The Norland was a P&O roll-on/roll-off ferry operating between Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, UK, and Rotterdam Europoort, Netherlands, and then Zeebrugge, Belgium. The 27,000 tonne ferry was built in 1974 by AG Weser, Bremerhaven, for Dutch North Sea Ferries partners Noordzee Veerdiensten N.V. Sistership MV Norstar sailed under Dutch flag and Norland under British flag and with (mainly) British crew. The ship transferred to P&O North Sea Ferries in 1996.
 Norland in Rotterdam in 1979
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| History | |
|---|---|
| Name |
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| Owner |
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| Operator |
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| Port of registry | |
| Yard number | 972 |
| Launched | 13 October 1973 |
| In service | 1974 |
| Out of service | 2010 |
| Identification | IMO number: 7333822 |
| Honours and awards | Falkland Islands, 1982 |
| Fate | Scrapped 2010 |
| General characteristics | |
| Type | RORO |
| Tonnage | 12,988 GRT |
| Length | 152.77 m (501.2 ft) |
| General characteristics after 1987 stretch | |
| Tonnage | 26,290 GT |
| Length | 173.29 m (568.5 ft) |
| Beam | 25.2 m (83 ft) |
| Draft | 6.02 m (19.8 ft) |
| Propulsion | Two SWD 16TM410 |
| Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h) |
Geoff Capes, the Strongman, once pulled the ship along.
Falklands Service
editDuring the Falklands War, the Ministry of Defence requisitioned the Norland to be used as a troopship in the Task Force sent to retake the Falkland Islands from Argentina. Norland was among the ships to enter San Carlos Water during the amphibious landings of Commandos and Paratroopers, Captained by Donald Ellerby CBE. The ship survived attack from the Argentine Air Force, and at the end of the war repatriated the defeated Argentine troops back home, alongside the Canberra.[1] For this service Norland received the battle honour "Falkland Islands 1982,"[2] which for many years was displayed in one of the passenger lounges, with a painting of the ship in San Carlos Water.
Post P&O
editIn 2002, the Norland was sold to SNAV as the SNAV Sicilia for service between Naples and Palermo.<ref>"The Ferry Site SNAV Sicilia". Retrieved 21 December 2009.</
The ship was broken up in India in the summer of 2010.
Popular culture
editShe was seen in the BBC TV Only Fools and Horses episode To Hull and Back, when the Trotter family used her as a means of navigation.
References
edit- ^ Falkland-war details from British Units in the Falklands War Archived 4 December 2009 at the Wayback Machine website, visited 22 November 2009
- ^ "Your Democracy - Defence". Archived from the original on 26 April 2012. Retrieved 23 November 2011.