Nigel Thornton Collection Steel triple screw motor vessel built by Schichau-Unterweser AG at Bremerhaven, (Yard No. 2281) West Germany in 1980 as a passenger and roll-on roll-off car and commercial vehicle ferry. Engined by Sulzer Bros. Ltd., Winterthur. Launched 31st May 1980.
 Technical Data
MMSI Number - 210422000 (2004) IMO Number - 7820497 (2004) Length - 131.91m (overall) Breadth of hull - 23.19m (extreme) Draught - 5.72m (Maximum) Tonnage - 7,951 gross 3,439 net Engines - Three 8,000 bhp Sulzer 2V/48 Diesels Capacity - 1,326 passengers, 350 cars (maximum) Call sign - GBSL (1980) P3ZJ8 (2004)
History May 31st 1980: Launched at Bremerhaven by seven year old Philippa Simes as a stunt for BBC television’s “Jim’ll Fix It” programme. After all three identical sisters went into service each had their own distinguishing paintwork: Initially the “Spirit” had green bridge roof with white vents together with a green top to the lift housing on the starboard side, to the rear of the funnel. The “Pride” had a green bridge roof with “Townsend” orange vents and orange lift housing, the “Herald” white bridge roof, vents, lift housing together with black surrounds to the bridge windows. October 31st 1980: Delivered to Townsend Car Ferries Ltd., Dover, England. November 17th 1980: Visited Pool of London.
 
Nigel Thornton Collection
November 23rd 1980: Introduced between Dover - Calais and Dover - Zeebrugge. February 9th 1982: “Cracked the Herald’s” (HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE) record Dover - Calais. With a force 7 blowing at the time, 52 minutes 49 seconds was clocked
© Gary Davies (Maritime Photographic)
1984: A new TT logo, in white, was introduced on the funnels. November 8th 1986 : “ill” with one engine not working at all and another one far from fit. 1987: Following the “HERALD” disaster, from spring onwards, pale blue funnels with P & O flag logo became the norm.
© Brian Fisher
October 1987: Change to P & O European Ferries navy blue hull and funnel. December 11th 1987: Renamed PRIDE OF BRUGES and installed between Dover - Zeebrugge December 31st 1987: Registered to P&O European Ferries Ltd., Dover, England.
© Brian Fisher
February 1988: Laid up at Wilton Feijenoord, Scheidam Harbour near Rotterdam, owing to seaman’s strike May 1st 1988: Resumed service Dover - Zeebrugge.
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© Brian Pawley
March 18th 1991: Sold to Howill Shipping Ltd, London, England, and bareboat chartered for a further period to P&O European Ferries Ltd. 1992: Alongside refit at Chatham.
 © Ken Larwood
1992: Operated between Dover - Calais.
 
© Nigel Thornton (left) and © Andreas Wörteler (right)
October 16th - October 28th 1996: Transferred back to Dover - Zeebrugge . March 1998: P & O Stena Line was a British private sector company, 60% owned by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and 40% owned by Stena Line AB of Sweden. The new company took over the Dover and Newhaven services of P & O European Ferries and Stena Line. March 3rd 1998: All vessels operated under the P & OSL banner.
© Andreas Wörteler
March 10th 1998: Introduced between Dover - Calais. May 1998: Refit in Dunkirk December 1998: Renamed P&OSL PICARDY.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
January 17th 2000: Last crossing between Dover and Calais January 2000: Introduced between Dover - Zeebrugge. February 3rd 2000: Went to Dunkerque to lay-up 2002 :P & O Stena joint venture ended. The Dover-Calais fleet adopted the appropriate P & O “Pride of ….” names, the P & OSL labels being dropped….All vessels had their Stena house flag removed from their funnel, along with the deletion of the name Stena from their hulls. April 3rd 2001: Sold to Transeuropa Shipping, Limassol, Cyprus, renamed OLEANDER and continued her lay-up in Dunkerque.
 
© Andreas Wörteler
July 8th 2002: Introduced between Ostend - Ramsgate. July 20th 2004: Transeuropa Ferries started a new passenger service between Ostend and Ramsgate with LARKSPUR and OLEANDER, but initially no coaches or foot passengers. June 10th 2005: Underwater a survey in the port of Zeebrugge.
 
© Nigel Thornton
June 12th 2005: Resumed service. May 18th 2006: Dry-docking at Dunkerque. Expected return to service 21st.
© Robert Fournier
May 20th 2006: Left Dunkerque bound for Ostend and resumed service. April 23rd 2007: Due at Dunkerque for dry-docking.
© Robert Fournier
May 7th 2007: Resumed service. October 3rd 2009: To ARNO, Dunkerque. October 9th 2009: Sailed from Dunkerque direct to Ramsgate. October 10th (eve) 2009: Resumed service. June 21st 2010: To ARNO, Dunkerque .June 26th 2010: Returned to Ostend to have her internal ramp fitted prior to charter to Commarit. She will be sailing for three months on the Almeria-Nador. Anticipated return mid September 2010.
© Nigel Thornton
July 6th 2010: According to E.N.S.O.R., due to sail for Almeria. July 8th 2010: Departed Ostend at 03:30. Her AIS gave an ETA at Nador of 16:00 on 12th July. 14th July 2010: Entered service for Commarit on the 14:00 sailing between Almeria and Nador.
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