ssMaritime.com
& ssMaritime.net
With Reuben Goossens
Maritime
Historian
Swedish America Line
MS Stockholm
Later names: - Volkerfreundshaft, Volker,
Fridtjof Nansen
Italia I, Italia Prima, Vultur Prima, Caribe
Still sailing at 61 years of age as the MV Athena
The
delightful yacht-like MS Stockholm seen as built in 1948
Author’s
private collection
“Rederie Sverige Nordamerika,” which in
1925 became known as the “Swedish American Line” (SAL), was founded by Wilhelm R. Lundgren who saw an
opening for a Swedish shipping line as Sweden
had witnessed a vast number of migrants heading for the Americas.
Then in 1915 SAL
officially established a Trans-Atlantic service when they obtained the fifteen
year old Holland-America Harland & Wolff built liner SS Potsdam, renaming
her SS Stockholm. The 12,600-ton liner departed for SAL’s
first voyage from Gothenburg to New
York on December 11, 1915 and commenced a new and
reputable Trans-Atlantic service for the company. In 1922 she was converted for
oil firing by Gotawerken, at the same time her funnel was also shortened and
she received some other refurbishments.
Postcard of the
ex HAL Potsdam,
Stockholm I
Author’s
private collection
SAL
soon built several grand ships, the Gripsholm and the Kungsholm which set new
standards at sea with their super luxurious interiors. However, by 1925 the
migrant trade dropped significantly and SAL
had to search for a new market. They realized that now they could also
transport families from Scandinavia to visit their relatives in America, as well as bring those now living there
home for a visit and add cruises, which were gaining popularity in the United States.
The services were successful and cruises gained in popularity! But WWII would
soon end all that and SAL ships,
like those from other nations would enter war duties.
The two Stockholm’s
that never were! SAL placed an
order for a 28,000 GRT Stockholm
to be built by “CR Dell’ Adriatico Shipyards” at Monfalcone, Italy.
She was launched on May
29, 1938, however, on December 19 the almost completed liner caught
fire due to an electrical short and she was completely burned out and was
declared a total wreck and was duly scrapped. The next Stockholm (III) was
commenced straight after the destruction of Stockholm (II) and she was launched
on March 10, 1940,
she was completed in October 1941. However, by then with the long delays, SAL had decided against taking delivery of the ship
and as the Italians were short of ships, they took her and named her Sabaudia.
She entered the Italian service as a troop ship, but she was sunk towards the
end of the war.
With World War II finally over, Swedish America Line
was in need of a new ship, however the company was now faced with a new set of
problems in relation to the design and the size of the ship required. The first
idea was to follow the previous model and build a ship of a similar size and
grand style, although more modern, one that the company had been successful
with in the past. But it had become obvious; the popularity of air travel was
growing rapidly, thus SAL thought
that it might be wiser to build a smaller ship. There were objections from the
chief executive and from the American branch; however after considerations, SAL finally decided that a smaller ship would be
best for the current Atlantic trade!
In October 1944 the task of building the new ship was
given to the “Gotaverken
shipyards” in Gothenburg and her keel was laid down within six months in
Yard 611. However, no sooner had building commenced ongoing troubles seemed to
follow her. Due to strikes, the laying of her keel was delayed for several
months. Various problems continued, right up to when she was to be launched on September 9, 1946,
it took a long time and great deal of trouble before she was able to start her
journey down towards the water. Some said it “was a bad omen.”
She was delivered to SAL
on February 7, 1948,
and it was obvious to all who saw her that she was very different to the
company’s previous ships. The Swedish America Line ships had established
a reputation of grandiose decorations and spacious passenger accommodation, whilst
the new Stockholm was, due to her size, rather intimate and lacked the over the
top décor of the previous liners, yet in her simplicity she was still rather
tasteful in design and decor.
Postcard of the
yacht-like MS Stockholm
Author’s
private collection
With its sharply raked
bow and cruiser stern the 525 foot (160 meter) Stockholm,
powered by two Gotaverken diesel engines, could have easily been mistaken
for a large private yacht, as she was one of the smallest, yet one of the
prettiest liners on the North Atlantic. Many
likened her hull to that of a war ship being so slender, and certainly later
her sea worthiness did rather prove that she sailed more like a war ship than a
liner, In America she hailed as being “The Worst Roller on the North Atlantic.”
Externally she looked a delight painted in the traditional Swedish America
Line's colours: a white hull, a pale yellow funnel with a blue shield
containing three golden crowns.
Amazingly at the time she
was the largest ship ever to be built in Sweden, yet was the smallest Trans
Atlantic Liner for quite some time due to her mere 11,650 GRT with a passenger capacity of just 395, made up
of 113 First Class and 282 Tourist Class, although there were some
interchangeable cabins between First and Tourist. She carried a crew of 220.
However, SAL
did make sure that she had special features, which was not found on many ships.
All accommodation even the crew’s quarters were located outside, thus
every cabin had a porthole or a window. Especially for the crew, this was
“revolutionary.”
On February 21, 1948 the Stockholm finally departed Gothenburg on her
maiden voyage, which had again been greatly delayed. Soon passengers found that
this rather “yacht-like” looking ship had one major fault: one, she
did not have stabilizers and Two, her poor hull design! For what was considered
to be a small ship and during February in the middle of the Atlantic winter,
this is not the most ideal time to have a new ship to be on her maiden voyage in
rough weather bound for the United
States. The Stockholm I must say encountered the worst
possible winter storms imaginable, and the movement of the ship was extremely
wild and often unpredictable. Tragically during one of this massive storm one
passenger died. It seemed that the Stockholm's
ongoing bad luck was following her all the way to America!
A superb aerial
view of the sleek looking MS Stockholm
Author’s
private collection
Then, when the Stockholm arrived in America, the US SAL branch did not quite welcome the new ship with
open arms either, for they had wanted another bigger and a more grandiose
liner, like the ones of the past and the Stockholm hardly measured up with the
competition!
However, the Stockholm
did have a future ahead of her in the American market, one that was better than they had
first imagined. It was certainly not on the Atlantic,
where she was nothing short of a failure due to her extreme rolling and bad sea
habits, but in the calmer waters of the cruise market! There
was something special about this smaller ship, which they had missed whilst
they were to busy thinking about her size and the grandeur, they forgot the
appeal that the Stockholm
had with her sleek yacht-like exterior. Americans took to this yacht-like ship
for she had obviously been built for internal comfort rather than over the top
luxury. Her superb curved bow gave her long sleek lines and the American SAL office were surprised that she became such a
sought after cruise ship!
SAL Orders New
Tonnage
In the late forties the Swedish America Line realized
they were in need of new tonnage and had their architects lay down plans for a
new ship, the 21,141 GRT MS
Kungsholm. The order was placed with the Dutch Shipyard De Schelde in The
Netherlands and she was completed on October 9, 1953. With the success of the
Kungsholm SAL decided to build a
slightly larger version in 1954 and ordered the 23,191 GRT
MS Gripsholm, to be built by the Italian Ansaldo Shipyards. She was completed
and delivered in April 1957. With the arrival of these sleek twin funnelled
liners, Swedish America Line returned to their old days of operating modern
ships with far superior accommodation.
MS Stockholm’s
1952/55/56 Rebuilding Programs
Although the she was the “odd ship” on the
Atlantic, for the next five years Stockholm continued to prove to be quite
popular as a cruise ship, thus SAL
decided in 1952 to give her a comprehensive refit, which would include some
rebuilding. The ship's superstructure was enlarged to include additional
passenger cabins as well as a cinema. Upon completion, she was able to
accommodate an extra 178 passengers, a total of 568 in 215 cabins. 132 twin
bedded cabins, 28 - 3 berth and 55 - 4 berth. Her tonnage was now registered as
being 12,644 GRT.
More importantly, late in 1955 the Stockholm was
finally fitted with those all important stabilizers, which were to tame her
notorious rolling a little, especially during her Atlantic sailings, although SAL decided to keep her cruising during the bad
weather times. In addition, further accommodations were added forward on
Promenade deck. The work was completed early in 1956, the very same year that
would place the name of MS Stockholm in the books of infamous maritime history
forever!
She is seen here after her 1952/3
renovations and her forward extensions
Author’s
private collection
The disastrous collision between the Stockholm and Andrea Doria
On July 25, 1956 Stockholm departed
New York on
her 103rd eastbound crossing bound for
Gothenburg. Her Captain was, Captain Gunnar Nordensson
who was one of SAL’s most
experienced senior officer’s and had been with the industry since 1911.
Italia Lines magnificent T/N
Andrea Doria
Author’s
private collection
At 11:10 PM,
in heavy fog in the North Atlantic Ocean off the coast of Nantucket, both the Stockholm and the Italian
liner Andrea Doria collided in what was to become one of history's most famous
maritime disasters.
Inquiries later revealed that officers aboard the Andrea Doria had used improper radar
procedures, and had made a sudden turn to port (the left) during the moments prior
to the collision rather than to starboard (the right) being the proper
“rule of the road” for a head on crossing at sea. Obviously
visibility with the thick fog did not help the situation that night. Thus what
occurred is that the Stockholm
rammed the Andrea Doria about
amidships on the starboard side, which quickly started to flood the engine
room. In addition, the enquiry was later told that some of the watertight
bulkheads in that area were non operational on the Andrea Doria that night.
Although the Stockholm
it was decided that the also did not uphold all procedures, mainly the use of
their fog horn, although they were at the time not in the fog, but were about
to enter it where the Andrea Doria was located. Also, both ships continued at
speeds too fast considering the conditions. Although, it was deemed that the
crew of Andrea Doria would have to take the major share of the blame,
considering they did steer the ship to port, rather than starboard according to
regulations.
A map of the collision area and showing the ships that came
to the rescue
Although the vast majority of
passengers and crew survived the collision, the much larger Andrea Doria capsized
and sank during the next morning. Due to the collision lifeboats on the
starboard side of the ship were unusable. However, other ships in the region
responded and provided assistance, which averted a large loss of life. Sadly,
five crewmembers on the Stockholm
were killed instantly with several trapped in the wrecked bow.
The crippled Stockholm
assisted in the rescue and ended up carrying 327 of Andrea Doria’s
passengers and 245 crewmembers, in addition to her own passengers and
crew. After the Andrea Doria finally sank, the Stockholm
sailed to New York
under her own power and arrived the next day, July 27.
Andrea Doria is slowly capsizing to
starboard and eventually succumbs
Author’s
private collection
In
total 40 lives were lost on the Italian liner as well as 5 crew members on the Stockholm, which had its
bow sheered off. Swedish American Line agreed to cover the $1
million replacement of the Stockholm’s bow, whilst Italia Line had bear the cost of the loss of the Andrea Doria.
As can be seen Stockholm’s bow was
completely sheered off and had sunk
Author’s
private collection
The Stockholm
managed to remain afloat thanks to the watertight bulkheads that were located
between holds one and two.
Author’s
private collection
The
bow was repaired at the Bethlehem Steel Company Shipbuilding Division in New York just over three months later and the Stockholm returned to her
duties.
MS Stockholm is seen here in her final days
with additional extensions on her fore Promenade deck
Author’s
private collection
Although Stockholm
continued on her regular schedules and cruises, she remained the “odd
ship” of the fleet, for she simply could not offer the same high standards
as the newer and larger Gripsholm and Kungsholm. Thus,
several years later, in 1959 SAL
decided to dispose of their “odd ship” the Stockholm.
Technical details – MS Stockholm -
1948
Built by: Gotaverken AB
Gothenburg, Sweden
Official
Hull No: 8926
Ordered
on: October 1944
Yard: 611
Launched & named: September
9, 1946
Delivered: February 7, 1948
Maiden Voyage: February
21, 1948 – Gothenburg / New
York
IMO No: 5383304
Gross Tonnage: 11,650 GRT / 4,700 DW – (12,644 GRT
/ 4,800 DW in 1952)
Length: 160.8m
– 525.2ft
Breadth: 21.4m
– 69ft
Draft: 7.9m
– 25.11ft
Main Engine: 2 x Gotaverken diesel engines,
2-stroke/single acting, 8-cylinders
Total
power of 12.000 BHP (8,900
kW)
In
1989 she received - 2 x 8 Cylinder Wartsila Diesels
Propellers: 2
X 12,000 BHP
Speed: 19
knots max
Stabilizers: no – (yes 1952)
Decks: Eight
Passenger Lifts: Two
Passenger Capacity: 113
First Class and 282 Tourist Class (1948)
Crew: 220
**************************************************
Stockholm Sold in 1959
After several failed attempts, she was sold on May 15, 1959 to
East German “Freier
Deutscher Gewerkschaftsbund,”
an East German Union Movement Organisation.
Postcard of the MS
Volkerfreundschaft
Author’s
private collection
After
a refit she was renamed Volkerfreundschaft on January 3, 1960. She operated as a
simple down to earth Trade Union Soviet cruise ship for the next twenty years
mainly visiting Eastern bloc countries as well as Cuba. In addition she was also
chartered out to Stena Line on and off from 1966, and thus she visited homeland
on various occasions.
Original postcard of the MS Volkerfreundschaft
Author’s
private collection
Volker
- Fridtjof Nansen - 1985
In April 1985 she was sold to “Neptunus Rex Enterprises” and her name was shortened
to Volker. She first was laid up at Holmestrand,
until December when she sailed to Southampton.
However she returned to Oslo
in the same month as she was chartered by Norwegian interests to become an
accommodation ship for refugees. She was renamed Fridtjof Nansen.
She is seen here as the Fridtjof Nansen a refugee accommodation ship
Photograph
taken by & © Hans Jurgen Amberg
**************************************************
Italia Prima – 1989-93
Four years later, May 1989, she was sold to the
Italian Star Lauro Lines who hoped to refit the liner to become a luxury cruise
ship but laid her up. She was finally renamed, Italia I in 1993.
In
October 1994 she was taken over by Nina Cia. di Navigazione
who renamed the ship Italia Prima. They decided to completely rebuild the ship
striping her down to that magnificent solid riveted steel ice strengthened hull
and rebuilt her into a luxury cruise ship! Thus, only the superbly built ice
strengthened hull of the original Stockholm
remained.
Italia Prima seen in August 1994, and is seen
here close to completion
From a newspaper clipping
– photographer unknown
Italia Prima was fitted with
new diesel engines and a modern streamlined superstructure and funnel. Her
spacious public rooms and cabins are all first class and were constructed
whilst the classic lines of the Stockholm’s hull was retained, however a
massive “Duck Tail” (sponson) was added to her stern, which runs
almost one third of the ship from her stern, this aids in her stability as well
as speed and fuel economy. Obviously her new owner was well aware of her
previous sea going problems from her logs. The “Duck Tail” was is the largest ever fitted to any ship as it was
especially designed to aid her stability and speed efficiency.
MV Athena seen
in Sydney in 1997
whilst on a world voyage
Note the largest
& longest “Duck Tail” ever fitted to the stern of a ship!
Photograph © Reuben Goossens
In the mid 1997 the 16,144 ton Italia Prima conducted
its first world cruise, which included inaugural visits to Australian ports
including Sydney, when the author was onboard her. Her facilities were
certainly excellent, her fine public rooms and accommodations were modern and
well equipped. In those days she was rated as a 4 Star cruise ship. Italia
Prima was a popular ship and was frequently under charter for the luxury German
market, including operators such as the German Neckermann
Seereisen, who today operate a fleet of luxury ships.
In 1998 Italia Prima was chartered to Valtur Tourist Organization and she was renamed Valtur Prima, however, this operation was a relatively
short lived operation.
A Vultur Prima publicity
image
MS Athena -2004
In December 2001, Italia Prima was chartered by Festival
Cruises and renamed Caribe; however, her cruises struggled to gain popularity
and the ship again proved to be unpopular with the public.
The ship was once again obtained by her original
Italian owners Nina Cia. di Navigazione on January 17, 2005
who renamed her Athena and chartered her to Portuguese Arcalia Shipping who
placed her in their Classic International Cruises fleet. Having had an
extensive refit MV Athena entered service with the company and she now spends
most of the year cruising in and around UK/Europe for CIC with the Mediterranean always being popular. She is registered in
and fly’s the Portuguese flag. From January 2005, until August 18, 2008,
she was reregistered in Italy
and sold to First Quality Cruises Inc of
Panama and placed under the
management of World Cruises Agency, of 128, Avenida 24 de Julho, Lisbon Portugal, on October 13, 2008, but she is sailing
once again under the banner of Classic International Cruises.
Australian
Cruises!
During the 2008/09 Australian summer she undertook a
line voyage to Australia via the Suez Canal and was allegedly attacked by
pirates, according to all news and passenger reports, although the shipping
company claims it was all a mistake and the boat were only fishermen. Upon
arrival she arrived in Fremantle (Perth) Western Australia and
she commenced a summer series of cruises, which in the past years had been
operated by the extremely popular MV Funchal.
CIC announced that Athena would return for the 2009/10 & 2011 summers.
Current registration details as of February 2009. MV
Athena: IMO 5383304; Call Sign
ICZU; GRT (Gross Registered
Tonnage) 16,144-ton. As I stated earlier, when
Athena was the Italia Prima, she was a 4 Star luxury cruise ship, whereas today’s
Classic International Cruises MV Athena, is a more of a budget cruise ship,
however, she does offer excellent value for money and CIC has a long and
devoted following, especially from the Funchal passengers and slowly the Athena
is finding her own following!
The classic
liner, come modern cruise ship MV Athena
is still with us today
Photograph © by Fred-Claessen (NL)
Below is the way classic liner enthusiasts like to
remember her!
Her long slender hull lines are obvious
– here she is seen towards the end of her Stockholm days
… and she
had her superstructure stretched far forward to facilitate additional
accommodations
Photographer unknown - *See photo notes at bottom of
page
Page
Two – Photo Page
PLEASE
NOTE: The photo page covers the interiors and exteriors
of the three stages of this ship
MS Stockholm, Volkerfreundshaft with a Deck Plan
– Also, after her rebuilding as a
cruise ship; the MV Italia Prima & Athena
Also visit our cruise-australia.net page on MV Athena
for general Information and Reservations
contact:
“The
Cruise Specialists”
Australia’s #1 and first registered Australian all
Cruise Agency – Established in 1982
Email: info@cruisespecialists.com.au
Australia wide – Phone poll free 1800 427 847
International – Phone: +61 7 5546-6798
(Please
NAME the SHIP you are enquiring about)
For other
agencies or for International visitors
There
is a listing of recommended Australian, New Zealand & International Cruise’n’Travel
Agents
ENTER HERE
Please note: This is a non-commercial site and
I do not receive any commissions!
**************************************************
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