MS Masarrah

As St Columba in Dún Laoghaire Harbour in 1989
History
Name	2007–present: Masarrah 1997 – 2007: Express Aphrodite 1996 – 1997: Stena Adventurer 1991 – 1996: Stena Hibernia 1977 – 1991: St. Columba
Operator	Namma Shipping Lines
Port of registry	Panama
Builder	Aalborg Vaerft, Denmark
Yard number	214
Launched	17 July 1976
Completed	1977
In service	1977–present
Identification	IMO number: 7507019
Status	In service
General characteristics
Tonnage	11,690 GT
Length	129.2 m (423 ft 11 in)
Beam	20.6 m (67 ft 7 in)
Draught	4.7 m (15 ft 5 in)
Installed power	2 × Stork-Werkspoor 16T410
Capacity	1,700 passengers 52 berths 335 cars 430 lane metres

MS Masarrah is a ferry originally named St. Columba. Built in 1977, at the Aalborg Shipyard in Denmark, St. Columba was originally a Sealink UK ferry, operating between Holyhead and Dún Laoghaire in the Irish Sea. She now operates between Duba and Jeddah for .

Fire[]

On 31 January 1990, a fire broke out in the engine room of St. Columba. None of the 199 passengers on board were injured, however a fireman suffered a fractured ulna.

The Captain praised the work of the staff on board the ferry in preventing the spread of the fire, and keeping the passengers safe and re-assured. As there was too much oil to re-ignite the engines, the ship had to be towed for the remainder of the journey to Holyhead port.

Ownership by Stena Line[]

In 1990, Sealink was taken over by Stena Line, and with this new investment, came a £8 million re-fit for St Columba, and her name was changed to Stena Hibernia. In 1996, with the introduction of the HSS fast ferries, Hibernia was again re-named, this time as Stena Adventurer, with the intention of her moving to the English Channel to serve the Dover to Calais route. This move, however, never materialised, and Stena Adventurer was sold to of Greece.

Ownership by Agapitos Express Ferries[]

Stena Adventurer was renamed Express Aphrodite.

Previous names[]

• St. Columba (1977–1990)
• Stena Hibernia (1990–1996)
• Stena Adventurer (1996–)
• Express Aphrodite

Demolition[]

Masarrah was beached as Asarrah at Gadani, Pakistan, on the morning of 2 December 2021.^[1] She was flying the flag of Gabon at the time.

References[]

• https://web.archive.org/web/20110711165356/http://www.hhvferry.com/stcolumba.html
• http://www.sealink-holyhead.com/sealink/ships/st_columba_sealink/fire.html
• http://www.sealink-holyhead.com/sealink/ships/st_columba_sealink/home.html

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