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Pippi Longstocking and the dramatic story of Stena Danica
Find out more about the story of “Stena Danica”, from her baptism by Pippi Longstocking to her dramatic sinking.
Pippi Longstocking and the dramatic story of Stena Danica
In the summer of 1969, the “Stena Danica”, a Stena Line ferry, was christened by the well-known actress Inger Nilsson, who became famous as Pippi Longstocking. The ship's christening took place on June 30, 1969 and marked the beginning of an eventful history for the vehicle, which was originally intended to operate on the route between Gothenburg and Frederikshavn. The ship was built on February 16, 1969 under the construction number 934 at the Bremerhaven factory A.G. Wesser Seebeck was launched and was designed with a length of 125 meters to transport 250 cars and up to 1,500 passengers. The official delivery took place on June 28, 1969.
Stena Line published historical photos of the ship's christening on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of Astrid Lindgren's first Pippi novel. Despite the great expectations, the “Stena Danica” remained the only ship in the history of Stena Line without an identical sister ship, as hopes for a follow-up order were not fulfilled.
The sale and the renaming
After almost five years in service, the “Stena Danica” was sold to BC Ferries in 1974 and renamed “Queen of Surrey”. The ferry continued its journey on the route between Horseshoe Bay (Vancouver) and Nanaimo. From 1975 to 1980 the ship was out of service due to a conversion project, but was subsequently equipped with 208 berths and used as "Queen of the North" on the route from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy. This rebranding and reorientation was intended to give the ferry a new opportunity in the highly competitive ferry service on Canada's west coast.
The fate of the ferry
On March 21, 2006, a tragedy occurred: the “Queen of the North” ran onto a rock with 101 people on board. The ship sank within just four hours. Fortunately, 99 people were saved, but two passengers were killed and their bodies have not been found to this day. These events put a dramatic end to the eventful history of “Stena Danica” and its successor names.
The Stena Danica remains alive as a remarkable chapter in maritime history, both through its cultural connection to the character Pippi Longstocking and the challenges she had to overcome during her service. North24 and Simplon report in detail about the eventful history of this ferry.