MV Dona Juana
ex Parseta, Codan Marine, St Magnus, Dorset, Ulster Sportsman, Donautal
© John Clarkson
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1970 at Rickmers Werft – Bremerhaven (Yard No 362) for Partenreederei M.S. “Donautal”, Hamburg, Germany
Technical Data
- Length: 96.81 m (overall), 88.02m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 15.83m (extreme), 15.80m (moulded)
- Depth: 10.32m
- Draught: 4.198m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 1,000 – 1,206 – 915 – 3,575 gross/411 – 561 – 231 -1,072 net/1200 – 1,120 – 1,029 – 937 deadweight
- Engines: Two 9 cylinder Atlas – MAK 9ZU451AK diesels
- Power: 4,000 bhp/2,942 hp
- Speed: 13.5 knots (service), 16.0 knots (max)
- Capacity: 12 passengers, 410 lane metres of freight
- Call Sign: GUDC, YYGX
- IMO Number: 7013604
- Registry: Lubeck/Germany 🇩🇪, Belfast/UK 🇬🇧, London/UK 🇬🇧, Port Vila/Poland 🇵🇱, Pampatar/Venezuela 🇻🇪.
- Sister-ship: Thule (359), Isartal (1356), Neckartal (1355)
History
March 14th, 1970: Launched.
Rickmers Werft
May 23rd, 1970: Delivered to Partenreederei M.S. “Donautal”, Hamburg, Germany.
May 28th 1970 – December 21st 1970: Bareboat chartered to Silja Line. Commenced service between Åbo – Norrtälje.
April 26th 1973: Registered to Rollonoff Shipping Ltd., London, England.
June 1st 1974: Sold to Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd. (P&O Ferries), Belfast. Renamed ULSTER SPORTSMAN. Introduced between Liverpool – Belfast.
Roy Thornton Collection (both)
© Neil Burns (Liverpool, 05/10/1974)
© Robert Turkington (Belfast, December 1974)
March 31st 1975: Put in service for P&O Ferries.
1975: Bareboat chartered to Seaspeed Ferries, commenced service between Cork – Barry.
October 1975 – January 1978: Bareboat chartered to Truckline Ferries Ltd. Commenced service between Poole – Cherbourg.
January 12th 1976: Renamed DORSET. Owner; Belfast S.S. Co., Ltd. Manager; P&O Ferries.
May 12th 1978: Renamed ST MAGNUS. Owner & Manager; P&O Ferries.
Roy Thornton Collection (both)
© A G Jones (Left) and © John Hendy (Right)
June 1978: Relieved Normandy Ferries at Dover
© Eugene Sloan
July 14th 1978: Registered to P&O Ferries, commenced service between Aberdeen – Orkney Isles, certain times to Norway.
© Simonwp (Immingham, 09/05/1980)
February 6th 1979 – February 28th 1979: Relief cover for Normandy Ferries between Dover and Boulogne.
© Simonwp (Aberdeen, June 1982)
© Wolfgang Fricke (Lerwick, 01/07/1984)
May 1985: Managers now POETS Fleet Management Ltd, operators were P&O Ferries Ltd.
January 1st 1989: Owners restyled to P&O Scottish Ferries Ltd.
June 4th 1990: Commenced service with P&O European Ferries between Portsmouth – Le Havre.
© Brian Fisher (Southampton, July 1990)
© Brian Fisher (Swansea, July 1990)
August 1990: Weymouth for engine repairs
© Ken Larwood (Weymouth, 1990)(both)
© Achim Borchert (Frank Heine Collection)
September 27th 1990: Laid-up in Southampton.
1990: Sold to Blaesbjerg Marine, Aarhus, Denmark (sailed under Bahamian flag). Renamed CODAN MARINE. Bareboat chartered to Polferries for service between Swinoujscie – Ystad.
1991: Sold to Polska Zeluga Baltycka, Kolobrzeg, Poland. Renamed PARSETA.
© Frank Heine (Ystad, 26/07/1991)
© Capt Jan Melchers (Left) © Simonwp (Ystad, 01/08/1991)(Right)
1995: Sold to Polish Baltic Shipping Co, Port Vila, Panama.
© Bernd Crause (Copenhagen, 13/07/1995)
© Frank Heine (Swinoujscie, 13/08/1995)
June 1996: Commenced service between Swinoujscie – Aabenraa.
🆕 © Fotoflite
April 1997: Sold to Consolidada de Ferrys (Conferrys), Pampatar, Venezuela. Renamed DONA JUANA.
April 1997: Commenced service between Venezuelan mainland – Margarita Island.
© Frank Heine
© Benoit Donne
🆕 Andreas Wörteler Collection
June 20th 2010: After laying at anchor for 3 years reportedly sunk/lost .
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, Neil Burns, Benoit Donne, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, Wolfgang Fricke, Frank Heine, John Hendy, A G Jones, Ken Larwood, Capt Jan Melchers, Simonwp, Eugene Sloan, Robert Turkington and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
