MS ''Pride of Free Enterprise'' was a

RORO Roll-on/roll-off (RORO or ro-ro) ships are cargo ships designed to carry wheeled cargo, such as cars, motorcycles, trucks, semi-trailer trucks, buses, trailers, and railroad cars, that are driven on and off the ship on their own wheels or usi ...

Passenger and Freight ferry operating services between Almeria and

Nador Nador () is a coastal city and provincial capital in the northeastern Rif region of Morocco with a population of about 158,202 (2024 census). The Nador Province has over 600,000 inhabitants. Nador is considered the second largest city in the Ori ...

on a time-charter basis to the Spanish ferry operator Acciona Trasmediterranea. The ship was formerly called the M/F ''Oleander'' (2001–2013), ''P&OSL Picardy'' (1999–2001), ''Pride of Bruges'' (1987–1999) and ''Pride of Free Enterprise'' (1980–1987). She was operated by

FerriMaroc FerriMaroc was a Moroccan ferry company which started services between Nador Port in Morocco and the Port of Almeria in Spain. Since 2010 the company has been part of the Spanish operator Acciona Trasmediterránea.The Ferry site oFerriMaroc visit ...

and

Comarit Comarit (Compagnie Maritime Maroco-Norvegiènne) was a Moroccan ferry operator. Comarit operated a freight and passenger ferry service between Morocco and Spain, France and Italy from 1984 to 2012. It was based in Tangier, one of the main points ...

between 2010 and 2011 and previously owned and operated by

TransEuropa Ferries TransEuropa Ferries was a freight and passenger ferry company operating between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium from 1998 to 2013, with three or more ships. The company suspended operations on 18 April 2013, and on 2 ...

between

Ramsgate Ramsgate is a seaside resort, seaside town and civil parish in the district of Thanet District, Thanet in eastern Kent, England. It was one of the great English seaside towns of the 19th century. In 2021 it had a population of 42,027. Ramsgate' ...

and

Ostend Ostend ( ; ; ; ) is a coastal city and municipality in the province of West Flanders in the Flemish Region of Belgium. It comprises the boroughs of Mariakerke, Raversijde, Stene and Zandvoorde, and the city of Ostend proper – the la ...

. TransEuropa Ferries owned the ferry between 2001 and 2013 and operated her between 2001 and 2010 before placing her on charter. She was scrapped at Alang in late 2015 under the name ''Sher''.

History

''Pride of Free Enterprise '' was built by Schichau Unterweser AG for

European Ferries European Ferries Group plc was a company that operated in passenger and freight ferries, harbour operation and property management in the United Kingdom and the United States. It was taken over by the Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation C ...

services between Dover and Calais, initially entering service with them in 1980. In 1987

was purchased by

P&O European Ferries P&O European Ferries (formerly Townsend Thoresen), a division of P&O Ferries, was a ferry company which operated in the English Channel from 1987 after the ''Herald of Free Enterprise'' disaster, when '' Townsend Thoresen'' was renamed ''P&O E ...

; in the same year her sister ship, ''

Herald of Free Enterprise MS ''Herald of Free Enterprise'' was a roll-on/roll-off (RORO) ferry which capsized moments after leaving the Belgian port of Zeebrugge on the night of 6 March 1987, killing 193 passengers and crew. The eight-deck car and passenger ferry was ow ...

'' capsized just outside

Zeebrugge Zeebrugge (; from , meaning "Bruges-on-Sea"; , ) is a village on the coast of Belgium and a subdivision of Bruges, for which it is the modern port. Zeebrugge serves as both the international port of Bruges-Zeebrugge and a seafront resort with ...

. As a result of these two events, ''Pride of Free Enterprise'' was renamed ''Pride of Bruges'' those that risked their lives under a rebranding exercise undertaken by P&O following the bad publicity of the ''Herald of Free Enterprise'' disaster. Tef oleander ostend

In 1998 P&O European Ferries merged its Short sea routes with

Stena Line Stena Line is a Swedish Shipping line, shipping line company and one of the world's largest ferry operators. It services Denmark, France, Germany, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Latvia, the Netherlands, Poland, Finland and Sweden. Stena Line is a ...

to form P&O Stena Line. As a result of this merger the vessels were again rebranded, this time the vessel was renamed to ''P&OSL Picardy''. In 2000 ''P&OSL Picardy'' was laid up pending sale, eventually being sold to

Transeuropa Ferries TransEuropa Ferries was a freight and passenger ferry company operating between Ramsgate, Kent, UK and Ostend, West Flanders, Belgium from 1998 to 2013, with three or more ships. The company suspended operations on 18 April 2013, and on 2 ...

. Transeuropa Ferries renamed the vessel ''Oleander'' and introduced a freight only service between

and

which began on 4 July 2002. Two years later, on 20 July 2004 ''Oleander'' was joined by ''Larkspur'' to provide a joint passenger/freight service also operating between the two ports. From 2010 onwards ''Oleander'' was often sailing on the Spain - Morocco lines on short term leases from TEF to

. When TEF went into bankruptcy in April 2013 the Oleander moved on more permanent basis to

Acciona Trasmediterránea Acciona, S.A. () is a Spanish multinational conglomerate dedicated to the development and management of infrastructure (construction, water, industrial and services) and renewable energy. The company, via subsidiary Acciona Energía, produces 21 ...

and sailed on the Almeria to

route as M/F ''Sherbatskiy''. The ship was renamed ''Sher'' for her last voyage to the scrapyard at Alang, India and broken up in late 2015.

Sister ships

*'' Spirit of Free Enterprise'' (1979) - ''Pride of Kent'' (1987) - ''MS Anthi Marina'' (2006) - scrapped: September 2012. *''

'' (1979) - capsized 6 March 1987 in Zeebrugge harbour - re-floated, renamed to ''Flushing Range'' for the final trip to the scrapyard. Scrapped: 1988

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Pride of Free Enterprise Ferries of the United Kingdom Ferries of France Ferries of Belgium Ferries of Morocco 1980 ships Connections across the English Channel Transeuropa Ferries