TUXEDO ROYALE restaurant ship

[aukepalmhof]

On 10th April 2012 the British Post Office issued the second part of it’s a – Z of the British Isles. The letter ‘T’ is represented by the Tyne Bridge. (My very biased opinion is that it looks far better than its counterpart in the Southern Hemisphere). Under the bridge can be seen the TUXEDO ROYALE

Built as a ferry ro-ro ship under yard No 2013 by Swan, Hunter & W. Richardson, Wallsend on the River Tyne for the British Railways Board, London.
17 March 1965 launched as the DOVER.
Tonnage 3,602 grt, 1,217 net, 820 dwt, dim. 112.5 x 17.4m, length bpp. 105.6m.
Powered by two Wallsend steam turbines, 12,000 shp, speed 19.5 knots. Two rudders aft and one bowrudder, her astern speed was 14 knots.
Could carry 205 average cars.
Accommodation for 1,000 passengers.
June 1965 delivered to owners.

06 June 1965 arrived in Dover.
From 09 June used in the service from Dover to Boulogne across the Dover Strait, passage took around 90 minutes.
1969 Transferred to the service from Holyhead to Dun Laoghaire.
1977 Sold to British Railways, London and renamed EARL SIWARD. She was refitted at Vaerft Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark, received a bow ramp and door.
1979 Sold to Sealink U.K. Ltd, London not renamed. Used in the Irish Sea routes of Sealink.
From January 1981 in the service between Folkestone and Boulogne.
14 April 1981 she made the last crossing in this service, laid up in Newhaven.
From June 1981 again in the service in the Irish Sea till July then in the service between Weymouth and Channel Islands for one voyage, then again laid up in Newhaven.
25 November 1981 Sold to Sol Ferries Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus and renamed SOL EXPRESS.
Sailed to Perama Shipyard, Greece before she came in the service from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa and Patras.
1983 Turbine problems and she was laid up in Limassol.
1986 Sold to Quadrini Group, Chanson Lines Ltd., Limassol, Cyprus
06 March 1986 towed from Limassol to Newcastle.
18 April 1986 arrived at Newcastle, and used as a restaurant ship, not renamed.
1993 Sold to Cinderella’s Rockerfella’s and renamed TUXEDO ROYALE, moored at Gateshead on the River Tyne as a floating restaurant

She was towed to Middlesborough in March 2000. Vandals have since managed to sabotage the vessel and in May 2011 it started taking on water so the ship sinks at high tide. Water enters via the old car deck on the tides and the ship is now listing towards the quayside.

The photograph after the stamp was designed issued in 2000, show the new Millennium Bridge linking Newcastle upon the Tyne to Gateshead , there is a ship on this stamp but very unclear and she can be found just under the left hand span of the Tyne Bridge, she is the TUXEDO ROYALE.

February 2012 still there see: http://www.shipspotting.com/gallery/pho ... id=1495501
Great Britain 2000 1st sg?, scott?. 2012 1st sg?, scott?
http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teess ... _page.html
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/1167393
http://www.trawlerpictures.net/gallery/ ... do-royale/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tuxedo_Royale

Peter Crichton