MS SeaFrance Molière at sea, August 2008 |
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| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | 2002—2007: Superfast X 2007—2008: Jean Nicoli 2008 onwards: SeaFrance Molière |
| Owner: | 2002—2007: Superfast Ferries 2007—2008: Veolia Transport 2008 onwards: SeaFrance[1] |
| Operator: | 2002—2007: Superfast Ferries 2007: SNCM 2007: COTUNAV 2007: ANEK Lines 2008 onwards: SeaFrance[1] |
| Port of registry: | 2002—2007: Piraeus, Greece 2007—2008: Ajaccio, France[1] 2008 onwards: Calais, France[2] |
| Builder: | Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany |
| Yard number: | 360[1] |
| Launched: | 18 November 2000[1] |
| Christened: | 26 February 2002 by Patricia Lederer[1] |
| Acquired: | 26 February 2002[1] |
| In service: | 27 February 2002[1] |
| Identification: | IMO number: 9211511[1] |
| Status: | in service |
| General characteristics (as Superfast X)[1] | |
| Class and type: | Superfast VII class fast ropax ferry |
| Tonnage: | 29,800 GT (gross tonnage) |
| Displacement: | 5,295 metric tons deadweight (DWT) |
| Length: | 203.30 m (667 ft) |
| Beam: | 25.00 m (82 ft) |
| Draught: | 6.50 m (21 ft 4 in) |
| Ice class: | 1 A Super[3] |
| Installed power: | 4 × Wärtsilä-Sulzer NSD ZA V40S diesels combined 46000 kW |
| Propulsion: | 2 propellers[4] |
| Speed: | 30.4 kn (56.30 km/h)[5] |
| Capacity: | 626 passengers (728 after 2004 refit) 653 cars 1891 lane meters |
| General characteristics (as SeaFrance Molière)[4] | |
| Tonnage: | 30,285 GT (gross tonnage) |
| Decks: | 10 |
| Speed: | 28.4 kn (52.60 km/h) |
| Capacity: | 1200 passengers 660 cars 1900 lane meters |
| Notes: | Otherwise the same as above |
MS SeaFrance Molière is a fast ropax ferry owned by SeaFrance and operated between Dover and Calais.[4][6] She was built in 2002 by the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) at Kiel, Germany for Superfast Ferries as MS Superfast X. Between 2007 and 2008 she was owned by Veolia Transport and sailed under the name MS Jean Nicoli for SNCM, COTUNAV and ANEK Lines.[1]
The Superfast X was the last ship in a series of four identical ice classed fast ferries built by HDW for Superfast Ferries' new Baltic Sea services. She was launched on 18 November 2000,[1] on the same date as her sisters MS Superfast VII[7] and MS Superfast IX[8] The Superfast X was delivered to her owners on 26 February 2002, and christened on the same date by Patricia Lederer.[1]
The Superfast X entered service for Superfast Ferries on 27 February 2002 on the Hanko—Rostock route. She remained on that route until 19 April 2002, when she was laid up in Kiel at HDW. On 17 May 2002 she re-entered service, now on the Rosyth—Zeebrugge route. In January—February 2004 the Superfast X was rebuilt at Fosen Mekaniske Verksted, Fosen, Norway with additional passenger berths.[1] On 7 August 2006 Superfast Ferries announced they had sold the Superfast X to Veolia Transport for Euro 112 million.[9] The ship was delivered to her new owners on 12 February 2007 and renamed Jean Nicoli.[1]
On March 2007 the Jean Nicoli made crossings from Le Havre to Marseille, carrying cars onboard. During April of the same year she was chartered to COTUNAV for traffic from Italy and France to Tunisia. At the end of April she was laid up, initially at La Seyne, later at Marseille. From 8 September until 2 October 2007 she was chartered to ANEK Lines for service on their Patras—Korfu—Igoumenitsa—Venice route. On 27 December 2007 the ship was sold to SeaFrance, with a delivery date set for April 2008.[1]
In the beginning of April 2008 the Jean Nicoli was delivered to SeaFrance and renamed SeaFrance Molière. On 3 April 2008 she left Marseille for Arno Dunkerque for rebuilding into a short distance ferry.[1][4] She entered service with SeaFrance in freight only operation on 19 August 2008 and begun passenger service on 1 September 2008.[1][10]
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