HMAS Jervis Bay ( GT 203 ) HMAS " Jervis Bay " ( GT 203 ) was a roll - on / roll - off passenger and vehicle ferry operated by the Royal Australian Navy ( RAN ) between 1977 and 1994 . The ship was built by the New South Wales State Dockyard between 1967 and 1969 for service with the Australian National Line , under the name MV " Australian Trader " . Initially operating on the Melbourne to Devonport run , " Australian Trader " was reassigned to the Sydney to Tasmania run in 1972 . Passenger service on that run ended in 1976 , and at the start of 1977 , the vessel was purchased by the RAN for use as a training vessel and troop transport , and was renamed " Jervis Bay " . After decommissioning in 1994 , the vessel was sold to Voyager Marine Ltd . , and renamed MS " Agios Andreas . After modifications to increase her passenger and vehicle capacity , " Agios Andreas " commenced ferry services between Greece and Turkey in 1995 . In 2003 , she was sold to Marwan Shipping and Trading , renamed MS " Amjan Leader , and began operations in the Persian Gulf . The ship was renamed MS " Amjan City " in 2004 , but was sold for scrapping later that year . Design and construction . The vessel was built as " Australian Trader " for the Australian National Line ( ANL ) by the New South Wales State Dockyard in Newcastle , New South Wales . The vessel had a displacement of at standard load and at full load , a value and a value . The vessel was in length overall , with a beam of , and a draught of . " Australian Trader " was propelled by two 16PC2 Atlantique 2V400 Pielstick diesels , which supplied to the vessel ' s two propeller shafts , and allowed her to reach . The ship was also fitted with a Voith - Schneider bow thruster . In her initial configuration , the ship could carry 190 passengers : 140 in single - or double - berth cabins , the rest in aircraft - style reclining chairs . 110 cars could be carried in covered parking , with room for an additional 15 in peak conditions , split between the cargo hold and the orlop deck . Larger vehicles ( such as semi - trailer s ) or specially designed shipping containers could be stored on the open aft deck . A stern door allowed for the embarking and disembarking of vehicles . Public amenities onboard included an observation lounge , smoke room and bar , tavern , and a cafeteria ( which initially only sold breakfast ) . " Australian Trader " was laid down on 18 August 1967 , launched on 17 February 1969 , and completed on 17 June 1969 . Operational history . Australian National Line . On entering service , " Australian Trader " was assigned to Bass Strait crossings between Melbourne , Victoria and Devonport , Tasmania ; the ship departed from Melbourne on her maiden voyage on 24 June 1969 , then commenced paid services on 29 June . In April 1972 , the ferry was returned to the dockyard for modifications , prior to entering service on the Sydney to Tasmania route . Because of the longer run , more crew needed to be accommodated ; this was achieved by extending the superstructure and converting some of the passenger cabins to crew use , in turn reducing the passenger complement to 172 . " Australian Trader " fared poorly on the run : the service was dogged by bad reviews of the ship ' s design and amenities , while maritime union strikes disrupted service . In June 1976 , Australian National Line announced plans to cease passenger service between Sydney and Tasmania , with replacement by a cargo - only service aboard " Bass Trader " . Although due to cease operations on 3 July , delays in the completion of the new vessel kept " Australian Trader " in operation until the end of July , when she was laid up . Royal Australian Navy . Starting on 6 October 1976 , the RAN began to show interest in acquiring " Australian Trader " for use as a training ship and troop transport . The ship was sold to the RAN on 28 January 1977 for $ 5 . 7 million , and began $ 720 , 000 worth of modifications for naval service , which included the installation of a new navigation bridge and the refitting of some passenger cabins into classrooms . The vessel was commissioned into the RAN as HMAS " Jervis Bay " on 25 August . Modification was not completed until January 1978 . " Jervis Bay " replaced the destroyer in the training role , with " Duchess " decommissioning in October 1977 . " Jervis Bay " s primary role was to facilitate the seamanship and navigation training of officer cadets , with logistic transport of Australian Army soldiers and equipment seen as a back - up capability . In RAN service , the ship ' s company consisted of 14 officers and 163 sailors , with up to 76 trainees embarked at any time . The ship did not carry any fitted weapons , and relied on small arms for defence . The vessel ' s first training cruise occurred in February 1978 . In December 1980 , trials to mate " Jervis Bay " with the landing craft were successfully performed in Sydney Harbour . In 1987 , the deckhouse was removed , and the ship ' s aft deck was strengthened to allow a single Sea King or similar helicopter ; more extensive plans to allow the embarkation of a flight of six helicopters were shelved . In December 1992 , " Jervis Bay " was deployed via Townsville to Mogadishu in support of 1RAR and the US - led Operation Restore Hope . " Jervis Bay " paid off on 18 April 1994 . Post - military service . The ship was put up for sale in October 1994 . On 23 December , she was sold to Liberian company Voyager Marine Ltd . , renamed to MS " Agios Andreas " , and registered to Kingstown , Saint Vincent . The ship sailed from Sydney on 14 January 1995 ; the voyage to Greece was made using the port engine only , as the starboard engine had been disassembled . In Greece , " Agios Andreas " underwent a major modification to extend the superstructure along the length of the hull ; this and other modifications resulted in a passenger capacity increase to 1 , 120 ( 316 in cabins ) , vehicle capacity to grow to 300 cars , and the ship ' s gross tonnage to become . On completion , the ship began ferry services between Greece and Turkey , under the operation of Greek company Med Link Lines . In November 2003 , the ship was sold to Marwan Shipping and Trading of Comoros , renamed MS " Ajman Leader " , and began operations in the Persian Gulf out of Dubai . In February 2004 , ownership was transferred to Marwan Shipping and Trading of Sharjah , United Arab Emirates , and the vessel was renamed MS " Ajman City " . In September 2004 , " Ajam City " was sold to shipbreakers , and was taken to Alang , India , for scrapping .