The history of
EUROLINK
FERRIES
1994-1996
articles about Eurolink put together
by Hans Neels.
Ferry service Ferrylink Freight Service/ Eurolink Ferries (1994-1996).
VLISSINGEN-SHEERNESS V.V. 1994-1996
"PASSENGER SERVICE BETWEEN VLISSINGEN AND SHEERNESS BEGIN APRIL
1995 RE-OPENED"
After Olau Line stopped its service on the route between Sheerness and Vlissingen in May 1994,
the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company- the owners of the harbour of Sheerness - started a new ferry service (freight only) between Sheerness and Vlissingen:
"FERRYLINK FREIGHT SERVICE".
On 8 July 1994 the service on Sheerness was opened with an Egyptian charter ship the
"AL HUSSEIN".
A second ship, the "NUWAYBA", came into service on 14 September 1994.
The route was served with those two Egyptian ferries because it was not able to get other ships at that moment.
The capacity for only 12 drivers was too small for a North Sea service that wants to transport accompanied trucks.
The sister ship "AL QUASAYR" had shortly taken the place of the "AL HUSSEIN" in January 1995 because of yearly maintenance of the "AL HUSSEIN".
A plan to rename the ships into "FERRYLINK MEDWAY" and "FERRYLINK SCHELDE"
never took place.
To step up the route's potential, the service was changed from a freight only service into a combined freight- passenger service between Vlissingen and Sheerness.
"EUROLINK FERRIES" was the name of the new ferry service, was told by Mersey Docks
on Friday 10 February 1995.
Eurolink had hired two ships on a long-term contract from the Greek owner "A.K. Ventouris"
till spring 1997.
The "AGIA METHODIA" (1976) and the "ATTIKA" (1977) had both served on the route
Patras-Brindisi between Greece and Italy, .
Both ships were into passenger-ferries converted freight ro-ro's, and provide comprehensive
on-board facilities for passengers and as much as 1150 lane metres for cars and cargo.
They were so called stern loaders and manned by British officers with a mainly Polish crew.
The "AGIA METHODIA" was renamed into "EUROMANTIQUE" and the "ATTIKA" was renamed into "EUROMAGIQUE".
The first ship "EUROMAGIQUE" - to take also passengers - arrived after many problems on
the Greek shipyard in April on the route.
On Saturday 17 June 1995 a fire broke out in the engine room of the "EUROMAGIQUE"
when the ship, with 87 passengers and 46 crewmembers on board, had reached the entrance
of the Westerschelde on its way to Vlissingen.
The fire was quickly under control and all crewmembers and passengers were rescued.
The second ship, the "EUROMANTIQUE", was already on the route but only to carry freight.
For passenger-services it had to be refit on the shipyard in Greece.
She came back into service on 19 June 1995, and from 10 July 1995 Eurolink Ferries had two ships on the route.
The consequently carryings of passengers where much lower than expected.
In the first year 1995, 75.000 passengers were carried, in 1996 till August almost 130.000 passengers.
This was a big increase but to less to avoid big losses.
The two ships, who where marketed as being "simply different" were for some too simple and could never withstand the comparison with the luxurious Olau Line ferries.
Due to the big losses on the route, the mother company - the Mersey Docks and Harbour Company - closed the ferry service on 1 December 1996.
Fleet-list Ferrylink Freight Services/ Eurolink Ferries (1994-1996).
1. m/s "AL HUSSEIN" 1994-1995, ã photo Fotoflite.
Company: Ferrylink Freight Service.
Route: Vlissingen-Sheerness.
Flag: Alexandrië, Egypte.
1985, building yard: Schlichting Werft, Travemunde.
Gross. 2039t., net. 525t., dwt. 3133t.
Loa.117,20m., ll.101,20m., br.17,51m., dg. 5,25m.
Two 4 tew 9 cylinder MaK diesel engines,
2 screws, 7341 hp, speed 17 kn.
Ro-ro capacity: 890m, 60 trucks.
Pass. capacity: 12 passengers.
Owner: Egyptian Navigation.
Last names: "NUWEIBA"-85
2. m/s "NUWAYBA" 1994-1995, ã photo L. Bosschaart.
Company: Ferrylink Freight Service.
Route: Vlissingen-Sheerness.
Flag: Alexandrië, Egypte.
1989, building yard: Alexandria Shipyard, Alexandria.
Gross. 6650t., net. 876t., dwt. 3000t.
Loa.117,20m., ll.101,12.m., br.17,50m., dg.5,06m.
Two 4 tew 9 cylinder MaK diesel engines,
2 screws, 7341 hp, speed 17 kn.
Ro-ro capacity: 890m, 60 trucks.
Pass. capacity: 12 passengers.
Owner: Egyptian Navigation.
3. m/s "AL QUSAYR" 1995-1995
Company: Ferrylink Freight Service.
Route: Vlissingen-Sheerness.
Flag: Alexandrië, Egypte.
1989, building yard: Alexandria Shipyard, Alexandria.
Gross. 2039t., net. 876t., dwt. 3078t.
Loa. 117,20m.,ll.101,12m., br.17,50m., dg.5,06m.
Two 4 tew 9 cylinder MaK diesel engines,
2 screws, 7336 hp, speed 17 kn.
Ro-ro capacity: 890m, 60 trucks
Pass. capacity: 12 passengers.
Owner: Egyptian Navigation.
4. m/s "EUROMANTIQUE" 1995-1996, ã photo Hans Neels.
Company: Eurolink Ferries.
Route: Vlissingen-Sheerness.
Flag: Bahamas, Nassau.
1976, building yard: A/S Framnaes Mek. Verksted, Sandefjord.
Gross. 10.749t., net. 3237t., dwt. 7299.t.
Loa.135,79m., ll.120,00m., br.26,73m., dg.6,17m
Two 4 tew 12 cylinder Pielstick diesel engines,
2 screws, 12.000 hp, speed 18½ kn.
Ro-ro capacity: 300 cars, 1150m.
Pass. capacity: 550 passengers.
Owner: A.K. Ventouris.
1999 "TAXIARCHIS" NEL Lines
1995 "EUROMANTIQUE" Eurolink Ferries
1194 "AGIA METHODIA" A.K. Ventouris
1993 "SEAWAY I" A.K. Ventouris
1984 "SEAWAY HOBART" Coastal Express Line
1976 "UNION HOBART" Union Shipping Australia
M/s "AGIA METHODIA" entering Vlissingen roads, ã photo C.Vangheluwe.
M/s "AGIA METHODIA" in the outer harbour of Vlissingen, ã photo C. Vangheluwe.
M/s "EUROMANTIQUE", ã photo Ferry Publications.
M/s "TAXIARCHIS" in Lesvos, ã photo Costis Stefanou
5. m/s "EUROMAGIQUE" 1995-1996, ã photo Hans Neels
Company: Eurolink Ferries.
Route: Vlissingen -Sheerness.
Flag: Bahamas, Nassau.
1977, building yard: Lodose Shipyard, Lodose
Gross. 11.591t., net. 3556.t., dwt. 1750.t.
Loa.161,80m., ll.152,51m., br.18,04m., dg.6,71m
Two 4 tew 8 cylinder Sulzer diesel engines,
2 screws, 10.400 hp, speed 16 kn.
Ro-ro capacity: 115 trucks or 699 cars, 1200m.
Pass. capacity: 350 passengers.
Owner: A.K. Ventouris.
1997 Charter ISNASA
1995 "EUROMAGIQUE" Eurolink Ferries
1993 "ATTIKA" A.K. Ventouris
1991 "NAESBORG" Dannebrog Rederi A/S, Kopenhagen
1990 "DANA CORONA"Dannebrog Rederi A/S, Kopenhagen
1988 "NAESBORG" Dannebrog Rederi A/S, Kopenhagen
1977 "KAPRIFOL" OT-Rederiet Skärhamn
M/s "KAPRIFOL" in the outer-harbour of Vlissingen, ã photo L.Bosschaart.
M/s "ATTIKA" on a Greek shipyard, ã photo L.Bosschaart.
M/s "EUROMAGIQUE" in the outer-harbour of Vlissingen, ã photo Hans Neels.
M/s "EUROMAGIQUE", ã photo Ferry Publications.
Sources amongst others: "Provinciale Zeeuwse Courant".
"Ferries, das Fährschiffahrtsmagazin".
Photo's: Louis Bosschaart
Ferry Publications
Fotoflite
Hans Neels
Carlo Vangheluwe
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