TS Aesarea
ex Caesarea (III)
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
Steel twin screw turbine steamer, built and engined by J. Samuel White & Co. Ltd., Cowes (Yard No.2008) For the British Transport Commission’s Weymouth-Channel Islands passenger service in 1960.
Technical Data
- Length on Deck: 98.15m (321.75 ft) (overall), 92.05m (302 ft) (between perpendiculars)
- Breadth of Hull: 16.40m (53.8 ft) (extreme), 15.55m (51.0 ft) (moulded)
- Depth: 8.2m (26.9 ft)
- Draught: 4.2m (13.75 ft) (maximum)
- Tonnage: 4,174 gross (1960), 3,992 (1969)/ 2,271 net (1960), 2,075 (1969)/ 580 deadweight (1960), 571 (1969), 580 (1984)
- Engines: Two Samuel White double reduction gearing steam turbines
- Power: 6,620 kW
- Speed: 20 knots
- Capacity: 1,400 passengers, 800 (after rebuild)
- Call Sign: GHHT (1960 – 1980), H91T (Aesarea)
- IMO Number: 5057187
- Official Number: 302183
- Registry: Weymouth (1960 – 1980), Panama
- Sister Vessel: Sarnia
History
January 29th 1960: Launched
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton Collection (all)
November 5th 1960: Delivered to British Transport Commission Southern Region, London, England.
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton Collection
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton Collection (all)
November 12th 1960: Inaugural arrival in Weymouth.
November 18th – November 19th 1960: Made a VIP trip to the Channel Islands.
November 20th 1960: Displayed in Jersey
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton Collection (all)
November 21st 1960: Displayed in Guernsey.
November 22nd 1960: Guernsey to Southampton
December 2nd 1960: Commenced service between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey. During her first winter in service, the ship continued on to St Malo on a Saturday.
Caesarea – © Ken Larwood
January 1st 1963: British Railways Board succeeded British Transport Commission.
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
July 29th 1964: Hit a rock while leaving Guernsey, sustained little damage and was able to continue service.
1964: Vessels painted in the new livery of British Railways, (blue hull and red funnels) and the “Double – Arrow”
Caesarea – © Ken Larwood
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
Caesarea – © David Ingham (all)
December 14th 1966: Arrived at Dover to relieve on the “Golden Arrow” service to Calais, remaining until January 1967. Then returned to Weymouth.
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
August 22nd 1968: Holed while entering Weymouth and had to go to dry-dock at Falmouth for repairs.
Caesarea – © Ron Baker
November 1969: It was announced that British Rail’s Shipping and International Services Division (S.I.S.D.) had adopted the new brand name Sealink and as a consequence all vessels were to be painted in the new house colours.
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
1971(early): Internal alterations were carried out to provide better facilities. The cafeteria on ‘D‘ deck was converted into a lounge and a new lounge area was created for on ‘A’ deck, giving a total of 870 seats, numbered to allow the introduction of the new reservation system on May 1st 1971.
July 19th 1972: In thick fog collided with the quayside in St Peter Port. Repaired in Falmouth.
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton collection (August 1972)
July 7th 1973: Ran aground near Jersey, minor damage which was repaired.
1973: Sealink trading name painted on hulls
Caesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
October 6th 1975: Final day in commercial traffic between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey.
February 3rd 1976: Left Weymouth for Dover.
February 1976: Commenced service between Dover – Calais.
April 11th 1978 – May 6th 1978: Required at Weymouth as cover.
Caesarea – © Ted Ingham
1977: Operated between Dover – Boulogne.
Caesarea – © Ken Larwood (both)
April 1978: Operated for a short time between Weymouth – Jersey – Guernsey.
Caesarea – © Ken Larwood (both)
Caesarea – © Trevor Jones (Courtesy of Chris Howell)
January 1st 1979: Registered to Sealink U.K. Ltd.
Caesarea – © A G Jones
September 29th 1979: Completed her scheduled summer season. A hastily-arranged excursion to Boulogne on the following day carried 1,128 passengers at just £4 a head and October 1st, saw her last trip of the season with an agents’ special. Then to Calais for lay-up.
May 16th 1980: Left Wellington Dock (Dover)Commenced service between Folkestone – Calais/ Boulogne.
July 1st 1980 – September 27th 1980: Operated between Dover / Folkestone – Calais/ Boulogne.
Caesarea – Courtesy of Sybille Weber
September 27th 1980: Operated a series of daily Dover-Boulogne day excursions.
October 4th 1980: Made her final crossing Folkestone – Boulogne, on public charter in aid of RNLI. Later that evening sailed to Dover to de-store.
Caesarea – © John Hendy
October 7th 1980: Sailed to Newhaven to lay-up.
Caesarea – © Andy Gilbert
December 20th 1980: Sailed for Hong Kong, having been sold to Superluck Enterprises Inc, of Panama.
Caesarea – Nigel Thornton collection (March 1981)
October 10th 1981: Arrived in Hong Kong. Renamed AESAREA. Laid up.
Aesarea – Roy Thornton Collection (October 1981)
Aesarea – Nigel Thornton collection (November 1981)
September 9th 1983: In hurricane “Ellen” she was beached , but re-floated the following day.
1984: Sold to unknown Philippine buyer.
Aesarea – Roy Thornton Collection
April 2nd 1986: Left Kure, Japan for planned be-build to floating hotel, however no work took place.
June 25th 1986: Left Kure for South Korean breakers.
All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions. We would like to thank: Ron Baker, Andy Gilbert, John Hendy, Chris Howell, Ted Ingham, A G Jones, Trevor Jones, Ken Larwood and Sybille Weber for their assistance in producing this feature.
Special thanks go to Terry Conybeare
I worked on her during July and August 1977 when she was based in Folkestone although overnighted in France.