MV Al Arabia

History
NameMV Al Arabia
Port of registryMoroni, Comoros
BuilderBelliard Hoboken
Launched28 January 1975
Christened1975: Prinses Maria Esmeralda, 1995 + 1998 Wisteria, 1997+2000 Beni Ansar, 2007 Aquaba Express, 2007 Al Arabia
In service1975
Out of service2007
IdentificationIMO number: 7357555
FateScrapped in India
General characteristics
Tonnage12,046 gross register tons (GRT)
Length
  • 118.42 m (388.5 ft)
  • Before enlarging:118.42 m (388.5 ft)
Beam
  • 23.32 m (76.5 ft)
  • Before enlarging:19.9 m (65.3 ft)
Depth
  • 5.05 m (16.6 ft)
  • Before enlarging:4.52 m (14.8 ft)
Installed power18.200
Propulsion2 * Pielstick 18PC2V400[1][2]
Speed21 kn (38.9 km/h)
Capacity1475/1250 passengers

The MV Al Arabia was a roro-ferry which has seen service on several routes. The ship was built for the Belgium state-owner operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport België as the Prinses Maria Esmeralda. She sailed on the Ostend-Dover route.

Under the name Wisteria she also sailed on routes in the Mediterranean Sea and on the Almeria to Nador line. This 1975 built ship is a sistership of the MV Eurovoyager and MV Primrose.

History

In 1975 the Belliard Shipyard built the ship under dock-number 877. The ship was ordered by the state-owned operator Regie voor Maritiem Transport België. She was christened Prinses Maria Esmeralda. She sailed on the Dover-Ostend route.

In 1995 the ship was sold to Transeuropa Ferries and renamed MV Wisteria to sail on routes in the Mediterranean and was chartered to ferry-operators between Spain and Morocco and Tunisia. The Wisteria was sold to Lignes Maritime du Detroit (Limadet) where she was Renamed "Beni Ansar" she moved permanently to run on the Almeria to Nador route until she was sold for scrapping in 2007 to India[2]

Sisterships

The Prinses Maria Esmeralda was one of three sisterships ordered by RMT. The Prins Albert and the Princesse Marie Christine.[3]

References and footnotes

  1. ^ Data also based on details sistership Primrose op Website Transeuropa Ferries, retrieved 7 August 2010
  2. ^ a b The Ferry Site on MV Al Arabia, visited 8 August 2010
  3. ^ The Ferry site on MV Primrose, Visited 21 August 2010
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