North Sea Ferries
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 | |
 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.
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] | |
