Just being back tracking through old posts, and found this. Suprised more people haven’t commented on it.
Yes I remember this I was at the Syrian port and watch this ship sail away ,the port was over flowing with Trucks after the Turkish military take over the country several of us waiting at the Syrian border to enter Turkey in the morning were told it was impossible to enter so we all headed for the boat lucky for us it was full 
and we got the next one at that time we had no idea what had happened,im still not sure wether it sunk from syria or from volos
Roger
toprun:
Surfing on youtube, i had the idea to look for the Zenobia
I found few interesting videos where you can recognize some TIR trucks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPMsfopQvsY&feature=related
Look around 2:30If you find more interesting one please post it!
The Ferry Zenobia sunk on his way between Italy and Syria 1980
Ferdy
I remember a driver, forgot his name but he did alternated trips with his dad in a Fiat called Taytrans (think). He was on the Zenobia when it went down, he had something like chicken pox at the time so they put him in a life raft on his own, last time I saw him he was in a F10
I’d never heard of it but from looking on the net I gather this was one of three identical vessels, one of which later became the Stena Fantasia, the other becoming the SeaFrance Cezanne, both of which worked the Dover-Calais route.
the lads name was chris taylor dad was ken taylor ran taytran one of the best gent to work for i drove a volvo and transcons for him yes they did loose a fiat chris got held in cyprus as they thought he had small pox there were photos later in a truck mag
Here is the offcial story.
The Zenobia was built at the Kockums Varv AB shipyard in Sweden and was delivered to her owners Rederi AB Nordö in late 1979. She left Malmo, Sweden on her maiden voyage, bound for Tartous, Syria on 4 May 1980, loaded with 104 lorries with cargo destined for Mediterranean and the Middle East. She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 22 May 1980, stopping first at Heraklion, Crete and then to Piraeus, Athens, Greece. On the way to Athens the captain noticed steering problems and the Zenobia began listing to port. Following checks, it was determined the list was caused by excess water that had been pumped into the ballast tanks, this was pumped out and she then departed for her penultimate stop at Larnaca, Cyprus before reaching Syria.
She arrived at Larnaca on 2 June 1980, where the ballast problem had reoccurred, engineers discovered that the computerised pumping system was pumping excess water into the side ballast tanks, making the list progressively worse. On 4 June, the Zenobia was towed out of Larnaca harbour to prevent her becoming an obstruction should the worst happen and was left at anchor roughly 1.5 — 2 km offshore. On 5 June, with the ship listing at around 45° the captain dismissed the engineers and maintenance crew and requests from the captain to return her to Larnaca harbour were denied.
At around 2:30am 7 June 1980, the Zenobia capsized and sank in Larnaca Bay to a depth of roughly 42 metres (138 ft), taking her estimated £200 million worth of cargo with her. According to local legend, the Zenobia’s owners never collected the insurance money and no formal investigation has ever been published. Since sinking she has become a popular dive site for visitors to Cyprus and was named one of the world’s top ten dive sites by The Times in March 2003.
Copied from Wikipedia.
Dave.
Just for the record is their anyone on this site who was, actually on board this ship, I ask because over the years I have been on the job, I have met many who have claimed to have, " Just missed it, was on board, from Tartous ", the ship never reached there, some serious porkies, being told here. 
Also for the record, the night the Herald went over, I was on board a Calais-Dover Ferry.
Dave.
Hi Dave, for me it was one of those “where were you when President Kennedy got shot moments” .
A bunch of us were sat at Kapick waiting to enter Turkey two days later when one of Young Turk’s lads told us about The Zenobia. Maybe it sank because there were that many drivers (allegedly) on there, that’s why it tipped over 
.
Regards Steve.
Well done, Steve, proves you were no where, near this Fantasy.
Dave.
Someone somewhere have their dates mixed up, regarding the Zenobia. My first trip on the Zenobia from Volos in Greece to Tartous in Syria was in the second or third week in january 1980. I came back on it in February 1980, when it was diverted to Koper in Yugoslavia. We were informed whilst on route that the ship would be sailing from Koper to tartous with a stop in Greece on each return trip. I and some others had to get off in Patras on the way back as I had to pick up a load of tyres at Pirot in Yugo. The story goes that in one of its early trips it had called in at a greek port on route to syria and was advised not to leave due to a severe storm in the Med. The captain had told the greek’s that he had all the latest satelite and computerised equipment on board and set sail against their wishes. In the ensuing storm quite a few of the trucks on board slid sideways into one another and the ship developed a list. The ship docked in Volos and spent quite a few day’s there whilst they offloaded and reloaded the cargo.The story at the time was that port authorities were having problems getting payed and the shipping line was no longer welcome in Greece. whereby the route was changed to Koper/ Tartous Return and no stop in greece. I was also on the Zenobia on a few other occasions that year before she sunk. One of the drivers who was on board on its final voyage was Robert Hobbs who had a brand new scania 111 on its first trip I think that he was driving for Hicks of South wales at the time. Regards Jamie.
M&C Jamie:
Someone somewhere have their dates mixed up, regarding the Zenobia. My first trip on the Zenobia from Volos in Greece to Tartous in Syria was in the second or third week in january 1980. I came back on it in February 1980, when it was diverted to Koper in Yugoslavia. We were informed whilst on route that the ship would be sailing from Koper to tartous with a stop in Greece on each return trip. I and some others had to get off in Patras on the way back as I had to pick up a load of tyres at Pirot in Yugo. The story goes that in one of its early trips it had called in at a greek port on route to syria and was advised not to leave due to a severe storm in the Med. The captain had told the greek’s that he had all the latest satelite and computerised equipment on board and set sail against their wishes. In the ensuing storm quite a few of the trucks on board slid sideways into one another and the ship developed a list. The ship docked in Volos and spent quite a few day’s there whilst they offloaded and reloaded the cargo.The story at the time was that port authorities were having problems getting payed and the shipping line was no longer welcome in Greece. whereby the route was changed to Koper/ Tartous Return and no stop in greece. I was also on the Zenobia on a few other occasions that year before she sunk. One of the drivers who was on board on its final voyage was Robert Hobbs who had a brand new scania 111 on its first trip I think that he was driving for Hicks of South wales at the time. Regards Jamie.
M & C Jamie
I,ve been asking for some time if anyone could help me with these photos that my dad gave my when he was alive he did a couple of trips to Doha for a guy called Colin Copper from Yorkshire (robbing bar-- another story) pulling for a company out of Bournemouth/Poole but could not find out which ship and nobody knew the photos say on the back of them Koper-- Tartous Jan 82. Can you shed any light on them or info, the guy stood on deck has written on the photo J,Collins. You may be the man to answer some Questions for me
Further to my earlier posting, many Drivers who I trust, & believe have not gone senile, stated they have sailed from Volos toTartous on this ship, I am now asking, are they wrong, or are the Historions wrong, it is well documented that a ship lies at the bottom of the sea, is it The Zenobia?, or one of her sister Ships.
Dave.
Dave although I ve heard of this disaster i only know what i ve heard from other drivers and the name Lattakia keeps coming to mind. Crow.
Hi Geoff, do you mean this, another story, perhaps.
اللَاذÙÙ‚Ùيَّة‎ al-LÄdhiqÄ«yah
Dave.
Hi boatchaser, the photo’s that you posted here are definately taken on board either the Soca or its sister ship, which name escapes me at the moment. It could not have been on board the third sister ship in the fleet (the Zenobia) because it was lying at the bottom of the Med in Jan 82. If you look at the photo’s of the Zenobia you will see the similarities in the superstructures. I dont recall the J Collins in the photo, but then again I was driving an office desk in 82. sorry I cant be of more help Regards Jamie.
tuskt:
toprun:
Surfing on youtube, i had the idea to look for the Zenobia
I found few interesting videos where you can recognize some TIR trucks!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wPMsfopQvsY&feature=related
Look around 2:30If you find more interesting one please post it!
The Ferry Zenobia sunk on his way between Italy and Syria 1980
Ferdy
I remember a driver, forgot his name but he did alternated trips with his dad in a Fiat called Taytrans (think). He was on the Zenobia when it went down, he had something like chicken pox at the time so they put him in a life raft on his own, last time I saw him he was in a F10
Chris Taylor, a friend of mine from Tunbridge Wells. I did an Iraq with him in his Iveco in Jan 1979. We took a water pump to Tikrit. A good fellow. I used to see him around the town when I worked at Promotors but I can’t remember when I last saw him in TW. Never bumped into him on the road but then I only did one or sometime two Baghdads each year. Quite a bit of Commie bloc and in around 1985-6 back and forward to Moscow all winter.
I think the Royal Navy airlifted him from his raft because someone said he had small pox. It was chicken pox. The navy doctor gave him some Calamine and sent him on his way slightly miffed they’d done an air rescue for a chicken pox victim.
volvo303:
the lads name was chris taylor dad was ken taylor ran taytran one of the best gent to work for i drove a volvo and transcons for him yes they did loose a fiat chris got held in cyprus as they thought he had small pox there were photos later in a truck mag
I went to Tikrit with Taytran in the Iveco in Jan 1979, Turkey was very hairy at the time. No diesel at all.
One the way out we stopped at the place more or less opposite the Londra and I remember having a shower with luke warm water in the snow.
Each time we stopped a crowd of people with fuel cans came begging diesel. It got bit ugly at Biricik when having a meal break and we had to leave in a hurry. We more or less went through Turkey in one hit, almost the only TIR vehicle on the road and a few Tonkas. The Londra only had about 3 trucks in it… On the military road north of Syria a Tonka gave us a length of trailer and knocked the Iveco off the road. There was only a short drop of a couple of foot but a 100m on the drop was much deeper. It was very a lucky escape.
In 1980 the army took over and safety and Turkey improved daramatically.
Happy days!
sinbin31:
Yes I remember this I was at the Syrian port and watch this ship sail away ,the port was over flowing with Trucks after the Turkish military take over the country several of us waiting at the Syrian border to enter Turkey in the morning were told it was impossible to enter so we all headed for the boat lucky for us it was fullRoger
When Rita wrote this nearly five years ago I thought to myself at the time, I am sure that the military take over was later in the year but I put it down to just having one of my senior moments. I don’t know why I didn’t do a Google search back then but for a while the coup certainly improved things at Kapikule. The armed military policemen with their white helmets seemed to be everywhere not only at the border but at most of the road junctions. For a while it didn’t take as long to clear customs and some customs men stopped taking baksheesh but when the military went back to their barracks the old ways soon returned. 
I never realised until just now that America may of had something to do with it. 
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1980_Turk … '%C3%A9tat
Regards Steve.
I know this an old thread but I was wondering if any old hands on here have met a driver who was driving to the middle east from the late sixties , his name is Mervyn John I know he did m/e for at least ten years.
I meet up with Mervyn once or twice a year and he was on the Zenobia when it went down , one of the photos shows his scania still in chains.