FerriesNaviera ArmasPast and PresentRegie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT)SeafranceSealinkSealink Dieppe FerriesSociété Nationale des Chemins de fer Français (SNCF)Stena LineStena Sealink Line

MV Seafrance Monet – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7321661

MV Volcan de Tacande

ex Seafrance Monet, Stena Londoner, Versailles, Stena Nautica, Stena Nordica, Stena Danica, Stena Nordica

© Jurgen Stein

© Jurgen Stein

Steel twin screw motor vessel built by Brodogradiliste Jozo Lozovina Mosor, Trogir, Yugoslavia in 1974 (Yard No. 163) for Stena Ab, Göteborg as a roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry 

Technical Data

  • Length: 124.85m (overall) (1974), 124.85m (1977)
  • Breadth of Hull: 21.87m (extreme) (1974), 23.37 (1977)
  • Depth: 12.27m
  • Draught: 5.26m (maximum) (1974), 5.48m (1977)
  • Tonnage: 6,333 gross (1974), 6,538 (1977)/3,246 net (1974), 3,178 (1977)/2,134 deadweight (1974), 2,362 (1977)
  • Engines: Two Lindholmen/Pielstick 18PC2V diesels
  • Power: 12,310 kW
  • Speed: 22 knots
  • Capacity: 1,800 passengers, 425 cars (1974), 450 (1977)
  • Call Sign: SLDA, ORAU, FNBM
  • IMO Number: 7321661
  • Registry: Gothenburg/Sweden 🇸🇪, Oostende/Belgium 🇧🇪, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Dieppe/France 🇫🇷, Calais/France 🇫🇷, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Las Palmas G.C./Spain 🇪🇸
  • Sister Ship: Stena Jutlandica (I)(162 )

History

June 17th 1973: Launched as STENA NORDICA.

June 2nd 1974: Delivered to Stena Ab, Göteborg.

June 2nd 1974: Renamed STENA DANICA.

© Urbain Ureel

June 28th 1974: Commenced service between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.

© Wolfgang Fricke © Wolfgang Fricke

© Wolfgang Fricke (Gothenburg, 01/07/1976)

January 1977 – April 1977: Rebuilt at Wilton Fijenoord, Rotterdam , extra deck inserted to raise the car deck height by approximately 2.3m to facilitate commercial vehicle trailers. Side-sponsors added owing to previous stability problems.

© Courtesy of Simonwp

© Courtesy of Simonwp

© John Jones

© John Jones (Gothenburg, 13/08/1980)

© Frank Heine  © Tony Garner

© Frank Heine (Gothenburg 27/10/1980) (Left) and © Tony Garner (Gothenburg, 02/05/1981) (Right)

December 1981: Renamed STENA NORDICA.

April 1983: Chartered to Regie voor Maritiem Transport, Ostend, Belgium (RMT).

Nigel Thornton Collection

Nigel Thornton Collection

May 2nd 1983: Arrived at builders yard in Antwerp for conversion to new role. Amongst things done was the moving of loading doors from port side to starboard side.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood (both)

June 10th 1983: Taken over by Nautica (Belgien) N.V. Ostend, Belgium.

June 16th 1983: Commenced service between Ostend – Dover.

August 1983: Suffered complete engine failure and had to be withdrawn for repairs, which lasted over a week.

March 1984: Renamed STENA NAUTICA.

© Frank Heine   © Frank Heine

© Frank Heine (Ostend 30/07/1984)

© Simonwp

🆕© Simonwp (Ostend, August 1984)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Ostend, 01/06/1985)

© Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher

1986 (late Spring): SNCF formed a subsidiary company Dieppe Ferries to manage the future of their Newhaven service

May 14th 1986: Charter completed, taken over by Stena Cargo Line Ltd., Nassau, Bahamas. Laid up in Gothenburg.

November 20th 1986: Berthing trials in Newhaven and Dieppe.

Nigel Thornton Collection  Nigel Thornton Collection

Nigel Thornton Collection (both)

April 19th 1987: Chartered to SNCF, Dieppe, France. Renamed VERSAILLES. Simultaneously transferred to French flag and commenced service between Newhaven – Dieppe.

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood (all)

1988: Sold to Overseas Equipment Ltd., Dieppe, France.

© Brian Fisher  © Brian Fisher

© Brian Fisher (Dieppe, June 1989)

January 22nd 1990: Registered to Société Propriétaire des Navires (SPN), Paris, France. At the same time selling 49% of the ferry operations to Stena Sealink Line UK, London, England. In future Sealink Dieppe Ferries would be known as Sealink SNAT and would operate in a new livery.

© Tony Garner

© Tony Garner (Newhaven, 27/04/1991)

© M Fournet

© M Fournet

March 26th 1992: Following months of industrial unrest Sealink SNAT announced that the Newhaven to Dieppe was to be closed and or sold off. Following this announcement the crews of the routes 2 vessels immediately went on strike.

April 1992: Its announced that the Newhaven to Dieppe route had been purchased by Sealink Stena Line.

May 1st 1992: Chartered to Sealink Stena Line Ltd, Ashford, England. Rebuilt at A&P Appledore, Southampton, England.

© Ken Larwood   © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood (Southampton 05/05/1992) (all)

May 15th 1992: Renamed STENA LONDONER. Registered in the Bahamas, home port Nassau.

© Ken Smith  © Ken Smith

© Ken Smith (Southampton, 15/05/1992) (Southampton, 22/05/1992)

Nigel Thornton Collection  Nigel Thornton Collection

Nigel Thornton Collection

© Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood

May 22nd 1992: Commenced service between Newhaven – Dieppe.

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler (Dieppe, 26/09/1992)

© Mike Jackson

© Mike Jackson (November 1992, Sheltering in Dover)

© Tony Garner © Fotoflite Ref 131654  

© Tony Garner (Newhaven, 10/10/1992) (Left) and Fotoflite (Right)

November 16th 1992: Sealink Stena Line officially changed its name to Stena Sealink Line.

December 31st 1992: Sailed to Southampton to take over the Cherbourg service.

January 1993: Refit at A&P Appledore, Southampton.

© Ken Smith

© Ken Larwood

January 14th 1993: Expected to return to the Newhaven service.

© Bernd Crause © Bernd Crause © Bernd Crause © Bernd Crause

© Bernd Crause (Dieppe, 22/05/1994) (All)

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler (Newhaven, 23/05/1994)

March 17th 1995: Collided with the ramp in Newhaven. Considerable damage to the ramp but minor damage to the the vessel (bent “Jack Staff” bow flag pole)

© Ken Larwood   © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood

 © Ken Larwood   © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood

July 12th 1995: Agreement between Stena Sealink Line and French partners SNAT would terminate from December 31st 1995. From that time onwards SNAT would trade as SeaFrance.

December 31st 1995: Stena Sealink adopted the trading name of Stena Line.

March 3rd 1996: Final day between Newhaven – Dieppe.

March 5th 1996: Commenced service between Fishguard – Rosslare.

February 4th 1996 – April 9th 1996: Operated between Holyhead – Dun Laoghaire.

© Dave Rimmer © Justin Merrigan

© Dave Rimmer (Dun Laoghaire) (Left) 🆕 © Justin Merrigan (April 1996)(Right)

April 10th 1996: Completed charter. Registered in the French ship-register.

© Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler (Laid up @ Dunkirk, 27/05/1996)

June 1996: Renamed SEAFRANCE MONET. Registered to G.I.E. Versabil, Calais, France. Rebuilt in Dunkerque.

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler

© Andreas Wörteler

July 3rd 1996: Commenced service between Calais – Dover.

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood

© Ken Larwood (both)

April 24th 1997: Laid up in reserve at Dunkerque.

© Pieter Inpyn  © Pieter Inpyn

© Pieter Inpijn (Dunkerque, 01/05/1997)

December 6th 1997 – December 7th 1997: Operated between Calais – Dover, thereafter laid up in Dunkerque.

May 1998: Laid up in Le Havre.

March 29th 2000: During stormy weather, collided with a pier in Calais. Sustained stabiliser damage.

May 18th 2000: Sold to Naviera Armas S.A., Las Palmas de Gran Canaria, Spain in broken down condition.

May 24th 2000: Towed from Dunkerque to Vigo, Spain for engine repairs.

May 30th 2000: Arrived in Vigo.

© Ulrich Streich  © Ulrich Streich

© Ulrich Streich

September 11th 2000: Renamed VOLCAN DE TACANDE. Commenced service with Armas around Canary Islands.

September 2000: Commenced service between Los Cristianos – San Sebastián de la Gomera – La Estaca.

© Michael Neidig

© Michael Neidig (Los Cristianos (Tenerife), 10/12/2004)

January 30th 2005: On a voyage from Los Cristianos to San Sebastián de La Gomera vessel lost all power due to a flooded engine room. All passengers had to be evacuated. Eventually towed to Puerto de Las Palmas where she was later declared a total loss.

May 2005: Sold for breaking.

June 2005: Revealed that she was sold for breaking in Turkey.

© Selim San

© Selim San

September 11th 2005: Arrived Aliaga, Turkey for scrapping.

 


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: Bernd Crause, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, M Fournet, Tony Garner, Frank Heine, Pieter Inpijn, John Jones, Ken Larwood, Mike Jackson, Justin Merrigan, Michael Neidig, Dave Rimmer, Selim San, Simonwp, Ken Smith, Ulrich Streich, Jurgen Stein, Urbain Ureel and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in compiling this feature.

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

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