MV Ulster Queen (1967)
 Ulster Queen as Poseidonia laid up in Eleusis in 2004.
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
|
| Owner |
|
| Operator |  P&O Ferries (1978-81) |
| Route | Liverpool-Belfast (1967-1981) |
| Builder | Cammell Laird |
| Yard number | 1323 |
| Completed | 23 May 1967 |
| In service | 6 June 1967[2] |
| Out of service | 7 November 1981 |
| Identification | IMO number: 6703317 |
| Fate | Wrecked on Hyndman Reef, Safaga 2005 |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 4,270 GT |
| Length | 115.22 m (378.0 ft) |
| Beam | 16.46 m (54.0 ft) |
| Draught | 4.13 m (13.5 ft) |
| Installed power | 2x 12-cylinder, Pielstick diesel; 5295 kW. |
| Speed | 15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph) |
| Capacity |
|
| Notes | [3] |
MV Ulster Queen was a passenger ferry operated across the Irish Sea by P&O Ferries between 1967 and 1981.
History
[edit]Ulster Queen was the second of three new car ferries delivered to Coast Lines in 1966/67 to update the Irish Sea services of the Belfast Steamship Company. She was built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. With her sister, Ulster Prince she took over the Liverpool - Belfast night service, replacing the pre-war motorships Ulster Monarch and Ulster Prince (2). The smaller, third new ferry, Lion took over the Ardrossan - Belfast day service of Burns & Laird. Coast Lines were taken over by P&O in 1971 and the ferries subsequently took on the P&O Ferries colours, with pale blue funnels.[4]
The service closed in 1981 and both ships were laid up in Ostend. Ulster Queen saw further service as Med Sea, Al Kahera and Ala-Eddin. In 1988, she was bought by Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, and renamed Poseidonia.
On 2 November 2005, she caught fire during a voyage from Suez to Jeddah. One crew member was lost. The following day, she sank on Hyndman Reef, Safaga and lies as a wreck.[1]
Service
[edit]- 1967-1981: Liverpool-Belfast
- 1982-1985: Cyprus - Syria
- 1986: Red Sea
- 1988-2003 : Igoumenitsa - Brindisi (1988-1998)
References
[edit]- ^ a b "M/F Al Kahfain". Ferry-site.dk. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "M/S Ulster Queen". faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
- ^ "Ship Fact Sheet ULSTER QUEEN (1967)" (PDF). P&O Heritage. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
- ^ "Ulster Queen - Poseidonia". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 17 August 2018.