Dragon

Dragon - Ionic Ferry - Viscountess M - Charm M - Millenium Express II

 

 

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the 1967 Normandy Ferries vessel Dragon. She had a sistership Leopard.

 

Dragon was built for Normandy Ferries in 1967 by Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne, Nantes. Her registered owners were the General Steam Navigation, part of the P&O group. Dragon served on the Southampton-Le Havre route until 1984 when the UK port was changed to Portsmouth. In 1985, Normandy Ferries was sold to European Ferries (Townsend-Thoresen). A year later, Dragon was renamed Ionic Ferry and moved to the Cairnryan-Larne route. In 1987, European Ferries were bought by P&O, and marketed as P&O European Ferries, eventually receiving full P&O livery.

 

In 1992, Ionic Ferry was sold to Marlines and renamed Viscountess M for a Patras-Ancona/ Brindisi service. She was later renamed Charm M and ran Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari. She was sold in 1997, serving as Memed Abashidze and Med. Her career was effectively ended by a fire in 2002 when serving as Millenium II for Access Ferries.

 

 

Ship Names on this Page:-

Dragon - Normandy Ferries/P&O Ferries 1967-85

Dragon/Ionic Ferry - Townsend-Thoresen 1985-87

Ionic Ferry - P&O Scottish Ferries 1977-92

Viscountess M - Marlines 1992-95

Charm M - Marlines 1995-97

 

Associated Pages:-

Marlines

Normandy Ferries

P&O Ferries

P&O Portsmouth

P&O Scottish Ferries

Townsend Thoresen

Ferry Postcards

Cruise Ship Postcards

Ocean Liner Postcard

Simplon Postcards Home Page

 

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Dragon

 

 

Dragon

(Normandy Ferries/P&O Ferries: 1967-85)

 

Normandy Ferries was a joint Anglo-French company, of which the British half was effectively the General Steam Navigation. Dragon was built for the service in 1967. In 1976, ownership passed to P&O Ferries, and the Dragon received the corporate pale blue hull. In 1980, the Normandy Ferries name was dropped and the P&O Ferries logo appeared on the hull. In 1985, the UK terminal was moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, followed soon afterwards by the sale of the Portsmouth and Dover routes to European Ferries.

 

 

J.Arthur Dixon postcard SS.6866B (sold on board) of Dragon, showing the original colour scheme. The ships subsequently carried various P&O and Townsend-Thoresen colour schemes.

 

Salmon postcard 1-58-03-13/5972 of Dragon.

 

Editions Yvon postcard 10/1706 of Dragon.

 

A later Editions Yvon postcard, 10/10458 of Dragon. Note the raised level of the boot-topping and lack of painted bow emblem compared to the cards above.

 

J.Arthur Dixon published postcard, serial L6/SP.5235, issued as official card for both Dragon and Leopard, in later Normandy Ferries colours (rather poorly added to an earlier image). Ship is actually Dragon.

 

Beric Tempest published postcard, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard.

Ship is actually Dragon.

 

J.Arthur Dixon published postcard in P&O Ferries colours, serial L6/SP.6026, issued as an official card for both Dragon and Leopard. A retouched version of the card above. Ship is actually Dragon.

 

Simplon Postcards, serial 4.2, of Dragon leaving Portsmouth. Photographed in 1985 by Ian Boyle.

The card was issued as part of a set of six cards, 4.1 to 4.6, titled Ferries of Portsmouth.

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon - Ionic Ferry

(Townsend-Thoresen: 1985-87)

 

In 1985, the P&O Normandy Ferries UK terminal was moved from Southampton to Portsmouth, followed soon afterwards by the sale of the Portsmouth and Dover routes to European Ferries. Dragon was repainted in Townsend-Thoresen orange. In 1986 she was renamed Ionic Ferry and moved to the Cairnryan-Larne route. Only two years later, in 1987, the whole of European Ferries was acquired by P&O Ferries, and so Ionic Ferry (ex-Dragon) reverted to their ownership. In 1992 she was sold to Marlines and renamed Viscountess M. In 2000 she was listed as owned by Access Ferries and named Med. By 2002 she was named Millenium Express II and was due to start a new service based in Albania. On March 1st, whilst on her delivery voyage from Piraeus without passengers, she suffered a major fire which burnt for more than two days. It is unlikely that she will be rebuilt (Cruising Monthly - May 2002).

 

 

Chantry Classics postcard, serial CC/S170, of Leopard leaving Portsmouth in Townsend-Thoresen colours.

Photographed by Walter Sartori. Chantry Classics are now published by Harold Jordan.

 

 

 

 

 

Dragon - Ionic Ferry

(P&O Ferries: 1987-92)

 

Postcards to be added

 

 

 

 

 

Viscountess M - Charm M

(Marlines: 1992-97)

 

The ex-Dragon/Ionic Ferry of Normandy Ferries, Townsend-Thoresen and P&O.

Renamed Viscountess M by Marlines, then Charm M. Later became the Memed Abachidze.

 

 

Ramsey Postcards serial 88 of Viscountess M, photographed by A.Stracey.

To check availability of this card from Simplon Postcards, follow this link.

 

 

 

 

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