FerriesPast and PresentTownsend Thoresen

MV Viking Viscount – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7358327

MV Vitsentzos Kornaros

ex Pride of Winchester, Viking Viscount

 © Fotoflite

© Fotoflite

Steel triple screw motor vessel built in 1976 by Aalborg Værft A/S, Aalborg, Denmark (Yard no 208) for Townsend Thoresen European Ferries as a passenger and vehicle ferry.

Technical Data

  • Length: 128.71m (overall), 119.87m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 20.22 m (extreme), 19.81m (moulded)
  • Depth: 11.61m
  • Draught: 4.53m (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 6,387 gross/2,918 net/1,590 deadweight
  • Engines: Two 8-cylinder Werkspoor 8TM410 “Wing” diesels, one 9-cylinder TM410 “centre” diesel
  • Power: 10655 kW
  • Speed: 20.75 knots (service)
  • Capacity: 1,200 passengers, 275 cars
  • Call Sign: GVES, SXNX
  • IMO Number: 7358327
  • Official Number: 362871
  • Port of Registry: Dover/UK 🇬🇧, Portsmouth/UK 🇬🇧, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷
  • Sister ships: Viking Valiant (204), Viking Venturer (203), Viking Voyager (205).

History

The last in a quartet of Townsend Thoresen’s Aalborg-built ‘Super Viking’ class”

November 7th 1975: Launched by the wife of Mr. George Nott, the former director of European Ferries.

May 1976: Delivered to Townsend-Thoresen European Ferries, Dover, England.

May 18th 1976: Maiden voyage between Felixstowe – Zeebrügge.

© Bob Scott    

© Bob Scott (Left) © Capt Jan Melchers (Right)

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Felixstowe, 17/09/1979)

October 1977: Transferred for a six month period to Dover to enable the company to maintain their winter schedules of 18 sailings between Calais and Zeebrugge during the refit periods of the ships based at the Kentish port. She became the largest ship to enter on the cross-Channel services in the Dover Strait. Initially the “VISCOUNT” was put on the 08.35 and 20.35 sailings to Zeebrugge from Dover. Her place at Felixstowe was taken by the chartered STENA NORDICA (later RMT’s REINE ASTRID) initially on April 1st 1978 when the “VISCOUNT” returned to her “home” port.

© A G Jones  © Kevin Hoggett

© A G Jones (Left) © Kevin Hoggett (Right)

1984: A new TT logo, in white, was introduced on the funnels.

© Brian Fisher  © Brian Fisher  

© Brian Fisher – (both)

Roy Thornton Collection  © Roger Corveleyn© Roger Corveleyn

Roy Thornton Collection & © Roger Corveleyn (where noted)

© Patrick Hill

© Patrick Hill (Portsmouth, 24/08/1986)

October 1985: Townsend Thoresen decided to convert their Felixstowe – based ships BALTIC FERRY and NORDIC FERRY to multi-purpose passenger/freight ships for the Felixstowe – Zeebrugge service at a cost of over £9 million each. The conversion and transfer of these ships would release the VIKING VOYAGER and VIKING VISCOUNT from the Zeebrugge link so they could be transferred to Portsmouth to operate with their now “jumboised” sisters.

May 7th 1986: Commenced service between Portsmouth/Southampton – Cherbourg/Le Havre.

1987: Following the “HERALD” disaster, from spring onwards, pale blue funnels with P & O flag logo became the norm.

© Brian Fisher  © Brian Fisher  

© Brian Fisher (Both) (Portsmouth, June 1987)

December 31st 1987: Registered under P&O European Ferries Ltd., Portsmouth, England.

October 1987: There was a change to P & O European Ferries navy blue hull and funnel, be she operated for a time with interim colours of orange hull and dark blue P & O funnel

© Aubrey Dale Courtesy of David Fremery

© Aubrey Dale (Left) Courtesy of David Fremery (Right)

1988 (early): Operated as a seasonal relief between Larne – Cairnryan, then returned to Southampton – Cherbourg.

© Carlo Martinelli

© Carlo Martinelli (Le Havre, 18/08/1988)

1989 (early): Again operated as a seasonal relief between Larne – Cairnryan, then returned to Southampton – Cherbourg.

© Aubrey Dale

© Aubrey Dale

May 1989: Renamed PRIDE OF WINCHESTER.

September 25th 1989 – December 1989: Operated between Dover – Calais/Boulogne.

© Nigel Thornton  © Nigel Thornton  

© Nigel Thornton

    

    

Nigel Thornton Collection (08/09/1989) (all)

© Gary Davis (Maritime Photographic)

© Gary Davis (Maritime Photographic)

November 1989: During strike periods at Calais, made two visits to Ostend

March 15th 1991: Sold to Howill Shipping, England. Bareboat chartered to P&O European Ferries.

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler (Cherbourg, June 1992)(both)

August 30th 1992: Reportedly ran aground causing minor damage.

July 9th 1994: Made her final trip between Portsmouth – Cherbourg, following which she was laid-up in Southampton.

© Ken Larwood  © Ken Larwood  

© Ken Larwood (both)

© Tony Garner (Portsmouth, 26/06/1994)

July 1994: Sold to Lasithiotiki Anonymi Naftiliaki Eteria (L.A.N.E.), Aghios Nikolaos, Greece. Renamed VITSENTZOS KORNAROS.

Photoship

Photoship 

1994: Commenced service for Lane Lines between Piraeus – Agios Nikolaos, Crete.

© Bernd Crause

© Bernd Crause

1994: Also operates a twice weekly route between Piraeus – Agios Nikolaos – Sitia – Kasos – Karpathos – Rhodes. (now has additional cabins built within her upper vehicle deck)

Andreas Wörteler  Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler (both)

© Carsten Dettmer  © Carsten Dettmer  

© Carsten Dettmer (Chios, 01/07/2005)(both)

2007: Registered owner: Lasithiotiki Anonymi, Piraeus. Registered manager: Lasithiotiki Anonymi, Piraeus.

June 2007: Commenced services between Piraeus – Milos – Santorini – Agios Nikolaos – Sitia – Kasos – Karpathos – Diafani – Rhodes.

© Aleksi Lindström

© Aleksi Lindström (Piraeus, 02/07/2007)

2012: Remains in service with Lane Lines.

© Dionysis Gerolymatos © Dionysis Gerolymatos© Dionysis Gerolymatos © Dionysis Gerolymatos  

© Dionysis Gerolymatos (all)

    

© Aleksi Lindström (Piraeus, 10/05/2010)(both)

January 2014: Winter lay-up at Drapetsona.

© Frans Truyens  © Frans Truyens  

© Frans Truyens (13/06/2014)

© Dimitris Mentakis  © Dimitris Mentakis  

© Dimitris Mentakis (23/05/2016)

September 2016: Routes include Kythira – Antikythera – Kissamos on the west coast of Crete.

© Carsten Dettmer  © Carsten Dettmer  

© Carsten Dettmer (07/08/2016)

June 2017: Suffered severe mechanical failure and laid up at Kynosoura (Salamina)(no effort to repair owing to high cost).

February 2019: Subject to auction, but unsold.

April 3rd 2019: To be subject of second auction.

 

© Fabian Vornholt (Salamina, 15/05/2019)(Left) © Dimitris Mentakis (Right)

March 2020: Sold to Turkish breakers at Aliaga.

April 10th 2020: Under tow from tugs CHRISTOS XVII and CHRISTOS XL, left Salamina for Aliaga.

© Petros Psarras

© Petros Psarras

© Selim San

© Selim San

 


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: Roger Corveleyn, Bernd Crause, Aubrey Dale, Gary Davis (Maritime Photographic), Carsten Dettmer, Brian Fisher, Fotoflite, David Fremery, Tony Garner, Dionysis Gerolymatos, Patrick Hill, Kevin Hoggett, A G Jones, Ken Larwood, Aleksi Lindström, Peter Longhurst, Carlo Martinelli, Capt Jan Melchers, Dimitris Mentakis, Petros Psarras, Selim San, Simonwp, Frans Truyens, Fabian Vornholt and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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

2 Comments

  1. The Last of Her Kind! Not just the last of her kind BUT the last of the “Pre Spirit Class” Vessels the FE Ships were all gone by 2020 the Viking Valiant and Viking Venturer went in 2010 the Viking Voyager went in 2011! It’s odd to me as every factor of Public Transport gets preserved apart from Ferries! Ferry Preservation isn’t really talked about sadly

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