MV Ulster Queen (1967)

	Ulster Queen as Poseidonia laid up in Eleusis in 2004.
History
Name	Ulster Queen (1967-1982); Med Sea (1982-86) (unregistered); Al Kahera (1986-87; Ala-Eddin (1987-88); Poseidonia (1988-2005); Al Kahfain (2005);
Owner	Hellenic Mediterranean Lines (1988-2005); Pangloss Bav. Co. Ltd. (1982-1988); P&O Ferries Ltd (1978-1982); Belfast Steamship Co (1967-1978);
Operator	P&O Ferries (1978-81)
Route	Liverpool-Belfast (1967-1981)
Builder	Cammell Laird
Yard number	1323
Completed	23 May 1967
In service	6 June 1967
Out of service	7 November 1981
Identification	IMO number: 6703317
Fate	Wrecked on Hyndman Reef, Safaga 2005
General characteristics
Tonnage	4,270 GT
Length	115.22 m (378.0 ft)
Beam	16.46 m (54.0 ft)
Draught	4.13 m (13.5 ft)
Installed power	2x 12-cylinder, Pielstick diesel; 5295 kW.
Speed	15 knots (28 km/h; 17 mph)
Capacity	274 1st class passengers; 138 2nd class (cabin); 598 2nd class (seats);
Notes

MV Ulster Queen was a passenger ferry operated across the Irish Sea by P&O Ferries between 1967 and 1981.

History

Ulster Queen was the second of three new car ferries delivered to Coast Lines in 1966/67 to update the Irish Sea services of the Belfast Steamship Company. She was built by Cammell Laird in Birkenhead. With her sister, Ulster Prince she took over the Liverpool - Belfast night service, replacing the pre-war motorships Ulster Monarch and Ulster Prince (2). The smaller, third new ferry, Lion took over the Ardrossan - Belfast day service of Burns & Laird. Coast Lines were taken over by P&O in 1971 and the ferries subsequently took on the P&O Ferries colours, with pale blue funnels.^[4]

The service closed in 1981 and both ships were laid up in Ostend. Ulster Queen saw further service as Med Sea, Al Kahera and Ala-Eddin. In 1988, she was bought by Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, and renamed Poseidonia.

On 2 November 2005, she caught fire during a voyage from Suez to Jeddah. One crew member was lost. The following day, she sank on Hyndman Reef, Safaga and lies as a wreck.^[1]

Service

1967-1981: Liverpool-Belfast
1982-1985: Cyprus - Syria
1986: Red Sea
1988-2003 : Igoumenitsa - Brindisi (1988-1998)

References

^ ^a ^b "M/F Al Kahfain". Ferry-site.dk. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
^ "M/S Ulster Queen". faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 17 August 2018.
^ "Ship Fact Sheet ULSTER QUEEN (1967)" (PDF). P&O Heritage. Retrieved 18 August 2018.
^ "Ulster Queen - Poseidonia". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 17 August 2018.

[ferrysite-1] "M/F Al Kahfain". Ferry-site.dk. Retrieved 17 August 2018.

[2] "M/S Ulster Queen". faktaomfartyg.se. Retrieved 17 August 2018.

[3] "Ship Fact Sheet ULSTER QUEEN (1967)" (PDF). P&O Heritage. Retrieved 18 August 2018.

[4] "Ulster Queen - Poseidonia". Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 17 August 2018.

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