Ship Fact Shee t DRAGON (1967) later IONIC FERRY Base data at 15 June 1967. Last amended December 2009 * indicates entries changed during P&O Group service. Type Roll-on/roll-off passenger ferry P&O Group service 1967-1985 and 1987-1992 P&O Group status* Owned by subsidiary company Former name(s) Registered owners* and General Steam Navigation Company Ltd managers* Operators* Normandy Ferries (P&O interest 50%) Builders Ateliers et Chantiers de Bretagne Yard Nantes Country France Yard number 16/108 Completed by Dubigeon Normandie SA Yard Nantes-Chantenay Country France Yard number 824 Registry Southampton, UK Official number 333697 Call sign GXWU IMO/LR number 6710906 Classification society Lloyd’s Register Gross tonnage* 6,141 grt Net tonnage* 2,732 nrt Deadweight* 2,100 tons Length 134.57m (441.7ft) loa; 126.50m (415.0ft) b/p Breadth 21.86m (71.8ft) Depth 11.73m (38.5ft) Draught 4.820m (15.8ft) Engines 2 SEMT-Pielstick diesel engines Engine builders* Chantiers de l’Atlantique Works St Nazaire Country France Power* 9,467 bhp Propulsion Twin controllable-pitch screws Speed 19 knots 0478 1967/0615 DRAGON (1967) later IONIC FERRY Passenger capacity* 850: 276 in 2 or 4 berth cabins, plus 156 reclining seats and 244 couchettes Cargo capacity 65 teu plus 250 cars or 510 linear metres of freight Crew Employment Southampton/Le Havre service. Later Cairnryan/Larne Career 16.09.1966: Keel laid. 27.01.1967: Launched by Mrs D J L Mortelman, wife of the Chairman of the General Steam Navigation Company. 15.06.1967: Delivered as Dragon for General Steam Navigation Company Ltd. Entered service on Southampton/Le Havre route in the colours of Normandy Ferries, a joint venture between GSN and SAGA of Paris. 29.06.1967: First sailing Southampton/Le Havre, 9 days ahead of schedule. 06.1968: Two sailings Southampton/Rosslare/Lisbon during French General Strike. 1968: 96 extra cabin berths added for use on off-season Southampton/ Lisbon/Casablanca service. 04.1971: One sailing Southampton/Lisbon/Casablanca/Tangier because of late delivery of new ferry Eagle . 01.10.1971: Management transferred to P&O Short Sea Shipping Ltd. 03.12.1973: Ownership transferred to Southern Ferries Ltd. 31.03.1975: Management transferred to P&O Ferries. 23.12.1976: Ownership transferred to P&O Normandy Ferries Ltd, a company owned 50:50 by P&O and SAGA. 12.11.1977: Rescued 13 survivors from French yacht Alge which had been run down 16 km (10 miles) north of Le Havre. 31.12.1979: P&O interest in P&O Normandy Ferries increased to 90%. 1981: Used for trials of an integrated satellite navigation fixing device. 03.12.1984: P&O Normandy Ferries' UK terminal moved from Southampton to Portsmouth. 04.01.1985: Sold to European Ferries Plc. Owners renamed Normandy Ferries Ltd. 1986: Renamed Ionic Ferry . Transferred to Cairnryan/Larne service. 19.01.1987: P&O acquired European Ferries Group Plc. Re-measured. Tonnages now 5,777 grt, 2,286 nrt, 1,790 tons deadweight. Power now 8,900 bhp. 31.12.1987: Ownership transferred to P&O European Ferries (Felixstowe) Ltd. 18.03.1991: Sold by P&O European Ferries (Felixstowe) Ltd to Howill Shipping Ltd, and then hire-purchased back. 18.06.1992: Sold to Marlines SA, Greece and renamed Viscountess M for their Patras/Ancona/Brindisi service . 1995: Renamed Charm M without a change in ownership. Put on the Patras/Igoumenitsa/Bari service. Registry transferred to Malta. 1996: During a stop at Ancona the ship was inspected and found to be in appalling condition in terms of hygiene and safety. 0478 1967/0615 DRAGON (1967) later IONIC FERRY 1997: Company was purchased by the Georgian government, GESCO, and renamed Memed Abashidze . 2000: Renamed Med. 2000: Sold to Access Ferries, Greece, and renamed Millenium Express II . 02.03.2002: While en route from Greece to Albania to start on Bari/Durres service, she suffered a fire in her engineroom while off the coast of the Peloponnese in position 37°21’N-21°00’E. 10.04.2003: Broken up at Aliaga, Turkey. - ends - 0478 1967/0615 .