MS Ari

GNV Aries in Palermo (2021)
History
Name	1987–2003: Norsea 2003–2021: Pride of York 2021–2024: GNV Aries 2024–2025: Ari
Owner	1987–2003: North Sea Ferries 2003–2021: P&O Ferries 2021–2024: MSC / Grandi Navi Veloci 2024–2025: Dido Steel Co.
Operator	1987–2003: North Sea Ferries 2003–2021: P&O Ferries 2021–2024: Grandi Navi Veloci
Port of registry	1987–2011: Hull, United Kingdom 2011–2021: Nassau, Bahamas 2021: Limassol, Cyprus 2021–2024: Naples, Italy 2024: Limassol, Cyprus 2024–2025: Lomé, Togo
Route	Naples – Palermo Former: Zeebrugge – Hull Former: Rotterdam – Hull
Builder	Govan Shipbuilders Govan, Scotland
Yard number	265
Laid down	24 August 1985
Launched	9 September 1986
Christened	9 September 1986
Completed	2 May 1987
Acquired	16 April 2021 (by GNV)
Maiden voyage	8 May 1987
In service	1987
Out of service	29 July 2024
Identification	IMO number: 8501957 Call sign: ICGT MMSI number: 247435700
Fate	Beached for scrapping at Aliağa, Turkey on 27 January 2025
Status	Scrapped
General characteristics
Class & type	Cruise ferry
Tonnage	31,598 GT 18,197 NT 6,545 DWT
Length	179.2 m (587 ft 11 in)
Beam	25.4 m (83 ft 4 in)
Draft	6.13 m (20 ft 1 in)
Decks	11
Ramps	Stern vehicle loading ramps
Installed power	2 × Wärtsilä-Sulzer 9ZAL40 diesel engines 2 × Wärtsilä-Sulzer 6ZAL40 diesel engines (total 18,390 kW)
Propulsion	2 × controllable pitch propellers
Speed	19.0 knots (35.2 km/h; 21.9 mph)
Capacity	1,108 passengers 350 cabins 850 cars or 2,250 lane metres for freight
Crew	40

MS GNV Aries was a ferry built as MS Norsea for North Sea Ferries as part of their response to the need for larger vessels in the mid to late 1980s. The 1974 ships MV Norland and MV Norstar were proving to be very popular, and were running at capacity. Therefore, North Sea Ferries designed their "3rd Generation" overnight ferry. The two parent companies within North Sea Ferries placed their orders in two separate locations. P&O placed its at Govan Shipbuilders on the River Clyde, and Nedlloyd placed their order with NKK in Yokohama, Japan.

Norsea entered service on the Hull–Rotterdam route. She was the largest passenger ship to be built on the Clyde since Queen Elizabeth 2. It was also the last large passenger ship to be built in the United Kingdom. In May 2001, now owned and operated by P&O Ferries ordered Pride of Hull and Pride of Rotterdam. Once relieved of service on the Hull–Rotterdam route, the ship was sent off for two months major refurbishment and branding realignment, prior to entering service on the Hull–Zeebrugge route, and replacing the 27-year-old MS Norland in the new P&O colours.^{[citation needed]}

The ship's name was also changed from Norsea to Pride of York, to bring the names in line with the rest of the P&O Ferries fleet.^{[citation needed]}

In October 2020, P&O announced that the sister ships, and Pride of York and Pride of Bruges to be withdrawn due to the decline in traffic caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. The final service from Hull left on 9 December 2020.

In 2021, both were sold to Grandi Navi Veloci with Pride of York being renamed GNV Aries.

In October 2024, GNV Aries was sold to a Turkish demolition yard for scrap It was beached at the Aliağa Ship Breaking Yard in January 2025.

Accidents and incidents

• On 5 February 1992, the lifeboat launching equipment at No 3 lifeboat station suffered a catastrophic failure during operational tests. The damage was very serious, to both the lifeboat and the vessel itself. The lifeboat then fell onto the dockside, where two of the four men on board the lifeboat were killed. The ship was under the operation of North Sea Ferries at the time of the accident.
• On 14 August 2002, Norsea had a fire in the forward engine room. This was caused by ignition of thermal heating oil, which leaked during repairs.
• On 2 September 2002, her aft engine room suffered a fire whilst on passage from Hull to Zeebrugge. She was about 7 miles off the East Anglian coast. The necessary steps were taken to extinguish the fire and no passengers were injured. However the third engineer was affected by smoke inhalation. The fire was caused by the failure of a low pressure fuel pipe on the main diesel generator. There were no connections between the two fires.
• On 17 March 2014 the ferry suffered a 20 mm (0.79 in) gash caused by metal protruding from the lock gate at King George Dock. It meant that the ferry did not depart until 6am the next day, resulting in 168 passengers walking off and cancelling their trip. P&O Ferries spokesman Brian Reese said: "We want all our passengers to get away on their trip in good time, unfortunately this isn't always possible. People worked very hard through the night to get the ship away in the morning. In transport, we get technical glitches from time to time but, everyone did their best in the circumstances."^{[citation needed]} More than 230 passengers stayed on board, many of whom are thought to have been long-distance lorry drivers.

Gallery

• Norsea - Pride of York - GNV Aries
• 
  As Norsea at her homeport Hull (2001)
• 
  Pride of York arriving at Hull (2003)
• 
  Pride of York (2010)

References