© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection Steel twin screw motor vessel built 1971at the Arsenal de Brest ,France (Yard No. CF 2), for the British Railways Board as a passenger and vehicle ferry. Launched April 29th, 1972.
 Technical Data
Registry - London (1972), Piraeus (2005) IMO Number - 7205075 Length on deck - 118.09m (387.3 ft) (overall) 361.5 ft (between perpendiculars) Breadth of hull - 19.84m (65 ft) (extreme) 63.2 ft (moulded) Depth - 36.8 ft (moulded) Draught - 3.96m (13.5 ft) (maximum) Tonnage - 5,590 gross 2,008 net 1,030 deadweight Engines - Two 16-cylinder Pielstick four-stroke single-acting diesels Power - 11,034 kW Speed - 19.5 knots Capacity - 1,400 passengers and 210 cars (or 38 lorries and 80 cars) Call sign - GQAV (1992), SZNZ (2005)
History 
Roy Thornton Collection
April 29th 1972: Launched. July 30th 1972: Delivered to Sealink UK Ltd, Folkestone, England (British Railways). August 2nd 1972: Commenced service between Dover - Boulogne. August 5th 1972: Commenced service between Folkestone - Oostende. August 19th 1972: Commenced service between Folkestone - Boulogne. January 1975: Collided with the LORD WARDEN in Calais. April 10th 1977: Collided with the quayside in Calais. Minor damage and able to continue. August 1977: Commenced service between Dunkerque - Dover.
© Brian Fisher
January 1978: Became entangled with the offshore wires after she had dropped anchor while attempting to berth at the Admiralty Pier at Dover. At low water, and with a heavy swell running the ship was unable to move and battered her bow against piles and dolphins at the ramp. She was eventually towed off and sent to Calais for repairs, the berth being out of use for over a month. January 20th 1978: Returned to service. June 17th 1978: Damaged, and put out of action Folkestone’s link-span. Dover’s Western Docks ramp fell foul of the same ship earlier in the year but this time she sustained no damage to herself and continued to operate as a passenger only ship for several days until the link-span was repaired. 1984: In readiness for privatisation, on their re-appearance from overhaul, units of the Sealink UK Ltd fleet all appeared without the B.R. double arrow logo on their funnels. The vessels gradually appeared with white hulls and the gold `galloping maggot' emblem on the funnel with Sealink written in blue on the hull.
 
Roy Thornton (left) and the Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
July 18th 1984: Sale of Sealink U.K. to Sea Containers Ltd, Bermuda. Company changed name to Sealink British Ferries U.K. July 1984: Commenced between Folkestone - Boulogne. July 27th 1984: Registered to Sea Containers Ltd, London.
 
© Brian Fisher
February 26th 1985: Ran aground in thick fog off Copt Point, Folkestone. All blades on both screws were bent and dry-docking at Chatham was required.
© Ken Larwood
March 1985: Final service between Folkestone - Oostende, returning to Folkestone - Boulogne.
Manuel Dhondt Collection
1985 (winter): Received £1 million refit. The ship’s after docking bridge was removed during this period. February 16th 1986 - March 20th 1986: Refit at Swan Hunter Yard Hebburn. November 1st 1987: Had to put back to Boulogne after departing substantially overloaded. A combination of circumstances ie, the cancellation of hovercraft sailings and vehicles being switched to the ferry, whilst the boat train arrived from Paris with 740 through passengers instead of 134 as previously advised. The vessel had been under way for 10 minutes until a ticket count revealed the error and she immediately turned back to discharge 238 passengers. January 31st 1988: Arrived on the Tyne for refit.
 
© Ken Lubi (right) and © Aubrey Dale (right)
January 1990: Sold to Stena Line, Ab, Göteborg. (Registered to Stena Equipment Ltd. London) May 23rd 1990 - September 4th 1990: Operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire.
© Aubrey Dale
October 15th 1990: Transferred back to the English channel to operate the Folkestone - Boulogne service. 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. In future the company would trade as Sealink Stena Line.
© Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection
February 12th 1991 - February 14th 1991: Operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire as cover for STENA CAMBRIA. February 1991: Returned to Folkestone. December 31st 1991: Closure of service between Folkestone - Boulogne.
 
Andreas Wörteler Collection (left) and Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
January 5th 1992: Laid up in Milford Haven. February 15th 1992: Sold to Flanmare Shipping Inc, Piraeus Greece, renamed PENELOPE A. Left Milford Haven for Piraeus. February 23rd 1992: Arrived Piraeus. 1992: Began operations with Agoudimos Lines between Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos.
 
© Ton Grootenboer
November 1999: Sold to Minoan Flying Dolphins, Piraeus Greece. Renamed EXPRESS PENELOPE. 2000: Operations for Hellas Ferries.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
January 2004: Sold to Mimis Agoudimos, Greece. Renamed PENELOPE A. Commenced services between Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
2004: Services between Rafina - Andros - Tinos - Mykonos.
  
  
© Matt Murtland (HHV Ferry)
December 5th 2004: Collided with EVIA STAR in Rafina and damaged her bow.
   © Lucas Latreche
August 2007: Still in service with Agoudimos Lines
 02/06/09 © Ken Larwood
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