MV Ulysses (2000)
 MV Ulysses approaching Dublin Port
| |
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MS Ulysses |
| Owner | Irish Continental Group |
| Operator | Irish Ferries |
| Port of registry | Limassol,  Cyprus |
| Route | Dublin - Holyhead |
| Builder | Rauma shipyard |
| Cost | €110M |
| Yard number | 429 |
| Laid down | 24 January 2000[1] |
| Launched | 1 September 2000[2] |
| Completed | 2001 |
| Maiden voyage | March 2001 |
| In service | March 2001 |
| Identification | IMO number: 9214991 |
| Status | In service |
| General characteristics | |
| Tonnage | 50,938 GT |
| Length | 209.2 m (686.4 ft) |
| Beam | 31.84 m (104.5 ft) |
| Height | 51 m (167.3 ft) |
| Draught | 6.3 m (20.7 ft) |
| Depth | 15.75m (moulded) |
| Decks | 12 |
| Deck clearance | 5.0M or 2.7M + 2.1 with Plates in use. |
| Ice class | 1B |
| Installed power | 4x MaK 9 M 43 |
| Propulsion | 2 x LIPS type 4C16 CP propellers |
| Speed | 22 knots (41 km/h) |
| Capacity |
|
MV Ulysses is a RORO car ferry currently owned and operated by Irish Ferries. The ship was launched on 1 September 2000[3] at Aker Finnyards shipyard in Rauma, Finland and services the Dublin - Holyhead route. She was handed over to her owners ICG at the Rauma yard on 22 February 2001, leaving under the command of Captain Peter Ferguson on 28 February and arriving in Dublin Bay at 07:00 on Sunday 4 March.[4] The naming ceremony was undertaken by swimmer Mairéad Berry.[5]
The vessel stands 12 decks high, towering over other vessels at a height of 167 feet (51 metres) from keel to mast. The vessel has five vehicle decks, including two 'swing decks', called 'Plates', which are lowered to accommodate a greater number of 'low vehicles' (i.e. vehicles up to 2 metres high) - these swing decks are primarily used in holiday seasons when there is a much greater number of passenger vehicles. When launched she was the world's largest car ferry in terms of vehicle capacity. (Color Line's sister ships Color Fantasy and Color Magic remain the largest ferries in terms of tonnage).
Ulysses can carry 2,000 passengers and crew, 1,342 cars and 240 trucks. She has 228 passenger berths. The interior of Ulysses is based on the novel Ulysses by Irish writer James Joyce.
On-board facilities (as built)
Deck 9
- Boylan's Brasserie
- Bureau de change
- Cafe Lafayette
- Cyclops Family Entertainment
- Leopold Bloom's Bar
- Main Reception
- Ocean Lift
- Silly Milly's Fun House
- The Shop
- Volta Picture Theatre
Deck 10
- Bridge
- James Joyce Balcony Lounge
- Passenger Cabins
Deck 11
- Freight Drivers' Club
- Marino Casino
- Martello Club Class Lounge
- Sandycove Promenade Deck
References
- ^ "World's largest ferry launched". BBC News Online. BBC News. 1 September 2000. Retrieved March 28, 2006.
- ^ "Gold Medal Winner Mairéad The 'Golden Godmother' To World's Largest Car Ferry 'Ulysses'". Irish Ferries. 2001. Archived from the original on March 16, 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2006.
- ^ "Vessels - Stena Britannica". Stena Line. 2007. Archived from the original on May 20, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2007.
- ^ "Vessels - Stena Hollandica". Stena Line. 2007. Archived from the original on September 27, 2007. Retrieved August 15, 2007.
- ^ Merrigan, Justin (2013). Irish Ferries: An Ambitious Voyage (1 ed.). Ferry Publications. pp. 105–110. ISBN 978-1-906608-60-6.