FerriesP&O European FerriesPast and PresentTownsend Thoresen

MV European Trader – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7400273

MV Lina

ex Lina Trader, Taygran Trader, European Trader

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

Steel twin screw motor vessel, intended primarily as a commercial vehicle ferry, built and engined by Schichau Unterweser A.G., Bremen (Yard No. 2258) in 1975 for the Monarch Steamship Company, like Townsend’s, a subsidiary of the European Ferries Group

Technical Data

  • Length on Deck: 118.15m (388 ft) (overall), 111.56m (352.9 ft) (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth of Hull: 20.30m (66.5 ft) (extreme), 19.9m (65.3 ft) (moulded)
  • Depth: 11.65m (38.2 ft) (moulded)
  • Draught: 5.09m (19 ft)(maximum)
  • Tonnage: 8,0007 gross/ 1,070 net/ 2,394 deadweight
  • Engines: Two 5,700 bhp 9-cylinder Stork-Werkspoor TM 410C four-stroke single-acting diesels
  • Power: 8385 kW/5700 bhp
  • Speed: 18.5 knots
  • Capacity: 132 passengers, 76 x 15m commercial trailers/ 1,800 passengers
  • Number of crew: 36/75
  • Call Sign: GUWC, H9UB
  • IMO Number: 7400273
  • Official Number: 365931
  • Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Hamilton/Bermuda 🇧🇲, Egypt 🇪🇬, Panama 🇵🇦
  • Sister Vessels: European Clearway (2263), European Enterprise (2275), European Gateway (2256)

History

“The second of the four “European Class” designed as standard Roll On – Roll Off ships which could be adapted for Townsend Thoresen use.”.

January 1st 1974: Building contract.

November 1974: Keel laid.

May 30th 1975: Launched.


Steve Salter Archives

Steve Salter Archives

© Cees de Bijl  © Cees de Bijl  

© Cees de Bijl

October 1975: Delivered to Townsend Car Ferries Ltd. (Monarch Steamship Co. Ltd., London) , and arrived in Dover.

© Ken Larwood    

© Ken Larwood

© Fotoflite © Robert Bertel

© Fotoflite (Left) and © Robert Bertel (Right)

October 18th 1975: Introduced between Dover – Zeebrugge.

© Alec Sheldon

Steve Salter Archives

Steve Salter Archives

October 27th 1975: PRINCESSE MARIE CHRISTINE suffered extensive damage when fire swept through an area of her engine room. The ship had just left Dover (Admiralty Pier) with 205 passengers, 10 cars and 11 freight vehicles on board when the fire was discovered and she had to put back. A Dover Harbour Board tug and the EUROPEAN TRADER assisted her back to the port while 50 fireman from all over East Kent were called to tackle the blaze. Most damage was caused to one of the ship’s three exhaust systems and although her passenger accommodation was not affected, at one time there was a danger that the fire might spread.

1976 (early): After the opening of a two-tier berth there, also sailed to Calais.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

November 16th 1982: Outward bound from Zeebrugge collided with the suction dredger PACIFIQUE. Sustained 7ft gash forward on the starboard side. After discharging at Dover sailed for Flushing and repairs. Back in service within a week.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp (Dover 01/06/1983)

1984: First in the fleet to receive a new TT logo, in white, on the funnels.

© Brian Fisher  © Brian Fisher  

© Brian Fisher

©Cees de Bijl  ©Cees de Bijl  

© Cees de Bijl

© Mark Willis  © Simonwp

© Mark Willis (Dover, 1985)(Left) © Simonwp (Zeebrugge, 03/06/1986)(Right)

February 1987: To Smith’s Shiprepairers, North Shields for refit.

Roy Thornton Collection  © Fotoflite  

Roy Thornton Collection (Postcard)(Left) and © Fotoflite (Right)

© Bob Scott

© Bob Scott (Felixstowe, 01/01/1983)

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

© Pieter Inpyn  © Pieter Inpyn  

© Pieter Inpyn (Zeebrugge, 01/08/1987)

October 1987: Management transferred from P&O to P&O European Ferries.

Bernt Anderson Collection  © David Ingham

Anderson Collection (Left) and © David Ingham (Right)

December 31st 1987: Registered to P&O European Ferries Ltd., Dover, England.

October 1987: There was a change to P&O European Ferries navy blue hull and funnel.

May 1988: Suffered a control room fire and sent to Bremerhaven for repairs.

  © Peter Longhurst

© Bernd Crause (Zeebrugge, 01/08/1988)(Left) © Peter Longhurst (Right)

March 15th 1991: Sold to Abbey National Leasing, London. Chartered to P&O European Ferries.

© Michael Woodland  © Simonwp

© Michael Woodland (Left) © Simonwp (Dover, 01/07/1990) (Right)

© Bernd Crause (Zeebrugge, 21/10/1990)

October 7th 1991: Final day operating between Dover – Zeebrugge.

October 22nd 1991: Commenced service between Portsmouth – Le Havre.

© Brian Fisher  © Fotoflite  

© Brian Fisher (Left) © Fotoflite (Right)

December 26th 1992: Refit at A&P Appledore, Falmouth.

May 26th 1994: Commenced operations between Felixstowe – Zeebrugge.

© Robert J Smith

©  Robert J Smith (D-Day Remembrance, Portsmouth 01/06/1994)

© Andreas Wörteler  © Andreas Wörteler  

© Andreas Wörteler

© Urbain Ureel (Zeebrugge 19/10/1994)

September 20th 1995: Commenced services between Felixstowe – Europoort.

February 28th 1996: Commenced service between Cairnryan – Larne.

1997: Transferred to Bermuda flag, home port Hamilton.

1998: Introduced by P&O Irish Sea between Cairnryan – Larne.

© Trevor Kidd

© Trevor Kidd

April 14th 2001: Final sailing between Cairnryan – Larne.

May 2001: Final day operating between Cairnryan – Larne then sailed to Belfast for lay-up.

© Stephen Brown

🆕 © Stephen Brown (Belfast)

May 2001: Sold to Taygran Shipping, Hamilton, Bermuda. Renamed TAYGRAN TRADER.

© Alan Geddes

© Alan Geddes (Belfast, 10/06/2001)

© Steven Brown  © Steven Brown  

© Stephen Brown

June 15th 2001: Introduced between Ullapool and Stornoway.

September 2001: Laid up in Leith.

December 2001: Sold to El Salam Shipping Company. Rebuilt, her upper freight deck converted to two further passenger decks for her new role on the Red Sea.

December 26th 2001: Left Leith for Egypt. Re-registered to Egypt.

2002: Rebuilt with added cabins on her upper freight deck.

Roy Thornton Collection

Roy Thornton Collection

January 2002: Operates under the name of LINA TRADER.

2003: Chartered to Superferries

2006: Registered owner; Dalimar, Panama. Registered manager; El Salam Shipping & Trading, Cairo, Egypt.

© Federico Bolognini 

© Federico Bolognini

October 6th 2006: Under the name LINA, arrived at Alang for scrapping.

 


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Bernt Anderson, Robert Bertel, Federico Bolognini, Stephen Brown, Cees de Bijl, Bernd Crause, Brian Fisher, Alan Geddes, Pieter Inpyn, Trevor Kidd, Ken Larwood, Peter Longhurst, Bob Scott, Alec Sheldon, Simonwp. Robert J Smith, Steve Salter, Urbain Ureel, Mark Willis, Michael Woodland and Andreas Wörteler their assistance in producing this feature.

Special thanks to Fotoflite

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

2 Comments

  1. As a retired Dover P&O ferry Master, I greatly enjoyed dipping into your comprehensive collection of photos of ships, the majority of which I commanded at various times.
    Should I require copies of such photos in the future for an article that I may be commissioned to write what are your terms? On this occasion I am especially interested in photos showing freight vehicles boarding, disembarking or aboard Dover/Calais/Boulogne/Zeebrugge ferries and/or port scenes.
    Capt.Jim Martin

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