MV Caedmon
Caedmon – Nigel Thornton Collection
Steel twin ‘Voith Schneider’ double ended “C Class” vessel built in 1973 at Robb Caledon Shipbuilders Ltd., Dundee, Scotland (Yard no. 560) for British Railways Board, London, England as a passenger and vehicle ferry
Technical Data
- Length: 57.92 m (overall) 55.00 m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 15.68 m
- Depth: 3,43 m
- Draught: 2.280 m
- Tonnage:Â 760 gross/401 net/183 deadweight
- Engines:Â 2 Oil 4SA 6-cylinder ERS6M Mirrlees Blackstone diesels via two Voith Schneider rotating vane propellers.
- Power: 728 kW/990 BHP
- Speed:Â 10 knots
- Capacity:Â 764 passengers 52/74 cars
- Call Sign: GTHY
- IMO Number: 7314888
- Official Number: 360676
- Port of Registry: London/UK
- Sister-Ship: Cenred, Cenwulf
- Half sister: Cuthred
History
May 3rd 1973: Caedmon launched by Lady Taylor of Gryfe, wife of Chairman of British Rail’s Scottish Board.
Sealink News
July 1973: Caedmon delivered to British Railways Board, London, England.
July 22nd 1973: Commenced services between Portsmouth – Fishbourne.
Roy Thornton Collection
© British Railways Board.
Sealink News January 1977
1977: Each of the C-Class sisters had a second car deck installed which “would lift into position 7ft above the existing deck so increasing capacity from 52 to 74 cars”.
© Brian Fisher (Portsmouth, January and May 1983)
© Tim Webb (1980’s) (All)
© Derek Longly (Left) and an Arthur Dixon Postcard (Right)
November 28th 1983: Final service between Portsmouth – Fishbourne. Commenced services between Lymington – Yarmouth.
July 1984: Registered to Passtruck Shipping Co, England. (Company taken over by Sea Containers).
Portsmouth, December 1985 © Brian Fisher (Left) and Postcard (Right)
Quality Postcard
As theses services were excluded from the sale of Sealink UK Ltd to Stena Line they continued under the Sea Containers banner.
November 7th 1990: Sea Containers (ex Sealink) unveiled the new brand name and livery of Wightlink.
Yarmouth, 01/04/1992 © Robert J Smith (Left) and Lymington, 19/09/1994 © Bernd Crause (right)
© Dave Pape
January 21st 2009: Arrived Portsmouth for lay-up.
February 25th 2009: Left Portsmouth for further lay-up at Marchwood.
Marchwood, 03/02/2009 © The Ferryman
March 2010: Sold to Firma Smedegaarden, Esbjerg, Denmark for scrapping.
March 5th 2010: Towed from Southampton to Esbjerg.
Esbjerg, 13/04/2010 © Dirk Jankowsky
March 8th 2010: Arrived Esbjerg and scrapping commenced.
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: Bernd Crause, The Ferryman, Brian Fisher, Dirk Jankowsky, Derek Longly, Dave Pape, Robert J Smith, Tim Webb and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.