The final days of the ferry Ostend Spirit (MS Pride of Calais)

Posted By on January 26, 2014

What do you do with a ship when it is time to retire it? Cut it into piece so it can be salvaged for scrap … or sink it as an artificial reef. In the case of this 27,000 gross ton ferry, they’re going to beach it first, so you better get out of the way!

The M/F Ostend Spirit (once the MS Pride of Calais) was own by a shipping company that declared bankruptcy and was sold for scrap and scheduled for disassembly by crews in Turkey. It looks a little crazy to me, but I suppose “beaching it” is probably the easiest way to get workers and equipment aboard?

Name:
1987-1999: Pride of Calais
1999-2002: P&OSL Calais
2002-2003: PO Calais
2003-2012: Pride of Calais
2012-present: Ostend Spirit

Owner:
1987: Stanhope Steamship Co Ltd (Townsend Thoresen)[1]
1987-2006: P&O European Ferries (Dover) Ltd
2006-present: P&O Ferries Ltd

Launched:
11 April 1987

Completed:
27 November 1987

Maiden voyage:
4 December 1987

Tonnage:
26,433 GT

Length:
169.6 m (556.4 ft)

Beam:
28.27 m (92.7 ft)

Draught:
6.12 m (20.1 ft)

Depth:
13.80 m (45.3 ft)

Installed power:
3 x Sulzer ZA40S Diesels

Propulsion:
Triple controllable pitch propellers

Speed:
22 knots (41 km/h; 25 mph)

Capacity:
2,290 passengers
650 vehicles (1,500 lanemetres)

Categories: Sailing, Video
Tags: , , ,

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  1. lacking in consistency, constancy, or visible order, disconnected; fitful: desultory conversation.
  2. digressing from or unconnected with the main subject; random: a desultory remark.
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