MV Najd I

ex Najd, Roi Leopold III

Steel twin screw motor vessel, built and engined by Cockerill’s of Hoboken (Yard no 777) 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) 14.23m (46.7 ft) (moulded)
Depth: 7.3m (24.11 ft) (moulded)
Draught: 4.45m (13 ft)(maximum)
Tonnage: 3,388 gross, 3,794 /1,513 net, 1,710/408 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: ORAL (@1974)
Registry: Ostend
ID Number: 5298808
Sister Ships: Koningin Elizabeth, Reine Astrid I

History

Roy Thornton Collection (both)

November 9th 1955: Launched

Roy Thornton Collection

June 22nd 1956: Delivered to Regie voor Maritiem Transport, Oostende, Belgium.

July 1956: Commenced service between Ostend and Dover.

1968: English port became Folkestone.

1969 (High Season): Made one sailing between Ostend – Harwich.

November 1st 1971: Belgian Marine became the Belgian Maritime Transport Authority – Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT).

1973: Belgian Sealink livery

1975: Summer weekends and “specials” only.

September 24th 1976: Laid up in reserve.

March 2nd 1978: Sold to Najd Marine Corp., Panama

March 10th 1978: Left for Piraeus to be rebuilt, Renamed NAJD.

1978: Commenced service between Jeddah – Aquaba – Port Suez.

1979: Registered to Najd Shipping Co., Saudi Arabia.

1980: Registered to Najd Trading & Constructions Est., Saudi Arabia.

1986: Renamed NAJD I.

1987: Broken up in Pakistan.

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: Jim Ashby, Tony Garner, A G Jones, Ken Larwood and Arne Pyson for their assistance in compiling this feature.