Piraeus Morning Visit on 1 August 2022

Two days after arriving in Athens for the first time during the summer of 2022, following my first trip of the year, which I had done from Zakynthos to Kyllini with the ANDREAS KALVOS of Levante Ferries, I decided to head to Piraeus so as to honour a tradition that I have been following for the past three years. Indeed, that is going to the port during the early morning, so that I could witness the numerous departures and arrivals of ships operating in the Greek coastal service. I had first done this back in 27 July 2019, when I went there to witness the morning departures of numerous ships of the Greek coastal service, followed by a visit on 14 August 2020, and then on 1 August 2021. Therefore, exactly one year after my previous early morning visit, I decided that it was the perfect time to go and see the port and its ships. This would be the first of many visits of Piraeus during the summer and for the remainder of the year, as I had made my permanent return to Greece, with a lengthy summer vacation period which allowed me to head to the port on multiple occasions during my free time. In addition to my stay in the port of Piraeus, I also planned to head to Salamina later during the day, something that I would do by heading there with the ELENA F of Elena F Shipping, for which a Tribute post will be written. In Salamina, I would go on to visit the port of Faneromeni for the first time, while also performing back-to-back trips along the Megara-Salamina line with the PANAGIA KOIMISIS of Galaga Shipping Company, followed by a return from Salamina to Piraeus with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels. So overall, this was a very active day as I got to see and photograph numerous ships, while taking more than 700 pictures in total! This is therefore the very first part covering that special day, whereupon I will show you many ships as they leave the port in order to head to their respective destinations along the Aegean Sea.

As you have seen it in the relevant posts from 2019, 2020 and 2021, the vast majority of the departures for areas such as the Cyclades, the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf occur between 06:40 and 09:30 (with more ships now leaving after 08:00 since this year), with ships leaving in the morning so that they can serve their respective destinations during the day and return to Piraeus during the evening. At the same time, there are ships from more distant destinations like Crete and the Dodecanese that arrive from the latter in order to be present in Athens in the early morning. For a shipping enthusiast like me, this an ideal scenery, as I can see a multitude of ships of different kinds leaving the port in order to bring passengers and/or vehicles to various islands across the Aegean Sea. Without further ado, let's have a look at the countless pictures I took that morning, which undoubtedly became a major highlight for me during the summer.

I arrived in Piraeus at about 06:35, in order to witness the first departures that would take place during the day. I arrived to the port from the Piraeus Metro Station, after which I proceeded to the E7 gate, which is where the ships serving the Cyclades depart. The first ship that I got to see in Piraeus for 2022 was the much-acclaimed conventional ferry BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries. She would be the first ship to leave the port during the morning, in order to perform her daily service to the Cyclades, as she has been doing since 2015.

A view of the BLUE STAR NAXOS in Piraeus during the early morning. She was built in 2002 in South Korea, and for the past 20 years she has been a prominent ship operating on the Cyclades, where she has become one of the most successful ships to have served the area. Since 2018, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Santorini-Amorgos-Astypalaia lifeline. She had also been serving most of these islands since 2015, although from that year up until 2017 she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini lifeline instead.

Not far from the BLUE STAR NAXOS was her fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR DELOS. She was built in 2011 in South Korea (just like the BLUE STAR NAXOS), and she has also spent her entire career so far on the Cyclades. She operates on the main service of her company, namely on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line (although she does not serve Ios during the summer).

Between the BLUE STAR DELOS and the BLUE STAR NAXOS, I saw another ship of Blue Star Ferries that operates on the Cyclades, namely the BLUE STAR PAROS. She was also built in 2002 in South Korea as the sister ship of the BLUE STAR NAXOS. Just like the latter, she has spent the 20 years of her career mainly on the Cyclades, although she has also spent a couple of seasons on the Dodecanese too.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen in Piraeus during the morning. Together with the BLUE STAR NAXOS and the BLUE STAR DELOS, she is one of the three main ships of Blue Star Ferries that perform morning departures from Piraeus in order to serve the Cyclades. She specifically serves the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she has been operating since 2018 (although she was also serving the islands of Ikaria, Fournoi and Samos on the Northeast Aegean Sea from 2018 to 2019).

A view of the impressive BLUE STAR DELOS while she is docked in Piraeus, shortly before her morning departure.

The next ship that I got to see was yet another vessel owned by Blue Star Ferries. Indeed, it was the BLUE GALAXY, which has been operating on the Piraeus-Chania line since 2015.

Next to the BLUE GALAXY, I got to see the Ro-Pax ferry OLYMPUS of Sea Speed Ferries. Owned by the latter since 2018 and having started operations for them in 2019, she was now spending the summer of 2022 under lay-up in Piraeus. This was due to various controversial events that occurred during the first part of the summer, with her company failing to have her in a seaworthy and in proper condition in order to begin service on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline, which was awarded to them by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy as part of a new subsidised contract. Her selection had already been questioned due to her large size and concerns over her ability to sail under very difficult waters on a demanding lifeline and to dock to these islands' ports, which have very limited and unsafe infrastructure. For various reasons which were never really justified by her company, she never operated on the lifeline, and she notably failed a safety inspection performed by the Piraeus Port Authority a few days prior to the start of her services. As such, the first half of July came, and Kasos, Karpathos and Chalki did not have a ferry linking them with Piraeus in the middle of the high season! After much public uproar and complains from the aforementioned islands' residents, the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy which had given the subsidy contract to Sea Speed Ferries in the first place canceled it, and they assigned it to the ship that had previously been on the lifeline since 2009, namely the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines. Because of this and of the failed inspection, the OLYMPUS had nowhere to operate, and she therefore spent the summer under lay-up in Piraeus, where she still remains as of November 2022.

While looking further ahead towards the E7 gate, I then had the chance to see the high speed ferry THUNDER of Fast Ferries. Built in 1998 in Australia, she began service for her current owners in 2021, being the first-ever high speed craft that they owned.

The THUNDER seen docked in Piraeus. She was bought by Fast Ferries in 2019, after having previously spent the first 21 years of her career in Turkey, as the TURGUT ÖZAL for the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (İDO). After being converted for two years in Perama and in Salamina, she began service on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos line on the Cyclades in 2021. She therefore became the first ship of Fast Ferries to perform services out of Piraeus, as the company had previously based its operations on the Cyclades out of the port of Rafina.

The THUNDER seen during what was her second season of service in the Greek coastal service and under Fast Ferries.

In the E7 gate, I also went on to see the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways. Built in 1984 in Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union), she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, namely on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. As the area from which the ships serving the Saronic Gulf depart, namely the E8 gate, was already full and had no available berths at that time, she was temporarily docked in the E7 gate. This happens for ships that operate on the Saronic Gulf as their size grew, whereupon they would be docking in the E7 gate or in the E10 gate without disturbing the traffic along the port and in these docking spots.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII was not alone in the E7 gate, as she was seen alongside her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX. The latter also operates on the Saronic Gulf, serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus. She was built in 1993 in Georgia, and she has also spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf ever since she was delivered to the Greek company Ceres Flying Dolphins. After six years with them, she joined Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, after the latter bought all the hydrofoils of her original owners. The company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus, during the thirtieth season of her career, which she has spent on the Saronic Gulf in its entirety. In spite of her age, she remained the youngest active hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service, although this is mainly due to the fact that ships of that type date from previous generations, with high speed craft such as catamarans and high speed ferries becoming more popular from the 1990s onwards.

Another view of the BLUE STAR DELOS, while she is docked in Piraeus.

The BLUE GALAXY seen from her front section, displaying the notable side ramp next to her bow, which is a feature that is seen on many ferries that were built in Japan. Indeed, this is where she was also built herself, back in 1992. She spent the first seven years of her career there as well, as the HERCULES for the Japanese company Higsashi Nihon Ferry, before she arrived in Greece for the first time in 1999, after having been bought by ANEK Lines. She operated for them on the Adriatic Sea as the LEFKA ORI from 2000 to 2012. She then had a failed charter to the South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line, for whom she never operated, and she returned to Greece in late 2013. She underwent a conversion in Perama in 2014, after which she joined Blue Star Ferries, for whom she began to operate in 2015 as the BLUE GALAXY on the Piraeus-Chania line.

A view of the E6 gate and of the E7 in Piraeus, showing the veteran ferry OLYMPUS along with the three much-younger ships of Blue Star Ferries, namely the BLUE STAR NAXOS, the BLUE STAR PAROS and the BLUE STAR DELOS.

A view of the BLUE STAR PAROS while she is docked in Piraeus, prior to her morning departure. Before she began serving the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, she had lengthy spells on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line from 2002 to 2005, and then on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline from 2006 to 2014. She also had a spell on the Rafina-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios line in 2015. The latter service was the last one on which her sister ship and former fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, operated prior to her sale to Bay Ferries Limited. It was discontinued following the 2015 season, as the fleet of Blue Star Ferries had lost one member at the time, namely the DIAGORAS, which had been sold to the Moroccan company Africa Morocco Link in 2016, although she eventually returned to Greece two years later

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen alongside her younger fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR DELOS. Both of them (along with the BLUE STAR NAXOS) were built in the same shipyard. Indeed, this is none other than the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Shipyard, which is one of the three largest and most important shipyards of South Korea.

While I was proceeding towards the E3 gate, I then spotted the first ship that was arriving back to Piraeus since the moment that I arrived in the port. That was the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines, which had returned to the port from Heraklion (via Milos).

The FESTOS PALACE seen returning to Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot. She was built in 2002 in Italy, and she has been operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line since 2020.

Another view of the two sister ships of Blue Star Ferries, namely the BLUE STAR NAXOS and the BLUE STAR PAROS. Both ships were ordered following the successful construction of their older sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, which had started service for Blue Star Ferries on the Cyclades in 2000. She was considered an icon of the Cyclades, but she unfortunately left Greece in 2014 after having been sold to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited, for whom she operates as the FUNDY ROSE on the St John-Digby line on the Bay of Fundy. Both the BLUE STAR NAXOS and the BLUE STAR PAROS carry on her legacy, although they have also made a name for themselves in their own right on the Cyclades, having provided numerous services for these islands over the past 20 years.

Another picture showing the OLYMPUS together with the BLUE STAR NAXOS, the BLUE STAR PAROS and the BLUE STAR DELOS.

The FESTOS PALACE seen once again as she proceeds towards her docking spot.

The FESTOS PALACE seen upon her arrival in Piraeus. In the 20 years that she operated so far, she has had four different names. Indeed, she began her career under Minoan Lines as the EUROPA PALACE, operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line. In 2010 she moved to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line together with her sister ship, namely the OLYMPIA PALACE. They stayed there until the service was discontinued after the 2011 season. Although Minoan Lines tried to operate them on the Piraeus-Chania line, they were instead chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione. They EUROPA PALACE was renamed AMSICORA, while the OLYMPIA PALACE was renamed BONARIA, and they operated on the Civitavecchia-Olbia-Arbatax line from 2012 to 2017. The AMSICORA then rejoined Minoan Lines in 2018, and she began service on the Piraeus-Chania line as the MYKONOS PALACE. In 2020, following the fleet reshuffle undertaken by Minoan Lines, she was renamed FESTOS PALACE and she moved to the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line, whereas the original FESTOS PALACE (which is another one of her sister ships) was renamed KYDON PALACE and took over the service on the Piraeus-Chania line instead.

The FESTOS PALACE seen in Piraeus, just before she began her maneuvering procedure.

The FESTOS PALACE seen just before beginning her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, during her third consecutive season on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. Since 2021, she has been joined by her original partner on the Adriatic Sea, namely the ex-OLYMPIA PALACE. Indeed, in 2018, that ship did not join Minoan Lines, instead joining the Italian company Grimaldi Lines (which is the main company of the Grimaldi Group, of which Minoan Lines is a member) as the CRUISE BONARIA. After it was decided that she should also be deployed in Heraklion, Minoan Lines transferred the original KNOSSOS PALACE (another sister ship of the duo), which had been serving the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2000, to Grimaldi Lines, for whom she became the new CRUISE BONARIA. As such, the original CRUISE BONARIA (the ex-OLYMPIA PALACE) joined Minoan Lines and became the new KNOSSOS PALACE.

While the FESTOS PALACE was undergoing her maneuvering procedure, I had the chance to see the E9 gate, which featured four ferries (although only three are shown in this picture). These are the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries, the high speed ferry TERA JET of Sea Jets and the conventional ferry AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets (operating under the Sea Jets Ferries division).

The FESTOS PALACE seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus.

The FESTOS PALACE seen just as she is undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Piraeus. During her spell on the Piraeus-Chania line as the MYKONOS PALACE, she notably became the first ship of the Greek coastal service to be equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system (also known as 'scrubbers'), as part of the company's decision to comply with the sulphur emissions cap implement by the IMO since 2020. She underwent this refit in Malta back in 2019. All other cruiseferries of the company underwent a similar procedure as well.

The impressive FESTOS PALACE seen while undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Piraeus. Since the departure of the original KNOSSOS PALACE from the fleet of Minoan Lines, she has largely been considered to be the flagship of the company.

A view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, which is a ferry that has played a prominent role in my childhood summer memories. Indeed, from 1999 to 2016, she was operating on the Ionian Sea, and for the most part she was on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line. Therefore, I traveled with her several times during the 2000s and during the early 2010s, and she is actually the first ship of the Greek coastal service that I remember seeing for the first time in my life. Since 2017, she has moved to the Aegean Sea in order to serve the Western Cyclades. While I no longer see her in Zakynthos, at least I still get to see her in Piraeus.

The THUNDER was seen docked in the E7 gate along with the cruiseferrry BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries, which operates on the Cyclades and on the Northeast Aegean Sea.

The FESTOS PALACE seen as she continues to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus.

The FESTOS PALACE seen continuing her maneuvering procedure in order to dock in Piraeus.

A further view into the E9 gate during the early morning, whereupon I saw three ships of Sea Jets. Besides the TERA JET and the AQUA JEWEL, I also spotted the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNET JET. This was the first time that I got to see her under her current name and under her current owners, whom she joined in 2021 after having previously spent four years with Golden Star Ferries as the SUPERRUNNER.

A better view of the four ships seen in the E9 gate in Piraeus, namely the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, the TERA JET, the SUPERRUNNER JET and the AQUA JEWEL. The first three ships were all operating on the Western Cyclades during that summer, while the AQUA JEWEL was spending her third season on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline.

The ship that the FESTOS PALACE would go on to face after docking in Piraeus was her fleetmate, namely the high speed ferry SANTORINI PALACE.

The FESTOS PALACE seen having finished her maneuvering procedure and ready to dock in Piraeus.

Another view of the THUNDER in Piraeus, during her second consecutive summer on the Cyclades.

At about 06:45, the BLUE STAR NAXOS was seen departing the port, being (as usual) the first ship to leave in order to head to the Cyclades.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she is leaving Piraeus in order to begin her long trip along the Lesser Cyclades lifeline.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she is leaving Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen during her morning departure from Piraeus. Since 2015, she has been the ship serving these islands while leaving Piraeus during the early morning, whereas the ship of Blue Star Ferries that heads to Paros, Naxos and Santorini with a late afternoon departure from Piraeus is the BLUE STAR PATMOS. Outside of the high season, the BLUE STAR NAXOS operates her service by leaving Piraeus in the late afternoon, and returning the following day during the early afternoon.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she is heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. I was fortunate to have traveled with her before, having done so on 3 September 2020, while heading from Piraeus to Koufonisi.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen while leaving Piraeus. While she has spent the bulk of her career serving Paros, Naxos, the Lesser Cyclades, Amorgos and Santorini, she also had spells on other services on the Cyclades, most notably on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line from 2012 to 2014.

The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she approaches the exit of the port of Piraeus.

A final view of the BLUE STAR NAXOS as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus in order to serve the Cyclades.

Just minutes after the BLUE STAR NAXOS had exited the port of Piraeus, towards 07:00, I saw the cruiseferry NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways having just entered.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen as she is entering the port of Piraeus.

An impressive spectacle as the large ferry NISSOS SAMOS is entering the port of Piraeus.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen having just entered the port of Piraeus, after having arrived from the Northeast Aegean Sea, where she has been operating since 2018.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen having entered the port of Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot. Built in 1988 in Japan, she has been owned by Sea Jets since late 2015. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line since 2018.

The impressive NISSOS SAMOS seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She first arrived in Greece in late 2004, after having been bought by the now-defunct Greek company Agoudimos Lines. During her conversion, however, she was acquired by another Greek company, namely Endeavor Lines (which also used to own the OLYMPUS, as the latter operated for them as the ELLI T from 2006 to 2012), which operated her on the Adriatic Sea as the IONIAN QUEEN from 2005 to 2012. That year, the ship was laid-up in Patras, after her company ceased operations due to financial issues. She was eventually bought by Hellenic Seaways in late 2015. Following a lengthy conversion in Perama, she was renamed NISSOS SAMOS and she began service in 2016 on the Northeast Aegean Sea, being initially deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen while heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, during her seventh season under Hellenic Seaways, and her fifth consecutive season on her current service.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen after having entered Piraeus. Following the 2016 season, she was assigned to operate on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line on the Cyclades during the 2017 season. The service was a success, but it was discontinued in 2018 after Hellenic Seaways was taken over by Attica Group (which controls Blue Star Ferries and Superfast Ferries), and therefore the ship was inserted on her current service on the Northeast Aegean Sea.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen while heading towards her docking spot during the morning.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen right before she started her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus.

The NISSOS SAMOS seen while undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus during the early morning.

A nice view of the NISSOS SAMOS, a ship built in the Land of the Rising Sun, while she undergoes her maneuvering procedure at the same time that the sun is rising.

While the NISSOS SAMOS was undergoing her maneuvering procedure, I noticed the second ship that was leaving Piraeus. Indeed, it was the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets, which was leaving in order to begin her trip to the Cyclades.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus. Built in 2000 in Australia, she was bought by Sea Jets in 2018, and she began service for the latter in 2019. For the 2022 season, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, where she had also been deployed in 2021.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen while leaving Piraeus. During her debut season in 2019, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line which much success. For the 2020 season, she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Serving some of the most recognisable islands of the Cyclades, she has played a vital role in her company's ever-growing presence on the area, thanks to her speed and her impressive and comfortable indoor areas.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. When she began her career in 2000, as the VILLUM CLAUSEN for the Danish company Bornholms Traffiken (which became Bornholmer Færgen in 2010, before merging with Molslinjen in 2018), she was the fastest ferry in the world, even appearing on the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest speed ever recorded by a passenger vessel. Upon beginning her services on the Cyclades in 2019, she became the fastest ship of the Greek coastal service.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen as she is leaving Piraeus in order to head to Syros. I have traveled with her on three occasions, with the first two trips having been from Piraeus to Syros and back on 20 September 2020, while the third trip was from Piraeus to Ios on 22 July 2021, hence one year and ten days before this picture was taken.

While the WORLDCHAMPION JET was leaving Piraeus, the NISSOS SAMOS was completing her maneuvering procedure in order to dock.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET, which is considered to be the best high speed ferry of Sea Jets at the moment, seen leaving the port of Piraeus.

A view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she is leaving the port of Piraeus. As a further testament of her success and her impact on the Greek coastal service, she won the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2019. She therefore became the third Greek coastal service ship to win the much-coveted award, and the first one to do so since 2007, back when the NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways (now known as the BLUE STAR CHIOS of Blue Star Ferries since 2020) won it. The first Greek coastal service ship to have received this honour was the sister ship of the NISSOS CHIOS, namely the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, back when she was known as the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways, in 2006.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen while proceeding towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. Out of all the high speed craft that I have traveled with, she certainly has the most impressive features onboard. Indeed, besides her unmatched speed levels, her entire indoor areas have motor racing as the main theme, and she notably has a Minardi Formula 1 race-car permanently onboard, in the atrium area. That specific car was driven during the 2003 season by the now-retired Dutch driver Jos Verstappen (the father of the current well-known driver Max Verstappen, who won the Formula 1 Championship last season).

The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen right before she exited the port of Piraeus.

Following the WORLDCHAMPION JET was another high speed craft. Indeed, it was the third active hydrofoil of Hellenic Seaways, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen while leaving Piraeus. Just like her two sister ships, she also operates on the Saronic Gulf, and most specifically on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line.

The FLYING DOLOHIN XIX seen about to exit the port of Piraeus. This was her third season on her current service, and also her third season since she was reactivated for Hellenic Seaways, after having been abandoned in Perama from 2012 to 2019 due to an accident that she had during the 2012 season, when she ran aground in the small islet of Metopi while sailing between Aegina and Agistri. She was declared a constructive total loss at the time, and Hellenic Seaways did not plan to use her again. However, after another one of her fleetmates, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, was destroyed by a fire in 2019 in Perama (which resulted in her being scrapped on the spot), the hydrofoil was repaired and fully refurbished, and she returned to the Saronic Gulf, where she had previously operated from 2004 to 2012.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen while she is leaving Piraeus. Her career in the Greek coastal service began back in 1986. She was built in 1983 in Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union), as the lead ship of the Kolkhida-class of hydrofoils that was ordered by various companies around the world during the 1980s up until the mid 1990s. She initially operated as the COLCHIS 1 for the Soviet company Black Sea Shipping Company-Noroflot on the Odessa-Yalta line on the Black Sea. Three years later, she was acquired by Ceres Flying Dolphins, for whom she began service on the Sporades as the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX. She notably became the first second-hand vessel to have been acquired by that company, and she operated on the Sporades with great success. She stayed there after Ceres Flying Dolphins was acquired by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. That company became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, and two years later the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX moved to the Saronic Gulf, whereupon her owners were rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen near the exit of the port of Piraeus. Despite her being the oldest active hydrofoil of Hellenic Seaways, she appears to be the youngest one due to the extensive refit that she underwent in 2020, whereupon her indoor area was fully refurbished and modernised.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen exiting Piraeus in order to head to Aegina.

Right behind the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, which was also heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Built in 1990 in Japan, she has been owned by Zante Ferries since 1999. As mentioned previously, she operated on the Ionian Sea from 1999 to 2016. In 2017, following a major conversion in Keratsini, she was deployed on the Western Cyclades, thus joining her fleetmate, namely the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. She operated on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios line, while since 2019 she has been serving the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios. Since 2020, after the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS moved to the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, she has been operating on the Western Cyclades on her own.

The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, during her sixth consecutive season on the Western Cyclades. Owing to her presence there throughout the whole year (including during the weather) as well as her large garage, she has become a vital ship for these islands, being praised by its residents and frequent visitors.

The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen while leaving Piraeus. During her spell on the Ionian Sea, she primarily operated on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, but from 2001 onwards she would also operate on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. Moreover, at some points during the summers of 2004, 2013 and 2015, she operated on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line.

The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen right before exiting the port of Piraeus. Of course, during my childhood years, I traveled with her on multiple occasions between Kyllini and Zakynthos. My last trip with her dates back to 9 July 2013, when I traveled with her from Kyllini to Zakynthos during the evening. I have yet to travel with her on the Western Cyclades following her major conversion.

Another view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, as she begins her lengthy journey to the Western Cyclades.

The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. In addition to being the first-ever conventional ferry of Zante Ferries, she has also been the company's longest-serving ship in its history.

One last view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS as she is seen exiting the port of Piraeus.

Right after the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, it was the turn of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS to leave the port. Here she is seen passing by her former fleetmate under Hellenic Seaways, namely the NISSOS SAMOS. Even though the BLUE STAR MYCONOS now sails under the livery of Blue Star Ferries, she still belongs to Attica Group, and she therefore continues to collaborate on the Northeast Aegean Sea together with the NISSOS SAMOS.

The NISSOS SAMOS sees her former fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, leaving Piraeus. Both ships operated together under Hellenic Seaways for four seasons, namely from 2016 to 2019.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus. Built in 2005 in Greece, she was originally the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways, for whom she operated from 2005 until 2020. She has spent her entire career on the Northeast Aegean Sea, where she remained even following her acquisition by Blue Star Ferries.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen while she leaves Piraeus. Since 2021, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala lifeline. This has been her primary area of operations since 2017, while she has been the main ship serving the islands of Ikaria and Samos since 2007. Moreover, for the first three seasons of her career (namely from 2005 to 2007), she operated on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen while leaving the port of Piraeus. She was one of the two ships of Blue Star Ferries that serve the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline in 2022, together with the DIAGORAS. The latter was seen on the Piraeus-Leros-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line during the summer.

The great BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she leaves Piraeus. In 2021, her funnel was largely upgraded, due to her undergoing a conversion which saw her being equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she leaves Piraeus. As stated previously, when she was still known as the NISSOS MYKONOS, she won the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2006, thus becoming the first ship of the Greek coastal service to receive such an honour.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen during her departure from Piraeus. Since she began service in Greece back in 2005, she has largely been considered to be one of the country's finest ferries, and, for some, as the best one in the Greek coastal service.

The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen while she is about to exit the port of Piraeus.

One last view of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus.

Following the first departure of a ship towards the Northeast Aegean Sea, I now saw the first conventional ferry departing Piraeus in order to head to the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, it was the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries, which is deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line.

The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus, during her eighteenth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. Built in 1980 in Spain, she began service for Nova Ferries in 2005. She originally operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line for two seasons, before serving the Piraeus-Aegina only from 2007 to 2013. In 2014, following the establishment of the Saronic Ferries joint venture along with 2way Ferries and Hellenic Seaways (who then left in 2016 after being left without any conventional ferries on the Saronic Gulf), the ship was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line.

The PHIVOS seen while leaving Piraeus. Since her introduction on the Saronic Gulf, she has been acclaimed as the best ship to operate there, despite her advanced age. This is largely due to her successful conversion when she was acquired by Nova Ferries, with her indoor areas being among the nicest on any day ferry. Furthermore, her speed has also been appreciated, and she remains the fastest conventional ferry on the Saronic Gulf.

A nice view of Piraeus, with the NISSOS SAMOS watching the BLUE STAR DELOS following the PHIVOS, while both ships head towards the port's exit.

The PHIVOS seen while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Just like the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, she has been a major part of my summers in Greece, and I have traveled with her many times between Piraeus and Aegina, most notably on 7 August 2015, for which I had written the ship's Tribute post.

The NISSOS SAMOS is seen watching the BLUE STAR DELOS passing by her, just like the BLUE STAR MYCONOS had done so a few minutes prior.

The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus. I did not get the chance to travel with her during the summer of 2022, but I was able to do so exactly one month ago, as I headed from Piraeus to Aegina on 19 October.

The PHIVOS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus. She has been with Nova Ferries ever since the latter began operations back in 2005. Out of these 18 seasons, she has spent 15 of them as the company's sole ferry. Indeed, Nova Ferries used to have to other ships at different stages in its history. The first one was a sister ship of the PHIVOS, namely the ATHINA, which had also been bought in order to enter service on the Saronic Gulf in 2005. She spent that year's season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line, but she was sold the following year to the Portuguese company Transmaçor, which is based on the Azores Islands Archipelago. Later on, the company operated the conventional double-ended ferry PHEDRA (previously the THASSOS VIII of Thassos Ferries, for whom she was built in 2008) on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Agistri line from 2009 to 2010. After that year's summer season, that ship was sold to the Egyptian-Jordanian company Arab Bridge Maritime, therefore leaving the PHIVOS as the only ship of Nova Ferries once again, and this a role she has maintained for the past 12 years.

The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina.

One last view of the PHIVOS, as she is seen about to exit the port of Piraeus.

As the PHIVOS was exiting the port of Piraeus, the BLUE STAR DELOS was seen following her.

The great BLUE STAR DELOS seen as she leaves Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Since her entry to service under Blue Star Ferries, she became an integral part of her company's success on the Cyclades, and her service is one of the most effective in terms of revenue, as she tends to transport passenger at the maximum capacity during the high season. She has also become a favourite among residents of Paros and Santorini in particular.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen during her traditional morning departure from Piraeus. So far, I have traveled with her three times. The first time was on 23 July 2018 from Piraeus to Naxos. I would then travel with her from Santorini to Piraeus on 14 July 2019, and also on 8 September 2020, while heading from Naxos to Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen while making her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen in Piraeus, during her eleventh consecutive summer in Greece (as she began service in late 2011). Her sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR PATMOS, was delivered to Blue Star Ferries in 2012, and she spent her first seasons on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Since 2015, she has joined the BLUE STAR DELOS on the Cyclades, performing the late afternoon service to Paros, Naxos and Santorini. While she has added some other islands to her itinerary on a few occasions, she usually operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line during the summer. She has kept operating on that service only since 2021.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving Piraeus during the morning. Just like the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, she was also equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system in 2021, during a major refit that she underwent in Perama that year.

The BLUE STAR DELOS seen just as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus.

Just two minutes after the BLUE STAR DELOS left Piraeus, I spotted another hydrofoil, which had entered the port. Indeed, it was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins, which also operates on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen having just entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 1991 in Georgia, she has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010. She spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, and since 2011 she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen having returned to Piraeus, during her thirteenth season with Aegean Flying Dolphins.

A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which has been her company's longest-serving ship on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen having entered Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen returning to Piraeus for the first time during the day. She usually spends the evening in Agistri and she departs the latter the next morning at 06:45 in order to be back in Piraeus towards 07:30.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, as she makes her way towards her docking spot.

While the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was leaving, I managed to take another panoramic view of the port of Piraeus, as I saw the NISSOS SAMOS still docked and the BLUE STAR PAROS while she was leaving.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving Piraeus, in order to begin her trip along the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line.

A nice view showing the BLUE STAR PAROS leaving, while the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA is making her way towards her docking spot.

Just as the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was crossing the BLUE STAR PAROS, another small ship operating on the Saronic Gulf had just entered the port of Piraeus. Indeed, it was the small passenger ship GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels, which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen having just entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 1997 in Greece, she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, except for the 2016 season, when she had been deployed on the Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line on the Cyclades.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA and of the BLUE STAR PAROS in Piraeus, with the former heading towards her docking spot and the latter heading towards her docking spot.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen as she is leaving Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen upon her departure from Piraeus. As it was the case with the BLUE STAR NAXOS, I also had the opportunity to travel with that specific ship, having done so when I headed from Mykonos to Piraeus on 20 June 2018.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen shortly after having entered the port of Piraeus. I have traveled with her five times so far. The first time was almost two years ago, namely on 14 August 2020, while heading from Piraeus to Salamina. I then traveled with her twice during the 2021 season and two more times this year (on 30 September and on 7 October).

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen while heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus.

At the same time, the BLUE STAR PAROS continued to make her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen meeting the much smaller GEORGIOS BROUFAS, as both ships head towards different directions.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen once more, as she heads towards her docking spot.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen as she is approaching the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen during her departure from Piraeus. As stated previously, she has spent almost her entire career on the Cyclades, but she has also operated on the Dodecanese. This happened in particular during the summers of 2016 and of 2017, when she operated on the Dodecanese lifeline instead of the DIAGORAS, which had been sold to Africa Morocco Link (although she eventually returned to Blue Star Ferries in 2018). During that time, she operated on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline in 2016 and on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline in 2017.

The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving in order to head to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos.

One last view of the BLUE STAR PAROS, just before she exited the port of Piraeus.

Following the BLUE STAR PAROS, it was the turn of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX to leave Piraeus.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen while leaving Piraeus in order to serve the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she is leaving Piraeus. I was happy that I got to see her while she was still operating. And this is due to the fact these were among her last days in service for Hellenic Seaways, as she was replaced one week later by the newly-built aero high speed catamarans that her company ordered for the Saronic Gulf, namely the AERO 1 HIGHSPEED, the AERO 2 HIGHSPEED and the AERO 3 HIGHSPEED. These new state-of-the-art vessels, which were larger and more comfortable vessels, in addition to being environmentally-friendly, and they replaced the aging and outdated hydrofoils. While the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX continued to operate during the summer, the FLYING DOLPHIN DOLPHIN XXIX together with the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII were withdrawn from service. They have since remained laid-up in Perama, and they are unlikely to ever return to service on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen once again, during the last days of her 29-year-long career on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen during her final season on the Saronic Gulf and under Hellenic Seaways. During her spell under the latter, I managed to travel with her once, having done so while heading from Piraeus to Aegina on 20 August 2017.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX before she exits the port of Piraeus.

Just before the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX began to exit Piraeus, another much larger ship was seen entering the port. Indeed, it was the BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries, which was returning from the Dodecanese.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen as she enters the port of Piraeus.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen about to leave Piraeus, just as the BLUE STAR 2 is entering the port.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen during her impressive entrance in Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen as she is entering Piraeus. Built in 2000 in The Netherlands, she has spent her entire career with Blue Star Ferries.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen after having just entered the port of Piraeus. For the 2022 season, she was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese. She has performed this service for the largest part of her career (with a few modifications) since 2005.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen having entered the port of Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot.

The impressive BLUE STAR 2 seen passing in front of me following her entrance in the port of Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen heading towards her docking spot in the E1 gate in Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen heading towards her docking spot, with the NISSOS SAMOS facing her.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen in Piraeus, just before undergoing her maneuvering procedure.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen while undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen completing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen as she is preparing to dock in Piraeus. Before she was deployed on the Dodecanese, she spent the first years of her career on the Adriatic Sea (2000-2002) and then on the Piraeus-Chania line (2003-2004). Despite her success on both services, her company preferred to have her on the Dodecanese, where they had just made their entry. This move proved to be successful, as Blue Star Ferries became the dominating force there, having overtaken former competitors like DANE Sea Line and GA Ferries during the mid 2000s.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS was seen leaving Piraeus minutes after having docked, in order to make her first trip of the day back to Salamina.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen as she is leaving Piraeus.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

One final view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS as she leaves Piraeus for Salamina.

Just after the GEORGIOS BROUFAS had left Piraeus, another large ferry was seen arriving in Piraeus. Indeed, this was the KRITI II of ANEK Lines, which was entering the port after having returned from Heraklion.

The KRITI II seen while entering the port of Piraeus. Built in 1979 in Japan, she has been owned by ANEK Lines since 1996, and she started operating for them in 1997, following her year-long conversion in Perama. This was her first year of service back on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, after having missed the 2021 season, during which she was replaced by her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the KRITI I.

The KRITI II seen while entering the port of Piraeus.

An impressive view of the KRITI II after she entered Piraeus. Since beginning her career with ANEK Lines, she has mostly operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line and on the Adriatic Sea, alongside her sister ship. On the former service, she operated from 2001 to 2011, and then from 2015 to 2020. On the latter, she operated from 1997 to 2001 on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line, and then from 2012 to 2013 on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line.

The KRITI II seen having entered Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot.

Just like the GEORGIOS BROUFAS which stayed in Piraeus for just a few minutes before leaving again, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was also seen departing in order to head back to Aegina and Agistri.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen while leaving Piraeus during the morning.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen in Piraeus, just before exiting the port. Since 2012, she has been the only ship of her company that operates on the Saronic Gulf, although in 2019 and in 2022 she was joined by her fleetmate, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I. The latter was also on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line this year.

The KRITI II seen as she makes her way towards her docking spot. As she replaced the KRITI I, the latter was laid-up in Perama, and it is unknown if and whether that ship will return to service in the near future.

Another meeting between two ships of completely different sizes. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA is leaving, while the KRITI II is heading towards her docking spot.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen before exiting Piraeus.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen as she leaves Piraeus, before she begins to sail at full-speed.

The KRITI II seen once more, as she heads towards her docking spot.

One last picture of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA before she exited the port of Piraeus.

The next ship departing the port of Piraeus was also operating on the Saronic Gulf, and it was one that I was very much eager to see, as she was spending her debut season under her new owners. Indeed, this was the landing craft ANTIGONE which operates under the Saronic Ferries joint venture, being jointly owned by Nova Ferries and 2way Ferries. After having been acquired by the latter companies in 2019, she underwent a three-year-long conversion in Perama and in Keratsini, and in 2022 she finally began her much-awaited service on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, serving the port of Souvala.

The ANTIGONE seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Souvala in Northern Aegina. By beginning her service there, she became the first ferry to connect that port with Piraeus since 2019, when her company had chartered the landing craft MENEKRATIS of Kerkyra Lines in similar fashion. The latter ship had also operated there in 2016, back when she was known as the OSIOS DAVID under Evoïkos Lines. She also became the only landing craft to operate in Piraeus, although last season had briefly seen the ELENI of Kerkyra Seaways operating on the Piraeus-Aegina line, back when she replaced the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries which had been sent to operate on the Sporades on a temporary basis.

The ANTIGONE seen while leaving Piraeus, during her first season on the Saronic Gulf and under the livery of Saronic Ferries.

The ANTIGONE seen while leaving in Piraeus. Before joining the Saronic Ferries joint venture, she had previously been operating as the POSEIDONAS under the Greek company Farmakoris-Villiotis NE. She was built for them in 2010 in Greece, and she operated for them on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf in 2010 and from 2012 until 2018. During the summer of 2011, she operated on the Rion-Antirrion. After the 2018 season ended, she was replaced by the then-newly-built landing craft ALKYON, and she was listed for sale. She was reportedly sold overseas, but eventually this did not happen, and she remained in Salamina for the 2019 season, until she was sold to her current owners.

Another view of the ANTIGONE during her departure from Piraeus. For three years, her owners made careful changes to her appearance and her engines, so that she would be the ideal ship to serve Souvala. Her after section was modified considerably, with new sun decks being added and her funnels being remodeled entirely. Her garage was covered even further compared to how it was under her previous owners, while her indoor areas were fully refurbished, making them amongst the most modern and most impressive for a landing craft. She also received a special grey livery on which the Saronic Ferries logo was inserted.

A view of the ANTIGONE, which became the fifth ship to operate under the Saronic Ferries joint venture from the 2022 season onwards. She is the only one to operate in Souvala, while the other four ships serve the main port of Aegina.

The ANTIGONE seen as she prepares to exit the port of Piraeus.

The ANTIGONE seen while leaving Piraeus. Her debut season was met with very positive results, and she was praised for being a very modern and comfortable landing craft. Her services were key in putting the port of Souvala back on the map of the Greek coastal service.

The ANTIGONE seen in Piraeus, as she begins her first trip of the day in order to serve the port of Souvala in Northern Aegina.

One last view of the ANTIGONE, just as she exits the port of Piraeus.

Around 08:20, and just five minutes after the ANTIGONE had exited the port of Piraeus, there was once more a ship operating on the Saronic Gulf that was departing. Indeed, it was the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways.

The FLYINGCAT 4 seen while leaving Piraeus. Built in 1999 in the United Kingdom, she has spent her entire career in Greece. Since 2019, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line.

The FLYINGCAT 4 seen leaving Piraeus, during her fourth season on the Saronic Gulf.

The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once again while leaving Piraeus. She has been with Hellenic Seaways since the latter was launched in 2005. Before that, she operated under the company's predecessor, namely Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was later renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins), from 1999 to 2005.

The FLYINGCAT 4 seen during her departure from Piraeus. She was one of two 'Flyingcats' of Hellenic Seaways that were operating on the Saronic Gulf during the summer of 2022, with the other one being the FLYINGCAT 5.

One last view of the FLYINGCAT 4 while she is about to exit the port of Piraeus.

A few minutes after the FLYINGCAT 4 exited Piraeus, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was seen entering the port once again.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen following her return to Piraeus.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen after having entered the port of Piraeus. As stated previously, she remained in service during the summer of 2022 even after the three aero high speed catamarans of Hellenic Seaways began their operations on the Saronic Gulf. It will be interesting to see if she will return next year as well. Considering that she had an extensive refurbishment just two years ago, her permanent retirement should be delayed, as she still has much to offer.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once again, while she heads back to her docking spot in Piraeus.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, during her third season on the Saronic Gulf since her comeback under Hellenic Seaways in 2020.

At around 08:45, another ship was seen having just entered the port of Piraeus. This was the small passenger ship ELENA F of Elena F Shipping, which also operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line together with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS.

The ELENA F seen having just returned to Piraeus. She was built in 1998 in Greece, and she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, except for the 2013 season, when she was deployed on the Glyfa-Skiathos line on the Sporades.

The ELENA F seen after having returned to Piraeus. She is owned by the Filiagkos family, which has operated passenger ships on the Piraeus-Salamina line since 1967. They had started their operations with two small passenger ships which were part of the numerous 'Koulouriotika' sister ships that were built in the 1960s and 1970s, namely the ELENI F and the DIMITRIOS F. The former operated for the company until her sale to Panou Shipping in 1981, while she has been operating as the IONIAN DOLPHIN under Mitsoulis Cruises on the Ionian Sea since 2001. The DIMITRIOS F was on the Perama-Salamina for more than 30 years, until she was retired after the arrival of the then-newly-built ELENA F in 1998.

The ELENA F seen after having entered Piraeus, as she heads towards her docking spot.

The ELENA F seen while heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The Filiagkos family is also known to operate on the Perama-Salamina line, where they have a newly-built double-ended ferry, namely the AGGELIS F, since 2022. The latter was the successor of another double-ended ferry, also named AGGELIS F, which operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2019 until her sale to the Kuwaiti company Ikarus United Marine Services in 2020.

Just five minutes after the ELENA F had arrived, there was another ship that was seen entering the port. Indeed, that was the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries, which had just made her return after having operated on the Saronic Gulf during the early morning.

The ACHAEOS seen having just entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 2006 in Greece, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf, and most specifically on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, since 2014. She had also operated there during her debut season in 2006, serving the Piraeus-Aegina line. She then moved to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where she stayed for the most part until her return to the Saronic Gulf eight years ago.

The ACHAEOS seen following her return to Piraeus. This was therefore her ninth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and her tenth overall there.

The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf, I have traveled with her on 14 different occasions, including twice during her comeback season in 2014, once on 19 July 2016 while heading from Aegina to Piraeus, and three times during the summer of 2022.

A view of the ACHAEOS, which is one of the three ships of 2way Ferries that operate on the Saronic Gulf. The company also operates the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line (where the ACHAEOS also used to be deployed) on the Ionian Sea, as well as the landing craft KANARIS on the Agia Marina-Nea Styra line on the Petalioi Gulf since 2020.

The ACHAEOS seen while making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. In addition to having been deployed on the Saronic Gulf and on the Ionian Sea, she also operated under charter to the Italian company Blunavy from 2011 until early 2012. During her time there, she served the Piombino-Elba line.

Another view of the ACHAEOS, as she is seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus.

Just a few minutes after having docked in Piraeus, the ELENA F was seen leaving the port in order to head back to Salamina.

The ELENA F seen while leaving Piraeus.

The ELENA F was seen being followed by another ship that had just returned to Piraeus before departing the port immediately afterwards, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX.

The ELENA F seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. I managed to travel with her for the first time on 5 August 2021, therefore almost one year before taking picture. I traveled with her three times this year, with the first two being just a few hours after my morning visit to the port of Piraeus. I headed from Piraeus to Salamina, before making the return leg a couple of hours later.

One last view of the ELENA F before she exited Piraeus, and just two hours before I went on to travel with her in order to head to Salamina.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen during her second departure of the day.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once more as she is departing in order to head to Aegina.

The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

One last view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX just before she exits the port of Piraeus once again.

After spending more than two hours in Piraeus, it was now 09:00. Normally most of the ships would have departed up until 08:30, but this was not the case this year. Indeed, it was now the turn of the TERA JET to leave the port.

The TERA JET seen leaving Piraeus. Known as the flagship of Sea Jets, she was operating for the first time since 2019, after having spent the previous two seasons under lay-up in Elefsina and in Piraeus. For the 2022 season, she operated on the Western Cyclades for the first time, being deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line.

While the TERA JET was leaving, she was being followed by another departing high speed ferry, namely the HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways.

The TERA JET seen in Piraeus, during her comeback season after two inactive seasons. She performed her company's services on the Western Cyclades along with the SUPERRUNNER JET, which performed her departure from Piraeus during the afternoon.

The TERA JET seen while leaving Piraeus. Built in 1999 in Italy, she has been owned by Sea Jets since 2014. She spent her first two seasons with the company on the Heraklion-Cyclades service, while in 2017 she had an acclaimed spell on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, which she also served in 2018 (with the addition of Andros to her itinerary). In 2019 she was on the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line, after which she was laid-up for three years, until her reactivation in 2022.

The TERA JET seen while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. In response to the growing passenger demand on the Western Cyclades, she was introduced there by her company, and her large size and passenger capacity made her a valuable ship for the islands that she served. During that year, she replaced the CHAMPION JET 2 (which had been deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line in 2020), which moved to the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line.

The TERA JET seen while leaving Piraeus, during her first summer of operations since 2019.

The TERA JET seen while making her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The TERA JET seen upon her morning departure from Piraeus.

Another view of the TERA JET during her morning departure from Piraeus. She is notably the largest high speed craft that operates in Greece. This has made her an important contributor to her company's growth, although this also implies extremely high operating costs for her, which is why she remained inactive for two seasons.

The TERA JET seen leaving in order to head to Serifos, Sifnos and Milos.

One last view of the TERA JET before she went on to exit the port of Piraeus in order to begin sailing at full-speed.

After the TERA JET exited the port of Piraeus, I turned my attention to the HIGHSPEED 4, which was also seen leaving. Built in 2000, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line on the Cyclades since 2021, having also been there in 2014 and from 2016 until 2018. In 2019 she was only on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi line.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen while leaving Piraeus. Built in 2000 in Australia, she has spent her entire career on the Cyclades. She first operated for Minoan Flying Dolphins, until the latter was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being then rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005.

While the HIGHSPEED 4 was leaving, she was being followed by one of her former fleetmates, namely the conventional ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries. Indeed, the latter had previously operated for Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (under the Saronikos Ferries brandname) from 1999 to 2005, and then under Hellenic Seaways from 2005 until her sale to her current owners in 2016.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen while leaving Piraeus. For most of her career, she has served the islands of Paros and Naxos, while also having served Syros, Tinos and Mykonos on numerous occasions. She also used to serve the port of Chania in Crete, operating there in 2005 and in 2006. She also served the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line in 2015.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen during her morning departure from Piraeus. This was the second summer of her career during which she was the lone remaining ship of the 'Highspeed' brandname that was operating under Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, the company's only other remaining high speed ferry since 2018, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, had been chartered to Fast Ferries in 2019 and to Africa Morocco Link in 2022. Under the latter, she was deployed on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. Just four years and three days before this picture was taken, I traveled with the ship, while heading from Paros to Piraeus on 29 July 2018.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen while leaving Piraeus, so as to begin her trip along her acclaimed service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen in Piraeus. In addition to being the only active high speed ferry of the 'Highspeed' brandname, she is also the only one of the original five ships that still operate for Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, three of them were sold overseas between 2010 and 2011, while the fifth one, namely the HIGHSPEED 5 (which became the HIGHSPEED 7 in 2016), was sold to Minoan Lines in 2018. She is the current SANTORINI PALACE.

The HIGHSPEED 4 seen while she is about to exit the port of Piraeus at full-speed.

The APOLLON HELLAS was seen following her former Hellenic Seaways. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has been operating for 2way Ferries since 2016.

A view of the APOLLON HELLAS during her departure from Piraeus. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line since 2017. She was previously on the Saronic Gulf from 1990 to 1995, as the GEORGIOS of the Greek company Akouriki Shipping Company. She was then sold to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company, for whom she operated as the SUN BEACH, before returning to Greece in 1999, after having been bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping. She was renamed APOLLON HELLAS and she was once again introduced on the Saronic Gulf. Her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins later in that same year, and the ship began operating under the Saronikos Ferries division. Her company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The ship moved to the Sporades in 2014, being deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, while in 2015 she began service on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. In 2016 she was sold to 2way Ferries, which continued to operate her on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line before bringing her back to the Saronic Gulf in 2017.

The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Since she joined 2way Ferries, I have traveled with her several times, with the first time having been on 7 August 2017, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina. She then notably underwent an extensive refit in 2020, during which her indoor areas were completely renovated and upgraded beyond recognition. As a result, they made the ship look more appealing, and passengers praised these changes. I got to see them in depth when I traveled with the ship on 13 August 2020, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus. For the summer of 2022, I traveled with her twice. The first time was from Piraeus to Aegina on 13 August 2022, and the second time was from Aegina to Piraeus on 1 September 2022.

The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more as she leaves Piraeus. She operates under the Saronic Ferries joint venture, which includes her company and Nova Ferries.

The APOLLON HELLAS seen while she proceeds towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

A view of the APOLLON HELLAS in Piraeus. Her return to Greece back in 1999 made her one of the few ships of the Greek coastal service to have made their way back to the country after having been previously sold overseas.

A final view of the APOLLON HELLAS, as she exits the port of Piraeus in order to head to Aegina.

At 09:10, it was the turn of the SANTORINI PALACE to leave. She was therefore leaving after one of her previous fleetmates under Hellenic Seaways, which she served from 2005 to 2018, when she joined Minoan Lines.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen while leaving Piraeus. For the second season in a row, she was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line, on which she was deployed in 2021. This service proved to be very successful for Minoan Lines, and there are rumours that the company is planning to add a second ship on this service.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen during her departure from Piraeus. When performing her service, she would leave Piraeus in the morning and arrive in Heraklion during the evening of that same day, before making the return leg by leaving Heraklion the following morning and arriving back in Piraeus in the evening. As such, I was lucky to see her on a day where she was leaving Piraeus in the morning.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen while she leaves Piraeus. Built in 2005 in Australia, she was originally the acclaimed HIGHSPEED 5 of Hellenic Seaways, being one of their best ships on the Cyclades. In 2013 she moved to the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line, where she experienced much success. She stayed there in 2014, but she missed the 2015 season due to being severely damaged by a fire while undergoing a small conversion in Keratsini. She was repaired in Italy in 2016, after whihc she was renamed HIGHSPEED 7 and she returned to the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line. She remained on this service even after she was acquired by Minoan Lines in 2018. In 2020 she operated on the Heraklion-Santorini-Folegandros-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos-Tinos-Syros line.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen while leaving Piraeus. She became the second high speed ferry in the history of the company, after the HIGHSPEED 1, which operated from them from 1997 to 1999 before joining Minoan Flying Dolphins. That ship then stayed under the latter and then under Hellas Flying Dolphins, before operating for Hellenic Seaways from 2005 until her sale to the South Korean company Jang Heung Ferry in 2011. She is still in South Korea, being known as the SEASTAR 7 of the South Korean company Seaspovill.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen as she also leaves Piraeus in order to serve the Cyclades and Heraklion.

The SANTORINI PALACE seen as she prepares to exit the port of Piraeus.

One last view of the SANTORINI PALACE as she leaves Piraeus.

At 09:20, I saw yet another ship previously owned by Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, it was the conventional double-ended ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries, which was seen having entered the port of Piraeus.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen having entered the port of Piraeus. Along with the ACHAEOS and the APOLLON HELLAS, she is one of the three ships of 2way Ferries that serve the Saronic Gulf, which is where she has spent her entire career so far. She operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line, under the Saronic Ferries joint venture.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen after having entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 1998 in Greece, she is the first-ever double-ended ferry to be introduced in the Greek coastal service. She operated for Poseidon Consortium Shipping from 1998 to 1999, then under Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins from 1999 to 2005, whereupon she was assigned to the Saronikos Ferries division. In 2005 her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways, and she stayed under the latter for 10 years until she joined 2way Ferries in 2015.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen following her arrival in Piraeus, as she heads towards her docking spot.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen after having entered Piraeus. After having traveled with her six times during the 2021 season (which became the record for the most trips with just one ship of the Greek coastal service in the same calendar year), this year I did not manage to travel with her at all, despite performing multiple trips from Piraeus to Aegina and vice versa.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Since she joined 2way Ferries, I have traveled with her 11 times, the first time being on 16 August 2016 while heading from Aegina to Piraeus.

Another view of the POSIDON HELLAS, as she is making her way towards her docking spot.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen once more, as she heads towards her docking spot.

About ten minutes later, towards 09:30, the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 5 of Hellenic Seaways was also seen arriving in Piraeus.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen having just entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 1996 in Norway, she has been owned by Hellenic Seaways since 2005. She has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2020, and she spent the 2022 season on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line together with the FLYINGCAT 4.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen having entered Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen following her arrival in Piraeus. Since beginning operations in Greece under Hellenic Seaways, she has alternated her services between the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf, a pattern which she followed along with her fleetmate, sister ship and longtime collaborator, namely the FLYINGCAT 6. Indeed, the FLYINGCAT 5 was on the Sporades from 2005 to 2013, from 2015 to 2017, and from 2018 to 2019. She has operated on the Saronic Gulf in 2014, in 2017 and since 2020. That year as well as in 2021, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli, but this year she did not make calls to Aegina and Agistri.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen in Piraeus following her arrival. Unlike the 2021 season, Hellenic Seaways only had two 'Flyingcats' this season, with the FLYINGCAT 6 heading to the Sporades for the first time since 2018, whereupon she operated on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. After the summer ended, she returned to the Saronic Gulf. She ended her services nine days ago and she is currently undergoing her annual winter refit in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 5 still operates on the Saronic Gulf as of November 2022.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen once more as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus, during what was her third consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and her fifth season there overall.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen while she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus.

Another picture of the FLYINGCAT 5 as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus.

The FLYINGCAT 5 seen while she completes her return to Piraeus.

At 09:40, I saw yet another ship operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines, which was seen leaving Piraeus.

The SPEED CAT I seen as she leaves Piraeus as well. Built in 2002 in France, she has been owned by Alpha Lines since 2020, when she became their first-ever ship. She began service in 2021 on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line, where she has been very successful so far.

The SPEED CAT I seen while she is leaving the port of Piraeus. This was her second season on the Saronic Gulf and under Alpha Lines.

The SPEED CAT I seen while making her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. As stated previously, Alpha Lines was launched in 2020, and it is under the management of the iconic Agapitos family, which used to operate Agapitos Lines from 1965 to 1999. Their return to the Greek coastal service as a new entity proved to be very successful, as they received the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award during the Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2021. As a result, they became the first-ever company to win this prestigious award during their first year of operations.

The SPEED CAT I seen while leaving Piraeus in order to operate on the Saronic Gulf. I had the chance to travel with her last year, while heading from Poros to Piraeus on 9 September 2021. I then managed to travel with her twice about two months ago, while heading from Piraeus to Hydra on 24 September 2022 and then from Hydra back to Piraeus the following day.

One last view of the SPEED CAT I, as she begins to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

Right after the SPEED CAT I had exited Piraeus, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS was seen having entered the port once again, after having left Salamina.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen during her second arrival in Piraeus during that day.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus once again.

Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS as she heads towards her docking spot for the second time.

The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, after which she would depart immediately afterwards once again in order to head back to Salamina.

Right behind the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, I saw another ship making her second return of the day to Piraeus, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen having once again returned to Piraeus.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA following her arrival in Piraeus. For the 2022 season, I traveled with her once, back when I headed from Aegina to Piraeus on 20 August 2022.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen as she makes her way back to her docking spot in Piraeus.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which is known to have one of the most prolific schedules for a ship based in Piraeus, seen heading towards her docking spot.

The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen once more, as she heads back to her docking spot in Piraeus.

At 09:50, the ACHAEOS was seen once again, but this time she was leaving Piraeus.

The ACHAEOS seen during her departure from Piraeus.

The ACHAEOS seen while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus.

The ACHAEOS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina and Agistri. She therefore performed the fourth departure of the day for a ship operating under the Saronic Ferries joint venture.

The ACHAEOS seen during her departure, with her outdoor deck being filled with numerous passengers, which made sense as it was the peak of the high season at the time.

The ACHAEOS seen while she leaves the port of Piraeus. She has continued to operate on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line as of November 2022. She was initially due to stop her services this month in order to undergo her annual winter refit, but the POSIDON HELLAS experienced some technical issues in October, so it was decided that she would be the one performing her own annual winter lay-up instead.

One last view of the ACHAEOS, as she prepares to exit the port of Piraeus.

It was now 10:00. After more than three hours of witnessing vessels departing and arriving in the port of Piraeus from the E1 gate, I decided to make my way back to the E7 gate. I therefore saw the BLUE STAR 2 once again, while she was resting in the port.

The BLUE STAR 2 seen as she is docked in Piraeus. For the second season in a row, she was operating on the Dodecanese without her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR 1. Indeed, the latter has been on charter to Irish Ferries since 2021. She has been operating on the Pembroke Dock-Rosslare line on the Irish Sea.

Another view of the BLUE STAR 2, which was spending yet another successful season on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese.

After walking back towards the E7 gate, I spotted the THUNDER once again. She was due to begin her trip along the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos line at 11:00, thus making her the last high speed craft to leave Piraeus for the Cyclades before the afternoon.

I also got to see the SUPERRUNNER JET once again, as she remains docked in Piraeus. As stated previously, she operated on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line along with the TERA JET during the summer of 2022.

The SUPERRUNNER JET seen in Piraeus. Built in 1999 in Italy, she first arrived in Greece in 2009, as the SPEEDRUNNER IV under Aegean Speed Lines. She operated for them on the Western Cyclades from 2009 to 2012, and also from 2015 to 2016, while in 2014 she was on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line. In late 2016 she was sold to Golden Star Ferries, for whom she began service as the SUPERRUNNER on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2017. She joined Sea Jets in 2021, and she operated for them across various services during her debut season, first on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line on the Sporades, then on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line on the Northeast Aegean Sea and finally to the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line on the Cyclades. This year, she returned to the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2016.

The SUPERRUNNER JET seen in Piraeus during her second season with Sea Jets, next to her fleetmate, namely the AQUA JEWEL.

While I continued to walk towards the E7 gate, I then took another picture of the OLYMPUS.

The OLYMPUS was seen along with the KRITI II. These two ships have many things in common. Indeed, they were both built in Japan during the late 1970s, and they arrived in Greece during the late 1990s, whereupon they began to operate on the Adriatic Sea, before going on to serve Crete later in their careers.

A view of the OLYMPUS while she remains laid-up in Piraeus. She began her career in Greece in 1998, being deployed on the Adriatic Sea as the MARIA G under Med Link Ferries. After the latter ended operations in 2004, she joined Endeavor Lines as the ELLI T, but she was chartered to the Italian-Greek company Maritime Way, for whom she operated until 2006. She then returned under the management of Endeavor Lines, and she operated for them until 2012, shortly before they discontinued their operations. That year, she was acquired by the then-newly-established Greek company Cretan Lines, and she operated on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line before abruptly ending her services once the season ended, due to an engine failure and her new company's economic difficulties. She remained laid-up in Drapetsona and in Salamina until 2018, when she was bought by Sea Speed Ferries. She returned to service in 2019, serving the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Rethymnon line under a very troublesome spell. In 2021 she moved to the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi line, where she did not have a successful service.

Another view of the OLYMPUS while she is laid-up in Piraeus. Her company is largely believed to have completely ceased operations. If that is the case, it would be the fifth Greek company of the ship that would have stopped operations. Indeed, Med Link Ferries, Maritime Way, Endeavor Lines and Cretan Lines have all ceased to exist.

The OLYMPUS was seen alongside the BLUE GALAXY, which, just like her, has also been built in Japan, and she has also operated on the Adriatic Sea for many years before heading to Crete.

Another view of the OLYMPUS, while she remains in Piraeus with an uncertain future. There have been many rumours regarding her fate, with some suggesting she will be sold for scrap, while others have hinter at a potential reactivation under another owner in the near term.

Another view of the KRITI II, as she is seen docked in Piraeus.

Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, as she remains docked in Piraeus. This was just a few days before she was replaced by the three brand new aero high speed catamarans of Hellenic Seaways, thus ending a career of 38 years on the Saronic Gulf. Just like the OLYMPUS, her future remains uncertain, as her company has deemed her and her sister ships to surplus requirements.

The KRITI II seen in Piraeus, during her first season back on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2020.

Right behind her was the BLUE GALAXY, which has been a permanent ship on the Piraeus-Chania line since 2015.

After passing by the E7 gate, I then headed to the E8 gate, in order to take the next ship that would be going to Salamina. While I was making my way there, I got the chance to see a familiar face for the first time in three years. Indeed, it was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I of Aegean Flying Dolphins, which was spending her first season on the Saronic Gulf since 2019.

The FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I seen while docked in Piraeus. Built in 1981 in Georgia (then part of the Soviet Union), she has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2008. She has operated for them on the Dodecanese (2008-2009) and on the Saronic Gulf (2010-2011, for just a couple of trips in 2016, and then in 2019 and in 2022), while from late 2020 until the end of the 2021 season she was deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. During the latter spell, she performed the service with the third hydrofoil of the company, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN ERATO, which has been operating there since 2014. Between late 2011 and 2019 (except for a few days in 2016), she had been laid-up in Perama due to having reached 30 years of service, which implied a mandatory retirement from Greek waters. However, this restriction was later lifted, thus allowing her to make a brief comeback in 2016 and then a full comeback in 2019. That summer, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line.

Another view of the SUPERRUNNER JET in Piraeus, during the first time that I saw her under the livery of Sea Jets. Back when she was still known as the SUPERRUNNER, I had the chance to travel with her, doing so on 17 June 2018, while heading from Ios to Mykonos.

Another view of the THUDNER in Piraeus, as she was enjoying another successful summer with Fast Ferries.

While I was waiting for the shop that would take me to Salamina, I stayed next to the POSIDON HELLAS, which was resting in the E8 gate. In the meantime, the PHIVOS had just returned from Aegina and she was seen docked next to her Saronic Ferries collaborator.

The POSIDON HELLAS seen resting in Piraeus. As stated previously, she is currently undergoing her annual winter lay-up in Piraeus, which is scheduled to last until at least December.

After a few minutes, the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I was seen having shifted from the E7 gate to the E8 gate, in order to begin her first trip of the day on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line.

The FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I seen in Piraeus, during her first season back on the Saronic Gulf since 2022. She partnered-up with the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA in order to prepare for the strong competition that would be provided by Hellenic Seaways through its three newly-built aero high speed catamarans.

One more view of the FLYING DOLPIN VENUS I, as she is loading her passengers in order to begin he trip to Aegina and Agistri.

One last view of the POSIDON HELLAS, as she remains in Piraeus.

This therefore concludes four hours of me taking countless pictures of the port of Piraeus, specifically from 06:30 until 10:30. Just like it was the case in 2019, in 2020, and in 2021, this feeling of going very early in the morning to the port in order to witness the departures of countless ferries is something that I have enjoyed immensely, let alone on my first day in the port for the year. My experience with the Greek coastal service in 2022 on the Aegean Sea could not have started in a better way, as I was fortunate to see so many ships for the first time in many months, and, in some case, for the first time in many years. As we were lucky to experience a better summer in terms of passenger traffic this year, this meant that I could see more departure occurring during the day, and this obviously called for more pictures. I was also very happy to see some ships under their new liveries for the first time, such as the SUPERRUNNER JET or the ANTIGONE. Without a doubt, going for an early morning visit to Piraeus exactly one year after having last done so was a wonderful moment, and it was the best way for me to start a long day along the Saronic Gulf. And you will be able to see more pictures from the trips that I ended-up doing that day, so stay tuned!

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