MS Finbo Cargo

The MS Finbo Cargo is a roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry that was previously called the European Endeavour which was owned and operated by P&O Ferries until May 2019. Eckerö Line purchased the ship from P&O in 2019 and is expected to take delivery in June 2019 and renamed her MS Finbo Cargo.

MS European Endeavour entering the River Mersey on 17 May 2013
History
Name:
  • MS Finbo Cargo (May 2019–Present)
  • European Endeavour (2007–May 2019)
  • El Greco (2006–2007)
  • Midnight Merchant (2000-2006)[1]
Owner:
  •  Finland Eckerö Line, (May 2019–Present)
  • P&O Ferries (2007–May 2019)
  • Acciona Transmediterranea (2006–2007)
  • Cenargo International Ltd (2000–2006)
Operator:
Port of registry:
Route:
Builder: Astilleros Españoles S.A. (AESA) Seville, Spain.
Cost: $65 million USD
Yard number: 290
Laid down: 30 September 1998
Completed: 2000
Maiden voyage: 5 October 2000 - (Dover-Dunkerque)
In service: 5 October 2000
Identification:
Status: In service
General characteristics
Tonnage: 22,152 GT
Length: 179.95 m (590.4 ft)
Beam: 25.24 m (82.8 ft)
Draught: 6.5 m (21.3 ft)
Installed power:
  • 4 x Wärtsilä 9L38 diesel engines producing 5940kW each at 600 rpm.
  • 2 x Wärtsilä 6L20 diesel engines producing 930kW each at 900 rpm
Propulsion:
  • 2 x 4.85m Wärtsilä Wichman propellers turning at 138 rpm
  • 2 x Brunvoll 1300kW bow thrusters
Speed: 22.5 knots (41.7 km/h; 25.9 mph)
Capacity:
  • 366 from May 2019
  • 300 passengers
  • 120 freight vehicles.[2]
Crew: 47

P&O took delivery of the ship in October 2007 from Acciona Trasmediterránea. She was the 28th member of the current P&O fleet and was the second P&O ship to have carried the name European Endeavour; the first was subsequently operated as the MV Gardenia of Transeuropa Ferries, and was later scrapped in December 2016 under the name MV Star Fighter.

History

The ship was built in 2000 for Merchant Ferries as Midnight Merchant for a planned service between Liverpool and Belfast, however the ship was chartered to Norfolkline for their new service between Dover and Dunkirk and remained on that route until July 2006 when she was replaced by one of three new ships for the service.

In August 2006 she was chartered to Acciona Trasmediterránea for service in the Mediterranean and renamed El Greco registered under the Spanish flag.

On 26 June 2007 it was announced that P&O Ferries had agreed to purchase the ship in order to meet the growing demand for space from haulage customers throughout its operations. The ship will primarily be used on the Dover–Calais route but also on P&O Ferries Irish Sea and North Sea routes to cover for the refit of other vessels.[3] The ship entered service with P&O on their Liverpool-Dublin route on 6 November 2007.

The ship has been involved in two incidents. On 22 March 2008 the ships mooring ropes parted resulting is her drifting across the eastern entrance of Dover Harbour. The ship was assisted back to her berth by a Dover Harbour tug.[4] On 29 August 2008 the ship suffered a partial loss of electrical power which resulted in a collision with Linkspan 7 in Calais. European Endeavour's 'cow catcher', a metal structure welded to the bow to support the bow ramp when deployed, was demolished and significant damage was caused to the linkspan.[5]

Due to a downturn in freight traffic P&O Ferries laid up the ship in Tilbury in May 2010. She was chartered to DFDS Seaways in August 2010 and early September 2010 to provide refit cover on the Birkenhead–Dublin and Belfast routes. On completion of this charter the ship was sent for its annual overhaul and then proceeded to Dunkerque for layup. She remained in Dunkerque until early February 2011 when she sailed for Liverpool in preparation for returning to service on the Liverpool-Dublin service replacing the M/V Norcape.

In May 2019 it was confirmed that P&O have sold European Endeavour to Eckerö Line following a speculation from the NI Ferry Site that the vessel may be sold as bookings were stopped. She is to act as a complement to Eckerö's current vessel the Finlandia on the Helsinki to Tallinn Route commencing in June berthing at Vuosaari on the outskirts of Helsinki. She will join the service following another dry docking with an increased capacity of 366 passengers. She only left the dry dock at Cammell Laird on the 2nd of May 2019 in what looks like the last dry dock visit as a P&O vessel.[6]

Regular routes

It was P&O's intention that the ship would primarily be used between Dover and Calais but would also cover the refits of other ships on the following routes:-

  • Hull-Rotterdam
  • Hull-Zeebrugge
  • Liverpool-Dublin 6 November 2007 – 16 December 2007
  • Tilbury - Zeebrugge January 2009.

It was discovered that the ship was too wide to fit through the lock at Hull so she did not serve the routes from that port as intended. She was briefly used on a re-established Dover-Zeebrugge route but the service only lasted for one day due to lack of freight.

Sister ships

The ship was one of four ordered for Merchant Ferries services on the Irish Sea. Collectively they are known as the Racehorses because of their naming. The other ships were:-

  • Dawn Merchant, later Norman Trader of Epic Shipping and, from 2015, MS Kaiarahi. Built 1998 Named after the race horse "Dawn Run".
  • Brave Merchant now Norman Bridge of Epic Shipping. Built 1999 Named after the race horse "Dancing Brave".
  • Northern Merchant now Zurbarán of Acciona Trasmediterránea. Built 2000.

Murillo of Acciona Trasmediterránea now MF Cracovia is of a similar design to Racehorses but has an altered lower passenger deck and was completed in 2002.

References
  1. "M/F European Endeavour". Ferry-site.dk. Retrieved 22 September 2011.
  2. P&O Ferries Freight Dover-Calais
  3. P&O Ferries - New freight ship boosts P&O Ferries 26 June 2007
  4. Ships in the Port of Dover - European Endeavour in trouble
  5. Marine Accident Investigation Board - Completed PE Summary European Endeavour
  6. "Eckerö Line Confirms LOI to Purchase P&O Ferries European Endeavour". NI Ferry Site. 6 May 2019. Retrieved 14 May 2019.
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