MV Princess Victoria (1946)
| History | |
|---|---|
| Name | MV Princess Victoria |
| Owner | British Transport Commission |
| Operator |
|
| Port of registry | Stranraer |
| Route | Stranraer – Larne |
| Builder | William Denny and Brothers, Dumbarton |
| Yard number | 1399 |
| Launched | 27 August 1946 |
| In service | 1947 |
| Fate | Sank 31 January 1953 |
| General characteristics | |
| Class & type | roll-on/roll-off ferry |
| Tonnage | 2,694 GRT |
| Length | 309.75 ft (94 m) |
| Beam | 48 ft (15 m) |
| Depth | 16.67 ft (5 m) |
| Installed power | 2 × 2-stroke, single-acting Sulzer diesel engines |
| Speed | 19 knots (35 km/h; 22 mph) |
| Capacity | 1,500 passengers, 70 tons cargo, 40 cars |
MV Princess Victoria was one of the earliest roll-on/roll-off ferries. Completed in 1947, she operated from Stranraer, Scotland, to Larne, Northern Ireland, initially by the London, Midland and Scottish Railway (LMS) until 1 January 1948 and thereafter by LMS's successor British Railways. During a severe European windstorm on 31 January 1953, she sank in the North Channel with the loss of 135 lives. This was then the deadliest maritime disaster in United Kingdom waters since World War II. For many years it was believed that 133 people had lost their lives in the disaster. However, research by a local historian, Liam Kelly, identified two other victims—Gordon Wright and Thomas Saunders—who had not been identified as there had been no passenger list at the time.