MS Daniya

Stena Navigator in Belfast
Career
Name:	1984-1992: Champs Elysees 1992-1997: Stena Parisien 1997-2009: SeaFrance Manet 2009-2012: Stena Navigator 2012 onwards: Daniya
Operator:	1984-1986: SNCF 1986-1990: Dieppe Ferries 1990-1992: SPN 1992-1997: Sealink Stena Line 1997-2009: SeaFrance 2009-2012: Stena Line 2012 onwards: Baleària
Port of registry:	1984-1990: Calais, 1990-1997: Dieppe, 1997-2009: Calais, 2009-2012: London, 2012 onwards: S. C. de Tenerife,
Builder:	Chantiers Dubigeon S.A
Yard number:	167
Launched:	21 December 1983
Identification:	IMO number: 8208763
General characteristics
Tonnage:	15,093 GT
Length:	134 m (440 ft)
Beam:	22.50 m (74 ft)
Installed power:	2x 18cyl SEMT Pielstick diesel engines
Propulsion:	Two shafts; controllable pitch propellers
Speed:	18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)
Capacity:	1,800 passengers 330 cars or 43 freight vehicles

Daniya is a passenger / car ferry owned and operated by Baleària. She was built in 1984 by Chantiers Dubigeon S.A. in Prairie-au-Duc, Nantes, France for SNCF as Champs Elysees. From 1997 to 2009, she was owned by SeaFrance under the name SeaFrance Manet,^[1] until she was bought from SeaFrance in 2009. Stena Navigator was totally overhauled in October 2009 for the beginning of service with Stena Line.

Service History

SNCF

Champs Elysées was built in 1984 by Chantiers Dubigeon S.A., Prairie-au-Duc, Nantes, for SNCF's Calais-Dover services, which were shared with their Sealink partners. She also operated between Boulogne-Dover. In 1990, ownership of Champs Elysées was transferred to Societé Propietaire des Navaires (SPN), in which Stena Line took a 49% interest (Stena having acquired the UK-owned Sealink operation).^[2]

SPN

In 1990, ownership of Champs Elysées was transferred to Societé Propietaire des Navaires (SPN), in which Stena Line took a 49% interest (Stena having acquired the UK-owned Sealink operation). Champs Elysées was transferred to the Newhaven-Dieppe service, which at that time was run by SPN.

Stena Sealink

In 1992 Champs Elysées was chartered to Sealink Stena Line when they took over the Newhaven-Dieppe service, for which she was renamed Stena Parisien. In 1997 the charter was ended, and Stena Parisien entered service between Dover-Calais for SeaFrance as SeaFrance Manet.

SeaFrance

In 1997, the Stena Line charter was ended, and Stena Parisien entered service between Dover-Calais for SeaFrance as the SeaFrance Manet. In 1999, Stena Line sold their 49% back to SPN. On 27 December 2007, SeaFrance announced that they have purchased a new vessel to replace both the Seafrance Manet and Seafrance Renoir. The SeaFrance Manet was retained by SeaFrance as a spare vessel in the fleet, until 2009. 29 April 2008 saw the final sailing of SeaFrance Manet between Dover - Calais. Afterwards, she was laid up in Calais.

Stena Line

On 8 July 2009, Stena Line officially announced they were purchasing the SeaFrance Manet to operate on their Belfast - Stranraer route. After a comprehensive refit she joined the Stena Caledonia and Stena Voyager in the autumn of 2009. In March 2011, Stena Line announced the Stena Navigator and her running partners on the Belfast - Stranraer route (Stena Caledonia and Stena Voyager) were to be replaced in autumn 2011 by the Stena Superfast VII and Stena Superfast VIII chartered from Estonian ferry operator Tallink.^[3] The Stena Navigator was withdrawn from service with on 16 November 2011.

Baleària

Three months after the closure of the Stranraer route, The Stena Navigator departed Belfast on 17 February bound for the Astander shipyard in Santander. The vessel was repainted in the Baleària livery and renamed Daniya.^[4]

Sister ship

The Stena Navigator had one sister ship, the SeaFrance Renoir which was scrapped in 2011. They are close sister ships but they aren't identical ferries. For example, windows on the Renoir were smaller than in the Daniya.

References