MS Phocine

The Phocine is a ferry owned by Dart 3 Ltd and currently in service with Seatruck Ferries.

History
Name	Balder Sten 1985 Bazias 3 1985–1993 Sally Euroroute 1993–1996 Merle 1996–2000 Dart 3 2000–2006 Phocine 2006–2012
Owner	K/S A/S Balder RO/RO No 2 1985 Navrom 1985–1996 Jacobs Holdings 1996–???? Bid Corp Shipping ????–2006 Dart 3 Ltd.
Operator	K/S A/S Balder RO/RO No 2. 1985 Navrom 1985–1991 Sally Line 1991–1996 Belfast Freight Ferries 1996–2000 Dart Line 2000 Norse Merchant Ferries 2000–2001 Dart Line 2001–2006 Cobelfret Ferries 2006–2007 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company 2007 Cobelfret Ferries 2007–2008 Seatruck Ferries
Builder	Santierul Naval Galatz SA, Romania
Yard number	769
Completed	December 1984
Homeport	Hamilton, Bermuda
Identification	IMO number: 8009064 Callsign ZCDH2
Status	In service
General characteristics
Tonnage	9,088 GT
Length	121.48 m (398 ft 7 in)
Beam	21 m (68 ft 11 in)
Draught	5.30 m (17 ft 5 in)
Installed power	2 × Krupp 9M453AK 9 cylinder diesel engines, 7,200 hp (5,400 kW)
Speed	15.5 knots (28.7 km/h)
Capacity	12 passengers, 1,272 m (4,173 ft) freight lanes, 94 trailers.
Crew	18

History

Phocine was completed in 1984 as Balder Sten, owned by K/S A/S Balder RO/RO No 2. She was sold to Navrom and renamed Bazias 3 in 1985 and operated by them until 1991 when she was chartered to Sally Line, being renamed Sally Euroroute in 1993^[1] and used on the Ramsgate–Ostend route.^[2] In 1996 she was sold to Jacobs Holdings (Dart Line)^[1] who used her on the Dartford–Vlissingen and Dartford–Zeebrugge routes,^[2] renamed Merle and chartered to Belfast Freight Ferries until 2000, when she was renamed Dart 3 and operated by Dart Line. At some point she was sold to Bid Corp Shipping.

She was chartered to Norse Merchant Ferries in 2000^[1] and used on the Belfast–Heysham route, returning to Dart Line in 2001. As well as her former routes with Dart Line, she was also used on the Dartford–Dunquerque route.^[3] In 2006 she was sold to Dart 3 Ltd and renamed Phocine on charter to Cobelfret Ferries,^[1] being used on the North Killingholme Haven–Zeebrugge route.^[3] In 2007 she was on charter to the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company, returning to Cobelfret later in the year^[1] being used on the Ostend–Purfleet and Killingholme–Ostend routes.^[4] In 2008 she was chartered by Seatruck Ferries^[1] to replace Riverdance, Phocine was herself due to be replaced by Clipper Point when that vessel entered service with Seatruck.^[5]

References

1. "M/F Phocine". The Ferry Site. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
2. "Dart 3". Simplon Postcards. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
3. "M/v "Balder Sten" 1984". Lycos. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
4. "M/S Balder Sten" (in Swedish). Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 30 April 2008.
5. "Seatruck Ferries". Mersey Shipping. Retrieved 30 April 2008.