MV Pan Lily

Ex Strait Feronia, Stena Feronia, Dublin Seaways, Dublin Viking, Mersey Viking

© Chris Howell (Picton, 21/12/2018)

Steel twin screw “NAOS 109” motor vessel built in 1997 by Cantieri Navale “Vicentine” di Visentini Francesco & Co., Donda, Italy (Yard No 180) as a Ro-Pax Cargo Ship.

Technical Data

• Length: 186.0 m (overall) 169.50 m (between perpendiculars)
  Breadth: 25.60 m
  Depth: 9.15 m
  Draught: 6.50 m (max)
  Tonnage: 21856 gross/6805 net/7633t deadweight
  Engines: Two x Wärtsilä 8R46 diesels.
• Power: 15600 kW/HP
  Speed: 24.0 knots (max)
  Capacity: Total 2450 lm/Cars 200/Passengers 340
  Call Sign: MEEJ3, 5BXSF3, ZMSF, 3E8530
• MMSI Number: 352006066
• IMO Number: 9136022
• DNV id Number: 25668
• Official Number: 59577-PEXT
  Port of Registry: Chioggia/Italy 🇮🇹, Bari/Italy 🇮🇹, Belfast/UK ,🇬🇧 Glasgow/UK 🇬🇧, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, Wellington/New Zealand 🇳🇿, Panama City/Panama 🇵🇦
• Sister Ships: Lagan Viking (182)

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Current AIS Location

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History

September 8^th 1995: Keel laid.

December 7^th 1996: Launched.

July 12^th 1997: Delivered as MERSEY VIKING to Levantina Trasporti Srl, Chioggia, Italy.

July 1997: Chartered to Norse Irish Ferries, Belfast.

July 23^rd, 1997:  Arrived in Belfast.

July 23^rd, 1997: Services Belfast – Liverpool.

© Norse Merchant Ferries

March 2001: Registered to Belfast Freight Ferries, Belfast.

June 17^th, 2002: Services between Birkenhead – Belfast.

© Aubrey Dale (August 2003)

July 2004: Registered to Norfolkline Irish Sea Ship, Belfast, Northern Ireland.

September 12^th, 2005: Renamed DUBLIN VIKING .

December 18^th, 2005: Grounded in the Crosby Channel near Liverpool with 110 people on board. The ferry re-floated on the next tide without assistance, and there were no injuries. 

2006: Registered to Norfolkline Irish Sea Ferries Ltd.

2006: Norfolk Line services Birkenhead – Dublin. 

© Barry Graham (Birkenhead, 08/06/2008)

© Robbie Cox (Dublin, 20/05/2009)

June 2009: Registered for Norfolk Line Irish Sea Ship Owners Ltd.

© Barry Graham (Birkenhead, 31/08/2009)

© Simonwp (Dublin, 01/07/2010)

July 12^th 2010: Norfolk Lines was sold to DFDS Seaways.

August 2^nd 2010: Renamed DUBLIN SEAWAYS.

January 30^th 2011: Services between Birkenhead – Dublin ended. Left Birkenhead for Rosyth. 

February 3^rd 2011: Sold to Stena North Sea Ltd, London, England.

© Christian Eckardt (Cuxhaven, 17/02/2011) (Left) © Ulrich Streich (02/04/2011) (Right)

April 15^th 2011: Renamed STENA FERONIA .

May 2011: Chartered to DFDS Seaways. Employed for services Karlshamn – Klaipeda.

© Dirk Jankowsky (Karlshamn, 13/07/2011)

October 2011: Completed charter and laid up in Klaipeda.

November 2011: Arrived in Gdansk.

January 22^nd 2012 – February 5^th 2012: Services Karlskrona – Gdynia.

January 23^rd 2012: Detained in Karlskrona after safety deficiencies were found.

February 6^th 2012 – February 12^th 2012: Services Kiel – Gothenburg

February 20^th 2012 – March 7^th 2012: Services Birkenhead – Belfast.

© Rob Foy (Liverpool, 26/02/2012)

March 7^th 2012:

“The outbound general cargo vessel UNION MOON collided with the inbound ferry STENA FERONIA, in the vicinity of the fairway buoy that marks the harbour limit of Belfast Harbour. Both vessels suffered major structural damage; however, there were no injuries or pollution and each vessel managed to proceed into port without assistance.”.

MAIB Report

Photo u.tv

March 2012: After repair, chartered to DFDS Seaways for one month.

March 21^st 2012: Left Belfast for Klaipeda.

March 28^th 2012: Services Klaipeda – Karlshamn.

April 29^th 2012: Left Klaipeda for Kiel.

April 30^th 2012: Arrived in Kiel for lay-up.

© Pieter Inpyn (Kiel, 04/06/2012)

June 5^th 2012: Left Kiel for Algeciras.

June 11^th 2012: Arrived in Algeciras.

June 15^th 2012 – November 4^th 2012: Chartered to FRS Iberia, Spain, for services Algeciras – Tangier.

September 27^th 2014: Final day of service.

September 28^th 2014: Laid up in Gibraltar.

November 15^th 2014: Arrived in Belfast.

November 2014 – December 2014: Services Belfast – Birkenhead.

December 2014: Laid up in Lysekil (Southwestern Sweden).

January 20^th 2015: Sold to Strait Shipping, New Zealand for delivery in March.

January 25^th 2015 – March 29^th 2015: Services Gothenburg – Kiel.

March 30^th 2015: Arrived at Öresundsvarvet in Landskrona for conversion and modification  for its new services.

March 2015: Registered to Ferry Lines Ltd, Nzl, Wellington, New Zealand.

April 2015: Renamed STRAIT FERONIA .

April 17^th 2015: Left Landskrona for Las Palmas and on to New Zealand.

June 1^st 2015: Arrived in Wellington.

June 2015: Bluebridge services between Picton – Wellington.

© Lappino (Wellington, 14/09/2016)

© Chris Howell (Picton, 21/12/2018)

July 16^th 2019:  In heavy weather, collided with the wharf in Picton. Returned to Wellington.

August 2022: Experienced a propeller issue that caused it to return to port in Wellington, leading to significant delays for passengers. The ferry sailed at 8:15 a.m. but had to return to port about 30 minutes later due to the fault which was not rectified until later that day.

August 1^st 2025: Sold to Pan Shipping Management – FZ SAE, Alexandria, Egypt and renamed PAN LILY.

September 26^th 2025: Left Wellington for Singapore (eta: 22/10/2025)

October 22nd 2025: Arrived Singapore.

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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: Robbie Cox, Aubrey Dale, Christian Eckardt, Rob Foy, Barry Graham, Chris Howell, Pieter Inpyn, Dirk Jankowsky, Lappino, Simonwp, Ulrich Streich and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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