British Railways Board (BRB)FerriesPast and PresentSealinkWightlink

MV Caedmon – Past and Present

MV Caedmon

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: 760 gross/401 net/183 deadweight
  • Engines: 2 Oil 4SA 6-cylinder ERS6M Mirrlees Blackstone diesels via two Voith Schneider rotating vane propellers.
  • Power: 728 kW/990 BHP
  • Speed: 10 knots
  • Capacity: 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

Roy Thornton Collection

  © British Railways Board

© 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  © Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (Portsmouth, January and May 1983)

Caedmon © Tim Webb  Caedmon © Tim Webb

Caedmon © Tim Webb

© Tim Webb (1980’s) (All)

© Derek Longly  Arthur Dixon Postcard

© 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).

© Brian Fisher  

Portsmouth, December 1985 © Brian Fisher (Left) and Postcard (Right)

Quality Postcard

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.

© Robert J Smith 

Yarmouth, 01/04/1992 © Robert J Smith (Left) and Lymington, 19/09/1994 © Bernd Crause (right)

Caedmon © Dave Pape  Caedmon

© Dave Pape

January 21st 2009: Arrived Portsmouth for lay-up.

February 25th 2009: Left Portsmouth for further lay-up at Marchwood.

© The Ferryman

Marchwood, 03/02/2009 © The Ferryman

March 2010: Sold to Firma Smedegaarden, Esbjerg, Denmark for scrapping.

March 5th 2010: Towed from Southampton to Esbjerg.

© Dirk Jankowsky

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.

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

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