View source for MV Vortigern

{{Use dmy dates|date=September 2017}}
{|{{Infobox ship begin |infobox caption=}} <!-- commercial vessels --><!-- caption: yes, nodab, or <caption text> -->
{{Infobox ship image
|Ship image=
|Ship caption=
}}
{{Infobox ship career
|Hide header=
|Ship name=*''Vortigern'' (1969–88)
*''Milos Express'' (1988–2000)
*''Express Milos'' (2000–03)
*''Nisos Lemnos'' (2003–04)
*''Limon'' (2004–05)
|Ship namesake=[[Vortigern]]
|Ship owner=*[[British Transport Commission]] (1969–79)
*[[Sealink]] (1979–84)
*[[Sea Containers]] (1984–88)
*Lindos Line (1988–99)
*[[Minoan Flying Dolphins]] (1999–2003)
*Saos Sipping Company (2003–05)
|Ship operator=*BR Sealink (1969–79)
*Sealink (1979–84)
*Sea Containers (1984–87)
*Townsend Thoresen (1987)
*Sea Containers (1987–88)
*Lindos Line (1988–99)
*[[Minoan Flying Dolphins]] (1999–2000)
*Hellas Ferries (2000–03)
*Saos Sipping Company (2003–05)
|Ship registry=*{{flagicon|United Kingdom|civil}} [[London]], England (1969–88)
*{{flagicon|Greece}} Piraeus, Greece (1988–2004)
*{{flagicon|Saint Vincent and the Grenadines}} Kingstown, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines (2004–05)
|Ship route=''see text''
|Ship ordered=
|Ship builder=[[Swan Hunter]]
|Ship original cost= {{ShipCost|GBR|2.5|m|year=1969|r=1}}
|Ship yard number=10
|Ship way number=
|Ship laid down=
|Ship launched=5 March 1969
|Ship completed=July 1969
|Ship christened=
|Ship acquired=
|Ship maiden voyage=31 July 1969
|Ship in service=
|Ship out of service=September 2004
|Ship identification=*United Kingdom Official Number 337888 (1969–88)
*{{IMO Number|6910960}}
|Ship fate=Scrapped 2005
|Ship notes=
}}
{{Infobox ship characteristics
|Hide header=
|Header caption=
|Ship class=[[Train ferry]] / [[roll-on/roll-off]] ferry
|Ship type=
|Ship tonnage={{GRT|4,797}}, {{NRT|2,144}}, {{DWT|908}}
|Ship displacement=
|Ship length={{convert|380|ft|0|in|m|2}}
|Ship beam={{convert|63|ft|0|in|m|2}}
|Ship height=
|Ship draught={{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|2}}
|Ship depth=
|Ship decks=
|Ship deck clearance=
|Ship ramps=
|Ship ice class=
|Ship power=2 x 16 cylinder [[SEMT Pielstick|Pielstick]] diesel engines, {{convert|7280|hp|kW}} each
|Ship propulsion=2 screw propellers
|Ship speed={{convert|19.5|kn|km/h}}
|Ship capacity=250 motor cars, 1,000 passengers (''Vortigern'')
|Ship crew=
|Ship notes=
}}
|}

'''''Vortigern''''' was a {{GRT|4,797}} combined [[Train ferry|train]] and [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[ferry]] built by [[Swan Hunter]] in 1969 for the [[British Railways Board]]. She was sold to Greece in 1988 and served until 2004 under the names '''''Milos Express''''', '''''Express Milos''''' and '''''Nisos Lemnos'''''. She was renamed '''''Limon''''' in 2004 and [[Flag of convenience|reflagged]] to [[Saint Vincent & the Grenadines]]. ''Limon'' was scrapped in 2005.

==Description==
As built, the ship was {{convert|380|ft|0|in|m|2}} long, with a beam of {{convert|63|ft|0|in|m|2}} and a draught of {{convert|13|ft|6|in|m|2}}. She was propelled by two 16-cylinder [[SEMT Pielstick|Crossley-Pielstick]], 16 PC2V 450 [[diesel engine]]s producing {{convert|7280|hp|kW}} each. The engines drove twin screw propellers and could propel the ship at {{convert|19.5|kn|km/h}}.<ref name=Inaugural/> The ship had a capacity of 250 motor cars and 1,000 passengers.<ref name=FoF>{{cite web |url=http://www.faktaomfartyg.se/vortigern_1969.htm |title=M/S VORTIGERN. |publisher=Fakta om Fartyg |language=Swedish |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> She could carry 30 railway wagons or ten carriages and eleven wagons.<ref name=PSP/>

==History==
Costing [[Pound Sterling|£2,500,000]],<ref name=PSP/> ''Vortigern'' was built by [[Swan Hunter]], [[Wallsend]] as yard number 10.<ref name=FoF/> Named after the 5th-Century [[Vortigern|King of the Britons]],<ref name=Inaugural>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortbroch.html |title=VORTIGERN INAUGURAL BROCHURE |publisher=HHV |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> she was launched on 5 March 1969 and completed in July.<ref>BR ferry Vortigern for cross-Channel routes ''[[Railway Gazette International|Railway Gazette]]'' 21 March 1969 page 206</ref> Built for the [[British Transport Commission]] for operation by [[Sealink|British Rail Sealink]], she entered service on 31 July 1969.<ref>BR's Vortigern Fills Dual Role ''Railway Gazette'' 3 October 1969 page 730</ref><ref>BR ferry Vortigen ''[[Railway World]]'' issue 353 October 1969 page 428</ref> She was allocated the [[IMO Number]] 6910960,<ref name=FoF/> and United Kingdom Official Number 337888.<ref name=Tyne>{{cite web |url=http://www.tynebuiltships.co.uk/V-Ships/vortigern1969.html |title=Vortigern |publisher=Tyne Built Ships |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> Her port of registry was [[London]].<ref name=Tyne/> ''Vortigern'' was the last train ferry built for British Rail.<ref name=P1>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortigern1.html |title=THE VORTIGERN STORY PART ONE: BRITAIN'S LAST TRAIN FERRY 1969-1988 |publisher=HHV |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> Built as a dual purpose [[Train ferry|train]] and [[roll-on/roll-off]] [[ferry]],<ref name=PSP>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortigernprepub.html |title=VORTIGERN PRE-SERVICE PUBLICITY & LAUNCH PICTURES |publisher=HHV |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> ''Vortigern'' served on the [[Port of Dover|Dover]] to [[Boulogne-sur-Mer|Boulogne]] route during the summer season, and on the [[Dover - Dunkerque train ferry|Dover to Dunkerque]] route during the winter season. On 22 May 1971, ''Vortigern'' was chartered by the International Railway Congress and made a voyage from [[Southend Pier]] [[Essex]] to [[Greenwich]], [[London]].<ref name=FoF/> The train track configuration in her hold can be seen in the 1973 drama Don Juan.<ref>''[[Don Juan, or If Don Juan Were a Woman]]'' (film, 1973), roughly 0:53:00.</ref>

On 1 January 1979, ''Vortigern'' was registered to Sealink. She served on the [[Folkestone Harbour|Folkestone]] to Boulogne route. On 16 January 1983, the ship suffered an engine fire, which took her out of service for four weeks.<ref name=FoF/> At 05:42 on 4 March 1982, ''Vortigern'' ran aground on a breakwater at [[Ostend]], Belgium. Her passengers were disembarked by [[lifeboat (shipboard)|lifeboat]].<ref name=RV>{{cite web |url=http://www.vortigernstudies.org.uk/artgra/ship1.htm |title=Vortigern the Ferry |publisher=Robert Vermaat |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> She was later refloated with assistance from five [[tugboat|tugs]]. After repairs in [[Amsterdam]], Netherlands,<ref name=FoF/> which cost over £1 million,<ref name=RV/> she returned to service on 22 April.<ref name=FoF/> In July 1982, she ran aground at Folkestone.<ref name=P1/>

''Vortigern'' was registered to [[Sea Containers]], London in 1984. She served on the Dover to Dunkerque route from March 1985, switching to the Folkestone to Boulogne route in 1986. On 10 January 1987, she entered service on the [[Fishguard Harbour]] - [[Rosslare Europort|Rosslare]] route. From April to June she was operated on the Dover - [[Calais]] route under [[bareboat charter|charter]] to [[Townsend Thoresen]],<ref name=FoF/> following the loss of the {{MS|Herald of Free Enterprise||2}} on 6 March 1987.<ref name=P1/> Following the entry of {{MS|Pride of Dover||2}} into Townsend Thoresen service,<ref name=Times210487>{{Cite newspaper The Times |title=Safety on stand-in ferry is criticized |date=21 April 1987 |page=3 |issue=62748 |column=H }}</ref> ''Vortigern'' was then laid up in the [[River Fal]], [[Cornwall]].<ref name=FoF/>

From June to September 1987, ''Vortigern'' was in service on the [[Port of Newhaven|Newhaven]] to [[Dieppe]] route, then on the Folkestone to Boulogne route from until January 1988. In October 1988, she was in service on the [[Port of Holyhead|Holyhead]] to [[Dún Laoghaire]] route.<ref name=FoF/>

On 1 April 1988, ''Vortigern'' was sold to Lindos Line SA, [[Piraeus]], Greece and was renamed ''Milos Express'' (''{{langx|el|ΜΗΛΟΣ ΕΞΠΡΕΣ}}''). She was operated primarily on the Piraeus - [[Kythnos]] - [[Serifos]] - [[Sifnos]] - [[Milos]] route. On 11 December 1999, ''Milos Express'' was sold to [[Minoan Flying Dolphins]], Piraeus. She was renamed ''Express Milos'' (''{{langx|el|ΕΞΠΡΕΣ ΛΗΜΝΟΣ}}'') in January 2000 and entered service under the Hellas Ferries brand, continuing on the same route.<ref name=FoF/>

In May 2003, ''Express Milos'' was sold to Saos Shipping Company and renamed ''Nisos Lemnos''. Due to the Greek authorities imposing a 35-year age limit on Greek ferries, her time with Saos was limited to two seasons. Following withdrawal from service, she was laid up at [[Lavrion]].<ref name=P3>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortigern3.html |title=THE VORTIGERN STORY PART THREE: FINAL YEARS 1999-2005 |publisher=HHV |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref> She was sold to Indian shipbreakers in September 2004. The ship was [[flag of convenience|reflagged]] to [[Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]] in December 2004 and renamed ''Limon''. She arrived at [[Alang]], India on 13 January 2005 for scrapping, and was beached on 24 January.<ref name=FoF/> Scrapping took a mere couple of weeks.<ref name=Scrap>{{cite web |url=http://www.hhvferry.com/vortscrap.html |title=VORTIGERN AT THE SCRAPYARD |publisher=HHV |accessdate=6 January 2014}}</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{BR Class 99 (ships)}}
{{1982 shipwrecks}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vortigern}}
[[Category:1969 ships]]
[[Category:Ships built by Swan Hunter]]
[[Category:Train ferries]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of the United Kingdom]]
[[Category:Maritime incidents in 1982]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Greece]]
[[Category:Merchant ships of Saint Vincent and the Grenadines]]