FerriesPast and PresentSchiaffino

MV Boztepe (Ex Catherine Schiaffino/Cap Afrique) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7709796

MV Boztepe

ex Cap Afrique, Saint Charles, Catherine Schiaffino

© John Jones

© John Jones

Steel twin screw motor vessel, built by Tokushima Zosen Sangyo K.K., Komatsushima, Japan (Yard No. 530) in 1978 for the Soc. d’Arm. & de Nav. C. Schiaffino, France

Technical Data

  • Length on deck: 108.64m (overall), 98.51m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth of hull: 16.01m (extreme)
  • Depth: 10.32m
  • Draught: 4.98m (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 1,583 gross/743 net/2,401 deadweight
  • Engines: Piestick 8PC25L diesel
  • Power: 5,200 bhp/3,574kW
  • Speed: 15.75 knots (service), 17.0 knots (max)
  • Capacity: 12 passengers, 50 x 12m commercial trailers
  • Call sign: FPCT, HMXA9
  • IMO Number: 7709796
  • Registry: Sete/France 🇫🇷, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Port Aux Français/French Southern and Antarctic Islands 🇹🇫, Tbilisi/Georgia 🇬🇪, Panama 🇵🇦, Freetown/Sierra Leone 🇸🇱, Korean Democratic Republic 🇰🇵
  • Sister Ships: Malika (IMO: 7600732 /Yard No: 1520), Marina ( )

History

September 15th 1977: Launched.

1978: Delivered to  Soc. d’Arm. & de Nav. C. Schiaffino, France.

1978: Commenced service between Ostend and Dover in the same year.

© Gordon Wise

© Gordon Wise

June 30th 1978: Operated between Dieppe – Dover.

© Derek Longly

© Derek Longly (Dover, 12/07/1980)

Nigel Thornton Collection Nigel Thornton Collection  

Nigel Thornton Collection
 © Simonwp
© Simonwp (Ostend, 01/12/1983)

March 1st 1984: Transferred to Ostend – Ramsgate.

© Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood © Ken Larwood
© Ken Larwood (April 1984)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (July 1986)

© John Jones

© John Jones 

© Fotoflite

© Fotoflite

© Urbain Ureel

© Urbain Ureel (Ostend, 1987)

1989: Renamed  SAINT CHARLES and re-registered in the Bahamas, with a home port of  Nassau.

© Ted Ingham  © Ken Larwood

© Ted Ingham (Left) 🆕 © Ken Larwood (Right)

1990: Sold to Delom S.A., Port aux Français, and renamed CAP AFRIQUE.

Not much is known about the vessel’s history until in June 1996 records indicate that she was bare-boat chartered to Estline, Stockholm for two weeks when she ran between Stockholm – Tallinn.

© Dirk Jankowsky

🆕 © Dirk Jankowsky (inbound Stockholm, Estline-charter, 17/06/1996)

Internet Source Internet Source  

Internet Source

July 1998: Bare-boat chartered to Farmers Ferries Ltd and introduced between Dover – Dunkerque, primarily for livestock carrying.

© Mike Jackson

© Mike Jackson

© Ted Ingham Nigel Thornton Collection  

© Ted Ingham (Left) Nigel Thornton Collection (Right)

2001: Laid-up in Dunkerque

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein © Jean-Guy Hagelstein  

© Jean-Guy Hagelstein

April 26th 2004: Recorded as being owned by Lider Maritime Inc, Majuro, Marshall Islands and renamed BOZTEPE.

© Philip Galagan

© Philip Galagan

2006: Registered in Georgia.

2006: Registered in Panama.

2007: Registered in Sierra Leone, home port Freetown.

August 3rd 2007: On her way to Sochi, Russia, a fire broke out in her on board garage. She blocked the entrance to Sochi and had to be removed by port authorities. She was burnt out and declared a total loss.

August 25th 2007: Arrived in Aliaga for breaking.

© Selim San © Selim San © Selim San
© Selim San (all)

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: Philip Galagan, Jean-Guy Hagelstein, Ted Ingham, Dirk Jankowsky, John Jones, Ken Larwood, Mike Jackson, Selim San, Simonwp, Urbain Ureel and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

2 Comments

  1. hello
    the company schiaffino freight ferries also sailed from oostende to dover. before the oostende to ramsgate route was opened.they had
    3 ferries .the ms schiaffino the ms rose schiaffino and the ms catherine schiaffino. i worked for the the company in the oostende office
    for about 7 years.

    1. Hi,

      Thanks for the comment and interest.
      If you click on the “Search” facility on the top right hand of each page and enter “Schiaffino” all results will be shown.
      Rose Schiaffino history has yet to be done.

      Best wishes
      Nigel T

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