COTENTIN ... serving Poole 1974-1978 

The above two images are shown with thanks to Dover Ferry Photos ... from where dimensions are also copied ... 

(https://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk/mv-cotentin-1974-past-and-present/)  

Truckline's Cotentin 1974-1978 

Built 1969 at Rickmers yard in Bremerhaven as “Thule" for German company Transanglia, Hamburg.  

Key Dimensions … 

~    Length = 67m    ~    Beam = 16m    ~    Draft = 4m    ~    Gross Tonnage = 3,575    ~    Service Speed = 14 knots

~    Freight capacity = 410 lane metres    ~    Passenger capacity = 12

Principal Machinery = Two 9 cylinder Atlas MAK diesel engines producing 2,940 HP

Poole service … 

June 18th 1974 - sold to Societe Francaise de Transports Maritimes, Cherbourg, France and renamed “Cotentin”. 

1974-1978 - chartered to Truckline S.A., Cherbourg for services between Poole and Cherbourg.

~ ~ ~ ~

The two images below come courtesy of the Kevin Mitchell collection ... thanks Kevin. 

Out with the OLD ... In with the NEW ...

Whilst the "old" Cotentin had only been built 5 years before it came into service on the Poole route in 1974 it is interesting to compare with Cotentin of today (itself now 14 years old on its return to Poole).

Cotentin of 1974 ... capacity for 410 lane metres of freight 

Cotentin of 2021 ... capacity for 2,200 lane metres of freight 

What’s the state of freight? ... 

In 1974 the old Cotentin only had a fifth of the freight capacity today’s namesake can carry.
So if they were just used for freight … how many vehicles could today’s Poole callers take?

Barfleur … built 1992 … GRT c20K … L 158m … 1,200 pax … 75 trucks
Pelican … built 1999 … GRT c12K … L 155m … NIL pax … 100 trucks
Cotentin … built 2007 … GRT c20K … L 165m … 200 pax … 120 trucks
Connemara … built 2007 … GRT c27K … L 186m … 700 pax … 91 trucks

~Ships~Dorset~ January 2021