FerriesPast and PresentSealinkStena RoRo

MV Ulidia – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7033202

MV Lider Avrasya

ex Meltem G, Holger, Holger Stern, Fjardvagen, Fjordveien, Raga Queen, Auto Trader, Ulidia, Stena Carrier

© David Ingham

© David Ingham

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1970 at Kristiansand M/V A/S Kristiansand Norway. (Yard No 215) for Stena Ab, Göteborg as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry

Technical Data

  • Length on deck: 105.90m (347.5 ft)(overall)(1970)/93.66m (307.0 ft) (between perpendiculars)(1970)
  • Breadth of hull: 16.00m (15.695 ft) (extreme)
  • Depth: 11.61m (38.09 ft)(1987)
  • Draught: 4.90 m (16.08 ft) (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 1,599 gross (1970), 4,979 (1987)/634 net (1970), 2,765 (1987)/2,550 deadweight (1970), 1,157 (1987)
  • Engines: Two 9-cyl, and two 8-cyl, S.C.S.A Wichmann Normo diesels
  • Propulsion/Propellers: diesel (3,325 kW)/2.
  • Speed: 16.0knots.
  • Capacity: 36 passengers , 540 lane metres (1970)/500 passengers, 145 cars (1987)
  • Call Sign: SDPM, JXWI, 4LHE2
  • IMO Number: 7033202
  • Official Number: 363388
  • Registry: Gothenburg/Sweden 🇸🇪, London/UK 🇬🇧, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷, Alexandria/Egypt 🇪🇬, Stavanger/Norway 🇳🇴, Mariehamn/Finland 🇫🇮, Trondheim/Norway 🇳🇴, Genova/Italy 🇮🇹, Istanbul/Turkey 🇹🇷, Georgia 🇬🇪
  • Sister Ships: Stubbenkammer (94), Anderida (95), Stena Trailer (Dalriada)(31)

History

The first of a fleet of ships ordered by Stena Line. Two others, ANDERIDA and DALRIADA also served British Railways.”.

April 30th 1970: Launched.

October 1st 1970: Completed and delivered to Stena Ab, Gothenburg.

Courtesy of Simonwp

🆕 Courtesy of Simonwp

October 1st 1970: Chartered to Canadian Ministry of Transport, St John, Canada.

October 1970 – 1972: Commenced service between North Sydney – Port aux Basques.

© Grant Thomas

🆕 © Grant Thomas (North Sydney, 1973)

July 1st 1974: Sold to Barclays Export & Finance Ltd, Scotland. (British Transport Ship Management Scotland Ltd.).

April 30th 1974: Charter completion date.

© A G Jones  © Michael Woodland  

© A G Jones (Left) and © Michael Woodland (Right)

July 7th 1974: Arrived at Wellington Dock, Dover for refit. “Included improvements to the existing passenger accommodation, alterations to berthing facilities, the installation of a new drencher system, emergency generator and modifications to bow and stern ramps”

August 11th 1974: Arrived at Smith’s Dock, Middlesbrough for dry-docking.

August 12th 1974: Dry-docked.

December 11th 1974: Left dry-dock.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

December 13th 1974: Left Middlesbrough

December 15th 1974: Arrived Stranraer.

December 16th 1974: Renamed ULIDIA. Introduced (20.45 hrs)  by Sealink, British Rail on services between Stranraer – Larne.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

1980 (early): Off service with gearbox problems

May 1980: Laid up in Newhaven.

June 1980: Operated services between Newhaven – Dieppe as cover for SENLAC which had suffered a fire in her alternator room on June 13th ,whilst in Dieppe.

© Bob Scott

1980: Operated services between Dover – Dunkerque then laid in Newhaven.

Roy Thornton Collection  © W J Harvey

Roy Thornton Collection (Left) © W J Harvey (Right)

1981: Commenced services between Stranraer – Larne.

April 9th 1981: Laid up in Wellington Dock, Dover.

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood  

© Ken Larwood

Courtesy of Jim Ashby

July 8th 1981 – September 12th 1981: Operated as relief at Newhaven.

© Andy Gilbert  Courtesy of Jim Ashby  

© Andy Gilbert (Left) and Courtesy of Jim Ashby (Right)

November 2nd 1981: Sold to Corvo Shipping Inc (Manta Line Inc Manager),Piraeus, Greece. Renamed AUTO TRADER.

© Fotoflite Ref 320598

🆕 © Fotoflite 

November 2nd 1981: Left Dover for Greece.

1985: Sold to International Agency for Shipping & Trading Co, Alexandria, Egypt.

1986: Renamed RAGA QUEEN.

© Fotoflite Ref 65807

🆕 © Fotoflite 

November 20th 1987: Sold to A/S Team Askøy, Bergen, Norway (Rutelag Askøy – Bergen).

December 1987: Rebuilt at Kristiansands Mek. Verksted, Kristiansand, Norway.

1988: Renamed FJORDVEIEN.

July 1st 1988: Began operations for A/S Rogaland Kystferger between Skudeneshavn – Mekjarvik.

November 29th 1992 – December 30th 1993: Laid up.

© Jürgen Stein

© Jürgen Stein

December 31st 1993: Commenced service between Bergen – Stavanger.

© Pieter Inpyn  © Pieter Inpyn  

© Pieter Inpyn (Skudeneshavn, Norway, June 1990)

March 14th 1994: Laid up with engine problems.

December 1994: Sold to Rederi Ab Lillgaard, Mariehamn, Finland. Renamed FJÄRDVÄGEN.

© Marko Stampehl

© Marko Stampehl

December 1994: Refitted at Laksevågs Verft, A/S, Bergen.

December 18th 1994: Left Bergen for Långnäs.

December 21st 1994: Arrived at Långnäs.

December 1994: Commenced service between Långnäs – Nådendal.

© Dirk Jankowsky

© Dirk Jankowsky

December 1995: Sold to Bastø Fosen AS, Trondheim, Norway and renamed HOLGER STJERN.

December 1995: Arrived at Drammen Ship Repairs, Drammen. Rebuilt in readiness for her new services.

© Marko Stampehl

© Marko Stampehl

September 15th 1998: A planned sale to Litorina Line for their service between Västervik – Visby – Ventspils, fell through.

June 1999: Sold to Meridiano S.r.L. Genoa, Italy and renamed HOLGER.

June 1999: Commenced service between Reggio di Calabria – Messina.

2001: Home port changed to Reggio di Calabria.

2005: Sold to OrsaSea Tasimacilik ve Ticaret, Istanbul, Turkey and renamed MELTEM G.

© Ivan Meshkov

© Ivan Meshkov (Ambarli, 22/04/2006)

2008: In collision with Hong Kong flag  SEAPACIS. Repairs to port side bridge-wing at Istanbul Shipyard.

April 2009: Sold to unknown Turkish buyers.

May 2009: Transferred to Georgian registry, home port Batumi. (Management Asya RoRo Turizm Nakliyat). Renamed LIDER AVRASYA.

© Gerolf Drebes

© Gerolf Drebes (Anchorage off Sotchi 29/4/2009).

© Eerik Laine

© Eerik Laine (Trabzon, 18/10/2010).

May 2011: Sold to Turkish breakers.

June 2011: Arrived at Aliaga for breaking

© Selim San

© Selim San

 


We would like to thank: Gerolf Drebes, Fotoflite, Andy Gilbert, Ted Ingham, Pieter Inpyn, Dirk Jankowsky, A G Jones, Eerik Laine, Ken Larwood, Ivan Meshkov, Selim San, Simonwp, Bob Scott, Marko Stampehl, Jürgen Stein, Grant Thomas, Michael Woodland and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature. All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions.

Special thanks go to Jim Ashby.

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

4 Comments

  1. Sailed on this ship every week for 5 years between Stranraer and Larne as the Ulidia. It was the worst ship in the world. Unstable, uncomfortable and un seaworthy. Nearly tipped over in a force 8 one night. 2 hour crossing took 17 hours. Glad it’s now scrap. Horrible ship.

      1. The Darnia was luxury compared to Ulidia. But like you say. Even that wasn’t good and had a tendency to tip yer steak onto the floor .

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Back to top button