MV Apollo

MV Apollo is a vehicle/passenger ferry that previously serviced the route between St. Barbe, Newfoundland and Labrador and Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, Canada.[4]

MV Apollo underway
History
Name: Apollo (1970–1976)
Olau Kent (1976–1980)
Gelting Nord (1980–1984)
Benodet (1984–1985)
Corbière (1985–1995)
Apollo (1995–)[1]
Owner: Rederi AB Slite (1970–1976)
Olau Line (1970–1980)
Nordisk Faergefart (1980–1990)
Brittany Ferries (1984–1985)
Rederiaktiebolaget Eckerö (1990–2000)[2]
Labrador Marine (2000–)[1]
Port of registry: Slite,  Sweden (1970–1976)
Ribe,  Denmark (1976–1980)
Faaborg,  Denmark (1980–1984)
Nassau,  Bahamas (1984–1991)
Tallinn,  Estonia (1991–1994)
Nassau,  Bahamas (1994–2000)[2]
St. John's, Newfoundland,  Canada (2000–)[1]
Builder: Meyer Werft, Papenburg, Germany[1]
Cost: SEK 25 million[2]
Yard number: 0560[1]
Launched: 19 December 1969[2]
Sponsored by: Isabella Myrsten[2]
Completed: 2 May 1970[2]
In service: 1970–2019
Identification: IMO number: 7006314
MMSI number: 316002070
Call sign: CFG6209 (current)[3]
Status: Out of service
General characteristics (as built)[2]
Type: Passenger ferry
Length: 108.7 m (357 ft)
Beam: 17.2 m (56 ft)
Draught: 4.6 m (15 ft)
Depth: 6 m (20 ft)
Installed power:

2 × 4,000bhp 12cyl Klöckner-Humboldt-Deutz SBV 12M 350 diesel engines

1982 re-engined with 2x 4500bhp MAN 9L32/36 diesel engines
Propulsion: 2 shafts; controllable pitch propellers
Speed: 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)
General characteristics (current)[1]
Type: Passenger ferry
Tonnage: 6,609 GT
1,982 NT
1,100 DWT[3]
Length: 108.7 m (357 ft)
Beam: 17.2 m (56 ft)
Draught: 4.6 m (15 ft)
Depth: 6 m (20 ft)
Ice class: 1A
Installed power: From 1982, 2 × 4,500bhp 9-cyl MAN/B&W 9L32/36[2]
Propulsion: 2 shafts; controllable pitch propellers
Speed: 18.5 knots (34.3 km/h; 21.3 mph)

History

Apollo was originally built for Rederi Ab Slite of Sweden in 1970. She was put into service for Viking Line from Kapellskär, Sweden to Naantali, Finland via Mariehamn on the Åland Islands. In 1975 the route was changed to Stockholm-Mariehamn. In 1976, she was sold to Olau Line for its service between Sheerness, England and Vlissingen, Netherlands, and was renamed Olau Kent, before returning to Scandinavia in 1981 as the Gelting Nord of Danish operator Nordisk Færgefart. In 1984, she was chartered to Brittany Ferries as the Benodet, before moving to sister company British Channel Island Ferries in 1985 as the Corbière. In the early 1990s, she was sold to Rederi Ab Eckerö and moved back to the Baltic Sea serving between Helsinki and Tallinn, first for Tallink, under the marketing name Linda 1, and from 1995 for Eckerö Line and reverting to its original name of Apollo. After some further charters in the late 1990s, in 2000 Apollo was sold to the Woodward Group of Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada, entering service with its Labrador Marine subsidiary.[2]

Service with Labrador Marine
MV Apollo departing from Corner Brook in March 2015

Apollo typically operates across the Strait of Belle Isle between St. Barbe, on the island of Newfoundland and Blanc-Sablon, Quebec, close to the border with Labrador. Winter ice conditions sometimes prevent Apollo from entering the harbour at St. Barbe, and service is provided from the Newfoundland port of Corner Brook instead, resulting in a crossing time of 12 hours rather than 1 hour 45 minutes.[5]

In January 2008, Apollo suffered a minor engine room fire.[6]

On 13 April 2017, Apollo became stuck in ice in the Strait of Belle Isle near Blanc-Sablon, Quebec for nearly 30 hours with 70 passengers on board. The Canadian Coast Guard vessel CCGS Henry Larsen was sent to aid the ferry and escorted Apollo to port once it was free of the ice.[7][8] Sailings were cancelled on 14 April, but the vessel returned to normal service following the incident. On 19–20 April, all sailings by the ferry were cancelled due to severe ice conditions in the strait.[9]

In 2019, the vessel reached the end of her economic lifespan and was taken out of service in March. Apollo will be sunk in 2020 as an artificial reef in the Saint Lawrence River near Godbout, Quebec.[10]

References
  1. "Apollo (29B602)". Veristar Info. Bureau Veritas. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  2. M/S APOLLO. Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  3. "Apollo (7006314)". Equasis. French Ministry for Transport. Retrieved 11 March 2017.
  4. "Vessel Departure Information". labradormarine.com. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  5. "Strait of Belle Isle Ferry Service" (PDF). Government of Newfoundland and Labrador. 5 January 2017. Retrieved 7 June 2017. Service will revert to Corner Brook if ice conditions do not allow access to St. Barbe.
  6. "N.L. playing 'Russian roulette' with aging ferry fleet". CBC News. 14 January 2008. Retrieved 7 June 2017.
  7. "Newfoundland ferry stuck in ice for over 24 hours near Quebec gets escort to port". Calgary Herald. The Canadian Press. 14 April 2017. Archived from the original on 15 April 2017. Retrieved 16 April 2017.
  8. Bartlett, Geoff (14 April 2017). "Apollo arrives in Blanc Sablon after spending more than 30 hours stuck in ice". CBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  9. Wall, Lukas (19 April 2017). "Coast guard busy breaking up icy conditions in Strait of Belle Isle". CBC News. Retrieved 22 April 2017.
  10. "New life for crash-prone Quebec ferry as underwater diving attraction". Times Colonist. The Canadian Press. 30 September 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.
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