Silja Line - Page 1 - Ferry Postcards and Photographs

This page is the first in a series devoted to postcards and photographs of ships working under the Silja Line banner. In many cases, the ships will be dealt with in more detail on pages devoted to the subsidiary companies, but these pages give an overview of Silja operations. Other Silja Line Pages: Page 1, Page 2, Page 3, Page 4, Page 5 - Seawind Line.

An alphabetical list of ships shown on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete history pages on selected individual ships.


The Finland SS Co was formed in 1893, and the Bore SS Co in 1897, and the two lines first co-operated on Finland-Sweden service in 1904. A new agreement was made in 1918, which also included Rederi AB Svea of Stockholm. The co-operation between the three companies continued to work successfully, and new ships were delivered in the 1950s. These were still conventional passenger ships, with side-loading arrangements for a small number of cars. The capacity of these ships soon proved to be inadequate, and a joint fourth company was formed, the Silja Line (Oy Siljavarustamo or Ab Siljarederiet Ab) in 1957. Whilst operations began with the elderly Silja, two purpose-built modern car ferries, the Skandia (1) and Nordia were delivered for the Turku/Åbo-Mariehamn-Norrtälje route in 1962 and 1963. Despite these developments, each company added a further traditional ship in the 1960s, the Bore, Svea Jarl and Ilmatar, for service on the original routes from Stockholm to Turku and Helsinki. All subsequent deliveries and acquisitions were true car ferries, Silja Line receiving the Holmia, Fennia and Botnia, between 1965 and 1967.

In 1970, a closer agreement was reached between the three founding companies, and Silja Line became became a traffic coordinating and marketing unit. The ships of the three fleets Finland SS Co, Bore SS Co and Rederi AB Svea were united under the famous seals' head logo, and the remaining ships of the fourth company Oy Siljavarustamo/ Ab Siljarederiet Ab were distributed amongst the other three. Fennia joined Svea, Botnia joined Bore. and the new Floria joined the Finland fleet. Each carried their owners funnel colours, but were united by the Silja Line hull markings. Up until this time, the Helsinki route had been summer-only, but began all year operation on the delivery of two French-built sisters the Aallotar (3) and Svea Regina in 1972, owned by Finland SS Co and Svea respectively. A different Finnish-built ship, Bore I, joined the Bore fleet the following year. Traffic growth was such, that three larger French-built sisters, Svea Corona (1), Wellamo (3) and Bore Star replaced the 1972/73 ships after only three years in 1975/76. In 1975, the Swedish parent of Johnson Line took a 50% interest in Svea. Bore withdrew from passenger services at the Silja Line group at the end of the decade.

When the 1975 sisters in turn needed replacement with larger tonnage, two ships, the Finlandia (2) and Silvia Regina were delivered to EFFOA (Finland SS Co) and Svea in 1981. In the same year, Johnson Line took on the remaining 50% share in Svea, and the Silvia Regina swapped her black and white Svea funnel colours for those of Johnson Line. Johnson's ferry interests from Svea extended beyond Silja Line, including part shares in TT-Saga Line and SFL, but these were sold in soon afterwards. When the Viking Line partner Rederi Sally AB ran into difficulties, Johnson Line and Effoa formed a joint company Rederi AB Effjohn to acquire the majority of the Sally shares in 1987, buying the rest the following year. They were forced to sell their stake in Viking Line to the remaining partners Slite and SF-Line, but retained the Wasa Line service, Sally UK, and Sally cruise operations in the Baltic with Sally Albatross, and Commodore Cruises in the Caribbean. Johnson Line funnel colours disappeared on Silja Line ships in 1992, when ownership of both Johnson and Effoa ships passed to Oy Silja Line. In 1999, 51% of Silja Line was acquired by Sea Containers.


Silja Line Pages:-
Silja Line - Header Page - This Page!
Silja Line - Page 1 - The Early Years 1957-60

Silja Line - Page 2 - First Generation Car Ferries 1961-70

Silja Line - Page 3 - Second Generation Car Ferries 1971-80

Silja Line - Page 4 - Third Generation Car Ferries 1981-

Silja Line - Page 5 - Seawind Line
Bore Line - Höyrylaiva Oy Bore/Ångfartygs Ab Bore

Finland SS Co - Finska Ångfartygs Ab

Rederi AB Svea


Associated Pages:-
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page

Ships on all Silja Line Pages:-
Aallotar (2) (1959-1971)
Aallotar (3) (1972-1978)
Birger Jarl (1959-1971)
Bore (1960-1976)
Bore I (1973-1980) - later Skandia (2)
Bore III (1959-1971) Bore Star (1976-1980) - later Silja Star, Wasa Queen
Botnia (1967-1975)
Fennia (1966-1984, 1993-2001)
Finlandia (2) (1981-1990)
Finnjet (1986- )
Floria (1970-1975)
Holmia (1) (1965-1971)
Holmia (2) (1971-1973)
Ilmatar (1964-1973)
Nordia (1962-1974)
Regin (1960)
Regina (1978) - ex-Svea Regina
Sally Albatross (1992-1994) - later Silja Opera
Silja (1957-1961)
Silja Europa (1993- )
Silja Festival (1992- ) - ex-Wellamo
Silja Karneval (1992-1994) - ex-Svea
Silja Opera (2002- ) - ex-Sally Albatross
Silja Scandinavia (1994-1997, on charter)
Silja Serenade (1990- )
Silja Star (1) (1980-1986) - ex-Bore Star - later Wasa Queen
Silja Star (2) (1990, on charter)
Silja Symphony (1991- )
Silvia (1972-1973)
Silvia Regina (1981-1991)
Skandia (1) (1961-1974)
Skandia (2) (1980-1983) - ex-Bore I
Svea (1985-1992) - later Silja Karneval
Svea Corona (1) (1975-1984)
Svea Corona (2) (1984-1985, on charter)
Svea Jarl (1962-1976)
Svea Regina (1972-1978) - later Regina
Warjo (1957-1964)
Wasa Express/Sally Star (1997, on charter)
Wasa Jubilee/Stena Invicta (1998, on charter)
Wasa Queen (1993- ) - ex-Bore Star, Silja Star
Wasa Sun/Moby Vincent (1993- )
Wellamo (3) (1975-1981)
Wellamo (4) (1986-1992) - later Silja Festival

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powered by FreeFind Table of Ship Histories
Name Other names Built Bore (2) Borea, Kristina Regina 1960 Bore I Skandia, Stena Baltica, Ilich, Anastasia V, Windward Pride, Baltic Kristina 1973 Bore Star Finnpartner, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen 1975 Fennia Casino Express 1966 Finlandia (2) Queen of Scandinavia 1981 Finnjet 1977 Floria Villa de Agaete, Carmen del Mare 1970 Ilmatar Viking Princess, Palm Beach Princess 1964 Sally Albatross Viking Saga, Leeward, SuperStar Taurus, Silja Opera 1980 Sally Star Travemünde, Travemünde Link, Wasa Express (4), Thjelar 1974 Silja Opera Viking Saga, Sally Albatross, Leeward, SuperStar Taurus 1980 Silja Europa Europa 1993 Silja Festival Wellamo (4) 1986 Silja Karneval Svea (2), Color Festival 1985 Silja Scandinavia Frans Suell, Gabriella 1992 Silja Serenade 1990 Silja Star (1) Bore Star, Finnpartner, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen 1975 Silja Star (2) Viking Sally, Wasa King, Estonia 1980 Silja Symphony 1991 Silvia Regina Stena Britannica (2), Stena Saga 1981 Skandia Bore I, Stena Baltica, Ilich, Anastasia V, Windward Pride, Baltic Kristina 1973 Svea (2) Silja Karneval, Color Festival 1985 Svea Corona (1) Sundancer, Pegasus, Ionian Express 1975 Svea Corona (2) Wellamo (3), Dana Gloria, King of Scandinavia, Color Viking, Jupiter 1975 Svea Regina Regina, Odysseus Elytis, Scandinavian Sky, Tallink 1972 Wasa Queen Bore Star, Finnpartner, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun 1975 Wellamo (3) Dana Gloria, Svea Corona (2), King of Scandinavia, Color Viking, Jupiter 1975 Wellamo (4) Silja Festival 1986 Silja Line - Page 1 - Silja Line - Page 2 - Silja Line - Page 3 - Silja Line - Page 4 Silja Line - Page 5 - Seawind Line Bore Line - Finska Ångfartygs Ab - Rederi AB Svea Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards Top of Page - Simplon Postcards Home Page �1999-2013 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site) All Rights Reserved

Name	Other names	Built
Bore (2)	Borea, Kristina Regina	1960
Bore I	Skandia, Stena Baltica, Ilich, Anastasia V, Windward Pride, Baltic Kristina	1973
Bore Star	Finnpartner, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen	1975
Fennia	Casino Express	1966
Finlandia (2)	Queen of Scandinavia	1981
Finnjet		1977
Floria	Villa de Agaete, Carmen del Mare	1970
Ilmatar	Viking Princess, Palm Beach Princess	1964
Sally Albatross	Viking Saga, Leeward, SuperStar Taurus, Silja Opera	1980
Sally Star	Travemünde, Travemünde Link, Wasa Express (4), Thjelar	1974
Silja Opera	Viking Saga, Sally Albatross, Leeward, SuperStar Taurus	1980
Silja Europa	Europa	1993
Silja Festival	Wellamo (4)	1986
Silja Karneval	Svea (2), Color Festival	1985
Silja Scandinavia	Frans Suell, Gabriella	1992
Silja Serenade		1990
Silja Star (1)	Bore Star, Finnpartner, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun, Wasa Queen	1975
Silja Star (2)	Viking Sally, Wasa King, Estonia	1980
Silja Symphony		1991
Silvia Regina	Stena Britannica (2), Stena Saga	1981
Skandia	Bore I, Stena Baltica, Ilich, Anastasia V, Windward Pride, Baltic Kristina	1973
Svea (2)	Silja Karneval, Color Festival	1985
Svea Corona (1)	Sundancer, Pegasus, Ionian Express	1975
Svea Corona (2)	Wellamo (3), Dana Gloria, King of Scandinavia, Color Viking, Jupiter	1975
Svea Regina	Regina, Odysseus Elytis, Scandinavian Sky, Tallink	1972
Wasa Queen	Bore Star, Finnpartner, Silja Star, Orient Express, Eurosun, Orient Sun	1975
Wellamo (3)	Dana Gloria, Svea Corona (2), King of Scandinavia, Color Viking, Jupiter	1975
Wellamo (4)	Silja Festival	1986