Nigel Thornton Collection

Steel twin screw motor vessel, built by Nouvi Canterieri Aquania S.P.A. Marina de Carrara, Italy (Yard No. 2119) for Castello Hellas Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greece in 1981 as a commercial vehicle ferry. Engined by Mannheim and launched July 12^th, 1980.

Technical Data

IMO Number - 7826855

Length on deck - 150.81m (overall),176.05m (after rebuild)

Breadth of hull - 22.22m (extreme),23.50m (after rebuild)

Draught - 6.01m (maximum),5.27m (after rebuild)

Tonnage - 5,072 gross, 5,765, 11,030 (after rebuild)

2,342 net, 3,309 (after rebuild)

6,235 deadweight, 6,235 (after rebuild)

Engines - Two 12-cylinder MWM TBD511V12 diesels

Two Wartsila -Vasa 12V32E diesels (after engine rebuild 1998)

Power - 12,000 hk (1981)

13,380 bhp (after engine rebuild)

Speed - 19.0 knots

17.5 knots (after engine rebuild)

Capacity - 240 passengers, 600 (after rebuild, later re-classed to 105)

69 freight units

325 cars (after rebuild)

Call Sign - OUYL (1991 - )

History

July 12^th 1980: Launched.

May 14^th 1981: Delivered to Castello Hellas Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greece.

May 1981: Chartered to Siosa Line for two journeys between Genoa - Lagos.

April 29^th 1982 - June 24^th 1982: Chartered to North Sea Ferries B.V., Rozenburg. Operated between Rotterdam - Hull.

1982: Chartered to UMEF for services between Koper - Patras.

May 28^th 1983: Arrested owing to unpaid accounts and laid up in Piraeus.

June 30^th 1985: Sold to Sealink UK Line, Hamilton, Bermuda.

April 3^rd 1987: Renamed SEAFREIGHT HIGHWAY. Left Piraeus for Marseille to be rebuilt at a cost of £750,000.

© Fotoflite, Nigel Thornton Collection

May 14^th 1987: Left Marseille for England.

May 20^th 1987: Entered service.

© Fotoflite, Nigel Thornton Collection

June 23^rd 1987: Commenced service between Dover - Zeebrügge.

October 16^th 1987: Collided with the café at the end of the Prince of Wales Pier.

Larne 22/05/1988 © Aubrey Dale

August 1988 - September 1988: Operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire.

September 1988: Laid up in the river Fal, Cornwall.

1988: Sold to Mejduneroden Automobile Transport (S.M.A.T.), Bourgas, Bulgaria and renamed BOYANA.

June 1990: Sold to Nordström & Thulin, Stockholm. It was planned to rename her NORD NEPTUNUS, but this was legally action taken against her owners prevented this. She also suffered severe mechanical problems which required emergency repairs in Setubal. It then took some time to organise repair of the wrecked engines.

September 15^th 1990: Left Setubal for Bremerhaven to undergo repairs.

November 30^th 1990: Sold to Blaesbjerg Marine A/S, Copenhagen, Denmark. Renamed AKTIV MARINE.

November 1990: Arrived at the Polish yard of Seabow/Dora, Gdynia for rebuild to a car and passenger ferry.

1991: Chartered to DSB Ship-Division, Århus, Denmark, and renamed URD. During the spring introduced between Århus - Kalundborg.

Andreas Wörteler

September 12^th 1993: Collided with a breakwater in Århus, and repaired at Århus Værft.

September 17^th 1993: Returned to service.

September 1997: Sold to Scandlines A/S, Copenhagen. (home port Kalundborg).

1998: Owing to ongoing mechanical problems had a complete engine change.

June 11^th 1999: Final day in service, thereafter she went to Svendborg Varv for overhaul.

1999: Laid up in Nakskov.

August 1999: Introduced between Århus - Åbenrå - Klaipeda.

May 2001: Commenced service between Rostock - Leipaja.

September 29^th 2001 - December 2001: Lengthened at Remontowa/Gdansk Ship repair, Gdansk, Poland.

December 8^th 2001: Redelivered to her owners.

December 19^th 2001: Commenced service between Rostock - Liepaja.

© Dirk Jankowsky

October 11^th 2005: Introduced between Rostock - Ventspils.

All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions. All items included in this article are subject to ©. We would like to thank: Dirk Jankowsky and Andreas Wörteler for there assistance in producing this feature.