Yard number 2263 Launched 16 January 1976 | Construction started 10 October 1975 Builder Germany | |
 | ||
Name 1976 - 1996 European Clearway
1996 - 1998 Panther
1998 - 2002 European Pathfinder
2002 - 2002 Regina I
2002 - 2005 Begonia
2005 - Present Via Mare Owner 1976 - 1987 Townsend Thoresen
1987 - 2002 P&O
2002 - 2002 Erato Shipping
2002 - 2005 Transeuropa Ferries
2005 - Present Baltic Scandinavian Lines Operator 1976 - 1987 Townsend Thoresen
1987 - 1993 P&O European Ferries
1993 - 1998 Pandoro Ltd
1998 - 2002 P&O Irish Sea
2002 - 2002 Erato Shipping
2002 - 2005 Transeuropa Ferries
2005 - Present Baltic Scandinavian Lines Port of registry 1976 - 2002 Dover, UK
2002 - 2005 Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines
2005 - Present Tallinn, Estonia Route 1976 - 1992 Dover-Zeebrugge
1992 - 1993 Portsmouth-Le Havre
1993 - 2001 Rosslare-Cherbourg
2001 - 2002 Larne-Cairnryan
2002 - 2005 Ramsgate-Ostend
2005 - Present Kapellskär-Paldiski | ||
The Via Mare is a ro-pax ship which is owned and operated by Baltic Scandinavian Lines.
Contents
History
The Via Mare was launched for Townsend Thoresen as the European Clearway in 1976 for use on their Dover - Zeebrugge route. Townsend Thoresen was absorbed by P&O European Ferries in 1987, retaining the European Clearway before transferring it to Pandoro, another section of P&O. In 1992 European Clearway was transferred to the Portsmouth - Le Havre route In 1993 she was transferred to the Rosslare - Cherbourg route. In 1996 Pandoro renamed the ship Panther, in keeping with the animal names of the other ships in their fleet. Two years later the name was changed again, this time to European Pathfinder when Pandoro Ltd. merged with P&O European (Felixstowe) Ltd. to form P&O European Ferries (Irish Sea).
The vessel suffered a serious fire on 26 November 1997 when 35 miles out from Rosslare on passage to Cherbourg, but was repaired at Birkenhead and returned to service.
She was transferred to the Larne-Cairnryan route in April 2001 to replace the European Trader which had been sold. Unfortunately her port main engine failed in June 2002 and was not repaired, resulting in the final month of operation being at 10 kt on one engine. She was laid up in Liverpool in July 2002 and spent several months awaiting a buyer. In October 2002 the vessel was briefly owned by Erato Shipping of Greece and renamed Regina I but was very quickly sold to Transeuropa Ferries for use on their Ramsgate Ostend service, being renamed Begonia. Her first voyage from Ostend to Ramsgate was on 11 February 2004, following a refit which took over a year. On 8 July 2005 she was sold to Baltic Scandinavian Lines for use on their Kapellskär - Paldiski route.