MV Speedlink Vanguard
MV Speedlink Vanguard was a Dutch-built train ferry with a long, name-filled career from 1973 to 2013. It began as Stena Shipper, was chartered to New Zealand’s Union Steam Ship Company and renamed Union Wellington in 1973. After the charter ended, it returned to Europe, was rebuilt in 1976, and renamed Alpha Express, then Stena Shipper when chartered again.
In 1981 it was converted to a train ferry and entered Sealink service as Speedlink Vanguard, carrying up to 56 railway wagons on the Harwich–Zeebrugge route. In 1982 it survived a collision with European Gateway, which sank the other ship and killed six people; Vanguard had no injuries and resumed service soon after. The vessel went through a string of renamings and owners: Caribe Express (1987), Stena Shipper and Kirk Shipper (1988), Normandie Shipper (1989–1999) under Truckline Ferries on Caen–Portsmouth and Cherbourg–Poole routes, later reflagging to the Bahamas after SOLAS changes.
After years of service, it was laid up in 1995 and sold in 1999 to Adecon Shipping as Bonavista. It was rebuilt in Poland in 2000 and renamed Boa Vista after a 2001 sale to Kyst-Link A/S, sailing on routes near Norway and Denmark. In 2003 it collided with a breakwater at Hirtshals. In 2007 it was sold again and renamed Birlik 1, registered in Istanbul, and operated on the Zonguldak–Skadovsk route until scrapping in 2013 at Aliağa, Turkey.
Key specs: length around 115 to 142 meters after rebuild, beam about 16–18.6 meters, two diesel engines powering speeds near 18 knots, and capacities growing from 12 passengers (early) to 36 (after rebuild) and 56 wagon trains. The ship sailed under many flags and names before being scrapped in 2013.
This page was last edited on 2 February 2026, at 19:27 (CET).