MV Matar
ex Vatan, Panther, Neptunia, Macmosa, Long Hu, Tangapakorn, Lady M, Ulster Prince
🆕 © Ian Collard
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1967 by Harland & Wolff Ltd. Belfast (Yard No 1667) as a passenger and vehicle roll-on roll-off vehicle ferry, for Belfast Steamship Co., Belfast
Technical Data
- Length on deck: 113.70m (overall) 111.25m (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth of hull: 16.50m (extreme)
- Depth: 9.07m
- Draught: 4.16m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 4479 – 4269 gross/ 2262 – 2114 -1412 net/1050 – 1389 deadweight
- Engines: Two 12-cylinder Pielstick diesels
- Power: 2663 – 5368 kW/7200 – 7298 bhp
- Speed: 17½ knots
- Capacity: 522 1st class – 500 2nd class (1967) – 1,311 passengers, 120 (1967) – 230 cars
- Crew: 85 (1967)
- Call Sign: GTVH, H2LO, C6DZ6
- IMO Number: 6622587
- Official Number: 305572 (1967)
- Registry: Belfast/UK 🇬🇧, Limassol/Cyprus 🇨🇾, Shantou/China 🇨🇳, Nassau/Bahamas 🇧🇸, Panama 🇵🇦
- Sister Ship: Ulster Queen (1323)
History
October 13th 1966: Launched.
April 6th 1967: Delivered to Belfast Steamship Co., Belfast, Northern Ireland.
April 13th 1967: Inaugural arrival in Liverpool to carry out berthing trials.
© Ian Collard (Belfast trials, 13/04/1967)
April 18th 1967: Maiden voyage Liverpool – Belfast.
🆕 © Ian Collard (Liverpool, 18/04/1967)
April 19th 1967: Commenced service between Liverpool – Belfast.
April 16th 1972: Damaged both stabilizer fins and dry-docked at Liverpool.
April 17th 1972: Resumed sailings.
Andreas Wörteler Collection
1977: Both sisters had the words (P&O Ferries) painted on their hulls.
Andreas Wörteler Collection
September 21st 1978: Registered to P&O Ferries Ltd.
© Malcolm Cranfield
February 1981: Blue hull colouring raised by a deck and P&O flag added to funnels.
October 12th 1981: Extreme losses on the Liverpool – Belfast route led to an announcement that the service would close, but closure postponed until 11/11/1981.
November 6th 1981: Crew refused to allow the vessel to sail and occupied her.
November 6th /7th 1981: Made her final sailing between Liverpool – Belfast.
December 3rd 1981: “Occupation” ended.
🆕 © Ian Collard
December 10th 1981: Left Liverpool for Ostend.
December 1981: Laid up in Ostend.
© Archim Borchert (Ostend, 06/03/1982)
© Ken Larwood (Ostend, June 1982)
© Corveleyn Roger (Ostend, 19/07/1982)
© Archim Borchert (Ostend, 06/08/1982)
Andreas Wörteler Collection
August 27th 1982: Sold to Panmar Ferries Services, Nicosia, Cyprus and renamed LADY M.
September 1982: Left Ostend for the Mediterranean.
© Fotoflite
June 19th 1983 – October 1983: Services for Marlines between Patras – Igoumenitsa – Ancona.
© Simonwp (Piraeus, 23/10/1984)
1984: Sold to Varsity S.A., Panama and renamed TANGAPAKORN.
© Pieter Inpyn (Singapore, November 1984)
1984: Service between Hong Kong – China.
© Brian Fisher (Hong Kong, 11/1986)
© Simonwp (Hong Kong)
1986: Renamed LONG HU.
1988: Sold to Shun Tak Enterprises, Macau and renamed MACMOSA. Services between Macau – Taiwan.
© Brian Fisher (Hong Kong, 1988)
1995: Sold to Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, (Registered to Aquila Maritime Services Inc. Panama) and renamed NEPTUNIA.
1995: Chartered to Neckar Riesen for services between Bari – Cesme.
1995: Continued services for HML.
1995: Registered to Panther Marine Corp., Panama having been renamed PANTHER.
Wörteler Collection
1995: Services for Hellenic Orient Lines between Bari – Cesme.
1995: Laid up at Eleusis.
© Frank Heine (Bari, 31/07/1996)
1996: Services between Patras – Igoumenitsa – Brindisi.
© Frank Heine (Brindisi, 22/07/1997)
1998: Laid up at Piraeus.
June 2000: Chartered to Superferries. Renamed VATAN for services between Cesme – Brindisi.
© Antonis Lazaris
© Peter J Fitzpatrick (Eleusis Bay. 2000)
2000: Registered to Manar Marine Services Inc., Panama and renamed MANAR.
2001: Services for Al Thuraya Marine Service Co, LLc, Dubai.
February 12th 2001: Services between Port Rashid – Umm Qasr, Iraq.
March 2004: Sold to Indian breakers.
April 3rd 2004: Arrived at Alang.
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: Ian Collard, Malcolm Cranfield, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, Frank Heine, Pieter Inpyn, Ken Larwood, Antonis Lazaris, Corveleyn Roger, Simonwp and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
