Ordered 27 May 1972 Launched 17 March 1973 | Length 125 m | |
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Name 1973–1982 Aurella1982–1998 Saint Patrick II1998–2000 Egnatia II2000–2001 Ville de Séte2001–2002 City of Cork2002 onwards C.T.M.A. Vacancier Owner 1973–1982 SF Line1982–2002 Irish Continental Group2002 onwards Navigation Madeleine Inc (CTMA) Operator 1973–1982 SF Line (in Viking Line traffic)1982–1997 (summer seasons) Irish Ferries1982–1997 (winter seasons) several, see text body1998–2000 Hellenic Mediterranean Lines2000 Balear Express2001–2002 Swansea Cork Ferries2002 onwards CTMA | ||
MS C.T.M.A. Vacancier is a car/passenger ferry operated by Coopérative de Transport Maritime et Aérien (CTMA) on their Montreal–Cap-aux-Meules service. She was built in 1973 by the J.J. Sietas Schiffswerft in Hamburg, West Germany as Aurella for SF Line for use on Viking Line traffic. Between 1982 and 1998 she sailed as Saint Patrick II, between 1998 and 2000 as Egnatia II, in 2000 as Ville de Séte and between 2001 and 2002 as City of Cork, before being sold to her current owners.
History
The Aurella was ordered by SF Line, Finland on 27 May 1972. She was delivered on 30 June 1973, and entered service three days later on Viking Line's Naantali–Mariehamn–Kapellskär -route. She was the largest ship in the services across the Sea of Åland at the time.
Aurella continued in Viking Line service until September 1981, when she was laid up at Mariehamn. The following January she was sold to Irish Ferries and renamed Saint Patrick II, to provide extra capacity on the Ireland-France route in the summer months. The lack of traffic during the winter saw her chartered to other operators. During the winter 1982–1983 she was chartered to North Sea Ferries and Belfast Car Ferries, 1984–1985 to B&I Line, 1985–1986 to DFDS Seaways and Stena Line, 1987–1988 and 1988–1989 again to B&I Line, 1989–1990 to Sealink, and 1990–1991 to P&O European Ferries. From 1992 until 1995 she spent the winters sailing for Tallink. During the Tallink charters she was also re-registered to Estonia, but returned to the Irish registry during the summer service with her owners. On 4 March 1994, while under charter to Tallink, the Saint Patrick II participated in the evacuation of the sinking cruise ship MS Sally Albatross near Porkkala, Finland. Falling passenger numbers caused Irish Ferries to withdraw the Saint Patrick II from service in September 1997.
In May 1998 the Saint Patrick II was chartered to Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, renamed Egnatia II and placed on Brindisi–Patras service. In May 2000 she was chartered to Balear Express, Spain and renamed Ville de Séte for Sète–Palma service. Balear Express went bankrupt in September 2000, and the Ville de Séte was laid up. Between March and December 2001 she was chartered to Swansea Cork Ferries as City of Cork.
In March 2002 the City of Cork was sold to the Government of Canada and registered to Navigation Madeleine Inc, a subsidiary of Coopérative de Transport Maritime et Aérien (CTMA). In June she was renamed C.T.M.A. Vacancier and placed on CTMA's service between Montreal and Cap-aux-Meules. In 2003 she was rebuilt at Les Mechins Dry Dock, Quebec with covered bridge wings.