MS Otto Sverdrup
MS Finnmarken in Kirkenes
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History | |
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Name | Otto Sverdrup |
Operator | Hurtigruten |
Port of registry | Tromsø, Norway |
Builder | , |
Laid down | 10 November 2000 [1] |
Launched | 15 September 2001 [1] |
Sponsored by | Torild Skogsholm |
Christened | 4 April 2002 |
Maiden voyage | 6 April 2002 |
Identification |
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Status | in active service |
General characteristics | |
Tonnage | 15,690 GT[1] |
Length | 138.5 m (454 ft 5 in) |
Beam | 21.5 m (70 ft 6 in) |
Height | 29.6 m (97 ft 1 in) |
Draught | 4.8 m (15 ft 9 in) |
Decks | 7 passenger |
Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
Capacity | 1,000 |
MS Otto Sverdrup (call sign LDBE),
MS Finnmarken is the third Hurtigruten ship with this name. Previous ships were DS Finmarken from 1912 and MS Finnmarken from 1956, which is currently part of the Hurtigruten museum in Stokmarknes, Norway.
Design and description
Finnmarken has a gross tonnage (GT) of 15,690 tons, 6,113 net tonnage (NT), and 945 tons deadweight (DWT). Loading and unloading is done with truck through a large side port on the port side. It has a car capacity of 47, 628 beds that can accommodate up to 1,000 passengers, and a top speed of 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph).
The ship's main engines are four-stroke
It has 224 ordinary cabins, 18 mini-suites, and 14 suites. The ship has eight decks that include hairdresser, internet café, solarium, fitness centre (deck 8), two bars, a library, four conference rooms, a restaurant (deck 4), two whirlpools, and a swimming pool behind the chimney (deck 7).
Since 2005, both Finnmarken and MS Midnatsol have been considered for hospital ships in the event of a war. The vessel is self-sufficient in terms of water and electricity, and waste management happens on board, which means that the ship can be at sea for long periods of time. With ten days' notice, the ship should be operational as floating field hospitals. The car deck should be made to hospitals, and will house 70 doctors and nurses. As a hospital ship, Finnmarken could accommodate 200 beds in case of war, crisis or disaster, nationally or internationally.
History
Plans for a new ship began in 1999. OVDS signed a construction contract with Kleven shipyard in Ulsteinvik with an option for two sister ships. Kleven had also built Hurtiguten's MS Nordkapp and MS Nordnorge. The ship was launched on 15 September 2001. On 4 April 2002 the ship was christened by Transportation Minister Torild Skogsholm, and it began its maiden voyage on 6 April 2002 from Bergen and visited Orkney, the Hebrides, Dublin, Southampton, Amsterdam, Hamburg, Copenhagen, Oslo, and Stavanger. Finnmarken began its regular route along the Norwegian coast on 20 April 2002.
During a storm on the night of 13 November 2004, Finnmarken suffered damage to an emergency exit hatch as a result of breakers. The ship began to take on water and the captain made the decision to return to Ålesund where the ship was repaired and continued on its way a day later.
The ship was leased for use as a
During the first few months of 2020, the ship underwent a US$35 million renovation and was renamed MS Otto Sverdrup.[3][4]
References
- ^ a b c d e "Finnmarken (22853)". Vessel Register for DNV. DNV. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- ^ "Finnmarken". marinetraffic.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "MS Otto Sverdrup". cruisemapper.com. Retrieved 4 August 2020.
- ^ "MS Otto Sverdrup". Hurtigruten. Retrieved 4 August 2020.