MV St Catherine
Encyclopedia
MV St Catherine is a Roll-on/roll-off car and passenger ferry. She served the Wightlink
crossing from Portsmouth
to Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
from 1983 to 2009. In 2010, she was sold to Delcomar and renamed GB Conte.
, of Leith
at a cost of £5 million. When she entered service on 3 July 1983, she was the biggest ferry ever in the Sealink
Isle of Wight
fleet, and the first able to carry more than 100 cars. Local papers reported that she made the other Isle of Wight ferries looked like toys in comparison to her. St Catherine remained the largest ship in the fleet only until her sister, entered service later in 1983.
St Catherine was present at the International Fleet Review
in 2005, representing Wightlink with a number of her sisters.
She was laid up at Hythe in Hampshire. She has been sold to Delcomar, repainted with their logo and renamed GB Conte.
GB Conte sailed from Hythe to Sardinia
on 31 July 2010, with a crew of 11 on board.
layout with a bridge mounted forward. Two decks of passenger accommodation are provided above the car deck, with two bar areas and seating space. One of the fastest car ferries in the company at the time, she allowed Wightlink to provide a 35-minute crossing of the Solent
. Two older ferries on the route were withdrawn from service, whilst another, was transferred to join her sisters on the Lymington
to Yarmouth
route.
in 1983, becoming Wightlink
in 1991. She sailed between Portsmouth
, on the English mainland
and Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
until 2009.
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
crossing from Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
to Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
for disambiguation.Fishbourne is a small village between Wootton and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.The name "Fishbourne" might mean "stream of fish" or "fish spring."...
from 1983 to 2009. In 2010, she was sold to Delcomar and renamed GB Conte.
History
St Catherine was built by Robb Caledon ShipbuildersHenry Robb
Henry Robb, Limited, known colloquially as Robbs, was a British shipbuilding company based in Leith Docks on the east coast of Scotland. Robbs was notable for building small-to-medium sized vessels, particularly tugs and dredgers.-History:...
, of Leith
Leith
-South Leith v. North Leith:Up until the late 16th century Leith , comprised two separate towns on either side of the river....
at a cost of £5 million. When she entered service on 3 July 1983, she was the biggest ferry ever in the Sealink
Sealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
Isle of Wight
Isle of Wight
The Isle of Wight is a county and the largest island of England, located in the English Channel, on average about 2–4 miles off the south coast of the county of Hampshire, separated from the mainland by a strait called the Solent...
fleet, and the first able to carry more than 100 cars. Local papers reported that she made the other Isle of Wight ferries looked like toys in comparison to her. St Catherine remained the largest ship in the fleet only until her sister, entered service later in 1983.
St Catherine was present at the International Fleet Review
International Fleet Review
For a full list of ships present, see List of ships present at International Fleet Review, 2005The International Fleet Review took place on 28 June 2005, as part of the Trafalgar 200 celebrations to commemorate the 200th year after the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.- 2005 Review Line-up :During the...
in 2005, representing Wightlink with a number of her sisters.
She was laid up at Hythe in Hampshire. She has been sold to Delcomar, repainted with their logo and renamed GB Conte.
GB Conte sailed from Hythe to Sardinia
Sardinia
Sardinia is the second-largest island in the Mediterranean Sea . It is an autonomous region of Italy, and the nearest land masses are the French island of Corsica, the Italian Peninsula, Sicily, Tunisia and the Spanish Balearic Islands.The name Sardinia is from the pre-Roman noun *sard[],...
on 31 July 2010, with a crew of 11 on board.
Layout
St Catherine was the first of the Isle of Wight ferries to use an asymmetric three-propellerPropeller
A propeller is a type of fan that transmits power by converting rotational motion into thrust. A pressure difference is produced between the forward and rear surfaces of the airfoil-shaped blade, and a fluid is accelerated behind the blade. Propeller dynamics can be modeled by both Bernoulli's...
layout with a bridge mounted forward. Two decks of passenger accommodation are provided above the car deck, with two bar areas and seating space. One of the fastest car ferries in the company at the time, she allowed Wightlink to provide a 35-minute crossing of the Solent
Solent
The Solent is a strait separating the Isle of Wight from the mainland of England.The Solent is a major shipping route for passengers, freight and military vessels. It is an important recreational area for water sports, particularly yachting, hosting the Cowes Week sailing event annually...
. Two older ferries on the route were withdrawn from service, whilst another, was transferred to join her sisters on the Lymington
Lymington
Lymington is a port on the west bank of the Lymington River on the Solent, in the New Forest district of Hampshire, England. It is to the east of the South East Dorset conurbation, and faces Yarmouth on the Isle of Wight which is connected to it by a car ferry, operated by Wightlink. The town...
to Yarmouth
Yarmouth, Isle of Wight
Yarmouth is a port and civil parish in the western part of the Isle of Wight, off the southern coast of mainland England. The town is named for its location at the mouth of the small Western Yar river...
route.
Service
St Catherine entered service with SealinkSealink
Sealink was a ferry company based in the United Kingdom from 1970 to 1984, operating services to France, Belgium, the Netherlands, Channel Islands, Isle of Wight and Ireland....
in 1983, becoming Wightlink
Wightlink
Wightlink is a ferry company operating routes between Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in southern England.Their core routes are car ferries from Lymington to Yarmouth and Portsmouth to Fishbourne...
in 1991. She sailed between Portsmouth
Portsmouth
Portsmouth is the second largest city in the ceremonial county of Hampshire on the south coast of England. Portsmouth is notable for being the United Kingdom's only island city; it is located mainly on Portsea Island...
, on the English mainland
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
and Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
Fishbourne, Isle of Wight
for disambiguation.Fishbourne is a small village between Wootton and Ryde, on the Isle of Wight.The name "Fishbourne" might mean "stream of fish" or "fish spring."...
until 2009.