Finland’s Viking Line has struck a lucrative deal to sell one of its older ropaxes into France.
The company said Corsica Ferries is the buyer of the 34,400-gt Croatian-built Amorella (built 1998).
The vessel will be delivered to the new owner in October.
Viking Line revealed the sale price as €19.1m ($19.5m), while the book value on 30 June was €3.2m, implying a profit of nearly €16m.
The company said the disposal was a “long-decided step” in the renewal of the fleet.
The transaction also strengthens liquidity and the financial position in general, Viking Line added.
The shipping company plans to offer the crew of the vessel work on the company’s other six ropaxes, built between 1980 and 2021.
Chief executive Jan Hanses said the Amorella had operated for Viking Line since 1988.
He described it as one of the “loyal servants” in the company’s fleet.
“She has been a mainstay that has maintained regular traffic on the company’s core line between Turku, Aland and Stockholm. The staff’s efforts and commitment over the years have been crucial to the ship’s traffic,” the CEO said.
“This does not mean that we are abandoning the Helsinki - Stockholm route, but that we will continue the traffic with one ship during the winter and evaluate strategic alternatives for the continuation of the route,” he added.
In 2020, all 200 passengers were evacuated from the ropax after it started taking on water and grounded off Finland.
The vessel “had ground contact” at Hjulgrund in the Aland archipelago, the owner said.
