Silja Line was founded in 1957 by three shipping companies, Finland Steamship Company, Steamship Company Bore and Stockholms Rederi AB Svea.
M/S SKANDIA was built in 1961 at Wärtsila shipyard in Helsinki. SKANDIA was Silja Line’s first newly built car ferry and was put into service on the route Turku (Åbo)-Aland-Stockholm. The ferry carried 1200 passengers and 175 cars and was the first purpose-built car-passenger ferry for year round service. The bow doors fore and aft, resulting in a full-length car deck was revolutionizing.
Built as a passenger ro-ro ferry under yard No 369 by Oy Wärtsilä Sandviken Ab, Helsinki, Finland for Oy Siljavarustamo/ Ab Siljarederiet Ab, Abo, Finland.
28 November 1960 launched as SKANDIA one sister the NORDIA.
Tonnage 3,593 grt, 1,297 net, 990 dwt., dim. 101.60 x 18.53 x 4.62m.
Powered by two 9-cyl. Wärtsilä-Sulzer diesel engines 6,600 bhp, twin shafts, speed 18 knots. One bow thruster.
Accommodation for 1200 passengers, has berths for 136 passengers. Can carry 175 cars.
10 May 1961 delivered to owners.
She was the first car and passenger ferry of any great size to be built in Finland.
Built for the service between Turku, Mariahamn and Norrtälje, linking Finland with Sweden. The passage took about 9 hours and she was equipped with various amenities such as a cinema, hairdressing saloons, sauna, baths and a nursery and children play ground.
When during the winter period the ice was to tick she called at Stockholm instead of Norrtälje.
30 March 1966 got propeller trouble lost two blades of one propeller, at that time she had 130 passengers on board, 47 passengers were transferred to the Viking Line ship APOLLO.
31 March 1966 again in service after a new propeller was installed.
1972 Transferred to Oy Silja Line Ab. Abo, Finland.
1973 Transferred to Finska Angfartygs Ab, Helsingfors (Helsinki), Finland.
04 December 1973 taken out of service due to the high bunker price, laid up at Åbo.
September 1974 sold to Naviera Oriental C.A. Pampatar, Venezuela, renamed in ISLA DE CUBAGUA.
Used in the service between Puerto la Cruz to Margarita Island.
1980 Transferred to Consolidada de Ferry CA Caracas (Conferrys), Caracas.
March 1986 sold to an unknown Greece owner.
She left Puerto La Cruz; Venezuela on 25 March 1986 in tow of the Dutch tug SCHOTLAND bound for Piraeus, the SCHOTLAND towed in tandem also the ferry ISLA DE VENZUELAN.
When weather conditions worsened and the ISLA DE CUBAGUA took on water and listed the towline was cut and the ISLA DE CUBAGUA sank south of the Azores in position 32 39N and 29 09W on 14 April 1986.
The SCHOTLAND continued her voyage with only the ISLA DE COCHE in tow.
Aland 2010 0.75 Euro, sg?, scott?
Source: http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/skandia_1961.htm Merchant Ships world built 1961.
Modern Shipping Disasters 1963-1987 by Norman Hooke.