Stena Transporter

The Stena Transporter

The Stena Transporter alongside at Holyhead © John Lewis

The former P&O European Ferries and Townsend Thoresen vessel Stena Transporter was an unusual addition to the Holyhead fleet in April 2003 when she maintained the Dublin link pending delivery of the new Stena Adventurer. Coincidentally she was also built at the same South Korean yard as the new ship, being built for Stena's charter business by Hyundai as the Merzario Hispania in 1978.
Chartered to Townsend Thoresen in January 1980 for the Felixstowe-Europoort service, she was renamed Nordic Ferry and by the end of the year she was in the hands of Hapag Lloyd Werft, Bremerhaven, being equipped with extra passenger and freight accommodation. Further alterations were made in 1986 when she was converted for full passenger service, accommodation blocks being added to the upper freight deck. Following the takeover of Townsend Thoresen in 1987 she was renamed Pride of Flanders in 1992 in line with the company's new naming policy. However, in 1995 the passenger operations on the Felixstowe-Zeebrugge ceased and so the Pride of Flanders had her accommodations blocks removed by Harland & Wolff at Belfast. In July 2002 she was sold to Stena Line and renamed Stena Transporter for service between Harwich and Europoort

The Stena Transporter at sea, 4th October, 2007. © Mike Griffiths

The ship returned to Holyhead in September 2007, once again maintaining the Dublin service, on that occasion while the Stena Adventurer was in drydock.

29th September, 2007 Holyhead arrival. © Capt Bill Moss