On my way back from Shildon I stopped off at Hartlepool (my first visit in a goodly number of years) to photograph the lifeboats and was pleasantly surprised to find two MPI tenders berthed in the Marina.

Both recently arrived from Vietnam. Marinetrafic was showing them with the yard numbers and under the Vietnam flag.

I thought the names were odd - MPI SNOWBALL & MPI NAPOLEON - but it was only when I was looking at the images last night that I had a 'DOH' moment, my 1966 English Literature GCE (failed miserably) ANIMAL FARM !

So is it easier and cheaper to have boats built in Vietnam than Blyth ?
Graham

.... I just bought a rabbit pen .... made in China!!!

MPI NAPOLEON in the Marina 06/09/2015

Also seen today but too obstructed for photos
MPI CARDENIO
MPI CERVANTES
MPI DULCEA ? name obstructed
Any details for these welcome.

MPI CERVANTES photo surfaces ...

MPI NAPOLEON in Hartlepool Marina during mid-December 2015.

On my last count there were five MPI vessels berthed here including MPI ROSINANTE, MPI DULCINEA, MPI RUCIO and MPI SANCHO PANZA.

VOS NAPOLEON, formerly MPI NAPOLEON, in hartlepool Marina.

Do let us know if any others follow her into VOS. They don't seem to feature in Equasis. I see that SNOWBALL has changed, from your photo.