3/2/2022
Helsinki Shipyard handed over the SH Minerva expedition cruise ship to its customer Swan Hellenic in December. The vessel will operate across all continents, specializing in polar regions. Steel surface coatings were supplied by Nor-Maali Oy together with Jotun. Products used were e.g. Marathon IQ2, SeaQuantum Classic S and Tankguard DW.
SH Minerva is the first in a series of Vega-class vessels built at Helsinki Shipyard. The vessel was ordered by the shipping company Swan Hellenic.
The cruise ships ordered by Swan Hellenic are built by Helsinki Shipyard, which is specialized in demanding marine technology and shipbuilding. Helsinki Shipyard has long tradition of building icebreakers. The shipyard has built several special vessels for Arctic conditions.
SH Minerva is the first of three expedition cruise ship series for the Swan Hellenic. The next luxury cruise ship, the SH Vega, is scheduled to be delivered to the customer in Spring 2022. The third vessel in the series is slightly larger than the first two and is scheduled to be delivered in the fall of 2022.
Image: Swan Hellenic
Swan Hellenic was relaunched in July 2020 to proudly continue the spirit of cultural expedition cruising the company pioneered in the 1950s. Building on its British roots, the new company has a global cultural cruising outlook dedicated to providing guests with the opportunity to ‘see what others don’t’.
Swan Hellenic’s purpose-built ships feature elegant Scandi-design interiors, extensive outdoor spaces and dedicated expedition facilities. SH Minerva and SH Vega, two new 5-star polar PC 5 ice-class expedition cruise ships, respectively launched in December 2021 and arriving in May 2022, each accommodate 152 guests in 76 spacious suites and staterooms, the majority with large balconies. A larger PC 6 ice-class vessel accommodating 192 guests in the same distinctive comfort and style in 96 staterooms and suites will be arriving in early 2023.
All three ships feature 3 dining venues – the Swan Restaurant, Club Lounge and Pool bar & Grill – and are being built in full compliance with SOLAS Safe Return to Port requirements. Dedicated to guests with a passion for adventure and cultural exploration, the company’s meticulously planned itineraries explore the wild landscapes, wildlife, peoples and unique cultures of the world’s less travelled regions.
The crews include an expedition team comprising expert guides, speakers and lecturers, and almost equal the number of guests, reflecting the high levels of attentive personal service provided.
Headquartered in Cyprus with offices in London, Dusseldorf, Monaco, Fort Lauderdale (serving the North America market) and Hong Kong (serving Greater China and South-East Asia), as well as partnerships serving India, Japan and Australia-New Zealand, Scandinavia and Iceland, Swan Hellenic supports the travel trade with specialist local partners to provide customers with expert personal service worldwide.
Image: Swan Hellenic
SH Minerva was coated with premium products: Jotamastic 90, Hardtop XPF, Marathon IQ2, SeaQuantum Classic S and Tankguard DW. Jotamastic 90 was used in several areas on the ship together with Hardtop XPF. Underwater hull was coated with Marathon IQ2 and SeaQuantum Classic S, and Tankguard DW was used in fresh water tanks.
Jotamastic 90 was used on several areas on the ship, such as topside and superstructures. Hardtop XPF was used as a topcoat on these areas. Read more about Jotamastic 90 here and about Hardtop XPF here.
Marathon IQ2 is Jotun´s breakthrough solution for ice-going vessels. It combines smoothness and toughness to provide the best hydrodynamic efficiency for ice breakers and ice-going vessels. Marathon IQ2 is an environmentally friendly and user safety product. It doesn´t contain phenol or solvents. Marathon IQ2 has improved application properties, it is applicable by single-feed standard airless spray. Marathon IQ2 is approved as an ice-resistant coating and it will protect SH Minerva in ice-covered waters. Read more about Marathon IQ2 here.
SeaQuantum Classic S is an antifouling coating based on a silyl acrylate binder and a hydrolysis reaction. It provides excellent fouling protection and incomparable hull performance. This is achieved through highly predictable and stable self-polishing characteristics reducing hull deterioration, friction and speed loss. The initial smooth surface provides a very good out of dock performance. SeaQuantum Classic S can be applied at sub-zero surface temperatures.
Since one of the priorities in the ship design was to take the environment into account, it was obvious to choose the best possible solution for underwater hull foaling growth control. Preventing fouling growth is essential for ship´s fuel consumption, optimized hull performance means less fuel and less air pollution. With SeaQuantum Classic S speed loss is only 2.5%, while the market average is 5.9%.
Tankguard DW is a solvent-free epoxy coating specially designed for drinking water tanks. It can be used as primer and finish coat in atmospheric and immersed environments. Tankguard DW has several approvals: It meets the requirements of NSF/ANSI 61-2014a Standard for Drinking Water System Components – Health Effects, requirements of BS 6920-1:2000 for contact with potable water and requirements of the Norwegian Institute of Public Health for use in contact with potable water. Tankguard DW is also in compliance with Federal Drug Authority, USA, FDA Title 21, Part 175.300, approved for exposure to dry foods and it meets the requirements of ANSI/AWWA standard C210-07: Suitable for water pipelines.
Jotun´s Marathon IQ2 protects SH Minerva in polar regions waters. Image: Swan Hellenic.
Image: Swan Hellenic
https://helsinkishipyard.fi
https://www.swanhellenic.com/
https://navigatormagazine.fi/uutiset/sh-minerva-laskettiin-vesille-helsingissa/
https://venelehti.fi/kuukauden-vene-sh-minerva-stadista-napavesille/
