MV Rich
ex Princess, Prince, Wind Ambition, Cesme, King of Scandinavia, Venus, Tarek L, Scandinavica, Stena Scandinavica, Prinsessan Birgitta
© Jürgen Stein
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1974 by Oy Wartsila Ab, Abo, Finland (Yard No. 1214) as a passenger and vehicle roll-on roll-off ferry
Technical Data
- Length: 152.41m (overall), 132.21m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth: 20.05m (extreme)
- Draught: 5.80m (maximum)
- Depth: 12.92m
- Tonnage: 8,753 gross (9,017 pre 69), 13,286, 13,336/2,875 net, 5,806/1,819 deadweight, 1,654
- Engines: Two 18 cylinder Pielstick V-Diesels
- Power: 15890kW
- Speed: 23 knots
- Capacity: 1203 passengers (1230 after rebuild),/350 cars or 36 commercial trailers./137 cabins with bath/toilets+internet+TV+desk+closet+ minimum 90cm bed (Wind Ambition)
- Call Sign: LAZB, OXVM, OXVM6, TCCI6, 2DKR8, 5BZN4, D6A288O
- MMSI Number: 620872000
- IMO Number: 7347548
- Registry: Gothenburg/Sweden 🇸🇪, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Bergen/Norway 🇳🇴, Esbjerg/Denmark 🇩🇰, Istanbul/Turkey 🇹🇷, London/UK 🇬🇧, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, Lomé/Togo 🇹🇬, Moroni/Comoros 🇰🇲
History
July 10th 1972: Ordered.
February 20th 1973: Keel struck
September 28th 1973: Planned launch delayed owing to strike at the shipyard
October 1st 1973: Launched.
Dover Ferry Photos Archives
May 10th 1974: Delivered to companies which part-owned the vessel. Rederi Ab Ragne, Västervik (43,5%) / Rederi Ab Göteborg – Frederikshavn Linjen (43,5%) , Göteborg, Barkman & Co,(12%), Rederi Ab Ostenia (1%). Rederi Ab Ragne main contributor.
© R. Nerlich (Hamburg, May 1974)
May 11th 1974: Press presentation in Stockholm, followed by Travemünde, Gothenburg and Oslo
© Dag Almén (Stockholm, 11/05/74)
May 16th 1974: Commenced service with Sessan Linjen between Gothenburg – Travemünde.
© Wolfgang Fricke (Gothenburg, 01/07/1976)
May 25th 1977: Sold to Rederi Ab Gothenburg-Frederikshavn Linjen, Gothenburg. (Sessan Linjen),at the same time commencing services between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.
Roy Thornton Collection (Both)
© Achim Borchert (Frank Heine Collection)(June 1977)
January 1st 1980: Partnership formed under the name of Sessan Tor Line, Gothenburg between the two companies of Tor Line and Rederi Ab Gothenburg-Frederikshavn Linjen Ab, Gothenburg.
© Jörg Seyler
© Frank Heine (01/11/1980, Gothenburg)
February 1981: There was a split in Sessan Tor Line as Rederi Ab Gothenburg-Frederikshavn Linjen Ab, Gothenburg sold their majority share to Stena Ab, Gothenburg.
© Collection Frank Heine (Travemunde, May 1981)
August 31st 1981: Final day in service between Gothenburg – Travemünde.
September 14th 1981: Entered service with Stena Lines between Gothenburg – Kiel.
🆕© Simonwp (Kiel, March 1982)
May 10th 1982: Renamed STENA SCANDINAVICA.
© Urbain Ureel
© Pieter Inpyn
November 1982: Sold to Sessan Linjen Ab, Gothenburg. (Stena Ab).
December 1984: Rebuilt with extra cabins.
August 1985: Sold to GFL Holding Ab, Gothenburg. (Stena Ab).
© Bernd Crause (Left) © Wolfgang Fricke (Frederikshavn, 01/07/1985)
1986: Transferred to Rederi Ab Gothenburg-Frederikshavn Linjen, Gothenburg. (Stena Ab).
August 1986: Sold to Stena Ab, Gothenburg.
April 5th 1987: Final day in service between Kiel – Gothenburg.
April 1987: Commenced service between Gothenburg – Frederikshavn.
June 1987: Chartered to Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation S.A.(Cotunav) Tunisia. Commenced service between Tunis – Genoa.
November 1987: Renamed SCANDINAVICA.
December 1987: Laid up.
January 31st 1988: The NUS (National Union of Seamen) called a UK national strike in support of the 161 crew sacked by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company for refusing to accept new terms and conditions. As a result all non-Sealink ships were laid up for three months
© Fotoflite
Andreas Wörteler Collection (Left) and © Ken Larwood (Right)
June 7th 1988 – September 16th 1988: Chartered to Sealink British Ferries, U.K (reportedly costing £20,000 per day). Commenced service between Dover – Calais, and as a night ferry between Dover – Zeebrugge. The overnight route later closed because of a drain on the finances, with reported losses in excess of £1 million.
Roy Thornton Collection (Left) and © Ken Larwood (Right)
© Ted Ingham (Both)
© Ken Larwood (Both)
© Tony Garner
October 1988: Laid up in Dunkerque.
November 1988: Sold to Stena Shipping Line, Nassau, Bahamas.
May 15th 1989: Chartered to Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation S.A.(Cotunav) Tunisia. Renamed TARAK L and commenced service between Tunis – Genoa/ Marseille.
© Yvon Perchoc
October 1989: Returned from charter and renamed SCANDINAVICA.
November 15th 1989: Sold to Scandinavica Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas. Arrive at Kristiansands Mek. Verksted, Kristiansand for rebuilding.
March 1990: Sold to Norway Line Invest K/S, Bergen, Norway and renamed VENUS.
© Simonwp (Bergen, 18/04/1990)
March 31st 1990: Commenced service between Bergen – Stavanger – Newcastle.
October 14th 1990: Registered to Color Line A/S, Oslo, Norway.
© Ken Lubi (Both)
© Andreas Wörteler (Both)
August 1994: Sold to DFDS AS, Copenhagen, Denmark.
September 1st 1994: Final day operating between Newcastle – Bergen.
September 4th 1994: Transferred to DFDS A/S Esbjerg, and renamed KING OF SCANDINAVIA.
© Frank Heine
April 2nd 1995: Commenced service between Esbjerg – Harwich.
April 10th 1995: Commenced service between Esbjerg – Newcastle – Hamburg.
March 29th 1996: Commenced service between Ijmuiden – Newcastle – Hamburg.
© Ken Lubi
July 10th 1997 – September 10th 1997: Chartered to Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation S.A.(Cotunav) Tunisia and operated between Tunis – Genoa/ Marseille.
September 24th 1997 – September 28th 1997: Chartered to Ministry Of Defence, U.K.
© Frank Lose (Both)
November 1st 1997: Commenced service between IJmuiden – Newcastle.
Dirk Jankowsky Collection
May 10th 1998 – September 9th 1998: Chartered to Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation S.A.(Cotunav) Tunisia and operated between Tunis – Genoa/ Marseille.
© Andreas Wörteler (Both)
1999: Planned charter to Nordic Holland Line for services between Norway and Holland did not materialise.
April 22nd 1999: Commenced service between IJmuiden – Newcastle.
© Pieter Inpyn
June 23rd 2001: Final day operating between IJmuiden – Newcastle.
© Ton Grootenboer
July 1st 2001 – October 2001: Chartered to Cotunav, for services between Tunis – Genoa/ Marseille.
© Malcolm Cranfield (19/08/2001)
October 5th 2001 – November 29th 2001: Chartered to Bornholmstrafikken, Rönne, Denmark for services between Copenhagen – Rönne.
November 29th 2001: Laid up in Copenhagen.
February 22nd 2002: Chartered to NATO, left Copenhagen for Kalundborg for use in transporting military personnel and equipment between Kalundborg – Szczecin (Poland), then moored in Szczecin as a floating barracks.
March 23rd 2002: Arrived at Kalundborg for her final time, carrying troops.
March 27th 2002: Arrived in Copenhagen to await sale.
April 2002: Sold to Turkish Marmara Lines, Istanbul, Turkey (registered to Reca Marmara Nakliyat Denizcilik, Istanbul, Turkey).
April 2002: Taken over by her new owners and renamed CESME.
May 2nd 2002: Left Copenhagen for Cesme.
© Carsten Dettmer (Left) and © Frank Lose (Right)
May 11th 2002: Commenced service between Cesme – Brindisi – Ancona.
2008: Recorded Owner: Reca Marmara Nakliyat Denizcilik Isletmeleri AS, Recorded Manager: V.Ships Leisure SAM
May 2010: Sold to C-bed, England.
May 18th 2010: Final service from Ancona to Cesme.
May 24th 2010: Renamed WIND AMBITION under English registry.
May 27th 2010: Left Cesme for Gibraltar.
June 2010: Arrived Frederica for rebuilding. Facilities: Reception, restaurant, lounge with poker tables, games room, fitness room, conference room, movie lounge, Cinema, TV lounge, 2 x charters office.
August 4th 2010: Arrived in Liverpool to be used as an accommodation (hotel) vessel for workers of the Walney Wind Farm
© Michael Marshall (Both)
August 2010: Chartered by Siemens and appeared to be used as an accommodation vessel in the Sheringham Shoal offshore wind farm off the UK north Norfolk coast.
February 1st 2012: Due at Ramsgate for berthing trials.
© Mike Jackson (All)
August 26th 2012: Again at Ramsgate
© Mike Jackson
2012: Used as accommodation ship at the London Array wind farm.
October 28th 2016: Known to be laid up in Esbjerg.
2018: Returned to services
December 18th 2017: Laid up in Odense.
April 12th 2018: Sold to Ambition Maritime SA, Athens. Manager; A Ships Management SA.
April 18th 2018: Left Odense for Salamina, Greece. Renamed PRINCE.
April 30th 2018: Arrived in Drapetsona, Greece.
June 18th 2018: Sailed from Paloukia to Perama.
© Dimitris Mentakis (Left) and © Dennis Mortimer (Right)
© Rob de Visser
July 17th 2018: Commenced services between Patras – Igoumenitsa – Brindisi.
© Dimitris Mentakis (Perama, 05/04/2019)
October 2nd 2018: Final service Brindisi – Igoumenitsa line and laid up in Brindisi
December 2018: Chartered by Ventouris Ferries
January 8th 2019: Completed upon arrival in Bari.
February 9th 2019: Sailed to Piraeus and laid up
May 26th 2019: Left Perama under tow.
May 27th 2019: Arrived at Syros (Greece) for scheduled docking and repairs. It is anticipated she will first enter service between Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi followed by Ancona-Split later on in the year.
May 30th 2019: Chartered for a month to SNAV to replace AURELIA on the Ancona – Split service.
© Sinisa Aljinovic (Split,Croatia, 20/06/2019)
June 27th 2019: Returned to Perama
July 14th 2019: Left Perama for Brindisi
September 2019: Chartered to Strandfaraskip Landsins, Torshavn, Faroe Islands as relief vessel.
October 14th 2019: Left the Faroe Islands for Brindisi.
November 22nd 2019: Commenced services Brindisi – Avlona.
February 27th 2020: Left Brindisi for Katakolo and laid up.
May 20th 2021: A-Ships Management indicated the vessel would be scrapped.
July 16th 2021: Sold to Partagas maritime Ltd, Athens and renamed PRINCESS. Left Katakolo showing destination as Colombo, Sri Lanka.
August 12th 2021: Sold to Chittagong breakers.
August 16th 2021: Arrived at Cittagog Roads, Bagladesh.
August 27th 2021: “The NGO Shipbreaking Platform used the sale of the ‘Princess’ for scrapping as its latest opportunity to call attention to the EU’s failure to enforce restrictions on the sale of toxic ships to the Asian scrapyards. The NGO was calling on Greece to bring the ferry back to Europe for proper disposal and for Bangladesh authorities to reject the ship. According to the NGO, due to the age of the vessel it is likely that it contains large amounts of asbestos. In addition, they highlight the many hazardous materials typically found within the structure of ships and the operational residues after so many years of service.”.
November 29th 2021: At anchor in the Bay of Bengal.
June 14th 2022: Arrived Bhavnagar Anchorage (AIS showing name as RICH).
June 17th 2022: Arrived Alang Anchorage.
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: Sinisa Aljinovic, Achim Borchert, Malcolm Cranfield, Bernd Crause, Fotoflite, Wolfgang Fricke, Tony Garner, Frank Heine, Ted Ingham, Pieter Inpyn, Mike Jackson, Dirk Jankowsky, Ken Larwood, Frank Lose, Ken Lubi, Michael Marshall, Dimitris Mentakis, Dennis Mortimer, Jörg Seyler, Simonwp, Jürgen Stein, Urbain Ureel, Rob de Visser and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.