Roy Thornton Collection Steel twin screw turbine steamer, built by Hawthorne, Leslie (Shipbuilders) Ltd, Hebburn, England, (Yard No. 754) for the British Railways Board in 1965. Launched November 1st, 1963.
 Technical Data
Registry - Harwich (1963 - 1992) IMO Number - 6400044 Length on deck - 122.84m (overall) Breadth of hull - 18.70m (extreme) Draught - 5.79m (maximum) Tonnage - 3,061 gross 1,007 net 1,854 deadweight Engines - 2 x 7-cylinder Mirrless National Ltd diesels Power - 2,736kW Speed - 13.5 knots Capacity - 100 passengers, 35 rail wagons/200 cars. Call Sign - GMOB (1963 - 1992)
History November 1st 1963: Launched. December 1963: Delivered to British Railways Board being the first British ship to be fitted with Flume stabilisation system and the first ship in the fleet fitted with controllable pitch propellers. January 2nd 1964: Commenced service as a train ferry between Harwich - Zeebrugge. 1972: Both the CAMBRIDGE and ESSEX FERRY undertook ten unusual sailings from Harwich to Dublin’s North Wall with rolling stock for C.I.E. 1973: Sealink trading name painted on hulls April 24th 1975 - May 8th 1975: Operated between Stranraer - Larne.
Roy Thornton Collection
1977: Received a £91,000 extension to her boat deck to allow 25 more trade cars to be carried. Modifications were also made to her stern to allow her to fit the Dunkerque link-span. January 1st 1979: Registered to Sealink UK Ltd, London, England. May 1980: Operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire. November 29th 1982 - December 1982: Berthing trials at Dover, then tested Admiralty Pier linkspan and after modifications at Dunkerque operated between Dover - Dunkerque West, assisting the pre-Christmas fruit traffic. Then returned to Harwich - Zeebrugge.
Roy Thornton Collection
December 30th 1986: Arrived at Humber Ship Repairers, Immingham for overhaul and modifications to fit the berth at Dover. 31st January 1987: Harwich service terminated and sailed to Dover. February 2nd 1987: Carried out berthing trials at Dover’s train ferry dock before May 1st 1987: Involved in a collision with the ST ELOI 700 yards off the Breakwater at Dover, both vessels were badly damaged.
 Roy Thornton Collection
June 6th 1987: Arrived at Smiths Dock, North Shields for repairs. December 198: Assisted Fishguard - Rosslare
 
Roy Thornton Collection (left) and © Brian Fisher (right)
September 1988 - October 13th 1988: Operated between Dover (ferry dock) - Dunkerque, after the new train ferry berth on the admiralty pier had failed. October 1988: Laid up on the Fal.
© Ted Ingham
November 4th 1988: Service between Rosslare - Fishguard. March 1990: Laid up at Milford Haven. April 1990: Assisted Stranraer - Larne.
© Aubrey Dale
June 1990 - September 1990: Operated between Rosslare - Fishguard then laid up. December 1990 - January 1991: Operated between Rosslare - Fishguard. January 1991: Assisted Stranraer - Larne.
© Aubrey Dale
February 1991 - February 19th 1991: Operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire. March 15th 1992: Final day in operation between Stranraer - Larne. Thereafter laid up at Milford Haven. April 21st 1992: Sold to Sincomar, Valletta, Malta. Renamed ITA UNO, left Milford Haven for Malta and rebuild. 1993: Renamed SIRIO laid up in Bari.
 
© Aleksi Lindstrom
May 2003: Sold for breaking in Turkey. May 26th 2003: Arrived at Huzur Gemi Sokum Ltd, Aliaga, Turkey for breaking.
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