Brittany Ferries (BAI)FerriesPast and Present

MV Armorique (I) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7108203

MV Mustika Kencana II

ex Tirta Kencana I, Sheng Sheng, Min Nan, Armorique (I), Terje Vigen

© Patrick Hill

© Patrick Hill

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1972 by Soc, Nouvelle des Ateliers & Chantiers du Havre, Le Havre, France (Yard No 205) for DA-NO Linien, Oslo, Norway as a passenger and vehicle ferry

Technical Data

  • Length: 116.62m (overall) 108.41m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 19.23m
  • Depth: 11.16m
  • Draught: 4.33m
  • Tonnage: 5,732 – 8,075 gross/3,036 net/1150 -1168-1178 deadweight
  • Engines: Two 12-cylinder Pielstick diesels
  • Power: 8825 kW/12000HP
  • Speed: 18.5 knots (service) 20 knots (max)
  • Capacity: 700 passengers, 170 cars
  • Call Sign: DIAV, FNBX, BBZU, YHYC
  • IMO Number: 7108203
  • Port of Registry: Hamburg/Germany 🇩🇪, Morlaix/France 🇫🇷, Weihai/China 🇨🇳, Shandong Prov/China 🇨🇳, Belize 🇧🇿, Surabaya/Indonesia 🇮🇩

History

1969: Ordered.

April 24th 1971: Launched and named TERJE VIGEN.

May 13th 1972: Delivered to DA-NO Linien, Oslo, Norway. Commenced Oslo – Århus.

Andreas Wörteler Collection Andreas Wörteler Collection  

Andreas Wörteler Collection

1973: Sold to Skan-Fahrt K.G. Hamburg, Germany and chartered back to DA-NO Linien.

May 1975: Her owners suffered financial difficulties and she was arrested, laid-up in Århus, before being returned to service.

1975 (Autumn): Sold to Brittany Ferries, Morlaix ,France for delivery in 1976.

December 30th 1975: Final day in service before leaving for France where she was refitted and rebuilt.

March 1976: Renamed ARMORIQUE.

March 4th 1976: Commenced service, “freight only”, between Roscoff – Plymouth. Replaced the PRINCE de BRETAGNE.

March 25th 1976: Commenced Roscoff – Plymouth with passengers.

April 8th 1976: Services between St Malo – Plymouth.

May 7th 1976: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

June 5th 1976: Ran aground outside St Malo, suffered damage to her hull and one propeller. Repaired in Le Havre.

September 1976: Laid up in St Malo.

May 1977 – September 1977: Services between Malo – Portsmouth.

September 1977: Laid up in St Malo.

1977 -1978: Overhauled and modified (installation of a child playroom, cinema and new restaurant.

April 17th 1978: Inaugurated the new Spanish service : two return trips Plymouth – Santander during the week (leaving Britain on Monday and Wednesday ) and, during the weekend, a Plymouth – Roscoff – Cork – Roscoff, back to Plymouth on Sunday night.

May 20th 1982: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 18th 1982: Ran aground outside St Malo, towed to Brest for a hull inspection then repaired at Le Havre.

March 1983: Services between Roscoff – Cork.

April 2nd 1983: Fire broke out on her car deck, between Roscoff – Cork. Extinguished by crew, but one person died and 19 people were injured. Repairs took one week.

May 1983 – September 1983: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 1983: Laid up in St Malo.

May 1984 – September 1984: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 1984: Laid up in St Malo.

December 1984: Services between Roscoff – Plymouth.

February 15th 1985 – May 1st 1985: Services between Roscoff – Plymouth.

May 1985 – September 1985: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 01/06/1985)

September 1985: Laid up in St Malo.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Felixstowe, March 1986)

March 25th 1986 – April 16th 1986: Chartered to SMZ, Hoek Van Holland, Holland for services between Hoek van Holland – Harwich.

© Derek Sands  © Pieter Melissen

© Derek Sands (Bound Parkeston Quay, 05/04/1986)(Left) © Pieter Melissen (Hoek van Holland)

May 1986 – September 1986: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 1986: Laid up in St Malo.

May 1987 – September 15th 1987: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 16th 1987: Services between Roscoff – Plymouth.

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher

May 27th 1988 – June 13th 1988: Services for Truckline Ferries between Cherbourg – Poole.

June 14th 1988 – September 1988: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

© Tony Garner  © Tony Garner  

© Tony Garner

September 1988: Laid up in St Malo.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 05/05/1989)

September 28th 1989 – October 9th 1989: Services for British Channel Island Ferries between Poole – Guernsey – Jersey.

November 10th 1989: Services Rosslare – Le Havre as relief for SAINT KILLIAN II.

The Coffee Dock

🆕 © The Coffee Dock (Rosslare)

December 18th 1989 – January 2nd 1990: Services for British Channel Island Ferries between Poole – Guernsey – Jersey.

January 3rd 1990 – February 12th 1990: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

April 1990 – May 1990: Services between Caen – Portsmouth.

May 18th 1990 – September 5th 1990: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 6th 1990: Suffered propeller damage.

October 1st 1990: After repair, laid up in St Malo.

December 27th 1990: Chartered by the French Government (Gulf War) left St Malo for Toulon.

January 1991: Returned from the Saudi port of Yanbu having carried 850 troops to the conflict.

May 2nd 1991 – September 30th 1991: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

October 1st 1991 – October 3rd 1991: Chartered for services between Portsmouth – Cherbourg.

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood  

© Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood

November 1991 – January 5th 1992: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

January 6th 1992 – May 18th 1992: Services between Caen – Portsmouth.

© Brian Fisher  © Simonwp  

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher

May 20th 1992: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

June 19th 1992 – August 28th 1992: Services between Portsmouth – Cherbourg – Poole – Cherbourg – Poole – St Malo.

August 28th 1992 – September 30th 1992: Services between St Malo – Portsmouth.

September 30th 1992: Laid up in St Malo.

February 2nd 1993 – February 20th 1993: Chartered to Channel Island Ferries for services between Poole – Jersey – Guernsey.

February 21st 1993: Laid up in Cherbourg.

September 1993: Laid up in St Malo.

December 18th 1993: Sold to Xiamen Ocean Shipping Co., Xiamen and renamed MIN NAN. Left St Malo for China.

© Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpyn (Kong Kong, 01/02/1994)

1994: Services between Xiamen – Hong Kong.

© Yvon Perchoc

© Yvon Perchoc  (Hong Kong, 09/03/1995)

© Wolfgang Fricke

© Wolfgang Fricke  (Hong Kong, 01/09/1995) 

1998: Sold to Weihai Ferry Co, Weihai, China and renamed SHENG SHENG.

2003: Sold to an unknown buyer in Belize.

February 4th 2003: To Jalan Kanginan 3-5, Kel Ketabang, Kec Genteng, Surabaya, 60272, Indonesia.

2005: Renamed TIRTA KENCANA I and services between Surabaya – Makasar.

© Ivan Meshkov

© Ivan Meshkov (Surabaya Anchorage, 26/09/2006)

October 1st 2009: Renamed MUSTIKA KENCANA II.

July 4th 2011: Caught fire Madura, East Java while on its way to Makassar, South Sulawesi. The ship was carrying 151 passengers said Turmanto and 50 vehicles. Captain decided to abandon ship. The crew issued the passengers with life jackets and directed them to muster stations. All passengers and crew are evacuated safely.

July 5th 2011: Vessel sunk.


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: The Coffee Dock, Brian Fisher, Wolgang Fricke, Tony Garner, Patrick Hill, Pieter Inpyn, Ken Larwood, Ivan Meshkov, Pieter Melissen, Yvon Perchoc, Derek Sands, Simonwp and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

One Comment

  1. When did the bow visor get closed off? I’ve seen one source claim it didn’t happen until the ship was sold to Asia, but other sources say it happened already while at Brittany Ferries?

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