Owner Vte le Guales de Mezaubran
Builder De La Brosse & Fouche, Nantes. 1904
Tonnage 461grt 135nrt
Dimensions 180.0(rl) 24.8 11.9
Propulsion Single screw, SR, 3cyl 15 " 24 " & 40 " -
Vessel in LR 1943/44 but not LR1945/46. (1944/45 being rebound)
The vessel was built for the owners service between Saint Brieuc (Le Legue) and Le Havre, but also operated excursions during the summer months. Her first call at Jersey was on May 20 1905, and in the following years she would make between four and six excursions to Jersey during the summer.
It was in 1919 that she commenced a more regular service to Jersey, operating from Saint Malo. The London & South Western Railways which maintained the Saint Malo – Jersey service withdrew at the end of March 1919, and it was announced on July 3 1919 “That an agreement has been reached between Count Le Gaules de Mezaubran of St. Briec and Mons Boutin, manager of the Dinard vedettes so that a service could be operated by the S.S. Saint Brieuc”. The vessel duly took up service but only ran during the summer months. This changed in 1922 with the ship commencing on May 2 and provided a year round service.
Other operators had appeared on the route to give a year round service, but once SAINT BRIEUC commenced, they went into liquidation early in 1923.
Count Le Gaulesde Mezaubran then set up a new company Jersey – France Line, and operated from both Saint Malo and Granville.
SAINT BRIEUC maintained the Saint Malo service until May 31 932, when due to Southern
Railways deciding to re-
The ship make the odd excursion to Jersey, and would appear to have remained in service until sometime in the Second World War.
Picture : Collection E.H. No. 133
SAINT BRIEUC entering the lock at Le Legue. The card is dated March 6 1904, thus she must have been brand new. 305web 185k
The four cards below show her when operating on the Jersey -
Service between 1923 -
Altered during this time.
Picture :
121w 16k
Picture :
111w 7k
Picture :
Swinging in Saint Malo. 116w 13k
Picture :
Entering Saint Malo 101w 14k
Picture : R. Serrand. 201w 77.3k
The vessel bedecked with flags entering Granville.
Owner Cie Transinsulaire de Nav
Builder Forq & Ch de la Medit, La Seyne. 1895
Tonnage 376gr 126net
Dimensions 167.4(rl) 24.3 13.5
Propulsion Single screw, 3 cyl 18”, 28.5” & 42.5” -
Built as the private yacht JEANNE BLANCHE, being laid down in 1883, launched the following year, and completed in 1895. Her owner was Rodolphe Faulquier and she was registered at Marseilles.
She was given to the French Navy in 1908 and was used by the Ambassadure at Constantinople, and later by the Gouverneur general de l’Afrique Occidentale Francaise at Algiers.
She was rebuilt and armed in 1913, and as with many small craft at the end of the First World War she became unlisted by 1920, but at some time was renamed DRIEF, as when she appeared as SAINT HELIER in the Lloyds Register of 1923/24 she is shown as ex DRIEF ex Yacht.
On May 24 1922 she arrived in Jersey as SAINT HELIER, having been acquired by Cie Transinsulaire de Nav, and it was stated that she had left Algeria a short time ago to be refitted at Saint.Malo.
She stayed on the Saint Malo – Jersey service for only one season, her last trip being on October 4 1924.
By 1925 the ship had been sold to Joaquin Perez still named SAINT HELIER, but a year later she had been sold to C.F. Guerra Gomes and renamed ROBERTO IVENS. Late in 1929 she passed to Eurico Felgueiras and took the name TERRA NOVA. The ship did not carry the name for long, as she was wrecked at Burgeo on February 18 1930 when on voyage to Oporto.
Picture : 002 11.3k
A distant view of SAINT HELIER seen in Saint Malo.
Picture : 301w 720k
Another view of the vessel seen in Saint Malo
Picture : 1071 42.0k
Vessel seen as JEANNE BLANCHE berthed at Constantinople in April 1903.
Picture : Collection Pontoir a Conakry (Guinee Francaise) 301w 639k
Post Card dated April 14 1908, states that the vessel is the yacht of Gouverneur General de l’Afrique Occidentale Francaise.
SAINT MALO 1993 -
Operated 1996 -
Owner Sea France S.A. , POR Cherbourg No Mgrs.
Operator SNAT
Operator Condor Ferries
Builder Hull FBM Marinteknik (S) PTE Ltd., Singapore Yn. 129. Lan
1993.
Completed Marinteknik Verkstads AB, Oregrund. Comp 1993.
Tonnage 585ngt 387nrt 155
Dimensions 41.57m (oa) 34.04 11.0m 1.300 3.67depth
Propulsion 2 x 16 cyl MTU 396 TE 774L diesel engines. 5,438bhp
34kts.
Passengers 350 pass
SAINT MALO was built at a time when the French Railways (SNCF) wanted to stake a claim in providing local shipping services around the coast of France. With the failure of some of their sponsored operators on the route to Channel Islands, they stepped in, and formed Societe Nouvelle d’Armement Transmanche (S.N.A.T.) which traded as Channiland and commenced on the routes from Saint Malo and Granville to the Jersey and Guernsey.
The vessel was late in delivery, entering service on May 29 1993, and apart from the summer season, she also operated a number of trips over the Christmas period.
At this time the market was contracting and in an effort to contain costs, an agreement was reached with Condor Ltd, for a pooled service on the Saint Malo route in 1994, and the Condor logo appeared on the hull.
Disaster struck on April 17 1995, when the vessel struck a rock when rounding Corbiere Point, Jersey, sparking a major rescue, but without the loss of life, but leaving many badly injured.
The vessel was salved, re-
Channiland decided to withdraw from the trade, and the vessel was taken on charter by Condor Ltd which by this time were trading as Condor Ferries, and on April 22 1996 the vessel arrived in the islands as CONDOR FRANCE but still under the French flag, having been chartered from her owners.
With traffic still declining the vessel was only in Condor service for two years,
being withdrawn at the end of her season on September 15 1998, and laid up in Saint
Malo. She was re-
It is difficult to trace her exact owners, as Lloyds Register supplement for early 1999 gives ACACIA with managers as Condor Ferries, in 2000/01 edition owners are Sea France S.A., managers still being Condor Ferries, while a year later, owners are G.I.E, Saint Malo still with Condor as managers. In the 2005/06 edition owners are Societe de Transports Maritimes Brudey Freres. POR Cherboug and no managers.
She remained in their service until 2008 when she became SPIRIT 1, it being stated that she was still owned by G.I.E. Saint Malo, and operated by Gerant Cie Mme de la Calaibe.
Three years later she was renamed LOVELY 1 for service by Lovely Fast Ferries, of the Dominican Republic.
Picture © PHOTO ONE 001c 94.3k
SAINT MALO inwards
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 003c 71.7k
Outwards
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94/6/9 004c 102k
Seen inbound to Jersey June 27 1994, note the Condor Ferries logo aft of the red band.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 002c 86.5k
Inwards July 25 1994
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94/10/13 005c 101k
Inward bound July 28 1994
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP96/PZ5/?8A 014c 297k
Vessel now seen as CONDOR FRANCE outward bound from St. Helier on June 18 1996.
See CONDOR FRANCE for other pictures.
ST. AUBIN September 1946 -
Owner Jersey Fishing & Boating Co. POR Jersey
t/a Jersey Maritime Services.
Builder Landmores 1943
Tonnage 11 registered tons
Dimensions 48’0” oa 45’0” bp 12’2” draft 2’6”
Propulsion Single screw Atlantic Diesel 40bhp speed 8 knots
The vessel arrived in St. Helier as PLV 4319 on September 2 1946, having been purchased
by Jersey Fishing & Boating Co, t/a Jersey Maritime Services with Cockburn-
For 1948 the vessel stayed mainly on service to Granville and Saint Malo and at times managed to carry a car, and the last trip of the season arrived back in St. Helier from Granville on October 28.
Research has been unable to find anything further on the vessel, and interestingly she was never registered at Jersey though her port of registry in the port registers is shown as Jersey.
No doubt the vessel was too slow for day trips as she was replaced the following season by the much faster vessel LADY PAT.
The vessel was built as Motor Passenger Launch MPL 4319, and was at Itchenor for disposal on August 14 1946.
Picture : 301 362k
ST. AUBIN the illustration taken from a newspaper.
Picture : Courtesy : Philip Simons 03aw 78.4k
A picture of the class of vessel as built during the War.
Operator Emeraude Lines
Owner Scoiete Anonmye d’Economie Mixte & Armement Borotra Freres.
Builder Soc Francaise de Con. Nav., Villeneuve-
Tonnage 251grt 141nrt 50dw
Dimensions 35.01m 6.46m 1.25m
Propulsion Twin screw 2 x 12cyl MWM 3,400 bhp 27 knots
This vessel was built in 1988 for service in the French enclave of St. Pierre and Miquelon which is situated just off the south coast of Newfoundland. Having been replaced by a larger vessel she returned to France and found work in 1996 when on July 27 she commenced service on the Saint Malo – Jersey route, replacing TRIDENT 4 which had suffered major engine problems and remained on the route until August 8. but returned eleven days later, operating on August 19 and 20.
Only six days later TRIDENT 7 suffering fire damage on August 26, with the result that ST EUGENE 5 was again pressed into service operating from 27 August to her last sailing on September 7 when she departed from St. Helier at 18:28hrs.
This was not to be her last service in the Channel Islands as in 1997 she commenced a service from Granville to Jersey and at times onwards to Sark,
operating under the title Granville Island Sea, her first sailing being on April 25, but she suffered a major engine failure on July 29 when inwards to Jersey, and later that day she sailed for Cherbourg and was not seen again.
In September 2004 she was seen ashore at Cherbourg stripped of engines and all fittings and showing hull damage forward but still with the logo of Granville Island Sea.
She was still there in the same condition in May 24 2012.
NO FURTHER DETAILS.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE
ST EUGENE 5 102w 9.84k
Picture : © PHOTO ONE
Ashore at Cherbourg September 2004. 111w 11k
Picture : © PHOTO ONE
121w 12k
Operator Weymouth Marine Services
Builder K.K. Usuki Tekkoso, Usuki, Japan Yn. 975 Yn 2660 1977
Tonnage 1,561gr
Dimensions 71M 14.4M
Propulsion Twin screw, Niigata diesels 2001bhp.
This vessel has traded to Jersey under three different names. She first came as EMSLAND in May 1984 when she replaced the damaged SOLIDOR. The second time was as ST. JULIEN when she ran a service from Weymouth to the Channel Islands and also called at Cherbourg. Her first call on this service was May 13 1989 and ran under the title Weymouth Maritime Services, but the service which linked the UK port to Jersey, Guernsey, Alderney and at peak times to Cherbourg for Sealink, was not to last.
The company could not compete with the other cross channel operators and the vessel
was re-
The ship’s third spell of service in the area was as ELBA NOVA when she stood in on Emeraude Lines service between Saint Malo and the Channel Islands from October 15 1994 and March 10 1995 while the company awaited the return of SOLIDOR 2 to resume service after EMERAUDE has been returned to her builders.
Apart from operating under three names in the Channel Islands, the ship was well travelled and has held no fewer the .. names.
EMSLAND was launched on April 30 1977 in Japan for by A.G. Ems Schiffarts K.G.., West Germany, and used on their Emden to Borkum route.
In 1986 she was renamed BOHUS when purchased by K/S A/S Scandi-
Following reposition the ship was sold to Jens Carlson for a year round service between Ystad (South Sweden) and Ronne (Bornholm), which was due to start on May 1 1990 trading as Bornholm Express A/S with the ship being renamed OSTERSJOEN.
The owners went bankrupt in 1992 and she passed to Armatur S.A. and was registered in Panama as JAN. She passed almost immediately to Elba Ferries S.r.l of Italy, which was a new subsidiary of Corsica Ferries, and was again renamed, becoming ELBA NOVA late in 1992, and it was as such that she made her third trip to the Island.
She returned to her Italian route until late 1998 when she was sold to Spanish owners Comp. Iscomar S.A., and again renamed, this time NURA NOVA and registered in Palma de Mallorca.
VESSEL STILL IN SERVICE
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP89-
ST JULIEN departing St. Helier August 8 1989
Picture : © PHOTO ONE
EMSLAND replacing SOLIDOR May 1984. 321web 150k
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94-
ELBA NOVA arriving Jersey on December 12 1994. It would appear that the bow door / visor had been altered since her last visit.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94-
Another view of the vessel arriving on December 5 1994.
Owner Dorset Cruises Ltd
Isle of Sark Shipping Co. Ltd.
Built J. Bolson & Sons 6.1975
Tonnage 50grt
Dimensions 86’ x 21.5’
21.27m x 6.40m
Propulsion 2 x Perkins Sabre diesel engines
Passengers 1995 228
2011 180
The vessel was built as BOURNEMOUTH BELLE for Corson Ltd., who were based in Poole, and operated a wide range of pleasure boat trips from Bournemouth Pier. The company was a subsidiary of the shipbuilders J. Bolson & Sons Ltd., Poole.
The hull of the vessel was completed in early April 1975, and following the addition of the superstructure the vessel was launched on May 23, entering service on June 16.
The vessel had Class VI certificate for 228 passengers, and remained in her owners service until 1996 when the business passed to Dorset Cruises Ltd. In late 2010 the company failed to win the tender to operate from Bournemouth Pier, and as a result their two larger vessels were put up for sale. Thus when BON MARIN DE SERK suffered mechanical problems in July 2011, Sark Shipping chartered BOURNEMOUTH BELLE for four weeks, with the vessel sailing from Poole for Guernsey at 16:00 hrs on Friday July 29, and she took up the Sark service the following day.
Included in the deal was an option to purchase which the company took up and she was renamed SARK BELLE by August 26.
The vessel is able to carry one hundred and eighty passengers, fifty more than BON MARIN, and operates only in the summer months.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP92/8/30 001c 67.9k
BOURNEMOUTH BELLE passing Sandbanks, inward bound to Poole, July 7 1992 in the colours of Corson Ltd.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 001c 200k
SARK BELLE in St. Peter Port October 27 2011, still with her light blue top sides.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 12 0308 002c 109k
Three pictures of SARK BELLE departing St. Peter Port on August 20 2012.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 301w 003c 93.1k
August 20 2012.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 004c 91.4k
August 20 2012
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 1301 005c 124k
Pictured a year later on August 29 2013.
SARK COAST 1947-
Owner Island Shipping Co. Ltd.
Builder Teeside Bridge & Eng. Co., Middlesbrough. 1945
Tonnage 318gr 228ud 163net
Dimensions 150.2 22.1 10.0
Propulsion Twin screw, 12 cyl oil engines, Davey, Paxman & Co. (Colchester) Ld.
B46' F20'
This vessel was built as small landing craft on which was mounted a gun, with the idea that they could be grounded close to an invasion beach and provide cover for the landing forces. The ships identification was LCG(M) 196, –Landing Craft Guns Medium, and was acquired and converted at Southampton.
Owned by Island Shipping Co. Ltd and registered in Guernsey, SARK COAST was for the services from Guernsey to Sark and Alderney, and arrived in St. Peter Port on September 2 1947, entering service the following day. She was only intended as a summer vessel, and thus sailed for winter lay up at Poole on September 15. She arrived back in St. Peter Port on March 23 1948 and remained in service until November 24 that year, when she sailed for Great Yarmouth, and as the company then closed their operation in the Channel Islands the ship was not seen again.
SARK COAST was transferred to the parent company Coast Lines Ltd on December 31 1949 and sold to the company by a bill of sale dated May 24 1950 and registry was moved to Liverpool.
I have been unable to trace if she traded in the following two years, but she was advertised for sale on January 1 1952, and it was stated that she had Steam 2 cert for 210 passengers and Steam 4 for 290.
SARK COAST was sold on September 18 1952 to Pedder & Mylchreest of London for £15,000 for onward sale to other buyers, thought to be French Government. The new owners were in fact the French Government (Dept de la Martinique) with Cia de Nav. Martiniquaise, acting as Managers.The ship was renamed MADININA October 29 and sailed from Great Yarmouth on November 29 1952 bound for Martinique and called at Falmouth a day later.
The vessel must have suffered problems, as the Lloyds Register for 1954/55 stated that the ship was laid up.
By late 1955 she had been sold to C. L. Tamis and registered under the British flag at Kingstown, St. Vincent, B.W.I. and remained with him until 1958 when she was sold to R. P. Tibbetts and others, and two years later her owners were G. C. Marshall & Others
On September 25 1963 the ship was in distress in position 12.20n 61.45w, while on passage Trinidad to Guadeloupe and the passengers and crew were taken off, but she was later towed into Grenada. Her end came less than three months later, when on December 13 1963 she sank 12 miles NW of St.Vincent, while on voyage Trinidad – Martinique.
Picture : Unknown
Leaving Southampton upon completion. 301web 59k
Picture :
A lovely night picture. 223 82.4k
Picture : Photo 2313
Seen moored outside Creux Harbour in late 1947. 310web 50k
Picture : 005w 76k
Another picture of the vessel, and in the harbour is a Commodore Cruises Fairmile launch.
Picture : R. A. (Postcards) Ltd. 6846
Berthing at the new Maselin Harbour in 1948. 315web 80k
Picture : Commander Stokes
Approaching Sark, from a painting by Commander Ted Stokes one of the people behind the original concept. 325web 98k
Scale drawing of vessel from plans. 021 198k
SARK TRADER (LN 5411242) 1983 -
Owner Marine Services Ltd
Operator Isle of Sark Sg. Co. Ltd.
Builder Sch Gebr Coops N.V., Hoogesand Yn. 231 Comp 1963
Tonnage 196grt 140nrt 254dw
Dimensions 30.38m 6.74m 2.49m
Propulsion Single screw 6 cyl Kelvin diesel 180 hp
The vessel was purchased to provide the cargo service element of the passenger /cargo vessel ILE DE SERK.
The ship was built as FUNCTION in 1963, and her purchase was announced on August 26 1983, and arrived in St Peter Port on November 1983. She then proceed to St Sampsons to be made ready for her new service, and entered service as SARK TRADER on November 29 1983. The ship was twenty years old when purchased, and not well suited for the carriage of the small containers which were gradually being introduced, and after only seven years service she was replaced. Her last trip to Sark was on October 9 1990, and was then laid up until March 21 1991 when she departed St Peter Port bound for Hull.
The vessel had been built in 1963 as FUNCTION for London & Rochester Trading Co. Ltd., London, and her one claim to fame occurred on January 1 1978 when the vessel lifted onto quay at Wells by a very high tide, and pictures of this appeared in many newspapers. She was placed back in water by crane on 25 January, and then traded until acquired by Isle of Sark Sg. Ltd.
She remained registered in Guernsey when sold with her owners being Bailey & Boynton
Marine, and in the Lloyds Register for 2000/01 the ship is shown as damaged by fire
6-
No Further details.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 90CP10/22 1800cw 78.30k
Two pictures of SARK TRADER passing along the south coast of Sark August 24 1990, six and a half weeks before her withdrawal.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 90CP10/23 1799cw 52.03k
Note in the background La Coupee which joins Sark to little Sark. The vessel was about to take the passage inside l’Etac de Sark.
SARK VENTURE (LN 889186) 1989 -
TIE VENTURE II
Operator Isle of Sark Shipping Co. Ltd.
Owner Onesimus Dorey (Shipowners) Ltd.
Builder Tees Inshore Engineering, Middlesbrough. Yn. 2 Comp 1986.
Tonnage 133grt 79nrt
Dimensions 20.42m 7.6 2.01
Propulsion Twin screw, 2 x Iveco A1F0 spa diesels 661 bhp 10 knots
The world’s continued move to the use of containers to move cargo did not pass Sark bye, the result being the need for a vessel more suited to this type of traffic. To help decide the type of vessel required, the Isle of Sark Sg took on a 30 day charted TIE VENTURE II, a small supply vessel. She arrived in Guernsey on 19 October 1989 and operated in weather which would have haulted the current vessel, and it was hoped that if purchased she would go into service in February / March the next year. She left St Peter Port at the end of the charter on 30 November, and on 6 April 1990 Sark’s Chief Pleas recommended the purchase the ship under a long term bare boat agreement.
The purchase was confirmed on 10 September, when it was stated that the vessel was
being re-
TIE VENTURE II arrived in Guernsey from Newhaven on October 20, and after being re-
For the 1993 season, faced with decreasing visitor numbers and escalating fuel costs, the company decided to revamp their fleet, and part of this was to put a passenger module on SARK VENTURE and the vessel arrived at St. Sampsons for this to be fitted on 22 May 1993. This enabled the ship to carry 122 passengers but with a reduced cargo load, and it was intended she would operate three or four times a week.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP89/8/ 301cw 104k
TIE VENTURE II in St. Peter Port October 28 1989.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 005cw 40.43k
SARK VENTURE arriving St. Peter Port from Sark April 1993 in her original guise as a pure cargo vessel. Note the small purpose built containers on her deck.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 96/M2/8 401acw 72.6k
Passing Herm on her way to Sark August 14 1996, following the addition of the passenger cabin module.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 96/M2/9 403acw 85.03k
Another picture on the same day as above, note the horse carriage on the cabin
top. Note -
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 405cw 71.3k
Bound for Sark May 2003, with Brecqhou and Sark in the background.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 0074acw 113.4k
SARK VENTURE swinging off the Inter -
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 0097acw 101k
Leaving the Inter-
SARK VIKING ON 740348 IMO 8648858
Operator Isle of Sark Shipping Co. Ltd.
Built Launched by Steel Kits (UK), Borth,
Completed by Seawind (Barclay Curle ) Ltd., Appledore. 01-
Tonnage 108gt
Dimensions 21.24m x 7.02m x 7.02m Draft 3.05m
Propulsion 2 x 6cyl oil engines Iveco Aifo 8210SRM45 engines, 900hp
The vessel was built as a result of Sark Chief Pleas deciding to cancel the replacement for BON MARIN DE SERK. Two months later on February 24 2005 the Shipping Committee stated that they had received an offer to build a “no frills” 21 metre cargo boat for about £500K. which could be delivered in nine months, the vessel to be built near Aberystwyth. With little discussion the contract was agreed but little did they know that it would be nearly three years before the vessel would be delivered.
Sark Chief Pleas did not know that the shipyard was suffering from financial problems, with the owner being found guilty of fraud. This resulted in the building being very delayed, and following the launch, the craft was “spirited” away under tow in Autumn 2007, and taken to Appledore for remediation and completion by Seawind (Barclay Curle) Ltd., at the Newquay Dock facility.
Work was completed in early January 2008 and the vessel sailed for Guernsey on the
17th of the month and took slightly over twenty-
SARK VIKING was named at Sark on Saturday January 26 2008.
It is interesting that the vessel is registered in Jersey.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 06 09 0126 001c 400k
SARK VIKING laying alongside in St. Peter Port August 29 2009
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 13-
Vessel pictured approaching St. Peter Port August 29 2013
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 08 13-
Having just dropped off a passenger at the Sark berth, the ship returns to the cargo berth August 29 2009.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 07 14 0874acw 77.3k
Vessel seen running along the east coast of Sark, having just rounded Bec de Nez, July 04 2014.
Owner Hag Marine Services, Flamanville.
Builder , New Orleans. 1974
Tonnage 48.62grt
Dimensions 20.27m 5.50m 1.40m(draft)
Propulsion Twin screw, oil engines, G.M. 12V71. 540 bhp each
Passengers 65 passengers
The vessel commenced operating in the Channel Islands at Easter 1988 when she opened two routes, that from Goury to Alderney and Dielette to Guernsey. The man behind the venture was 35 year old Francois Pere who lived at Goury.
SEA FOX was built as a small oil rig passenger vessel for use in the Gulf of Mexico, rebuilt for her new duties. Apart from the services mentioned she also operated at times to Jersey..
The service operating as Hag Marine Services, but this changed in 1991 to Sea Fox S.A., but she was withdrawn after her last sailing on September 19 1992.
ON FURTHER DETAILS
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 003c 129k
SEA FOX departing Alderney for Goury May 3 1990
Picture : © PHOTO ONE B/1991/12a 300wa 82k
Departing St. Peter Port June 29 1991.
Picture : 301w 182k
SEA FOX Departing St Peter Port.
Owner Commodore Cruises Ltd.
Builder Risdon Beazley Ltd., Southampton. Completed 1942
Tonnage 121grt 65nrt
Dimensions 106.8(rl) 17.8 9.5
Propulsion Twin screw, oil engines 43HP
Built as RMS 537 in 1942, she was purchased by Commodore Cruises Ltd and registered as SILVER COMMODORE at London on January 27 1948. She first arrived in Guernsey on March 22 1948 and ran to Sark until September 18 when she departed for Newhaven.
Her next appearance in Guernsey was on June 28 1952 when she arrived from Newhaven and became a permanent part of the Commodore fleet in the Island. At this time Commodore Shipping Ltd. was being formed, and to enable this, the vessel was first registered to Walter Fletcher, C.B.E., M.P. on April 15 1952, he being a major shareholder in Commodore Cruises Ltd. She then passed six days later, on July 21 to the Island Shipping Co. Ltd., (an associate of Commodore), and then on November 4 the ships registry was transferred from London to Guernsey.
She was mainly used as the second passenger vessel on services to Sark and Alderney, and she made the headlines on March 6 1956, when on the slip at St. Sampsons, she heeled over causing damage to starboard side.
In 1960 Commodore Sg was purchased by Mansfield Markham, with the result that the ship was registered to him on June 29 that year. The vessel remained in service until October 12 1961, when she made her last trip to Sark and was then laid up.
Sold on February 3 1962 to Croson Ltd, Poole, with the registry being transferred to that port on February 23 and the vessel was towed to England by the coaster ORSELNIA. Following overhaul, she was renamed SWANAGE BELLE on June 17, and seven years later on June 17 1968 her owners renamed her WESSEX BELLE.
She remained in their service until October 2 1973, being sold on October 11 that year to Mr. Mike Brooks who converted her into a luxury yacht for "angling parties, cruises and conferences" and she appeared in her new guise at Poole late in 1975. She visited Channel Islands in October 1976 being used for a clothing sales tour.
Her registry was closed on September 13 1980 upon being sold to owners in South Yemen.
Picture : WSPL
SILVER COMMODORE departing St. Peter Port in her early years. Colour was
a white with a ochre funnel and wheelhouse.
Picture : PHOTO ONE
Moored at the Inter Island cross berth in St. Peter Port. This berth was lost when
the container facility was built in 1970/71.
Picture : PHOTO ONE
Laid-
Peter Port, now the Albert Marina, on November 22 1956.
SOLIDOR (I) (LN 6504773) 1977-
Owner
Builder Jos L. Meyer, Papenburg. Yn. 530 1965
Tonnage 907grt 257nrt
Dimensions 208'8" 40'10" 11'5"
63.61m x 12.45 x 3.480
Propulsion Twin screw, Mak oil engines 2,999bhp
Passengers 500 passengers, 60 cars
The vessel was launched on December 19 1964 as LANGELAND for I/S Langeland-
First mention that the ship may be purchased was on July 4 1977, and following approval by the French Authorities, she arrived in Saint Malo as SOLIDOR on July 18. The ship made a trial voyage to Jersey the following day, entering on July 20, and there commenced a great affection between the Island and the ship.
On April 7 1978 she ship ran aground on rocks at Saint Malo, being replaced by NORDLICHT, and when she returned to service on June 11, the letters EF had been added to the funnels. These letters were replaced by plaques during her refit in February 1980, and the on February 5 1981 SOLIDOR returned to service with an all white hull, and again the letter EF on the funnels, and in the shield on her bows.
Improvements were made during her refit in February 1983 which included extra covered seating aft, and a further mishap in 1984 saw the ship being replaced by EMSLAND ( a vessel which was to be seen in Jersey under three different names )
The company had operated a through service from Guernsey in conjunction with Sealink, but in 1985 the latter altered there service times, which resulted in SOLIDOR sailing to St. Peter Port for the first time.
February 11 1987 saw the vessel return from refit in a new colour scheme of white hull with red and green bands, this being slightly altered the following year by the addition of circular roundels on the funnels carrying the company’s new house flag / logo.
The vessel was replaced in 1989, leaving Jersey for the last time on April 20.
SOLIDOR was sold to Benito Buono for a service to Ishia, being renamed REDENTORE PRIMO and registered to Societa Hotel San Srl under the Italian flag, departing Saint Malo on about October 15 1989.
By 1998 owners were Traghetti Pozzuoli S.r.l. and she remained with them, although latterly operating under the banner of Medmar. She was laid up for much of 2007 but would appear to have returned to service until March 29 2010 when she was last seen on AIS.
REDENTORE PRIMO proceeded to the shipbreakers at Aliaga, Turkey in September 2010, and was broken up there in the November.
Picture : 314 758k
SOLIDOR in her first year in service
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 001c 91.8k
SOLIDOR with the plaques placed on the funnels during refit in February 1980.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 205 219k
Now with an all white hull February 1981, and EF back on the funnels.
Picture © PHOTO ONE 004c 455 k
This picture shows some of the improvements which were made during her refit in February 1983 with the extension of the saloon deck which also provided extra open deck area above.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE 208 163k
In her final colour scheme pictured on February 9 1989, shortly before being replaced.
SOLIDOR 2 1989 -
Owner Des Bateaux de la Cote D'Emeraude S.A.
Operator Emeraude Ferries.
Builder S.W. Hoogezand. Yn 128
Builder "Combship" BV, Hoogezand. Yn C128 Hoogezand 7/1977
Tonnage 3,401gr 1,20nrt 622dw
Dimensions 70.01 (BB) 16.24 3.810
63.51 15.87 10.14
Propulsion Twin screw, 6 cyl MAK oil engines, 3,550 bhp
Passengers 650
The vessel arrived in Jersey for the first time as SOLIDOR 2 on April 22 1989, replacing
the original SOLIDOR on the Saint Malo Channel Islands car ferry service. The vessel
was in fact built as LANGELAND for Langeland-
SOLIDOR 2 had a major upgrade in January 1990, and she continued in service until 1994 when Emeraude Lines decided to follow other operators and introduce a high speed car ferry service , which would also allow a number of smaller passenger vessels to be withdrawn. She was replaced on May 20 1994 by the new high speed EMERAUDE, but unfortunately the new vessel suffered a number of problems, the first being only two days later, with SOLIDOR 2 being in service until May 27, then again from June 4 to June 19. The vessel then departed to the Mediterranean for a charter to Rainbow Lines of Piraeus but while she was away her replacement continued to experience major problems, with the result that chartered tonnage had to be used until SOLIDOR 2 completed her charter, and she returned to the Saint Malo service on March 13 1995. Emeraude were determined to operate a high speed service and had built the Fjellstrand catamaran SOLIDOR 3 which entered service in June 1996.
SOLIDOR 2 thus departed Jersey on what should have been her last service at 17:30 on June 7 1996, and was then kept in reserve at Saint Malo, which proved to be a wise move. She was brought back into service on March 4 1998 to March 9, and again in August that year, but keeping a reserve vessel could not last for ever, and in October 1998 the vessel departed Saint Malo bound for Argentina.
According to Lloyds Register the vessel was re-
Picture : PHOTO ONE CP89/4/3 321w 497k
SOLIDOR 2 shortly after entering service, inward bound to St. Helier, August 8 1989.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP93/10/27a 006c 511k
SOLIDOR 2 inward bound to St. Helier July 8 1993, note the Emeraude Lines name board just forward of the funnel.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94/2/1 007c 475k
Outbound from St. Helier on a rather stormy April 2 1994, note the Emeraude name board has already been removed, ready for her charter.
Picture : © PHOTO ONE CP94/18/13 008c 540k
Inwards on May 3 1995, shortly after returning from her Mediterranean charter. Note the new Emeraude livery.