MV ''Pelagitis'' is a roll-on/roll-off (Ro-Ro) ferry formerly operated by Marine Atlantic from North Sydney, Nova Scotia to Channel-Port aux Basques,

Newfoundland Newfoundland and Labrador (; french: Terre-Neuve-et-Labrador; frequently abbreviated as NL) is the easternmost province of Canada, in the country's Atlantic region. The province comprises the island of Newfoundland and the continental region ...

, Canada. The vessel was completed in 1978 by Hyundai Shipbuilding Company Limited in and delivered to the

Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish shipping line company and one of the largest ferry operators in the world. It services Denmark, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland and Sweden. Stena Line is a major unit of Ste ...

which operates in Northern Europe. She was sold on 12 March 2010 and given her current name ''Pelagitis''. Throughout her career, the vessel sailed under the names ''Atlantic Freighter'', ''Merzario Grecia'', ''Stena Grecia'', and ''Tor Felicia''.

Operation

Loading and unloading the vessel each take over three hours. Eight trailers are loaded at one time using a "yard tractor train system". The vessel represented 19.6 percent of Marine Atlantic's fleet in 2005.

Asbestos risk

In 1990

asbestos Asbestos () is a naturally occurring fibrous silicate mineral. There are six types, all of which are composed of long and thin fibrous crystals, each fibre being composed of many microscopic "fibrils" that can be released into the atmosphere b ...

was found in use on the vessel. Management made the decision to encapsulate the asbestos. In November 2007, 60 workers on ''Atlantic Freighter'' were told they should be tested for asbestos exposure.

Gulf War service

''Atlantic Freighter'' was chartered by the United States Military Sealift Command in December 1990, and served two supply missions to the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. The vessel was captained by Neil Hillier, and crewed by 25 volunteers. Fisheries and Oceans Minister,

Fred Mifflin Rear-Admiral Fred J. Mifflin, (February 6, 1938 – October 5, 2013) was a rear admiral in the Canadian Forces and a politician. Mifflin was born in Bonavista, Newfoundland, in 1938. Naval career Mifflin joined the RCN in 1954 after servin ...

was credited with five years of efforts to secure the right for the crew to wear the United States Merchant Marine Expeditionary Award.

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pelagitis Ferries of Newfoundland and Labrador Ferries of Nova Scotia Marine Atlantic Ships built by Hyundai Heavy Industries Group 1977 ships