Former Free Enterprise IV at the Breakers

As previously reported on the Larne ferries in new waters news page, the former Larne - Cairnryan vessel Free Enterprise IV recently passed out of service and arrived at Alang beach, India for breaking up on the 8/3/06. Built in 1969 the vessel had a long and distinguished career seeing service the length and breadth of Europe and beyond from the Baltic Sea in the north to the Red Sea in the south.

Built for Townsend Car Ferries by Werf Gusto of Schiedam, Holland the Free Enterprise IV was introduced on the company's Dover - Calais and Dover - Zeebrugge routes from June 1969. So successful was her design that 3 sister ships followed in addition to one further sister built 8m longer than the previous ships, all built and in service by 1974. These ships became the backbone of the Townsend Thoresen fleet based in Dover and members of the class were also cascaded onto other parts of the network. Free Enterprise IV was one of the fleet transferred away from the core Dover routes to the fledgling Larne - Cairnryan route from May 1976.


Launch day of Free Enterprise IV at Werf Gusto, Schiedam on the 1/3/69. Photo: Roy Thornton Collection (click to enlarge)	In her early days with Townsend Ferries in her original light green hull colours with black topped red funnel. Photo: Roy Thornton Collection (click to enlarge)

Inaugurated in July 1973, the Larne - Cairnryan route's core focus was freight, being a replacement for the ro-ro Larne - Preston route, but for the first full summer of operation in 1974, an attempt was made to bring a more identifiable passenger car ferry onto the route for the peak season. 1974 saw the use of Free Enterprise III while in 1975 the older Free Enterprise I was tried on the North Channel route for the summer both with varying degrees of success. The right ship for the North Channel summer was finally found in 1976 with the Free Enterprise IV taking over as lead ship for the peak season. The ship returned to Dover for the winter but after having a successful 1976 summer season on the Cairnryan service, was called back to the North Channel for the following summer of 1977. Her season on the North Channel was extended in 1977 and after a brief break in the autumn she was reintroduced for the Christmas peak season from the end of October until the 31st of December 1977.

In later years, a pattern was established for her yearly service. Going for refit in the early months of each year she would come out of dry dock and sail for overhaul relief duties for a few months, generally being used on the Southern North Sea on the Felixstowe - Zeebrugge route. With the fleet overhauls complete she would return to the Larne - Cairnryan route around Easter spending the rest of the year on the North Channel until her annual overhaul in the early period of the following year.

During her time as a Larne based vessel she gained a reputation for speed, she was one of the few ferries to sail from Larne that had triple screws and for some time she held the record for the fastest Larne - Cairnryan crossing. She also gained notoriety for frequently being cancelled in bad weather. Her ballast tanks were not as effective at reducing rolling in heavy seas compared to fin stabilisers, which were fitted on some of her later sister ships as well as the main rival vessels sailing on the Larne - Stranraer route. The fin stabilisers gave the Stranraer vessels the edge when the weather got rough and to some extent they were able to continue sailing while the Free Enterprise IV was forced to tie up. Never the less, the FEIV as she became known at Larne, became a popular ship with the travelling public.


Arriving at Larne stern first with the 1200 sailing from Cairnryan in August 1980. Photo: Aubrey Dale (click to enlarge)	Bringing the 1200 ex Cairnryan into Larne just over 4 years later in September 1984. Photo: Aubrey Dale (click to enlarge)

In 1986 she made her final crossing between Larne and Cairnryan being replaced with the Ionic Ferry (II) in July. The Free Enterprise IV then returned to the English Channel and was introduced on the Dover - Boulogne route on the 3rd of August 1986. She was withdrawn from service in December 1987 and laid up at Chatham awaiting a buyer. She did manage to operate for Townsend Thoresen one last time for a brief spell in January 1988 on the Dover - Boulogne as relief cover but was sold from British waters in March 1988. Renamed Falster Link the vessel left Chatham for refit in Sweden prior to introduction on the Gedser - Travemünde route.

In her latter days with Townsend Thoresen in the orange hull with light green funnel, Free Enterprise IV makes for an imposing sight viewed from this angle. Photo: Roy Thornton collection (click to enlarge)

While in the Baltic she was re-engined in 1990, the original 12 cylinder Smit MAN engine powering her centre screw was replaced by a MaK 9M453 engine. Her original bow visor was changed for a landing craft style bow ramp and she had sponsons added. She also suffered a fire onboard just off Gedser on the 28th of June 1994 with the loss of one person and was reunited with former Larne - Cairnryan running mate European Gateway, now trading as Rostock Link, during a spell on the Gedser - Rostock route in 1990.

Her time in the Baltic was completed in 1998 when she was sold to El Salam Maritime of Egypt in February that year. Renamed Tag Al Salam she joined former Townsend Thoresen sister ship Pride of Al Salam 95 (ex Free Enterprise VI, ex Pride of Sandwich, ex Pride of Ailsa) on the Red Sea pilgrim trade. She lasted on that until 2006 when she was sold to the breakers.


	Three images taken at various stages during the breaking up of the former Free Enterprise IV at Alang beach, India as the Tag Al Salam. Initial beaching occurred on the 8/3/06. Photos from the Andy Graham Collection (click to enlarge)