The second vessel of her owners fleet to bear this name she was when delivered the largest motor vessel on North Sea services and with a 20 knot service speed was reputed to be the fastest motor driven vessel in the world. Det Bergenske Dampskibbselskab took delivery of her from builders Helsigors Jernsk in 1931. Her accommodation was of very high order and she quickly became a favourite of those fortunate to sail in her.
During WWII she was seized and used by the Germans for various purposes, mainly in the Baltic. When hostilities ended she was found sunk at Hamburg. Salved in 1945 and taken to her builders at Elsinore where extensive alterations and reconditioning was carried out. She resumed her original duties on 1948 with a new raked stem, cruiser stern, greater freeboard and larger a larger superstructure. She was fitted with stabilisers in 1953.
Until the later part of her life when she was used for cruising only she operated on the summer service between Bergen and the Tyne sometimes calling at Stavanger and Haugesund, and in the winter cruised from Plymouth to Madeira and Teneriffe.
While she lay at anchor in Batten Bay, Plymouth Sound in 1955 a gale blew up during the small hours of March 22nd-23rd and she dragged her anchors and drifted shorewards where she stranded on rocks, swinging broadside onto the seas. After several abortive attempts to refloat her had been made by the tug ENGLISHMAN, operating with the Naval tugs MASTERFUL,CAREFUL and FREEBOOTER the ship was finally refloated on March 26th with the help of the tugs and the Naval vessel BARBASTEL using ground tackle. Damage was restricted to crushed plates in her double bottom and a bent propellor blade.
VENUS ran aground again in 1964 at the Groyne Pier, South Shields at 6am on May 23rd while entering the river in thick fog. She was re-floated five hours later and taken to the Tyne Commission Quay where examination by divers revealed no damage.
In 1965 her black hull was painted white and her black funnel which bore three white stripes was re-painted buff with three white stripes.
Venus now ran on a twice weekly summer service Stavanger to the Tyne, cruising from Southampton in the winter, however in 1966 the new car ferry JUPITER replaced her on the North Sea service and VENUS was transferred to a weekly Bergen-Rotterdam run, with winter weekend sailings to the Tyne.
After being laid up at Bergen for a spell in 1968 VENUS was sold to Shipbreaking Industries, Faslane where she arrived in 19th October.
This view from the Groyne would be taken in 1966

A fine view of a classic ferry.

See also: viewtopic.php?f=11&t=3080

R.

Venus, in her cruising livery, approaching the berth in May 1966.