Aker inks Tallink ferry

Aker Yards and the Estonian Tallink Group have signed a contract for the building of a fast passenger ferry for delivery in spring 2007, worth around $134.5 million. The contract includes an option for another similar vessel.

The new ice class ferry will be built at the Helsinki yard for deployment on the Helsinki to Tallinn route and will be of a new and innovative design. The newbuilding will be capable of completing the crossing between the two cities in 1 hour and 50 minutes. With a capacity for 1,900 passengers, the 185 m long and 27.7 m wide vessel will also have 2,000 lane metres of deck space enabling it to carry private cars and freight units.

Presently building at Aker?s facility in Rauma is a new generation cruise ferry scheduled for delivery to Tallink in spring 2006. The previous cruise ferries, ?Romantika? and ?Victoria?, were delivered in spring 2002 and 2004.