MV Mary the Queen
Encyclopedia
Mary the Queen was a ferry in south-east Asia, mainly sailing between Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and Boracay
Boracay
Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards numerous times. Boracay was awarded in the "Travelers' Choice...
. Built in 1971 as Mona's Queen (V), between 1972 and 1990 she was operated by the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company from Douglas, Isle of Man
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
.
History
Mona's Queen was built in 1972, by Ailsa Shipbuilding CompanyAilsa Shipbuilding Company
-History:The company was founded in 1885 by the 3rd Marquess of Ailsa.In 1902 the Ailsa yard fitted out the polar exploration ship Scotia for the Scottish National Antarctic Expedition of 1902-04...
at Troon
Troon
Troon is a town in South Ayrshire. It is situated on the west coast of Scotland, about eight miles north of Ayr and three miles northwest of Glasgow Prestwick International Airport. Lying across the Firth of Clyde, the Isle of Arran can be seen. Troon is also a port with freight and ferry services...
, Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
, the third of four car ferries
RORO
Roll-on/roll-off ships are vessels designed to carry wheeled cargo such as automobiles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, trailers or railroad cars that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels...
constructed for the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. The four were Manx Maid (II); Ben-my-Chree
Ben-my-Chree
-Ships:Six ships of the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company:**HMS Ben-my-Chree, seaplane carrier converted from Ben-my-Chree, sunk in 1917*TSS Ben-my-Chree *TSS Ben-my-Chree — launched 1998...
(V), Mona's Queen (V) and Lady of Mann (II). Mona's Queen was the first diesel engine
Diesel engine
A diesel engine is an internal combustion engine that uses the heat of compression to initiate ignition to burn the fuel, which is injected into the combustion chamber...
d ferry in the fleet. Launched at Troon during Christmas
Christmas
Christmas or Christmas Day is an annual holiday generally celebrated on December 25 by billions of people around the world. It is a Christian feast that commemorates the birth of Jesus Christ, liturgically closing the Advent season and initiating the season of Christmastide, which lasts twelve days...
week 1971, she made her maiden voyage from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to Douglas
Douglas, Isle of Man
right|thumb|250px|Douglas Promenade, which runs nearly the entire length of beachfront in Douglasright|thumb|250px|Sea terminal in DouglasDouglas is the capital and largest town of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,218 people . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, and a sweeping...
on 9 June 1972, just missing the peak traffic of TT week
Isle of Man TT
The International Isle of Man TT Race is a motorcycle racing event held on the Isle of Man and was for many years the most prestigious motorcycle race in the world...
.
In December 1995, after a lengthy lay-up, she was sold to MBRS Lines (Manila-Banton-Romblon-San Agustin Shipping Lines) and renamed Mary the Queen. She sailed from Liverpool
Liverpool
Liverpool is a city and metropolitan borough of Merseyside, England, along the eastern side of the Mersey Estuary. It was founded as a borough in 1207 and was granted city status in 1880...
to the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, covering 9,700 miles in 37 days. In Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
, she underwent an internal rebuild, converting her to a night ferry. Externally, the boat deck and bridge wings were covered, and several lifeboats removed.
On 9 February 2004 on a voyage from San Augustin
San Agustín, Copán
San Agustín is a municipality in the Honduran department of Copán....
to Manila she caught fire off Sibuyan Island
Sibuyan Island
Sibuyan is a crescent-shaped island of Romblon Province, Philippines. It has an area of 445 km². The island has two prominent peaks, Mount Guiting-Guiting with a height of 2,058 m and Mount Nailog with a height of 789 m...
; the fire was extinguished within an hour.
Mary the Queen was sold to Indian ship-breakers and beached at Alang on 1 September 2008.
Layout
Slightly heavier than her two predecessors, Mona's Queen had accommodation for 1600 passengers, 55 crew, and approximately 100 vehicles. Vehicles were loaded through side doors positioned at various levels on either side of the ship.Mona's Queen was powered by two 10-cylinder P.C.2 Crossley Pielstick engines, producing 10,000 brake horsepower. Propulsion was by variable pitch propellers - the first time these had been used in the Isle of Man fleet. These meant she could be controlled from the bridge or engine room
Engine room
On a ship, the engine room, or ER, commonly refers to the machinery spaces of a vessel. To increase the safety and damage survivability of a vessel, the machinery necessary for operations may be segregated into various spaces, the engine room is one of these spaces, and is generally the largest...
, with all engine conditions monitored from a control room within the main engine room.
Service
Mona's Queen gave reliable service to the Isle of ManIsle of Man
The Isle of Man , otherwise known simply as Mann , is a self-governing British Crown Dependency, located in the Irish Sea between the islands of Great Britain and Ireland, within the British Isles. The head of state is Queen Elizabeth II, who holds the title of Lord of Mann. The Lord of Mann is...
from 1972 until 1985. After the merger between the Steam Packet Co. and the Manx Line
Manx Line
Manx Line was the name of the ferry company that brought the RO-RO era to the Isle of Man between 1979-1984. It wasn't the first company called "Manx Line", with the Steam Packet Company having seen off another company with the same name in the late 19th century.-History:The company operated one...
in 1985, Mona's Queen was used mainly during the holiday season or chartered out. In September 1989, she was chartered by Sealink
Sealink
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....
for the services from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
and Weymouth to Cherbourg. She was withdrawn from service on 3 September 1990 and laid up at the Victoria South Dock, Birkenhead
Birkenhead
Birkenhead is a town within the Metropolitan Borough of Wirral in Merseyside, England. It is on the Wirral Peninsula, along the west bank of the River Mersey, opposite the city of Liverpool...
.
In the Philippines
Philippines
The Philippines , officially known as the Republic of the Philippines , is a country in Southeast Asia in the western Pacific Ocean. To its north across the Luzon Strait lies Taiwan. West across the South China Sea sits Vietnam...
, as Mary the Queen, she operated in the waters of south-east Asia, mainly sailing between Manila
Manila
Manila is the capital of the Philippines. It is one of the sixteen cities forming Metro Manila.Manila is located on the eastern shores of Manila Bay and is bordered by Navotas and Caloocan to the north, Quezon City to the northeast, San Juan and Mandaluyong to the east, Makati on the southeast,...
and Boracay
Boracay
Boracay is an island of the Philippines located approximately south of Manila and 2 km off the northwest tip of Panay Island in the Western Visayas region of the Philippines. Boracay Island and its beaches have received awards numerous times. Boracay was awarded in the "Travelers' Choice...
.