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La Meridionale
 
Compagnie Meridionale de Navigation (CMN)
 
 
 
This page is devoted to postcards of CMN, marketed as "La Meridionale". An alphabetical list of ships covered on this page is shown below. The Table beneath gives links to complete history pages on selected individual ships. Below the table are official postcards of the fleet in chronological order.
 
 
The company was formed in 1930, operating small coasters and freighters between Marseille and North Africa. Their first ro-ro ferries were the Ville d'Ajaccio and Ville de Bastia of 1969/70 (no pstcards availavle yet). A series of larger ferries were acquired up to the Santa Regina of 1985, which is still in the current fleet, along with the newer Scandola (1992) and Kalliste (1993). The three ferries all operate from Marseille to various ports in Corsica and Sardinia, as shown on the colour-coded routes of the map below.
 
 
 
 
Ships on This Page:-
Girolata (1)
Girolata (2)
Porto Cardo
Rhone
Santa Regina
Scandola
Kalliste
 
Associated Pages:-
Corsica Ferries
Moby Lines
SNCM
Ferry Postcards
Simplon Postcards Home Page
www.cmn.fr - Home Page for Cie.Navigation de Meridionale (CMN) - includes fleet details
 
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Table of Ship Histories

Name

 Other Names

 Built
 Kalliste  

 1993
 Girolata (1)  Saga Star, Dieppe

 1981
 Girolata (2)  Aretousa

 1995
 
 
 
 
 
 
CMN Fleet List
 
 
Rhone (1975-1975)
 
Rhone was built as the Rhonetal for Rhienecke of Hamburg. Between December 1970 and May 1974 she served as the Norcape with North Sea Ferries under charter between Hull and Zeebrugge/Rotterdam. She reverted to the name Rhonetal at the end of the charter. In May 1975 Rhonetal was sold to Co. Meridionale de Navagition (CMN) of Marseille, as the Rhone for service between Marseille and Bastia. In 1977, Rhone was sold to Societe Slibail, also of Marseille. In 1987, Rhone was sold to Compagnia Navigazione del Tirreno Conatir SpA as the Marina Torre. She was chartered by P&O Scottish Ferries in 1989 for Aberdeen-Lerwick services, and was purchased the following year. She was renamed St Rognvald (4). In 2002 she was chartered to Norse Island Ferries, for Aberdeen-Kirkwall services.
 
 
The following images of Rhone are from the 1984 French film Marche à l'ombre.
Scans: Michel (Bastia).
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Porto Cardo
(CMN: 1980-99)
 
4680 grt - 126 m long - 18 knots - 96 passengers - 1120 lanemetres
 
Porto Cardo was built in 1980 by Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre. Her sistership is Monte Stello of SNCM. She was sold in 1999 and renamed Malta Express.
 
 
This is the official CMN postcard of Porto Cardo.
 
 
 
 
 
Santa Regina
(CMN: 1985-2002)
 
13358 grt - 136 m long - 18 knots - 110 passengers - 1346 lanemetres
 
Santa Regina operated routes to Calvi, Propriano and Port Torres, as shown on the map above. She was built in 1985 by Ateliers et Chantiers du Havre. Her sistership is Monte Cinto of SNCM. She was sold to Strait Shipping in October 2002, after acquisition of Girolata (2).
 
 
This is the official CMN card of Santa Regina.
 
 
Santa Regina previously operated to Bastia, as shown on the Compa Carterie postcard below (serial 206052).
 
 
Photograph of Santa Regina.
Photo: © Georges Pop - Scan: Fakta om Fartyg
 
 
Official 2007 Strait Shipping postcard of Santa Regina.
Photo: © Strait Shipping
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
Official 2007 Strait Shipping postcard of Santa Regina.
Photo: © Strait Shipping
Click to open larger image in new window
 
 
 
 
 
Girolata (1)
(CMN: 1988-1993)
 
Saga Star was built in 1981 by Fartygsentreprenader Ab, Uddevalla for TT-Saga Line services Helsingborg/Malmö/Trelleborg-Travemünde. In 1988 Saga Star was sold to CMN and entered service with them as the Girolata in 1989 between Marseille-Bastia. In 1993 she was chartered back to TT-Line, reverting to previous name Saga Star. TT-Line purchased her in 1997. In 2002 she was sold to Transmanche Ferries and entered service between Newhaven-Dieppe as the Dieppe.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Photograph of Girolata (ex-Saga Star).
Photo: © Edward Brian-Davis.
 
I do not have a postcard image of Girolata (1) yet.
If you can help, please email: simplon@simplon.co.uk
 
 
 
 
 
Scandola
(CMN: 1999- )
 
Scandola was built by Van der Gissen de Noord, Holland, in 1993 as the Via Ligure of Italian company Viamare. Her sisterships were Via Adriatico and Via IonioVia Ligure was sold to Strintzis Lines in 1996 and renamed Ionian Star. In 1999 she was sold to CMN and renamed Scandola. Scandola operates an overnight passenger/freight service between Marseille and Bastia (Corsica). She is 150 metres long, has a capacity of 1400 lane metres, and has berths for 200 passengers.
 
 
This is an CMN official postcard of Scandola.
 
 
These photos of Scandola were taken at Ajaccio in July 2000 by Ian Boyle.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
Kalliste
(CMN: 1993- )
 
Kalliste operates an overnight passenger/freight service between Marseille and Bastia (Corsica). She is 165 metres long, has a capacity of 2340 lane metres, and has berths for 196 passengers.
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
This is an CMN official postcard of Kalliste.
 
 
An oversized Editions Subervie postcard of Kalliste at Bastia (serial C5065).
An enlarged image of the ship is shown beneath.
 
 
 
The two photos below of Kalliste were taken by Ian Boyle at Bastia in August 2001.
Additional photographs of Kalliste are show on this link.
 
 
 
 
 
 
Girolata (2)
(CMN: 2001- )
 
Aretousa was the first purpose-built ship acquired by Minoan Lines. Whilst not as fast as later Minoan newbuilds, she was still capable of 25.8 knots. She can carry 1500 passengers and 1000 cars, and was delivered from her builders in Norway in 1995. She is 28417 grt. In 2001 she was sold to CMN as their Girolata (2).
 
A complete history of this ship is available on this link.
 
 
Two official CMN postcards of Girolata (2) are shown below.
 
 
 
 
Photograph of Girolata at Bastia.
Photo: © Gilles Corrieri.
 
 
Photograph of Girolata at Bastia.
Photo: © Gilles Corrieri.
 
 
Photograph of Girolata at Bastia.
Photo: © Pierre Bourdain.
 
 
 
 
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