December 22nd 1980: Launched August 16th 1981: Delivery postponed. September 26th 1981: Delivered to Societé des Nationale des Chemins de fer Français, (SNCF) Paris, France. September 28th 1981: Berthing trials at Dover September 29th 1981: Maiden trial voyage between Calais - Dover and further trip between Boulogne - Dover. October 7th 1981: Maiden voyage (commercial) officially unnamed due to a strike. October 27th 1981: Officially named following the end of strike action, replaced the CHARTRES. December 1st 1981: Visit to the Pool of London.
 
Roy Thornton Collection
January 1982: Operated service between Calais - Dover August 5th 1982: Collided with the CHANTILLY four miles off Calais harbour, she suffered serious bow damage. Sent to Ziegler Yard Dunkirk for emergency repairs, she had her bow visor removed and inner water-tight door welded up.
 
Roy Thornton Collection
August 11th 1982: Returned to service as a stern loader only.
© Fotoflite, Roy Thornton Collection
October 1982: Overhaul and repairs to bow. December 20th 1982: Resumed service between Calais - Dover. June 1985 - August 1985: Served between Boulogne - Dover, with remainder of the time between Calais - Dover.
© Nigel Thornton
January 1st 1986: Final trip between Boulogne - Dover.
The Cote d'Azur pictured at Boulogne in 1987 following a blockade at the port of Calais. © Manuel Dhondt
January 2nd 1986: Full time roster between Calais - Dover.
 
© Brian Pawley
January 22nd 1990: Registered to Societé Propietaire des Navaires (SPN), Paris, France. At the same time selling 49% of the ferry operations to Stena Line UK, London, England.
  
© Joe @ Ferry Fantastic (left), Andreas Wörteler (middle) and © Fotoflite, Ray Goodfellow Collection
July 12th 1995: Agreement between Stena Sealink Line and French partners SNAT would terminate from December 31st 1995. From that time onwards SNAT would trade as SeaFrance. January 1st 1996: Commenced service for Seafrance between Calais - Dover.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
January 1996: Rebuilt at Le Havre with extra passenger facilities. February 1996: Renamed SEAFRANCE RENOIR, and re-introduced between Calais - Dover. 1997: Rebuilt with stern sponsons to comply with the new SOLAS stability standards.
© Nigel Thornton
1999: Stena Line sold their 49% share to SPN. November 30th 2001: Taken out of service and laid up in Dunkerque. January 18th 2002 - March 2002: Operated between Calais - Dover. March 2002: Laid up used only in a reserve capacity. 2002: Re-introduced peak time roster. 2003: Operated a full roster to enable 20 Seafrance passenger sailings per day to continue to 2004. 2004: Continued full time roster between Calais - Dover. April 9th 2005: Arrived in Dunkerque and laid up. September 2005: Replaced the SEAFRANCE MANET on the fulltime roster. October 13th 2005: Due at Dunkerque (for lay up, rumoured sale) January 3rd 2006: Back in service Calais - Dover.
 
© Nigel Thornton
October 2nd 2006: The SeaFrance overhaul schedule up to the end of February 2007: "SEAFRANCE RENOIR - 30 Nov - 24 Dec"
 
Undergoing refit at ARNO's yard in Dunkerque, December 2006. © Robert Fournier
October 2007: Remains in service with Seafrance between Calais and Dover December 10th 2007: "European Seaway and Seafrance Renoir intermingled their anchoring line off berth number 7 in Dover Harbour (bad weather conditions) To Arno, Dunkerque to repair her starboard windlass and to check all is ok with her starboard anchoring line. While she shifted in Calais, she had a Black-Out 50 meters off the berth number 9 and collided into it. She cancelled again all departures and proceeded to Dunkerque for refit." December 13th 2007: Resumed service.
© Joe@ Ferry Fantastic
December 27th 2007: Seafrance announced that they had purchased a new vessel to replace both the Seafrance Manet and Seafrance Renoir. January 11th 2008: To ARNO for refit. February 11th 2008: Returned to Calais and continued “Freight Only” sailings. September 17th 2008: Owing to congestion caused by a fire in the Channel Tunnel, re-activated to operate cover/extra “Freight Only” sailings February 14th 2009: Re-introduced as refit cover.
 
© The Ferryman
April 10th 2009: Retired to lay-by at Calais. May 10th 2009: Returned to service as cover for the SEAFRANCE MOLIERE.
© Robert Fournier
May 25th 2009: Laid up in Calais. September 1st 2009: Proceeded to Dunkerque for continued lay up and sale.
© Robert Fournier
2nd June 2010: Listed by ship register `Bureau Veritas' with the classification `laid up'. The vessel remains for sale in the port of Dunkerque, France.
December 2010: Remains laid up in the
French port of Dunkerque.
Dunkerque 14/12/10 © Ray
Goodfellow
July 2011: Reported to have been sold.
The vessel has been renamed "Eastern Light" and re-flagged to Belize. She
currently remains in the Port of Dunkerque, France.
ex Seafrance
Renoir, Dunkerque 26/07/11 © Ray
Goodfellow
July 7th 2011: Registered
Owner, EMILY SHIPPING INC, Care of Condor Maritime Dienstleistung GmbH & Co
KG, Neuer Wall 80, 20354 Hamburg, Germany. Ship Manager, CONDOR MARITIME
DIENSTLEISTUNG, Neuer Wall 80, 20354 Hamburg, Germany.
September 8th 2011: Enters
dry dock at ARNO Dunkerque.
Onboard the Seafrance Renoir,
Dunkerque 2011.
© name withheld
September 10th 2011:
Returns to her original berth in the Port of Dunkerque.
September 21st 2011:
Departs Dunkerque for Gibraltar.
September 27th 2011: Takes
on Bunkers at Ceuta before departing for Malta.
October 2nd 2011: Arrives
off Malta for fuel before departing for Port Said (Suez canal).
October 10th 2011: Arrives
at Port Said.
October 11th 2011: Entered
the Suez Canal.
October 13th 2011:
Completed her transit of the Suez Canal and anchored off the Egyptian port of Adabiya. Her destination now showing Dubai with an ETA of the 24/10/11.
October 21st 2011: Last
seen on AIS in the Gulf of Aidan still showing Dubai as her destination with
an ETA of the 27/10/11.
October 31st 2011: Reported
to have arrived in Alang, India.
November 9th 2011: Her last
journey completed she is beached at Alang for demolition.
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Technical Data
History
