MV Germain
Ex Saint Germain
Courtesy of Bernt Anderson Collection
Steel twin screw motor vessel, built and engined by Helsingør Skibsværft og Maskinbyggeri A/S Helsingor, Denmark, (Yard No 303), for the Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF) in 1951
Technical Data
- Length on Deck: 115.73m (379.7 ft) (overall)
- Breadth of Hull: 18.47m (60.6 ft) (extreme)
- Depth: 20.3 ft
- Draught: 4.12m (13.5 ft)
- Tonnage: 3,094 gross (1951), 3,492 (from 1976), 846 net (1951), 1,276 (from 1976), 1,299 deadweight (1951), 1,331 (from 1976)
- Engines: Two 9-cylinder Helsingor Skibs. & Msk. Two-stroke single-acting diesels
- Power: 4,490 kW
- Speed: 16.5 knots (service), 18 knots (max)
- Capacity: 850 passengers (1951), 1,000 (1976 – 1985), 36 sleeping cars and 2 luggage wagons, or 36 goods wagons, or 135 cars on train deck, 25 in garage.
- Call Sign: FNXF
- IMO Number: 5305895
- Registry: Dunkerque/France 🇫🇷
History
April 5th 1951: Launched
Bernt Anderson Collection
Roy Thornton Collection (Left) Fotoflite (Right)
July 1951: Delivered to Société Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF).
July 24th 1951: Arrived Dunkerque from Helsingör.
Roy Thornton Collection
🆕 Courtesy of Jean Marie
July 26th 1951: Maiden Voyage to Dover from Dunkerque.
July 28th 1951: Commenced service as a train-ferry between Dunkerque – Dover.
Stéphane Poulain Collection (Arriving at Dunkerque from her builders 24/07/1951)
December 11th 1951: Damaged at the stern when she collided with the Prince of Wales Pier in dense fog and as a consequence she was unable to load her “Night Ferry” sleeping cars.
© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection (as noted) and Courtesy of Michael Woodland (as noted)
September 6th 1953: Outbound from Dunkerque collided with ST JEAN. Continued to Dover with two of her lifeboats smashed.
© Dover Strait Shipping (Dover, being towed by DHB LADY BRASSEY)
May 30th 1958 – July 8th 1958: Operated between Calais – Dover
1959: Whilst operating between Dunkerque – Dover, also made the occasional trip, as cover, between Dover (Eastern Docks) – Calais
Roy Thornton Collection
Courtesy of Terry Conybeare
August 1962 – September 1962: Chartered to Townsend Car Ferries, Dover, England for service between Dover – Calais.
© A G Jones (July 1966)
🆕 © A G Jones (Dover, 31/10/1966) (As Noted) Roy Thornton Collection (As Noted)
February 6th 1967: Struck the lock gates at Dunkerque, causing considerable amount of damage.
October 2nd 1967 – October 31st 1967: “British Rail operated a service between Dunkerque – Harwich. The SAINT GERMAIN was briefly called in to assist at the end of the month….”.
November 1969: It was announced that British Rail’s Shipping and International Services Division (SISD) had adopted the new brand name Sealink and as a consequence all vessels were painted in the new house colours. Her funnel was painted red and her hull blue.
© David Ingham
Roy Thornton Collection (Left) and © David Ingham (Right)
1975 – 1976 (Winter): Overhauled , re-entering service at the end of January 1976. Her passenger accommodation was increased to 1,000 (achieved by the fitting of a new 150 seater lounge on top of her after garage) and she had the word “Sealink“ painted on her hull, something which the rest of the British and French boats had done two to three years before.
© David Ingham
July 5th 1976: First vessel to depart from the new Dunkirk West ferry berth.
© Fotoflite
Courtesy of Bernt Anderson Collection
February 21st 1979: Involved in a fatal collision with the Liberian bulk carrier ARTARDI off Calais. Two people were killed, four injured and the Channel ferry extensively damaged. Following her serious collision she returned to service though at a reduced speed to allow some machinery to “bed in”.
© Brian Fisher
February 20th 1985: Continued in service as a freight only ferry.
© Kevin Hoggett
March 10th 1985: Lost part of a screw and went off service.
March 22nd 1985: Returned to service after repairs.
© Ken Larwood
Onboard Saint Germain
Courtesy of Jim Ashby (as noted) and the Roy Thornton Collection (as noted)
© David Ingham
1985: Acted as relief vessel Harwich – Dunkerque
© Simonwp (01/04/1985 @ Felixstowe)
July 8th 1987: “Swinging” at Dover, hit Admiralty Pier: Suffered heavy damage to her bow.
© Mike Sartin
Courtesy of Kim Bridgland
May 8th 1988: Carried her final-trains.
🆕 © A G Jones (Dover, 06/05/1988)
May 16th 1988: Final day in service.
© Mike Sartin (Dover, 16/05/1988)
July 21st 1988: Sold to Triton Ship Delivery, London. Renamed GERMAIN. Left Dover for Port Alang, India.
August 11th 1988: Arrived in India to be broken up by NCK Sun Exports, Port Alang.
Ship model @ Dunkirk Port Museum (© Julien Carpentier)
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Bernt Anderson, Kim Bridgland, Julien Carpentier, Dover Strait Shipping, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, Kevin Hoggett, Ted Ingham, A G Jones, Ken Larwood, Simonwp, Stéphane Poulain, Mike Sartin, Michael Woodland and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Special thanks go to Jim Ashby, Terry Conybeare and the World Ship Society (East Kent Branch).
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
Merci pour cette documentation très riche,mon papa et d’autre membres de ma famille ont navigué dessus,moi même j’ai eu la chance de faire plusieurs traversées ,ce navire été exceptionnel ,je pense qu’il aurait du finir comme musée à Dunkerque merci encore.
Salut Edouard,
Je vous remercie pour vos aimables commentaires.
Notre site historien M. Nigel Thornton fait un travail brillant de la recherche et de l’approvisionnement matériel photographique pour ces articles et c’est vraiment agréable pour nous de recevoir ces commentaires agréable.
Je m’excuse pour mon mauvais français mais je ne suis pas très versé dans la langue et a dû utiliser Google.
Cordialement
Ray Goodfellow
Webmaster de http://www.doverferryphotos.com
What memories I have of this fine vessel. As I have posted elsewhere, my mother separated from my father in 1971 to live (in Dunkerque) with a chef from this very ferry. Many stories to tell, if interested. My then girlfriend and I married in 1976 and went to live in Dunkerque where I worked in the shipping industry for nearly two years before returning to England.
By the way, votre français n’est pas du tout mauvais!
Je vous remercie beaucoup et je souhaite que je pourrais prendre le crédit mais je tricher et utiliser Google Translate. Je l’ai étude française à l’école mais c’était il ya très longtemps.
Hi Eric,
My own personal memories of this great vessel are rather clouded due to be very young at the time. I do recall her departing the Western docks train ferry berth whilst watching the hovercraft as a small child and I wish that I had gotten the opportunity to travel on her but alas I didn’t get to sea until 1987 and with my step father being an officer with Townsend Thoresen/P&O we never travelled with the competition.
Best Wishes
Ray
I was the guy who sells that old ship. therefore, as chief radio officer on board of selaink ferries, I met a most of old radio Equipment which were not a Glory for safety!!!!!!!!!!
Wow, never realised that this fine old ferry survived so long! Used to travel on her form Dover Dunkirk in the sixties, always remember being terrified at walking the gang plank from pier to ship with nowt but ropes for protection! Split Communal sleeping berths for male and female passengers, not a 100% sure of that though as I was the tender age of 6 or 7!
Hello
I have thé builder plate of this lovely boat.
Greetings
Vincent