DFDSFerriesNorth Sea FerriesP&O European FerriesP&O FerriesP&O Irish SeaP&O North Sea FerriesPandoroPast and PresentRequests

MV Ibex – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7716074

MV Envoy I

ex Reyes B, Envoy I, Envoy, European Envoy, Ibex, Norsky, Norsea, Ibex

© Robert Turkington

© Robert Turkington

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1979 by Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co Ltd, Tamano, Japan (Yard No 1163) as a RoRo Cargo/Passenger vessel for P&O Ferries Ltd (Pandoro)

Technical Data

  • Length: 150.02m (overall) 141.00 m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 21.77 – 23.90 m
  • Depth: 13.01 m
  • Draught: 5.112 m
  • Tonnage: 6310 – 18653 gross/2091 – 5595 net/5024 – 4267t deadweight
  • Engines: 2 x 4 SA 12 cylinder Mitsui diesels/Two GMT Sulzer 8ZAL40S diesels.(2006)
  • Power: 13240 kW/18000 HP
  • Speed: 18.75 knots
  • Capacity: 12 -107 – 220 passengers, 12 – 70 – 120 vehicles
  • Call Sign: GZHE, ZCBB2, LMSQ, LMSQ3, CQKG, 3FPG7
  • IMO Number: 7716074
  • Official Number: 379892
  • Port of Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Hamilton/Bermuda 🇧🇲, Langesund/Norway 🇳🇴, Madeira/Portugal 🇵🇹, Panama 🇵🇦
  • Sister Ships: Tipperary (1164)

History

September 11th 1978: Keel laid.

December 27th 1978: Launched.

May 15th 1979: Delivered as Ibex to P&O Ferries Ltd for service with Pandoro on the Fleetwood/Larne route. Part of a renegotiation order that began life as a 414,000 ton tanker. Within a month of delivery she ran into manoeuvrability problems, and was withdrawn and laid up at Belfast until tests on her sister Puma (renamed Tipperary when delivered in August 1979) showed that a ‘skeg’ between her screws would solve the problem. Ibex had this fitted by Harland & Wolff at Belfast and she and Tipperary then took over the joint Pandoro/British & Irish Steam Packet Company Fleetwood/Dublin. service.

Nigel Thornton Collection

Nigel Thornton Collection

May 1979: Commenced service between Fleetwood – Larne.

December 30th 1984: Renamed NORSEA. Commenced with North Sea Ferries between Ipswich – Rotterdam (Europoort).

© Pieter Inpyn © Fotoflite Ref 212  

© Pieter Inpyn (Left) and © Fotoflite (Right)

December 31st 1984: Registered to POETS Fleet Management Ltd., London, England.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Immingham, 19/07/1985)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Europoort, 01/09/1985)

August 23rd 1986: Renamed NORSKY.

© Simonwp

🆕© Simonwp (Ipswich, July 1987)

© Ken Larwood © Simonwp  

© Ken Larwood (Harwich, 20/09/1987) and © Simonwp (Felixstowe, 07/10/1987)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Europoort, 15/08/1989)

© Joerg Seyler

© Joerg Seyler (Europoort, May 1991)

April 23rd 1995: Operated her final service between Ipswich – Rotterdam (Europoort).

© Capt Jan Melchers © Fotoflite Ref 92625 

© Capt Jan Melchers (Left) and © Fotoflite (Right)

April 25th 1995: Arrived in Dublin.

May 10th 1995: Commenced service for Pandoro, Fleetwood between  Liverpool – Dublin.

© Robbie Cox

© Robbie Cox (Dublin, 10/09/1995)

September 1995: Renamed IBEX.

May 1996: Rebuilt at Cammell Laird, Birkenhead, England with an extra freight deck and passenger accommodation. Redelivered after refit as a roll on/roll off passenger ferry. Moulded breadth now 23.90m, tonnages 18,429 gt, 6,850 nt, 4,267 tonnes dwt, capacity 70 passengers. Now fitted with triple bow thruster and stern azimuth thruster.

August 1996: Commenced service between Liverpool – Dublin.

January 1998: Commenced service for P&O European Ferries Irish Sea. Renamed EUROPEAN ENVOY.

© Dave Rimmer © Dave Rimmer 

© Dave Rimmer

November 2001: Commenced service between Mostyn – Dublin.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Mostyn)

2004: Sold to Stena RoRo.

April 5th 2004: Final day in service on the Mostyn – Dublin route.

April 6th 2004: Laid up in Liverpool.

April 2004: Renamed ENVOY.

April 2004: Sold to KystLink, A/S Hamilton, Bermuda.

April 21st 2004: Left Liverpool for Hirtshals for berthing trials.

April 2004: Arrived at Örskov Yard, Frederikshavn.

May 21st 2004: Commenced service between Langesund – Hirtshals.

August 2004: Transferred to Norwegian flag home port Langesund.

2004: Sold to Kystlink A/S.

October 4th 2004: In strong winds, hit the quayside in Langesund. One person on board was injured.

December 2004: Rebuilt with greater passenger capacity..

January 1st 2005: Returned to commercial service.

June 18th 2005: Taken out of service and laid up in Sandefjord.

July 2005: Chartered to P&O Irish Ferries.

July 22nd 2005: Arrived in Liverpool.

© John Sharpe © John Sharpe

© John Sharpe (Liverpool, 08/09/2005)

July 27th 2005 – August 2005: Services between Liverpool – Dublin.

September 3rd 2005: Relief vessel for Transrussia between Lübeck – Mukran – St Petersburg – Baltic – Lübeck.

September 2005: Chartered to Nedlines, Holland.

September 9th 2005: Services between Ijmuiden – Harwich.

November 24th 2005: Arriving at Ijmuiden, in strong winds, collided with the quay and taken out of service for repairs.

January 2nd 2006: Returned to service.

© Derek Sands © Derek Sands 

© Derek Sands (Harwich, 03/01/2006)

January 11th 2006: Suffered a complete electrical failure and had to be towed to Ijmuiden.

January 16th 2006: Sold to Taubåtskompaniet A/S, Trondheim, Norway.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Ijmuiden, 17/02/2006)

March 20th 2006: Taken out of service.

March 23rd 2006: Laid up in Sandefjord.

April 2006: Left Sandefjord for engine replacement in Poland.

April 24th 2006: Arrived at Nauta Ship Repair Yard, Gdynia, Poland for work to be completed.

April 2007: Chartered to DFDS Tor Line.

May 2007: Services between Riga – Lübeck.

© Cees De Bijl © Cees De Bijl 

© Cees De Bijl (Travemunde 10/06/2007)

© Andreas Wörteler © Andreas Wörteler 

© Andreas Wörteler (Travemunde, 12/08/2007)

June 20th 2008 – June 29th 2008: Boiler replacement in Fredericia.

September 18th 2008: Left Riga for Western Shipyard, Klaipeda, Lithuania.

September 18th 2008 – October 18th 2008: Extra superstructure added.

© Gena Anfimov © Gena Anfimov © Gena Anfimov 

© Gena Anfimov (Klaipeda, 19/09/2008)

October 19th 2008: Returned to service.

October 18th 2009: En-route to Riga suffered a further “electrical blackout”, which was repaired overnight, and she was able to continue.

November 2009: Charter completed and laid up in Kiel.

December 2009: Left for Klaipeda.

January 2010: Chartered to Scandlines for services between Ventspils – Travemünde.

May 2010: Charter completed and refit in Fredericia.

August 17th 2010: Arrived Sandefjord for further lay up.

October 15th 2010: Left Sandefjord for further lay up in Farsund.

January 5th 2011: Left Farsund for Villagarcia.

January 10th 2011: Renamed ENVOY 1.

February 2011: Chartered to Boluda Lines SA, Las Palmas, Gran Canaria.

© Alex Marrero

© Alex Marrero (Las Palmas)

March 1st 2011: Renamed REYES B.

March 5th 2011: Left Villagarcia for Sevilla.

March 2011: Services Sevilla – Canary Islands.

June 25th 2011: Charter completed and laid up in Las Palmas.

© Alex Marrero

© Alex Marrero (Las Palmas, 27/07/2011)

September 2011: Renamed ENVOY.

December 2011: Sold to Turkish breakers.

December 31st 2011: Arrived Aliaga, Turkey 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: Gena Anfimov, Micke Asklander, Cees De Bijl, Robbie Cox, Trevor Kidd, Ken Larwood, Alex Marrero, Capt Jan Melchers, Dave Rimmer, Derek Sands, Joerg Seyler, Simonwp, Robert Turkington, John Sharpe and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

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