Pelagos is a RoPax ferry owned and operated by French shipping company La Méridionale. The vessel is named after a marine conservation area surrounding Corsica.

History
Name
  • 1997-2005: Lagan Viking
  • 2005-2010: Liverpool Viking
  • 2010-2020: Liverpool Seaways
  • 2020-present: Pelagos
Operator
Port of registry
BuilderCantiere Navale Visentini, Italy
Launched12 March 1996
Completed1997
Maiden voyageOctober 1997
IdentificationIMO number9136034
General characteristics
Tonnage21,856 GT
Length186.0 m (610.2 ft)
Beam25.60 m (84.0 ft)
Height51 m (167.3 ft)
Draught6.3 m (20.7 ft)
Decks4
Installed power2 x Wärtsilä 8R46 diesels
Propulsion
Speed21.5 knots (40 km/h)
Capacity
  • 340 Passengers
  • 200 Cars
  • 2460 Lane meters

History

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Pelagos was built in October 1997 as the Lagan Viking, entering service with Norse Irish Ferries Belfast to Liverpool route. In February 2001, Cenargo, the owners of Merchant Ferries purchased Norse Irish Ferries. The two companies merged and operated together as Norse Merchant Ferries.

 
The Pelagos in Belfast as the Lagan Viking for Norse Merchant Ferries

Ahead of the arrival of a new larger vessel from Cantiere Navale Visentini with the same name to replace her on the Belfast - Liverpool route, Lagan Viking was renamed Liverpool Viking in January 2005 in order to free up her name for the new Lagan Viking. Following the arrival of her replacement, Liverpool Viking was redeployed to the former Merchant Ferries Dublin to Liverpool route. In November 2005 the Norse Merchant Group was acquired by Maersk and integrated into Norfolkline.

In July 2010 Norfolkline was acquired by DFDS. The vessel was renamed Liverpool Seaways during her refit in August 2010. In January 2011, DFDS announced that its Birkenhead to Dublin route was to end on 31 January, due to the sharp decline in demand since 2008.[1]

Following the closure of the Birkenhead - Dublin route, the Liverpool Seaways has been redeployed on DFDS Seaways Baltic Sea routes. On May 24, 2019, it was reported in the French media that Liverpool Seaways had been sold to La Méridionale.[2]

Route

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In February 2011 the Pelagos (as the Liverpool Seaways) operated for DFDS Seaways between Klaipėda and Karlshamn. In 2015 she was moved to the Paldiski - Kapellskär route.

Currently the Pelagos operates between Marseille and Tangier Med for La Méridionale.

Onboard facilities

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The ship has several facilities on board such as restaurants, bars, shops, cabins and reclining seats

References

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  1. ^ "Liverpool Echo: Latest Liverpool and Merseyside news, sports and what's on".
  2. ^ "DSP: La Méridionale achète le Liverpool Seaways". France 3 Corse ViaStella (in French). 24 May 2019. Retrieved 25 May 2019.
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