MS Free Enterprise II

For other ships with the same name, see Free enterprise (disambiguation).

MS Free Enterprise II was a cross-Channel ferry operated by Townsend Thoresen between 1965 and 1982. The ship features prominently in the comedy film San Ferry Ann.^[1] In later life as Moby Blu she served Corsica and Elba.

History
United Kingdom
Name	Free Enterprise II 1982: Moby Blu
Owner	Townsend Bros. Ferries Ltd. 1982: Moby Lines
Operator	Townsend Thoresen, Dover, England.
Route	Dover-Calais (1966-1969) Dover-Zeebrugge (1968-1970) Southampton-Cherbourg (1970-1974)
Builder	N.V. Werf "Gusto", Schiedam, Rotterdam Engines: J. & K. Smit, Kinderdijk
Yard number	502
Laid down	August 1964
Launched	29 January 1965
Identification	IMO number: 6506317
Fate	2003: sold to Indian breakers
General characteristics
Type	Ferry
Displacement	4,011 gross
Length	Length on deck - 108.11m (354.7 ft) (overall) 98.50m (323.2 ft) (between perpendiculars)
Height	9.66m (31.7 ft) (moulded)
Draught	4.00m (13.2 ft) (maximum)
Installed power	2x 12-cylinder Smit-M.A.N. RBL6612 four-stroke single acting diesels. Power 5664 kW
Speed	19.0 knots
Capacity	1,200 passengers, 230 cars

History

Free Enterprise II was built by I.C.H. Holland, Werf Gusto Yard, Schiedam, Netherlands in 1965 for Townsend Brothers Ferries (later Townsend Thoresen). In November 2003, she was sold to Indian breakers St Vincent/ Grenadines, renamed Moby and sent to Alang, India for breaking.^[2]

Service

Free Enterprise II operated on the Dover–Calais, Dover–Zeebrugge and Southampton–Cherbourg routes throughout the mid to late 1960s and the 1970s. In 1980 she was chartered by Sealink and used on the Portsmouth–Cherbourg route.

In 1982, she was acquired by the NAVARMA/Moby fleet and renamed Moby Blu. They used her on routes to Corsica and then on the Piombino–Elba service.^[2][3]

In popular culture