1975–1984 MS
Svea Corona was the first of the so-called "second generation French sisters" to be built for Silja Line traffic. The first generation French sisters,
MS Aallotar and
MS Svea Regina were delivered in 1972 and started year-round ferry traffic between
Helsinki, the capital of Finland and
Stockholm, the capital of Sweden. After just three years, three new ships of similar but larger construction replaced the first generation ships. The new ships were the
Svea Corona and her sisters
MS Wellamo and
MS Bore Star. These ships started a new era in
Baltic Sea ferry traffic, being larger than any previous ferries to have sailed in those waters. On 24 May 1975, the
Svea Corona started service for the Silja Line. She damaged her bow thruster during the maiden voyage, and it was not repaired until 10 June of the same year during an extra docking at
Vuosaaren telakka, Helsinki. She was rebuilt at
Oskarshamns Varv, Sweden as MS
Sundancer for cruising on the west coast of North America. However, on what was just her third cruise as the
Sundancer, The ship hit a rock on her starboard side on Maud island while trying to turn to starboard to enter Seymour Narrows. She entered Menzies Bay to try to run aground but decided to try to run south in Discovery passage to the Elk Falls Mill to try and come alongside the paper dock. The M/V
Seymour Crown, a Tug based at the mill was called out and managed to reverse the starboard list to a port list against the dock and mill employees managed to remove all on board with no loss of life. In August 1984 the
Sundancer was refloated and towed into
Burrard Shipyard, Vancouver, where she was examined and declared a
constructive total loss. The ship was left laid up at the shipyard, awaiting potential buyers.). A fire broke out in her engine room during the rebuilding at
Perama, Greece, and for a third time the ship was declared a total constructive loss. No further buyers were found to restore the ill-fated ship, and she was towed to the scrapyard in
Aliağa, Turkey, on 29 March 1995, and was subsequently broken up. Her engines were sold to
Med Link Line and installed on their
M/S Agios Andreas. ==Facilities==