T/S QUEEN m

Postcard from Fleet File Rotterdam’s collection

Ship	Queen M(1985)	Building Spec.	1972 at Swan Hunter, Newcastle, United Kingdom N° V33
Call Sign	?? then 9HYA2	Numero IMO	7111731
GRT	13.102	DWT	2.052
Dimensions	149,3 x 21,9 x 5,3	Engines	2 turbines AEI, 15.077 kW
Speed	22 knots	Passengers	2.000
Beds	922	Cars	200
Lane Metres		Sister Ships
Registry Port	Limassol then Valletta	Flag	Cyprus then Malta
Former Owners	Union Ss. Co. 1972-84	Former Names	Rangatira 1972-84
New Owners	Alimar 1990-02 Oberon Cruise Line 2002-05 Scrapped in Turkey 2005	New Names	Carlo R 1990-02 Alexander The Great 2002-05
Line

Considering all the ships which were ever in Marlines Fleet, she is the one with the biggest passenger capacity, the second one considering the GRT and she was only a little bit slower of “Dame M” and “Crown M”; the question is why this ferry was not in Marlines fleet in her most difficult period (from 1997). Having a rather dated design, remembering the cruise liners of the early sixties, had also a very uncommon feature for a ship launched in 1972: the steam propulsion, which increased considerably her operating costs. She was bought in 1985 from the New Zealand company “Union Steamship Company”, under which she had a multipurpose use, being deployed first between New Zealand’s islands, then used as accommodation ship, then in Falklands’s war as hospital ship, then was deployed on the long link departing from Ancona to Kusadasi via Patras and Heraklion on Crete Island. Was sold, as the “Princess M”, to the Italian company Rodriquez-Alimar, substuituted by a former fleet mate in Union Steamship company, the “Duchess M”. Under the Italian flag with the name “Carlo R”, served in 1994 and 1995 from Ancona to Igoumenitsa, Patras and Cesme with the brands of “Horizon Sea Lines” first and “Egnatia Ferries” then; it seems that in the former four season had served Co.Tu.Nav. for three years and an Alimar service from Leghorn to Trapani in Sicily and Tunis in 1993; then was arrested in 1995 and laid up at Naples for many years. Bought at auction in 2002, was renamed “Alexander The Great” and towed to Kotor in Montenegro to be rebuilt and refitted, probably as a cruise ship; however the works were stopped and the ferry was again put on sales list. Unfortunately it is very difficult to find a buyer for a ship like this powered by two hungry turbines, with the actual fuel prices, so the once-time time “Queen M” was sold for scrap in April 2005.

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