© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection Steel twin screw motor vessel built by Dubigeon-Normandie S.A., Nantes (Yard No. 137), in 1974 for the French National Railways as a multi-purpose roll-on roll-off ferry for cars, lorries and railway vehicles. Launched September 12th, 1973.
 Technical Data
Registry - Calais (1973). Piraeus, Greece (2001) IMO number - 7330040 Length - 115.40m (overall) Breadth of hull - 19.23m (extreme), 18.70m (moulded) Draught - 4.19m (maximum) Tonnage - 4,590 gross 1,647 net 1,189 deadweight Engines - Two 16-cylinder Semt - Pielstick diesels Power - 11,768 kW Speed - 20.5 knots Capacity - 1,400 passengers, 240 cars or 40 freight vehicles Call Sign - SXQR (1993)
History September 12th 1973: Launched January 9th 1974; Delivered to Societé Nationale des Chemins de Fer Français, Paris, France. (Home port Calais). February 15th 1974: Berthing trials at Boulogne, Calais and Dunkerque. February 25th 1974: Installed as a freight ferry between Dover - Dunkerque. March 6th 1974: Christened in Calais. May 28th 1974: Commenced service as a passenger ferry during the summer, operating between Calais/Boulogne - Dover. In the winter acting as a train ferry between Dunkerque - Dover.
Roy Thornton Collection
January 16th 1975 - February 22nd 1975: Operated between Dieppe - Newhaven, then Calais - Dover. November 28th 1975 - January 19th 1976: Operated between Dieppe - Newhaven. 1978: Collided with the pilot vessel LOUIS MAGNIEZ in Calais. 1981: Planned to take over route Dunkerque West - Dover to replace SAINT GERMAIN. May 1981: Damaged herself in her home port and retired to the local dry dock. June 12th 1981: Substituted on Dunkerque - Dover route for SAINT-GERMAIN which went off service with engine troubles.
 
© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection
May 29th 1982: Operated between Dieppe - Newhaven.
© Brian Fisher
1986 (late Spring): SNCF formed a subsidiary company Dieppe Ferries to manage the future of their Newhaven service
© Ted Ingham
May 17th 1986: Charter cruise Dieppe/up the River Seine. June 7th 1986: Charter cruise Dieppe/up the River Seine 1986 (Spring): Charter cruise acting as a grandstand, to watch the Round the World Yacht Race. October 1986 - November 1986: Substituted as a train ferry between Dunkerque West - Dover, before returning to Dieppe. September 1988 - October 13th 1988: Operated between Dover - Dunkerque.
 
© Ted Ingham (left) and Roy Thornton (right)
January 25th 1990: En route between Newhaven - Dieppe encountered storms and hurricane force winds. Smashed windows on her bridge and suffered complete electrical failure and subsequent failure of the main engines. Adrift for 40 minutes before engines repaired. No tug dared to venture out in the conditions. On entering Dieppe, vessel thrown against the pier causing 45 metre gash below the water line. Took in vast amounts of water, but the Master was able to get her alongside. Sent to Rouen for major repairs requiring the complete rewiring of the ship and major engine work. June 3rd 1990: After repair installed between Calais - Dover Western Dock.
© Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic)
June 23rd 1990: Operated between Dover - Boulogne owing to a strike in Calais. June 24th 1990 - June 30th 1990: Operated between Dover - Zeebrugge. September 30th 1990 - October 14th 1990: Operated between Boulogne - Folkestone.
Rare photograph of the Chartres with an SNAT logo on her funnel. La Voix du Nord from the M Fournet collection.
December 1990 - June 1991: Chartered to the French Government, operating between Toulon - Yanbu (Saudi Arabia), for the Gulf War. 1992: Winter months operated between Holyhead - Dun Laoghaire May 1993: Operated between Calais - Dover Western docks. September 24th 1993: Final voyage between Calais - Dover. November 5th 1993: Sold to Agapitos Line, Piraeus, Greece, renamed EXPRESS SANTORINI.
© Benoit Donne
December 21st 1993: Left Calais for Piraeus. 1994: Commenced service between Piraeus - Paros - Naxos - Santorini. November 8th 1999: Sold to Minoan Flying Dolphin, Piraeus, Greece. Introduced by into Hellas Ferries services.
 
© Ton Grootenboer (left) and Andreas Wörteler (right)
January 2005: Company adopted the new name of Hellenic Seaways, Greece. The fleet were re-liveried with blue hulls.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
July 2006 (late): Withdrawn from service owing to a damaged crankshaft and it is currently not known if she will be repaired. Her place was taken by the re-activated EXPRESS APHRODITE (ex ST COLUMBA).
© Dieter Pots
2007: Chartered to Atlanticoline.
© Lucas Latreche (http://raflucgr.ra.funpic.de)
June 18th 2007: To be introduced between Faial - Pico - Sao Jorge
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