MS Stena Caledonia
Encyclopedia
Stena Caledonia was a ro-pax ferry operated by Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
between Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
- Belfast
Belfast
Belfast is the capital of and largest city in Northern Ireland. By population, it is the 14th biggest city in the United Kingdom and second biggest on the island of Ireland . It is the seat of the devolved government and legislative Northern Ireland Assembly...
.
History
The Stena Caledonia was built in 1980 as the St David for SealinkSealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
. She was ordered to replace the Stena Normanica on the Fishguard
Fishguard
Fishguard is a coastal town in Pembrokeshire, south-west Wales, with a population of 3,300 . The community of Fishguard and Goodwick had a population of 5043 at the 2001 census....
- Rosslare
Rosslare Europort
Rosslare Europort is a modern seaport located at Rosslare Harbour in County Wexford, Ireland, near the southeastern-most point of Ireland's coastline, handling passenger and freight ferries to and from Wales and France....
route instead she entered service alongside the St Columba
MS Masarrah
The MS Masarrah is a ferry originally named St. Columba. Built in 1977, at the Aalborg Shipyard in Denmark, St. Columba was originally a Sealink UK ferry, operating between Holyhead and Dun Laoghaire in the Irish Sea. It now operates between Piraeus and Santorini for Namma Shipping Lines.- Fire :On...
on the Holyhead
Holyhead
Holyhead is the largest town in the county of Anglesey in the North Wales. It is also a major port adjacent to the Irish Sea serving Ireland....
- Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire
Dún Laoghaire or Dún Laoire , sometimes anglicised as "Dunleary" , is a suburban seaside town in County Dublin, Ireland, about twelve kilometres south of Dublin city centre. It is the county town of Dun Laoghaire-Rathdown County and a major port of entry from Great Britain...
route
In 1985 the St David was transferred to Dover
Dover
Dover is a town and major ferry port in the home county of Kent, in South East England. It faces France across the narrowest part of the English Channel, and lies south-east of Canterbury; east of Kent's administrative capital Maidstone; and north-east along the coastline from Dungeness and Hastings...
to operate a joint service with RMT
Regie voor Maritiem Transport
Regie voor Maritiem Transport was the Belgian state-owned ferry service and operated ferries on the Ostend-Dover route under the name Oostende Lines. For the last few years until its demise in February 1997, the ferries from Ostend went to Ramsgate instead of Dover, in partnership with Sally Line...
to Ostend
Ostend
Ostend is a Belgian city and municipality located in the Flemish province of West Flanders. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke , Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the largest on the Belgian coast....
.
In 1990 Sea Containers sold Sealink British Ferries sold to Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
. The St David was renamed Stena Caledonia and returned to the Irish Sea
Irish Sea
The Irish Sea separates the islands of Ireland and Great Britain. It is connected to the Celtic Sea in the south by St George's Channel, and to the Atlantic Ocean in the north by the North Channel. Anglesey is the largest island within the Irish Sea, followed by the Isle of Man...
, this time to the Stranraer
Stranraer
Stranraer is a town in the southwest of Scotland. It lies in the west of Dumfries and Galloway and in the county of Wigtownshire.Stranraer lies on the shores of Loch Ryan on the northern side of the isthmus joining the Rhins of Galloway to the mainland...
- Larne
Larne
Larne is a substantial seaport and industrial market town on the east coast of County Antrim, Northern Ireland with a population of 18,228 people in the 2001 Census. As of 2011, there are about 31,000 residents in the greater Larne area. It has been used as a seaport for over 1,000 years, and is...
route.
In order to meet the latest SOLAS
International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea
The International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea is an international maritime safety treaty. The SOLAS Convention in its successive forms is generally regarded as the most important of all international treaties concerning the safety of merchant ships.- History :The first version of the...
regulations the Stena Caledonia was sent to Cammel Laird in 1999. Work included the addition of a duck tail sponson
Sponson
Sponsons are projections from the sides of a watercraft, for protection, stability, or the mounting of equipment such as armaments or lifeboats, etc...
to the stern
Stern
The stern is the rear or aft-most part of a ship or boat, technically defined as the area built up over the sternpost, extending upwards from the counter rail to the taffrail. The stern lies opposite of the bow, the foremost part of a ship. Originally, the term only referred to the aft port section...
and a bulbous bow
Bulbous bow
A bulbous bow is a protruding bulb at the bow of a ship just below the waterline. The bulb modifies the way the water flows around the hull, reducing drag and thus increasing speed, range, fuel efficiency, and stability...
.
In her 29th year of service the Stena Caledonia returned to Cammel Laird for a £1.8 million refit.
Future
In March 2011, Stena Line announced the Stena Caledonia and her running partners on the Belfast - Stranraer route (Stena NavigatorMS Stena Navigator
MS Stena Navigator was a ferry owned by Stena Line, operated on their Belfast - Stranraer route until 16 November 2011. She was built in 1984 by Chantiers Dubigeon S.A. in Prairie-au-Duc, Nantes, France for SNCF as Champs Elysees. From 1997 to 2009, she was owned by SeaFrance under the name...
and Stena Voyager
HSC Stena Voyager
Stena Voyager is a high-speed ferry owned by Stena Line and operated on their Belfast–Stranraer service. The boat is a member of the HSS 1500 class of high-speed ferries developed and introduced by Stena Line from 1996 onwards.- Design and construction :...
) were to be replaced in Autumn 2011 by the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII chartered from Estonian ferry operator Tallink
Tallink
Tallink is an Estonian shipping company currently operating Baltic Sea cruiseferries and ropax ships from Estonia to Finland, Estonia to Sweden, Latvia to Sweden and Finland to Germany. They also own Silja Line and a part of SeaRail...
. Stena Caledonia completed her last commercial sailing for Stena Line
Stena Line
Stena Line is one of the world's largest ferry operators, with ferry services serving Scotland, Sweden, Northern Ireland, Denmark, Norway, England, Wales, Ireland, Germany, the Netherlands and Poland. Stena Line is a major unit of Stena AB, itself a part of the Stena Sphere, a grouping of Stena AB,...
on 21 November 2011 when she arrived in Stranraer at 0125 and left with last ever sailing from the port with the 0430 freight only service to Belfast. Stena Caledonia is now laid up at Stena's old terminal at Albert Quay in Belfast.
Saint Class
The Stena Caledonia is the last of four similar ships built by Harland & Wolff, Belfast for SealinkSealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
between 1979 and 1980.
Galloway Princess
Most of her early career on the Stranraer run. Renamed Stena Galloway in 1991. Currently with IMTC, serving Algeciers - Tangiers, as Le Rif.
St Anselm
MS Stena Cambria
MS Stena Cambria is a ferry launched in 1980 as the St Anselm for Sealink. Starting life on the Dover-Calais, she now operates as the Bari with Ventouris Ferries in the Mediterranean.-Sealink:...
Served as MS St Anselm. Renamed Stena Cambria in 1990. Various roles on English Channel and Irish Sea. Currently with Baleària
Baleària
Baleària is the trading name for Baleària Eurolínias Marítimas S.A. The company operates ferry services from Spain to the Balearic Islands and Morocco.- Routes :Baleària operates services to the Balearic Islands from Dénia, Valencia and Barcelona...
, serving Barcelona - Ibiza, as Isla De Botafoc.
St Christopher
Most of her early career on the Irish Sea and the English Channel. Renamed Stena Antrim in 1990. Currently with Comanav as Ibn Batouta, operating between Algeciers - Tangiers.