MV Norstar
| Career | |
|---|---|
| Name: | Norstar |
| Owner: | Nedlloyd |
| Port of registry: |
Rotterdam,  Netherlands |
| Yard number: | 973 |
| Launched: | 1974 |
| In service: | 1974 |
| Out of service: | 1996 |
| Identification: | IMO number: 7360710 |
| Career | |
| Name: | Norstar |
| Owner: | P&O North Sea Ferries |
| Operator: | P&O North Sea Ferries |
| Acquired: | 1996 |
| Out of service: | 2001 |
| Status: | sold |
| Career | |
| Name: | SNAV Campania |
| Owner: | SNAV Aliscafo |
| Operator: | SNAV |
| Port of registry: | Naples, 22x20px Italy |
| Route: | Naples-Palermo |
| Acquired: | 2001 |
| Status: | in service |
| General characteristics | |
| Class and type: | RORO |
| Tonnage: | 12,502 GRT |
| Length: | 152.77 metres (501.2 ft) |
| General characteristics after 1987 stretch | |
| Tonnage: | 26,919 GRT |
| Length: | 173.29 metres (568.5 ft) |
| Beam: | 25.2 metres (83 ft) |
| Draft: | 6.02 metres (19.8 ft) |
| Propulsion: | Two SWD 16TM410 |
| Speed: | 19 knots (35 km/h) |
Norstar was a P&O roll-on/roll-off ferry operating between Kingston upon Hull in Yorkshire, England and Rotterdam Europoort, Netherlands and later on the Hull- Zeebrugge, Belgium line.
History
The 27,000 gross ton ferry was built in 1974 by AG Weser, Bremerhaven for Dutch North Sea Ferries partners Noordzee Veerdiensten N.V. Sistership Norland sailed under British flag and Norstar under the Dutch flag with (mainly) Dutch crew. The ship transferred to P&O North Sea Ferries in 1996.
On the UK side ferries needed to pass locks to berth in King George Dock, and both ships Norstar and Norland were designed as large as possible for the locks in 1974. From launch till 1987 it sailed the Hull-Rotterdam route and from 1987 until 2001 it sailed on the Hull-Zeebrugge route.
Norstar and Norland were replaced by Norsea and Norsun in 1987 on the Rotterdam route. Both ships were stretched and modernized by the original builder before entering service on the Zeebrugge route. The maximum dimensions to pass the locks allowed larger new ships for the Rotterdam route and also permitted the enlarging in 1987. An extra 20.25 meters was added in 1987, resulting in a length of 173.29 meters, 25.2 meters wide and a gross tonnage of 26,916 gross tons.[1]
The Norstar and sistership Norland were sold to SNAV in Italy and sailing between Naples and Palermo as SNAV Campania.[2][3]
In 1987, the Norstar was used for filming The Beiderbecke Tapes.
