MS Moondance

MS Sevenhill is a ro-ro freight ferry built in 1978. It is a sister ship to Riverdance. She was probably best known for its time at Seatruck Ferries, named Moondance. The vessel was originally built for Emadala Shipping.

Sevenhill at Warrenpoint, 14 July 2003 as Moondance
History
Panama
Name:
  • Emadala (1978-1993)
  • Merchant Victor (1993-1997)
  • Moondance (1997- 2010)
  • Kibris Gunesi (2010-2012)
  • Sevenhill (2012-2017)
  • Tiger A (2017-)
Owner:
  • Emadala Shipping Co. (1978-87)
  • Gilnavi (1987-90)
  • Cenargo Ltd. (1990-98)
  • Seatruck Ferries (1998-10)
  • Starline Maritime (2010-12)
  • Sevenhill Maritime (2012-)
Operator: Star Line
Builder: Rickmers Rederei G.m.b.H, Bremerhaven, Germany.
Yard number: 395
Launched: 19 July 1978
Homeport: Panama
Identification: IMO number: 7800112
Status: Laid up in Samsun
General characteristics
Tonnage: 5,646 GT
Length: 112.32 m (368 ft 6 in)
Beam: 17.43 m (57 ft 2 in)
Draught: 5.36 m (17 ft 7 in)
Installed power:
  • 2 × MaK 8M453AK engines
  • 4,416 kW (5,922 hp)
Propulsion: 2x propellers
Speed: 16 knots (18 mph)
Capacity:
  • 12 passengers
  • 65 trailers
Crew: 19

Career

Gilnavi (1978-90)

Launched in 1978 as the Emadala, she was chartered to Gilnavi and used on the Genoa-Malta-Piraeus-Alexandria route. Sevenhill was sold to Gilnavi in 1990.

Cencargo (1990-97)

In 1990, Sevenhill was sold to Cencargo in 1993, during her time with Cencargo she was named Merchant Victor. She was used on the Heysham-Warrenpoint and Ostend-Ramsgate routes until 1993, when she was chartered for use in the Caribbean. In 1994 she returned to British waters, being used on the Hull-Zeebrugge and Felixstowe-Zeebrugge routes. In 1996 she was used on the Belfast-Heysham route, and in 1997 she was used on the Portsmouth-Guernsey - Jersey route, then the Dartford - Zeebrugge route.

Seatruck (1997-2010)

In 1997 she was chartered by Seatruck, and renamed Moondance. She was purchased by Seatruck in 1998 for use on the Heysham-Warrenpoint route.[1] In April 2008 she was awaiting a refit in Birkenhead.

On 29 June 2008 she was involved in a grounding incident at Warrenpoint after an electrical failure put the controllable pitch propellers into full astern, which was a default setting. Moondance suffered damage to her rudders and rudder stocks. An underlying cause of the accident was insufficient manning of the bridge and engine room and lax operating procedures on board Moondance.[2] Moondance returned to service on 16 October 2008 running between Heysham and Warrenpoint. With the arrival of Clipper Panorama, Moondance was redeployed to the newly opened Fredericia, Denmark to Moss Norway route. This route began operation on 2 February 2009.[3]

With the suspension of Fredericia-Moss service from 10 February 2009, Moondance briefly laid up in Denmark before returning to Liverpool where she was laid up in East Huskisson dock.[4]

Starline Maritime (2010-)

In 2010 Sevenhill was purchased by Starline Maritime in Cyprus and renamed Kibris Gunesi, before being renamed in August 2012 to Sevenhill. The vessel is currently operated by Sevenhill Maritime out of the port of Samsun, Turkey.

See also

MS Riverdance - Moondance's sister ship that sank off the coast of Blackpool, England.

References
  1. "M/S EMADALA". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 2 January 2008. (Swedish)
  2. "Report on the investigation of the electrical blackout and subsequent grounding of the ro-ro cargo ship Moondance in Warrenpoint Harbour, Northern Ireland, 29 June 2008" (PDF). Marine Accidents Investigations Branch. Retrieved 12 February 2009.
  3. "FREDERICIA-MOSS v.v." Fredericia-Moss. Retrieved 6 January 2009.
  4. Seatruck RO/R0 Service Fredericia-Moss. Service on stand by Fredericia Moss v.v. Retrieved 24 October 2009
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