Rusting ‘ghost ship’ to be restored for new Liverpool-Wales ferry service

Following the restoration of Liverpool's 'ghost ship', which has been renamed Endeavour, the vessel will be used for a new ferry service between the port and Llandudno in North Wales

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A former German ferry, which has been renamed Endeavour, is being restored to provide a new Liverpool-Llandudno ferry service.

The vessel was abandoned at Canada Dock in Liverpool more than 20 years ago,  and is known as the city’s ‘ghost ship’.

Now, a group of volunteers has bought the rusting ship in the hope of returning it to its former glory.

Members of the so-called Endeavour Project hope to complete the work by spring 2018.

Rusting Endeavour is to be restored to start a ferry service from Liverpool to Llandudno

Credit: Andy Shukie Photography/ /You Tube

Once restored, the newly incorporated Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company plan to use Endeavour to run a ferry service from Liverpool to Llandudno Pier and along the Menai Strait.

The service should begin in  May 2018.

The former German harbour ferry was built in 1958 for Hadal Hamburg and was delivered into service by January 1959.

Originally named Alte Liebe, it has also been called Orestead, Baltica 1, Baltica and Habicht 2, and was used for ferry services around the Baltic Sea.

The ship came to Liverpool in 1994 for a business venture, and was renamed Princess Royal.

Endeavour will be restored to provide a new ferry service between Liverpool and North Wales

Volunteers work on Endeavour. Credit: Andy Shukie Photography/You Tube

It was later abandoned when the venture failed.

The secretary of the Liverpool & North Wales Steamship Company, Stephen Payne, told the Daily Post that Endeavour was weeks away from being scrapped when the ship was rescued.

“Now a group of dedicated volunteers, which include myself, are restoring her with a hope to sail her once again,” he explained.

“We are well on the way to stopping the decay with external decks scraped and repainted, deck leaks repaired stopping internal ceiling leaks, external teak doors stripped back and varnished as well as may internal spaces being stripped back to their original form after many refits over her career and all external doors secured as well as all engineering areas being secured,” said Payne.

“It will be a long project, often moving slowly,” he added.

Payne said that as well as running a scheduled services between Llandudno and Liverpool, there will be a twice weekly cruise through the Menai Strait, seasonal services to Manchester and Whitehaven and an annual sailing to to Dun Laoghaire in Ireland and Ramsey on the Isle of Man.

There are also plans to moor Endeavour at Llandudno pier for evening dinner cruises, functions and parties.