MV Akdeniz
ex Prince, Dubrovnik, Duchesse Anne, Connacht
© Tony Garner (St Malo, 10/10/1993)
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1979 at Verolme Cork Dockyard Ltd, Cork, Ireland (Yard No 955) for The British and Irish Steam Packet Company (B&I Line), Dublin, Ireland as a passenger and vehicle roll-on roll-off ferry
Technical Data
- Length: 122.05m (overall), 112 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 18.83m (extreme), 18.51m (overall)
- Depth: 12.55m
- Draught: 4.83m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 6,812 – 9,796 gross/ 3,818 – 3,320 net/ 1373t (deadweight)
- Engines: Four 8 -cylinder MaK 8MU551AK diesels.
- Power: 18000 hp/13248 kW
- Speed: 20 knots
- Capacity: 1,500 passengers, 332 cars
- Call Sign: EIMJ, FNDN, 3AEQ, 3E2367, J5AO9
- IMO number: 7615048
- MMSI Number: 630001128
- Registry: Dublin/Republic of Ireland 🇮🇪, St Malo/France 🇫🇷, Rijeka/Croatia 🇭🇷, Panama 🇵🇦, Bissau/Guinea-Bissau 🇬🇼
- Sister-ships: Leinster (979)
Current AIS Location
Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.
History
The first of a pair of ferries built at Verolme Cork Dockyards. At the time, the largest ferry to fly the Irish flag.
August 8th 1977: Keel laid.
June 20th 1978: Launched.
Nigel Thornton Collection
July 1st 1979: Completed.
January 1979: Delivered to B&I Line, Dublin, Ireland.
February 7th 1979: Commenced service between Cork – Swansea.
Archway Postcard
May 21st 1979: Commenced service between Cork – Pembroke Dock.
September 1980: Service between Dublin – Liverpool.
© Ken Larwood
March 1982: Service between Dublin – Holyhead.
© Brian Fisher (Liverpool, October 1983)
© Brian Fisher (Liverpool, May 1984) (Left) and © Robbie Cox (Liverpool, 19/05/1984) (Right)
1986: Livery change.
© Aubrey Dale
© Mike Griffiths
January 12th 1988: Commenced service between Cork – Pembroke Dock.
June 1988: Sold to Societe Anonyme d’Economie Mixte d’Equipement Navale (Sabemen), Morlaix, France for delivery at the end of September.
October 3rd 1988: Taken over by Brittany Ferries S.A., Morlaix and sent to Jos. L. Meyer Werft, Papenburg for rebuilding.
December 1988: Renamed DUCHESSE ANNE.
December 18th 1988: Re-delivered from builder’s yard.
January 1989: Chartered out to Crown Line (SMZ), introduced between Hoek van Holland – Harwich.
February 13th 1989: Commenced service between St. Malo – Portsmouth.
© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 01/03/1989) (Left) and (Portsmouth. 18/05/1989) (Right)
© Ken Larwood
June 14th 1993: Commenced service between St. Malo – Cork, Roscoff – Cork and Roscoff – Plymouth.
© Aubrey Dale
September 1st 1995: Collided with the breakwater in St Malo, then left for Brest and repairs.
© Kevin Mitchell (30/09/1996)
September 30th 1996: Final day in service for Brittany Ferries.
October 1996: Sold to Jadrolinija P.O., Rijeka, Croatia.
1996: Registered to Morrison Ship Trading Co, Rijeka, Croatia, renamed DUBROVNIK.
June 1997: Commenced service between Croatia – Italy.
© Carsten Dettmer (Luka Gruz, Dubrovnik. 12/08/2013)
2006: Registered owner; Morrison Ship Trading, Liberia. Registered manager; Jadrolinija D.O.O.
2015: Still in service Dubrovnik – Bari
© Wil Weijsters (Dubrovnik. 05/06/2013)
December 2019: Still in service Split – Ancona.
© Carsten Dettmer (Bari, Montenegro, 23/10/2019)
© Bernd Crause (Ancona, September 2021)
March 2022: Still in service Split – Ancona.
October 2nd 2022: Offered for sale
“The initial – lowest selling purchase price shall be 2.850.000,00 EUR, corresponding to 21.473.325,00 HRK (conversion rate 1 EUR = 7,53450 HRK). The offered price of the selected Bidder, which may not be lower than the initial – lowest selling price of the vessel, does not include the price of fuel remaining in the tanks of the vessel.”
March 7th 2023: Final sailing Ancona – Split.
March 8th 2023: Service Split-Vis route as relief for PETAR HEKTOROVIC.
March 14th 2023: A-Ships Management acquired the vessel and are who expected to operate services between Brindisi to Valona, extending to include also Brindisi – Corfu – Igoumenitsa during summer.
March 27th 2023: Came off service and sailed to Viktor Lenac shipyard in Rijeka, Croatia.
April 18th 2023: Left shipyard.
April 22nd 2023: Left Rijeka.
April 24th 2023: Arrived Piraeus then to Vassiliadis dry dock.
© Dimitris Mentakis (Perama 26/06/2023 (Left) Piraeus 26/06/2023 (Right))
May 2nd 2023: Now shows as being renamed PRINCE Owner: Furioso Maritime SA (c/o A-Ships Management SA). Manager: A-Ships Management SA.
Internet Source
June 3rd 2023: Left Vassiliadis drydock yesterday and went to Perama.
© Stephen Brown (Perama, July 2023)
July 6th 2023: Left Perama for Vlore.
July 10th 2023: Entry into service Vlore – Brindisi.
August 21st 2023: Detained in Brindisi, Italy with 15 deficiencies.
🆕 © Patrick Heard (Brindisi/Vlore, August 2023)
August 23rd 2023: Released and sailed for Vlore to continue service Vlore – Brindisi.
January 17th 20224: Left Vlore for Piraeus.
January 19th 2024: Arrived Perama and laid up.
March 29th 2024: Left Perama.
April 4th 2024: Arrived Aliaga Anchorage and renamed AKDENIZ
April 6th 2024: Left Aliaga Anchorage for Tuzla, Turkey.
April 8th 2024: Arrived Tuzla.
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Stephen Brown, Robbie Cox, Bernd Crause, Aubrey Dale, Carsten Dettmer, Brian Fisher, Tony Garner, Mike Griffiths, Ken Larwood, Dimitris Mentakis, Simonwp, Wil Weijsters and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Hi, My father worked for B&I Line. Would love to get some prints of their various ships being launched from Cork, but especially CONNACHT.
Can you help?