May 16th 1975: Launched. November 28th 1975: Delivered to Stena Ab, Gotenborg. December 2nd 1975 - February 1976: Ran as a commercial vehicle ferry between Gotenborg and Kiel. when she was chartered as a freight only ferry between Medelhavet - Persiska Viken. April 27th 1976: Left Ras Tanura bound for St John, in Canada. May 1976 - November 1976: Chartered to Marine Atlantic, North Sydney, Canada and she ran between North Sydney - Port Aux Basques. 1976: Conclusion of charter she was bare-boat chartered and introduced into the Medelhavet - Persiska Viken service. March 20th 1977: Reportedly left Lagos arriving in Gothenburg on April 6th, and started operating between Gothenburg and Fredeickshaven . May 1976 - September 1976: Bare-boat chartered to Marine Atlantic, North Sydney, Canada running between North Sydney - Port Aux Basques. September 1979 - April 1978: Chartered to European Ferries for their Felixstowe - Zeebrügge route. April 1974 - September 1978: A repeat bar-boat charter to Marine Atlantic, North Sydney, Canada took place which saw her return to North Sydney - Port Aux Basques. From there she was chartered to Hellas Ferries, Piraeus, Greece where she renamed HELLAS and operated from Volos to Lattakia (Syria).
Andreas Wörteler Collection
April 1979: Renamed STENA NORDICA May 10th 1979: Left Lisbon, for North Sydney, Nova Scotia. On arrival she resumed her charter to Marine Atlantic, North Sydney, Canada running between North Sydney - Port Aux Basques until September. On the 4th of that month she left Philadelphia for Amsterdam via Fishguard, where she conducted berthing trials on the 14th. September 1979 - January 1980: Ran a freight only service from Gothenburg to Kiel. February 1980 - April 1980: Bare-boat chartered to Sealink U.K. for their Fishguard - Rosslare service. She then moved to Hellas Ferries, Piraeus, Greece and was again renamed HELLAS , running between Volos and Lattakia (Syria). September 1980: Renamed STENA NORDICA . October 16th 1980: Chartered to B & I Line, Dublin, Ireland for their Pembroke - Rosslare service. November 18th 1980: Suffered major engine problems and arrived at Cork for repairs. Unfortunately she could not be repaired and was floated to Odyssey Works, Birkenhead where the necessary repairs were carried out. She returned to service between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock on February 2nd, 1981. She ran aground outside Milford Haven on April 24th, 1981, owing to engine failure, but was re-floated without damage. May 6th 1981 - October 1981: Chartered to Marine Atlantic, North Sydney, Canada. for their North Sydney - Port Aux Basques route. Also in October she was chartered to Hellas Ferries, Piraeus, Greece, renamed HELLAS and introduced between Volos - Lattakia (Syria).
Ton Grootenboer Collection
February 1982: Refitted at Vlissingen, she was renamed STENA NAUTICA. February 1982: Chartered to Regie voor Maritieme Transport (RMT), Ostend, Belgium. At this time she was also registered to Nautica Ltd, Ostend, Belgium so there was a legal argument between her owners (Stena) and C N Marine (Canada) for whom she had previously operated . The action finally over the vessel sailed to Ostend. April 7th 1982: Arrived at Ostend and from the 8th was introduced as a freight only ferry between Ostend and Dover, later also taking passengers.
© Ken Larwood
February 28th 1983: Sold to Regie voor Maritieme Transport (RMT), Ostend, March 7th 1983: Renamed REINE ASTRID.
  
© Ulrich Streich (left) and the Roy Thornton Collection (middle and right)
July 1984: Sealink UK Ltd had been de-nationalised and purchased by the Bermuda-based Sea Containers the new owners immediately began a general reappraisal of all their services. (including its intention of taking on 50% of all the traffic on the Dover-Ostend route. This was just too much for the Belgians who now entered in to negotiations with Townsend Thoresen and an agreement was concluded on October 25th, 1985. The agreement with Townsend Thoresen (The European Ferries Group) was duly passed on to P & O European Ferries in October 1987 and was due to end in December 1990. The Ostend ships all received the Townsend Thoresen orange colours and carried their trading name but this only lasted two years.
  © Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection
December 21st 1985: After refit/overhaul sailed into Dover fully repainted in Townsend colours some 10 days before the official starting date of the new marketing arrangement May 26th 1985: Ran aground in Ostend, but with help she managed to re-float herself and continued, undamaged, to Dover.
 
Roy Thornton Collection
February 21st 1987: In a severe storm her bow door was damaged and repairs took place in Antwerp. 1987/88 (refits): A completely new livery, reflecting that carried by the P & O European Ferries fleet, was adopted. For the first time in the history of the Dover-Ostend service, the buff (later changed to a lighter shade of yellow) funnels were painted- out in favour of a shade of blue.
  
© Brian Fisher (left), Andreas Wörteler (middle) and © Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection (right)
December 1992: Collided with a link-span in Ostend, forcing early refit and repairs in Ostend.
 
© Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection
1993: It was announced that the Belgian company did not intend to renew its marketing agreement with P & O , but instead concluded a deal with Sally Line. With effect from the following January RMT became known simply as Oostende Lines, transferring all its Ostend services, including Jetfoil operations from Dover to Sally’s base at Ramsgate.
© Andreas Wörteler
January 1st 1994: Operated between Ostend - Ramsgate. October 31st 1996: Damaged her bow in storms while manoeuvring in Ramsgate and laid up in Ostend. February 1997: Sold to Onorato Overseas Transport Maritima Ltda, Funchal, Madeira. Renamed MOBY KISS. February 3rd 1997: Left Ostend bound for Livorno. May 1997: Chartered to Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation, Casablanca, Marocko (Comanav). Renamed AL MANSOUR. Introduced between Algeciras - Tanger.
 
© Benoit Donne
May 1998: Sold to Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation. Casablanca. Morocco.
© Fotoflite, Stéphane Poulain Collection
August 6th 2001: Collided with the bulk-carrier INDALO in thick fog in Gibraltar sound, none of the 140 passengers on board the AL MANSOUR were injured. Towed to Algeciras where passengers and cargo were disembarked. She then went for repairs. August 22nd 2001: Returned to commercial service.
 
© Ton Grootenboer
April 17th 2007: Collided with Acciona `Ciudad de Malaga' in Algeciras whilst berthing.
   
© Matt Murtland (HHV Ferry)
May 2008: Remains in service with Comanav. October 2010: Remains in service with Comanav
| 
Technical Data
History
