mph) |
| Capacity: |
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| Notes: | Otherwise the same as built |
MS SNAV Toscana is a cruiseferry owned by the Mediterranean Shipping Company and operated by the Italy-based SNAV. It was ordered from Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona, Sweden by Rederi AB Gotland as MS Gotland, but delivered as MS Wasa Star to Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna. Between 1984 and 2008 she sailed as MS Peter Wessel for Larvik Line (until 1996) and Color Line, before sold to her current owners.
In the late 1970s the Swedish shipbuilding industry was suffering from a downturn, with little to no ships in order from Swedish shipyards. To help the industry the Swedish Prime Minister Ola Ullsten persuaded Rederi AB Gotland to order new ferries from Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona. Although Rederi AB Gotland were reluctant to order new ships at first, in the end they decided to order two large, state-of-the-art ferries, capable of carrying over 2000 passengers. The first ship, MS Visby, was delivered on October 10, 1980. The second ship, planned to be called MS Gotland, was delivered on 24 June 1981 to Rederi Ab Gotland. However, there were not enough passengers in the traffic from Gotland to the Swedish mainland, on one day following her delivery the ship was chartered to Vaasanlaivat / Vasabåtarna, Finland and officially named MS Wasa Star.
On 1 July 1981 the brand new Wasa Star started traffic on the route connecting Vaasa in Finland to Sundsvall in Sweden. At the time she was by far the largest ferry to have ever sailed in the Kvarken. In February 1982 the ship was moved to the Vaasa - Umeå route. On 14 February 1981 the ship was grounded near Holmsund. She soon came loose but her tanks were damaged, and the ship sailed to Helsinki for repairs. The local shipyard did not have a free drydock for the repairs and on 16 February 1981 the Wasa Star continued from Helsinki to Kiel, Germany where she was finally repaired at Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft.
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Wikipedia