Stena Nordica - Hellas - Stena Nautica - Reine Astrid - Moby Kiss - Al Mansour

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Stena Nordica of 1975, which later served as Reine Astrid, and Al Mansour.

Stena Nordica was built in 1975 for Stena Line, the last in a series of four ships intended for charter work. Her sisters were Stena Normandica (1974), Stena Atlantica (1975), and Stena Nautica (1975). They were designed and built by Rickmers Werft, Bremerhaven, who achieved a very high vehicle capacity for the overall size, the downside of which was the very boxy appearance.

Stena Nordica was delivered in November 1975, and entered service with Stena Line between Göteborg-Kiel. Between May and November 1975, Stena Nordica was chartered to Marine Atlantic for their North Sydney-Port Aux Basques route. Unlike her sisters Marine Nautica and Marine Atlantica, she was not renamed. At the end of the charter, Stena Nordica resumed service with Stena Line on their Göteborg-Frederikshavn route. Repeats of the Marine Atlantic charter was made during the summers of 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981, separated by a period with European Ferries, on the Felixstowe and Zeebrugge route, through the winter of 1977-78. In September 1978, Stena Nordica was chartered to Hellas Ferries, running between Volos and Lattakia (Syria) as the Hellas (1). This charter was repeated in 1980 and 1981. Name reverted to Stena Nordica between these Hellas charters, which between February-April 1980, included a charter to Sealink for use between Fishguard and Rosslare. When not in service as Hellas (1), her place was taken by the Stena ro-ro ferry Stena Runner (now Stena Transfer), running as Hellas (2). In 1980, Stena Nordica was chartered to B&I Line for service between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock. She visited Birkenhead from November 1980 to February 1981 for engine repairs.

After the 1981-82 Hellas Ferries charter, Stena Nordica was renamed Stena Nautica, a name previously carried by one of her sisters. She was chartered to RMT, who purchased her the following year in 1983, and renamed her Reine Astrid. Reine Astrid operated for RMT successfully until 1997, despite being much slower than other ships in the fleet. She initially ran between Oostende and Dover, moving to Oostende-Ramsgate in 1994. In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998.


Ship Names on This Page:-
Stena Nordica - Stena Line: 1974
Hellas (1) - Hellas Ferries charters: 1978, 1980, 1981
Stena Nordica - B&I charter 1980-81
Stena Nautica - RMT charter: 1982-83
Reine Astrid - RMT: 1983-97
Moby Kiss - Moby Lines: 1997-98
Al Mansour - Comanav: 1997-

Associated Pages:-
Moby Line
P&O Ferries
Sealink
Stena Line - Header Page - Lead Page for Stena Line
Stena Line - Page 1 - The Early Years 1962-65
Stena Line - Page 2 - First Generation Car Ferries 1965-72
Stena Line - Page 3 - Second Generation Car Ferries 1972-75
Townsend Thoresen
Ferry Postcards
Cruise Ship Postcards
Ocean Liner Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page

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Stena Nordica - Hellas (1) - Stena Nautica - Reine Astrid - Moby Kiss - Al Mansour
Stena Nordica (Stena Line: 1975-1980)
Stena Nordica was delivered in November 1975, and entered service with Stena Line between Göteborg-Kiel. Between May and November 1975, Stena Nordica was chartered to Marine Atlantic for their North Sydney-Port Aux Basques route. Unlike her sisters Marine Nautica and Marine Atlantica, she was not renamed by Marine Atlantic. At the end of the charter, Stena Nordica resumed service with Stena Line on their Göteborg-Frederikshavn route. Repeats of the Marine Atlantic charter was made during the summers of 1977, 1978, 1979 and 1981, separated by a period with European Ferries, on the Felixstowe and Zeebrugge route, through the winter of 1977-78. In September 1978, Stena Nordica was chartered to Hellas Ferries, running between Volos and Lattakia (Syria) as the Hellas. This charter was repeated in 1980 and 1981. Name reverted to Stena Nordica between these Hellas charters, which between February-April 1980, included a charter to Sealink for use between Fishguard and Rosslare. In 1980, Stena Nordica was chartered to B&I Line for service between Rosslare and Pembroke Dock. She visited Birkenhead from November 1980 to February 1981 for engine repairs. After the 1981-82 Hellas Ferries charter, Stena Nordica was renamed Stena Nautica, a name previously carried by one of her sisters. She was chartered to RMT, who purchased her the following year in 1983, and renamed her Reine Astrid. Photograph of Stena Nordica. Photo: © Marine Atlantic - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Photograph of Stena Nordica. Photo: Peter Asklander - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Photograph of Stena Nordica on B&I Line charter. Photo: Andreas Wörteler - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Stena Nordica arriving at Birkenhead for engine repairs, December 1980. Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1980. - B&I images link to larger copies Photograph of Stena Nordica in Stena Ro-Ro colours.
Photo: Andreas Wörteler - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg.
Hellas (Hellas Ferries charters: 1978, 1980, 1981)
In September 1978, Stena Nordica was chartered to Hellas Ferries, running between Volos and Lattakia (Syria) as the Hellas. This charter was repeated in 1980 and 1981. Photograph of Hellas on Hellas Ferries charter. Photo: © Peter Asklander - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Stena Nautica (RMT charter: 1982-83)
After the 1981-82 Hellas Ferries charter, Stena Nordica was renamed Stena Nautica, a name previously carried by one of her sisters. She was chartered to RMT, who purchased her the following year in 1983, and renamed her Reine Astrid. Reine Astrid operated for RMT successfully until 1997, despite being much slower than other ships in the fleet. She initially ran between Oostende and Dover, moving to Oostende-Ramsgate in 1994. In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998.
Photograph of Stena Nautica on RTM/Sealink charter. Photo: © Peter Asklander - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Ramsey Postcard of Stena Nautica on RTM/Sealink charter. Photo: © Philip Cone. Reine Astrid (RMT: 1983-97)
After the 1981-82 Hellas Ferries charter, Stena Nordica was renamed Stena Nautica, a name previously carried by one of her sisters. She was chartered to RMT, who purchased her the following year in 1983, and renamed her Reine Astrid. Reine Astrid operated for RMT successfully until 1997, despite being much slower than other ships in the fleet. She initially ran between Oostende and Dover, moving to Oostende-Ramsgate in 1994. In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998.
Tropic postcard of Reine Astrid in RTM/Sealink colours. Photo: © FotoFlite. AVM postcard A248 of Reine Astrid in RTM/TT colours. Photo: © FotoFlite. Tropic postcard T45 of Reine Astrid in RTM/TT colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Tropic postcard T20 of Reine Astrid in RTM/P&O colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Simplon Postcards sp1052 of Reine Astrid in Oostende-Dover Line colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Tropic Postcards T2 of Reine Astrid in Oostende-Dover Line colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Chantry Classics CC/S118 of Reine Astrid in Oostende-Dover Line colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. AVM postcard A318 of Reine Astrid in Oostende-Dover Line colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Chantry Classics CC/S252 of Reine Astrid in Oostende Lines colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Simplon Postcards sp1193 of Reine Astrid in Oostende Lines colours. Photo: © Mike Louagie. Moby Kiss (Moby Line: 1997)
In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998.
Tropic postcard T28 of Al Mansour on Comanav charter from Moby Lines - still retaining the Moby whale. Photo: © Frank Heine. Al Mansour (Comanav: 1997-2001)
In 1997, Reine Astrid was sold to Moby Lines and renamed Moby Kiss, but was soon chartered to Comanav (Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation), for service between Algeciras and Tangier as the Al Mansour. Al Mansour was purchased by Comanav in 1998. Tropic postcard T28 of Al Mansour on Comanav charter from Moby Lines - still retaining the Moby whale. Photo: © Frank Heine. Photograph of Al Mansour. Photo: Rickard Sahlsten - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Photograph of Al Mansour. Photo: © Linus Andersson - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg Al Mansour leaving Algeciras Photo: © Ian Boyle, 16th March 2008 Click images to open larger copies in new window Al Mansour at Tangier Photo: � Ian Boyle, 9th April 2009 Click images to open larger copies in new window Stena Line Header Page Stena Line Page 1 - Stena Line Page 2 - Stena Line Page 3 Moby Line - P&O Ferries - Sealink - Townsend Thoresen Ferry Postcards - Cruise Ship Postcards - Ocean Liner Postcards Top of Page - Simplon Postcards Recent Updates - Simplon Postcards Home Page �1999-2013 Copyright Ian Boyle/Simplon Postcards (all pages on web site) All Rights Reserved