MV Cenred

Cenred – British Railways Board

Steel twin Voith Schneider double ended “C Class” vessel built at Robb Caledon Shipbuilders Ltd., Dundee, Scotland (yard no. 562) for British Railways Board, London, England as a passenger and vehicle ferry

Technical Data

• Length: 60.23 m (overall) 55.00 m (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth: 15.68 m
• Depth: 3.43 m
• Draught: 2.280 m
• Tonnage: 761 gross/404 net/180 deadweight
• Engines: 2 Oil 4SA 6-cylinder Mirrlees Blackstone diesels via two Voith Schneider rotating vane propellers.
• Power: 619 kW/840 BHP
• Speed: 10 knots
• Capacity: 764 passengers 52/76 cars
• Call Sign: GUDR
• IMO Number: 7324091
• Official Number: 360946
• Port of Registry: London/UK
• Sister-Ships: Caedmon, Cenwulf
• Half sister: Cuthred

History

June 29th 1973: Christened by Mrs James Barwell wife of Sealink’s Superintendent Engineer-in-Chief. High winds and low water delayed her launch.

July 3rd 1973: Launched.

December 1973: Delivered to British Rail, London, England.

December 1973 – January 1974: Services between Portsmouth – Fishbourne.

A Salmon. Cameracolour Postcard

January 1974: Commenced service between Lymington – Yarmouth.

British Railways Board

1977: Modified to increase capacity with a second car deck which would lift into position 7ft above the existing deck.

July 1984: Registered to Passtruck Shipping Co. As theses services were excluded from the sale of Sealink UK Ltd to Stena Line they continued under the Sea Containers banner.

© Brian Fisher (April 1987)

November 7th 1990: Sea Containers (ex Sealink) unveiled the new brand name and livery of Wightlink.

© Robert J Smith (Yarmouth, 24/01/1992)(Left) and © Bernd Crause (Lymington, 19/09/1994)(Right)

© Chris Hunsicker (Portsmouth, 19/02/2008)

February 25th 2009: Taken out of service and laid up in Marchwood.

© The Ferryman (03/07/2009)

© Andreas Wörteler (Marchwood, 22/08/2009)

2010: Sold to scrappers in Esbjerg, Denmark.

March 12th 2010 – March 24th 2010: Towed from Southampton to Harlingen.

March 28th 2010: Arrived Esbjerg and scrapping commenced.

© Dirk Jankowsky (Esbjerg, 13/04/2010)

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, Ferryman, Brian Fisher, Dirk Lankowsky, Chris Hunsicker, Robert J Smith and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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