Kihnu Veeteed
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
ama
 | |
| Industry | Maritime transportation |
|---|---|
| Founded | 2002 |
| Headquarters | , |
Key people | Jaak Kaabel (CEO) |
| Website | veeteed.com |
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Kihnu Veeteed ("Kihnu Waterways") is a ferry company which operates six scheduled routes in Estonia. It is registered on the island of Kihnu in the Gulf of Riga, and runs a fleet of seven passenger ferries.[1]
The company's ferries provide connections between the mainland and the small islands of Kihnu, Manilaid, Vormsi, and Piirissaar. There is also a connection between the country's two largest islands, Saaremaa and Hiiumaa.[1] As of 2024, the Vormsi service had the most departures with 2,744 trips annually. Kihnu had the most passengers, with a figure of 85,000 annually.[2]
The ferry lines are operated on the basis of public procurement contracts, and most of the company's vessels are owned by the Estonian state, and specially built for these routes. The three sister ships Soela, Ormsö and Kihnu Virve entered service between 2015 and 2017. They were built by Baltic Workboats in Nasva, Estonia and each has a capacity of 200 passengers and 32 cars.[3] In addition, the Kihnu Maritime Fleet also owns two passenger ferries, Amalie and Reet, both of which are over fifty years old, and are used as back-up vessels.[1]
When ice conditions are too difficult for the usual vessels to reach Kihnu and Piirissaar, hovercraft are able to operate on these routes.[4][5] Some of Kihnu Veeteed's routes are supplemented by ice roads in cold winters.[6]
In 2022 Kihnu Veeteed was replaced by Tuule Liinid as the operator of catamaran services to Ruhnu from Saaremaa and the mainland.[7]
In 2025 Kihnu Veeteed commissioned a study into shortening the ferry route to Kihnu, potentially by 20–25 percent. An alternative route through the Kakra Channel was considered, which would save fuel and make the trip to Kihnu less susceptible to difficult weather conditions.[8]