MV Ant 2

ex Stena Seafarer, European Seafarer, Puma, Union Trader, Union Melbourne

Union Melbourne

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1975 by J.J. Sietas KG Schiffswerft G.m.b.H. & Co, Hamburg (Yard No 577) as a Passenger/RoRo Cargo Ship

Technical Data

• Length: 125 – 141.81m (overall) 112 – 128.81 m (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth: 19.05 – 19.41 m
• Depth: – 11.97 m
• Draught: 3.80 – 5.809 m
• Tonnage: 3453 – 4043 – 43771/103 – 1453 – 1759 gross/5805 – 5599 – 4020 net/t deadweight
• Engines: 2 x 4SA 12 cylinder Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz 12M540 diesels.
• Power: 8827 kW/12000 bHP
• Speed: 18.5 knots
• Capacity: 12 – 15 – 40 passengers, – 93 vehicles
• Call Sign: GUVW (Puma) ZCAZ2 (European Seafarer, ERMV (Ant2)
• IMO Number: 7361594
• Port of Registry: London/UK, Hamilton/Bermuda, Giurgiulesti/Moldova
• Sister Ships: Bison, Buffalo

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History

Ordered by Stena Ab Göthenburg.

January 1^st 1975: Launched for Stena Line Ltd, London, England.

May 28^th 1975: Delivered to the Stena controlled company of Northern Coasters Ltd, London, England.

1975: Lengthened by 16 metres at Nobiskrug Werft GmbH, Rendsburg, Germany.

September 5^th 1975: Chartered to Union Steamship Co of New Zealand, Wellington, New Zealand.

© Mike Cornwall (Courtesy of Chris Howell) (Auckland, 31/10/1975)

1978: Completed service and laid up.

May 13^th 1978: Left Wellington for rebuilding in Singapore.

September 22^nd 1978: Left Singapore for Fleetwood.

© John Clarkson

November 1978: Arrived in Fleetwood.

Courtesy of Simonwp

November 18^th 1978: Chartered to Pandoro for services between Fleetwood – Larne.

Courtesy of Chris Howell (January 1979)

1980: Sold to Stena Shipping Ltd, Hamilton, Bermuda, and renamed UNION TRADER.

September 11^th 1980: Purchased by Bovis Properties Southern Ltd (P&O Ferries Ltd, managers).

September 1980: Arrived at Tyne Ship Repair Ltd, South Shields, Newcastle for extra passenger accommodation to be added.

© Simonwp (Immingham, 14/04/1980)

November 20^th 1980: Rebuild completed. Renamed PUMA and chartered to P&O Pandoro for services from Fleetwood to Larne.

December 31^st 1984: Transferred to POETS Fleet Management Ltd.

🆕 Puma © Simonwp (Fleetwood, 1985)

  

Puma © David Lindon Rimmer

Puma © Simonwp (Fleetwood, April 1986)

Puma © Brian Fisher (Liverpool, June 1987)

1994: Registered to Pandoro Ltd, Hamilton, Bermuda. Services between Dublin – Liverpool.

May 15^th 1990: Ownership transferred from Bovis Properties Southern Ltd to POETS Fleet Management Ltd.

December 1^st 1990: Ownership transferred from POETS Fleet Management Ltd to Pandoro Ltd.

 

 

© Aubrey Dale

 

© Bernd Crause (Fleetwood, 13/04/1994)

1996: Services between Larne – Fleetwood.

July 1994: Transferred to Liverpool/Dublin service.

December 31^st 1994: Managers POETS Ship Management Ltd. Registry transferred to Hamilton, Bermuda. Signal letters ZCAZ2; Breadth 23.1m; Draught 4.67m. Capacity 50 drivers.

July 1^st 1997: Operators renamed P&O Trans European.

July 12^th 1997: Transferred to Fleetwood/Larne service.

September 30^th 1997: Managers renamed P&O Ship Management (Irish Sea) Ltd.

October 1st 1997: Operations transferred to P&O European Ferries.

January 1^st 1998: Renamed EUROPEAN SEAFARER.

March 31^st 2001: Services Rosslare – Cherbourg.

January 20^th 2002: Services Larne – Fleetwood.

© Trevor Kidd

April 20^th 2004: Sold to Stena Ropax Ltd, Hamilton, Bermuda.

May 8^th 2004: Renamed STENA SEAFARER.

 

© Trevor Kidd (left) and © Aubrey Dale (Belfast, April 2006) (right)

 

 Charlie Chambers (Falmouth, 21/07/2008)

January 4^th 2010 – January 18^th 2010: Services between Fishguard – Rosslare.

 

© Simonwp (Belfast, 01/07/2010) (Left) and (Larne, 01/08/2010) (Right)

December 23^rd 2010: Final service between Larne – Fleetwood.

December 2010: Laid up in Albert Quay, Belfast.

February 4^th 2011: Left Belfast for Rosslare.

February 6^th 2011 – February 16^th 2011: Services between Rosslare – Fishguard.

May 2011: Sold to Anship LLC, Moscow.

June 2011: Renamed ANT-2.

September 2011: Registered owner; Shiva Assets Sa, Moscow.

 

© Evgeniy (Sevastopol, 27/07/2011)

2012: Services between Zonguldak – Kavkaz.

November 2nd 2013: A fire broke out on the upper vehicle deck resulting in the destruction of a number of trucks.

“Fire started in one of the trucks on board,. The vessel was some 60 nautical miles NW of Sevastopol, Black sea, en route from Ukrainian port Skadovsk to Turkish port Zonguldak. There were 68 passengers and 34 crew, and 68 trucks and autos on board. Vessel slowed speed and headed for Sevastopol, later she increased speed and reached Sevastopol under own power, having been docked at around 2000 LT. A yacht and a rescue boat were dispatched to the vessel, but passengers rejected evacuation. Fire was extinguished by 2300, no injuries reported. 4 or 6 trucks were totally destroyed by fire”

© Evgeniy (Sevastopol, 06/11/2011)

November 6^th 2013: “Docked at the quay in Sevastopol before shifting to a repair berth. Parts of the aft accommodation block and the open car deck were blackened by the fire.”.

 

© Evgeniy (Sevastopol, 11/11/2011)

February 2014: Arrived at Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping.

February 13^th 2014: Beached and scrapping commenced.

© Selim San

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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: Charlie Chambers, Bernd Crause, Aubrey Dale, Evgeniy, Brian Fisher, Trevor Kidd, Chris Howell, David Lindon Rimmer, Selim San, Simonwp and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)