Misplaced Pages

Dover Eastern Docks in 1987. The 'European Clearway' is on the left and the 'European Trader' on the right
History
Name	1976 – 1996: European Clearway 1996 – 1998: Panther 1998 – 2002: European Pathfinder 2002 – 2002: Regina I 2002 – 2005: Begonia 2005–present: Via Mare
Owner	1976 – 1987: Townsend Thoresen 1987 – 2002: P&O 2002 – 2002: Erato Shipping 2002 – 2005: Transeuropa Ferries 2005–present: Baltic Scandinavian Lines
Operator	1976 – 1987 Townsend Thoresen 1987 – 1993: P&O European Ferries 1993 – 1998: Pandoro Ltd 1998 – 2002: P&O Irish Sea 2002 – 2002: Erato Shipping 2002 – 2005: Transeuropa Ferries 2005–present: Baltic Scandinavian Lines
Port of registry	1976 – 2002: Dover,  UK 2002 – 2005: Kingstown,  Saint Vincent and the Grenadines 2005 – unknown: Tallinn,  Estonia unknown – present: Tasucu  Turkey
Route	1976 – 1992: Dover-Zeebrugge 1992 – 1993: Portsmouth-Le Havre 1993 – 2001: Rosslare-Cherbourg 2001 – 2002: Larne-Cairnryan 2002 – 2005: Ramsgate-Ostend 2005 – unknown: Kapellskär-Paldiski unknown – Present: Tasucu-Kyrenia
Builder	Schichau Unterweser AG, Germany
Yard number	2263
Laid down	25 April 1975
Launched	10 October 1975
Completed	16 January 1976
In service	1976
Identification	IMO number: 7411258
General characteristics
Tonnage	8,023 GT
Length	117.85 m (386.6 ft)
Beam	20.27 m (66.5 ft)
Draught	5.82 m (19.1 ft)
Propulsion	Two Stork Werkspoor 9TM410
Speed	18.4 kn (34.1 km/h)

The Via Mare is a ro-pax ship which is owned and operated by Baltic Scandinavian Lines.

History

The Via Mare was launched for Townsend Thoresen as the European Clearway in 1976 for use on their Dover – Zeebrugge route. Townsend Thoresen was absorbed by P&O European Ferries in 1987, retaining the European Clearway before transferring it to Pandoro, another section of P&O. In 1992 European Clearway was transferred to the Portsmouth – Le Havre route In 1993 she was transferred to the Rosslare – Cherbourg route. In 1996 Pandoro renamed the ship Panther, in keeping with the animal names of the other ships in their fleet. Two years later the name was changed again, this time to European Pathfinder when Pandoro Ltd. merged with P&O European (Felixstowe) Ltd. to form P&O European Ferries (Irish Sea).

The vessel suffered a serious fire on 26 November 1997 when 35 miles out from Rosslare on passage to Cherbourg, but was repaired at Birkenhead and returned to service.

She was transferred to the Larne-Cairnryan route in April 2001 to replace the European Trader which had been sold. Unfortunately her port main engine failed in June 2002 and was not repaired, resulting in the final month of operation being at 10 kt on one engine. She was laid up in Liverpool in July 2002 and spent several months awaiting a buyer. In October 2002 the vessel was briefly owned by Erato Shipping of Greece and renamed Regina I but was very quickly sold to Transeuropa Ferries for use on their Ramsgate Ostend service, being renamed Begonia. Her first voyage from Ostend to Ramsgate was on 11 February 2004, following a refit which took over a year. On 8 July 2005 she was sold to Baltic Scandinavian Lines for use on their Kapellskär – Paldiski route.

Sister ships

• M/F Gardenia – originally European Enterprise
• Lina Trader – originally European Trader
• Penelope – originally European Gateway (laid down as European Express)

References

1. "Via Mare". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
2. "P&O Irish Sea Ferries History". Retrieved 30 April 2009.
3. "The Begonia Blossoms". 8 April 2004. Archived from the original on 3 December 2008. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
4. "News of Old Ferries in New Waters". 8 July 2005. Archived from the original on 7 April 2009. Retrieved 30 April 2009.
5. "Via Mare". Archived from the original on 14 July 2011. Retrieved 1 May 2009.

v t e Ships of P&O
Current fleet English Channel Pride of Canterbury Spirit of Britain Spirit of France P&O Pioneer Irish Sea European Causeway European Highlander Norbank Norbay North Sea Bore Song Norking Norqueen Norsky Norstream Pride of Hull Pride of Rotterdam
v t e Former fleet     Atlantic Freighter Baltic Ferry Berrima Bison Bore Mari Brave Merchant Buffalo Calibur Celtic Star Cerdic Ferry Cherbourg Express Coromandel Coromandel Doric Ferry Egypt Envoy Equine European Ambassador European Clearway European Diplomat European Endeavour European Endeavour European Enterprise European Envoy European Freeway European Freighter European Highlander European Highway European Leader European Mariner European Navigator European Pathfinder European Pathway European Pioneer European Seafarer European Seaway European Tideway European Trader European Trader Europic Ferry Express Free Enterprise V Free Enterprise VI Free Enterprise VII Global Carrier Global Freighter Ibex Jetliner Landi Lehola Leopard Lion Max Mols (Caen Express) Merchant Brilliant Merchant Valiant Norcape Norcove Nordic Ferry Norland Norsea Northern Star Oriental P&OSL Aquitaine P&OSL Calais P&OSL Canterbury P&OSL Dover P&OSL Kent P&OSL Picardy P&OSL Provence Panther PO Aquitaine PO Calais PO Canterbury PO Dover PO Kent PO Provence Portsmouth Express Pride of Ailsa Pride of Aquitaine Pride of Bilbao Pride of Bruges Pride of Bruges Pride of Burgundy Pride of Calais Pride of Canterbury Pride Of Cherbourg Pride of Cherbourg Pride of Cherbourg Pride of Cherbourg A Pride of Cherbourg II Pride of Dover Pride of Flanders Pride of Free Enterprise Pride of Hampshire Pride of Hythe Pride of Kent Pride of Le Havre Pride of Le Havre Pride of Portsmouth Pride of Provence Pride of Rathlin Pride of Sandwich Pride of Suffolk Pride of Walmer Pride of Winchester Pride of York Puma Rodona RR Triumph Sapphire Southern Carrier Stena Cambria Stena Empereur Stena Fantasia Stena Royal Stena Shipper SuperStar Express Tidero Star Tor Futura Ursine Vega Viking Trader Viking Valiant Viking Venturer Viking Viscount Viking Voyager
- Denotes order in which different vessels carried the name

• 1975 ships