September 2000: Delivered to Merchant Ferries (Cenargo International Ltd, Nassau, Bahamas). September 20th 2000: Arrived at Appledore Shipbuilders, Falmouth for fitting out.
Falmouth, Nigel Thornton Collection
October 5th 2000: Commenced service for Norfolkline between Dover - Dunkerque. April 2002: Rebuilt at ARNO, Dunkerque.
 Dunkerque © Mark Leiper
July 1st 2004: Announcement made that Norfolkline’s three Channel Ferries would be run by a newly-formed shipping group in a multi-million pound deal. Indo-China Ship Management (UK) had won the contract to operate and crew the ships. January 12th 2005: Rotterdam for refit
 Dover © Ray Goodfellow
June 5th 2005: To emergency dry dock at Damen Shipyard, Schiedam. The cause was unknown but was believed to be leaks around the A-frames.
   Dover © Ray Goodfellow (left) and © Nigel Thornton (middle and right)
March 26th 2006: Announcement that Trasmed was to charter the NORTHERN MERCHANT and MIDNIGHT MERCHANT for the Barcelona - Palma route. July 28th 2006: Retired to ARNO Dunkerque for refit prior to transfer to the Mediterranean.
The Midnight Merchant becomes the El Greco in Dunkerque, France      
     
     
ARNO Dunkerque July/August 2006. © Ed Connell
August 2006: Chartered to Acciona Trasmediterranea, Spain August 2006: Renamed EL GRECO. Transferred to Spanish flag, home port Santa Cruz De Tenerife. August 22nd 2006: Left Dunkerque bound for Spain.
 
El Greco departing Dunkerque. © Robert Fournier
August 2006: Commenced service between Barcelona - Palma de Mallorca.
 
El Greco berthed in Palma de Mallorca 28/8/06. © Carlos Moreno
June 26th 2007: " P&O Ferries today announces that it has agreed to purchase a dedicated freight ferry in order to meet the growing demand for space from haulage customers throughout its operations.
The company will take delivery of the El Greco, currently operated by the Spanish shipping line Acciona Trasmediterranea, during September and will deploy the vessel on its Dover-Calais service to offer additional peak time and refit season capacity in a growing market. The ship will also be used as a refit relief vessel in P&O’s Irish Sea and North Sea operations. The El Greco will be re-named the European Endeavour and will fly the red ensign, registered in London. October 2007: The El Greco entered the Union Naval dry dock in Barcelona, Spain for refit.
Barcelona © Carlos Poveda (Visual Ships)
Upon completion of her refit she will proceed to Liverpool to take up service on P&O Irish Sea's Dublin service. It is understood that due to a problems with her Calais `port fit' she will not enter service at Dover until December 2007/January 2008. 28th October 2007: The European Endeavour arrives in Liverpool from Barcelona.
 
Liverpool © Ian Collard
6th November 2007: The European Endeavour enters service between Liverpool and Dublin.
  
Dublin © Celine Ruello
November 2007: Registered owner and ship manager : P&O Ferries Ltd, Dover, United Kingdom 16th December 2007: Stood down from the Liverpool - Dublin. 17th December 2007: Entered dry dock No 3 at A&P Falmouth shipyard for Calais port fit work to be completed out on her bow. 10th January 2008: The European Endeavour departed Falmouth for berthing trials at the French port of Calais.
  
Dover © Ray Goodfellow
11th January 2008: The `Endeavour' arrived at the French port of Calais and after completing berthing trials she took up service on her first commercial crossing to Dover. Latter the same evening she departed Dover on her first commercial crossing to Calais. February 2008: With the Pride of Canterbury damaged the European Endeavour is retained at Dover to operate additional freight sailings to Calais. Instead of three trips every 24 hours she is now rostered to make four trips every 24 hrs.
 
Dover © Nigel Thornton
22nd March 2008: Whilst alongside berth one at the Eastern docks in Dover the Endeavour parted her moorings in strong Northerly gales. " The Endeavour scraped down the Eastern Arm at right angles to the quay until her bow lodged against the knuckle on the end of the arm whereupon she rotated and drifted stern first across the entrance. At this point, DHB Doughty arrived in a cloud of spray, having hurtled across from the Western Docks, and commenced to assist. The Endeavour had both anchors down and, with a line to the tug, came to rest off the knuckle on the southern breakwater. Doughty then assisted her back to her berth on the Eastern Arm."
           
A special thanks to Ed Connell (Ships in the Port of Dover) for his photographs.
August 29th 2008: Whilst manoeuvring in the port of Calais the vessel made heavy contact with berth number 7. "I just passed near the EE and the damages are very significant. The EE's cow catcher is destroyed. We can see a part of the cow catcher fallen on the berth. She was loaded when she left Calais' harbour and during her swing, she may lost her propulsion, decided to anchor and crashed into berth n°7. At this time, she is still in berth n°7 and she can not discharge because her cow catcher is destroyed."
  
Calais © `Benji'
14th September 2008: After repairs at ARNO the European Endeavour returns to service between Dover and Calais.2nd January 2009: Entered service between Tilbury and Zeebrugge to provide refit cover for the routes regular vessel the Norcape.
  Tilbury 4th January 2009 © Paul Cloke
2nd February 2009: Re-entered service between Dover and Calais. May 13th 2009: Took up service on the Liverpool - Dublin route with the evening (2200) sailing from Liverpool.June 24th 2009: Completed Irish Sea services and left Liverpool, bound for Dover June 26th 2009: Arrived in Dover berth 2 then to the Dover Cargo Terminal for bunkering. June 27th 2009: Resumed service from Dover to Calais. September 3rd 2009: After conducting MCA drill, “bow in” on berth 2, left Dover bound for Falmouth. September 20th 2009: Due to sail, from Falmouth, following her refit. October 16th 2009: Owing to a blockade of the Port of Calais the European Endeavour docks in Boulogne to discharge.
Boulogne © Jean-Guy Hagelstein
January 29th2010: Withdrawn from service with technical problems (boilers) February 4th 2010: Laid up in Tilbury awaiting repairs. February 22nd 2010: Departs Tilbury for Dover following her boiler repairs and re-enters service. March 11th 2010: Owing to damage sustained whilst berthing in Calais the `Endeavour' heads to ARNO's at Dunkerque for repairs.
 
Dunkerque © Robert Fournier
March 16th 2010: Re-enters service between Dover and Calais. March 23rd 2010: P&O Ferries announce the re-opening of the Dover-Zeebrugge service for pre booked accompanied freight vehicles. The European Endeavour will operate one round trip a day, departing Dover at 17:30 arriving in Zeebrugge at 23:00. She will then depart Zeebrugge at 00:30 arriving back in Dover at 04:00. The remainder of the day she will operate to Calais as usual. April 7th 2010: Departs Dover for her first sailing to Zeebrugge. May 2nd 2010: Due to the economic downturn and the decrease in freight volumes it is announced that the Zeebrugge route is going to be postponed until freight volumes increase. The `European Endeavour' is to be laid up in Tilbury until the Autumn. May 5th 2010: Arrives at Tilbury for lay up. June 23rd 2010: It's announced that the `Endeavour' is going to be chartered to Norfolk Line (DFDS Seaways) to provide refit cover on the Birkenhead - Dublin - Belfast routes during August 2010. July 30th 2010: Departed Tilbury at 16:00 for Birkenhead.
 
Departing Tilbury © Bob Smith
August 1st 2010: Arrives in Birkenhead to take up her charter with DFDS Seaways. September 7th 2010: Completes her last sailing between Dublin and Birkenhead for DFDS Seaways. September 10th 2010: Enters Lairds dry dock number five for annual overhaul. September 21st 2010: Departs Liverpool. September 22nd 2010: Due to arrive in the Port of Dunkerque. September 23rd 2010: Arrived in Dunkerque and laid up for the time being.
Dunkerque 25/09/10 © Robert Fournier
December 2010:
Remains laid up in the French Port of Dunkerque.
Dunkerque 14/12/10 © Ray
Goodfellow
February
5th 2011: Departed Dunkerque for Liverpool. It was announced that she
would become the third ship on the Liverpool-Dublin route replacing the
Norcape. Upon arrival entered the Canada dock in Liverpool.
February
22nd 2011: Duly entered service with the 0215 from Liverpool to Dublin.
April 22nd
2011: To Lairds, Birkenhead for overhaul. During this time her `cow
catcher' is removed from the bow.
April 28th
2011: To Harland and Wolff, Belfast for re-flagging survey.
May 1st
2011: Re-registered in Nassau, Bahamas.
May 4th
2011: Completed successful `bow in' twin deck berthing trials in Dublin.
June 2011:
Remains in service with P&O Ferries on the Liverpool-Dublin route.
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