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MV St Anselm – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7813937

MV Altair

ex Bari, Isla de Botafoc, Stena Cambria, St Anselm

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

Steel twin screw “Saint Class” motor vessel, built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast (Yard No. 1715), for Sealink U.K. in 1980 as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry. 

Technical Data

  • Length: 129.40 m
  • Breadth of Hull: 21.00 m
  • Draught: 4.65 m
  • Tonnage: 7,399 gross (1979), 12,705 (estimated 2005), 3,811 net (2005), 1,755 deadweight (1979), 1,829 (2005)
  • Engines: Two Crossley-Pielstick medium speed 16PC2-5V diesels, 10400 bhp at 520 revs/min
  • Power: 15310 kW
  • Speed: 19.5 knots
  • Capacity: 1,400 passengers, 309 cars, 62 x 12 m freight vehicles
  • Call Sign: GBRK, EHYB, V40W, 5BZT2, V4NB4
  • MMSI Number: 341243000
  • IMO Number: 7813937
  • Official Number: 390686
  • Registry: London/United Kingdom 🇬🇧, Santa Cruz De Tenerife/Spain 🇪🇸, Basseterre/St Kitts Nevis 🇰🇳, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, St Kitts and Nevis 🇰🇳
  • Sister Ships: Galloway Princess (1713), St Christopher (1716), St David (1717)

History

The second of a series of four similar “Saint Class” ships to be produced by the Harland & Wolff shipyard in Belfast. The ST ANSELM and her twin sister ST CHRISTOPHER were Sealink’s response to the freight challenge and passenger demands of the 1980s. The other pair, the GALLOWAY PRINCESS and ST DAVID was originally delivered for Irish Sea operations

December 4th 1979: Christened by Lady Parker, but launch was delayed owing to storm force winds.

December 5th 1979: Launched.


Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

 Courtesy of Jim Ashby

October 22nd 1980: Delivered to Sealink British Rail, London, England.

Roy Thornton CollectionRoy Thornton Collection  

Roy Thornton Collection

October 24th 1980: Arrived at Dover from her builders.

October 27th 1980: Maiden voyage between Dover – Calais.

Roy Thornton Collection

© Fotoflite

© Fotoflite

© Sealink U.K.  © Sealink U.K.

© Sealink U.K.  © Sealink U.K.

© Sealink U.K.  © Sealink U.K.

© Sealink U.K. Roy Thornton Collection

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

November 1982: Off service with engine problems.


Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

1982 (late): During refit had her bridge deck, aft of her funnels converted for passenger use.


bar018  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

December 31st 1982: Left Dover to have her stern superstructure rebuilt at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.

1983: Stern superstructure rebuilt at Harland & Wolff, Belfast.

Roy Thornton Collection Roy Thornton Collection  

Roy Thornton Collection
© Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood
 “Before and After” © Ken Larwood

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby  Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

© Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood  

© Ken Larwood ( “After”)

February 28th 1983 – March 3rd 1983: Operated for a short while between Fishguard – Dun Laoghaire.

March 31st 1983: Resumed service between Dover – Calais.

July 18th 1984: Sale of Sealink U.K. to Sea Containers Ltd, Bermuda. Company changed name to Sealink British Ferries U.K.

© DDGHANSA

© DDGHANSA

Courtesy of Jim Ashby Courtesy of Jim Ashby  

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

© Ken Larwood © Frank Heine

© Ken Larwood (Left) and © Frank Heine (Calais 01/08/1984)(Right)
© Mark Willis © Simonwp
© Mark Willis (Dover, 1985)(Left) 🆕 © Simonwp (Right)

January 1986 (early): Operated the new Dover – Dunkerque West freight service.

© Fotoflite © Fotoflite  

© Fotoflite

January 1986: Sent to Papenberg, West Germany for extensive improvement refit.

March 14th 1986: Returned to service at Dover.

1988: To Bremerhaven for complete change of passenger accommodation.

March 7th 1988: Resumed service after refit.

© Brian Fisher © Fotoflite  

© Brian Fisher (Calais, October 1988) (Left) and Ray Goodfellow Collection (Right)

© Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood

January 1990: Sold to Stena Line, Ab, Göteborg. (Registered to Stena Equipment Ltd. London) Commenced service for Sealink Stena Line.

January 1990: Registered to Sealink Stena Line Ltd, Ashford, England.

February 11th 1990: Commenced service between Folkestone – Boulogne.

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

Courtesy of Jim Ashby (Folkestone, 22/02/1990)

© Fotoflite

🆕 © Fotoflite (Folkestone, 07/03/1990)

June 6th 1990 – June 12th 1990: Operated between Dover – Calais then returned to Folkestone – Boulogne.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Folkestone 01/07/1990)

September 19th 1990: Suffered engine room fire. Repaired at A&P Appledore, Wallsend. She arrived at the yard as ST ANSELM and left as the STENA CAMBRIA.

October 15th 1990: Renamed STENA CAMBRIA.

© Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood

© Fotoflite

© Fotoflite

December 2nd 1990: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

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.

January 1991 – March 14th 1991: Operated between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

March 1991: Commenced service between Folkestone – Boulogne.

Courtesy of Michael Woodland

Courtesy of Michael Woodland

July 11th 1991: Commenced service between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

© Sealink Heritage Sealink Heritage  

Sealink Heritage

July 28th 1992: Suffered major engine problems and had to be withdrawn.

August 1992: After minor repairs introduced between Stranraer – Larne.

© Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale

© Aubrey Dale

August 1992: Major repairs at Birkenhead for repeated engine troubles.

September 1992: Commenced service between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

© Brian Pawley © Brian Pawley  

© Brian Pawley

February 11th 1993: Ran aground in the inner harbour at Holyhead and was holed. Repaired at Birkenhead.

February 19th 1993: Returned to operational service.

Battle of Atlantic Royal Fleet Review, Moelfre Bay, Anglesey

Battle of Atlantic Royal Fleet Review, Moelfre Bay, Anglesey

©  Bernd Crause ©  Bernd Crause

© Bernd Crause (Holyhead, 14/05/1994)

October 5th 1995: Back operating between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

© Aubrey Dale © Aubrey Dale  

© Aubrey Dale

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.

January 16th 1996: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.

© David Ingham

© David Ingham

June 16th 1996: Collided with breakwater at Dover. Repaired in Dunkerque.

© George Holland

© George Holland

June 28th 1996: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.

© Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler (Calais, 25/08/1996) (Left) (Calais, 01/11/1996) (Right)

Courtesy of Jim Ashby Courtesy of Jim Ashby  

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (English Channel, October 1996)

February 11th 1997 – March 24th 1997: Operated between Newhaven – Dieppe.

© Alasdair Young

🆕 © Alasdair Young (Stena Cambria & Stena Antrim at Newhaven 23/03/1997)

March 26th 1997 – April 25th 1997: Operated between Stranraer – Belfast.

April 26th 1997 – May 3rd 1997: Operated between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

May 13th 1997: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.

Nigel Thornton Collection Nigel Thornton Collection  

Nigel Thornton Collection (both)

April 22nd 1998: Repainted at Falmouth then introduced by P&O Stena Line, Dover between Newhaven – Dieppe.

© Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler (Dieppe, 23/05/1998)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Dieppe, 01/08/1998)

January 31st 1999: Sailed to Dieppe.

February 1st 1999: Dieppe – Newhaven.

February 1st 1999: Departed Newhaven for Dover.

February 1st 1999: Arrived Dover (Eastern Arm)

February 1st 1999: De-stored at Dover before proceeding to Zeebrügge for lay up and disposal.

© Peter Wearing Nigel Thornton Collection  

© Peter Wearing (Left) and Nigel Thornton Collection (Right)

February 2nd 1999: Arrived in Zeebrügge and laid up.

February 1999: Sold and handed over to Union Maritimia Formentera Ibiza S.A. (Umafisa), Ibiza, Spain. Renamed ISLA DE BOTAFOC.

February 19th 1999: Left Zeebrugge for Gijon to be rebuilt.

November 1999: Rebuilt.

© Benoit Donne

© Benoit Donne

November 18th 1999: Commenced service between Ibiza – Barcelona.

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Barcelona, 38/05/2001)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Barcelona, 01/09/2002)

2004: Introduced by Balearia Eurolineas between Ibiza – Barcelona.

© Benoit Donne © Benoit Donne  

© Benoit Donne

April – June 2005: After serious mechanical problems which required her to operate on one engine she was laid up in Gandia for engine rebuild. She should have departed by 31st May.

© Bernd Crause © Bernd Crause

🆕 © Bernd Crause (21/06/2006)

© Carlos Moreno Trobat © Carlos Moreno Trobat  

© Carlos Moreno Trobat (Barcelona, 08/04/2006)

© Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Barcelona, 24/07/2006)

2008: Still in service.

July 2009: Reportedly put up “For Sale”.

March 2010: Having been laid-up at Puerto de Denia, Alicante, she was reportedly sold for scrap.

© Manuel Hernández Lafuente

© Manuel Hernández Lafuente (Denia, 01/04/2010)

April 10th 2010: Prior to leaving Denia noted that she had been renamed WINNER 9, registered in Basseterre/St Kitts Nevis.

© Jose T © Jose T

© Jose T (Shipspotting.com) (Denia 13-14/04/2010)

April 15th 2010: Left Denia.

April 17th 2010: AIS sources indicated her destination as being Piraeus. It was reported that she would be dry-docked in Perama from 20/04/2010 – 22/04/2010.

April 19th 2010: Arrived in Igoumenitsa where she will be rebuilt (more cabins etc…) Sources indicate she has been sold to Ventouris Lines and rumours suggested that her new name would be BARI.

© Frans Truyens © Frans Truyens  

© Frans Truyens (Igoumenitsa 21/05/2010)

© Peter J Fitzpatrick

© Peter J Fitzpatrick (Perama Bay 08/06/2010)

June 10th 2010: Sailed for Durres and, after sea trials, entered service on Bari-Durres route for Ventouris Ferries as the `BARI‘.

© Trevor Jones © Trevor Jones  

© Trevor Jones

© Carsten Dettmer

© Carsten Dettmer (03/08/13)

© Drago Krivokapic  © Drago Krivokapic

© Drago Krivokapic  © Drago Krivokapic

© Drago Krivokapic (Adriatic shipyard Bijela-Boka Bay, Montenegro, February 2014)

© Marcus Vallianos © Marcus Vallianos © Marcus Vallianos  

© Marcus Vallianos (Sami, on the island of Kefalonia, during her arrival from Bari, via Corfu).

© Drago Krivokapic © Drago Krivokapic  

© Drago Krivokapic (Adriatic shipyard Bijela-Boka Bay, Montenegro, 19/01/2016)

© Drago Krivokapic  © Drago Krivokapic

© Drago Krivokapic  © Drago Krivokapic

© Drago Krivokapic (Adriatic shipyard Bijela-Boka Bay, Montenegro, January 2016)

© Carsten Dettmer © Carsten Dettmer  

© Carsten Dettmer (15/08/2017)

© Frank Heine

🆕 © Frank Heine

December 11th 2019: Left Durres and sailed to Greece.

December 13th 2019: Arrived Kynossoura Dockyard S.A. (Piraeus) for refit.

© Dimitris Mentakis

© Dimitris Mentakis (Perama, 01/01/2020)

January 29th 2020: Refit completed and sailed for Durres. Expected to resume Durres – Bari service (03/02/2020).

September 16th 2021: Renamed ALTAIR.

October 5th 2021: Left Durres showing destination as Port Said.

October 12th 2021: Having passed through the Suez Canal anchored at Suez South Anchorage (Red Sea).

October 14th 2021: Left Suez South Anchorage showing destination as Djibouti (Horn of Africa which serves as a key re-fuelling and trans-shipment centre).

October 22nd 2021: Arrived Dijibouti Anchorage.

October 23rd 2021: Left Dijibouti Anchorage.

November 11th  2021: Arrived Colombo Anchorage (Sri Lanka).

November 18th 2021: Left Colombo Anchorage showing destination as Chittagong (eta 26/11/2021).

November 26th 2021: Arrived Chittagong Anchorage.

December 3rd 2021: Beached. 😢

© Ship Breaking

© Ship Breaking

© Mohammad Islam Meah ( Ship Breaking)

© Mohammad Islam Meah ( Ship Breaking)


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Micke Asklander, Bernd Crause, Aubrey Dale, DDGHANSA, Carsten Dettmer, Dimitris Mentakis, Benoit Donne, Brian Fisher, Peter J Fitzpatrick, Fotoflite, Frank Heine, George Holland, David Ingham, Trevor Jones, Drago Krivokapic, Manuel Hernández Lafuente, Ken Larwood, Craig Nelson, Brian Pawley, Sealink Heritage, Ship Breaking, Simonwp, Jose T (Shipspotting.com), Carlos Moreno Trobat, Frans Truyens, Marcus Vallianos, Peter Wearing, Mark Willis, Andreas Wörteler and  Alasdair Young for their assistance in compiling this feature.

Special thanks go to Jim Ashby and Ted Ingham.

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

18 Comments

  1. Interesting article on the St. Anselm ferry. One thing I didn’t see was the incident entering Calais Harbour in July 1986 (think it was the day after Bastille Day so the 15th). The port bow struck the quay, holing the port bow just below the name. The hole was about 3m high by 5m wide. I know the incident was reported in Lloyd’s List later that week (I remember my dad showing me the report!). Can’t help with repair details, unfortunately.

    Regards,

    Fraser Cochrane

    1. Thanks Fraser

      That’s what these articles are all about. On going!

      I will do “a bit of digging” and see what info’ I can come up with!

      Best rgds
      Nigel Thornton

  2. The Bari is running Bari-Duress all year, except the summer months, were she is running Bari-Igoumenitsa.
    This season (2015) she was employed for the first time on the route: Bari-Corfu-Sami-Zakynthos with huge success.

  3. is their any confirmation this ship is still operating after covid etc ?

    1. As of 30 October, Altair (St Anselm) after being in the Indian Ocean heading slowly to Mormogoa port , near Goa, India (not Alang scrapyard way to the north), she’s now shown as having turned around and now approaching the large Container and cargo port of Salalah in Oman.
      May only be need for fuel or damage repairs(??) as she was only crossing at 5-7knots.
      Watch the- Marine Traffic- space as they say

  4. As of 3rd Dec 2021 beached at chitagong bangladesh for scrapping farewell old friend fondly remembered by all of us here on the channel coast.

    1. Yes indeed a sad ending

      I was shore staff in 1980 and well remember the ‘open day’ in October to visit her at Western Docks- walking thru her stem to stern below the waterline and up onto the bridge (tricky on the wing as gale blowing). Then helping to load her (freight) etc in service etc. Halcyon Days.

      Sadly, it looks like St Christopher may soon follow to the breakers as currently laid up as is Galloway princess. St David running in Indonesia.

      What happened to the Horsa though? Supposedly saved from the breakers December 2020 by Slk Historic Ferries, but still languishing at Rafina.
      Today 31st December 2021 is the 30th Anniversary of her final Sealink sailing from Folkestone- Boulogne & return! Indeed the final Sealink sailing of all!

      1. Horsa in a very poor state propped up against anthr ship at anchorage in Elefis Bay Greece. Been left abandoned by her previous owners for a number of years now. Attempts to rescue her by Slk Historic Ferries was doomed. Latest book published by Ferry Publications about the Sealink fleet 50yrs on has a recent pic of the Horsa in her current state. I was shored based Folkestone from 1997-1991 what postion do you hold in Dover Ray ?? Took a walk today down to Folkestone Pier and sat having a drink at 13.30 which was Horsa last sailing departure from Folkestone.

        1. Looks like you joined after I had left Sealink, as I was based at Dover East, mainly freight offices but lived Cheriton. Joined as Dock runner, stayed in tourist then freight 1973-1985. (those were the day eh?- Telexes, dodgy photocopiers and print machines, mountains of paperwork, longish freight import clearance waits, much smaller single deck ferries, steamers- until the early 1980’s though slow changes even then. Oh and long lorry queues up Jubilee Way and occ Dover town- er nothing new there!!)
          I lived near Fe harbour 1989- 1992 so recall the Hengist leaving after final return sailing with horn blaring, and then the Horsa also.- Sad days.
          Though I was never happy with the privatisation which was one of the reasons I left in 1985 (Community sector since then). There was a management/staff buyout offer at the time, but Thatcher hated anything co-op apparently, so far too cheaply went to Sherwood, an asset-stripper as was alleged at the time.

          Meanwhile, it looks like St Christopher and Galloway Princess may not be far behind St Anslem- as both laid up. St David still going in Indonesia.

          1. Hi Ray i started as a Messenger Boy at Folkestone in 1977 then Finished 31st Dec 1991 . Well rmbr the noise of telex machines inputting all freight details then moved on using fax machines . Shift i was on a lot telex operator let me do it a lot of the time. Got to know the Freight Office enviroment really well. Moved on to be a Checker at top of ramp loading and logging amount of pass/vechiles loaded. Doing stats before sailing which after Zeebrugge became a lot more important. BOARDING Cards etc on Busy daytime Sailings.

          2. Thanks Richard.

            We may well have passed each other on the days I went from Folkestone -Boulogne on day trips/non-landers then. Either with those old three-part day passports, or my own passport.
            Once went on the Horsa with Capt Stratford and his son, latter who was also at freight East, Dove,; to Calais then back to Dover-on bridge for depts and arrivals, then we both did a night shift!
            Learn’t to type (manifesting and general) on the old telexes, and also when at imports using old banda printers for incoming freight manifests- one banda was a clunky heavy metallic thing from the 1950’s! – I was one of the few who could still work the rickety old thing!

            Everything eventually became more and more computerised of course. What sort of manifesting for instance happens now given the far greater vehicle numbers and still only 60-90mins to get it typed or logged in and sent -who knows! (It was getting bad, i’m told when the old Nord Pas de Calais rail/road freight crossed with 80 trucks in the late 1980’s)
            Mostly office work, but sometimes -on days which were not very busy- went to watch the loadings etc, and occ went on board a new vessels to gauge space for freight mainly (eg, the day the Belgian PME came in for trials, same for Chartres, Reine Astrid, Earl Siward -Dover after conversion etc-we thought 18-actually 19) All helped to get an idea of actually how many we could load (the ‘official’ numbers being based on 12m freight units to make the ships seem larger capacity but main freight was 15m artic (still is!). Cars were trickier eg Hengist and Horsa said to be 250 cars but we only ever managed 210 on one occasion -Chartres similarly 250, but max (not using the garage) was 202.
            The worst one from that time? – The Anderida freighter. Freight drivers (esp on the Ostend run, decribed her as a “Cattle boat”!

          3. Gents,

            Lovely to see the camaraderie but, we seem to be straying off the subject of ST ANSELM. If you wish to keep the conversation going, may I ask either or both of you get in touch with me via the “Contact” page and we’ll see if we can sort something out.

            Thanks
            Nigel Thornton

          4. Cant work out if Nigel comment is aimed at us two Ray ? Similar experience to yourself within Sealink Stating in Freight Dept. H Class ships were trickier to load big amounts of freight because of the wings on either side.

  5. Richard and Ray,
    Yes, the comment is aimed at you two.

    I was trying to be diplomatic!

    Bluntly, this is not a “Chat” page. Whereas it is nice to hear you both remenisce, the subjects of this site are the ships. There are other social media sites where your discussion can take place

    Rgds
    Nigel T

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