MS Vronskiy

Duc de Normandie pictured with P&O's Pride of Le Havre in 1989
History
Name:
  • 1978-1986: Prinses Beatrix
  • 1986-2005: Duc de Normandie
  • 2005-2013: Wisteria
  • 2013-present: Vronskiy
Operator:
Port of registry:
  • 1978-1986: Hoek of Holland, Netherlands
  • 1986-2005: Caen France
  • 2005-present: Limasol Cyprus
Builder: Verolme Scheepswerf Heusden, The Netherlands
Launched: 14 January 1978
In service: 29 June 1978
Identification: IMO number: 7637149
General characteristics
Tonnage: 9,367 GRT
Length: 131 m (429.8 ft)
Beam: 22 m (72.2 ft)
Speed: 21 kn (38.9 km/h)
Capacity:
  • 1500 passengers
  • 350 cars

MS Vronskiy (ex-Wisteria) is a passenger car ferry operated by Acciona Trasmediterránea and FerriMaroc between Algeciras and the Moroccan port of Tanger-Med.

History

The Vronskiy was built in 1978 as the Prinses Beatrix by Verolme Shipyard, in Heusden, The Netherlands and worked for Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland on their joint Sealink route between Hoek van Holland and Harwich, Parkeston Quay. She was named and launched by H.R.H. Princess Beatrix on 14 January 1978.[1] Brittany Ferries bought the ferry on 1 October 1985, and after chartering it for a year back to SMZ, renamed it Duc de Normandie, operating between Portsmouth and Ouistreham from 5 June 1986.[2] The ferry sailed alongside Reine Mathilde on its favoured route to Ouistreham. On 10 July 2002, she was transferred to the Plymouth - Roscoff route, replacing the Quiberon.[3] She ended her Brittany Ferries career on this route, her final sailing being on 30 September 2004.

Particular features of the Duc were a calvados still in the Alambic bar and a cider press at the wine bar.

Brittany Ferries sold the Duc in 2005 to TransEuropa Ferries, operating between Port of Ramsgate and Ostend under the name MV Wisteria. In 2006 she was chartered to Ferrimaroc and Acciona Trasmeditarranea for use on their Almeria (Spain) to Nador (Morocco).

The former MS Wisteria (former:Prinses Beatrix) (which shouldn't be mixed up with the ship with the same name from 1975) is sailing on the Nador-Almeria route until 15 September 2013 under the name Vronskiy. Before the long-term charter per 2008 this ship has been sailing on this route during the summer-season while during the rest of the year Transeuropa Ferries operated it on their Oostend-Ramsgate route. Until 2013 the owner of the ship was Wisteria Hawthorn Shipping Co. but after TEF going bankrupt in April 2013 it was sold to Nizhniy Shipping Ltd. who renamed it to Vronskiy, but the existing lease/charther to Acciona was continued. The Vronskiy is being used on the route Algericas - Tanger except during the high-summer season when she will sail the Nador-Almeria route [4][5]

References

  1. ↑ "M/S PRINSES BEATRIX (1978) (in Swedish)". Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  2. ↑ "Brittany Ferries Enthusiasts feature - Goodbye to the Duc". Retrieved 4 May 2009.
  3. ↑ "Prinses Beatrix - Duc de Normandie - Wisteria". Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  4. ↑ "St. Malo ships - Duc de Normandie : car-ferry". Retrieved 1 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "MOROCCO, SEPTEMBER 2006, Part Two: Wisteria, Nador - Almeria". Retrieved 1 May 2009.
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