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Helsinki Shipyard gets to work on the first of two luxury expedition vessels

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Steel cutting begins on one of two new ships
Construction on one of two luxury expedition cruise vessels that will traverse the Arctic and Antarctic has started at Helsinki Shipyard Oy, with steel cutting going ahead as planned.

Features 

Set to measure 113mtr in length and 20.2mtr in breadth, each vessel will have capacity for 157 passengers with a cruising speed of 14 knots and draught of 5.7mtr. With PC5 ice class, both will have the capability to travel in winter, as well as sail tropical waters during spring and autumn.

‘These two vessels are the first newbuildings of the shipyard that was established in May 2019 and thus they are a very important head start for us’, stated Helsinki Shipyard Oy CEO Carl-Gustaf Rotkirch. ‘The project progresses according to plan in good cooperation with the customer.’

Manufacturing 

Western Baltija Shipbuilding in Klaipeda, Lithuania will manufacture the vessels’ 33 steel blocks, which will be transported to Helsinki by sea ready for production starting in August; construction of the hull, beginning with keel laying, will commence in September.

‘The shipyard of Western Baltija Shipbuilding is an important partner for us. We have cooperated with them already in several projects’ commented Helsinki Shipyard Oy Project Manager Jonas Packalén. 

The two cruise vessels, classed by Lloyd’s Register, will be delivered in 2021 and 2022.