# Europic Ferry - Atlantic Steam navigation (ASL)



## Bridie

*Europic Ferry - Atlantic Steam Navigation (ASN)*

Sailed on the Europic Ferry in 1968. Anyone else?
Think she was virtually new then, as we were all issued with company jerseys with ASN on them, and silly sailor hats (unfortunately they all flew off and were lost over the side!)
Very boring, but lots of "ovies".
Depart Felixstowe 00:00 - Arrive Europort 06:00 - Depart Europort 12:00 - Arrive Felixstowe 18:00 - Depart Felixstowe 00:00 - etc etc.
Remember going round on watch with a punch clock recording checks-points around the ship.
Great fun when there was a load of minis and mini-mokes. They only had about a pint of petrol in them, but still managed to drive the mokes around the car deck. Took a regular lorry with open tanks full of eels. Recall taking a circus once - animals and all.
Crew were a mix of "local" men and the rest from Prescot Street.
Was it the Dock Tavern in Felixstowe? Think we (non locals) were banned regularly.
What happened to her and ASN?


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## Tassie

Pete, I sailed on the Gaelic Ferry Felixstowe to Rotterdam run mid 1966 and then the Doric Ferry Felixstowe to Antwerp at the end of 1966. Our sailing times were a bit longer but we did the same rounds of the vehicle deck punching clocks. Carried British army tanks for the BAOR quite a few times. I think the pub in the dock at Felixstowe was called the 'Little Ships' and has long since gone. Happy days.
Cheers......Bill


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## GaryAndrews

The EUROPIC FERRY was broken up in Feb 2005 - for a detailed history of her see http://www.larneferryweb.com/routes/lacr/ships/Europic_Ferry.htm


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## chaspat

I sailed with Atlantic Steam Nav. but overseas. They had LST's based in Malta,Aden and Singapore which carried Troops and Tanks and were involved in Suez crisis taking Commandos in. These contracts abroad were of one year duration. I sent one year in Malta on Humphrey Gale '56/57 and 57/'58 on Empire Skua in Aden.


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## Hawkeye

Hi
I sailed on the Europic as a JCR, when she was in Cairnyran. I joined in January, 1988 and left her in February, 1989 when I got made up to a steward. She was one of my favorite ships that I have worked on. She had a porthole that opened to let in the fresh sea air. That is until my cabin mate came in, closed the porthole, went to bed and lit a ***. 
The ship was Townsend Thoresen red with P&O funnel when I joined, and was painted P&O blue at the next drydocking.
I was fortunate to sail her again, this time in Felixstowe in 1993, when as the European Freighter, she relived the Felixstowe ships for drydocking. I was surprised some of the Northern crew were there and they reconaised me. She was sold to the Greeks that same year.
Regards
Karl


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## Louise.s

I remeber when i was on the pride of rathlin in larne, we were delayed in leaving as the europic had lost an engine, i think it fell off or something quite serious. Think i might have been on it once, so many years ago(Jester)


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## dom

*dom*

was on the Doric Ferry in 64 remember doing the clock rounds then ,sailed from Tilbury two trips Rotterdam three trips Antwerp,tied up at what was called the golden corner for the dockers,they were on tonnage money,used to get overtime in tilbury washing the old mans car,started six weeks on one week off,the crowd from Southend loved us northerners who didnt take their time off,they spent more time at home than they did on the ship


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## Hawkeye

If my memory serves me correctly, the pub mentioned in earlier postings on this site was burnt down. But I can't remember when. There are some pictures of the fire in the book about Felixstowe docks.

As for ASN, it was absorbed into Townsend Thoresend, which was also absorbed into P&O. My first pay packets had the ASN logo on them, but the ships were in TT lively. A chief officer on these ships, called Richard, (surname escapes at the moment), nicknamed Tricky Dicky, drove a yellow mini metro. He always wore a beret when he was in his boiler suit. It had the ASN logo as the badge. 

Regards

Karl


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## dondoncarp

Re-fuelled her at sea while on RFA Tidespring during the Falklands Conflict,she came out of the fog,her houseing looked like it had been daubed with a nine inch paint roller grey,she still stood out as a townsend ferry though(Hippy)


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## cambria49

What a shame her career was blighted when P&O renamed her European Freighter for her final period of operation at Larne.


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## YORKYSPARX

Hi Hawkeye,
Could you let me know the name of the Book + author? Worked at Felixstowe
docks for 7 years repairing ships radio's radars etc. Remember "Sandy" Powell well when he was Landlord of the Little Ships, the yearly reunions of HMS Beehive, as the "little ships" once was were a sight to behold and enjoy, only topped when Sandy left the Little Ships and invited regular customers for a free beer, it took months to recover.
Yorkysparx


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## GaryAndrews

cambria49 said:


> What a shame her career was blighted when P&O renamed her European Freighter for her final period of operation at Larne.


Indeed - it was a weird period in P&O's history when there seemed an obsession with corporate naming....of course this has now (wisely) broken down a bit.


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