Free Enterprise VI
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Townsend-Thoresen ferry Free Enterprise IV. Individual pages on all the Free Enterprise ships are available:- FE I - FE II - FE III - FE IV - FE V - FE VI - FE VII - FE VIII
 
Free Enterprise VI was built in 1972 by I.C.H. Holland, Werf Gusto Yard, Schiedam, Holland for the European Ferries Group. She was used on Townsend-Thoresen services out of Dover to Calais, Zeebrugge and Boulogne. Free Enterprise VI was the third of five sisterships, which were initially named Free Enterprise IV-VIII. In 1985 Free Enterprise VI was rebuilt by Schichau-Werft AG, Bremerhaven with an additional freight deck. The resulting design was one of the ugliest in history. In 1987, registered owners of Free Enterprise VI became P&O European Ferries, and she was renamed Pride of Sandwich the following year. She worked the Dover-Zeebrugge route until 1992, when she was transferred to the Cairnryan-Larne route and renamed Pride of Ailsa. In 1996 she was sold to Egyptian owners and renamed Pride of Al Salam 95 for service between Suez-Jeddah.
 
Pride of Al Salam 95 was lost around 19:30 local time on the evening of the 17/10/2005 after colliding with a container ship near the Egyptian harbour of Port Tawfiq. The Pride of Al Salam 95, owned by El Salam Maritime Transport of Egypt, had left the Saudi Arabian port of Jeddah on the 16/10/2005 with around 1466 people onboard, mainly Egyptians returning home after performing the Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca. The ferry was at sea awaiting safe passage to enter the port of Suez when she was rammed by the Cypriot registered cargo ship Jebal Ali, which had just cleared the southern part of the Suez Canal after passing through the canal from the Mediterranean to the Red Sea. The cargo ship ran into the side of the ferry, tearing a 5m diameter hole in her side in the vicinity of the engine room. After the collision, both ships locked together so the ferry remained afloat long enough for the passengers to board the cargo ship and from there be transferred ashore by a flotilla of rescue vessels. Once the two vessels broke apart when the cargo ship went astern after evacuating all the ferry passengers and crew, the Pride of Al Salam 95 sank in around 3½ minutes.

Reports suggest that up to 11 people may have died in the incident, killed either by the impact of the collision or in the stampede as passengers attempted to get to safety as quickly as possible. At least a further 98 of the ferry's passengers were being reported as injured. Damage to the Jebal Ali was reported to be slight and their are no casualties among her crew. Although sinking in the approaches to the southern entrance to the Suez Canal, the wreck of the Pride of Al Salam 95 has not blocked the canal and is now marked by buoys.
 
 
Ship Names on this Page:-
Free Enterprise VI - Townsend Thoresen: 1972-87
Free Enterprise VI - P&O Ferries: 1987-92
Pride of Sandwich - P&O Ferries: 1987-92
Pride of Ailsa - P&O Ferries: 1992-96
Pride of Al Salam 95 - El Salam: 1996-
 
Associated Pages:-
P&O Ferries
Thoresen Car Ferries
Townsend Brothers Ferries
Townsend-Thoresen
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
 
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Free Enterprise VI
 
Free Enterprise VI
(Townsend Thoresen: 1972-1987)
 
Free Enterprise VI was built in 1972 by I.C.H. Holland, Werf Gusto Yard, Schiedam, Holland for the European Ferries Group. She was used on Townsend Thoresen services out of Dover to Calais, Zeebrugge and Boulogne. Free Enterprise VI was the third of five sisterships, which were initially named Free Enterprise IV-VIII. In 1985 Free Enterprise VI was rebuilt by Schichau-Werft AG, Bremerhaven with an additional freight deck. The resulting design was one of the ugliest in history. In 1987, registered owners of Free Enterprise VI became P&O European Ferries, and she was renamed Pride of Sandwich the following year.
 
 
Official postcard of Free Enterprise V, as delivered in Townsend Thoresen colours.
Photo Precision R3980.
 
Photograph of Free Enterprise VI, in Townsend Thoresen orange and early red funnel logo.
Photo: © FotoFlite.
 
Photograph of Free Enterprise VI, in Townsend Thoresen orange and later white funnel logo.
Photo: © FotoFlite.
 
AVM postcard Z261 of Free Enterprise VI entering Zeebrugge.
 
Photograph of Free Enterprise VI, as rebuilt, in Townsend Thoresen orange and white funnel logo.
Photo: © FotoFlite.
 
 
 
 
 
Free Enterprise VI
Pride of Sandwich
Pride of Ailsa
(P&O Ferries: 1987-96)
 
In 1987, registered owners of Free Enterprise VI became P&O European Ferries, and she was renamed Pride of Sandwich the following year. She worked the Dover-Zeebrugge route until 1992, when she was transferred to the Cairnryan-Larne route and renamed Pride of Ailsa. In 1996 she was sold to Egyptian owners and renamed Pride of Al Salam 95 for service between Suez-Jeddah.
 
 
Ferry Publications postcard 0105 of Pride of Sandwich.
Photo: © John Hendy.
 
Photograph of Pride of Sandwich.
Photo: © Micke Asklander.
Scan: Fakta om Fartyg.
 
Photograph of Pride of Sandwich.
Photo: © FotoFlite.
 
Ferry Publications postcard 406 of Pride of Ailsa.
Photo: P&O European Ferries.
 
 
 
 
 
Pride of Al Salam 95
(El Salam: 1996-2005)
 
In 1996 Pride of Ailsa was sold to Egyptian owners and renamed Pride of Al Salam 95 for service between Suez-Jeddah. She sank following a collision with a freigheter on 17/10/2005.
 
 
Photograph of Pride of Al Salam 95.
Photo: Frank Heine.
Scan: Fakta om Fartyg.
 
Photograph of Pride of Al Salam 95.
Photo: Frank Heine.
Scan: Fakta om Fartyg.
 
 
 
 
 
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