Search this site

Ships Gallery In the following pages you can find the pictures of the different ships I have seen and photographed. Please note that all pictures are under my property, unless it is mentioned otherwise. Please do not use any picture for any secondary project without having asked for my permission first. Enjoy! PHOTOGRAPHED SHIPS: ACTIVE GREEK FERRIES AND HIGH SPEED CRAFT: ACHAEOS ADAMANTIOS KORAIS AGIA BARBARA AGIA MARINA AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU AGIOI ANARGYROI AGIOS ATHANASIOS AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV AGIOS GERASIMOS II AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS AGIOS NIKOLAOS AGIOS NIKOLAOS L AGIOS SPIRIDON AIAKOS AIANTAS ALEXANDROS M ALKYON II ANDREAS KALVOS ANDROS JET ANNA MARIA ANO CHORA II ANTIGONE APOLLON HELLAS APOSTOLOS M AQUA BLUE AQUA JEWEL ARIADNE ARIS IV ARTEMIS ATHINA P BLUE CARRIER 1 BLUE GALAXY BLUE HORIZON BLUE STAR CHIOS BLUE STAR DELOS BLUE STAR MYCONOS BLUE STAR NAXOS BLUE STAR PAROS BLUE STAR PATMOS BLUE STAR 1 BLUE STAR 2 CALDERA VISTA CHAMPION JET 1 CHAMPION JET 2 DIAGORAS DIMITRIOS P DIMITRIOS S DIONISIOS SOLOMOS EIRINI K EKATERINI P ELENA A ELENI ELYROS EMPEDOKLIS EVIA STAR EXPRESS SKOPELITIS FANEROMENI FANEROMENI POROU IV FAST FERRIES ANDROS FESTOS PALACE FIOR DI LEVANTE FLYINGCAT 3 FLYINGCAT 4 FLYINGCAT 5 FLYINGCAT 6 FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I FLYING DOLPHIN XVII FLYING DOLPHIN XIX FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX GEORGIA M GEORGIOS GIANNIS S (ex-HYDRA I) GLYKOFILOUSA IV GLYKOFILOUSA V GLYKOFILOUSA VIII HELLENIC HIGHSPEED HIGHSPEED 4 IOANNIS SOPHIA K IOANNIS THIRESIA IOANNIS II IONAS IONIS KAPETAN CHRISTOS KAPTAN STAVROS KATERINA STAR KEFALONIA KONSTANTINOS K KNOSSOS PALACE KRITI I KRITI II KYDON PALACE KYRIAKI MACEDON MARE DI LEVANTE MARIA T MARMARI EXPRESS MATOULA K MEGANISI II MENEKRATIS MICHAIL N NAXOS JET NIKOLAKIS D NIKOLAOS A NISSOS POROS NISSOS RODOS NISSOS SAMOS NISSOS THIRASSIA OLYMPIC CHAMPION OLYMPUS ORION III OSIA METHODIA PANAGIA KOIMISIS II PANAGIOTIS D PANORAMA PANTANASSA PAROS JET PELAGITIS PHIVOS POSIDON HELLAS Show More POWER JET PREVELIS PROKOPIOS M PROTOPOROS VI PROTOPOROS X PROTOPOROS XI PROTOPOROS XIII PROTOPOROS XIV PSYTTALEIA II SALAMINOMACHOS SANTORINI PALACE SEA JET 2 SIFNOS JET SPEED CAT I SPEEDRUNNER JET (ex-SPEEDRUNNER III) SPORADES STAR (ex-AQUA STAR) SPYRIDON S STAVROS N SUPERCAT JET (ex-SUPERCAT) SUPEREXPRESS SUPERFAST I SUPERFERRY SUPER JET SUPERRUNNER JET (ex-SUPERRUNNER) SUPERSPEED SUPERSTAR (ex-SUPERFERRY II) SYMI TALOS TELAMON TERA JET Show More THEOLOGOS P THEOLOGOS V II THEOMITOR THEOTOKOS THUNDER VASOS K WORLDCHAMPION JET ACTIVE GREEK SMALL PASSENGER SHIPS: AGIA MARINA AEGINIS AGIOS EFRAÏM AGIOS NIKOLAOS AGIOS NIKOLAOS II AGIOS SOSTIS AGISTRI EXPRESS I AIMILIA ALCYON ALEXANDER ANEMOS ANNA MARU ANNA II ANNOULA II ANTIPAROS STAR ARTEMIS ATHANASIOS V AZIMUT BARBAYANNIS BOB SFOUGKARAKIS BUONA FORTUNA CALYPSO CAPTAIN KOULIS CAPTAIN LEFTERIS CHRISTINAKI CHRISTOS COSMOS DELFINI DELOS EXPRESS DIMOSTHENIS DIMOSTHENIS K ELAFONISOS ELEFTHERIOS D ELENA F EXPRESS PANORMITIS FANTASIA FREEDOM II FREEDOM III GARBIS GEORGIOS BROUFAS GEORGIOS BROUFAS II HELLAS HERMES K (ex-AFRICANA) IASON IKAROS PALACE IOANNIS D IONIAN SUN KAPETAN KONSTANTIS KAPETAN YIANGOS KASSANDRA DELFINOUS KELLY CRUISE KING THIRAS KYRIARCHOS KYRIARCHOS II KYRIARCHOS III KYRIARCHOS IV MAÏSTROS MARGARITA CH MENIA MARIA I MYKONOS EXPRESS MYKONOS JEWEL Show More MYKONOS SPIRIT MYKONOS STAR MYTILINAIOS CH NAXOS STAR NERAÏDA NISSOS TINOS OKEANOS ORCA ORPHEAS PANAGIA PANAGIA KAMATEROU PETROULA PLATYTERA TON OURANON POSEIDON POSEIDON PRESTIGE SALAMIS EXPRESS I SALAMIS EXPRESS III SANTA IRINI SANTORINI SARGOS II SEBECO SEBECO II SETI SOPHIA STAR SPETSES EXPRESS I SPETSES EXPRESS II SPYROS V STAVROULA V TAXIARCHIS D Show More THALASSA THEOSKEPASTI THIRASSIA II THYELLA TZORTZIA YPAPANTI INACTIVE GREEK FERRIES, HIGH SPEED CRAFT AND SMALL PASSENGER SHIPS: ALEXANDRA L EL. VENIZELOS KALLI P SAONISOS TAXIARCHIS ZAKYNTHOS 1 FORMER GREEK FERRIES, HIGH SPEED CRAFT AND SMALL PASSENGER SHIPS OPERATING OVERSEAS: AGGELIS F AQUA SPIRIT ARIS III CRUISE EUROPA FLYINGCAT 1 HIGHSPEED 6 KNOSSOS PALACE KYDON NEARCHOS ODYSSEAS ELYTIS PANAGIA FANEROMENI PROTOPOROS XVI SUPERFAST XII THEOCHARIS MARIA L RETIRED SHIPS HAVING PREVIOUSLY OPERATED IN THE GREEK COASTAL SERVICE: BARI EUROPEAN EXPRESS EXPRESS PEGASUS FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII IONIAN SKY JET FERRY 1 MYTILENE PANAGIA TINOU RIGEL I VITSENTZOS KORNAROS PHOTOGRAPHED PORTS: AEGINA AGISTRI ANTIPAROS ANTIRRION DELOS FLOISBOS GALATAS TROIZINIAS HYDRA IGOUMENITSA IOS KIMOLOS KOUFONISI KYLLINI LAVRION MYKONOS NAXOS NEA KAMENI PAROS PERAMA PIRAEUS POROS RAFINA RION SALAMINA SANTORINI SIFNOS SPETSES SYROS TINOS ZAKYNTHOS OTHER PHOTOS: FUNNELS MODELS STICKERS

Greek Coastal Service www.greekpassengerships.com Alexandros Vrailas All my personal photos from the Greek passenger ships that operate in mainland Greece and in the Greek Islands. 1/24 Most Recent Blog Posts: Igoumenitsa Visit on 7 September 2022 FLYING DOLPHIN XIX Tribute and Moments of Trip ARIADNE Tribute and Moments of Trip

CAT I (ΚΑΤ Ι) -Magic Sea Ferries Built in 1994 (age 32 ). Registered in Limassol. Current line: None (under refit in Perama) The high speed ferry CAT I was built in 1994 in Japan, as the HAYABUSA for the Japanese company Kyushi Ferry Boat. She was the first-ever high speed ferry built for service in Japan, and she was also the largest passenger high speed craft built at the time. Her innovative design won her many accolades, including the 'Ship of the Year' award given by the Japanese Society of Naval Architects for 1995. She began service on the Bungo Channel, operating on the Yawatahama-Kyushi line. She performed this service under the Jet Ferry brandname. In 2003 her company was renamed Kyushi Orange Ferry. In 2006 she was sold the newly-established company Eagle Ferries and she was renamed ALKIONI. She was converted in Perama and she was due to begin service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line on the Cyclades, but she never performed any trips for the company despite having completed her refurbishment. She was instead laid-up for most of the 2006 season in Rafina and then in Lavrion, and in 2007 she was chartered to the Egyptian company International Fast Ferries, and she was inserted on the Hurghada-Safaga line on the Red Sea. In 2010 she returned to Greece under Eagle Ferries, which was rebranded as My Ferries. She underwent another refurbishment and she was renamed MY CAT. She was due to operate on the Rafina-Syros-Paros-Naxos line, but in the middle of her preparations she was instead chartered to NEL Lines, and she was once again renamed ALKIONI. She entered service on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line on the Sporades, where she remained for two seasons. In 2012 she did not return to service under NEL Lines, and her charter was terminated. She remained laid-up in Salamina until 2019, when she was sold to the newly-established Greek company Magic Sea Ferries. She was renamed CAT I and she underwent a major refit in Keratsini and then in Salamina, but the preparations went significantly behind schedule and she was ultimately ready for service in 2022, but technical issues prevented her from operating and she spent the entire summer in Perama. She finally made her return to service in 2023, as she was assigned on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. In 2024 she underwent another small refit in Chalkida, during which her upper deck was removed. She was then deployed on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line on the Western Cyclades. In 2025 her service was restricted to the Lavrion-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos line. In 2026 she was deployed on the Lavrion-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Kimolos line PHOTOS (2022, 2023, 2024): CAT I The CAT I seen in Perama, as she was not ready to enter service under Magic Sea Ferries (8/2022). CAT I The CAT I seen in Perama, as she was not ready to enter service under Magic Sea Ferries (8/2022). CAT I The CAT I seen in Perama, while undergoing the final stages of her preparations in order to finally enter service on the Sporades during the 2023 season under Magic Sea Ferries (4/2023). CAT I The CAT I seen in Perama, while undergoing the final stages of her preparations in order to finally enter service on the Sporades during the 2023 season under Magic Sea Ferries (4/2023). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while undergoing the final stages of her refit prior to her entry to service on the Cyclades (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while undergoing the final stages of her refit prior to her entry to service on the Cyclades (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while undergoing the final stages of her refit prior to her entry to service on the Cyclades (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while being prepared for a return to service. She notably features the upgraded livery of Magic Sea Ferries (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while being prepared for a return to service. She notably features the upgraded livery of Magic Sea Ferries (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, while being prepared for a return to service. She notably features the upgraded livery of Magic Sea Ferries (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen undergoing her refit in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, after which she began service on the Western Cyclades (6/2024). CAT I The CAT I seen undergoing her refit in the Avlida Shipyard in Chalkida, after which she began service on the Western Cyclades (6/2024).

Trip: 30 July 2021. From Tinos to Rafina, via Andros, with the FAST FERRIES ANDROS of Fast Ferries. The convetional ferry FAST FERRIES ANDROS was built in 1989 in Japan. She began service as the SHINKO MARU for the Japanese company Nippon Kaiun, being deployed on the Kobe-Takamatsu line. She was sold in 2000 to the Taiwanese company King Fung Ma and she was renamed KING HUNG. After staying there for three years, she was bought in 2003 by the newly-established Greek company Strintzis Ferries. The latter had been established as a successor company of the historic Strintzis Lines, which operated from 1960 to 2000 with great success. The company was formed by the Kefalonia-based Strintzis family, and went on to become one of the most acclaimed companies in the history of the Greek coastal service, having introduced some of the most famous Greek ferries on the Ionian Sea, on the Adriatic Sea and later on the Aegean Sea. While they were set to further enhance their presence on all these areas with the impending delivery of some of the most modern cruiseferries and Ro-Pax ferries at the turn of the century, they were taken over by competitor Attica Group (which managed Superfast Ferries). Therefore, the Strintzis Lines brandname disappeared as the resulting new company became Blue Star Ferries. Aiming to re-establish the Strintzis brandname, some members of the Strintzis family formed a new company in 2003, with the intention of operating their ships on the Ionian Sea, just like Strintzis Lines had done so at the start of its operations. The new company was named Strintzis Ferries, and for that purpose the KING HUNG was purchased. She was converted in Perama, and she was renamed EPTANISOS, hence taking the same name as the former legendary ferry of Strintzis Lines, which had operated for the company from 1984 until 2000. The new EPTANISOS began service on the Ionian Sea, namely on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line, during the 2003 season, and she provided excellent service despite strong competition against the Ionian Ferries joint venture (which included Tyrogalas Ferries, Zante Ferries and ANEZ). The following year, Strintzis Ferries expanded its fleet by buying the KEFALONIA of Blue Star Ferries, which had previously operated for Strintzis Lines from 1995 to 2000. They kept her on the same line where she had been successfully operating since arriving in Greece in 1995, namely on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. In 2011, the EPTANISOS was deployed the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, while the KEFALONIA was sent to the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. Strintzis Ferries however ceased operations in 2012, due to the negative impact of the Greek financial crisis, and both the EPTANISOS and the KEFALONIA were laid-up in Drapetsona, the former right after having completed the 2012 season the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. While the KEFALONIA was sold to the newly-established company Kefalonian Lines in 2013 (for whom she operated until 2018, when she was bought by her current owners, namely Levante Ferries), the EPTANISOS attempted a comeback on the Ionian Sea, but this failed, resulting in her being laid-up in the Elefsina Bay from 2013 to 2015. Fortunately for her, she finally got a chance to operate again in Greece, as she was sold to Fast Ferries in 2015. The new owners of the EPTANISOS, which are controlled by the Panagiotakis family (which also owns a well-known shipyard in Salamina), has had a lengthy history in the Greek coastal service. They first began operations in 1974, when they introduced a newly-built landing craft, namely the THEOLOGOS P (named after Theologos Panagiotakis), on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf. Just a year later, they deployed another newly-built landing craft, namely the EKATERINI P, on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. This introduction turned out to be successful, and the company eventually cemented its operations in Corfu, by also bringing the THEOLOGOS P to operate alongside the EKATERINI P on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in 1979. The ship operated there until 1984, when she was sold to a Kuwaiti company. However, she was replaced by another newly-built landing craft, also named THEOLOGOS P, in 1985. They also introduced another newly-built landing craft, namely the PLATYTERA, in 1981. As the company continued to be very successful with their three landing craft in the 1980s and 1990s, they sold the original EKATERINI P in 1999 to the now-defunct Greek company Ifigeneia NE (she later became the KONSTANTINOS G of Costar Lines and then of NEL Lines, and she is now operating for Equatorial Guinean company Somagec as the ELOBEY XII), and replaced her by a conventional ferry from Japan, namely the ROKKŌ MARU of Kansai Kisen, which succeeded her as the new EKATERINI P on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Following this successful introduction, the company went on to buy another conventional ferry from Japan in 2003. Indeed, it was the laid-up FERRY EXPRESS of Awaji Ferry Boat Company (a sister ship of the AGIA THEODORA of Kerkyra Lines, which also operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line), which was renamed PLATITERA and which replaced the original PLATYTERA, which was sold to Thassos Ferries, being renamed PLATYTERA THASSOU and being deployed on the Keramoti-Thassos line. She was joined by the THEOLGOS P later during that same year, as the latter was also acquired by Thassos Ferries, and she was renamed PANAGIA THASSOU. After operating on the Keramoti-Thassos line from 2004 to 2010, since 2011 she has continued to operate for Thassos Ferries on the Kavala-Thassos line. Going back to Fast Ferries, the new PLATITERA eventually stayed with the company for just four years, as she was sold in 2007 to Italian company Medmar, for whom she still operates to date as the MARIA BUONO on the Pozzuoli-Procida-Ischia line on the Naples Gulf. In 2006, the company made a major transaction, namely the acquisition of the Japanese-built FERRY KŌCHI of Osaka-Kōchi Tokkyu Ferry, which had been laid-up in Osaka for over a year. They converted her in Perama for one year, during which she became the third ship of the company to be named THEOLOGOS P. Instead of entering the Ionian Sea, however, she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2007, hence making it the first time that Fast Ferries operated on the Cyclades. Her introduction proved to be a massive success, and eventually Fast Ferries went on to attract several new passengers as well many hauliers that transport goods from Athens to the Cyclades. The success of the service was such, that the company decided to shift its operations there beginning in 2012, whereupon they introduced the EKATERINI P on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line as a second ship alongside the THEOLOGOS P. As their performances from Rafina to the Cyclades continued to be very successful (despite the Greek financial crisis) and due to rising competition by companies such as Golden Star Ferries (which began operations on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line in 2011 with the SUPERFERRY II, formerly a ship of Strintzis Lines and of Blue Star Ferries, and considered by many to be the greatest ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service), Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and the rapidly-emerging Sea Jets, Fast Ferries decided to further enhance its presence on the Rafina-Cyclades service by acquiring a third ferry in 2015. To that end, the EPTANISOS was renamed FAST FERRIES ANDROS, and, after being significantly refurbished in Elefsina, she was deployed on the Rafina-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line for the summer. After the high season she was deployed on her company's traditional service, namely on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she went on to become a very successful ship. She partnered up with the THEOLOGOS P beginning in 2016, whereas the EKATERINI P was introduced on a new service, this being the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. After the 2017 season, she was chartered to Blue Star Ferries, being deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line as a replacement for the BLUE STAR NAXOS, which had to replace her fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was undergoing repairs after she had grounded off in Ios in August 2017. After operating there for four months, she returned to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. In 2021 her service was extended to Paros, and therefore she was on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS has become one of the most valuable assets of her company, and ultimately her introduction to the Aegean Sea was seen as a success by many, and, for the ship herself, a nice rebirth story. Just like all ships of Fast Ferries, she provides a very reliable service, always arrives in ports on time, and has very nice passenger amenities combined with a relatively spacious garage. These attributes have helped her establish herself as one of the key weapons of Fast Ferries, against tough competitors such as Golden Star Ferries, Sea Jets and Hellenic Seaways. She has been served as the main ship departing Rafina for the Cyclades in the morning, whereas the THEOLOGOS P usually performs the afternoon service. In addition, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS has also performed multiple local trips from Rafina to her namesake island during summer evenings, as a result of the increased demand for service during that specific time of the day. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen resting in the port of Tinos, two days before my trip with her. After having spent four days in the beautiful island of Tinos with my friends from my exchange semester in Beijing, it was now time for us to head back to Athens. The afternoon trip with the FAST FERRIES ANDROS from Tinos to Rafina was the most convenient for us, hence this gave me the opportunity to travel with the ship for the first time in my life. This was quite an exciting moment, as I would finally be traveling onboard a ferry that I saw several times during my childhood. Indeed, I saw her frequently in the port of Kyllini during the 2000s, back when she was still operating as the EPTANISOS. However, I had never had the chance to travel with her, as the first time that I ever went to Kefalonia was during the summer of 2014, hence long after Strintzis Ferries ceased operations. This would be my second trip onboard a ship of Fast Ferries, after having already traveled with the THEOLOGOS P from Rafina to Andros almost a year prior, more specifically on 15 August 2020. It was also my second-ever trip from an island of the Cyclades to Rafina, with the first one having been with the SUPERFERRY II, which had taken me from Andros to Rafina on 18 August 2020. Before the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was due to arrive, I saw the BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries heading towards the port of Tinos. She was sailing from Mykonos, where she had previously docked. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen maneuvering in Tinos. She operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which she has served exclusively since 2020. Before that, she spent the summers of 2018 and of 2019 on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen maneuvering in the port of Tinos. She was built in 2002, being delivered to Blue Star Ferries alongside her sister ship, the BLUE STAR NAXOS. Both ships have established themselves as two of the most acclaimed ferries on the Cyclades, on which they have been operating loyally and with much efficiency for almost two decades. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen as she undergoes her maneuvering procedure in Tinos. I have traveled with her once, back when I was heading from Mykonos to Piraeus via Tinos and Syros on 20 June 2018. The BLUE STAR PAROS completing her maneuvering procedure and preparing to dock in the port of Tinos. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen as she is about to dock in Tinos. While the BLUE STAR PAROS was docking in Tinos, I then got to see the FAST FERRIES ANDROS which was also arriving from Mykonos. The BLUE STAR PAROS having just docked in Tinos, while the FAST FERRIES ANDROS is approaching the port. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen arriving in Tinos, in what was her seventh season under Fast Ferries, and her first summer on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen approaching the port of Tinos, right before I went on to travel with her for the first time in my life. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen maneuvering in Tinos The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen arriving in Tinos. Among the four ships that currently are part of the fleet of Fast Ferries, she was the third one to join the company. The most recent member of the fleet is the high speed ferry THUNDER, which became the first ship of her type to be owned by the company. She was bought in 2019, and made her debut during the summer of 2021, being deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos line. This marked the first time that the company began operations from the port of Piraeus. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Tinos. She had arrived at 13:50, and was due to leave for Andros at 14:00. While the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was docking in the port of Tinos, the BLUE STAR PAROS began to leave in order to make her way towards Syros. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving Tinos in order to head to Syros, before making her way back to Piraeus. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen having docked in Tinos, right before our embarkation. A view of the ship's main garage, which is large enough to accommodate 280 vehicles. Another view of the garage of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which altogether has 7 lanes. There is also an upper deck which is accessible to vehicles, on Deck 5. This picture as well as that above show the garage of Deck 3. Upon entering the garage of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS in Deck 3, an escalator leads to Deck 6, which, along with Deck 7, is dedicated to the passenger areas. Here is the reception desk of the ship, which features the ship's name, company logo, as well as religious icons on the right corner. A view of the ship's floorplan, which is seen on Deck 6. It shows passengers the way towards Deck 3 and Deck 5, where main garage and the upper garage are located, respectively. Deck 7 is dedicated to the ship's outdoor areas, including the notable open deck which has been praised by passengers. A view of the passenger lounge area at the aft section of Deck 6 of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which features several comfortable aircraft-style seats. The passenger lounge area of the aft section of Deck 6 of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which is mainly composed of grey aircraft-style seats. Towards the middle section of Deck 6, one may find an open lounge area, featuring quartets of grey chairs surrounding small circular tables, and a few black and grey lounge. The area also features the ship's bar, which was renovated during the ship's conversion prior to the start of her services under Fast Ferries. A view of the onboard retail store of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which is located in Deck 6. It primarily sells fashion products, in particular summer bags. The passenger lounge area seen in the front section of Deck 6 of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which features more chairs, as well as a large television screen in the middle of the area. A view of the VIP Lounge area, which features comfortable lounge chairs that look towards the ship's bow. After having seen Deck 6, I headed to Deck 7, which features the ship's passenger outdoor areas. This is a view of the main sun deck, which features several plastic chairs, both movable ones as well rows of four chairs connected to the floor. A further view of the outdoor sun deck on Deck 7 of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS. Deck 7 also features a bar for passengers, which is located towards the middle section of the ship. Another view of the outdoor sun deck, which is covered with glass windows, and the ceiling somehow makes it look like a house. A view of the port side alley in Deck 7, which leads from the outdoor sun deck to the ship's bridge. Along the way, one can find several chairs which are facing towards the sea. Another view of the port side alley, which also features a lifeboat, as well as more chairs facing both towards the sea and towards the bridge. A view of Deck 5, which has the ship's upper garage deck. It was full of vehicles, and most notably lorries and vans. The stern section also features the ship's mooring equipment. At exactly 14:00, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS left Tinos in order to begin heading to Andros, and then to Rafina. She would make the first part of the trip in 1.5 hours, while the second part would last 2.5 hours. Here is a view of Deck 5, fully loaded with vehicles, as seen from Deck 7, where I remained for the duration of the trip. At exactly 15:30, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS had arrived in Andros, her namesake island. The latter's port is located in the small village of Gavrion. The pier in the port of Gavrion in Andros, seen as the FAST FERRIES ANDROS is undergoing her maneuvering procedure. While the FAST FERRIES ANDROS immediately departed Andros and began to head towards Rafina, I saw the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries making her way toward the island, after having left Tinos. The SUPERFERRY, one of the main competitors of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, seen making her towards Andros. Also built in Japan (in 1995), she was bought in 2015 by Golden Star Ferries, in the same year during which the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was acquired by Fast Ferries. She made her debut in 2016, on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, in the same year during which the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was introduced on that line as well. A view of the SUPERFERRY, as she heads towards Andros. Since 2020, her service has been restricted to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she spent her debut summer in 2016. In 2017 she was inserted on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, while in 2018 she operated, alongside the SUPERFERRY II, on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, where they also stayed during the 2019 season, although they were on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion line. The SUPERFERRY seen heading to Andros, during her sixth summer under Golden Star Ferries. I traveled with her on 14 June 2018, while heading from Rafina to Ios, back when she was linking Rafina with the Cyclades and Crete. About two hours after having left Andros, we were now on the Petalioi Gulf and a few nautical miles away from Rafina. On the way towards the port, I saw the veteran conventional ferry EVIA STAR of Geraistos NE. She was also built in Japan, in 1980, and arrived in Greece in 2000. She was deployed on the Rafina-Marmari-Karystos line in 2001, while she has been solely serving the Rafina-Marmari line since 2010. The EVIA STAR seen sailing towards Marmari, after having left Rafina, in what was her twentieth season under Geraistos NE. The EVIA STAR seen as she sails towards the port of Marmari. At around 17:45, 15 minutes prior to our arrival in Rafina, I saw the fleetmate of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, namely the THEOLOGOS P, having departed the port and heading towards Andros. The THEOLOGOS P seen sailing from Rafina to Andros. Just like it is the case for all conventional ferries of Fast Ferries, she had been built in Japan, where she also spent the first part of her career. She was bought by the company in 2006. Her entry to service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2007 proved to be a major success, and the catalyst for the expansion of Fast Ferries on the Cyclades beginning in 2012. Almost 15 years after she began service, her owners became one of the most appreciated companies of the Aegean Sea, and currently have a fleet of four ships successfully operating on the Cyclades, from both Rafina and Piraeus. The THEOLOGOS P seen as she has left Rafina in order to make her way towards Andros. This was her fifteenth season on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while it is noteworthy to state that she served the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line in 2017, alongside the EKATERINI P. The THEOLOGOS P, the flagship of Fast Ferries, seen sailing from Rafina to Andros, as part of her usual afternoon service to the Cyclades. Crossing the THEOLOGOS P on the Petalioi Gulf, as she sails to Andros. The THEOLOGOS P seen as she heads to Andros. As stated at the start of this post, she is the third ship in the history of the company to bear this name. The THEOLOGOS P seen as she is passing by us on the Petalioi Gulf, while we head to Rafina. The THEOLOGOS P seen sailing towards Andros. She was the first-ever ship of Fast Ferries on which I traveled, having done so on 15 August 2020 while going from Rafina to Andros. One last view of the great THEOLOGOS P, which is heading to Andros. At exactly 18:00, we had arrived in Rafina, and this therefore marked the end of the trip. It was very smooth and calm, and the ship had very comfortable areas, including in the outdoor sun deck where I stayed for the duration of the journey. And of course, Fast Ferries once again proved its reliability with regards to punctuality. One last view of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS in Rafina, as we then headed to the bus station in order to make our way back to Athens. This therefore concludes my Tribute Post, and also marks the end of a very nice chapter within my summer stay in Greece in 2021, as I got to visit two beautiful islands, namely Ios and Tinos. I had the chance to see many ships that operate on the Cyclades, and took several precious pictures that gave a nice overview of how important the ferry service is to both islands. And I was happy to conclude this trip by traveling with one of the most appreciated ships of the Cyclades, the reliable veteran ferry FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which has become a key part of the success of Fast Ferries on the Aegean Sea. She is not as luxurious or impressive as other ships of the Greek coastal service, but she provides just the right amenities for passengers, with her overall simplicity being the main factor for the great services that she operates. She has a very decent garage and a very nice outdoor area, and this has made trips onboard her a pleasant experience for passengers. I do hope she stays on the Cyclades in the long term, even as she is soon turning 33 years old, as I believe that she still has much to offer to her company, which has silently become a dominant force on the Cyclades and has four excellent ships ready to face off strong competitors. Ultimately, this kind of competition is what the Greek coastal service requires, as it gives the company the chance to deploy their best ships and to provide the best possible services, only for the benefit of passengers, tourists and the local communities. #fastferriesandros #fastferries #summer2021 #greece #cyclades #petalioigulf #aegean #tinos #andros #rafina #bluestarparos #bluestarferries #superferry #goldenstarferries #eviastar #geraistosne #theologosp #tribute

Trip: 15 August 2020. From Rafina to Andros, with the THEOLOGOS P of Fast Ferries. The ferry THEOLOGOS P was built in 2000 in Japan. She began service there, as the FERRY KŌCHI for the Japanese company Osaka-Kōchi Tokkyu Ferry, being deployed on the Osaka-Kōchi line. She stayed there until 2005, when her owners went bankrupt and the line was closed. After being laid-up in Osaka, she was sold in 2006 to the Greek company Fast Ferries. She was converted for an entire year in Perama and was renamed THEOLOGOS P. She was the third ship in the history of the company to take that name. Indeed, Fast Ferries, which is owned by the Panagiotakis family (which also owns a well-known shipyard in Salamina), has had a lengthy history in the Greek coastal service. They first began operations in 1974, when they introduced a newly-built landing craft, namely the THEOLOGOS P (named after Theologos Panagiotakis), on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf. Just a year later, they deployed another newly-built landing craft, namely the EKATERINI P, on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. This introduction turned out to be successful, and the company eventually cemented its operations in Corfu, by also bringing the THEOLOGOS P to operate alongside the EKATERINI P on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in 1979. The ship operated there until 1984, when she was sold to a Kuwaiti company. However, she was replaced by another newly-built landing craft, also named THEOLOGOS P, in 1985. They also introduced another newly-built landing craft, namely the PLATYTERA, in 1981. As the company continued to be very successful with their three landing craft in the 1980s and 1990s, they sold the original EKATERINI P in 1999 to the now-defunct Greek company Ifigeneia NE (she later became the KONSTANTINOS G of Costar Lines and then of NEL Lines, and she is now operating for the Equatorial Guinean company Somagec as the ELOBEY XII), and replaced her by a conventional ferry from Japan, namely the ROKKŌ MARU of Kansai Kisen, which succeeded her as the new EKATERINI P on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Following this successful introduction, the company went on to buy another conventional ferry from Japan in 2003. Indeed, it was the laid-up FERRY EXPRESS of Awaji Ferry Boat Company (a sister ship of the AGIA THEODORA of Kerkyra Lines, which also operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line), which was renamed PLATITERA and replaced the original PLATYTERA, which was sold to Thassos Ferries, being renamed PLATYTERA THASSOU and being deployed on the Keramoti-Thassos line. She was joined by the THEOLGOS P later during that same year, as the latter was also acquired by Thassos Ferries, and she was renamed PANAGIA THASSOU. After operating on the Keramoti-Thassos line from 2004 to 2010, since 2011 she has continued to operate for Thassos Ferries on the Kavala-Thassos line. Going back to Fast Ferries, the new PLATITERA eventually stayed with the company for just four years, as she was sold in 2007 to the Italian company Medmar, for whom she still operates to date as the MARIA BUONO on the Pozzuoli-Procida-Ischia line on the Naples Gulf. After remaining with just two conventional ferries in 2006, Fast Ferries sought to improve their fleet and services by buying the laid-up FERRY KŌCHI, whose large size and garage would enable them to operate her in many competitive areas in Greece. While initially considering to deploy her on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line on the Ionian Sea, they instead took a major risk by deciding that she would be deployed on the Cyclades, operating from Rafina. This choice was very interesting and risky for the company, as it would not only mark their return to the Aegean Sea for the first time since 1979 (and after having only operated on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line for 28 years), but also an entry to a very demanding and competitive market. Indeed, by 2006, the service from Rafina to the Cyclades was dominated by Hellenic Seaways, Blue Star Ferries, Agoudimos Lines and Alpha Ferries. All of them were serving the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, whereas Hellenic Seaways frequently deployed some of their high speed craft to serve additional islands during the high season. As such, many were skeptical regarding a new company entering service in Rafina with a ship which required a significant investment in order to undergo a conversion that would allow her to meet the demands of this difficult service. Despite all the concerns, the company stayed true to their objectives, and saw the ship undergo a major conversion in Perama. Her indoor areas were entirely renovated, as were her engines and her sun deck areas. Furthermore, her garage, already deemed a major asset due to its large capacity and functionality, was upgraded in order to allow sufficient space for lorries with additional side ramps. After many months of conversion, the ship was renamed THEOLOGOS P, and she entered service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in the spring of 2007, becoming the first ferry of her company to operate on the Cyclades. She has since remained in this service, with the exception of the 2017 season, when her service was extended to Naxos, and she therefore operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. Fourteen summer seasons later, the ferry has established herself as one of the best ships to have ever operated in Rafina. She is now the ship with the second largest amount of experience on the Rafina-Cyclades service, after the legendary SUPERFERRY II of Golden Star Ferries. Moreover, she has won the hearts of multiple passengers and she has become the main ferry performing the afternoon service from Rafina while leaving from Mykonos the following morning. Her impressive garage has been widely acclaimed, and as a result she is the main ferry operating from Rafina that transports lorries to the Cyclades. Her modern indoor areas and her comfortable outdoor areas, including a beautiful balcony right above her bow, have also been appreciated. She has also been very reliable as she rarely arrives late to the ports that she serves, while also rarely having engine troubles, a sign that shows that her company takes very good care of her when she undergoes her annual maintenance. Moreover, she provides service to passengers and transportation companies both during the summer and during the winter. In fact, her service has been so successful, that eventually Fast Ferries shifted their entire operations from the Ionian Sea to Rafina, bringing the EKATERINI P in 2012 in order to double their services. After the latter also went on to experience a tremendous amount of success, Fast Ferries bought a third ferry in 2015, namely the EPTANISOS of Strintzis Ferries (which had been laid-up since 2012), which was converted after being renamed FAST FERRIES ANDROS. With three ships operating from Rafina, Fast Ferries became one of the three main companies operating from the port during the late 2010s, along with Golden Star Ferries and Sea Jets. Largely thanks to the success provided by the THEOLOGOS P, Fast Ferries is therefore among the most respected and appreciated Greek coastal service companies that operate today. Now that the history of the THEOLOGOS P and of Fast Ferries has been provided to you, it is now the time to talk about my trip with this unique ferry. Indeed, after having spent a few days in Aegina and also taking many pictures in Piraeus, Salamina and Megara, I was now due to spend three days in Andros along with my family. This was my first trip to the Cyclades for the summer, while it was also the first time that I would be going to Andros, which is an island that is known for its shipping tradition, picturesque villages, unique food, and windy sand beaches. As the only connection the island has with mainland Greece is through Rafina, we had to go there in order to take one of the many ferries leaving the latter port for Andros. Coincidentally, my parents had booked a trip from Rafina to Andros onboard the THEOLOGOS P. This was therefore my first-ever trip with the ship, as well as my first-ever trip with a ship owned by Fast Ferries. It was also my first-ever trip from Rafina to Andros, and also my second-ever trip from Rafina to the Cyclades. Indeed, the first-ever trip was on 14 June 2018 (two years, two months and a day before my trip with the THEOLOGOS P), while heading from Rafina to Ios with the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries. The THEOLOGOS P seen at dawn in Rafina. This was the third time in my life that I had been at the port. Indeed, the first time was on 14 June 2018 in order to travel with the SUPERFERRY, while the second time was in the morning of 3 August 2019, back when my father very kindly took me to witness the various ships departing the port one after the other. While she usually has her morning departure from Mykonos, she was spotted in Rafina that day as it was a Saturday, which is the only day of the week during which she heads to the Cyclades in the morning. The THEOLOGOS P seen in Rafina at dawn, while facing the rising sun, which is also the symbol of Japan, the country in which she was built and in which she began her career. The THEOLOGOS P seen in Rafina, shortly before we embarked onboard her. This was her fourteenth summer in Greece and on the Rafina-Cyclades service, in which she helped Fast Ferries to become an established company on the Cyclades. She has also become the company's flagship since 2007, and the main lorry carrier of Rafina. Following our embarkation onboard the THEOLOGOS P, we spotted the ship's extremely modern reception desk, which also features the logo of Fast Ferries on the wall. Next to the reception desk and in front of the Economy Class area located in Deck 6 (which includes all of the ship's indoor areas), there is a small model of the ship being displayed as a welcoming exhibit. A view of the Economy Class area, which features several lounges and chairs. It also has a bar serving coffee, drinks, snacks and sweets. A view of the Economy class lounge area near the shop's port side, which features some comfortable white seats. Moving more forward, one can spot the indoor area featuring the aircraft-style seats. These are the ones from the ship's port side. The second lounge area of the Economy Class area, which features the ship's second bar and additional lounges and seats. A view of the ship's onboard retail store, which sells clothes, bags, jewelry, small toys and other gadgets. Another view of the lounge area on the ship's port side. The bar of the First Class area, which has a very modern and stylish design. After having explored the indoor areas of Deck 6, I then headed to Deck 7, which is dedicated to the ship's outdoor areas, and notably her well-known sun decks. One way to head from Deck 6 to Deck 7 is through the stairs located in the ship's aft section. The sun deck was extended up until the aft section in 2017, with the covering looking a lot like a normal house roof. Furthermore, the sun deck features multiple black plastic chairs attached to the floor and surrounding tables built out of marble, as well as an outdoor bar. A view of the sun deck in Deck 7. The central part of the sun deck, featuring more plastic chairs and tables. Outside of the sun deck which is covered by plastic windows, there is an alley that can lead passengers from the bow to the stern. This is the one that is located on the ship's starboard side, whereas the port side also has one as well. The alley on the starboard side seen just behind the ship's bridge. It enables passengers to then have a view right above the bow, as there is an open front section balcony. There are also some additional black plastic chairs right next to the handrails. Deck 7 also includes the crew cabins. On top of them is a red sign indicating the ship's name in Greek characters. Moreover, as the trip was held on 15 August, which is a major holiday in Greece as it commemorates the Assumption of Mary into Heaven, multiple decorative nautical flags were added between her masts. Another view of the starboard side outdoor alley, which also has the ship's primary lifeboat. From the balcony in Deck 7, one can use a staircase to go to the outdoor area located right above the bow, on Deck 6. There, it was several comfortable chairs facing forward, allowing passengers to have a full view of the ship's surroundings. This area is quite popular and frequently used by passengers, even when trips to Andros, Tinos and Mykonos are windy. The ship's Japanese bow, seen from the outdoor area located in Deck 6. Now that I had spotted most of the ship's amenities, it was now the time to take pictures of the other ships that I saw. Indeed, at dawn, I saw the fleetmate of the THEOLOGOS P, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, departing the port of Rafina. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS leaving Rafina in order to head towards her namesake island. She joined Fast Ferries in 2015, after having had a three-year-long lay-up following the demise of her former owners, Strintzis Ferries. Built in 1989 in Japan, she joined the latter in 2003, being renamed EPTANISOS and operating on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line on the Ionian Sea. She moved to the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line in 2011, but she was then laid-up following the 2012 season due to the financial difficulties of Strintzis Ferries. After three years of lay-up, she found a new home on the Cyclades as the FAST FERRIES ANDROS. As the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was departing the port of Rafina, I was then able to see the iconic SUPERFERRY II of Golden Star Ferries, which was also seen featuring decorative nautical flags as part of the celebrations of 15 August. A view of the legendary SUPERFERRY II, during what was her tenth summer under Golden Star Ferries. She is the oldest and most experienced ship operating from Rafina to the Cyclades, and she still remains a very successful ferry despite her advanced age. She was built in 1974, and was bought by Strintzis Lines in 1992, following a much-acclaimed spell on the Channel. Initially planned to operate on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea as the IONIAN EXPRESS, she was instead converted for service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros line on the Cyclades. She began service there in 1993 (with her debut season also seeing her operating on the Dodecanese) , and she was immediately lauded for her impressive amenities, her large garage, her beautiful outdoor areas and for her speed. She has widely become the best ferry to have ever operated from Rafina, and perhaps the best ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service. She has remained in Rafina even following the takeover of Strintzis Lines by Attica Group in 2000, which resulted in the creation of Blue Star Ferries. She sailed for the latter dutifully for ten years on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. In 2011 she began to operate for the newly-established company Golden Star Ferries, for whom she has also become a valuable asset, as her success eventually led the company in purchasing five other ships by 2019, hence helping it become a major presence on the Cyclades. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen departing the port of Rafina. This was her sixth season under Fast Ferries, and her fifth consecutive summer on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. In her debut season for Fast Ferries back in 2015, she was on the Rafina-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. The SUPERFERRY II seen in Rafina during what was her twenty-eighth summer in Greece. During the 2020 season, she was on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line. This service came after Golden Star Ferries stopped the services to Santorini and Heraklion, which the ship was serving in 2018 (in which she also made calls to Ios) and in 2019. The SUPERFERRY II, a legend of the Greek coastal service, seen in Rafina, which is the port where she became such an iconic ferry The SUPERFERRY II seen shortly before her departure from Rafina. She is the last ship among those built in Belgium between the 1950s and the 1970s which went on to have successful spells in Greece (mostly on the Cyclades), after having first operated under the famous Belgian company Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT). This group of ships is known as the 'Gentle Belgians', and included legendary ships, such as the late AIGAION of Agapitos Lines (1976-1992) and later of Agapitos Express Ferries (1992-1996); the late GEORGIOS EXPRESS (another ship considered by some as the best ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service) of Ventouris Ferries (1980-1983), Ventouris Sea Lines (1983-1996) and later Agios Georgios Ferries (1996-2009, though the company ceased operations in 2001); the latter's sister ship, the BARI EXPRESS, of Ventouris Ferries (1983-1997), and later the EXPRESS HERMES of Agapitos Express Ferries (1997-1999) and Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (1999-2003); the late LYDIA of the now-defunct company Hellenic Mediterranean Lines (1985-1995); and lastly the SUPERFERRY II's sister ship, the PANAGIA TINOU 2 of Ventouris Sea Lines (1993-1997), later the EXPRESS ATHINA of Agapitos Express Ferries (1997-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (1999-2005) and Hellenic Seaways (2005-2007), before ending her career as the EXPRESS LIMNOS of Saos Ferries (2007-2011). The SUPERFERRY II is the only ship from that group that is still alive and still sailing in Greece to date. The SUPERFERRY II seen leaving Rafina in the morning. The SUPERFERRY II leaving Rafina in order to head towards Andros. While the SUPERFERRY II was departing the port of Rafina, I could now spot her fleetmate, the SUPERFERRY. The SUPERFERRY spotted in Rafina. This was her fifth summer operating in Greece, and all of them have so far been under Golden Star Ferries. She was also built in Japan, just like the THEOLOGOS P, albeit five years before the latter. She was bought by Golden Star Ferries in 2015, and began service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2016. The SUPERFERRY seen in Rafina. Right upon the start of her career in Greece, she quickly became a force to be reckoned with on the Cyclades, thanks to the impressive conversion that she underwent, which massively improved her amenities. I was very fortunate to discover them back on 14 June 2018, when I traveled with her from Rafina to Ios. The SUPERFERRY II on her way towards Andros. The SUPERFERRY seen in Rafina shortly before her own departure. In 2020 she was operating on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which was also the exact same line on which she operated during her debut season in 2016. In 2017 she had operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, while in 2018 she and the SUPERFERRY II operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line. In 2019 both ships served the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion line. The SUPERFERRY seen in Rafina, during her fifth season with Golden Star Ferries. Just before the departure of the THEOLOGOS P, I noticed a ship arriving in Rafina. Indeed, it was the conventional ferry PANORAMA of Panorama Shipping, which serves the Rafina-Marmari line, thus connecting Rafina with Evoia via the Petalioi Gulf. The PANORAMA seen approaching Rafina, after having arrived from Marmari. The PANORAMA seen approaching the port of Rafina. This was her ninth season on the Rafina-Marmari line, as she began operating there in late 2011, after having underwent a year-long conversion in Drapetsona following her acquisition by Panorama Shipping. Built in 1987, she had initially started her career in Trinidad and Tobago, operating for the Trinidadian state-owned company Trinidad and Tobago Inter-Island Ferry Service on the Port of Spain-Scarborough line. She operated there for 23 years before being sold to her current owners. The PANORAMA seen reaching Rafina. Even when she was operating in Trinidad and Tobago, she sailed under the name PANORAMA. Her current owners decided to keep it, only changing her flag from Liberia (her temporary flag of convenience during her conversion, although she flew the Trinidadian flag for 23 years) to Greece. The PANORAMA is one of the two ships operating on the Rafina-Marmari line, along with the veteran ferry EVIA STAR of Geraistos NE. Both ships operate under the Marmari Ferries joint venture. The PANORAMA seen right before her maneuvering procedure. The PANORAMA seen maneuvering in Rafina during the early morning. The SUPERFERRY about to depart the port of Rafina in order to head to Andros. The PANORAMA seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Rafina. The SUPERFERRY seen alongside the PANORAMA in Rafina, as the latter is seen maneuvering. The SUPERFERRY about to depart the port of Rafina. She also carried decorative nautical flags in order to commemorate the holiday of 15 August. The PANORAMA having almost completed her maneuvering procedure in Rafina. The PANORAMA having finished her maneuvering procedure and now docking in Rafina. The PANORAMA seen docking in the port of Rafina. One of the two funnels of the PANORAMA, which just have a dark blue background, without any logo or particular design. Just as the PANORAMA was docking in Rafina, the SUPERFERRY was seen departing the port. The SUPERFERRY seen leaving Rafina in order to head towards Andros. The SUPERFERRY on her way towards Andros. The PANORAMA having just docked in the port of Rafina. At 08:15, the THEOLOGOS P departed the port of Rafina, being the final ship to leave the port for the Cyclades. Her trip begins by passing by the PANORAMA. The PANORAMA seen upon our departure. The PANORAMA seen resting in Rafina. The PANORAMA seen docked in Rafina. A view of the PANORAMA in Rafina. She began service in late 2011, taking over the void left by the previous ship operating alongside the EVIA STAR on the Rafina-Marmari line, namely the ex-ARTEMISIA of Karystia Lines, which had been sold to Dodekanisos Seaways. She still operates for them today, being known as the PANAGIA SKIADENI and being deployed on the Rhodes-Symi line on the Dodecanese. The PANORAMA spotted in Rafina, as the THEOLOGOS P begins sailing towards Andros. One final view of the PANORAMA in Rafina. About forty minutes after the ship's departure, the island of Evoia could be spotted from a far distance. A view of the port and town of Karystos in Southern Evoia, as seen from the Petalioi Gulf. After 90 minutes, the THEOLOGOS P had passed by Southern Evoia and the channel known as Cavo Doro, which is one of the most dangerous places for shipping on the Aegean Sea due to intense winds and the presence of several reefs. The ship was now in the heart of the Cyclades. A view of the island of Andros, which was our destination in this trip. A view of the Gavrion Bay, which is named after the eponymous village which serves as the main ferry port of Andros. As we were heading towards the Gavrion Bay, the SUPERFERRY II could be spotted while she was sailing to Tinos. The coast of Andros seen as we prepare to enter the Gavrion Bay. The entrance of the Gavrion Bay, seen at around 10:05. The SUPERFERRY was spotted in Andros, after she had arrived just before we did. The SUPERFERRY seen in Andros, right before her departure for Tinos. The SUPERFERRY having departed Andros and exiting the Gavrion Bay. The SUPERFERRY seen leaving the port of Gavrion in Andros. Because of her departure and the high winds that were there at the time, the THEOLOGOS P had to wait for 15 minutes before being able to head towards her docking spot. The SUPERFERRY seen exiting the port and leaving Andros under strong winds. Crossing the SUPERFERRY as she leaves Andros in order to head to Tinos. The SUPERFERRY having departed Andros, and now sailing towards Tinos. She was leaving the island on which she is registered. She is one of the two ships of Golden Star Ferries that are registered in Andros and not in Piraeus, along with the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER. The SUPERFERRY seen leaving Andros. Crossing the SUPERFERRY on the Cyclades, as she sails between Andros and Tinos. One last view of the SUPERFERRY, as she now heads towards Tinos. At 10:25, the THEOLOGOS P had finally docked in Andros. Here she is right after our disembarkation. The THEOLOGOS P, the much-acclaimed ship of Fast Ferries, having just docked in Andros. One last view of the THEOLOGOS P, before her imminent departure to Tinos and Mykonos. This therefore concludes this memorable trip from Rafina to Andros. I was very pleased to finally embark onboard a ship owned by Fast Ferries, which is clearly one of the most underrated companies of the Greek coastal service, although residents of the Cyclades have widely praised and appreciated their services. The introduction of the THEOLOGOS P back in 2007 was certainly one of the smartest moves ever made by a Greek coastal service company, as her impressive garage and passenger amenities quickly made her a vital ship on such a demanding line. Her success is further measured by the fact that the company has since deployed two other ships in Rafina, with both of them also providing services of high quality in the area as well. The company's tradition and humility can be seen in their gradual development over the last decade, and their growth will continue as they are due to reactivate the EKATERINI P (which has been plagued by engine troubles since 2019) for the 2021 season. But they are also due to deploy a new weapon, namely the high speed ferry THUNDER, which was acquired from the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri and is due to begin service from Piraeus to the Cyclades. Knowing how well the company maintains its ships, they are due to experience more success in the upcoming years, without a doubt. #theologosp #fastferries #summer2020 #greece #cyclades #petalioigulf #aegean #rafina #andros #fastferriesandros #superferryii #superferry #goldenstarferries #panorama #panoramashipping #tribute

Paros is undoubtedly one of the most popular and most visited islands of the Cyclades and of Greece as a whole. Known for its proximity to other popular islands like Mykonos, Santorini and Naxos, it is known for its beautiful architecture, excellent beaches and hospitality, and delicious food. Moreover, the island has the well-known port village of Naoussa, where one can find some amazing restaurants and bars right next to the sea. Its close neighbour, Antiparos, is also a well-known and visited island, notably amongst campers. Generally-speaking, it is a fantastic island worthy of visiting during the summer. In terms of maritime transportation, Paros is surely one of the most favoured islands in Greece. Indeed, the island sees the most connections, arrivals and departures on all of the Aegean Sea, if the Saronic Gulf is not included. In the summer, it welcomes dozens of ships from most of the major Greek coastal service companies. During that period, there are also numerous high speed craft serving the island, and almost all the top ships of the Greek coastal service make calls there. As the island is part of the extremely popular Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, is connected with Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades, is included on popular summer Heraklion-Cyclades services, and has now recently been added to itineraries of ships leaving from Rafina, the island is guaranteed to have dozens of calls from different ships everyday. Thus, for a shipping enthusiast like me, such a place is ideal. During the summer of 2018, I got to discover many Cyclades islands for the first time in my life. Paros was one of them, as I stayed there with my family from 26 July to 29 July, just after having spent four days in Naxos. I arrived there with the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries, which brought me from Naxos to Paros on the morning of 26 July 2018. We stayed at nice house (which we had booked through Airbnb), which happened to have an incredible view towards the sea, and notably in the area where ships begin to approach the island's port, located in the town of Paroikia. Therefore, I could see several arrivals and departures from various Greek ferries and high speed craft. Hence, just like the post dedicated to the high speed craft that had called the port of Ios when I visited the island during the summer of 2017, this post will display all the arrivals and departures of ferries and high speed craft that I managed to capture throughout my stay in Paros. I took several pictures on the morning of 27 July, as well as on the morning and evening of 28 July, while also taking two additional pictures in the morning of 29 July, shortly before leaving the island in order to head back to Athens. Thus, I will show you each picture according to its respective date of capture. Without further ado, let the photo show begin. 27 July 2018: The first ship that I got to see that morning was the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries, on which I had traveled the day before. She was heading to Paros from Naxos. The impressive BLUE STAR PATMOS seen approaching the port of Paros. Built in 2012, she spent her first three seasons on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, before transferring to the Cyclades in late 2014. Since the summer of 2015, she has been serving Paros every summer. She was on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi-Astypalaia line in the summers of 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2018, her service was limited to the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen heading towards the port of Paros. I have traveled onboard her three times (the most times I have traveled with one ship on the Cyclades): the first time was on 7-8 July 2015 from Piraeus to Santorini, the second time from Santorini to Ios on 10 July 2017, and the third time was just a day before I took this picture, on 26 July 2018 from Naxos to Paros. After the BLUE STAR PATMOS had arrived in Paros, I saw a ship departing the port: it was the well-known high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways, which was departing the island in order to head towards Naxos. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen leaving Paros. Built in 2000 in Australia, she has spent her entire career under the same owner. Hellenic Seaways was previously known as Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002) and then as Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005) before being rebranded under its current name in 2005. The HIGHSPEED 4 has impressively served Paros in all but two seasons throughout her 19 years in Greece so far! Indeed, the only two times when she did not make calls to Paros were in 2005, when she was on the Piraeus-Chania line, and in 2009, when she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Thus, she is one of the most appreciated ships in the island and has been identified with Paros throughout all of her incredible career. The HIGHSPEED 4 leaving Paros in order to head towards Naxos, which she has also been serving every summer, except for 2005, 2009 and 2015. Since 2016, she has been deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, a line that she also served successfully in 2014. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen exiting the port of Paros. The HIGHSPEED 4 now at full-speed on her way to Naxos, Koufonisi and Amorgos. Shortly after the BLUE STAR PATMOS had docked in Paros, she was already departing in order to return to Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen from the house where we were staying during our time in Paros. She is now departing the island in order to return to Piraeus. The much-acclaimed BLUE STAR PATMOS departing Paros. She operates from Piraeus to the Cyclades during the evening, and returns from the islands to Athens' main port during the morning. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having started her return trip to Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS, which I have grown to know very well thanks to the three great trips that I had with her. The BLUE STAR PATMOS now at open sea, making her return to Piraeus. Barely a few minutes after the BLUE STAR PATMOS had left Paros, I saw another ship approaching the port: it was the high speed craft NAXOS JET of Sea Jets. The NAXOS JET arriving in Paros, after having arrived from her namesake island, Naxos. The NAXOS JET was formerly known as the CYCLADES EXPRESS of NEL Lines, operating for them only during the 2010 season on the Heraklion-Santorini line. Afterwards, due to the company's financial problems, she was laid-up in Salamina from 2010 to 2016. That year, she was sold to Sea Jets, which went on to refit her during two years. She entered service for the first time in 8 years on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, where she operated successfully. In the meantime, another ferry was seen approaching the island: it was the BLUE STAR NAXOS, which was arriving from Piraeus and Syros. Built in 2002, the BLUE STAR NAXOS has spent her entire career on the Cyclades under Blue Star Ferries. In these 17 years, she has spent all but three summer seasons calling the island of Paros! This was only during the summers of 2012, 2013 and 2014, when she was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Since 2015, she has been operating on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline, being on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Amorgos-Santorini line in 2015, 2016 and 2017. In 2018, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line (adding Donousa and Astypalaia, which were previously served by the BLUE STAR PATMOS). The BLUE STAR NAXOS approaching Paros. She connects Piraeus with the Lesser Cyclades on a daily basis through a very tight schedule leaving Piraeus at 06:45 every morning, and returning there the following day at 05:00. The crew only has one hour and thirty minutes to rest before her next departure there. This is why she is such an exceptional ship. While the BLUE STAR NAXOS was arriving in Paros, she would begin to see some company, as the high speed ferries TERA JET of Sea Jets and SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries were also racing against each other, having arrived from Mykonos. The BLUE STAR NAXOS approaching Paros, with the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER seen right behind. The BLUE STAR NAXOS begins to approach the port of Paros located in Paroikia. In the meantime, the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER are seen racing against each other in order to see which ship will make it to the port first. Both ships became fierce competitors in 2017, the year during which they made their debuts on the Rafina-Cyclades service provided by their companies. The TERA JET was indeed deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, while the SUPERRUNNER (previously known as the SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines from 2009 to 2016) began service under her new owners on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The BLUE STAR NAXOS, one of the best ships in Greece, seen approaching Paros. The never-ending racing contest between the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER. Due to both of them being excellent and very fast high speed craft, their owners engaged in both a price war and port racing contests in Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos (as the SUPERRUNNER then continues her trip to Ios and Santorini, while the TERA JET heads back to Rafina) in order to see which ship would moor first (with a view of impressing passengers). Despite the heated rivalry, both ships had an excellent first season, as they also did in 2018. No incidents and very rare engine failures have been reported so far. Thanks to them, their companies won the prestigious award 'Passenger Line of The Year' provided by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards, in 2017 and 2018, respectively. While the show is taking place near the Northern part of the Paroikia Bay area, I got to see another ship, which had just been behind her fleetmate while heading towards Paros. It was the BLUE STAR DELOS of Blue Star Ferries, the sister ship of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which had also arrived from Piraeus. The racing contest between the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER, two of Greece's best high speed craft. Two things the ships have in common is that they were both built in the same country, Italy, and in the same year, 1999. The racing contest coming to a close here. Due to her making a sharper turn, the SUPERRUNNER seems to be the one that will be docking in Paros first. In the meantime, the BLUE STAR DELOS was arriving in Paros at her own pace. I had traveled onboard her four days before taking this picture, as I was heading from Piraeus to Naxos (via Paros). The SUPERRUNNER seen near Paros, after having overtaken the TERA JET. She was hence the winner of the racing slot from Mykonos to Paros. The TERA JET seen following her rival from right behind. She is the flagship of Sea Jets, and has had two massively successful seasons so far while operating from Rafina to the Cyclades. In 2018, the island of Andros was added to her itinerary, hence she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. It impressive how she arrives in Paros at the same time as the SUPERRUNNER, as the latter does not serve Andros. The SUPERRUNNER seen advancing towards the port of Paros, right behind her rival. That summer, I had the chance to travel onboard her on 17 June 2018, heading from Ios to Mykonos, via Naxos and Paros. The BLUE STAR DELOS on her way towards Paros. Built in 2011, before her sister ship, she has spent her entire career so far on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line (though she does not serve Ios during the summer), and has been hailed as the best day ferry in Greece by many. The TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER having lowered their speed in order to begin their maneuvering procedures in Paros. The TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER both beginning to head towards the port of Paros. The BLUE STAR DELOS is seen behind them. If you check the pictures I took during my trip with her, I had the exact same pattern of departures and arrivals when the ship was heading towards Paros. Indeed, I saw the BLUE STAR PATMOS leaving Paros in order to head towards Piraeus, then saw the NAXOS JET leaving the island in order to go to Mykonos, followed by the departures of the SUPERRUNNER and of the TERA JET from Paros to Naxos, followed shortly by the BLUE STAR NAXOS. Hence, I witnessed the same spectacle both from the sea and from the shore, within a span of five days. A nice view of the Paroikia Bay: the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER are heading towards the port of Paros, while the NAXOS JET has just departed, whereas the BLUE STAR NAXOS has just docked there. The two rivals, the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER, heading towards the port of Paros. You can see that the TERA JET makes a last attempt at trying to pass by the SUPERRUNNER shortly before docking. The NAXOS JET seen departing Paros. In her debut season under Sea Jets, the NAXOS JET would leave Rafina for the Cyclades islands in the afternoon, reaching Naxos in the evening and spending the night there. She would leave her namesake island in the morning, in order to return to Rafina in the early afternoon. The TERA JET operated on the same line as her (with the exception of Syros), but carried out the trip in the morning, returning to Rafina in the late afternoon of the same day. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen approaching the port of Paros. The BLUE STAR DELOS having entered the Paroikia Bay and heading towards Paros' port. The BLUE STAR DELOS and the NAXOS JET seen right outside of the port of Paros, repeating the same encounter that I had experienced four days earlier while traveling onboard the Blue Star Ferries ship. Another view of the BLUE STAR DELOS approaching the port of Paros. In the meantime, all three ferries that had been docked immediately departed it. All of them were heading towards the same destination: Naxos. The SUPERRUNNER had left first, followed by the TERA JET and then by the BLUE STAR NAXOS. The SUPERRUNNER taking the lead and heading from Paros to Naxos, during her second season under Golden Star Ferries. The TERA JET following her right behind. The summer of 2018 was her fifth consecutive in Greece and under Sea Jets. Both high speed ferries were being followed by the BLUE STAR NAXOS, which was also heading towards her namesake island. The TERA JET beginning to sail under full-speed towards Naxos, hoping to catch up the SUPERRUNNER. The BLUE STAR NAXOS on her way from Paros to Naxos. This was it for the day, and I really got to see how impressive the morning traffic in Paros is. 28 July 2018: The following morning, I unexpectedly saw some new faces which I had not seen the previous day. One of them was the ferry AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets (trading as Sea Jets Ferries), which was heading towards the port of Paros, followed by the BLUE STAR PATMOS which was arriving from Naxos. The veteran ferry AQUA BLUE preparing to enter the port of Paros. It was her debut summer under Sea Jets Ferries, which had acquired her in 2017. Before that, she was the notable IERAPETRA L of ANEK Lines (from 2009 to 2016) and of LANE Sea Lines (from 1999 to 2009). She had also operated earlier in her Greek career under ANEK Lines having served the Adriatic Sea initially as the KYDON (1991-1995) and then as the TALOS (1995-1999). Her debut season under Sea Jets Ferries marked her first summer of operations since 2014, when she had been operating on the Bari-Durrës line. After that year's summer, she suffered a severe fire incident while heading from Igoumenitsa to Perama for her annual refit, and was badly damaged. Due to her advanced age (she was built in 1975) and her damages following that fire, it was believed that she would be sold for scrap. However, miraculously, the ship was saved by Sea Jets Ferries, which bought her and repaired her in Perama and in Drapetsona in 2017, renaming her AQUA BLUE in 2018. For her debut season, the AQUA BLUE operated on an impressively long lifeline: the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line. She thus connected Thessaloniki (Greece's second largest city, located in the Northern part of the country, in Macedonia) with the Sporades, the main Cyclades islands and Crete. This was the first time that a ship had been on such a line since the late DIMITROULA of GA Ferries, which had operated there until 2008. Due to her slow speed, the ship would arrive in Heraklion two days after leaving Thessaloniki. The BLUE STAR PATMOS arriving in Paros from Naxos, just like she had done when I did my trip with her two days before taking this picture. The AQUA BLUE, having arrived from Mykonos, seen heading towards the port of Paros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen approaching Paros as well. The BLUE STAR PATMOS on her way to Paros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line that season, seen heading towards Paros. The magnificent BLUE STAR PATMOS seen near Paros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having entered the Paroikia Bay. Next to her (the small ship at the bottom left of the picture) is the small passenger boat HELLAS of Antiparos Speedline NE, which operates on the Paros-Antiparos line. A few moments after the arrival of the BLUE STAR PATMOS in Paros, the HIGHSPEED 4 was seen arriving from Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 having quickly entered the Paroikia Bay. The HIGHSPEED 4, a favourite in Paros, approaching the island's port. The HIGHSPEED 4 maneuvering in Piraeus. She is now the only high speed ferry to operate for her company alongside the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, following the sale of the HIGHSPEED 7 to Minoan Lines in 2018, which spent her first season under her new owners as the SANTORINI PALACE. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen approaching Paros, while the AQUA BLUE has already unloaded passengers and vehicles and loaded new ones. She was now leaving the islands in order to head to Naxos. The HIGHSPEED 4 and the AQUA BLUE, two completely different ships, seen together outside of the port of Paros. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen alongside the AQUA BLUE. The latter was built 25 years before the former, and she had arrived in Greece 10 years before the high speed ferry did. The AQUA BLUE was built in Japan, while the HIGHSPEED 4 was built in Australia. The AQUA BLUE heads towards Naxos, while the HIGHSPEED 4 heads towards her docking spot in Paros. The nice AQUA BLUE seen leaving Paros. The AQUA BLUE heading out of the Paroikia Bay. While the AQUA BLUE was leaving Paros, she spotted one of her fleetmates approaching the port. This was the ANDROS JET of Sea Jets, which, like the AQUA BLUE, was having her debut season under her new owners. The ANDROS JET and the AQUA BLUE seen near Paros. The AQUA BLUE heading from Paros to Naxos. The ANDROS JET meanwhile heads towards the port of Paros, having arrived from Syros. The ANDROS JET joined Sea Jets in late 2017, following a 20-year-long career in Turkey, having operated on the Yalova-Pendik line as the CEZAYIRLI HASAN PAŞA 1 for the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (İDO). After a conversion in Perama and in Chalkida, she entered service in 2018, on her company's inter-Cyclades lifeline. She was more specifically on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi line. Taking over the service from her fleetmate, the classic ferry AQUA JEWEL, which was sent on charter to Azores-based company Atlântico Line for the summer, she endured a very troublesome first season. Despite being faster than the AQUA JEWEL she could not transport lorries, and was also plagued by a handful of engine failures, which resulted in several delays and multiple trip cancellations. This was not essential for a very long and demanding line. The ANDROS JET seen heading towards Paros, having arrived from Syros. The ANDROS JET on her way towards the port of Paros. Later that day, I saw the BLUE STAR DELOS approaching the port of Paros. As it was early in the evening, she had been returning to the island from Santorini and Naxos. After 20 minutes in the port, the BLUE STAR DELOS left Paros in order to begin her return trip towards Piraeus. The fantastic BLUE STAR DELOS on her way to Piraeus having left Paros. The BLUE STAR DELOS having left Paros in the evening, just before the incredible Cyclades sunset. 29 July 2018: That morning, I only took two pictures. Here, the BLUE STAR PATMOS is seen leaving Paros in order to return to Piraeus, just like her sister ship had done so the previous evening, as seen in the pictures right above. The HIGHSPEED 4 following the BLUE STAR PATMOS, though she was heading towards Naxos. Later that day, I would find myself onboard her, as I traveled with her in order to return from Paros to Piraeus. There is no doubt that these days were absolutely unique from a shipspotting point of view. Seeing so many well-known and acclaimed ferries and high speed craft come and leave one after the other was incredibly fascinating. Notably, I saw how the traffic in Paros is intense compared to other islands in Greece. The first day saw me witnessing countless arrivals and departures, including an entertaining racing contest between two rival high speed craft, while the second and third day showed both habitual as well as occasional visitors to the island. It really was a fantastic experience which I will hardly forget. #ferries #highspeedcraft #summer2018 #greece #cyclades #aegean #paros #paroikia #bluestarpatmos #bluestarnaxos #bluestardelos #bluestarferries #highspeed4 #hellenicseaways #naxosjet #terajet #aquablue #androsjet #seajets #seajetsferries #superrunner #goldenstarferries #hellas #antiparosspeedlinene