Senlac

The build

Senlac was the third in a series of three car ferries ordered by the British Railways Board in 1970. Senlac followed sisterships Hengist and Horsa – which were ordered for the Folkestone service – and was the first purpose-built ro-ro for the Newhaven route replacing the 27-year-old Falaise.

Built by the National Naval Dockyard in Brest, Senlac was of 5,590gt, 118m long and could carry up to 1,400 passengers, 250 cars, or 38 lorries and 80 cars. Powered by two 16-cylinder Pielstick four-stroke single-acting diesel engines, developing 15,000shp at 465rpm, the ship had a service speed of 19.5 knots.

In January 1986, Senlac suffered serious hull damage during a storm and the subsequent repairs took almost a month to complete. Later in the year, management announced that Senlac would be replaced by a bigger vessel, the 12,962gt Versailles (formerly Stena Nautica).

Deployments

Senlac was delivered to Sealink in April 1973, making three short coastal cruises before entering into service on 2 May.

In June 1980, the ship had to be evacuated in Dieppe when a fire broke out in the alternator room. No one was injured, but the vessel had to be repaired at Avonmouth, returning to service in August.

In 1987, Senlac was chartered to B&I Ferries from June to September running between Fishguard and Rosslare.

After being sold to Ventouris Sea Lines, operating under the name Apollo Express, the ship ran inter-island services from Piraeus for the next 19 years. Under its last owner, European Seaways, Senlac operated services between Greece, Italy and Albania until a series of machinery problems resulted in withdrawal from service in August 2010 and demolition in Aliağa, Turkey in October 2010.

Save our Senlac

In January 1982, Sealink announced it was pulling out of the Anglo-French Newhaven-Dieppe rout following the failure to agree new terms for the joint service agreement. Officers and ratings protested at the plans and occupied the ferry, blocking the berth in Newhaven until the company backed down and new arrangements for the running route were put in place.

The Save Our Senlac (SOS) action secured temporary reprieve for the UK-flagged ferry – but the privatisation of Sealink in 1984 was soon followed by an announcement from the new owners of withdrawal from the route and in the following year the ship passed into French hands.

Ownership

In the face of union opposition, Senlac was privatised in June 1984, and within a few months the new owners – Sea Containers – tabled proposals to withdraw from Newhaven. Then in 1985, Senlac was sold to the French operator SNCF in January and switched from the red ensign to the French flag.

In November 1973, Senlac was sold to the Greek operator Ventouris Sea Lines and renamed Apollo Express. During the 90s, Senlac was sold to several operators – Agapitos Express Lines in 1995, Hellas Ferries in 1999 and Hellenic Seaways in 2005.

The ship was sold to European Seaways in 200 and renamed Apollon until it was demolished in October 2010.