MV Ches
ex Duchess M, Balbeck, Duchess M, Breizh-Izel, Iniochos Express, Rata Hills, Wanaka
© A Scrimali (Roy Thornton Collection)
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1970 at Taikoo Dockyard & Eng. Co, Quarry Bay, Hong Kong (Yard No 598) for Union Steamship, Wellington, New Zealand as a passenger and vehicle ferry
Technical Data
- Length: 111.6m (overall) 103.00m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 17.07m
- Depth: 10.85m
- Draught: 4.97m
- Tonnage: 2769 gross/744 net/2560 deadweight
- After rebuild 6,576 gross/2,400 bet/1657 deadweight
- Engines: (2) Pielstick – Crossley 12 PC-2V diesels
- Power: 8312kW/HP
- Speed: 16.5 knots
- Capacity: 12 passengers (1,000 after rebuild) 230 cars (after rebuild) , 65 freight vehicles.
- Call Sign: ZMTJ, FNSR, P3JE3
- IMO Number: 7006819
- Official Number: 191856
- Port of Registry: Dunedin/New Zealand 🇳🇿, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷, Morlaix/France 🇫🇷, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾
- Sister-Ship: Hawea (581)
History
April 1971: Delivered to Union Steamship, Wellington, New Zealand.
Courtesy of Chris Howell (Both)
1970: Introduced, as a freight ferry between Christchurch – Wellington.
© A Scrimali (Roy Thornton Collection)
1976: Sold to Sealanes Transport Co, Piraeus, Greece and renamed RATA HILLS.
🆕 © Gwrdave (Aukland)
1978: Sold to Iniochos Shipping S.A. Piraeus, Greece and renamed INIOCHOS EXPRESS.
© A Scrimali (Roy Thornton Collection)
1980: Sold to Brittany Ferries S.A., Morlaix, France and renamed BREIZH-IZEL.
© Brian Fisher
1980: Service between Plymouth – Roscoff -Santander.
July 1981: Chartered to Irish Continental Lines, Dublin, Ireland for a few weeks for services between Rosslare – Cherbourg – Roscoff
© Simonwp (Portsmouth, January 1982)
February 1982 – March 1982: Chartered to Sealink UK Ltd, England for services between Stranraer – Larne.
November 5th 1983: Chartered to Overseas Container Services (OCS) for services between Newhaven – Dieppe.
© D R Longly (Newhaven under the “Mack Ro-Ro” banner)
© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 01/12/1983) Courtesy of Simonwp (Both)
© Gérard Léostic
1987: Chartered to British Channel Island Ferries for services between Portsmouth – Jersey – Guernsey.
© Brian Fisher (Left) © Simonwp (Right)
© Patrick Hill (St Peter Port, 02/091987) (Left)© Ken Larwood (Weymouth, December 1987)(Right)
February 27th 1989: Final day in service for British Channel Island Ferries.
© Frank Heine (Le Havre, 01/05/1989)
1989: Sold to Marelite Marine Co. Ltd, Limassol, Cyprus and renamed DUCHESS M.
1989: Rebuilt as a passenger ferry in Greece.
1990: Services for Marlines between Patras – Ancona.
© Frank Heine (Patras, 12/07/1990)
1991: Services between Patras – Brindisi.
© Frank Heine (Igoumenitsa, 24/07/1994)
1995: Services between Bari – Igoumenitsa.
1999: Sold to Shinedeck Shipping Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus and renamed BALBEK.
© Peter J Fitzpatrick
1999: Laid up in Eleusis Bay, Greece.
June 24th 2000: Services for Marlines between Igoumenitsa – Bari.
September 12th 2000: Laid up in Eleusis Bay, Greece.
June 2001: Services between Bari – Igoumenitsa.
July 2001: Renamed DUCHESS M and chartered to Italian authorities to become Hotel vessel during the G8 summit in Genoa.
© Frank Heine (Bari, 07/07/2001)
August 2001: Laid up in Eleusis Bay, Greece.
June 29th 2002: Services between Bari – Kotor.
© Aleksi Lindström
2002: Laid up in Keratsini.
June 28th 2003 – September 14th 2003: Services between Bari – Durres/ Bar.
July 1st 2004 – September 18th 2004: Services between Bari – Durres/ Bar.
July 1st 2005 – September 2005: Services between Bari – Durres/ Bar.
December 11th 2005 – September 2006: Services between Bari – Durres/ Bar.
© Carsten Dettmer
September 2006: Arrived in Drapetsona.
June 29th 2007: Left Piraeus for Bari.
July 1st 2007: Services between Bari – Durres/ Bar.
© Frank Heine (Bari, 02/08/2007)
September 10th 2007: Laid up in Eleusis Bay.
© Aleksi Lindström
May 13th 2008: Towed to Drapetsona.
© Aleksi Lindström
June 28th 2008: Left Drapetsona for Durres.
June 30th 2008 – September 6th 2008: Services between Bari – Durres.
© George Koutsoukis
November 17th 2011: Laid up in Eleusis Bay.
November 2014: Renamed CHES to be towed for breaking in Turkey.
December 1st 2014: Arrived at Aliaga, Turkey for breaking.
© Selim San
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: Carsten Dettmer, Brian Fisher, Peter J Fitzpatrick, Gwrdave, Frank Heine, Patrick Hill, Chris Howell, George Koutsoukis, Ken Larwood, Gérard Léostic, Lindström, Derek Longly, Selim San, Simonwp and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
