The MV ''Karina'' is a single

screw A screw is an externally helical threaded fastener capable of being tightened or released by a twisting force (torque) to the screw head, head. The most common uses of screws are to hold objects together and there are many forms for a variety ...

passenger vessel, which formerly operated from

Douglas, Isle of Man Douglas (, ) is the Capital (political), capital city and largest settlement of the Isle of Man, with a population of 26,677 (2021) and an area of . It is located at the mouth of the River Douglas, Isle of Man, River Douglas, and on a sweepi ...

for the Laxey Towing Company. She operated on a selection of cruises along the Manx coast. She is registered on the National Register of Historic Vessels, certificate number 1893. Built using carvel-construction with planking laid over oak frames, her dimensions are LOA 66 ft, breadth 14.9 ft, draft 5.7 ft, and freeboard 3 ft. The

diesel engine The diesel engine, named after the German engineer Rudolf Diesel, is an internal combustion engine in which Combustion, ignition of diesel fuel is caused by the elevated temperature of the air in the cylinder due to Mechanics, mechanical Compr ...

is a Gardner, developing 127 bhp at 1,500 rpm, giving a service speed of 9 knots with more in reserve.

History

She was built in 1946 by Philip and Son of

Dartmouth, Devon Dartmouth () is a town and civil parish in the England, English county of Devon. It is a tourist destination set on the western bank of the estuary of the River Dart, which is a long narrow tidal ria that runs inland as far as Totnes. It lies w ...

, England, as the MV ''May Queen'' for the Oreston and Turnchapel Steamboat Co (OTSC). She was occasionally used on their

ferry A ferry is a boat or ship that transports passengers, and occasionally vehicles and cargo, across a body of water. A small passenger ferry with multiple stops, like those in Venice, Italy, is sometimes referred to as a water taxi or water bus ...

route from

Plymouth Plymouth ( ) is a port city status in the United Kingdom, city and unitary authority in Devon, South West England. It is located on Devon's south coast between the rivers River Plym, Plym and River Tamar, Tamar, about southwest of Exeter and ...

to Oreston via Turnchapel, but mainly on cruises on the

River Tamar The Tamar (; ) is a river in south west England that forms most of the border between Devon (to the east) and Cornwall (to the west). A large part of the valley of the Tamar is protected as the Tamar Valley National Landscape (an Area of Outsta ...

. In 1957 the OTSC was wound up, and she was sold to the Millbrook Steamboat & Trading Company for £3,500, was renamed the MV ''Eastern Belle'' and was used on similar excursions, as well as a relief boat on the Cremyll Ferry. She remained with the Millbrook Company after she was taken over by Dart Pleasure Craft, though she was occasionally used on the River Dart services from Dartmouth. In 1985 Dart Pleasure Craft withdrew from the Plymouth area, and MV ''Eastern Belle'' was sold to Plymouth Boat Cruises, for whom she operated for the next three years.Kittridge, A. ''Steamers & Ferries of the River Tamar & Three Towns District'', Twelveheads Press, 2003, ASIN: B00EKYD770 In 1988 she was sold to GH Riddalls & Sons of Dartmouth, renamed MV ''Totnes Princess'' and painted in their 'Red Cruisers' colours of red hull and white superstructure. She operated on all of their River Dart services, including the Dartmouth to

Totnes Totnes ( or ) is a market town and civil parish at the head of the estuary of the River Dart in Devon, England, within the South Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is about west of Paignton, about west-southwest of Torquay and ab ...

route and circular cruises from Dartmouth. in 2000 the Riddalls operation was bought by Dart Pleasure Craft, and MV ''Totnes Princess'' was laid up in Old Mill Creek, near Dartmouth. She remained in Red Cruisers colours, and did not operate for Dart Pleasure Craft. In 2001 she was bought by the Laxey Towing Company of the

Isle of Man The Isle of Man ( , also ), or Mann ( ), is a self-governing British Crown Dependency in the Irish Sea, between Great Britain and Ireland. As head of state, Charles III holds the title Lord of Mann and is represented by a Lieutenant Govern ...

, renamed MV ''Karina'' and operated out of Douglas. Under the command of local shipmaster, Captain Stephen Carter, the MV ''Karina'''s primary operation was to provide pleasure cruises for visitors. She was also made available for private functions and charters. The ''Karina'' suffered some slight damage during a storm over the 2017–2018 winter, although by this time Carter had already decided to conclude the summer cruises at the end of the 2018 season.Karina to set sail for new life in west Africa
'' Isle of Man Newspapers'' 8 October 2018 Rather than undertake the necessary repairs, it was decided to place the vessel up for sale. The ''Karina'' was purchased by a concern in

West Africa West Africa, also known as Western Africa, is the westernmost region of Africa. The United Nations geoscheme for Africa#Western Africa, United Nations defines Western Africa as the 16 countries of Benin, Burkina Faso, Cape Verde, The Gambia, Gha ...

where it is intended that she will operate wildlife cruises on a river in

The Gambia The Gambia, officially the Republic of The Gambia, is a country in West Africa. Geographically, The Gambia is the List of African countries by area, smallest country in continental Africa; it is surrounded by Senegal on all sides except for ...

References

External links

{{DEFAULTSORT:Karina 1946 ships Ships built in Dartmouth Merchant ships of the Isle of Man Ferries of South West England Ships and vessels on the National Register of Historic Vessels