The ship is the Prinsessan Desiree, built for GFL (Sessan Linjen) in 1965 where she was pitched straight into the developing Battle of the Kattegatt against newcomers Stena Line on the Goteborg-Frederikshavn route. Sessan Linjen for me are one of the most interesting of operators – a car ferry pioneer who had stylish and upmarket ships but who were – ultimately – outmanoeuvred by a wily, innovative and populist competitor in Stena. The ‘Désirée’ was fairly quickly superseded and in 1970 was sold to the Vasa-Umeå Line as the Fenno Express. And there she stayed, operating between Northern Sweden and Finland until the start of her Eastern adventures in 1989.
Less than half a year before she was finally sold for breaking, I made a sail on the ship as the Gabrielle, from Vlore in Albania to Brindisi in Italy. The ship was operating for a company called Prosperity Navigation although it is doubtful that they achieved their titular aim.
The Brindisi-Albania traffic is always very marginal but the ship found herself in competition against two fellow 1960s classics – the Europa I (ex-Jens Kofoed of 1963) and the Media V (ex-Viking I of 1964). If one had to classify these in terms of their condition, the Media V would be top and the Europa I bottom with the Gabrielle somewhere in between, so it is a matter of some surprise to me, in fact probably a matter of some regret, that the Europa I is at the time of writing the only one still surviving.
The Gabrielle was in fair condition, although the first thing you would probably notice as you came on board was the crumpled and ragged condition of much of the lino flooring, particularly in what had been the self service (now with a section partitioned off as a reclining seat lounge). However equally notable would be the acres of shining woodwork throughout the passenger spaces and the photo murals in the lobby spaces which were by noted Danish photographer Keld Helmer-Petersen. Sadly, the English Dining Room on the upper passenger deck (seen here on vasabatarna.se during her Fenno Express days) had been converted into cabins. A stylish and intricate restaurant was a feature of Sessan ships, right up to the last one, the Prinsessan Birgitta of 1981 (later Sealink’s St Nicholas) and the ‘Desiree’ had been no exception.
On our sailing there were few passengers, which might explain Prosperity Navigation’s swift demise soon after. A few couples and families apart, who took lunch in the old Smorgasbord restaurant aft, most seemed content to sit in the forward bar on the lower deck, which became a smoking den where they played cards and drank the crossing away.
All of which left the rest of the ship to us to explore and photograph. That didn’t take too long however and my happiest memory is of sitting in the sun on the ship’s forecastle amongst the mooring ropes, half reading a book whilst keeping an eye out for passing ships as our old vessel chugged slowly towards Italy. One of the ships which sailed by, incidentally, was one of the old Holyhead container ships, the Peliner or Peltainer (ex-Brian Boroime or Rhodri Mawr), in service for Sarlis who would also cease operation in 2004.
Below are a selection of photographs from on board.
