British Railways - Sealink - Page 5: Weymouth, Southampton & Portsmouth Sevices


Page 5: Weymouth, Southampton & Portsmouth Services

This page is still under construction

This page is devoted to postcards and photographs of the Weymouth, Southampton & Portsmouth services of British Railways, which was formed in 1948 with the ships from former LMS, LNER, SR and GWR fleets. British Railways was rebranded British Rail in 1965, and new corporate colours and logo were introduced. In 1968, an Act of Parliament separated the shipping interests of British Rail into a new division, for which the marketing name Sealink was adopted in 1970. In 1979, the ownership of of vessels was transferred to Sealink UK Ltd, in preparation for the privatisation of the railway fleet. In 1984, Sealink was acquired by Sea Containers Ltd, becoming Sealink British Ferries. After a lengthy battle, Stena Line completed a hostile takeover of Sealink in 1990, the company then being known as Sealink Stena Line until later absorption into the Stena Fleet.

The Great Western Railway Company (GWR) commenced Weymouth-Channel Islands and French ports services in 1889. Alone amongst the pre-grouping railway companies, the GWR retained its identity in 1923, and the GWR set about replaced its fleet in 1925 with the new passenger steamers St Helier and St Julien, plus cargo-only Roebuck (2) and Sambur. In 1948 the GWR became part of the British Transport Commission (British Railways). The history before 1948 is shown at Great Western Railway - Page 2.


Ships on This Page:-
Caesarea - BR/Sealink: 1960-1980
Sarnia - BR/Sealink: 1961-1978
Maid Of Kent - BR/Sealink: 1959-1982
Normannia - BR/Sealink: 1952-1978
Caledonian Princess - BR/Sealink: 1961-1982
Earl Godwin - Sealink: 1975-1990
Earl Granville - Sealink: 1980-1984
Earl William - Sealink: 1976-1992

British Railways Pages:-
British Railway Steamers - BR/Sealink Header Page
Great Western Railway - Page 1 - Irish GWR Services
Great Western Railway - Page 2 - Weymouth GWR Services
London & South Western Railway - LSWR Southampton Services
Southern Railway - Page 3 - SR Southampton Services

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powered by FreeFind Table of Ship Histories Name Other names Built Earl Granville Viking 4, Express Olympia 1973 Earl William Viking II, Pearl William, Windward II 1964 British Railways - Sealink

Page 5: Weymouth, Southampton & Portsmouth Services


Normannia
(BR/Sealink: 1952-1978)

3543 gross tons - 309.2 feet long - 1410 passengers (later 500)

Normannia was built in 1952 for services from Southampton to Le Havre, replacing the Hantonia. She achieved 20.62 knots on trials. In 1953 Normannia spent two months at Harwich replacing the damaged Duke of York (2). In October 1962 she was replaced by the St Patrick (3) and was taken to the Tyne to be rebuilt as a stern-loading car ferry, along with the Falaise. She could carry 111 cars and a reduced capacity of 500 passengers. Normannia did not re-enter service until April 1964, now based at Dover/Folkestone. In 1965 Normannia inaugurated car ferry services at Holyhead when Holyhead Ferry I was delivered late. In 1968 she was registered to SNCF for the summer Dover-Calais services. She returned to BR in October 1968. In June 1972 she had a brief charter to Townsend for Dover-Zeebrugge service. The following summer Normannia again transferred to French registry for SNCF services, before returning to BR and running services from Weymouth to the Channel Islands and Cherbourg. She was again based in Weymouth for the 1975 season, followed by a season at Dover in 1977, leaving in January 1978. Following some relief work at Weymouth, Normannia was withdrawn in May 1978. She was sold to Red Sea Ferries of Dubai, but was broken up at Gijon without entering service.


Official BR postcard of Normannia, as delivered as a passenger ship on Southampton services.




Photographic postcard of Normannia, as delivered as a passenger ship on Southampton services.




British Railways postcard of Normannia as a car ferry at Dover after 1964.
Card posted in 1965 - Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Sealink postcard of Normannia.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon







Caesarea
(BR/Sealink: 1960-1980)

Caesarea was built by J. Samuel White & Co, Cowes, Isle of Wight, in 1960. She served between Weymouth and the Channel Islands until 1976, when Caesarea transferred to Dover for services to rail-connected services to Calais and Boulogne. From 1980, she also sailed from Folkestone. Caesarea was withdrawn in 1980 and passed through various owners as Caesarea without re-entering service until broken up in Singapore in 1986.


Postcard of Cowes, showing the yard of J. Samuel White & Co in the background, with either Caesarea or Sarnia under construction behind the frigate.




British Railways postcard of Caesarea.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Postcard of Caesarea.




Postcard of Caesarea.
Photo: © British Railways.




Photograph of Caesarea in dry-dock.




Postcard of Caesarea.
Photo: © British Railways.




Postcard of Caesarea and Sarnia at Weymouth.




Postcard of Caesarea.




Sealink postcard of Caesarea.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Sealink postcard of Caesarea.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Postcard of Caesarea and Caledonian Princess at Weymouth.




Postcard of Caesarea and Caledonian Princess at Weymouth.
Enlarged view from the card above.







Sarnia
(BR/Sealink: 1961-1978)

Sarnia was built by J. Samuel White & Co, Cowes, Isle of Wight, in 1961. She served between Weymouth and the Channel Islands until 1977, with occasional relief work from Dover or Folkestone. Sarnia was sold to Supersave Supermarkets for use as a duty-free shop running between Oostende and Dunkerque as the Aquamart, operated by Channel Cruise Lines of Guernsey (which is outside the EU). The service only ran for a few weeks. Aquamart was sold to Greek owners as Golden Star, then Hitta Establishment of Saudi Arabia as Saudi Golden Star, carrying pilgrims between Port Said, Aqaba and Jeddah. She was broken up in Pakistan in 1987.



Postcard of Cowes, showing the yard of J. Samuel White & Co in the background, with either Caesarea or Sarnia under construction behind the frigate.




British Railways postcard of Sarnia.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Postcard of Sarnia.
Photo: British Railways.




Photographic postcard of Sarnia.




Sealink postcard of Sarnia.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Sealink postcard of Sarnia.
Publisher: J.Arthur Dixon




Enlarged view of the Guernsey stamp showing Sarnia.




Salmon postcard of Sarnia.




Sarnia dressed overall for the 1977 Fleet Review at Spithead.







Maid Of Kent
(BR/Sealink: 1959-1982)
















Caledonian Princess
(BR/Sealink: 1961-1982)
















Earl Godwin
(Sealink: 1975-1990)

Svea Drott was built for Stockholms Rederi AB Svea, Stockholm in 1966 by Ab Öresundvarvet, Landskrona. She entered traffic on the Trave-Line service between Helsingborg-Travemünde, later changing to Helsingborg-Copenhagen-Travemünde. In 1974, Svea Drott was bareboat chartered to Rederi Ab Gotland, Visby, for service between Visby-Oskarshamn. She was then sub-chartered to British Rail/Sealink for their Weymouth-Channel Islands services, followed by purchase in 1975 and renaming to Earl Godwin. Whilst working predominantly out of Weymouth, she also operated for periods on Portsmouth-Channel Islands, Weymouth-Cherbourg and even Heysham-Belfast. In 1990, Earl Godwin was sold to Moby Lines for use as Moby Baby between Piombino-Portoferraio (Elba).


Sealink postcard of Earl William, in original Sealink (British Rail) colours.
Published by J.Arthur Dixon.




Sealink postcard of Earl William, in original Sealink (British Rail) colours.
Published by J.Arthur Dixon.







Earl William
(Sealink: 1976-92)

Viking II was built in 1964 by Kaldnes Mekaniske Verksted A/S, Tönsberg, Norway, for Otto Thoresen for service between Southampton and Cherbourg. During the winter of 1965, she was chartered to Atlantic Steam Navigation for services from Tilbury to Rotterdam and Antwerp. In 1968, Thoresen merged with Townsend to form Townsend-Thoresen Car Ferries. Viking II worked regular charters for other companies such as Lion Ferry and Stena Line etc.

In 1976 Viking II was sold to Sealink British Rail and renamed Earl William for services from Portsmouth and Weymouth to the Channel Islands and Cherbourg, initial route being Portsmouth-Jersey-Guernsey. Earl William operated briefly from Weymouth in May 1981, returning in summer 1982 for Weymouth-Cherbourg services.

In 1984, Sealink ownership passed to Sea Containers, and in 1985 she moved to Weymouth-Channel islands routes. Competition from Channel Island Ferries (CIF) began at this time, ending the Sealink monopoly. CIF rapidly gained market share, and it was announced that a joint service as British Channel Island Ferries would run in 1986. This never occurred due to strike action by Sealink crews. Earl William initially blocked the linkspan in St Peter Port (Guernsey), but she later moved to Weymouth. In 1987 Earl William was moved to Harwich for use as a detention centre for "illegal" immigrants. On the night of October 16/17th 1987, Britain was hit by a hurricane, and Earl William broke her 22 mooring ropes and ran ashore. The detainees were removed and housed elsewhere, whilst Earl William was repaired for a return to service.

In 1988 Earl William opened a new, but short-lived, service from Liverpool to Dun Laoghaire. She was laid up again in 1990, but reappeared for occasional use on Folkestone-Boulogne and Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire. In 1992 she was sold to Neptunus Lines and renamed Pearl William. She subsequently served as Mar-Julia, Cesme Stern and Windward II.

Complete history of Earl William


Official Sealink postcard of Earl William, in original Sealink (British Rail) colours.
Published by J.Arthur Dixon, serial L6/SP.5322




Ile de Jersey postcard of Earl William, no serial number.
One of a set of 14 Channel Islands passenger ships.




J.Perkins postcard of Earl William, serial number WY4.




Official Sealink postcard of Earl William, in later Sealink (British Ferries) colours.
Published by J.Arthur Dixon, serial L6/SP10103




Bob Morris postcard of Earl William, in later Sealink (British Ferries) colours.
Seen arriving at Portsmouth.




In 1987 Earl William was moved to Harwich for use as a detention centre for "illegal" immigrants. On the night of October 16/17th 1987, Britain was hit by a hurricane, and Earl William broke her 22 mooring ropes and ran ashore. The detainees were removed and housed elsewhere, whilst Earl William was repaired for a return to service.


Photograph of Earl William, at Harwich, in use as a detention centre for "illegal" immigrants.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.




Photograph of Earl William, at Harwich, in use as a detention centre for "illegal" immigrants.
Photo: © Ian Boyle, 1987.




Chantry Classics postcard CC/S215 of Earl William, in later Sealink (British Ferries) colours.
Photographed at Dun Laoghaire by © Terence Mitchell.




Ferry Publications postcard of Earl William, in later Sealink (British Ferries) colours.
Seen leaving Dun Laoghaire for Liverpool.
Note the Stena Sailor in the background (left).




Simplon Postcards sp1073 (issued 11/1991) of Earl William, on temporary Holyhead-Dun Laoghaire service for Sealink-Stena Line.
Photo: © Gordon Hislip







Earl Granville
(Sealink: 1980-1984)

Viking 4 was the fifth of the six Papenburg sisters, delivered to Viking Line partner Sally in 1973, for the Åbo-Mariehamn-Stockholm route. She also served on the Stockholm-Helsinki and Nådendal-Mariehamn-Kapellskär routes.

In 1980 Viking 4 was sold to Sealink and served as the Earl Granville on Portsmouth-Channel Islands services. In 1983 she also ran from Weymouth. In 1985 Earl Granville was rebuilt internally in Ålborg, Denmark, returning on Portsmouth to Cherbourg and the Channel Islands services. She was laid up in the River Fal for the winter from October 1987, returning to Portsmouth-Cherbourg services in March 1988. In winter 1988/89 she covered briefly on the Liverpool-Dun Laoghaire and Harwich-Hook of Holland routes, before a brief charter to Commodore Ferries.

During the summer of 1989, Earl Granville again covered Portsmouth-Cherbourg services but badly damaged at Cherbourg on 19th August. She was repaired at le Havre, but had little use before being sold in 1990 to Greek owners Aegan Pelagos Naftiki Eteria as the Express Olympia. Later owners were Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways. She was broken up at Alang, India in 2005.

Complete history of Earl Granville


Sealink postcard of Earl Granville.




Postcard of Earl Granville.




Postcard of Earl Granville in Sealink British Ferries colours.




Chantry postcard of Earl Granville in Sealink British Ferries colours.




Photograph of Earl Granville in Sealink British Ferries colours.
Photo: © FotoFlite.





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Name	Other names	Built
Earl Granville	Viking 4, Express Olympia	1973
Earl William	Viking II, Pearl William, Windward II	1964