Mast stepping ceremony held for LNG driven fast ferry Megastar
The new generation LNG driven fast ferry Megastar being built for Tallink in Meyer Turku shipyard in Finland is in the final stage of construction, and according to the shipbuilding traditions, the mast stepping ceremony was held for her on 29th of September, Tallink Grupp says in a press release.
The ceremony involves welding the coins used in the keel laying ceremony and released from under the keel after the launch of the vessel, into the mast step of a ship. It is seen as an important ceremonial occasion in a ship's construction thought to bring good luck. The insertion of coins in buildings and ships may have functioned as a form of sacrifice thanking the gods for a successful construction, or a request for divine protection in the future. Although the coins were originally placed under the main-mast of a ship, they are now generally welded beside the radar mast.
The Coin Ceremony for Megastar took place during the keel laying on 9th of February. In it, the shipbuilders and Owners place one or two coins under the keel block of the new ship to bless the ship and as a symbol of good fortune. The coins are not normally fixed in place and are often retrieved when the ship sails out of the dry-dock.
The start of production for the ship took place on 4th of August, 2015 and the Christening Ceremony with the Godmother President Halonen on 1st of July 2016. The ship was launched to water on 15th of July 2016.
Megastar will be 212 meters long and will accommodate altogether 2800 passengers having the same length and capacity as the largest cruise ferry of the company, the Baltic Queen. Megastar will use LNG as fuel, but will also be able to run on marine diesel. With LNG, her environmental performance will improve much by creating no Sulphur or soot particles and decreasing the Nitrogen and CO2 emissions. She will be a 49 000 GT ship with a service speed of 27 knots. Designed for the Tallinn-Helsinki route exclusively, Megastar will comply with the current and future emission regulations for the ECAs (Emission Control Area), including the Baltic Sea.
