Spliethoff’s multi-purpose ship undergoes maintenance at Turku
20-year-old Saimaagracht is still in high demand (Source: BLRT)
Spliethoff’s Saimaagracht has returned to service after booking into BLRT’s Turku Repair Yard for maintenance.
Built in 2005 by Stocznia Szczecin shipyard in Poland, the Dutch-flagged 27600gt, 1,291 TEU multi-purpose vessel is deployed on a transatlantic trade between Finland and the US’ east coast ports of Jacksonville and Baltimore. It features Finnish-Swedish ice class certification, and has a complex side-loading system featuring hatches and elevators for unloading cargoes from the lower decks.
The vessel briefly made headlines last year when it became one of the vessels trapped inside the harbour area of the Port of Baltimore by the collapsed Francis Scott Key bridge. It was one of the first ships to be freed after the Baltimore authorities opened up a small temporary access channel.
Other vessels undergoing work at Finland’s Turku shipyard include Tallink’s Baltic Princess, which is having interior spaces renovated, maintenance and inspection performed, and the vessel’s exterior and bottom repainted. The vessel is set to return to service this week. The yard delivered another Tallink vessel, Passenger RoRo ferry Star I, after repairing pipes and recoating the vessel last month.
