North Sea Ferries
Norsky departing from Ipswich in 1993 | |
| Company type | Joint venture |
|---|---|
| Industry | Shipping |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Founder | A Kirsten Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Söhne General Steam Navigation Company Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij Phs. van Ommeren Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company |
| Defunct | 1996 |
| Fate | Merged with P&O North Sea Ferries |
| Successor | P&O Ferries |
| Headquarters | , England |
Area served | Belgium Netherlands United Kingdom |
| Parent | Nedlloyd (50%) P&O (50%) |
North Sea Ferries was a ferry operator that operated services between the United Kingdom, Belgium and The Netherlands from 1965 until 1996.
History
Background
North Sea Ferries formed in 1965 by a consortium of six European concerns (two British, two German and two Dutch) to operate a ferry service between Hull and Rotterdam Europoort.[1] The original consortium members were Tyne Tees Steam Shipping Company (at that time part of Coast Lines), General Steam Navigation Company (majority owned by P&O), Argo Reederei Richard Adler & Söhne, A. Kirsten, Koninklijke Nederlandse Stoomboot-Maatschappij and Phs. van Ommeren.[2]
Early Years
Even before commencement of the Hull-Rotterdam service, North Sea Ferries were already exploring the potential for new routes between Britain and Europe.[3] The Rotterdam service commenced operations in December 1965.[1]
The remains of Coast Lines was acquired by P&O in 1971[4] and combined with the operations of General Steam Navigation to form the basis of P&O Ferries,[5] with P&O therefore now directly holding an increased stake in the North Sea Ferries joint venture. A. Kirsten were declared bankrupt in October 1975.[6]
Takeover
By 1980, Van Ommeren and Argo Reederei were reported as having little interest in North Sea Ferries and a proposal was made for their remaining minority stakes to be sold to the other two remaining partners in the consortium[7] (KNSM having merged with Nedlloyd). Thus, North Sea Ferries became jointly owned by Nedlloyd and P&O.[8][1]
In 1987, the Princess Margaret Ferry Terminal was built under the operation of North Sea Ferries. The building is now under the ownership of Associated British Ports and is operated by P&O Ferries.
Final Years
North Sea Ferries operated until 1996, when Nedlloyd's share of the venture was purchased by P&O giving them sole ownership.[9] After this point operations were merged into P&O as P&O North Sea Ferries as part of the reorganisation of P&O Ferries arising from the merger of its Dover Straits services with those of Stena Line.[10] P&O North Sea Ferries was then merged with P&O Ferries in 2003.[11][12]
Fleet
| Name | Built | In service | Tonnage | History |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Norwave | 1965 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) | 1965–1987 | 4,000 GT | Scrapped at Drapetzona Shipyard in 1988 after an explosion[1] |
| Norwind | 1966 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) | 1965–1987 | 4,000 GT | Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 1995 after fire the previous year at Piraeus[1][13] |
| Norland | 1974 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) | 1974–1996 | 12,998 GT (before lengthening) 15,047 GT (after lengthening) |
Served as a troop ship during Falklands War, lengthened in 1987, scrapped at Alang Ship Breaking Yard in 2010[1][14] |
| Norstar | 1974 (AG Weser, Bremerhaven, Germany) | 1974–1996 | 12,998 GT (before lengthening) 15,047 GT (after lengthening) |
Lengthened in 1987, scrapped at Alang Ship Breaking Yard in 2010[1][15] |
| Norsea Norsky |
1979 (Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co, Tamano, Japan) | 1981–1986 1986-1996 |
6,310 GRT | Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2011[1][16] |
| Norsea | 1987 (Govan Shipbuilders, Glasgow, Scotland) | 1987–1996 | 31,598 GT | Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2025[1][17] |
| Norsun | 1987 (Nippon Kokan K.K., Tsurumi-ku, Yokohama, Japan) | 1987–1996 | 31,598 GT | Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2025[1][18] |
| Norcape | 1979 (Mitsui Engineering & Shipbuilding Co, Tamano, Japan) | 1988–1996 | 6,310 GRT | Scrapped at Aliaga Ship Breaking Yard in 2011[1][19] |
| Norbank | 1993 (Van der Giessen de Noord, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands) | 1993–1996 | Currently in service (as of 2025) as DP World Express with DP World[20] | |
| Norbay | 1994 (Van der Giessen de Noord, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands) | 1994–1996 | Currently in service (as of 2025) with P&O Ferries[21] |
Routes
- Hull - Rotterdam 1965-1996[1]
- Hull - Zeebrugge 1974-1996[1]
- Ipswich - Rotterdam 1977-1996[1]
- Middlesbrough - Zeebrugge 1988-1996[1]
Former North Sea Ferries routes today
The former North Sea Ferries route between Hull and Rotterdam continues to be operated by P&O Ferries.
A service between Ipswich and Rotterdam was latterly operated by Luxembourg-based CLdN. This route was closed by the company in August 2012.[22]
Sailings by P&O between Hull and Zeebrugge ceased in January 2021[23] due to the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic, although it was noted at the time of the closure announcement by Darren Procter of the RMT Union that it had been a "challenging route for a number of years".[24]
In July 2025, P&O Ferries announced it was closing the route between Middlesbrough and Zeebrugge[25] at the end of the month to focus on other routes.[26]
References
- ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Mitchell, Barry (1992). North Sea ferries: ships of the night (repr ed.). Beverley: Hutton Press. ISBN 978-1872167305.
- ^ "North-East Firm has Stake in Ship Group". The Journal. 9 June 1964. p. 2.
- ^ "Ferry Group Plans More Services". The Daily Telegraph. 19 February 1965. p. 19.
- ^ "Curious Forecast". The Guardian. 1 January 1971. p. 14.
- ^ "General Steam Navigation Company". P&O Heritage. Retrieved 18 August 2015.
- ^ "A. Kirsten short story". Sammlung A. Kirsten Memorabilia.
- ^ "P&O to Share Ferry Group". The Daily Telegraph. 5 January 1980. p. 23.
- ^ Widdowes, Nick (1992). Car Ferries of the British Isls 1992/93. Kilgetty: Ferry Publications. pp. 22–23. ISBN 1-871947-12X.
- ^ The Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company and Stena Line AB - A report on the proposed merger. Monopolies & Mergers Commission. November 1997. Archived from the original on 18 March 2010.
- ^ Smith, Peter C. (2012). Offshore ferry services of England and Scotland. Barnsley: Pen & Sword. p. 198. ISBN 978-1-84884-665-4.
- ^ Mark, Dave (16 October 2002). "North Sea Ferries name and jobs go". Yorkshire Post. Retrieved 23 April 2018.
- ^ North Sea Ferries bought by P&O Coach & Bus Week issue 236 21 September 1996 page 4
- ^ "M/S NORWIND". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORLAND". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORSTAR". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S IBEX". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORSEA". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORSUN". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S TIPPERARY". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORBANK". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "M/S NORBAY". Fakta om Fartyg. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ Brodie, Duncan (11 August 2012). "Ipswich: Jobs go as Rotterdam freight ferry service is axed". East Anglian Daily Times. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "Former Hull to Zeebrugge ferries for sale after route closes". BBC News. 18 February 2021. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "P&O to axe Hull to Zeebrugge route due to Covid impact". BBC News. 1 October 2020. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ Jasper, Christopher. "P&O axes crucial ferry route to continental Europe". No. 7 July 2025. The Daily Telegraph. Retrieved 29 December 2025.
- ^ "P&O Ferries To Close Its Teesport-Zeebrugge Service At The End Of July". Shippax. 8 July 2025. Retrieved 29 December 2025.