MV Fjardvagen

ex Norman Commodore, Pride of Portsmouth, Mads Mols, Mads Trader, Merchant Trader, Sir Lamorak, Lakespan Ontario, Lady Catherine, Lune Bridge, Norcliff, Anu

Andreas Wörteler Collection

Steel twin screw “Tor Scandia” class motor vessel, built in  1972 by Ankerlökken Verft A/S, Florø, Norway (Yard No. 90), for Alander Frachtschiff GmbH, Hamburg as a roll-on and roll-off passenger and commercial vehicle ferry

Technical Data

• Length on deck: 109.51m (overall), 100.01m (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth of hull: 20.43m
• Depth: 12.50m
• Draught: 4.9m
• Tonnage: 1,585 gross, 1,591, 1,577/591 net, 560, 549/2,628 deadweight, 2,020, 2,677
• Engines: Two 8-cylinder Pielstick 8PC2L diesels
• Power: 8,000 hk
• Speed: 17.5 knots
• Capacity: 12 passengers, 45 commercial trailers
• Call Sign: DKOE, GCVZ, C6DB3, OJHC
• IMO Number: 7226952
• MMSI Number: 230341000
• Registry: Lübeck/Germany 🇩🇪, London/UK 🇬🇧, Canada 🇨🇦, London/UK 🇬🇧, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Mariehamn/Finland 🇫🇮
• Sister-ships: Ilka (89), Lalli (88), Leila (91), Tor Scandia (82)

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Current AIS Location

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History

May 9th 1972: Launched.

September 1972: Delivered to Alander Frachtschiff GmbH, Hamburg, Germany.

September 1972: Commenced service for Avomeri Line Oy, Helsingfors, Finland between Helsinki – Helsingborg – Århus.

May 2nd 1973 – June 12th 1974: Chartered to North Sea Ferries Rozenburg. Renamed NORCLIFF, and commenced services between Rotterdam – Hull.

June 13th 1973 – 1979: Returned from charter, renamed ANU, and embarked on various charters.

🆕 © Simonwp (Nieuwe Waterweg,  01/07/1976)(Left)(Immingham, 19/07/1976)(Right)

© Simonwp (Nieuwe Waterweg)

© Fotoflite

September 1979: Chartered to Townsend Thoresen at Dover. Also used between Le Havre – Portsmouth.

© A G Jones

 

© Gordon Wise (Both)

© Kevin Hoggett

1979-1980: Chartered to Tor Line. Commenced service between Gothenburg – Immingham.

Nigel Thornton Collection

June 1980: Sold to Tejo Leasing Ltd, Sark, England.

June 1980 – September 1980: Chartered to British Railways. Commenced service between Fishguard – Rosslare.

September 1980: Sold to Javelin Shipping Co Ltd, Jersey. Renamed LUNE BRIDGE.

October 1980 – December 13th 1980: Chartered to Sealink U.K. Ltd (British Railways). Commenced service between Belfast – Heysham.

 

© Tony Garner (Left) and Nigel Thornton Collection (Right)

December 18th 1980: Renamed LADY CATHERIN.

December 18th 1980 – August 1981: Chartered to B&I Line. Commenced service between Dublin – Holyhead.

August 6th 1981 – February 1982: Chartered to Lakespan Marine Inc Oshawa, Ontario, Canada. Renamed LAKESPAN ONTARIO for services between Oshawa – Oswego.

© Marc Piché

1982: Sold to Cenargo Navigation Ltd, Douglas, Isle Of Man.

February 1982 -1985: Requisitioned by the Royal Fleet Auxiliary (Ministry Of Defence) London, renamed SIR LAMORAK (L3532) To transport troops vehicles and equipment for the Falklands conflict. However, was found unsuitable for the South Atlantic and mainly operated on Army freight runs between Marchwood and Antwerp, although she participated in Exercise Rough Diamond ’83. Manager; Triport Ferries (Management) Ltd., London.

 

Nigel Thornton Collection (Left)© Patrick Hill (Hull 01/10/1984)(Right)

© Simonwp (River Schelde, September 1985)

December 10th 1985: At the end of her charter she was returned to her owners at Immingham.

© Simonwp (Immingham, 16/12/1985)

© Simonwp (Immingham, 14/01/1986. Undergoing refit prior to handing back to owners Cenargo following charter as RFA Sir Lamorak)

January 1986: Renamed MERCHANT TRADER.

Nigel Thornton Collection

January 1986: Chartered to Townsend Thoresen and used between Le Havre – Portsmouth.

September 1986: Townsend Thoresen for use between Cairnryan – Larne.

August 1987: Sold to Scout Shipping Co Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. (Managers Bahama Difko LXII, København). Chartered to Mols-Linien, Ebeltoft, Danmark. Renamed MADS TRADER.

Andreas Wörteler Collection

1987: Renamed MADS MOLS for K/S Bahamadifkp. Commenced service between Sjællands Odde – Ebeltoft.

© Jürgen Stein

March 1989: Chartered to Mainland Market Deliveries, England. Renamed PRIDE OF PORTSMOUTH. Commenced service between Portsmouth – Channel Islands.

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 01/03/1989)

 

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 05/05/1989) (Left) and © Tony Garner (Portsmouth, 25/05/1989)(Right)

1990: Chartered to Commodore Ship Management. Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. Unchanged name and route.

1991: Chartered to Commodore Ferries Ltd, Guernsey, renamed NORMAN COMMODORE and operated services between Guernsey – Jersey.

© Robert J Smith (Portsmouth, 17/08/1991)

© Simonwp (Portsmouth, 01/06/1992)

 

© Tony Garner (St Peters Port, Guernsey, April 1993)(Left) © Ken Larwood (Right)

December 11th 1993: Fire broke out on board. Damage was not great and she was first towed to Rotterdam, then to Newcastle for repairs.

March 25th 1994: Sold to Clare Business Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. (Managers Goliath Shipping Co Ltd.) Operated between Guernsey – Jersey.

 

© Frank Lose (Portsmouth, June 1995)

December 7th 1995: Last departure for Commodore.

December 18th 1995: Sold to Rederi Ab Lillgård, Mariehamn, Finland, renamed FJÄRDVÄGEN. Commenced services between Långnäs – Nådendal.

 

© Andreas Wörteler ( Långnäs, 21/06/2001)(Left)  (Nådendal, 23/06/2001)(Right)

September 29th 1996: Ran into a heavy storm between Sottinga and Foglo and ran aground. No serious damage and able to continue.

 

© Eerik Laine (Turku, 21/5/2006)

2013: Still in service.

© Patrick Heard (Aland, July/September 2020)

March 2923: Still in service between Långnäs – Naantali (Finland).

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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: Tony Garner, Patrick Heard, Patrick Hill, Kevin Hoggett, A G Jones, Eerik Laine, Ken Larwood, Frank Lose, Marc Piché, Robert J Smith, Simonwp, Jürgen Stein, Gordon Wise and Andreas Wörteler.

Special thanks go to Nigel Scutt @ Fotoflite

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