MV Express
Ex Caribbean Express, Peveril, nf Jaguar, Penda, ASD Meteor, Holmia
© National Railway Museum/Science & Society Picture Library
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1972 at Kristiansands Mek. Verk. A/S, Kristiansand, Norway (Yard No 216) for Ab Siljarederiet Oy, Turku, Finland as a Passenger and RORO car/commercial vehicle ferry.
Technical Data
- Length: 106.31 m (overall) 94.90 m (between perpendiculars)
Breadth: 16.06 m
Depth: 6.03 m
Draught: 4.98 m
Tonnage: 1951 gross/683 net/1900t deadweight
Engines: 2 Oil 4SA 6 cylinder Pielstick diesels
Power: 6620 kW/8000 bHP
Speed: 19.0 knots (max) 17 knots (service)
Capacity: 12 passengers, 30 x 12 metre trailers (Main), 15 x 12 metre trailers (Top), 38 cars (Lower), 528 lane metres
Call Sign: GUQN…..H3PT
IMO Number: 7105029 - Official Number: 362507
Port of Registry: Turku/Finland 🇫🇮, Monrovia/Liberia 🇱🇷, Singapore 🇸🇬, Belfast/Northern Ireland , Douglas/Isle of Man 🇮🇲.. Panama City/Panama 🇵🇦
Sister Ships: Juno (217), Leo (218)
History
April 21st 1969: Ordered.
January 9th 1971: Launched.
April 3rd 1971: Christened
April 3rd 1971: Proposed delivery Ab Siljarederiet Oy, Turku, Finland delayed owing to technical issues.
April 19th 1971: Delivered.
Bernt Anderson Collection
April 20th 1971: Arrived in Turku.
April 20th 1971: Services between Turku – Långnäs – Norrtälje.
May 7th 1971: Services between Nystad / Turku – Norrtälje. (one trip per week)
April 7th 1972: Owners changed name to Oy Silja Line Ab.
November 1972 – December 1972: Chartered to DFDS A / S for services between Denmark – UK ..
December 29th 1972: Sold to International Chartering Cooperation, Singapore for delivery in February 1973.
February 6th 1973: Delivered to her new owners and renamed to ASD METEOR .
© Fotoflite (Ref: BW730696) (Left) © Robert Turkington (Belfast, 1973)Right)
February 25th 1973: Chartered to P&O Ferries. Operated between Heysham – Belfast.
1974: Registered under Meteor Reederei und Schiffsfahrts GmbH KG, Singapore.
February 18th 1975: Sold to P&O Ferries. Renamed PENDA and chartered to Sealink for 4½ years. Anticipated service between Heysham – Belfast.
October 13th 1975: Transferred to Hain-Nourse Ltd.
September 7th 1978: Transferred to P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd and operated by Belfast Steamship Co.
Courtesy of Jim Ashby
Sealink News (No 22, May 1978)
© Simonwp (Heysham, 01/06/1979)
January 1980: Introduced by Sealink between Stranraer – Larne.
April 1980: Charter to Sealink completed.
April 18th 1980: Commenced service between Southampton – Le Havre.
June 7th 1980: Overhauled in the drydock at Holyhead before being renamed nf JAGUAR.
Nigel Thornton Collection
October 1980: Laid up for the winter in Liverpool.
May 15th 1981: Bareboat-chartered to Isle of Man Steam Packet Co, Douglas, Isle Of Man. Commenced service between Douglas – Heysham.
© Ian Collard (Left) © Brian Fisher (Irish Sea, August 1981)(Right)
November 1982: Sold to James Fisher and Sons Plc, Barrow. Still chartered to Isle Of Man Steam Packet (log term bare-boat charter terms over 10 years). Renamed PEVERIL.
© Aubrey Dale (Belfast, 1984)
April 14th 1985 – April 1986: Chartered to Belfast Freight Ferries
August 1986: Stranraer – Larne covering a breakdown with Sealink British Ferries‘ ST DAVID.
© Aubrey Dale (30/08/1986)
© Ken Larwood (Douglas, May 1987)
December 1992: Sold to Mannin Line Ltd (Isle of Man Steam Packet Co) Douglas, Isle Of Man.
Nigel Thornton Collection
1997: Laid up in Bidston Dock, Birkenhead.
November 16th 1997 – November 24th 1997: Chartered to Irish Ferries Plc, Dublin. Commenced service between Rosslare – Pembroke Dock.
December 1st 1997: Laid up in Birkenhead.
January 13th 1998: Operated between Douglas – Heysham.
July 10th 1998: Final day in operation between Douglas – Heysham.
July 13th 1998: Laid up in Birkenhead.
September 2000: Sold to Marine Express Inc., Panama. Renamed CARIBBEAN EXPRESS.
September 27th 2000: Left Birkenhead.
September 2000: Suffered engine failure in the Bay of Biscay.
September 2000: Laid up in Santander, Spain waiting for spare parts.
2002: Detained in Sochi, Russia.
January 2003: Sold to Cadre shipping, Phnom Pehn, Cambodia and renamed EXPRESS.
January 2003: Services Trabzon – Sochi.
September 27th 2004: Sank in PPI Port, Kel. Tetandara, Ende Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia.
2009: Salvaged.
April 2009: Sold to Indian breakers.
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: Ian Collard, Aubrey Dale, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, Ken Larwood, Simonwp, Robert Turkington and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Special thanks to Jim Ashby
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
