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. 2263) in 1975 for the Monarch Steamship Company, like Townsend’s, a subsidiary of the European Ferries Group. Launched October 10th, 1975.

D i m e n s i o n s / T e c h n i c a l  D a t a

Registry - London (1976 - 1996), Hamilton - Bermuda (1996 - 2002),

Kingston - St Vincent and Grenadines (2002 - 2005),

Tallinn - Estonia (2005 - )

Registered Number - 03930Y

IMO Number - 7411258

Length on deck - 118.15m (388 ft) (overall)

111.56m (352.9 ft) (between perpendiculars)

Breadth of hull - 20.27m (66.5 ft) (extreme)

19.9m (65.3 ft) (moulded)

Depth - 11.65m (38.2 ft) (moulded)

Draught - 5.81m (19 ft)(maximum)

Tonnage - 8,023 gross (ITC 69)

1,070 net (pre ITC 69), 2,406 (ITC 69)

2,387 deadweight, 3927t

Engines - Two 5,700 bhp 9-cylinder Stork-Werkspoor TM 410C four-stroke single-acting diesels

Power - 8386 kW

Speed - 18.5 knots

Capacity - 132 passengers, 76 x 15m commercial trailers

Call Sign -GUYN (1975)

J8B2698 (2003)

ESRL (2005)

Sister ships: European Gateway, European Enterprise, European Trader.

H i s t o r y / R e m a r k s 

October 10^th 1975: Launched as the third “European” class.

January 16^th 1976: Delivered to Townsend Car Ferries Ltd., Dover (Monarch Steamship Co, Ltd), England.

January 18^th 1976: Arrived at Dover

January 19^th 1976: Sailed to Felixstowe

January 21^st 1976: Maiden voyage between Felixstowe - Europoort.

February 15^th 1976: Returned to Dover for Calais/Zeebrugge services.

February 18^th 1976: Commenced service between Dover - Zeebrugge.

1984: A new TT logo, in white, was introduced on the funnels.

© Brian Fisher

1984: Refitted at Thames ship repairers at Chatham Dockyard. Had her fans on her main vehicle deck fitted with a reversing gear thereby enabling exhaust fumes to be pushed out rather than just sucking fresh air in.

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

© Brian Fisher

August 28^th 1987: After overhaul, returned to Dover in half new livery (dark blue funnel with P & O flag, P & O letters below the bridge wing and a horizontal dark blue stripe along the white superstructure. The ships hull was still orange.

Trevor Kidd Collection (Larne Ferry Web)

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

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

February 1988: Laid up owing to seaman’s strike

 © Brian Pawley

June 1988: Resumed service Dover - Zeebrugge.

July - August 1988: Operated between Dover - Boulogne (freight only).

March 15^th 1991: Sold to Abbey National Leasing.

July 18^th 1992: Commenced service between Portsmouth - Le Havre.

April 27^th 1993: Final day in service with then laid up in Chatham.

July 28^th 1993: Cherbourg for berthing trials.

July 30^th 1993: Sailed to Rosslare for berthing trials

October 1993: After £2 million refit commenced service between Cherbourg - Rosslare. Registered for Pandoro Ltd, Hamilton, Bermuda.

© Andreas Wörteler

July 25^th 1994: Due to enter dry-dock at Birkenhead to have fin stabilisers fitted.

January 1996: Renamed PANTHER.

November 25^th 1997: Whilst en route from Rosslare to Cherbourg a fire broke out on one of her loaded freight trailers. The fire was extinguished and there was no damage. After returning to Rosslare a severe fire onboard in almost resulted in the loss of the ship. The Panther was 35 miles out from Rosslare on passage to Cherbourg on the 26th of November 1997 when the fire was discovered in the early hours of the morning. The blaze broke out in one of the lorries stowed on the vehicle deck and was so intense that it burned out six lorries surrounding the vehicle at the focal point of the fire. The crew managed to contain the fire and eventually put it out while the ship returned to Rosslare at 0300.

There were worries at the time that the heat of the fire had damaged the ship's structure but after repairs at Liverpool the ship returned to service.

January 1998:Transferred to P&O Irish Sea, renamed EUROPEAN PATHFINDER.

© Trevor Kidd (Larne Ferry Web)

April 1998: Commenced service between Larne - Ardrossan substituting for EUROPEAN HIGHLANDER away on refit.

April 1998: Commenced service between Larne - Cairnryan substituting for EUROPEAN TRADER away on refit.

May 198l: Returned to services between Cherbourg - Rosslare.

March 30^th 2001: Final day operating between Cherbourg - Rosslare.

April 2001: Stern shelf was added at H & W, Belfast

April 19^th 2001: Commenced services between Larne - Cairnryan.

February 13^th 2002: Suffered a fire in an electrical switchboard in the engine control room. Repairs lasted one week.

June 12^th 2002: One of her main engine’s crankshaft buckled. Carried on in service at a reduced speed of 10 knots then laid at anchor whilst repairs were attempted. With the imminent arrival of new tonnage/service costs cutbacks and the need for specialist parts only temporary repairs were done.

July 17^th 2002: Last sailing ex-Larne.

July 19^th 2002: Laid up in Liverpool. At this time she still had here extensive mechanical problems.

October 2002: Sold to Erato Shipping, Kingstown, St Vincent. Renamed REGINA I, but the sale never materialised.

October 28^th 2002: Sold for £250,000 to TransEuropa Line, Kingstown, St Vincent. Renamed BEGONIA.

December 15^th 2002: Arrived Ostend, laid up for major refit and refurbishment.

© Andreas Wörteler

January 2004: Dry docking in Vlissingen.

January 30^th 2004: Arrived back in Ostend

February 2004: Commenced service between Ostend - Ramsgate.

© Nigel Thornton

July 2004: “It would appear that the Ipswich Way hit the Begonia while she was moored at a quay in Ostend. The Begonia was holed just above the waterline and will be at Vlissingen until she is repaired. The Ipswich Way appears to have some minor damage…”

June 4^th 2005: “Very strong rumours suggest that the BEGONIA has made her final commercial sailing for TEF and has been sold to Estonian interests. She is due to leave within the next two weeks and will be renamed BALTIC TRADER. Nothing is official yet. No other news.” (Rumour control Yahoo)

July 2005: Sold to an Estonian company, renamed VIA MARE with Tallin as her home port.

© Tim Vogel

July 8^th 2005: At 19.07hrs (EST) sailed from Ostend bound for Tallin. New call sign.

July 2005: Laying in Kopli, Tallinn, Estonia.

August 15^th 2005: Information ‘Equasis’ owners and managers, Baltic Scandinavian Lines A/S, 10 Meistri tn., Tallin. Estonia

August 23rd 2005: Anticipated that will be installed between Paldiski - Västervik

© Tim Vogel

September 1^st 2005: Announcement that the new vessel of Baltic Scandinavian Lines will sail on route Paldiski-Kapellskär-Paldiski-Västervik according to the next schedule.

September 1^st 2005: Entered service.

November 21^st 2005: Commenced service between Paldiski - Kapellskär.

All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for errors and omissions.

We would like to thank:  Micke Asklander (Faktaomfartyg), Brian Fisher, Trevor Kidd (Larne Ferry Web), Andreas Wörteler, Brian Pawley and Tim Vogel for there assistance in producing this feature.

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