MV Najd II
ex Abha, Koningin Elizabeth
Koningin Elizabeth – Arne Pyson Collection
Steel twin screw motor vessel, built and engined by Cockerill’s of Hoboken (Yard no 779) in 1956 for the Belgian Marine Administration’s Ostend-Dover passenger service.
Technical Data
- Length on Deck – 114m (374 ft)(overall) 108.56m (356.2 ft) (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth of Hull – 15.9m (49.10 ft)(extreme) 14.2m (46.6 ft) (moulded)
- Depth – 7.3m (24.11 ft) (moulded)
- Draught – 4.45m (13 ft)(maximum)
- Tonnage – 3,389 gross, 3,795 /1,510 net, 1,706/476 deadweight
- Engines – Two 12-cylinder Cockerill/Sulzer two-stroke single acting diesels.
- Power – 11190kW
- Speed – 22 knots
- Capacity – 1700 passengers, 30 cars (in holds)
- Call Sign – ORAM (@1974)
- ID/IMO Number – 5192949
- Registry – Ostend/Belgium 🇧🇪, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, Jeddah/Saudi Arabia 🇸🇦
- Sister Ships: Reine Astrid I (785), Roi Leopold III (777)
History
“The second of a trio of mailboats built for the 1958 World Fair in Brussels. Their design was based on KONING ALBERT but their Lascroux-funnels (all uptakes are combined into one rising to the top of the funnel and large air-intakes at the front lift fumes upwards to avoid fumes and soot descending down on the decks), gave the ships a more modern and lean appearance”
🆕 Courtesy of Frederik Janssens
October 29th 1956: Launched.
Koningin Elizabeth – Roy Thornton Collection
May 1957: Delivered to Regie voor Maritiem Transport, Oostende, Belgium.
May 1957: Commenced service between Ostend – Dover.
Koningin Elizabeth – Roy Thornton Collection (Postcards)
Koningin Elizabeth –
1968: English port became Folkestone.
Koningin Elizabeth – Roy Thornton Collection
Koningin Elizabeth – © A G Jones
Koningin Elizabeth – © A G Jones
Koningin Elizabeth – © Ken Larwood
November 1970: Belgian Marine joined the Sealink consortium. Trading as Sealink
November 1st 1971: Belgian Marine became the Belgian Maritime Transport Authority – Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT).
1973: Belgian Sealink livery
Koningin Elizabeth – Postcards
Koningin Elizabeth – © Brian Fisher
Koningin Elizabeth – © Urbain Ureel (Ostend 1974)
1975: Summer weekends and “specials” only.
October 12th 1977: Final day in service.
Koningin Elizabeth – © Kevin Hoggett (Ostend, 1977)
December 1st 1977: Laid up in Ostend.
April 14th 1978: Sold to Abha Marine Corp, Limassol, Cyprus. Renamed ABHA.
1978: Rebuilt in Perama, Greece.
1978: Commenced service between Jeddah – Aquaba – Port Suez.
1979: Registered to Najd Shipping Co., Saudi Arabia.
1980: Sold to Najd Trading & Constructions Est, Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. Renamed NAJD II.
1981: Laid up in Eleusis Bay, Greece.
Najd II – Roy Thornton Collection (© Steffen Weirauch) (With ATHENS EXPRESS (ex PRINSES JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE) moored alongside)
Najd II – © Urbain Ureel (Eleusis 1983)
1984: Broken up.
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Brian Fisher, Kevin Hoggett, A G Jones, Ken Larwood, Arne Pyson and Urbain Ureel for their assistance in compiling this feature.
Special thanks go to Frederik Janssens
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
