Suilven ---imo 7383487

[Jan Hendrik]

Constructed by Moss Rosenberg Verft A/S in Moss, Norway in 1974 for Caledonian MacBrayne.
She was used on the run Stornoway to Ullapool until 1995.

1995 sold to Strait Shipping - Wellington and retained same name.
Used by this company as a Ro-Ro between Wellington and Picton during the period 1995-2002 and
Wellington to Nelson during the period 2002-2004.

GRT 1908 DWT 1920 but after some modifications by Strait Shipping GRT was altered to 3638.
approx. 120 cars and 500 passengers could be accommodated during the few hours trip.

2004 Sold to Bligh Water Shipping.

2012 sold to Venu Shipping which company undertook some refurbishment and 18 months later, August 2013, the vessel was back in action.
She now operates between Suva, Savusavu and Taveuni.

First photo is a promotional one ex Owners and the other photos I took when passing her in Fiji last year.
Jan

[flyer682]

Sorry Jan, but the photo is of fleetmate Santa Regina, still giving sterling service on Cook Strait.

Here's a picture of Suilven in the Lyttleton Drydock in January 1997.
Copyright G. Ferguson

[Jan Hendrik]

David, I had both Suilven and Santa Regina in same folder and picked the wrong photo when downloading into CR.
Corrected now. I saw the vessel in Fiji last year.
At that time laid up at anchorage, but she docked few months later at the Imel Drydock in Fiji. Got some photos too.
Thanks for alerting me.
Jan

[Jan Hendrik]

Santa Regina

Hereby another pic of the Santa Regina when I saw her passing during my visit to Wellington, 5th April this year.
Jan

[flyer682]

....At that time laid up at anchorage, but she docked few months later at the Imel Drydock in Fiji. Got some photos too.
Thanks for alerting me.
Jan

Good to see that she returned to service. The magazine Ships Monthly November 2012 issue stated that she was being offered for scrap.
Forty years old this year!