Sealink-Holyhead: St Christopher

St Christopher

The St Christopher leaves Holyhead for Dun Laoghaire on her maiden voyage, 17 March 1981. We think Capt Idwal Pritchard, Senior Master designate for the new St David is on the bridge wing assisting Dover's Capt Edwin Venables with Pilotage. © Phil Evans Collection.

Destined for the Dover-Calais Flagship Service, the brand new St Christopher was first diverted to the Fishguard-Rosslare run to allow the Stena Normandica to stand down for overhaul. At least that was the intention. The ship duly arrived at Rosslare for berthing trials early on 15 March, but instead of proceeding to Fishguard to take up the run she was instead diverted northwards to Dun Laoghaire for further trials, arriving there shortly after 1800hrs. She then crossed to Holyhead to operate her official maiden voyage in place of a failed St Columba. This complete, it was back south and she finally took up service at Fishguard on 19 March.

The Dover Strait at last, on passage to Calais. © Justin Merrigan Collection.

It was not until 13 April that Dover got its new ship, joining sister ship St Anselm on the Calais service. It was not long before the ship received the first of a number of alterations designed to enhance the travelling experience of her passengers. Early in 1982 her passenger certificate was increased to 1200 by opening up the bridge deck aft of the funnels and then in 1983 she returned to Belfast where her accommodation was extended aft. This modification saw another passenger increase, to 1350, and GRT rose to 7399 tons. In 1986 £1.5mn was spent by Sealink's new owners, Sea Containers, on a completely new interior refit completed at Papenburg, West Germany.

Passing the St Anselm in the English Channel. © Justin Merrigan Collection.

The St Christopher had a lucky escape in October 1987 while on passage from Calais to Dover. Unable to enter the Kentish port in the same storm that had the Hengist ashore at Folkestone, the St Christopher found herself sheltering between Deal and the Goodwin Sands. There she was hit by a wave of such ferocity that her forward upper vehicle deck door was split open. A number of artics turned over and for a time the ship was in a critical situation. Thanks to the professionalism of her crew the situation was brought back under control and nine hours after leaving Calais she finally limped into Dover.

Following the sale of Sealink to Stena Line in 1990, the St Christopher was allocated to the Stranraer-Larne service and renamed Stena Antrim. Under this name she again saw service at Holyhead, in January 1995 while covering for the overhaul periods of the Stena Cambria (ex-St Anselm) and Stena Hibernia.

The Stena Antrim alongside at Dun Laoghaire, January 1995. © Justin Merrigan

Morning departure from Dun Laoghaire, January 1995. © Justin Merrigan

Her duties at Holyhead complete the Stena Antrim sailed for her own overhaul before returning to Stranraer at the end of February. Shortly after however she was off on her travels again, this time returning to the English Channel - not to Dover but Newhaven. On 7th April she took up service to Dieppe while the Stena Parisen sailed for overhaul.

This complete it was back to Stranraer for what would be the final year of sailings to Larne and on 11th November completed her final crossing on the link before the Northern Irish terminal was switched to Belfast.

The arrival of the HSS Stena Voyager on the North Channel in 1996 saw the Stena Antrim surplus to requirements and by the end of the year she was back on the English Channel, operating the Newhaven-Dieppe service. It was a shortlived move and in April 1998 she was withdrawn from service. Having been laid up for sale at Zeebrugge for two months the ship was sold to Limadet for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Ibn Batouta.