MS Express Aphrodite

The MS Express Aphrodite was 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 Dún Laoghaire in the Irish Sea. She laterally operated between Duba and Jeddah for Namma Shipping Lines. She was beached at Gadani for scrapping in December 2021.

Express Aphrodite at Piraeus in 2000.
History
Name
  • 1977–1991: St. Columba
  • 1991–1996: Stena Hibernia
  • 1996–1997: Stena Adventurer
  • 1997–2007: Express Aphrodite
  • 2007–2021: Masarrah
  • 2021: Asarrah
OperatorNamma Shipping Lines (2007–2021)
Port of registry Gabon (2021)
BuilderAalborg Vaerft, Denmark
Yard number214
Launched17 July 1976
Completed1977
Acquired1977
Maiden voyage1977
In service1977-2021
Out of serviceDecember 2021
IdentificationIMO number: 7507019
FateScrapped at Gadani, Pakistan, December 2021.
General characteristics
Tonnage11,690 GT
Length129.2 m (423 ft 11 in)
Beam20.6 m (67 ft 7 in)
Draught4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power2 × Stork-Werkspoor 16T410
Capacity

Fire
St. Columba at Dún Laoghaire
St. Columba

On 31 January 1990, a fire broke out in the engine room of St. Columba. None of the 199 passengers on board were injured, however a fireman suffered a fractured ulna.

The Captain praised the work of the staff on board the ferry in preventing the spread of the fire, and keeping the passengers safe and re-assured. As there was too much oil to re-ignite the engines, the ship had to be towed for the remainder of the journey to Holyhead port.

Ownership by Stena Line

In 1990, Sealink was taken over by Stena Line, and with this new investment, came an £8 million re-fit for St Columba, and her name was changed to Stena Hibernia. In 1996, with the introduction of the HSS fast ferries, Hibernia was again re-named, this time as Stena Adventurer, with the intention of her moving to the English Channel to serve the Dover to Calais route. This move, however, never materialised, and Stena Adventurer was sold to Agapitos Express Ferries of Greece.

Ownership by Agapitos Express Ferries

Stena Adventurer was renamed Express Aphrodite.

Ship's names
  • St. Columba (1977–1990)
  • Stena Hibernia (1990–1996)
  • Stena Adventurer (1996–1997)
  • Express Aphrodite (1997–2007)
  • Masarrah (2007–2021)
  • Asarrah (2021)

Scraping
Stena Adventurer at Belfast.

Masarrah was beached as Asarrah at Gadani Ship Breaking Yard, Pakistan, on the morning of 2 December 2021 for scrapping.[1] She was flying the flag of Gabon at the time.

Masarrah at Safaga.

References
  1. "Former Sealink / Stena Line Ferry Beached in Pakistan". Ferry News and Information Site – niferry.co.uk. 2 December 2021. Retrieved 2 December 2021.


This article is issued from Wikipedia. The text is licensed under Creative Commons - Attribution - Sharealike. Additional terms may apply for the media files.