Saaremaa-Ventspils ferry could become reality in 2005

  • 2004-08-19
  • From wire reports
TALLINN - Saaremaa Laevakompanii (Saaremaa Shipping) announced last week that it planned to launch a ferry route connecting the picturesque Saaremaa Island with the port city of Ventspils.

The company said it hoped to open the shipping line next spring, and that the ferry Scania was set for a trial run on Aug. 20.
CEO Tonis Rihvk told TV3 news last week that the decision was made in light of the uncertainty surrounding the future of a ferry link between Saaremaa and mainland Estonia.
He said that SLK was looking for other route options, and that if the Latvian side were to offer a better deal than the Kuivastu-Virtsu route that the company was currently operating, then SLK would opt for a route to Ventspils.
Latvia has shown significant interest in the route, Rihvk said, and if demand warranted it, SLK could replace the Scania with a bigger ship.
However, it was not clear whether Roomassaare or Montu would be the port of departure on Saaremaa. The former is in better condition in terms of infrastructure, whereas the latter, situated on the Sorve peninsula in the southern part of the island, would be better geographically and would cut sailing time.
"It takes about 4.5 hours to cross from Roomassaare to Ventspils," Rihvk said.
"The Ventspils-Montu route would be more attractive, especially to Latvian tourists for whom the Sorve peninsula is a favorite destination," he added. "Besides, crossing from one country to the other would be as short as three hours."
It was premature to speak about possible timetables and fares of the new shipping line, Rihvk added.
Igors Udodovs, marketing and development director of Ventspils Free Port, said the port saw great potential for such projects since it would widen travel opportunities of residents of Latvia's Kurzeme region and Ventspils, as well as those of many Lithuanian tourists.
"To implement the project, some reconstruction work, such as adapting the ramp to receive the ferry that will be sailing on the route, is already underway in the port," Udodovs said.
The Scania ferry, which currently sails on the Kuivastu-Virtsu line, accommodates up to 400 passengers and 80 vehicles.
SLK is leasing its other large ferry, the St. Ola, to an Icelandic operator in September.
Also, the Economy Ministry last week sent a letter to Saaremaa Shipping to ask the terms on which it was prepared to continue regular public routes after Oct. 1.
Anu Hallik-Jurgenstein, the ministry's public relations officer, said that the inquiry was specifically about terms for the Rohukula-Heltermaa, Rohukula-Sviby and Virtsu-Kuivastu routes (from the mainland respectively to the islands of Hiiumaa, Vormsi and Saaremaa).
She said Saaremaa Shipping was a partner of the state, and the state was waiting for its bid.
The state has organized two tenders to find an operator for Saaremaa and Hiiumaa island traffic, but both have failed.