MV Veronica Line
ex Tadla, Laburnum, Pride of Hythe, Free Enterprise V
Roy Thornton Collection
Steel triple screw motor vessel, built by N.V. Werf “Gusto”, Schiedam, (Yard No. CO 755) for Townsend’s in 1970 as a passenger and roll-on-roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry. Engined by Smit Kinderdijk V.O.F.
Technical Data
- Length: 117.50m (overall)
- Breadth of Hull: 19.00m (extreme)
- Draught: 4.39m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 5,044 gross, 1,977 net, 1,296 deadweight
- Engines: Three 12-cylinder Smit-MAN RBL 6612 four stroke single acting diesels
- Power: 9,003 kW
- Speed: 19 knots
- Capacity: 1,132 passengers, 250 cars, or 160 cars and 22 heavy trailers
- Number of crew: 74
- Call Sign: GNOE, P3CW5,V4ZC,
- MMSI Number: 341657000
- IMO Number: 7010509
- Official Number: 334049
- Registry: Dover/UK 🇬🇧, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, St Kitts Nevis 🇰🇳
- Sister Ship: Free Enterprise VIII (862), Free Enterprise VII (CO882), Free Enterprise VI (CO881), Free Enterprise IV(CO719)
History
“The second ship of the newly modelled “Free Enterprise” series.”.
January 31st 1970: Launched.
Gemeentearchief Schiedam / IHC Gusto BV
May 1970: Delivered to Townsend Car Ferries Ltd., Dover, England.
May 31st 1970: Commenced service between Dover – Calais and Dover – Zeebrugge.
October 11th 1971 – October 13th 1971: Out of service for three days when the FREE ENTERPRISE III took her place on the Zeebrugge link.
Roy Thornton Collection (Left) and © Cees De Bijl (Right)
© A G Jones (Dover 24/10/1970)(Left) © Fotoflite (Right)
20th November 1971: Blown by a force 11 gale against the submarine pens, whilst berthing at the Eastern Docks (Dover). She was out of service the next day.
1972: “Townsend Thoresen” was added in small white letters on the hulls and TTF logo appeared on funnels in pale green.
© Fotoflite (Left) and Roy Thornton Collection (Right)
December 22nd 1972: Collided with the British coaster REDTHORNE off Zeebrugge. She sailed to Antwerp for repairs when the FREE ENTERPRISE III covered for her while the FREE ENTERPRISE I was brought out of winter lay-up to deputise on the Calais link.
1974: Ships had hulls painted dark green with company name in large white letters.
© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection
1976: “Thoresen” orange was for all ships hulls and funnels eventually became dark green with orange TTF company logo.
© Achim Borchert (Frank Heine Collection)(Bremerhaven)
© Ken Larwood
© Brian Fisher (Left) and © Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection (Right)
© Ken Larwood (Left) and © Simonwp (13/09/1978) (Right)
1982 (early part): Laid up in King George V Dock in London.
1982: Ran freight sailings Southampton – Le Havre.
May 20th 1982: Commenced service between Portsmouth – Cherbourg.
Simplon Postcard (Photo © Ian Boyle)
© Tim Webb (Portsmouth 27/08/1982)
September 1982: Freight sailings from Southampton.
May 19th 1983: Introduced for the summer between Portsmouth – Cherbourg
© Brian Fisher (Left) and © Fotoflite (Right)
May 19th 1983: Chartered to the Poole-Cherbourg Twinning Association for a tour between Poole – Cherbourg.
© Robert Whitelaw (27/05/1983)
1983 (Late): Returned to Dover to cover freight sailings.
1984: A new TT logo, in white, was introduced on the funnels.
© Steffen Weirauch Collection (Portsmouth, 14/07/1984)
September 4th 1984: Chartered to the Poole-Cherbourg Twinning Association for a tour between Poole – Cherbourg.
1984: Final Portsmouth – Cherbourg summer season after which sailed to Dover for winter Zeebrugge relief.
March 30th 1985: Refit at Chatham.
April 9th 1985: Relief between Dover – Boulogne.
Roy Thornton Collection
June 1985: Dover – Zeebrugge.
December 1985 – January 1986: Refit at Rotterdam.
January 11th 1986: Returned to Dover after overhaul.
January 11th 1986: Relief Dover – Boulogne
March 1986: Portsmouth – Le Havre with sailings to Cherbourg.
Mike Sartin (Left) and © Brian Fisher (Right)
© Ken Larwood (Cherbourg 06/04/1986)
May 1986: Laid up at Southampton.
June 1986: Relief Portsmouth – Le Havre.
© A G Jones
July 18th 1986: Relief Dover – Boulogne.
April 9th 1987: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.
© Frank Heine (Boulogne 02/08/1986)
1987: Following the “HERALD” disaster, from spring onwards, pale blue funnels with P&O flag logo became the norm.
Dirk Jankowsky Collection (Left) and © Brian Fisher (Right)
© Bob Scott
June 5th 1987: Operated between Dover – Boulogne.
October 1987: There was a change to P&O European Ferries navy blue hull and funnel.
December 31st 1987: Registered for P&O European Ferries Ltd, Dover, England.
© Mike Sartin (Left) © Ken Larwood (Right)
January 1st 1988: Renamed PRIDE OF HYTHE still operating Dover – Boulogne.
Nigel Thornton Collection
January 13th 1988: Refit at Tyne and livery change.
© Simonwp (Tyne 01/02/1988)
© Nigel Thornton (Left) and © Fotoflite (Right)
February 1988: Laid up at Vlissingen Scheldepoort, owing to seamen’s strike.
July 1988: Laid up on the Tyne following overhaul from Smith’s.
© Brian Pawley
April 1988: Offered for sale. Boulogne sailings suspended owing to NUS strike
© Brian Pawley
August 1988: Resumed Dover – Boulogne service.
© Brian Pawley (Left) and © Ken Larwood (Right)
© Simonwp (Immingham 06/02/1989)
March 15th 1991: Sold to Abbey National March Leasing, London. Bareboat chartered to P&O.
March 30th 1992: After refit (which included the addition of a stern walkway) at Bremerhaven returned to Dover – Boulogne service.
© Andreas Wörteler
© Brian Pawley (Left) and © Ken Larwood (Right)
© Michael Woodland
January 4th 1993: P&O European Ferries announced the closure of the Dover-Boulogne route. Vessel sent to Tilbury for lay up and sale.
© Brian Pawley (Laid up pending sale in Tilbury with the Pride of Canterbury)
April 1993: Sold to Charterhall Shipping, Limassol, Cyprus (a subsidiary of TransEuropa Shipping Lines). Renamed LABURNUM. Sailed to Dunkerque for remedial work
© Pieter Inpyn (Dunkirk 01/05/1993)
© Ton Grootenboer (Left) and © Michael Neidig (Hook of Holland, 14/06/1993)(Right)
1993: Commenced service between Trieste – Koper – Durres – Brindisi/Bari.
1996: Chartered to Prekookeanska Plovidba, Montenegro. Introduced between Bar – Bari.
© Frank Heine (Bari, 25/07/1996 – 03/08/1996)
1997: Sold to Prekookeanska Plovidba, Bar, Montenegro. Introduced between Bar – Bari.
1997: Sold to Lavender Shipping Co. Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus.
July 13th 2001: Adriatic service suspended, sailed for Ramsgate.
July 20th 2001: Maiden sailing for TransEuropa Ferries between Ostend – Ramsgate.
© Stephen Brown (Ramsgate)
🆕 © Deck 5
November 20th 2002: Operated her final Ramsgate – Ostend service.
© Andreas Wörteler (all)
January 9th 2003: Arrived at Vlissingen for refit (fitted with flood doors for SOLAS regulations).
January 16th 2003: Departed Vlissingen for Italy.
January 2003: Chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation).
January 22nd 2003: Arrived at Genoa.
January 24th 2003: Commenced service between Genoa – Tangier.
2003: Renamed TADLA.
© Benoit Donne
July 17th 2003: Detained in Genoa, following safety inspection. (27 deficiencies).
December 12th 2003: Further detention authorised (4 deficiencies)
June 26th 2004 – October 2nd 2004: Operated between Naples – Nador.
January 2005: Charter completed. Laid up in Genoa.
February 2005: For sale, “offers”
July 18th 2006: Sailed for Ferrimaroc on the Almeria-Nador route.
© Mike Barker (Almeria 25/07/2006)
August 1st 2006: Detained in Genoa following safety inspection. (13 deficiencies)
© Enrico Righetti
August 1st 2006: Detained in Genoa following safety inspection. (13 deficiencies)
April 2007: Remains laid-up in Genoa. Reportedly sold to “undisclosed interest” and renamed VERONICA LINE
May 3rd 2007: Left Genoa for Otranto, Italy.
August 17th 2007: Further detention authorised
May 9th 2007: Further detention (48 deficiencies)
September 21st 2007: Registered owner recorded as: Medglory Ltd, Genoa, Ship Manager: Alemar SRL
September 2007: In service from Otranto (Italy) – Durres (Albania).
© Matt Murtland (HHV Ferry)
© Frank Heine (Brindisi July 2009)
September 2011: Believed to be under arrest in the Port of Vlore (Albania).
© Juanfra Monzón (Brindisi 21/08/2010)
2012: Broken up in Durres.
Andreas Wörteler Collection
© Google Earth/GeoEye 2012
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Mike Barker, Stephen Brown, Deck 5, Benoit Donne, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, Frank Heine, Dirk Jankowsky, A G Jones, Ken Larwood, Juanfra Monzón, Matt Murtland (HHV Ferry), Michael Neidig, Brian Pawley, Enrico Righetti, Mike Sartin, Bob Scott, Simonwp, Google Earth/Geo Eye, Tim Webb, Robert Whitelaw, Michael Woodland and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in compiling this feature.
Special thanks go to the World Ship Society (East Kent Branch).
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Lovely ship i went on it many times i knew captains on their
Worked on the FE5 summer of ’77 on the Dover-Calais route, my second summer with TTCF. Initially I was just another Asst. Steward, but when the Messman went on long term sickness leave, I snagged his job which was pretty cool for a member of the catering crew, as I got to know the deck crew. A rowdy bunch, but good fun. Through them, I got trips up to the bridge and did my steering ticket. The Captain twigged at the end of that, that I was a student summer seasonal, and he was kinda miffed that I’d got to do the ticket. Haha, all good fun!