History

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                                    History

LOI
Building contract
Building started
Keel laid
7/9/1963Launch and baptized by Asbjørg Bergsmo
Sea trial
27/2/1964 Second sea trial
27/2/1964Delivered to VDS, Norway
3/3/1964Arrived to Bergen first time
5/3/1964Maiden voyage on Hurtigruten coastal service between Bergen and Kirknes.
30/3/1964Docking at BMV shipyard, fixing some problems finded in first days in service.
24-25/9/1965Docking at BMV shipyard
8-12/3/1966Docking at BMV shipyard
4/4/1966Collision with m/s Storhaug.
31/3-8/4/1967 Docking at BMV shipyard
7/9/1967A rope in the propeller
17/2/1968Hull damage in Rørvik.
20-29/2/1968Docking at BMV shipyard
1968First use in Svalbard as extended Hurtigrute
(Ekspressruten). On the connection only big
cities are called. From Honningsvåg the route
runs through Longyearbyen, Tempelfjorden,
Barentsburg, Magdalenafjord, Ny Ålesund. 6
connections per season.
5/9/1968Collision with M/T Røeggen in Honningsvåg.
17/1/1969Collision with M/S Nordkyn in Honningsvåg
4-11/2/1969Docking at BMV shipyard
15/2/1970Collision with the M/S Rypøy in Kjøllefjord.
14/3/1970Grounded of Risøyrenna.
12-18/4/1970Docking at BMV shipyard
19702 tours to Svalbard.
9/12/1970Grounded of at Brønnøysund.
12/2/1971Collision with M/S Inherred.
19-24/4/1971On dock of the shipyard BMV. Installation
of the bar in the 1st class smoking salon.
This place later becomes today’s salesroom
of the cafeteria.
8/5/1971The ship damaged a mail vehicle in Molde.
26/1/1972Engine damage.
29/7/1972Hit a sandbank outside Longyearbyen.
No damages. The journey can be continued.
8-28/2/1973Annual maintenance on dock of the shipyard
BMV. There is also a conversion of 4 cabins.
The number of beds is reduced from 233
to 229.
25/2-4/3/1974 Docking at TMV shipyard
24/9/1974Collision with M/S Faste Jarl.
26/11/1974A net or rope in the propeller.
11/1975A major renovation of the interior takes
place. The planning was done by the
consulting firm Lund, Mohr & Giæve
r – Enger in Bergen.
17/6/1976Collision with M/S Erling Jarl.
6-11/3/1977Docking at BMV shipyard
4/1977Cruise to Lerwick / Shetland and the Orkney Islands.
19/7/1977Grounded at Tjeldsund. The ship suffers
major hull damage. The emergency repair
takes place at the Kaarbø mek. Verksted in
Harstad. The complete repair will be carried
out by the shipyard Nylands mek. Verksted
(at Oslo) performed.
8/8/1977Back in Hurtigruten service.
1977Grounded at Tjeldsund between Harstad and Lødingen.
27/2-4/3/1978Docking at Haugesunds mek. Verksted.
21/6/1978The ship damaged of the M/S Fjordkongen.
22/6/1978Collision with Pier in Stokmarknes.
4/8/1978A hull damage in Stokmarknes.
12/9/1978Collision with (rope pose) at Skjervøy.
2/11/1978Propeller accident.
26/1/1979Collision with M/S Nordnorge.
15/3/1979Collision with M/S Vikna in Rørvik.
5/5/1979Collision with M/S Sessøy in Skjervøy.
17/5/1979A wire rope in the propeller and anchor.
31/3/1980A hull damage in Båtsfjord.
11/6/1980Collision with M/S Tussøy.
30/9/1980A hull damage in Båtsfjord.
19/10-5/11/1980Docking of Aalborg Verft, Denmark. There is
a modernization of the facility. 4 large cabins
are being built instead of the 2nd class dining
room. The main engine receives a repair.
There are problems with the cylinder blocks.
The whole engine has to be dismantled. The
same can be observed on the sister ships
M/S Kong Olav and M/S Nordnorge.
22/2/1981Collision with M / K Lillian Greta in Harstad.
16/3/1981A rope gets caught in the propeller.
1-6/11/1981Docking at BMV shipyard
21/5/1982A hull damage in Kristiansund.
16/6/1982The last journey begins within Ekspressruten.
31/10-6/11/1982Docking at BMV shipyard.
21/10/1983Loss of anchor and chain.
1-9/3/1984Docking at Kaarbø mek. Verksted.
14-31/10/1985Dock of Aalborg Verft, Denmark. A
modernization of the interior. Some cabins
on deck B have their own bathroom (shower
and toilet). The old smoking salon stern gets
a bar, stereo and a dance floor with the name
“Club Nordkapp”. Some steel plates of the hull
are exchanged. The hull is painted blue. A
design test of the VDS to clarify their shipping
colors. The conversion of the cabins can not
be held until the desired final date. The
remaining work will be done on the way to
Norway. The bed capacity is reduced to 223
beds in 91 cabins.
1986The hull gets its black color back.
29/9/1987Small fire onboard
1/1/1988The ship will be taken over by the OVDS. The VDS and ODS merge.
28/1/1988Loss of the anchor in Sandnessjøen.
30/9/1988Sold to FFR
1989Fire of an electrical system in the engine room near Bodø.
1989The bridge and salon deck gets a blue stripe.
1-9/3/1993On dock of the shipyard Kaarbø mek. Verksted. The fuel tank is renewed.
27/5/1993Three normal round trip of the ship ends
in Honningsvåg. Then a special trip to
Murmansk and back to Hammerfest.
1-9/3/1994Dock of Fiskerstrand Verft. Here, the FFR
gets an offer for a new diesel engine, a
MAN with 6000 bhp. The shipping company
refuses for economic reasons.
1/6/1995M/S Lofoten was the first Hurtigrut ship at the new quay in Molde.
10/1995FFR talks with the OVDS on the repurchase of the vessel begin.
7-28/1/1996Dock of the shipyard Mjellem & Karlsen
in Bergen. Remodeling of the interior.
Bed capacity decreases from 213 in 98
cabins to 184 in 94 cabins. New engine
block for old B & W diesel engine
31/3/1996Ship returns to the OVDS and the FFR gets off as Hurtigrutereederei.
30/5/2001The Hurtigrut ship M / S Lofoten is listed by the Direktoratet for Kulturminneforvaltning.
20/4/2002End of coastal voyages, when Finnmarken replaced her.
25/9/2002Back in coastal service
12/4/2003Laid up
Summer 2003Ship is docked at the Kaarbø Verft A / S
shipyard in Harstad and is being prepared
for re-deployment in the Hurtigrute
24/9/2003Occupies the regular space of M / S
Nordnorge in the fleet. M / S Nordnorge
is on its way back to South America.
4/12/2003Dock of Kaarbø Verft in Harstad. The
remainder of the modernization will
be carried out according to plan.
9/9/06-27/4/2007Representative of M / S Nordnorge within the Hurtigruten.
18/1/2019Owner Hurtigruten Cruise AS, Norway