MV Star N
ex Red Star 1, Gabriel Scott, Sagafjord, Sandefjord, Fenno Star, Scandinavia, Terje Vigen, Viking III
© Malcolm Cranfield
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1965 by Orenstein-Koppel and Lubecker Mach A/G, Lubeck, Germany, (Yard No 618) for Otto Thoresen Shipping Co. A/S, Oslo, Norway, as a passenger and vehicle ferry.
Technical Data
- Length: 99.512m (overall), 90.04m (between perpendiculars
- Breadth: 18.32m (extreme)
- Depth: 10.36m
- Draught: 4.50m (maximum)
- Tonnage: 3,824 – 5,678 net/1,880 – 1,934 net/1,199 – 790 deadweight
- Engines: Two 12-cylinder, Pielstick-Lindholmens 12PC2V 400 diesels
- Power: 7503 kW/10200 bhp
- Speed: 18.5 knot
- Capacity: 940 passengers, 180 cars
- Call Sign: OIBY, JWZP, LERU, LMEK, 3EJP5, T8A3624
- IMO Number: 6511128
- MMSI Number: 511100470
- Official Number: 16231 (LR 1984 – 1985)
- Port of Registry: Oslo/Norway 🇳🇴, Panama 🇵🇦, Sandefjord/Norway 🇳🇴, Uruguay , Marshall Islands 🇲🇭, Fredrikstad – Kristiansand/Norway 🇳🇴, Panama City/Panama 🇵🇦, Republic of Palau 🇵🇼
- Sister-Ship: Viking I (158), Viking II (160)
History
“The third of a trio of vessels built for Otto Thoresen and, although similar to her previous two sisters, had certain modifications to her passenger accommodation. “.
March 10th 1965: Launched.
Dover Ferry Photos Library
June 12th 1965: Trials.
June 23rd 1965: Delivered to Otto Thoresen Shipping Co A/S, Oslo, Norway.
June 25th 1965: Commenced service between Southampton – Cherbourg, also Le Havre – Southampton – Cherbourg.
Thoresen Postcard, Photo by Beken of Cowes
September 19th 1966 – June 1st 1967: Chartered to Lion Ferry, Halmstad. Operated between Bremerhaven – Harwich.
June 1967 – September 1967: Operated between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
September 25th 1967 – June 13th 1968: Chartered to Lion Ferry, Halmstad. Operated between Bremerhaven – Harwich.
June 1968 – September 1968: Operated between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
1968: Registered to Thoresen Car Ferries A/S, Oslo. Chartered to Thoresen Car Ferries Ltd., Southampton for 20 years.
September 25th 1968 – May 31st 1969: Chartered to Lion Ferry, Halmstad. Operated between Bremerhaven – Harwich.
June 1969 – September 1969: Operated between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
© Gordon Dalzell (Southampton, August 1969)
September 25th 1969 – May 31st 1970: Chartered to Lion Ferry, Halmstad. Operated between Bremerhaven – Harwich.
June 20th 1970: Commenced service between Southampton – Cherbourg.
September 26th 1970 – May 31st 1971: Chartered to Larvik-Frederikshavnferjen A/S, Larvik, Norway. Operated between Larvik – Frederikshavn.
June 15th 1971 – September 20th 1971: Operated between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
September 29th 1971 – May 29th 1972: Chartered to Larvik-Frederikshavnferjen A/S, Larvik, Norway. Operated between Larvik – Frederikshavn.
June 1972 – September 1972: Operated between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
© D R Longly
September 29th 1972 – May 27th 1973: Chartered to Larvik-Frederikshavnferjen A/S, Larvik, Norway. Operated between Larvik – Frederikshavn.
June 1973: Commenced service between Southampton – Cherbourg/ Le Havre.
© Gordon Dalzell (Southampton, August 1974)
September 14th 1974: Used as a tender to remove passengers from the liner FRANCE which had been seized by trade unionists in Le Havre and anchored the ship in the fairway as a protest against threatened loss of their jobs.
© Cees de Bijl (Left) 🆕 Courtesy of Simonwp (Right)
October 1975 – March 1976: Chartered to Fred Olsen, Kristiansand. Operated between Kristiansand – Hirtshals.
March 29th 1976 – April 9th 1976: Chartered to Jydsk Færgefart A/S for services between Grenå – Hundested.
April 1976 – April 1977: Operated between Le Havre – Southampton – Cherbourg.
Yvon postcard (Left)
May 20th 1977 – December 19th 1977: Chartered to Larvik-Frederikshavnferjen A/S, Larvik, Norway. Introduced between Larvik – Frederikshavn.
March 9th 1978: Opened a new route between Felixstowe – Europoort.
© D R Longly (Left) and © Simonwp (Right)
© Wolfgang Fricke (Rotterdam, 01/08/1979) (Left) © Philippe Holtof (Right)
October 25th 1979 – December 29th 1979: Operated between Leith – Kristiansand for Townsend Thoresen.
January 21st 1980 – February 3rd 1980: Chartered to Jydsk Færgefart A/S, Juelsminde. Operated between Juelsminde – Kalundborg.
February 4th 1980 – February 26th 1980: Chartered to Jydsk Færgefart A/S. Operated between Grenå – Hundested.
February 28th 1980 – March 31st 1980: Chartered to Sealink Manx Line. Operated between Douglas – Heysham.
May 13th 1980 – May 20th 1980: Chartered to Sealink. Operated between Portsmouth – Jersey – Guernsey.
May 23rd 1980: Planned charter to Kalmar Line Ab for their Kalmar – Rönne didn’t materialise.
May 23rd 1980: Chartered to B&I Line, Dublin, Ireland. Operated between Rosslare – Pembroke Dock.
© A G Jones
1980 (autumn): Chartered to Sealink Manx Line for services between Douglas – Heysham.
January 25th 1981 – February 27th 1981: Chartered to Jydsk Færgefart A/S. Operated between Grenå – Hundested.
May 13th 1981 – May 29th 1981: Chartered to Larvik-Frederikshavnferjen A/S, Larvik, Norway. Operated between Larvik – Frederikshavn.
June 1st 1981 – September 14th 1981: Chartered to Fred Olsen Lines, Kristiansand, Norway. Operated between Kristiansand – Hirtshals.
September 28th 1981 – October 15th 1981: Chartered to Sealink Manx Line. Operated between Heysham – Douglas.
October 1981: After completion of charter laid up in Göteborg awaiting sale.
1982: Sold to Da-No Linjen A/S Oslo, Norway. Renamed TERJE VIGEN. Operated between Frederikstad – Frederikshavn.
© Frank Heine (Frederikshavn, 07/1983)
© Urbain Ureel
1986: Sold to NoRederi Narko A/S, Askimrge. Renamed SCANDINAVIA.
May 20th 1986: Chartered to KG-LINE, Kaskö, Finland. Operated between Gävle – Kaskö.
© Pieter Inpyn
1990: Sold to Hangö Line, Hangö, Finland. And would have operated between Hangö – Mariehamn – Visby, but the company went bankrupt and the route never opened.
February 1990: Sold to Europe Cruise Line A/S, Bergen, Norge.
February 1990: Chartered to Vasabåtarna, Vasa, Finland.
February 14th 1990: Renamed FENNO STAR.
April 1990: Operated between Vasa-Örnsköldsvik.
June 1990: Introduced by Jakob Lines between Jakobstad – Skellefteå – Karleby.
August 1990: Introduced by Vasabåtarna between Vasa – Örnsköldsvik.
1990(winter): Laid up as a refugee ship in Helsingborg.
April 1991: Operated between Vasa – Örnsköldsvik.
June 1991: Introduced by Jakob Lines between Jakobstad – Skellefteå – Karleby.
© Frank Heine(Skellefteå, 14/07/1001)
August 1991: Introduced by Vasabåtarna between Vasa – Örnsköldsvik.
September 1st 1991: Chartered to Polen Ferries for services between Karlskrona – Gdynia.
January 9th 1992: Polen Ferries went bankrupt and the vessel was laid up.
February 9th 1992 – April 1992: Chartered to Corona Line. Operated between Karlskrona – Gdynia.
April 1992: Sold to Koncern Værft A/S, Sandefjord, Norway. Renamed SANDEFJORD.
May 8th 1994: Introduced by Scandi Lines between Sandefjord – Strömstad.
© Capt Jan Melchers (Left) Simplon Postcard and © Pieter Inpyn (Right).
1994: Registered to Larvik Scandi Line A/S, Sandefjord, Norway.
November 14th 1996: Ran aground outside Strömstad. Passengers evacuated without injury.
November 17th 1996: Re-floated and towed to Strömstad, then towed to Drammen for repairs.
January 14th 1997: Returned to commercial traffic.
1998: Rebuilt.
January 1st 1999: Registered to Color Line A/S, Oslo, Norway. Operated between Sandefjord – Strömstad.
June 2000: Taken out of service and laid up in Drammen as a relief vessel.
October 2000: Sold to Los Cipres S.A., Montevideo, Uruguay.
2001: Registered to Buquebus Marshall, Inc, Mahuro, Marshall Island.
February 28th 2003: Sold to Saga Linie, A/S, Fredrikstad, Norway. Renamed SAGAFJORD. Planned route between Moss – Skagen. However she ran aground and the Norwegian authorities demanded her condition be improved. She went for a major refit with estimated return to service later in the year.
September 20th 2003: Sea trials to Skagen.
September 2003: Refit with Ørskov Yard, Frederikshavn, Denmark.
October 30th 2003: Arrived in Moss after refit.
December 2003: Departed from Moss to Remontowa, Poland for replacement of electrical circuitry.
March 30th 2004: Arrived in Moss.
May 15th 2004: Commenced service between Moss – Skagen.
© Bernd Crause
October 1st 2004: Owners went bankrupt and she was taken out of service.
November 1st 2004: Laid up in Horten.
August 11th 2005: Sold to Gabriel Scott Rederi AS (Bernt and Frank Mykjåland), Norway.
October 2005: Renamed GABRIEL SCOTT.
October 26th 2005: Left Horten for Kristiansand.
October 26th 2005: Laid up in Kristiansand.
© Frank Heine (Kristiansand, 05/06/2006)
2007: Sold to North Bay Transportes Maritimos Ltd, Panama (Funchal, Madeira, management Gerveni Shipping).
February 29th 2007: Taken over by her new owners and renamed RED STAR I.
March 22nd 2007: Left Kristiansand for refit in Piraeus.
April 12th 2007: Arrived Perama, Greece.
© Aleksi Lindström
July 4th 2007: Left Perama for Durres.
August 2007: Commenced services for Star Ferries between Brindisi – Vlore.
© Frank Heine (Brindisi, 27/07/2009) (Left)(Brindisi, 28/07/2009)(Right) Note: the different lettering on port side of hull
© Juanfra Monzón (Brindisi, 21/08/2010)
March 4th 2011: Arrived Valletta from Brindisi to assist in the evacuation of foreigners caught up in the Libyan Civil War.
March 6th 2011: Arrived in Valletta carrying 399 evacuees.
March 7th 2011 – March 9th 2011: Left Valletta for a round trip to Sirte.
March 10th 2011: Left Valletta for Vlore.
April 2011 – May 2011: Chartered to International Organisation for Migration (IOM) again to assit in the evacuation of foreigners from Libyan Civil War. Made a number of trips between Benghazi – Misurata/ Benghazi – Alexandria.
May 7th 2011: Arrived Brindisi for services between Brindisi – Vlore.
August 25th 2011: Again chartered to International Organisation for migration (IOM).
August 29th 2011 – September 1st 2011: Made a single trip between Benghazi – Tripoli.
September 1st 2011 – September 5th 2011: Left Benghazi for Brindisi.
© Godra
July 8th 2012 – September 11th 2012: Services between Bari – Durres.
September 12th 2012: Laid up in Bari.
2013: Services between Brindisi – Vlore.
August 11th 2013 – September 8th 2013: Services between Brindisi – Durres.
September 2013 – December 9th 2013: Operated services Red Star Ferries/ European Ferries between Brindisi – Vlore.
© Godra (Adriatic shipyard, Bijela, Boka Bay)
© Carsten Dettmer
July – September 2015: Operated services between Brindisi – Paxos – Kefalonia – Ithaca – Zacynthos
October 3rd 2016: Resumed service Bridisi – Avelona
June 25th 2018: To Vrodotrogir Shipyard, Coatia for refit.
July 7th 2018: Returned to Brindisi.
September 10th 2018: After the summer season, laid up in Brindisi.
September 27th 2018: Services Brindisi – Avelona.
April 12th 2019: Laid up in Brindisi.
November 15th 2019: Left Brindisi for Piraeus and lay up.
September 9th 2020: Under tow, left Piraeus for shipyard in Salamina.
© Dimitris Mentakis (Ampelakia, Salamina 26/09/2020)
December 2020: Laid up in Piraeus.
© Dennis Mortimer (Drapetsona Bay, Piraeus 03/04/2021)
April 10th 2021: Towed from Piraeus to Tuzla by tug CHRISTOS XXVII.
© Dimitris Mentakis (Drapetsona Bay, Piraeus 10/04/2021)
April 12th 2021: Arrived in Tuzla, Turkey.
May 21st 2021: Sold to Sea Star Ferries Ltd, Odessa, Ukraine and renamed STAR N .
August 4th 2021: Left Tuzla for Chornomorsk (Ukraine)
August 2021: Services between Chornomorsk – Poti (Georgia).
December 26th 2022: Arrived Tripoli and laid up.
February 12th 2023: Inaugural sailing of twice weekly service Tripoli – Zarzis (Tunisia).
journalistesfaxien.tn
March 16th 2023: Arrived Tripoli Anchorage.
March 17th 2023: Sailed from Tripoli Anchorage showing destination as Izmir, Turkey.
March 21st 2023: Anchored off Aliaga.
© Selim San
March 29th 2023: Beached.
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: Malcolm Cranfield, Bernd Crause, Gordon Dalzell, Carsten Dettmer, Fotoflite, Wolfgang Fricke, Godra, Frank Heine, Philippe Holtof, A G Jones, Aleksi Lindström, D R Longly, Capt Jan Melchers, Dimitris Mentakis, Juanfra Monzón, Dennis Mortimer, Simonwp, Urbain Ureel and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
57 yrs so far for Viking iii and 52 years for near sister Earl Godwin. This is a successful design