MS A. Nepita

File:SeaFrance Molière light cropped.jpg MS SeaFrance Molière at sea, August 2008
History
Name	2002—2007: Superfast X 2007—2008: Jean Nicoli 2008—2012: SeaFrance Molière 2012: Molière 2012-present: Dieppe Seaways
Owner	2002—2007: Superfast Ferries 2007—2008: Veolia Transport 2008—2012: Sarl Poquelin Bail/SeaFrance 2012-present: Scapino Shipping Ltd, Valletta
Operator	2002—2007: Superfast Ferries 2007: SNCM 2007: COTUNAV 2007: ANEK Lines 2008—2012: SeaFrance 2012-present:DFDS/LD Lines
Port of registry	2002—2007: Piraeus, Greece 2007—2008: Ajaccio, France 2008—2012: Calais, France 2012: Valletta,Malta 2012-present: Le Havre,France
Builder	Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft, Kiel, Germany
Yard number	360
Launched	18 November 2000
Christened	26 February 2002 by Patricia Lederer
Acquired	26 February 2002
In service	27 February 2002
Identification	IMO number: 9211511
Status	In Service
General characteristics (as Superfast X)
Class and type	Superfast VII class fast ropax ferry
Tonnage	29,800 GT 5,295 DWT
Length	203.30 m (667 ft)
Beam	25.00 m (82 ft)
Draught	6.50 m (21 ft 4 in)
Ice class	1 A Super
Installed power	4 × Wärtsilä-Sulzer NSD ZA V40S diesels combined 46000 kW
Propulsion	2 propellers
Speed	30.4 kn (56.30 km/h)
Capacity	626 passengers (728 after 2004 refit) 653 cars 1891 lane meters
General characteristics (as SeaFrance Molière)
Tonnage	30,285 GT
Decks	10
Speed	28.4 kn (52.60 km/h)
Capacity	1200 passengers 660 cars 1900 lane meters
Notes	Otherwise the same as above

MS Dieppe Seaways is a fast ropax ferry currently operated between Calais and Dover by DFDS Seaways. She was built in 2002 by the Howaldtswerke-Deutsche Werft (HDW) at Kiel, Germany for Superfast Ferries as Superfast X. Between 2007 and 2008 she was owned by Veolia Transport and sailed under the name Jean Nicoli for SNCM, COTUNAV and ANEK Lines. In 2008 she was acquired SeaFrance and she served the Dover-Calais route until January 2012, which saw their liquidation. After a period of layup, during which she was sold and renamed Molière, she was chartered to DFDS Seaways, entering service as Dieppe Seaways on the Calais-Dover route on 7 November 2012.

Concept and construction

The Superfast X was the last ship in a series of four identical ice classed fast ferries built by HDW for Superfast Ferries' new Baltic Sea services. She was launched on 18 November 2000, on the same date as her sisters Superfast VII and Superfast IX The Superfast X was delivered to her owners on 26 February 2002, and christened on the same date by Patricia Lederer.

Service history

The Superfast X entered service for Superfast Ferries on 27 February 2002 on the Hanko—Rostock route. She remained on that route until 19 April 2002, when she was laid up in Kiel at HDW. On 17 May 2002 she re-entered service, now on the Rosyth—Zeebrugge route. In January—February 2004 the Superfast X was rebuilt at Fosen Mekaniske Verksted, Fosen, Norway with additional passenger berths. On 7 August 2006 Superfast Ferries announced they had sold the Superfast X to Veolia Transport for Euro 112 million. The ship was delivered to her new owners on 12 February 2007 and renamed Jean Nicoli.

On March 2007 the Jean Nicoli made crossings from Le Havre to Marseille, carrying cars on board. During April of the same year she was chartered to COTUNAV for traffic from Italy and France to Tunisia. At the end of April she was laid up, initially at La Seyne, later at Marseille. From 8 September until 2 October 2007 she was chartered to ANEK Lines for service on their Patras—Corfu—Igoumenitsa—Venice route. On 27 December 2007 the ship was sold to SeaFrance.

In the beginning of April 2008 the Jean Nicoli was delivered to SeaFrance and renamed SeaFrance Molière. On 3 April 2008 she left Marseille for Arno Dunkerque for rebuilding into a short distance ferry. After transfer to leasing company Sarl Poquelin Bail, she entered service with SeaFrance in freight only operation on 19 August 2008 and began passenger service on 1 September 2008.

From 16 November 2011 she was laid up, initialy at Dunkerque, due to the commercial court ordering that Seafrance be liquidated, and following sale at Tilbury, England.

In October 2012, DFDS chartered the ship to be used on their Dover-Dunkerque crossing. During a short refit by Arno at Dunkerque she was renamed Dieppe Seaways and returned to French registry. She re-entered service on 7 November though, following a change of plan, on the Dover-Calais route.