Icebreakers of Finland

Finland Issued set of four stamps on September 07, 2005 on Icebreakers. These are the official Maxi Cards. Thanks to my swap friend, Mr. Holger Kaufhold for these cards.

The four icebreakers depicted on stamps are Urho, Otso, Fennica and Botnica. The ships represent the last three generations of Finnish icebreakers. Each stamp shows the name and building year of the icebreaker, and also the name and building year of the sister ship. The four stamps illustrate the 24-hour operation of the Icebreakers in - evening, night, morning and day respectively.

The oldest of the vessels is the icebreaker Urho. Otso was built in 1986. The ship is more modern in terms of technology and in particular more cost effective than Urho. Fennica, built in 1993, is the first multipurpose icebreaker in Finland. In the winter the multipurpose icebreakers sail in domestic icebreaking duties.

In the summer they have offshore duties in the service of international oil and gas industry. The newest of the ships depicted on the stamps is Botnica. It was built in 1998 with advanced multipurpose icebreaker technology.

 

Source: filahome.nl

 

Philippine Independence Centenary (1898 - 1998)

Date of Issue: June 03, 1998
Scott #: Stamp - 2079, SS - 2080

Philippines got independence from Spain on June 12, 1898. To commemorate 100 years of independence, Philippines, Mexico (former Spanish Colony), and Spain jointly issued stamps. The stamp and souvenir sheet here are issued by Mexico.

The stamp design of 3.40p shows an ancient sailing Galleon and flag of Mexico, whereas the stamp on souvenir sheet shows flags of Mexico and Philippines.

Malaysia - China Relationship 600th Anniv (1405 - 2005)

Date of Issue: July 21, 2005
Scott #: 1036-1039; SS - 1040

Malaysia issued this set of four stamps and a souvenir sheet to commemorate 600 years of relationship with China.  My opinion is that this stamp issue coincide with the 600 years of Zheng-He's voyages.

Designs on stamps:

30sen - Chinese Chop

30sen - Ancient Chinese ship

50sen - Malaysian and Chinese men talking

1RM  - Decorated plate

2RM  - Ornament and coin.

Click here to view all stamps and materials in my collection regarding Zheng-He's Voyages.

Saxon Steamship Company - 175th Anniversary

Date of Issue: June 09, 2011

Sächsische Dampfschiffahrt, a.k.a. the Saxon Steamship Company, has been cruising the River Elbe when on July 08 1836, a dozen citizens from the city of Dresden obtained a royal privilege for establishing steamboat navigation in Saxony.

The company, which has changed ownership and names several times, has the oldest continuously-operating fleet of paddle-wheel steamers in Europe, along with two modern motor cruisers. Seven of its nine vintage steamboats, including the Personen Dampfschiff Diesbar were built in the 19th Century.

The sailing area stretches from the historic center of Dresden, in River Elbe to Seusslitz (near the porcelain town of Meissen) and Bad Schandau in Saxon Switzerland, is one of the most beautiful river landscapes in Europe.

Source: DeutschePost.de, EuropeForVisitors.com

 

Many thanks to friend Mr. Wolfgang Beyer, Germany for sending me these two registered covers, one each postmarked at Berlin and Bonn. Unfortunately, the miniature sheets on both covers were cancelled by ball pen by a careless postal worker.  :(

Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) - June 18 - 26, 2011

Kieler Woche (Kiel Week) is an annual sailing event in Kiel, Germany. It is the largest sailing event in the world, and also one of the largest Volksfest in Europe.

Kiel Week is held annually in the last complete week in June.  This year 2011, it is 129th Kiel Week and was held on June 18 to 26. Kiel Week ends with a large fireworks display at 11 p.m. on Sunday, fired from pontoons or the quays at the Howaldtswerke, visible all across the Bay of Kiel.

Most ship races begin at the Olympic harbor of Schilksee, also the center of most sporting activities during Kiel Week. Other good places to view sailing races of smaller ship types are along the Kiellinie at the west coast of the Bay of Kiel.

Kiel Week usually gathers around 5,000 sailors, 2,000 ships, and about three million visitors each year. The event is organized in joint effort by the Yacht Club of Kiel, the Norddeutscher Regattaverein, the Hamburger Sailing Club, and the Verein Seglerhaus am Wannsee.

Another special event is the Tall Ships Parade, often led by the Gorch Fock, with more than 100 tall ships and traditional sailing ships and hundreds of yachts. The Tall Ships Parade is usually in the morning of the closing Sunday of Kiel Week.

 

Schleswig-Holstein (F216) - a Brandenburg class Frigate of the German Navy. These frigates primarily carry out antisubmarine warfare, but they also contribute to antiaircraft warfare defenses, the tactical command of squadrons, and surface-to-surface warfare operations. Their design includes some stealth features. 

This special postmark is to celebrate 125 years of the Lightship Laeso Rende. A lightvessel, or lightship, is a ship which acts as a lighthouse. They are used in waters that are too deep or otherwise unsuitable for lighthouse construction. The type has become largely obsolete; some stations were replaced by lighthouses as the construction techniques for the latter advanced, while others were replaced by large automated buoys. The Lightship Laeso Rende is located in the harbour of Heikendorf, a small town near Kiel.

Sail Ship Atlantis was built in 1905 in Hamburg as a light ship and served as such in the Outer Elbe River near Station Elbe II. Then she was taken out of service. Just like other light ships the underwater lines of the Atlantis have the classical shape of a sailing ship. After a thorough restoration the Atlantis began her second life in 1984. With the rigging of a barque she sails the seas of Western Europe and the Caribbean. In 2005 the windjammer was taken over by the Tallship Company and underwent another metamorphosis, while maintaining her traditional atmosphere and stylish interior. Since 2006 the Atlantis sails mainly around the Balearic Islands and the south coast of France.

Source: Wikipedia, and tallship-company.com

Many thanks to friend Wolfgang Beyer from Germany for continuously sending these wonderful postmarks on envelopes.

Centenary of Royal Australian Navy 1911 - 2011

Date of Issue: June 14, 2011
Stamp Design: John White
National Postmark: HMAS Cerberus, VIC 3920

Marking the 100 years of the Royal Australian Navy this 'then and now' stamp issue features the Australian Navy's first flagship, battle cruiser HMAS Australia (I) and modern missile frigate HMAS Sydney (IV).

From settlement in 1788 to 1859, Australia depended on units detached from the Royal Navy based in Sydney to provide naval defense. In 1859, Australia was established as a separate British Naval Station and, until 1913, a squadron of the Royal Navy was maintained in Australian waters. This Australian unit was to be paid for and controlled by the Australian Commonwealth and was to be eventually manned by Australian personnel.

In 1909 discussions held between the British Admiralty and Australian government resulted in the establishment of an Australian Fleet Unit consisting of at least a battle cruiser, three second-class cruisers, six destroyers, three submarines and a number of auxiliaries. The first units of this Navy, the destroyers HMA Yarra and Parramatta, reached Australian waters in November 1910 and in the following year on 10 July 1911, His Majesty King George V granted the title of "Royal Australian Navy" to the Commonwealth Naval Forces. On the 4 October 1913, the Australian Fleet entered Sydney Harbour for the first time and in October of the same year formal control of these units passed to the Commonwealth Naval Board, thus ending direct Imperial control.

Source: Australiapost.com.au

Many thanks to my friend at MyPhilately.com, Vera Radnell for the mint set of stamps and same on envelope.