We arrived back in Sweden later than scheduled - we were due in at 11.00 and drove off the ship at 11.30 but that was not a problem as it gave us time to join a nearby traffic lane in the port for our next sailing. We could then watch the good ship OSLOFJORD depart on her next sailing, leaving probably just half an hour after we disembarked.
Twenty minutes later the COLOR HYBRID came into view, turned and presented her stern for a photograph. This port is rather strange in that the two shipping lines are not allowed to share the same facilities, and must use separate parking and check in areas. It would seem that local priorities and perhaps finance is involved somewhere here in Stromstad.
We soon drove on board and enjoyed looking around at this new ship. She seems very spacious and well-planned. Color Line's own website (colorline.com) gives these technical facts about COLOR HYBRID:
Type of ship: Plug-in hybrid
Shipyard: Built at Ulstein Shipyard
Number of passengers: 2,000
Total crew: 100
Number of cars: 500
Overall dimensions: Length 160 m, beam 27.1 m, draught 6.0 m
Battery pack: About 5 MWh (megawatt hours) giving up to 60 minutes manoeuvring and sailing at speeds of 0-12 knots. Good WHR (waste heat recovery) using a hot reservoir system. Extremely low noise emissions during both battery operation and when moored at night.
They add that it is "The world's largest plug-in hybrid that sets the global standard for environmentally friendly ships and represents a significant upgrade of the shopping and adventure offerings for travellers between Norway and Sweden.
The new ship will provide a better travel experience and set a new standard for comfort. Shopping and service offerings on board will be expanded and improved, with large stores and three great eateries with a rich variety of food and drink.
On deck there will be a greenhouse powered by residual heat. Here, among other things, herbs and vegetables will be grown and served on board. Guests with a love of the sea will probably seek out the additional “bridge” wing at the stern, built for passengers. A glass floor will allow guests to follow the waves and the ship's rhythm with a direct view to the open sea".
During the voyage we could indeed see many of the features mentioned on the website; we didn't expect to be able to get inside a large model whale up on the sun deck, even though it was still raining slightly up on the windy deck. The shops were interesting although I bought nothing.
I admired the Lego construction in one area and thought of two small people at home who would love to have seen it or even had the box kit given to them. Sorry boys, it's not going to happen at that size and price but I did think of you.
My knowledgeable friend told me that the main purpose of the Hybrid part of COLOR HYBRID is to enable her to sail emissions-free up and down Sandefjord (the stretch of water leading from the sea up to the port of Sandefjord in Norway). She will use her batteries for that and the batteries are powered when the ship plugs in. If for any reason the batteries didn't work, she can still use normal engines.
He also said that the technology is similar to that used in the new Hurtigruten expedition ship ROALD AMUNDSEN, which has a battery pack to enable emissions-free sailing in particularly sensitive Polar areas.
Norway has some all-electric ferries - for short crossings; it has some LNG ferries; it is also developing the technology for Hydrogen ferries.
He added that the Norwegian Government specifies ever-cleaner ferries for the domestic routes each time they are re-tendered."
We really enjoyed looking around this very new Hybrid ship. We saw the Restaurant, the whale up on the top deck, the greenhouse, our position at sea, the Koster Buffet, the glass floor on the 'Bridge' wing at the stern, various pieces of artwork, a playroom model for children, the vast double-height shop on board, a huge piece of what looked like a Lego construction, and then the sight of OSLOFJORD in the sunshine at sea nearby.
I went to talk to the lady at the Reception desk because we had not been able to find out the gross tonnage of this brand-new Hybrid ship. This didn't appear on any publicity or websites that my friend and I had seen, and it wasn't shown on the Marine Traffic website either. My little plan paid off because the kind lady agreed with me that maybe one of the Deck Officers on the Bridge would know and be able to tell us. She telephoned the Bridge and moments later I was told that the gross tonnage of this lovely ship was approximately 27,000.
We soon arrived at Sandefjord and disembarked from COLOR HYBRID; we watched her leave the port again and I noticed a commercial vehicle with a colourful advertisement for the ship we could still see out there on the water.
We had one more sight of her as she set off back to Sweden.
Ships seen: Color Hybrid, Color Viking, Oslofjord, Stena Saga
To be continued...
