Nigel Thornton Collection Steel twin screw motor vessel, originally built in 1979 by Kockhums Varv (shipyard) AB, Malmo, Sweden (Yard No. 569), as SCANDINAVIA for Rederi AB Nordo, Sweden, a passenger and roll-on roll-off and commercial vehicle ferry. Launched December 1st 1979.
 Technical Data
MMSI Number - 227010200, 311852000(2004) IMO Number - 7806099, 7814462 (2004) Length - 163.51 m (overall)(1979)(1989) 150.76 m (between perpendiculars) Depth - 7.90 m (1979) Breadth of hull - 23.03 m (moulded)(1979), 27.63m (1989) Draught - 6.5 m (moulded)(1979) Tonnage - 8,920 gross (1979), 25,122 (1989) 380 net (1979), 11,331 (1989) 10,500 deadweight (1979), 3,837 (1989) Engines - Two Sulzer 7RLA56 diesels Power - 13,020 kW Speed - 21.5 knots Capacity - 175 divers/passengers (1979) 1,800 passengers, 640 cars/ 80 trailers (1989) Call Sign - C6HC9 (1990), FNBK (1998), C6TY9(2004)
History December 1st 1979: Launched as SCANDINAVIA March 17th 1980: Delivered to Rederi Ab Nordö, Malmö. April 1980: Commenced service between Koper, Yugoslavia - Tartous, Syria. 1981: Sold to Navigation Maritime Bulgare, Varna, Bulgaria. April 1982: Sold to So Mejdunaroden Automobile Transport (S.M.A.T), Bourgas, Bulgaria. Renamed TZAREVETZ.
Nigel Thornton Collection
April 1982: Operated under trade banner of MedLink. 1984: Commenced service between Livorno - Iran - Iraq. 1986: Chartered to Rederi Callitzis, Greece. Commenced service between Greece - Italy. 1987: Chartered to Rederi Ab Nordö-Link, Malmö. Commenced service between Malmö - Travemünde September 1988 - October 1988: Chartered to DFDS, A/S, Esbjerg, Denmark. Commenced service between Esbjerg - Harwich. November 1988: Sold to Sealink U.K. Ltd Ashford (registered in the Bahamas, home port Nassau). Renamed FIESTA. November 1988: Chartered to OT-Africa Line. June 29th 1989: Arrived at Lloyds Werft GmbH, Bremerhaven, Germany. Rebuilt as a passenger ferry. The existing superstructure was modified and extended to the stern. To make room for new passenger areas, the upper vehicle deck was cut free and lowered, taking advantage of redundant headroom for double-stacked containers. The vehicle decks were converted from stern-loading to drive-through, and large sponsors were added on both sides
Nigel Thornton Collection
February 1990: Renamed FANTASIA.
 
Under conversion at the yard of Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven © M Fournet
March 1st 1990: Re-delivered from builders yard. March 8th 1990: Arrived at Dover.
  
© Fotoflite, Nigel Thornton Collection (left), © Ted Ingham (middle) © Gary Davies Maritime Photographic (right)
March 8th 1990: Commenced service as a freight only ferry between Dover - Calais. March 17th 1990: Introduced as a car and passenger ferry between Dover - Calais.
 
© Brian Fisher
May 31st 1990: Registered under Stena Equipment Ltd., London, England. Operating for Sealink Stena Line Ltd., Ashford.
© Andreas Wörteler
June 3rd 1990 - June 12th 1990: Returned to Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven for improvements to bow-thrusters. December 1990: Renamed STENA FANTASIA. 1991:Stena full takeover of Sealink U.K. Ltd for a sum believed to be in the region of £259 million. The fleets livery was changed to reflect the fact.
© Andreas Wörteler
January 8th 1991: Collided with a loading ramp in Calais and damaged her stern. January 10th 1991: Arrived at Wilton Feyenoord, Rotterdam for repairs. February 199: Resumed in service.
Terry Conybeare Collection
January 6th 1992 - February 7th 1992: Rebuilt at City Yards, Göteborg.
 
© Fotoflite, Nigel Thornton Collection (left) and © Andreas Wörteler (right)
December 31st, 1995 (midnight): Stena Sealink Line ceased as a company name and all ships in the fleet adopted the trading name of Stena Line. The fleet was painted in the Scandinavian livery.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
March 1998: P & O Stena Line was a British private sector company, 60% owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and 40% owned by Stena Line AB of Sweden. The new company took over the Dover and Newhaven services of P & O European Ferries and Stena Line.
© Stéphane Poulain
March 10th 1998: Commenced service for P&O Stena Line between Dover - Calais. 1998: Registered to P&O Stena Line Ltd. U.K., London.
© Andreas Wörteler
December 1998: Renamed P&OSL CANTERBURY.
© Andreas Wörteler
2002: The P & O Stena combine ended. The Dover-Calais fleet adopted the appropriate P & O “Pride of ….” names, the P & OSL labels being dropped….All vessels had their Stena house flag removed from their funnel, along with the deletion of the name Stena from their hulls. October 15th 2002: Commenced service for P&O Ferries, London. Renamed PO CANTERBURY. Continued between Dover - Calais.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
May 14th 2003: Final day in operational service at Dover. Came off service, ex Calais, at 08.30 hrs. De-stored at No 1 berth Dover and sailed across the harbour to “salute” Channel House (P & O HQ). Departed for Dunkerque at 18.30 hrs.
  
Time to say `goodbye' © Terry Conybeare
May 14th 2003: Laid up in Dunkerque. October 22nd 2003: Sold to GA Ferries, Piraeus, Greece. March 2004: Renamed ALKMINI A. March 26th 2004: Left Dunkerque for Antwerp. March 31st 2004: Left Antwerp for Tartous, Syria. April 2004: Left Tartous for Greece, arriving at Drapetsona for conversion to her new role. June 2004: Introduced between Igoumenitsa and Brindisi.
 
© Matt Murtland (HHV Ferry)
September 2004: Laid up in Perama. September 2004: Sold to Polferries. September 27th 2004: Handed over to her new owners. October 2004: Renamed WAWEL. October 13th 2004: Left Perama for Poland. October 18th 2004: Bunkered in Algeciras. October 25th 2004: Arrived at Remontowa, Gdansk, Poland for rebuilding.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
February 15th 2005: Introduced between Swinoujscie - Ystad. 2007: Remains in service between Swinoujscie - Ystad for Polferries.  Back to P&P Home
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