Located on the Western Peloponnese, in the regional unit of Ileia, and in the region of Western Greece, the port of Kyllini is among the most important ports of the Ionian Sea. It is located just an hour away from Patras by car or by bus, and it is the main port that ensures a ferry connection of mainland Greece with the Southern Ionian Sea Islands, namely Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Ithaca. This is the case because the crossing to these islands is shorter, quicker, and far more convenient, in contrast with spending more time on ships leaving from ports such as Patras or Corinth. It can be reached by KTEL buses which make daily trips between the Ionian Islands and Athens or Patras. Due to its importance and status as the main port for ferries operating to the aforementioned islands, Kyllini has seen many historic ships operating on the Ionian Sea, many of which operated or have been operating there for many years. The list includes: The PROTEUS of Tyrogalas Ferries (1973-2006: 33 years). The IONIS of Ionian Lines and Tyrogalas Ferries (1985-1986; 1993-2015: 24 years). The MARTHA of Miras Ferries (1968-1989: 21 years). The ZAKYNTHOS I of ANEZ and Kefalonian Lines (1989-2007; 2012-present: 21 years). The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries (1999-present: 16 years). The DIMITRIOS MIRAS of Miras Ferries (1988-2001: 13 years). The AINOS of Strintzis Lines (1978-1990: 13 years). The IONIAN STAR of Tyrogalas Ferries and Levante Ferries (2003-present: 12 years). The ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries (2003-2015: 12 years). The ZAKYNTHOS of ANEZ (1979-1989: 10 years). The EPTANISOS of Strintzis Ferries (2003-2011: 8 years). The DELOS of Strintzis Lines (1989-1996; 7 years). This clearly displays the stability of the Ionian Sea ferry service, which constantly gets renewed with modern ferries being bought through different periods (notably during 1977-1979, 2002-2003 and 2014-2015). Recently, the companies serving Zakynthos and Kefalonia have experienced various changes, by either becoming cooperators or simply by remaining rivals. In 1997, Ionian Ferries was established as a joint venture between the companies Tyrogalas Ferries (operating the PROTEUS and the IONIS, and later the IONIAN STAR), Miras Ferries and ANEZ, which were all based in Zakynthos. They therefore ensured that there would always be a very reliable service during both the summer and the winter season, and they also competed against Zante Ferries, which had deployed the Ro-Ro carrier AGIOS DIONISIOS S in 1995 and then the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in 1999 (with the latter replacing the former). Beginning in 2001, after Blue Star Ferries (also known as the successor of Strintzis Lines) stopped serving the Kyllini-Kefalonia line (where her aforementioned predecessor had been established for almost four decades), the Ionian Ferries joint venture also began to serve the Kyllini-Kefalonia line on a full-time basis. In that same year, Miras Ferries ceased operations in Zakynthos and Zante Ferries also joined Ionian Ferries. ANEZ (which owned the ZAKYNTHOS I) subsequently left the joint venture in 2006 because of financial issues. For most of the 2000s the main competitor of the Ionian Ferries joint venture was Strintzis Ferries. Indeed, the latter was operating the EPTANISOS on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line and the KEFALONIA on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, but they also ended up ceasing operations, as they went out of business in 2012, after which Ionian Ferries also began operations on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line which had been left abandoned and with no available ship. In 2013, a new era of competition based in Kyllini began. Indeed, ANEZ returned with the ZAKYNTHOS I and rejoined Ionian Ferries, and a new company called Kefalonian Lines was established, after having bought the KEFALONIA from Strintzis Ferries. They entered service on the Kyllini-Kefalonia-Ithaca line and on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, the latter service having started in late 2013. The following year, they managed to take the ZAKYNTHOS I from ANEZ under charter, and they therefore began to enhance their presence in Zakynthos. That was until a new force emerged in late 2014, namely Levante Ferries. This was a newly-established company based in Zakynthos, which had converted a South Korean-built ferry into a magnificent, luxurious and extremely modern ship known as the FIOR DI LEVANTE . Her entry to service was widely acclaimed, and she quickly became the favourite ship of passengers traveling along the Kyllini-Zakynthos line. Because of this, even established operators like Tyrogalas Ferries saw themselves out of the Ionian Sea within a few months. Indeed, the latter went on to deploy the IONIS on the Saronic Gulf, while the IONIAN STAR was acquired by Levante Ferries. As a result, the Ionian Ferries joint venture collapsed, and a new joint venture called Ionian Group was created between Levante Ferries and Zante Ferries. They are now the two companies that compete against Kefalonian Lines. Also, both Kefalonian Lines and Levante Ferries recently announced that they will buy one new ship each, meaning that the competition will grow even bigger in the near future. Despite the intense competition and the significant fleet changes seen in recent years, Kyllini remains a pleasant and reliable port, with a big amount of space and a beautiful nearby beach, from which the view to the ferries is very impressive. Here are my pictures from the port, which happened to be taken in the middle of the transition from Ionian Ferries to Ionian Group during the summer of 2015, and a few days before the sale of the IONIAN STAR to Levante Ferries. The IONIAN STAR was seen leaving the port of Kyllini, right after we had reached it with my family. She was now heading towards Zakynthos. Built in 1984 in Japan, she began operating in Greece for Tyrogalas Ferries in 2003. The final Ionian Ferries 'fleetmates', namely the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS and the IONIAN STAR, together in Kyllini, during the final days of their operation under the joint venture. Both ships were built in Japan, and they both used to belong to the same company while operating there, namely Shikoku Chuo Ferry. They were also operating on the same service, namely on the Osaka-Kobe-Kawanoe-Niihama line, before the IONIAN STAR (then known as the NIIHAMA 2) was sold to the South Korean company Kukjae Express in 1994. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS (then known as the ROYAL KAWANOE) left Shikoku Chuo Ferry in 1999 and joined Zante Ferries, becoming their first-ever conventional ferry in the process. The IONIAN STAR reunited with her on the Ionian Sea when she entered service under Tyrogalas Ferries in 2003. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen loading passengers and vehicles for Kefalonia. Built in 1990 in Japan, she has been operating on the Ionian Sea under Zante Ferries since 1999. The IONIAN STAR seen from further distance, while heading towards Zakynthos. She was the third ship to join Tyrogalas Ferries, following the PROTEUS in 1973 and the IONIS in 1993. The former operated for Tyrogalas Ferries for 33 years, until she was sold in 2006 to ANES Ferries, for whom she still operates today, as she is currently on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line on the Sporades. Now it is the turn of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS to leave Kyllini. Just a few days after this picture was taken, she was moved to the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, following the establishment of the Ionian Group joint venture. She spent the remainder of the 2015 season there, and she then headed back to the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and to the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She had operated on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line during the 2013 season (back when Ionian Ferries was still performing this service), as well as for a few weeks towards the end of the summer of 2004, when the KEFALONIA (then owned by Strintzis Ferries) which was operating there experienced technical issues. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen as she heads towards Kefalonia. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen exiting the port of Kyllini in order to head towards Kefalonia. Just like in Piraeus, the Greek shipping companies in Kyllini have many ticket and vending kiosks which advertise and promote their services. Of course that tradition is also present in Kyllini, and all the companies make big efforts in order to encourage passengers to select their ships. The ticket kiosk of Ionian Ferries for the Kyllini-Zakynthos line seen during one of its final days in operation. It was later replaced by a sign of Ionian Group. The ticket kiosk of Ionian Ferries for the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. Levante Ferries has a modern ticket office painted in yellow, which is the company's main colour. It also features an electronic table displaying the company's schedules, being the first of its kind to have this in Kyllini. The ticket kiosk of Kefalonian Lines for both Kefalonia and Zakynthos, which has been painted in the company's blue colours. Currently not operating, this is normally the kiosk of ANEZ, the owner of the ZAKYNTHOS I . After the ship was chartered to Kefalonian Lines, the latter vacated the building but took advantage of the sign at the top of the kiosk to advertise their Zakynthos itineraries, which began in late 2013. A very interesting picture of a lorry advertising Miras Ferries. It was a company that operated in Zakynthos from 1968 to 2003. Miras Ferries operated three ships, namely the MARTHA (built in 1968 in Greece), which was the first-ever passenger ferry that was deployed in Zakynthos, operating on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line until 1989, then on the Rafina-Marmari-Karystos line from 1990 to 1992 and then on the Neapolis Voion-Kythira-Antikythira line from 1992 to 1996, before being laid-up in Salamina for the next 18 years and being sent to the scrapyards in 2014; the THESEUS, which never operated on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, but was deployed on the Piraeus-Gerakas-Kyparissi-Monemvasia-Neapolis Voion-Kythira-Antikythira line from 1993 to 1996, before spending the next 10 years under lay-up in Perama before being sold for scrap in 2006; and the DIMITRIOS MIRAS, named after her owner, built in 1972 in France as the cargo ship MONACO before she was sold to Greece in 1983 and operated under the names ION and OLYMPIA for Kratigos Shipping, until she was bought by Miras Ferries in 1988, being renamed and converted to a passenger ferry. She was deployed on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line from 1988 to 2001, before being sold in 2003 to Saos Ferries, which renamed her NONA MARY and deployed her on the Aegean Sea (serving the Cyclades, the Sporades, Evoia, and the Northeast Aegean Sea) before selling her for scrap in 2012. The lorry also features the company's old telephone number. Despite not being the biggest port in Greece, Kyllini is a vital place for the connection of Zakynthos and Kefalonia (and also Ithaca) with the rest of Greece, and has proven that it has known many great ships that operate by using this port as their home base. #kyllini #peloponnese #summer2015 #greece #ionian #zakynthos #kefalonia #ithaca #signs #agencies #ionianferries #ioniangroup #ionianstar #tyrogalasferries #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #levanteferries #kefalonianlines #anez #mirasferries #port

Above as the AGIOS GEORGIOS, below as the PANAGIA TINOU. The last two names the ship bore, and the only ones under which I was able to photograph this historical ferry. On 21 March 2017, the PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines , also known in Greek waters as the ROMILDA, the APOLLON EXPRESS 2, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI (having had this name under two different occasions), the EXPRESS ARTEMIS or the AGIOS GEORGIOS, left the port of Piraeus for the last time, being towed to the scrapyard of Aliağa in Turkey, in order to be demolished. This date marked the end of a legendary career for this ferry, after 45 years of service, with 25 of them being spent on the Aegean Sea, and the last two of them kept her permanently in the E4 gate of the port of Piraeus, as she was laid-up there from 2015 until two weeks ago, due to the economic difficulties of her final owner, Ventouris Sea Lines. With the departure of the PANAGIA TINOU, the Greek coastal service lost one of its greatest-ever members, as the ship's longevity, reliability and comfortable services were widely acclaimed on the Aegean Sea, and especially on the Cyclades Islands, where she mostly operated. In the early 2010s, the ship would still successfully operate on the Cyclades, thus reminding older travelers of her glory days during the 1990s, and showing to younger travelers (including myself) what this period of time looked like. And indeed, she is a member of a legendary trio known as the H-class on the Channel and as the Apollon Trio in Greece, consisting of her and her two sister ships, which also went on to have spectacular careers on the Cyclades. Indeed, the trio's name is due to the fact that two of the three ferries (including the PANAGIA TINOU) bore the name APOLLON in the early stages of their stint in Greece. The other two ships are none other than the PENELOPE A of Agoudimos Lines and the APOLLON EXPRESS of Ventouris Sea Lines (later the APOLLON EXPRESS 1, and then the EXPRESS APOLLON of Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways). These three ferries were, during the 1990s and up until the early 2010s, among the greatest ships in the Greek coastal service, serving some of the most historical companies in the history of the Aegean Sea. With the loss of the PANAGIA TINOU, only the PENELOPE A remains alive today (as the EXPRESS APOLLON was scrapped in 2010), but even she seems to be nearing the end, as Agoudimos Lines ceased operations in 2013, and she has since been laid-up in the Elefsina Bay, awaiting her fate. Just like my Farewell Tribute post on the JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries dating from January 2016 , this post is dedicated to the ship's entire career, from the beginning to the end, including her first 20 years which were spent on the Channel. To sum it up, the ship was, during her 45 years of service, a great asset for all of her owners, and became a favourite amongst travelers, both on the Channel and in Greece, despite the important competition she faced, the few major accidents she had, and despite her companies' occasional economic difficulties. If we take a look at her career in Greece, however, she had a different path than the one of her two sister ships (despite all operating together at some point). Indeed, the other two ships had more stable operations, as the PENELOPE A successfully spent her entire Greek career on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, and the APOLLON EXPRESS/EXPRESS APOLLON remained (for the most part) on the demanding Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line from 1988 to 2002, despite undergoing multiple changes in ownership. On the contrary, the PANAGIA TINOU went to dozens of different lines over time, had a total of 7 different names (the most by any conventional ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service to date), operated under four different owners, and, for most of her career, did not operate on a line for a constant period of time. The sole exception was during her final years, when she permanently operated on the Western Cyclades from 2005 to 2014 as the AGIOS GEORGIOS (which is the name she held for the longest period during her spell in Greece, having kept it for 11 years out of her 25 years overall). But this did not prevent her from successfully operating on any line where she was deployed, and it even seemed that she would continue to operate for many more years, despite her becoming one of the oldest ferries in Greece. However, the Greek economic crisis had other plans in mind, and her final company, namely Ventouris Sea Lines, was unable to remain economically stable, and this caused the ship's lay-up, partial sinking, and eventual demolition. But her legacy will carry on, and her history, which I am about to present, will never be forgotten. The ship that went on to become the PANAGIA TINOU was ordered in 1970 as one of three sister ships planned to operate on the Channel under the British conglomerate Sealink, which was the brandname of the train/ferry operator British Railways (known as British Rail since 1965). The British state-owned company, already known for connecting the United Kingdom with Ireland, France, Belgium and The Netherlands, also served as a consortium operating all ferry services ran by the Channel train and transportation companies from countries linked to the United Kingdom. Such companies included the French company SNCF (which owned the late EPTANISOS and DELOS of Strintzis Lines, or the future EXPRESS SANTORINI of Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways), the French company Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation, the Belgian company Regie voor Maritiem Transport, also known as RMT (which owned the late AIGAION of Agapitos Lines, the PANAGIA TINOU's future fleetmate GEORGIOS EXPRESS; the late BARI EXPRESS of Ventouris Ferries; the PANAGIA TINOU's future fleetmate, mamely the PANAGIA TINOU 2/EXPRESS ATHINA, or even the future SUPERFERRY II of Strintzis Lines, Blue Star Ferries and Golden Star Ferries ), and the Dutch comapny Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (which owned the PANAGIA TINOU's future fleetmate, namely the original PANAGIA TINOU). The three ferries were built at the Arsenal de la Marine Nationale Française Shipyard in the French port of Brest. The first two were planned to operate on the Boulogne-Folkestone line, thus becoming the first-ever ferries in the history of the British port to connect it with France. The reason to operate the ferries on this line was in order to provide alternative ferry service on the Channel, as the traffic was primarily found on the popular Calais-Dover line as well as on the Dieppe-Newhaven line at the time. Folkestone was still an important port, yet it lacked ferries prior to the delivery of Sealink's newbuildings. Apart from the plans to deploy the ferries in Folkestone, the company sought to operate the ships on the Irish Sea once the Channel Tunnel project, which at the time had been approved for construction, would be finished (though, ironically, the tunnel was not completed until a year after the ferries left the Channel in order to continue their careers in Greece). The first two ferries were delivered to Sealink in 1972, under the names of HENGIST (the future PANAGIA TINOU) and HORSA (the future PENELOPE A), which were the names of two warrior brothers said to have led the Anglo-Saxons to Great Britain during the 5th century. The pair of ships began operations on the Boulogne-Folkestone line immediately afterwards. The last ship, named SENLAC (the future APOLLON EXPRESS/EXPRESS APOLLON) was delivered a year later, in 1973, but she was instead deployed on the Dieppe-Newhaven line. All three ships were registered in London, under the British flag. The HENGIST seen during her launching ceremony at the Arsenal de la Marine Nationale Française Shipyard Brest, in 1972. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.hhvferry.com . The HENGIST seen docked in Folkestone in 1972, during her debut season under Sealink. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . An aerial view of the HENGIST while she is sailing on the Channel, during the first years of her career. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.hhvferry.com . One of the ship's most famous features, namely the HENGIST mural, located in the atrium area leading from Deck 5 to Deck 6. It was designed by the Czech sculptor Franta Belsky. The central figure represents the legendary Anglo-Saxon warrior Hengist standing on a horse and carrying a golden sword. Belsky designed similar murals on the HORSA and on the SENLAC. Picture from www.nautilia.gr . The first sister ship of the HENGIST, namely the HORSA, shortly after she was launched in 1972. Along with the HENGIST, she operated on the Boulogne-Folkestone line for the first 20 years of her career, with the exception of the 1990 season when she operated on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea. She was renamed STENA HORSA in 1991, after Sealink was taken over by Stena Line, which resulted in the creation of Sealink Stena Line. Inn 1992 she was sold to the Greek company Agoudimos Lines, being renamed PENELOPE A . She entered service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, before focusing only on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos, where she immediately made a huge impact and became one of the most historic ferries to operated on this service. She joined Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, and she was placed under the Hellas Ferries division as the EXPRESS PENELOPE, while remaining on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Minoan Flying Dolphins was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002. In 2004, the ship was once again bought by Agoudimos Lines, and she was once again renamed PENELOPE A. She remained in service until 2013, when the company ceased operations due to financial issues. She was arrested in Rafina, before moving to the Elefsina Bay in 2014, having been permanently laid-up there ever since. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . The second sister ship of the HENGIST, and the youngest ferry of the trio, namely the SENLAC. Despite also being part of the Sealink fleet, she was the odd sister, as she was alone on the Dieppe-Newhaven line, rather than on the Boulogne-Folkestone line. Note also that her funnel did not feature the logo of British Rail, instead it carried a logo of a joint venture between British Rail and the French company SNCF. In 1985 she was registered in Dieppe and she operated under the Sealink Dieppe Ferries brandname. She was chartered in 1987 to the Irish company B&I Line (also known as the predecessor of Irish Ferries), and she operated on the Fishguard-Rosslare line on the Irish Sea. After the season ended, the ship was the first one of the trio to depart the Channel for Greece, which happened after she was acquired by Ventouris Sea Lines (who later also became the owners of the HENGIST). She was renamed APOLLON EXPRESS and she began service in 1988 on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades, where she was widely acclaimed and became a legend of the Aegean Sea. She would occasionally also dock in the ports of Syros, Folegandros, Sikinos, Thirassia, Anafi, Donousa and Amorgos. In 1993 she was renamed APOLLON EXPRESS 1 and she continued to serve the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line until the first collapse of Ventouris Sea Lines in 1995. After being laid-up in Piraeus, she was sold in 1996 to Agapitos Express Ferries, was renamed EXPRESS APOLLON and was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Patmos-Leipsoi line, before returning to the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 1997. In 1999, all ships of Agapitos Express Ferries were transferred to Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2022), and she therefore joined the Hellas Ferries division, while continuing to operate in the same service as the one that she had been under her previous owners. In 2003 she moved to the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, while in 2004 she headed to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005, and the EXPRESS APOLLON returned to the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line during that year. After being laid-up in Piraeus and in Keratsini in 2006, she was sold to the Greek company European Seaways in 2007. She was renamed APOLLON and she was deployed on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea. In 2009 she operated on the Bari-Durrës line. Following the summer of 2010, she was sold for scrap to Turkey. Therefore, she also became the first ship of the trio to be sold for scrap. Picture published on www.hhvferry.com . Another aerial picture of the HENGIST as she sails on the Channel. Note the forward windows she had earlier in her career, which were then covered throughout most of her spells on both the Channel and the Aegean Sea. Picture published on www.hhvferry.com . The HENGIST seen leaving the port of Dover during the late 1970s, presumably while operating on the Calais-Dover line when one of her fleetmates underwent her annual winter refit. Picture published on www.hhvferry.com . The HENGIST seen docking in the port of Folkestone, in a typical 1970s British car ferry terminal, which was purposely built for her and for the HORSA. Picture published on www.hhvferry.com . The introduction of the HENGIST and of the HORSA dramatically transformed the port of Folkestone into a ferry hub, and also gave the chance for French travelers from the Southern Nord-Pas-De-Calais region to avoid going all the way up North to the port of Calais. The ferries became popular amongst both Boulogne and Folkestone residents, and provided a full-time reliable service lasting throughout the whole year. During their first years of operation, they were seen as the most modern and luxurious ferries on the Channel, while also providing excellent overnight service. The HENGIST would normally be seen sailing on the Boulogne-Folkestone line for most of the year, except during a few weeks throughout the winter, during which she would operate on other Sealink services in order to replace her fleetmates that would undergo their annual refits. These included the Ostend-Dover line and the Boulogne-Dover line. The HENGIST herself usually underwent her refit in Dunkirk. There were only two low point during her early Sealink career. The first one was in 1980, when she was involved in a collision with the vehicle carrier CANABAL of Höegh-Ugland Autoliners near Calais. Fortunately, both ships suffered little damage, and the HENGIST was quickly repaired and put back to service. The second one was in 1983, when she suffered a small fire in her engine room workshop, while heading from Ostend to Dover. The fire was quickly extinguished without any reported injuries nor casualties, but she had some damage to her wiring. She was repaired and returned to service two weeks later. The HENGIST seen right after having collided with the CANABAL off the port of Calais in 1980. Picture taken by Nigel Thornton, published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . Things seemed to be going normally for the HENGIST and for her company in the early 1980s, as the ship completed her first decade of operations and continued to provide excellent service on the Boulogne-Folkestone line. However, in 1984, Sealink was privatised, following its sale from the British Government to the British conglomerate Sea Containers. The ships that had been operated by British Rail thus started to operate for a new company that began trading as Sealink British Ferries, and they therefore changed their liveries, thus abandoning the dark blue hull for an all-white hull. The HENGIST and the HORSA continued to operate on the Boulogne-Folkestone line, while the SENLAC, which had been laid-up for two years due to various strikes performed by her crew (due to disagreements between British Railways and SNCF), was placed under the full control of SNCF, which operated the ships serving on the Dieppe-Newhaven line under the new Sealink Dieppe Ferries brandname. She returned to the Dieppe-Newhaven line in 1985, and had a brief spell on the Irish Sea under the Irish company B&I Line in 1987, before sold to the Greek company Ventouris Sea Lines later in that same year. The HENGIST underwent a major refit in 1985 in Dunkirk, during which her aft bridge was removed and her indoor areas were renovated. This conversion was also undertaken by the HORSA in 1986. She continued to operate successfully throughout the summers of 1985 and of 1986. However, the year 1987 was an unsuccessful one for the ferry. Indeed, a few days after the ferry HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE of rival operator Townsend Thoresen sank, the HENGIST collided with a trawler in Boulogne, which resulted in the latter’s sinking, and also in the tragic death of 3 fishermen that were part of the trawler's crew. Furthermore, six months later, the ship was a victim of the Great Storm of 1987, when she grounded off near Folkestone, due to rough weathers and due to losing her electrical power. She was forced to beach at the Warren Beach (near Folkestone) after being struck by a large wave. She remained there for a week, until she was finally salvaged and towed to Dover, and then to Tilbury in order to be repaired. She returned to service only four months later, in January 1988, resuming her operations on the Boulogne-Folkestone line alongside the HORSA. In 1989 she notably underwent her refit in Bremerhaven in Germany. The HENGIST seen on the Channel in 1984, shortly after changing her livery following the sale of Sealink to Sea Containers. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The HENGIST seen on the Channel in 1985, with her company’s new name now being written on both sides of her hull. This year marked her return to service following her major refit, where you can note the removal of the aft bridge. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . One of the career lowlights of the HENGIST, as she is seen grounded off in the Warren Beach in 1987, after being struck by a large wave during the Great Storm of 1987. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.hhvferry.com . The HENGIST seen as she is seen grounded off in the Warren Beach in 1987, after being struck by a large wave during the Great Storm of 1987. This picture shows the successful salvaging operation which helped bring the ship back to the sea. Picture taken by Nigel Thornton and published on www.hhvferry.com . The late 1980s were not a successful period for the Channel ferry service. Indeed, the disaster of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE and the highly-anticipated completion of the Channel Tunnel contributed to the decrease of popularity of the ferry operations in the area. Furthermore, Sealink British Ferries faced a new dangerous competitor. Indeed, that was P&O European Ferries, the successor of Townsend Thoresen, which introduced two newly-built ferries on the Calais-Dover line in 1987, namely the PRIDE OF CALAIS and the PRIDE OF DOVER, which heavily favoured freight service, and were therefore preferred to the more classic ferries of Sealink British Ferries. The company therefore lost an important amount of profit over these years, despite being the sole operators on some services, including on the Boulogne-Folkestone line. For the 1990 season, the HENGIST was joined by the younger ferry ST ANSELM (previously operating on the Calais-Dover line since 1980), which later went on to become the BARI of Greek company Ventouris Ferries when she was bought by them in 2010, while the HORSA was deployed on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea. However, this change lasted for just a season, as ST ANSELM was withdrawn from the service and was moved to the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line, while the HORSA retuned to replace her on the Boulogne-Folkestone line. In late 1990, following a hostile takeover attempt, Sea Containers decided to sell Sealink British Ferries to the Swedish giants Stena Line, thus creating a new company called Sealink Stena Line (later renamed Stena Sealink Line in 1992). This resulted in all ferries receiving the 'STENA' prefix in their respective names, hence the HENGIST and the HORSA were renamed STENA HENGIST and STENA HORSA, respectively. Both ships continued to operate on the Boulogne-Folkestone line until the end of 1991, when the service was discontinued by their company. The ships quickly disappeared from the plans of Stena Line, and they were therefore listed for sale for the first time in their careers. At the same time, their sister ship, namely the ex-SENLAC, now operating as the APOLLON EXPRESS for Ventouris Sea Lines, had become the most successful ferry on the Cyclades, becoming the jewel of the demanding Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Due to her success, Greek companies sought to acquire her sister ships, which were now deemed to surplus requirements. The HORSA remained laid-up in Milford Haven. The HENGIST spent her final days under Sealink Stena Line on the Irish Sea and on the North Channel during the winter of 1991-1992, operating on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line and on the Stranraer-Larne line, respectively, in order to replace her fleetmates that were undergoing their winter refits. Finally, in March 1992, her sale to the Greek company GA Ferries was officially announced, thereby marking the end of her career on the Channel after 20 very successful years. The STENA HENGIST seen on the Channel, during the summer of 1991, which turned out to be the ship’s last summer in the area, before leaving for Greece. Picture taken by Fotoflite and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The STENA HENGIST seen in Folkestone in 1991 alongside her sister ship, the HORSA, prior to her name change to STENA HORSA. This year turned out to be the final one for both ships on the Boulogne-Folkestone line, as the line was discontinued in 1992, with both ferries’ futures being temporarily in doubt. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . GA Ferries was a company established by the Greek shipowner Gerasimos Agoudimos in 1988. His initials made-up the company’s name. He quickly emerged as one the leading forces of the Greek coastal service in only his first year, operating the successfully-converted Japanese-built ferries, the MILENA and the DALIANA, on the Cyclades, the Northeast Aegean Sea, Crete and the Dodecanese. He further strengthened his company by adding three more ferries in 1989 and in 1990. These were the DIMITRA (a former fleetmate of the STENA HENGIST when they both operated under Sealink, for whom she operated as the AILSA PRINCESS from 1971 to 1985 and then as the EARL HAROLD from 1985 to 1989, mainly on the Stranraer-Larne line on the North Channel and on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea), and another pair of converted second-hand Japanese-built ferries, namely the RODANTHI (which became the company’s flagship) and the MARINA (which only entered service in 1994, after four years of conversion in Perama). The STENA HENGIST therefore became the sixth member of the fleet of GA Ferries. She arrived in Greece in April 1992, and she began a conversion in Perama (during which her stern was largely modified, this being highlighted by the addition of outdoor passenger decks), and changed her port of registry from London to Piraeus. She was renamed ROMILDA, which is not a common Greek name, but rather a combination of the first letters of her three fleetmates' names ( RO DANTHI, MIL ENA and DA LIANA). At the same time, the STENA HORSA was also bought by a shipowner named Agoudimos, although it was not by Gerasimos, but by his brother Dimitris, known as the owner of the company Agoudimos Lines. The ship also underwent a conversion that was similar to that of her sister ship (although her lower stern deck was covered by an indoor passenger area) and she was renamed PENELOPE A (named after Dimitris Agoudimos’ daughter, Penelope). She replaced the elder ferry KAPETAN ALEXANDROS (previously the DORIC FERRY of the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company and then of Townsend Thoresen) on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she was met with universal acclaim, and she would go on to become one of the greatest ferries in the history of Greek coastal service. During her debut season she also extended her service to Paros, Naxos, the Lesser Cyclades and Amorgos. Going back to the ROMILDA, the latter’s conversion ended right in time before the high season began, and she was deployed on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Amorgos-Patmos-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Karpathos-Kasos-Siteia-Milos line. It was a long and difficult lifeline, but this did not prevent the ship from being very successful during her first year in Greek waters. Her large size and modern amenities impressed the Dodecanese residents, while passengers heading to Paros and Naxos noted her similarities with the APOLLON EXPRESS. During the season, she notably collaborated with the DALIANA, which operated on a similar service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion-Kasos-Karpathos-Rhodes line (which she also repeated in 1993). Although her service contributed to an overall successful 1992 season for GA Ferries, she was surprisingly sold the following year to another Greek company (which has already been mentioned several times in this post), namely Ventouris Sea Lines. One of the most unique pictures in the history of the Greek coastal service. This the ROMILDA that has just arrived in Piraeus for the first time. As you can see, the conversion has not started and the ship still had her previous Sealink British Ferries all-white livery, though her new name and her new flag were already introduced. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published in 2001 to the shipping magazine 'Argo', as well as on www.doverferryhotosforums.co.uk . The ROMILDA seen shortly before entering service with GA Ferries, during the final stages of her conversion in Perama. Her stern was fully upgraded, with the addition of several outdoor sun decks. Picture taken by Rod Seville and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . A brochure advertising the itinerary schedule of the ROMILDA for the 1992 summer season. The islands of Paros, Patmos, Kalymnos, Kos, Rhodes, Naxos, Nisyros, Tilos and Symi are mentioned, although the other destinations served by the ship, such as Amorgos, Milos, Siteia and especially Kasos and Karapthos are not mentioned at all. Her company also promotes the ship’s luxurious cabins (featuring A/Cs), comfortable lounge areas, bars and her multi-decked garage. The company then proceeds to presenting a high-quality service that is friendly to passengers. And indeed, the ROMILDA made sure to keep their promises. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The ROMILDA seen sailing on the Aegean Sea during the summer of 1992, which marked her first season in Greece and under GA Ferries. Picture taken by Niles Wegener and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The ROMILDA departed the fleet of GA Ferries in 1993. She was subsequently replaced by another former Channel ferry, namely the FREE ENTERPRISE VIII of Townsend Thoresen and later of the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY of P&O European Ferries (therefore a former competitor). The ship was converted in Perama and went on to become the second ship to be named ROMILDA. She remained with the company until 2011, when she was sold for scrap following the bankruptcy of GA Ferries in 2009. Now it is time to introduce the new owners of the ROMILDA. Indeed, Ventouris Sea Lines was among the most famous companies in the Greek coastal service during the early 1990s. Its roots go back to 1975, when a ferry company was founded by the Kimolos-native Konstantinos Ventouris, a well-known self-made shipowner who established himself by operating cargo vessels before deciding to enter the Greek coastal service. Along with his four sons, he bought the small passenger ship AGIOS GEORGIOS, which began service in 1976 on the Western Cyclades. The ship immediately made a great impact and gave the company significant exposure across the Aegean Sea. In 1978, the family bought the ferry KONINGIN WILHELMINA of Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland, which was initially renamed CAPETAN KONSTANTINOS, and was introduced on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 1980. She was then renamed PANAGIA TINOU in 1981, and she went on to have a legendary spell on the aforementioned line. The success of the vessel led the Ventouris family in making significant new acquisitions in the early 1980s. Indeed, in 1980, the company, which had began trading as Ventouris Ferries, bought the ex-FREE ENTERPRISE I of Townsend Thoresen, converted her in Perama and introduced her in 1980 on the Western Cyclades as the KIMOLOS. The latter also went on to become largely successful, and therefore the company bought the former Regie voor Maritiem Transport ferry ROI BAUDOUIN in 1983. Initially renamed GEORGIOS B, she was converted in Perama and she entered service on the Cyclades as the legendary GEORGIOS EXPRESS, considered by many to be the greatest ship in the history of the Greek coastal service (although the PANAGIA TINOU-the original one-is also a major candidate regarding that debate). In 1984, they also began operating on the Adriatic Sea, having bought two former Sealink ferries, namely the PATRA EXPRESS (the ex-ST GEORGE of British Railways) and the BARI EXPRESS (the ex-PRINCESSE ASTRID of Regie voor Maritiem Transport, and the sister ship of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS). However, in 1986 the Ventouris family split into two groups following disagreements between the four Ventouris brothers as their father retired from the coastal service sector. The two oldest sons formed the two subsequent companies: the new company Ventouris Sea Lines was founded by Evangelos Ventouris (along with his younger brother Antonis), while Ventouris Ferries continued under Georgios Ventouris (along with his younger brother Apostolos). The result of this was the transfer of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS and of the KIMOLOS to Ventouris Sea Lines, while Ventouris Ferries would continue to operate solely on the Adriatic Sea with the PATRA EXPRESS and the BARI EXPRESS (although the company later resumed service on the Cyclades) as well as the newly-acquired ATHENS EXPRESS (later renamed ATHENS in 2003, scrapped in 2010). Just a year later, the Ventouris family experienced a further split, as Apostolos Ventouris went on to found the company AK Ventouris (later known as C-Link Ferries from 2002 to 2007), which took over the ownership of the PANAGIA TINOU. That same year, Ventouris Sea Lines bought the ex-SENLAC, which became the APOLLON EXPRESS and successfully entered service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 1988. Moreover, in 1987 they bought the Ro-Ro carrier ATLAS I (formerly known as the CERDIC FERRY of the Atlantic Steam Navigation Company and later of Townsend Thoresen) of the Greek company Libra Maritime, which was successfully converted into a conventional ferry and entered service as the SIFNOS EXPRESS, operating on the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese. In 1990, Ventouris Sea Lines further cemented their presence on the Cyclades by buying the PANAGIA TINOU from AK Ventouris. They kept her on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she remained very successful. Evangelos Ventouris saw his company becoming one of the leading forces of the Greek coastal service in 1992, thanks to the KIMOLOS (which was renamed ERGINA in 1993), the SIFNOS EXPRESS, the PANAGIA TINOU, the APOLLON EXPRESS and the GEORGIOS EXPRESS. He therefore sought to further strengthen his power by acquiring the ROMILDA in order to double the itineraries on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, as the latter ferry was a sister ship of the very successful APOLLON EXPRESS. As she was reunited with her sister ship, the ROMILDA was renamed APOLLON EXPRESS 2, while the APOLLON EXPRESS became the APOLLON EXPRESS 1. After a short refit, she began to operate on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line during the summer of 1993. Despite the high demands of that line and despite being a sort of a shadow compared to her sister ship, the APOLLON EXPRESS 2 was successful enough to satisfy her owners. The company also acquired the ferry MOBY LOVE of the Italian company Moby Lines (which was previously known as the PRINCE PHILIPPE under Regie voor Maritiem Transport, hence a former fleetmate of the APOLLON EXPRESS 2 through Sealink) and renamed her PANAGIA TINOU 2, therefore forming one of the greatest fleets ever assembled in the history of the Greek coastal service. The APOLLON EXPRESS 2 spent two summers on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, before being deployed on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line in 1995, thus connecting the Western Cyclades with Crete and the Dodecanese (with the latter islands being among her destinations when she operated as the ROMILDA). The APOLLON EXPRESS 2 preparing to maneuver in Piraeus after returning from the Cyclades Islands in 1993, during her first summer under Ventouris Sea Lines. Picture taken by Bernd Crause and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The APOLLON EXPRESS 2 leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Cyclades in 1994. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . The great APOLLON EXPRESS 2 seen maneuvering in the port of Piraeus in 1994, during her second year under Ventouris Sea Lines and third overall season in Greece. Picture taken by Bernd Crause and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . Everything seemed to go well until the end of the year 1995, when it was discovered that Ventouris Sea Lines was actually under severe economic difficulties, with huge debts that could not be repaid. This was primarily due to the high costs of the conversion that the PANAGIA TINOU 2 underwent, as well as due to the Greek stock market crash during that same year. Therefore, Evangelos Ventouris was forced to end his operations, and Ventouris Sea Lines collapsed, with all ships being laid-up in the port of Piraeus. The only exceptions were the ERGINA and the SIFNOS EXPRESS. The former had been sold earlier that year to the company Ventouris Lines (founded by Antonis Ventouris who had split from the partnership with Evangelos and had began operating his own company on the Saronic Gulf, coincidentally also going defunct in late 1995), while the latter was sold to AK Ventouris in 1994 and began operating on the Adriatic Sea as the IGOUMENITSA EXPRESS. The remaining ships spent the winter of 1995-1996 abandoned in Greece’s main port (with only the PANAGIA TINOU 2 making a few trips during the summer of 1996 on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Astypalaia line), but by 1997 they had all found a new owner. Another historical picture. It dates from approximately late 1995 to early 1996, the period during which the APOLLON EXPRESS 2 and the rest of her Ventouris Sea Lines fleetmates were all laid-up following their company’s bankruptcy. Behind the APOLLON EXPRESS 2, you can see her sister ship, the APOLLON EXPRESS 1. Next to her (on the port side) is her former Sealink fleetmate, the PANAGIA TINOU 2. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . Following a large auction that was held for all the laid-up ferries of Ventouris Sea Lines, four different operators emerged in order to improve their fleet. The PANAGIA TINOU (which had been renamed ARTEMIS in 1994) was sold to Minoan Cruises, where she continued her service as a one-day cruise ship operating on the Heraklion-Santorini line, on which she was already operating under VSL beginning in 1994, until she was retired in 2001 and she was sold for scrap. The GEORGIOS EXPRESS resumed service in 1999 with another Ventouris subsidiary named Agios Georgios Ferries, also operating until 2001, before being laid-up in Elefsina for the next eight years, being sold for scrap in 2009. The remaining ships were split into two different companies sharing the same name. Indeed, these were Agapitos Lines and Agapitos Express Ferries, which were both operated by members of the Agapitos family. These two companies used to be united under the company known as Agapitos Brothers, from 1965 until 1992. After initially operating landing craft on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in the late 1960s, they became very successful on the Aegean Sea, first by deploying the small ferry KYKLADES (later the EXPRESS EVOÏKOS of Agapitos Express Ferries, then the METHODIA of Ventouris Lines, before later becoming the EXPRESS DANAE of Agapitos Express Ferries and Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins on the Saronic Gulf) in 1972, followed by the AGAPITOS I (the ex-ST PATRICK of Sealink) in 1973 and the legendary AIGAION (the ex-ARTEVELDE of Regie voor Maritiem Transport) in 1976. The company continued to thrive during the 1980s, operating the small ferry NEREUS from 1981 to 1989 (previously the POLHEM of the Swedish company Gotlandstrafiken) on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese, as well as the CORFU SEA (later the EXPRESS KARYSTOS of DD Ferries from 1996 to 2004) and the CORFU DIAMOND on the Adriatic Sea. The NEREUS sadly ran aground in Crete in 1989, and she was scrapped on the spot after being declared a constructive total loss. In 1988 and in 1989, respectively, the company acquired two French-built sister ships that were operating under the Greek company Stability Lines. These were the NAÏAS II which was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, and the GOLDEN VERGINA which was inserted on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Samos line in 1990, after initially serving the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Agios Nikolaos-Sitieia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline from 1989 to 1990. The company further strengthened its operations in 1990, buying the ex-EARL GRANVILLE of Sealink and deploying her on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line as the EXPRESS OLYMPIA. In 1992, the two Agapitos brothers, Ioannis and Vassilis, decided to operate two new companies. Indeed, Vassilis and his son Antonis kept most of the fleet of the original company and renamed it Agapitos Lines, while Ioannis together with his son Kostas created the company Agapitos Express Ferries, to which the AIGAION and the EXPRESS OLYMPIA were transferred, alongside the KYKLADES in 1993. That same company then managed to acquire the APOLLON EXPRESS 1 in 1996 and the PANAGIA TINOU 2 in 1997, renaming them EXPRESS APOLLON and EXPRESS ATHINA, respectively, and bringing them back to service on the Cyclades. Despite the split, Agapitos Lines continued its rapid expansion, buying the DIMITRA from GA Ferries in 1995, and introducing her on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line as the NAÏAS EXPRESS. The following year, the company acquired two more ships, namely the ferry KRITI of ANEK Lines, which was renamed SUPER NAÏAS, and the APOLLON EXPRESS 2. The company renamed her PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI, which is the name of Our Lady of Paros, or 'Our Lady of One Hundred Gates', considered to be the patron protector of the island of Paros. It is also the name of the largest church in the island. With a new company and a new name, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI returned to service during the summer of 1996. She notably reunited with her former Sealink and GA Ferries fleetmate, namely the DIMITRA, which was now operating as the NAÏAS EXPRESS. The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI went on to take the latter ferry's service on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, while the NAÏAS EXPRESS was transferred to the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Astypalaia line. The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI therefore returned to the same service that she had been performing under Ventouris Sea Lines from 1993 to 1994. She operated in tandem with the SUPER NAÏAS, which was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini-Astypalaia line and became the flagship of the company. The service of the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLUANI was extremely successful, despite a few engine troubles, and Agapitos Lines continued to be one of the most dominant companies on the Cyclades. The tandem with the far larger SUPER NAÏAS proved to be effective, despite the latter's rough initial start on the demanding line that she was serving. Overall, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI was particularly appreciated by the residents of Paros, and she managed to compete very well against her sister ship and former fleetmate, namely the EXPRESS APOLLON (which was operating under Agapitos Express Ferries), as well as against ships operated by other rival companies, including her former owners GA Ferries, Minoan Lines and Arkadia Lines. The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen in 1996, while undergoing her change in livery after having been transferred from Ventouris Sea Lines to Agapitos Lines. This was just a few days before she returned to the Cyclades after having been laid-up since late 1995. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . An aerial view of the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI while she sails on the Cyclades in 1996, during her first summer under Agapitos Lines. Picture taken by Giannis Kouroupis and published on www.naviearmatori.net . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen entering the port of Piraeus during the summer of 1997, during her second year under Agapitos Lines. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI approaching the port of Paros during the summer of 1997. While remaining successful throughout her spell under Agapitos Lines and being appreciated by all passengers traveling to the Cyclades, she became particularly revered by the residents of Paros, being one of their all-time favourite ferries. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen on the Saronic Gulf in 1997 or 1998, as she heads for the Cyclades Islands. In the background you can see the city of Athens and its vicinity. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen departing the port of Piraeus during the summer of 1998. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published on www.hhvferry.com . With the glorious 1990s coming to an end and with the Greek coastal service transitioning to the 21st century, everything seemed to go very well for the ferry. Indeed, Agapitos Lines was being very successful, largely thanks to the services of the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI, as well as the good services provided by the NAÏAS EXPRESS or the SUPER NAÏAS, with the latter in particular beginning to win over more and more passengers as her operations kept becoming better, despite her initial rough start. The company had largely benefited from the collapse of Ventouris Sea Lines and the sinking of one of the best ships of the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, namely the POSEIDON EXPRESS of Arkadia Lines, in 1996. For the 1999 season, Agapitos Lines sought to capitalise on that success by ordering their first-ever high speed craft, namely the high speed catamaran SEA SPEED 1, which was built in the United Kingdom. She was supposed to be deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, but her entry to service was blocked by technical problems and Greek authorities failing to give her the relevant safety certificates. Nevertheless, the company kept thriving thanks to its conventional ferries. However, in the end of the year 1999, Agapitos Lines abruptly ceased operations, as they became one of the many companies that were acquired by the Greek giants Minoan Flying Dolphins, better known today as the predecessor of Hellenic Seaways. It was created in late 1998, when Minoan Lines agreed to create a new company that would absolve the operations of the popular company Ceres Flying Dolphins, which had been operating a fleet of 30 hydrofoils and two high speed catamarans. The company began trading as Minoan Flying Dolphins, which was a portmanteau of Minoan Lines and Ceres Flying Dolphins, and also took over the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 1 of Minoan Lines (built in 1996, she had been operating on the Cyclades under Minoan Lines beginning in 1997), followed by her fleetmate, namely the FEDRA. But the new company's growth did not stop there. Indeed, its charismatic manager, Pantelis Sfinias, sought to create a monopoly on the Aegean Sea by buying almost all ships operating on the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese, the Northeast Aegean Sea, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf, with most of them being owned by traditional shipping families. Combined with the upcoming deliveries of three newly-built high speed ferries (namely the HIGHSPEED 2, the HIGHSPEED 3 and the HIGHSPEED 4 ) in 2000, Sfinias managed to buy all the ferries and high speed craft from Agapitos Lines, Agapitos Express Ferries (and their Ro-Ro carrier division on the Adriatic Sea called Express Sea Trailers), Nomicos Lines, Arkadia Lines, Lindos Lines, all but one from Goutos Lines, the domestic ferries of Ventouris Ferries and Agoudimos Lines, as well as the Saronic Gulf companies Lefakis Shipping, Poseidon Consortium Shipping, Maltezos Shipping and Akouriki Shipping Company. This resulted in the formation of a fleet of unprecedented size, with a total of 77 ships. This included 27 conventional ferries, 4 Ro-Ro carriers, 8 landing craft, 30 hydrofoils, 4 high speed ferries and 4 high speed catamarans. With these acquisitions, Minoan Flying Dolphins became the new leading force of the Greek coastal service, with only GA Ferries (the former owners of the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI, who actually almost joined Minoan Flying Dolphins as well, but eventually did not), NEL Lines, ANEK Lines, LANE Lines (known as LANE Sea Lines since 2006), DANE Sea Line and Strintzis Lines (which went on to become Blue Star Ferries after being acquired by Attica Group in 2000) being able to resist them. The company divided the fleet into four different operators, based on the region where they would be operating. The high speed craft all operated under the core Minoan Flying Dolphins division, while ferries operating on the Cyclades, on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the Dodecanese, as well as the Ro-Ro carriers sailing on the Adriatic Sea, would be operated by Hellas Ferries. The ferries operating on the Saronic Gulf and on the Sporades were transferred to the Saronikos Ferries and Sporades Ferries divisions, respectively. As she was a ferry coming from the Cyclades, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI and all her Agapitos Lines fleetmates joined the Hellas Ferries division. Agapitos Lines abandoned the Greek coastal service altogether, having sold all their ferries on the Aegean Sea to Minoan Flying Dolphins, while also selling their three landing craft that were operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Ahead of the 2000 season, Minoan Flying Dolphins implemented a naming policy that was applied to almost all its ferries, which carried on the one introduced by Agapitos Express Ferries, with that being the use of the prefix 'EXPRESS' and adding the name of a figure from the Greek mythology, a name similar to the one a ship held under her previous ownership or the name of a Greek location. As such, the NAÏAS II became the EXPRESS NAÏAS, the NAÏAS EXPRESS was renamed EXPRESS ADONIS, the GOLDEN VERGINA became the EXPRESS SAMINA, while the SUPER NAÏAS changed her name to become the EXPRESS ARIS. The SEA SPEED 1, which had never sailed for Agapitos Lines, became the FLYINGCAT 4 and she joined the 'Flyingcat' brandname together with the FLYINGCAT 1 (which had started her career with that name under Ceres Flying Dolphins in 1991), the FLYINGCAT 2 (previously the FLYING DOLPHIN 2000 of Ceres Flying Dolphins, delivered to them in 1998) and the FLYINGCAT 3 (previously the ATHINA 2004/SUPERCAT ATHINA of Goutos Lines, delivered to them in 1998). As for the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI, she was renamed EXPRESS ARTEMIS (being named after the Greek Goddess of the moon and of the hunt, and the twin sister of Apollon). The name change was negatively received by the Paros residents, who had worshiped the ship when she was named PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI. It is also unpopular for ferries bearing a name related to the Greek Orthodox Church (such as a Saint, Our Lady, or a relic or a symbolic Christian place of worship) to change their names within Greece, with this act being frequently assimilated with bad luck. Nevertheless, the ship reunited with her former Ventouris Sea Lines (and also Sealink) fleetmate and sister ship, namely the EXPRESS APOLLON, but also with her other sister ship and former Boulogne-Folkestone line partner, namely the PENELOPE A, which was renamed EXPRESS PENELOPE and continued to operate on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. She also reunited with many other former Sealink fleetmates, such as the EXPRESS MILOS (the ex-VORTIGERN of Sealink and the ex-MILOS EXPRESS of Lindos Lines), the EXPRESS APHRODITE (previously the ST COLUMBA of Sealink, and owned by Agapitos Express Ferries from 1997 to 1999), the EXPRESS HERMES (previously operating under Agapitos Express Ferries, and formerly the PRINCESSE ASTRID of Sealink under Regie voor Maritiem Transport, and also the BARI EXPRESS of Ventouris Ferries), the EXPRESS OLYMPIA (previously the EARL GRANVILLE of Sealink, and then owned by Agapitos Lines and later by Agapitos Express Ferries from 1992 to 1999), and the EXPRESS SANTORINI (the ex-CHARTRES of Sealink under SNCF, also owned previously by Agapitos Express Ferries from 1993 to 1999). She also reunited with her former fleetmate under Ventouris Sea Lines, namely the PANAGIA TINOU 2, which had become the EXPRESS ATHINA of Agapitos Express Ferries. Most of the ferries that sailed under the Hellas Ferries division continued to operate on the services on which they were previously operating under their previous owners, with only a few exceptions. This included the EXPRESS ARIS, which was sent to operate on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea. The EXPRESS ARTEMIS spent her first season with her new owners on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line on the Cyclades, which was a service that was similar to the one that she had performed under Agapitos Lines. She was joined in this service by the EXPRESS POSEIDON (previously her competitor, as she was the POSEIDON EXPRESS 2 of Arkadia Lines). Therefore, both ships provided an additional itinerary to the core Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, which was served by the EXPRESS APOLLON and the EXPRESS SANTORINI. They all operated successfully, and, along with the four recently-built 'Highspeeds', contributed to a reliable service on the Cyclades. There was very little competition during that year, as Minoan Flying Dolphins had absorbed almost all main companies serving the Cyclades, although Blue Star Ferries (the successor of Strintzis Lines) became a main threat after deploying the newly-built BLUE STAR ITHAKI, which was at the time the most modern day ferry of the Aegean Sea, on the Rafina-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The EXPRESS ARTEMIS seen docked in Piraeus, during her debut season under Minoan Flying Dolphins and the Hellas Ferries division during the summer of 2000. She was now sailing under her fourth different owner in Greece, as well as her fourth different name since arriving on the Aegean Sea in 1992. Picture taken by Peter Fitzpatrick and published on www.wikipedia.org . Despite operating as a monopoly and having the largest fleet on the Aegean Sea, the year 2000 ended on a disastrous note for Minoan Flying Dolphins. Indeed, the EXPRESS SAMINA (the ex-GOLDEN VERGINA of Agapitos Lines), tragically sank in Paros on 26 September 2000, resulting in the loss of 81 people . The entire population of Greece was shocked by the events, and the sinking became one of the biggest maritime tragedies in the history of the Greek coastal service. Just two days later, the EXPRESS ARTEMIS herself nearly found trouble, as she suffered a blackout in Naxos, while carrying more than 1,000 passengers. As a result of this, all ships were arrested on a national scale, with many of them being laid-up until they would meet safety requirements. The EXPRESS ARTEMIS was cleared to sail again, but many of her fleetmates were forced to end their services on a permanent basis, such as the EXPRESS NAÏAS. Minoan Flying Dolphins was seriously hit by all these events, becoming the centre of much criticism due to having undergone poor refits on their older ferries. Moreover, several of them did not meet the main safety standards that are required in order to sail. With the mounting negativity and public outcry, the final straw for Minoan Flying Dolphins came when Pantelis Sfinias committed suicide by jumping from the rooftop of the company’s office building in Piraeus. Despite all the chaos, the company continued to be active and was ready to redeem itself for the 2001 season. In that same year, the EXPRESS ARTEMIS was renamed PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI once again (following the protests made by the residents of Paros, and also because her previous name was believed to have superstitiously contributed to bad luck). She was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi line, hence replacing the EXPRESS ADONIS which was sent to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Her previous service was mainly covered by the EXPRESS ARIS, which had an uneventful spell on the Adriatic Sea. In 2002 her company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins, in an attempt to make the public forget about the name Minoan Flying Dolphins, which had been significantly damaged as a result of the EXPRESS SAMINA disaster. That same year, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI moved to the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini line. Despite providing good service overall, her company was underperforming. With a tarnished reputation and an aging fleet, Hellas Flying Dolphins began to lose its momentum as well as a large amount of passengers. They were unable to match the competition and the standards of Blue Star Ferries, which was experiencing a rapid growth and had deployed two newly-built ferries that went on to become a massive success on the Cyclades in 2002, namely the sister ships BLUE STAR NAXOS and BLUE STAR PAROS . They also failed to break the dominance of NEL Lines on the Northeast Aegean Sea, as the latter company continued to provide services of high quality on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Altogether, Hellas Flying Dolphins only saw success from its core division, which included the 'Highspeeds' and the 'Flyingcats'. On the contrary, the conventional ferries were not maintained nor upgraded, and soon this began to to reflect itself upon the services that the ships started to provide from late 2001 onwards. Most of the successful ferries of the 1990s were now marred by technical issues, and their indoor amenities began to look outdated next to those of the newly-built ferries. Aiming to focus more on the good services of the high speed craft, Hellas Flying Dolphins began to withdraw much of its older tonnage. The EXPRESS HERMES and the EXPRESS ARIS were laid-up in 2002, and they were sold for scrap in 2003 and in 2004, respectively. The EXPRESS NAÏAS, the sister ship of the doomed EXPRESS SAMINA, was also sold for scrap in 2003. Many older hydrofoils that had entered service under Ceres Flying Dolphins were also sold for demolition. Furthermore, three ferries operating under the Sporades Ferries division were sold to smaller Greek ferry operators in 2002, while the EXPRESS MILOS left the company and the Western Cyclades in 2003, after having been sold to Saos Ferries. That same company also acquired the Ro-Ro carrier STAR TRAILER in 2003, renaming her PANAGIA KRIMNIOTISSA. Amidst the decline of the company's fleet, the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi line in 2003. She therefore provided continued service on the only line that continued to be prioritised by Hellas Flying Dolphins, operating alongside the EXPRESS SANTORINI and the EXPRESS POSEIDON, whose service quality was starting to diminish. The EXPRESS ARTEMIS returning to Piraeus following a trip on the Cyclades, shortly after the sinking of her fleetmate, namely the EXPRESS SAMINA, and shortly before she changed her name again to PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI. Picture taken by Ted Blank and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI docked in Piraeus during the summer of 2001, which was her first summer operating under the name that she bore during her spell with Agapitos Lines. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shipspotting.com . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen leaving the port of Santorini during the summer of 2001, which marked her first season after reacquiring the name which made her famous on the Cyclades under Agapitos Lines. Picture taken by Brian Fisher and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen sailing on the Saronic Gulf, on her way back to Piraeus, in 2002. This was shortly before Minoan Flying Dolphins was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.nautilia.gr . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen docked in Piraeus during the summer of 2003. She was now featuring the updated livery of Hellas Flying Dolphins under the Hellas Ferries division. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen sailing towards Paros during the summer of 2003, in what was yet another busy season for her on the Cyclades. Picture published on www.commons.wikimedia.org . As the poor ferry services and the economic troubles of Hellas Flying Dolphins were becoming more significant, the company decided to shift towards a modernisation of the fleet. More older ships were sold for scrap or withdrawn from service, such as the Ro-Ro carrier SEA TRAILER in 2003. The company instead decided to order one new high speed ferry, namely the HIGHSPEED 5 (known as the HIGHSPEED 7 since 2016) and the two cruiseferries NISSOS MYKONOS and NISSOS CHIOS between 2005 and 2007, respectively. Aiming to save costs and to dispose themselves of the older tonnage, Hellas Flying Dolphins made the shocking decision to sell two of its most successful ferries, namely the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI and the EXPRESS PENELOPE, to their former owners, who were initially believed to have ended their services on the Aegean Sea, but were actually looking to return to their past glorious days during the 1990s. The sales were both completed just before the start of the 2004 season, at relatively low prices, with the two then-32-year-old ferries switching owners once again. The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI was sold to a reformed Ventouris Sea Lines (which had been inactive since 1996), while the EXPRESS PENELOPE was sold back to Agoudimos Lines, hence becoming the PENELOPE A once again. As for Ventouris Sea Lines, it seemed that Evangelos Ventouris had managed to repay his debts and was now in a healthy financial position to make investments in the Greek coastal service once again. He therefore bought the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI, which he had previously owned from 1993 to 1996 as the APOLLON EXPRESS 2. This time, however, the ship became known as the AGIOS GEORGIOS (the Greek translation for Saint George), which was the name of the first-ever ship bought by the Ventouris family, back in 1976. This was made in order to symbolise the company’s brand new start and quest for a success similar to the one that it had experienced during the 1980s and the 1990s. The PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI seen in Drapetsona in 2004, during the final refit that she would undergo with Hellas Ferries, as she would then go on to join Ventouris Sea Lines for the second time in her career. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shipsotting.com . The AGIOS GEORGIOS was fully refitted in Drapetsona, and she entered service on the Rafina-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini line for the 2004 season. Under a huge matter of coincidence, this season marked the first time that all three ships of the Apollon Trio operated together from the same port (despite all now operating under different owners), as the EXPRESS APOLLON (still operated by Hellas Ferries) was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line to compete with the PENELOPE A. Therefore, all three ferries were seen together in Rafina for one lone season, as the AGIOS GEORGIOS and the EXPRESS APOLLON moved back to Piraeus in 2005. The 2004 season was a great success for the AGIOS GEORGIOS, as she managed to perform extremely well against her former owners, namely Hellas Flying Dolphins, whose ships continued to be provide low-quality services. On the contrary, under the rejuvenated Ventouris Sea Lines, the ship was in a much better condition and her indoor and outdoor areas were much cleaner and warmer compared to how they were during the last two seasons that she spent under Hellas Flying Dolphins. Ultimately, her sale and that of the EXPRESS PENELOPE to direct competitors proved to be a terrible mistake committed by the company, as both ships outperformed their services on the Cyclades, and they were then placed at a higher market value than that under which they were sold in 2004. This further damaged the ferry service of Hellas Flying Dolphins on the Cyclades, and they did not repeat this mistake in 2005, when the company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways. They instead sold the EXPRESS OLYMPIA and the EXPRESS POSEIDON for scrap in 2005, while the EXPRESS ADONIS was sold in 2006 to the Indian company Samudera Ferry Shipping & Cruise Service, for whom she sailed for 4 years until she was scrapped in 2010. The three ships of the Apollon Trio together in Rafina during the summer of 2004. The AGIOS GEORGIOS is the one on the right corner. Next to the PENELOPE A is the EXPRESS APHRODITE of Hellas Ferries, also a former Sealink fleetmate (previously known as the ST COLUMBA) of the AGIOS GEORGIOS. Picture taken by Tasos Papanastasiou and published on www.hhvferry.com . The three Apollon Trio members together in Rafina in 2004. These are the EXPRESS APOLLON, the PENELOPE A and the AGIOS GEORGIOS. The latter two were now competing against their former Hellas Ferries fleetmate, the EXPRESS APOLLON. Picture taken by Tasos Papanastasiou and published on www.hhvferry.com . The AGIOS GEORGIOS leaving the port of Syros, in 2004, during in her first summer under Ventouris Sea Lines since 1996. Picture taken by Dieter Pots and published on www.shipspotting.com . After a good season on the Rafina-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini line, the ship was transferred to the line on which she would go on to operate for the next ten consecutive seasons (the most ever in her career in Greece). Indeed, in 2005, Ventouris Sea Lines decided to deploy her on the Western Cyclades, namely on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, a highly demanding service with many ports that have insufficient and underdeveloped infrastructure which makes berthing particularly hard, especially under poor weather conditions. Fortunately, the Western Cyclades were not new to the ship, as she had previously operated there with Ventouris Sea Lines exactly ten years prior, back in 1995. She successfully competed against her former company, namely Hellas Flying Dolphins (which at the time became the company that is now known as Hellenic Seaways) and against new entrants such as Aegean Speed Lines. The latter, partly-owned at the time by Sea Containers (the former owners of Sealink British Ferries), operated the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER I (now the HIGHSPEED JET of Sea Jets), which was coincidentally registered in the former port of call of the AGIOS GEORGIOS, namely Folkestone, and previously had a stint on the Boulogne-Folkestone line from 1994 to 1998. In 2006, after the EXPRESS APHRODITE (which had been operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line during the 2005 season) was not reactivated and subsequently left the fleet of Hellenic Seaways, the AGIOS GEORGIOS became the only conventional ferry operating on the Western Cyclades, along with the ships of GA Ferries (her former owners). Her full-year service made her popular amongst Western Cyclades residents, despite her advanced age. She successfully competed against the ROMILDA of GA Ferries (the ship that had replaced her back in 1993 and which had taken the same name as the first one that the AGIOS GEORGIOS had upon arriving in Greece), the HIGHSPEED 1of Hellenic Seaways and the new high speed monohull ferry of Aegean Speed Lines, namely the SPEEDRUNNER II, for the 2007 season and the 2008 season. In 2009, she underwent a major refit in Perama, during which her indoor areas were upgraded, with more comfortable lounges and better lighting, in addition to more modern cabins. In that same year, following the departure of GA Ferries from the area following their economic issues, Ventouris Sea Lines saw the arrival of a new conventional ferry, namely the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries , which was a successfully-converted Japanese-built ferry that immediately destabilised the dominance of the AGIOS GEORGIOS on the Western Cyclades. Nevertheless, her company resisted the competition, and, in 2010, Ventouris Sea Lines and Zante Ferries established a joint venture which became known as Cyclades Ferries. The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen docked in Piraeus during the summer of 2005, which marked her second consecutive season with Ventouris Sea Lines following her return to the company, and during her first season on the Western Cyclades since 1995. The company's name was rewritten on both sides of her hull following the completion of the 2004 season. Picture taken by Lucas Latreche and published on www.shipspotting.com . The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Folegandros in 2006, during her second consecutive season on the Western Cyclades lifeline. Picture taken by Georgios Gavalas and published on www.nautilia.gr . The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Sifnos during the summer of 2008. Picture taken by Dinos Lemonis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen leaving the port of the beautiful island of Sifnos during the summer of 2008. Picture taken by Dinos Lemonis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . At the same time, the sister ships of the AGIOS GEORGIOS would experience different paths, as the PENELOPE A continued to be the most dominant ferry in Rafina, along with the SUPERFERRY II of Blue Star Ferries and the newly-introduced THEOLOGOS P of Fast Ferries . The EXPRESS APOLLON, however, began to show signs of fatigue. Indeed, in 2005 (while being the only ship of the Apollon Trio to operate for Hellenic Seaways), she suffered a major engine failure in Samos. She was removed from her company’s plans in 2006, and in 2007 she was sold to the Greek company European Seaways for service on the Adriatic Sea. She was renamed APOLLON, and was deployed on the Zakynthos-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line during the summer of 2007, before moving to the Bari-Durrës line in 2009. She was finally scrapped in 2010, at the age of 37, thereby becoming the first ship of the trio to end her career. The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen departing the port of Piraeus in order to perform her long trip to the Western Cyclades Islands, during the summer of 2010. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shipspotting.com . In 2012, the AGIOS GEORGIOS celebrated forty years since she began service as the HENGIST of Sealink back in 1972. Even as the Greek financial crisis had started to hit the Greek coastal service, there seemed to be no obstacle to the ferry’s services, and many believed that she would be able to operate for another ten years. However, by 2014, all these beliefs began to fade away. The ship, despite being well refitted in 2013 and in 2014, unfairly became the victim of criticism by residents of the Western Cyclades, who were calling for a younger ship to replace her. Their negative comments unfortunately resulted in the ship having to leave the area after 10 full seasons. The Western Cyclades have since been served by Zante Ferries throughout the entire year, and also by Aegean Speed Lines and Sea Jets during the summer. The only picture I have of the ship under the name AGIOS GEORGIOS (the only one that was saved prior to my 2014 computer crash). She is seen in Piraeus during the summer of 2013, awaiting her departure for the Western Cyclades. The AGIOS GEORGIOS seen in Piraeus in 2014, during her final season operating on the Western Cyclades and under that name, which she bore for 11 years, the most out of her 6 different names that she had in Greece. Picture taken by Georgios Koutsoukis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The AGIOS GEORGIOS left her service on the Western Cyclades at the end of 2014, and her departure also marked the end of the Cyclades Ferries joint venture. The ship surprisingly obtained a license in order to operate on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line for the summer of 2015. It was a line on which the ship had never operated before, and she seemed to be an ideal replacement for her sister ship, the PENELOPE A, which had been arrested by her crew in 2013, and, following the financial collapse of Agoudimos Lines, had left Rafina for further lay-up in the Elefsina Bay in 2014. Just a few days after the license was obtained, and despite the ship’s crew reportedly threatening a strike due to alleged unpaid wages, the AGIOS GEORGIOS began preparation in order to operate on her new line. She was renamed for the seventh and final time in Greece, this time taking the name of PANAGIA TINOU, which had been the name of two of her former fleetmates during the glory days of Ventouris Sea Lines during the 1980s and the 1990s. The ship therefore seemed to be prepared to return to regular service on the Cyclades once again. The PANAGIA TINOU in January 2015, just a few days after changing her name. Picture published on www.ellinikiaktoploia.net . In early 2015, the PANAGIA TINOU was chartered for two months by the company LANE Sea Lines in order to replace their ship, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS , which had temporarily left the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline in order to cover the service left by the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line, as the latter was due to undergo her annual refit. The PANAGIA TINOU therefore operated on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline for the first time in her career. However, after just a month, the ship’s crew officially launched a strike, and the ferry was laid-up in Piraeus. The plans to bring her to Rafina were canceled. She was completely abandoned by Evangelos Ventouris, who seemed to provide a version of his former self dating from 1995, when he experienced the first collapse of Ventouris Sea Lines. The second one, however, had become permanent. After not being paid for more than 10 months, the desperate crew added a banner on the ship’s stern, which said, in Greek: 'We are hungry. We have not received our salaries in more than 10 months'. Finally, in June 2015, the ship was seized by the Piraeus Port Authority. Also, on a much sadder note, the ship’s most famous captain, Cpt Nikolaos Sardis, tragically passed away in September 2015. He had been the ship’s Master from 2004 to 2013, and had been a loyal crew member under Ventouris Sea Lines. The PANAGIA TINOU spent the entire 2015 season abandoned in Piraeus, and as the months would pass by, the chances of her returning to service became more and more slim. After years of being among the most popular and acclaimed ships in Piraeus, now the port’s residents were calling for her to leave permanently, as she was docked in a dangerous area that was also disturbing the ships of ANEK Lines and of Blue Star Ferries that operate on the Piraeus-Chania line, as they would be docking right next to her by performing more difficult maneuvering procedures. My first picture of the ship as the PANAGIA TINOU, as she is seen laid-up in Piraeus during the summer of 2015. The legendary PANAGIA TINOU laid-up in Piraeus in 2015, while awaiting her fate. The PANAGIA TINOU seen in Piraeus in 2015. The PANAGIA TINOU being completely abandoned in Greece's main port, during the summer of 2015. The PANAGIA TINOU left completely in the dark in 2015, as this picture suggests. The PANAGIA TINOU seen in the port of Piraeus in 2015, which had become a permanent lay-up spot for her. The PANAGIA TINOU in Piraeus in 2015, still seen proudly carrying the legendary logo of Ventouris Sea Lines on her bow, even if the company had collapsed once again. The helpless PANAGIA TINOU seen laid-up in the port of Piraeus in 2015. My last picture of the PANAGIA TINOU prior to her partial sinking. It was taken in August 2015. On 26 April 2016, after more than a year of lay-up in Piraeus, the worst moment in the ship’s history-a moment that was far worse than her grounding in the Warren Beach in 1987-occurred on the exact same spot where she had been remaining abandoned. As she did not undergo any maintenance in over two years, her hull softly cracked, which resulted in the flooding of the lower decks, which led her to being capsized inside the port of Piraeus. The entire Greek coastal service world was shocked by this terrible event. However, little changes were made, and no one from either Ventouris Sea Lines, the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy and the Piraeus Port Authority took the initiative to remove her from the port as soon as possible. As a result of this, she spent the entire summer of 2016 being partly submerged, with many tourists pointing at her and condemning her, which made Greece’s most important port look like an underdeveloped port, despite the country being the most powerful commercial shipping nation in the entire world. My first picture of the PANAGIA TINOU for the summer of 2016, as she is seen under a miserable condition in Piraeus. The once-acclaimed PANAGIA TINOU now abandoned in Piraeus during the summer of 2016, and giving a terrible impression to both Greek and foreign passengers. The PANAGIA TINOU left completely helpless in the port of Piraeus, during the summer fo 2016. The PANAGIA TINOU awaits her end in Piraeus, during the summer of 2016. The PANAGIA TINOU remaining capsized in Piraeus, during the summer of 2016. The PANAGIA TINOU along with the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines, a ferry that was once a competitor on the Channel (as she was owned by Townsend Thoresen and later by P&O European Ferries) and, just like the PANAGIA TINOU, had the chance to celebrate her fortieth year of service, in 2016. She operates on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos line, the last line on which the PANAGIA TINOU operated during the start of 2015. And this is officially my last-ever picture of the ship, as she remains capsized in Piraeus in 2016. I was almost certain that she would not remain in Greece for long. So, just like the JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries , I waved by hand at her in order to give her an honourable and respectable goodbye, which she certainly deserved. It was only in early 2017 that the Piraeus Port Authority or the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy considered it useful to remove the ship from Piraeus. The ship began to be salvaged in February 2017 by the Greek company Antipollution ANE. After four weeks of work, the ship was back afloat. Her sale to the Turkish scrapyard of Aliağa was subsequently announced. Finally, on 21 March 2017, the PANAGIA TINOU, once the HENGIST of Folkestone, once the ROMILDA of Kasos and Karpathos, once the APOLLON EXPRESS 2 of Santorini, once the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI of Paros, and once the AGIOS GEORGIOS of the Western Cyclades, now aged 45, finally made her first trip in almost two years. However, this trip would also happen be the last one of her legendary career. On this day, many people who knew the ship shared their farewells either through pictures or through social media. It was the chance for the ship to leave on a high note, after having received constant unfair criticism from 2014 to 2016, and for everyone to remember the great ship that was deeply appreciated by the Greeks, and especially the ones living on the Cyclades. The last official picture of the PANAGIA TINOU in the port of Piraeus, as she leaves Greece for the scrapyards of Aliağa. Though this pictures shows the decrepit condition under which she had been throughout her partial sinking in Piraeus, she at least leaves the port on a high note, being able to stand afloat again as she makes her final voyage. She therefore leaves Piraeus and the Greek seas with dignity and honour. Picture taken by Georgios Gbidis and published on www.shipspotting.com . So this marks the official end of the great HENGIST/STENA HENGIST/ROMILDA/APOLLON EXPRESS 2/PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI/EXPRESS ARTEMIS/PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI/AGIOS GEORGIOS/PANAGIA TINOU, after 45 years of service, with 20 of them being spent on the British Channel, and 25 of them on the Aegean Sea. She has now followed her sister ship, the APOLLON EXPRESS/EXPRESS APOLLON, and both of them now belong to History, having been major ships that contributed heavily to the development of the Greek coastal service. Today, only the PENELOPE A is the remaining living member of this spectacular trio, although she could also be nearing the end soon, and only a miracle would be necessary to see her operating in Greek waters again. The PANAGIA TINOU undoubtedly leaves a legacy in the Greek coastal service, symbolising her companies’ glorious 1990s eras, and providing constant and efficient service in almost all Aegean Sea Islands throughout 25 years. She operated for some of the most historic companies of the Greek coastal service, became one of the most acclaimed ferries of the Cyclades, and, despite unstable ownerships and operations, became a legend on the Aegean Sea. Even as she became older and new ferries began to be deployed, she never lost her ground and provided very good service for her companies. Her stability during her second spell under Ventouris Sea Lines and on the Western Cyclades was a testament of that, as she not only managed to beat off competition from a company that previously owned her (namely Hellas Flying Dolphins), but also cemented her presence there by becoming the most beloved ship on the line, after perhaps the MILOS EXPRESS of Lindos Lines (later the EXPRESS MILOS of Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins). Moreover, she managed to be one of the few vessels of the 1990s generation that remained in a great condition even after being over 30 years old, in contrast to many ships that stayed under Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and whose condition and service began to deteriorate by the mid 2000s. Ultimately, it was only the Greek financial crisis that affected her company, which led to her sad demise. Regardless of this, she remains a legendary ferry of the Cyclades. I unfortunately never got the chance to travel with her, and I was also unable to see her and photograph her during her best years. I only had pictures of her during her most miserable years, as the summers of 2015 and 2016 are the ones everyone should forget about the ship, although I do however have a picture of her while she was still sailing as the AGIOS GEORGIOS back in 2013. Altogether, everyone should remember the period from 1992 to 2014, when the Greek seas had a jewel sailing over them. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, AGIOS GEORGIOS/PANAGIA TINOU, the names under which I got to know you, I would like to thank you for your unique, acclaimed and dignified contribution to the Greek coastal service. #panagiatinou #agiosgeorgios #apollonexpress2 #ventourissealines #romilda #gaferries #panagiaekatontapyliani #agapitoslines #expressartemis #minoanflyingdolphins #hellasflyingdolphins #hellasferries #aegean #cyclades #dodecanese #crete #piraeus #greece #farewell #scrap #legend #extratribute

Between my previous blog post dedicated to the port of Kyllini published eight months ago and my first visit of that same port for the 2016 summer season five months ago, there were many changes in terms of the area's infrastructure. These were so substantial that the port, which is one of the most important ones on the Ionian Sea as it serves as the main ferry connection of the islands of Zakynthos and Kefalonia (and occasionally Ithaca) with mainland Greece, looked entirely different compared to July 2015, back when I took the pictures that were shown in my subsequent blog post published in April 2016. The main change which affected Kyllini's overall picture is the fact that new ticket offices were introduced at the entrance of the port, replacing the kiosks that I had showed you in my previous blog post, which were located right next to the ferry dock. These kiosks had been in the port at least since the first time I remembered having contact with the Greek coastal service, back in 2003 . They have now been demolished, without leaving any remains. However, the new ticket offices are much bigger and much more modern. There were two tenants for these ticket offices, namely the Ionian Group joint venture (which was established in 2015) and the company Kefalonian Lines (which was established in 2013). The two competitors had their ticket offices right next to each other, which offers passengers the opportunity to choose either operator. Overall, I was pleased with the port's new features, as the ticket offices were much more colourful and stylish compared to the old and basic kiosks. My only concern was that the ticket offices were right next to the port's entrance gate, therefore increasing car and truck traffic in the area. I personally think that the port's new infrastructure was made in order to better accommodate passengers regarding the selection of the operator that would bring them either to Kefalonia or Zakynthos. Indeed, Ionian Group, which is the joint venture between the companies Levante Ferries and Zante Ferries (which are both based in Zakynthos), was formed in the middle of the summer of 2015, replacing the Ionian Ferries joint venture which had included Zante Ferries and Tyrogalas Ferries. This happened right after the latter sold its flagship, namely the IONIAN STAR , to Levante Ferries, who were spending their first summer in the Greek coastal service then. With only two competitors remaining (namely the Ionian Group joint venture and Kefalonian Lines) in Kyllini, both with modern and reliable ferries, I think it was a good idea to create these new ticket offices. One of the two sections of the new port ticket offices, which is entirely dedicated to the Ionian Group joint venture and its two member companies, namely Levante Ferries (which was established in 2012) and Zante Ferries (which was established in 1991). As Levante Ferries has more control in the joint venture (more ships and more awards than Zante Ferries), their area is painted in the latter's main colours, which are yellow and black. Flags promoting the joint venture are also present, with them featuring yellow and black as well. In the back section of the ticket office (and technically at the port's vehicle entrance), a banner promoting Ionian Group is showing the two most recent ships that had started operations on the Ionian Sea. The first is Levante Ferries' first ferry, namely the flagship FIOR DI LEVANTE , which began operating two years ago. After a spectacular conversion in China, the ship has since been the most acclaimed ferry on the Ionian Sea thanks to her supermodern and impressive indoor and outdoor areas. She was so successful that she managed to remove two ships from the area (namely the IONIS-then operating for Tyrogalas Ferries- and the ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries , which were transferred to the Aegean Sea) and, subsequently, a traditional company which had been operating in Zakynthos for 42 years (following the sale of the IONIAN STAR), namely Tyrogalas Ferries. But the success did not only stop there. Indeed, in the spring of 2016, the ship was given the 'The Best Ferry in the World' award for the year 2015 by Shippax, which is the highest award given to a ferry on an international scale. Levante Ferries proudly presents the award's picture below the ship in the banner, while also labeling it as 'The Most Beautiful Shipferry in the World' and making the reference to the award with an asterisk. Under the FIOR DI LEVANTE, the company has a picture of its most recent acquisition, namely the chartered high speed craft SPEEDRUNNER III, owned by Aegean Speed Lines , which was used only for the 2016 summer season on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, which Ionian Group had reactivated in 2015 after almost two years of inactivity (Ionian Ferries had abandoned the line in 2013, one year after replacing the Kefalonia-based company Strintzis Ferries which had ceased operations in late 2012). The high speed craft became the first ship of her type since the JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries (which had been sold for scrap earlier this year after 8 years of lay-up in Piraeus) in 2001 to operate on that line. The five-month charter proved to be successful, and it also helped Ionian Group to maintain their three conventional ferries in their Kyllini-based services, unlike in 2015 when the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries was sent to operate there. However, this will be the only season for the SPEEDRUNNER III with Levante Ferries, as next year she will return to her familiar Aegean Sea service on the Western Cyclades under her owners, in order to replace her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the SPEEDRUNNER IV , which was recently sold to Golden Star Ferries, which is based in Andros on the Cyclades. Therefore, the future of the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line is currently in doubt, but Ionian Group has promised to continue operating there. In the banner, the ship was rightfully labeled as 'the fastest speedferry on the Ionian Sea', as she was the only high speed ferry in the area in 2016 (and more generally, the first high speed ferry to have operated there since the JET FERRY 1 last did back in 2001). A closer view of the section of the ticket office which is dedicated to the Ionian Group joint venture. Above the office desks, the logos of Zante Ferries and Levante Ferries are seen respectively on the left side and the right side of the area, while the logo of Ionian Group is separating them in the middle. Right underneath, the joint venture's destinations (namely Zakynthos, Kefalonia and Ithaca) are mentioned. Although the SPEEDRUNNER III did not operate in Kyllini, passengers had the chance to get tickets for the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line in this ticket office as well. On the left side of the offices there was another sign, this time representing the entire fleet of the Ionian Group joint venture for the 2016 summer season, which was composed of three ships operating for Levante Ferries and one ship operating for Zante Ferries. On the top is the flagship of Levante Ferries, namely FIOR DI LEVANTE (she is also, technically, the flagship of Ionian Group), right below her is the MARE DI LEVANTE (the ex-IONIAN STAR, which was bought in 2015 from Tyrogalas Ferries and which was spending her first summer under her new name), followed by the SPEEDRUNNER III (which has now left the joint venture since her charter ended), and by the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS , which is the only Zante Ferries-owned ship still operating on the Ionian Sea (the company's two other ferries, namely the ANDREAS KALVOS and the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS , both operate on the Western Cyclades). Among the four ships, she is also the one with the most experience on the Ionian Sea, as she has been operating there since 1999. She is followed by her former Shikoku Chuo Ferry fleetmate (back when the two ships were operating in Japan together, serving on the Osaka-Kobe-Kawanoe-Niihama line), namely the MARE DI LEVANTE, which has been on the Ionian Sea since 2003. The joint venture's website is also mentioned at the bottom of the sign. On the other side of the ticket offices, one can find the competitors of Ionian Group, namely Kefalonian Lines. Owned by the Lykoudis family, the company began operations in 2013 after buying the KEFALONIA from Strintzis Ferries. The legendary ferry became the NISSOS KEFALONIA and she has since been operating out of Kyllini. Apart from that ship, the company also operates another Ionian Sea veteran, namely the conventional ferry ZAKYNTHOS I , which has been chartered from ANEZ since 2014. The company serves the islands of Kefalonia and Zakynthos (the latter since late 2013), and for the 2016 season, each ship had an exclusive island to operate in. Indeed, the NISSOS KEFALONIA operated in her namesake island, as did the ZAKYNTHOS I with her namesake line. In 2014 and in 2015, both ships were operating on both islands (while the NISSOS KEFALONIA also operated in Ithaca). In this picture, we can see that the ticket office is, just like it was the case with Ionian Group, dominated by the company's main colours, namely dark blue and white, and its logo (the two wings forming the company's first initial as well as the geographic shape of the island of Kefalonia), although the walls are built with some horizontal shelves giving a wave-like impression, which I thought was pretty original. As I looked towards the docks, I saw that the amazing FIOR DI LEVANTE had just entered the port and that she was preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure. The FIOR DI LEVANTE, the flagship of Levante Ferries, seen during her second summer operating on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She is a true jewel not only for the Ionian Sea, but for the Greek coastal service altogether. In the meantime, her competitor, namely the ZAKYNTHOS I, was already docked as she was preparing to depart for Zakynthos (she was the ferry on which I traveled that day, but more details will be revealed in next month's blog post) . A picture showing two ships from completely different generations. Indeed, the 43-year-old ZAKYNTHOS I watches the 18-year-old FIOR DI LEVANTE about to dock next to her in Kyllini. The ZAKYNTHOS I seen during her third consecutive summer operating for Kefalonian Lines. She had been originally chartered for two years, beginning in 2014, but earlier this year the charter was extended by 6 more years, therefore ending in 2022 (although it is very possible that it will be renewed before that year, assuming the vessel remains seaworthy despite her advanced age). The ZAKYNTHOS I resting as she sees the FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen maneuvering in Kyllini. The beautiful FIOR DI LEVANTE maneuvering in Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE maneuvering in Kyllini. As it is now known, the ship's hull insignia include, apart from her company's name and website, the 11880 and vrisko.gr labels, which are respectively the telephone service company and information website that the owner of Levante Ferries, namely Georgios Theodosis, also manages. The logo of Kefalonian Lines seen occupying the funnel of the ZAKYNTHOS I. This was the first summer that the ship spent without the printing of the map of the island of Zakynthos in her funnel, which she had while operating for ANEZ (since beginning service in Greece in 1990) and during her first two years with her current operators (in this case, the logo Kefalonian Lines had been printed in a much smaller size below the Zakynthos logo). The FIOR DI LEVANTE undergoing her maneuvering procedure. The FIOR DI LEVANTE almost completing her maneuvering procedure in Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE completing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE having just finished her maneuvering procedure and now ready to dock in Kyllini. The stern of the FIOR DI LEVANTE seen as she prepares to make contact with the port's pier. The FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to dock in Kyllini. Recently, the ship operated for about a month on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line for the first time in her career, thereby replacing the SPEEDRUNNER III whose charter had ended. Later she headed to Piraeus for her annual refit, undergoing her first-ever annual drydock in Greece in November of 2016. The great FIOR DI LEVANTE preparing to dock in Kyllini. Right next to the vehicle area was an unattended truck container which had a picture which could be interpreted as unusual in Kyllini, as the company it is representing does not have any connection with the port. Indeed, the container has an advertisement banner of the famous Greek company Superfast Ferries, which is one of the two members of Attica Group (along with Blue Star Ferries), and which operates four ships on both the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea (whereupon it serves Cyclades and the Dodecanese). The banner promotes the company's 20 years of operations, which were celebrated last year (as it began operations in 1995). On the left side of the banner, the company states that it promises that it will set sail for the next 20 years, while the two countries it is serving (namely Greece and Italy) are also mentioned. A picture of the company's flagship, namely the SUPERFAST XII , is dominating the middle section of the container. Built in 2002 in Germany, this fantastic ferry has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line since 2015. The beautiful FIOR DI LEVANTE as she is seen docking in Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE progressively heading towards her docking spot Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen once more, as she has almost docked in Kyllini. One of the few buildings that remained unchanged in the port. This is the small church of Agios Nikoalos in Kyllini, standing right next to one of the port's lighthouses. The church is there for symbolic purposes, as Agios Nikolaos is the patron Saint of all seafarers. Interesting picture, right? These are the remains of one of the previous ticket kiosks. This is one more precisely was the one that was lastly occupied by Kefalonian Lines. Here, you can see that local visitors are still looking to buy tickets there ;). As I mentioned it above, I was pretty satisfied with the upgraded port of Kyllini, as the new ticket offices are much more modern, much more spacious, and much more beautiful than the previous ones, despite being right at the port's entrance and therefore causing a bit of traffic. Since the port is served by reliable ships, I think the port authority and the companies did a good job in creating good-looking ticket offices as well. They are also there to remind locals that the competition between the two main operators on the Ionian Sea remains big, as both the Ionian Group joint venture and Levante Ferries seek to outperform each other, and both have tried to increase their market share in all three islands that they are serving. Both Levante Ferries and Kefalonian Lines are continuing their growth, and it will be interesting to see how their operations will evolve over next season as well as those that will follow. #kyllini #peloponnese #ileia #summer2016 #greece #ionian #zakynthos #kefalonia #ithaca #signs #agencies #ioniangroup #fiordilevante #maredilevante #speedrunneriii #levanteferries #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #zakynthosi #kefalonianlines #superfastferries #port

Following the amazing experience that I had back in 27 July 2019, when I went to Piraeus to witness the morning departures of numerous ships of the Greek coastal service , I decided to make this a tradition and to therefore go to Piraeus in the early morning at least once during each summer season. This event occurred on 14 August 2020, a day which eventually became very significant as I went on to spend a huge portion of it interacting with the Greek coastal service. Not only did I arrive in Piraeus at 06:30 in the morning and saw dozens of ships departing the port, but I also went on to travel to Salamina, visiting the latter's ports (Paloukia and Faneromeni), then traveled from Salamina to Megara and back, before heading from Salamina to Perama in order to then head home in Central Athens. Overall, I took more than 700 pictures of ships that day, which is without a doubt the most I have ever taken in my life so far. Thus, the next posts that will appear in the Blog will cover that unique day. As it was the case last year, I managed to find a day where I was free to go to Piraeus in order to take as many pictures as possible. Indeed, and you saw in the previous post, the vast majority of the departures for areas such as the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf occur between 06:40 and 08:00, 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 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 was the first part of an impressive and memorable day for me. In 2019, I had witnessed the departures of the different ships from the E2 gate, which is the docking spot for ships operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea, as well as for the ship of Minoan Lines that operates on the Piraeus-Chania line. In 2020, in order to have a different view, and in order to be closer to the port's exit, I decided to take pictures from the E1 gate, which is the docking spot for ships that are primarily operating on the Dodecanese. At around 06:50, I saw the first ship departing Piraeus. It was the BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries , which performs the very busy service which calls Paros, Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen departing the port of Piraeus at dawn. She operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line, on which she has been deployed since 2018. Built in 2002, the BLUE STAR NAXOS is one of the most successful ships of the Greek coastal service. Together with her sister ship, the BLUE STAR PAROS , she has cemented her company's presence on the Cyclades, which is where she has spent her entire career so far (while also serving Astypalaia which is on the Dodecanese). She has been praised for her fast and reliable service, and generally for being an essential ship for residents of the Lesser Cyclades, as she is the only ship to connect all these islands with Piraeus on a daily basis. Her impressive and comfortable indoor areas, as well as her famous outdoor sun decks, have made her one of the most impressive ships in Greece, making her appear like a newly-built ship even though she is now 18 years old. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen departing the port of Piraeus in the morning. 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. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, in what was her nineteenth summer under Blue Star Ferries. The BLUE STAR NAXOS about to exit the port of Piraeus. She has been connecting Piraeus with the Lesser Cyclades for many years, namely from 2002 to 2004, from 2007 to 2011, and since 2015. From 2015 to 2017 she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Amorgos-Santorini line, while from 2012 to 2014 she notably operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which is currently served by the BLUE STAR PAROS. Next to me was a ship that one usually does not find in the port of Piraeus. However, she went on to spend the entire summer season there as she was undergoing repairs. Indeed, this was the conventional ferry EKATERINI P of Fast Ferries , which was spending the summer of 2020 in Piraeus in order to continue the repair work on her engines, which had suffered a major engine failure right before the 2019 season, causing her to miss the latter. The beautiful EKATERINI P seen at dawn in Piraeus. Built in 1990 in Japan, she began her career there, as the the ROKKŌ MARU of Kansai Kisen, before she was bought in 1999 by the Greek company Fast Ferries. After being converted and being renamed EKATERINI P, she began operations on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where she went on to have a successful service. However, her company had further ambitions for the ship, and in 2012 she moved to the Aegean Sea, in order to provide additional service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line on the Cyclades, on which her fleetmate, the THEOLOGOS P, had become a successful ship since 2007. After a new conversion in Perama (during which her bow and her stern were considerably modified), she began serving the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line with much success. In 2016 she was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, where she also had an outstanding service. In front of me I saw two ships: one was docked, the other one was departing the port of Piraeus. Indeed, the ferry NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways was resting in Piraeus, whereas the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets was seen leaving the port. The impressive WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving the port of Piraeus at dawn. This was her second summer in Greece and under Sea Jets. After having a massively successful debut season in 2019 on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line on the Cyclades, she had another successful service in 2020, which she spent on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The NISSOS SAMOS docked in the port of Piraeus. This was her fifth summer under Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, after having been bought from Endeavor Lines in late 2015 (and also following a three-year-long lay-up in the port of Patras from 2012 to 2015), the ship was converted in Perama and began operations on the Aegean Sea in 2016. Her first season was on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, while in 2017 she had a very successful service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line on the Cyclades. Since 2018 she has been again operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea, as she is deployed on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She is the fastest passenger ship in Greece, and she further cemented her company's reputation on the Cyclades thanks to her impressive speed and her flawless service, with her so far not suffering any engine failures. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving the port of Piraeus, during her second season under Sea Jets. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus. She has had a very impressive résumé. Indeed, she was the fastest passenger ship in the world when she was completed in Australia in 2000 in order to enter service for the Danish company Bornholmer Færgen (formerly known as Bornholms Traffiken) as the VILLUM CLAUSEN. She also held the world record for the fastest-ever crossing made by a ship of her kind until 2013, when it was surpassed by the then-newly-built high speed ferry FRANCISCO of the Argentinian company Buquebus. Furthermore, following her first season in Greece, she won the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2019. She became the third Greek coastal service ship to win the much-coveted award, and the first one 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 the honour was the sister ship of the NISSOS CHIOS, the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways (which is now the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries, also since 2020) . A view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she is heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET, one of the most important assets of Sea Jets, leaving Piraeus in order to head towards Syros, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus and beginning to sail at full-speed. Behind the WORLDCHAMPION JET, the next ship that heading toward the exit of the port of Piraeus was one of her fleetmates, namely the small high speed catamaran SEA JET 2. The SEA JET 2 seen leaving Piraeus in the morning. Just like the WORLDCHAMPION JET, she was operating on the Cyclades. She spent the 2020 season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, which she served alongside her sister ship and fleetmate, the SUPER JET . The SEA JET 2 seen leaving the port of Piraeus. So far, the first three ships whose departures I witnessed that day (the BLUE STAR NAXOS, the WORLDCHAMPION JET and the SEA JET 2) had also been present when I did the morning visit in Piraeus back in 27 July 2019. The SEA JET 2 seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. She was built in 1998 in Norway for the Greek company Strintzis Lines, and began her career on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line as the MIRAGE. After having an average spell there, she was renamed SEA JET 2 and began operations on the Cyclades, where she has since gone to spend the bulk of her career. After serving the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line in 1999, her company was taken over by Attica Group, resulting in the creation of Blue Star Ferries. She and her sister ship, then known as the SEA JET 1, joined the Blue Star Jets division. The SEA JET 2 remained on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line until 2006, when she was bought by Sea Jets (which had also acquired the SEA JET 1 back in 2004, and renamed her SUPER JET). She operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line from 2006 to 2012. Since 2013 she has served the Western Cyclades and islands such as Santorini, Amorgos, Koufonisi, Naxos and Mykonos, while occasionally adding other islands along each summer season. The reliable SEA JET 2 seen leaving the port of Piraeus. For more than two decades she has been a major contributor to the coastal service of the Cyclades. The SEA JET 2 seen leaving Piraeus and heading towards the port's exit. The next ship that departed the port of Piraeus was a familiar face. Indeed, it was the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries . A view of the NISSOS SAMOS and of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS. Both ships were built in Japan (with the NISSOS SAMOS being two years older than the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS) and they began their careers there before being acquired by Greek companies. Moreover, both ships were previously serving the Ionian Sea. Indeed, the NISSOS SAMOS, back when she was operating for Endeavor Lines as the IONIAN QUEEN, would frequently stop by Kefalonia and Corfu (as well as Zakynthos in 2012) as part of her service on the Adriatic Sea, from Patras to Bari and Brindisi in Italy. As for the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, she operated on the Ionian Sea from 1999 to 2016, mainly on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line but also on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line and on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line (in 2013 and in 2015). Therefore, both ships have had an experience on the Ionian Sea before they moved to the Aegean Sea in 2016 and in 2017, respectively. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Piraeus. This was her fourth consecutive summer on the Aegean Sea. All of them have been spent on the Western Cyclades, where she was first introduced in 2017. After her successful spell on the Ionian Sea, and following the continuous excellent service provided by her fleetmate, namely the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS , on the Western Cyclades since 2009, Zante Ferries decided to deploy the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS there as well. She underwent a major conversion in Keratsini, with her bow being completely modified. In other words, she underwent a similar conversion to that of the EKATERINI P in 2012 (which also moved to the Aegean Sea after having previously operated on the Ionian Sea, in order to provide additional service to a line on the Cyclades which was being successfully served by one of her fleetmates). She began serving the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios line in 2017. Since 2019 she has been on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, which was also served by the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. The DIONISOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to begin her long journey along her lifeline. This year she was the only conventional ferry to operate on the Western Cyclades, as the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS moved to the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line, as she was chosen to cover the void left by the ships of Saos Ferries following the fiasco that Samothraki experienced during the summer of 2019. As a result of this, the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS was left with the difficult task of serving the line, its passengers and freight all by herself. Despite this, she had a very good season and she and her crew were widely praised for their reliability and hard work. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. When I went to witness the morning departure back in 27 July 2019, she and the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS were spotted while they were heading to the Western Cyclades. She was a notable part of my childhood, as I would frequently see her in Zakynthos, which is one of the two islands on which I go every summer. I also remember traveling with her multiple times. The last time was more than seven years ago, back on 9 July 2013, while heading from Kyllini to Zakynthos. A few days later she moved to the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line for the rest of that year's summer season. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She is named after the eponymous poet, who composed the Greek National Anthem, and who came from Zakynthos, the island where the ship's owners are based. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Right behind her was a ship whose destinations were much closer to Piraeus. That ship was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving the port of Piraeus, with her departure being the first one of the day for the ships serving the Saronic Gulf. Built in 1993, she has spent her entire career on the latter area, initially under the famed company Ceres Flying Dolphins, which was then taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. She continued to operate for that company, which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and was then rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX is one of the last three remaining hydrofoils operating for Hellenic Seaways. She is also the youngest active hydrofoil in all of Greece. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which was beginning to exit the port of Piraeus and sailing at full-speed in order to head towards Aegina. One last view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, right after she had exited the port of Piraeus. She was now heading towards Kythnos. The next ship that followed was the much-appreciated BLUE STAR DELOS of Blue Star Ferries , which was beginning her usual morning and early afternoon service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line. The NISSOS SAMOS seen alongside the BLUE STAR DELOS, which was leaving the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She was built in 2011 in South Korea for Blue Star Ferries, and is currently the company's second youngest ship. Since the beginning of her career, she has operated on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades (although she does not serve Ios during the summer), and her service has been hailed as one of the best in the history of the Greek coastal service. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. So far, I have traveled with her 3 times. The first time was on 23 July 2018 from Piraeus to Naxos , the second time was on 14 July 2019 from Santorini to Piraeus, while the third time was on 8 September 2020 from Naxos to Piraeus. The impressive BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head towards the Cyclades. Since 2015, she has been serving her destinations by leaving from Piraeus during the morning and arriving back to the latter late at night. The ship that would be operating the same service by leaving Piraeus in the late afternoon has been her sister ship and fleetmate, the BLUE STAR PATMOS , which leaves the Cyclades in the morning after having arrived there from Piraeus at night. The BLUE STAR DELOS leaving the port of Piraeus, in what was the tenth season of her young and successful career. The BLUE STAR DELOS about to exit the port of Piraeus. Just a few days ago she began a conversion in Perama, during which she will be equipped with the exhaust gas cleaning system (also known as 'scrubbers'), in order to comply with the sulphur limits imposed by the IMO. She will be the second ship of Blue Star Ferries to undergo this conversion, the first one having been the BLUE STAR PATMOS right before the start of the 2020 summer season. She is also the second ship of the Greek coastal service to undergo this conversion in Greece, with the first one having been her Attica Group collaborator, the SUPERFAST XI of Superfast Ferries, which also received scrubbers before the start of the 2020 summer season. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She is due to complete her conversion by late January 2021, if everything goes as planned. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving Piraeus during the morning, in order to head towards Paros, Naxos and Santorini. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen exiting the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR DELOS having just exited the port of Piraeus. After having seen only departures, now it was the time to see a ship arriving in the port of Piraeus. Just like last year, the first ship to arrive in the port was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins . The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having just entered the port of Piraeus, after having arrived from Aegina. Built in 1991, she was been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010. In the meantime, I saw the first conventional ferry of the Saronic Gulf that was departing the port of Piraeus for the day. It was the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which was heading to Aegina. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She was built in 1998 in Greece, as the second-ever double-ended ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career so far on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having arrived in the port of Piraeus. In her debut season under Aegean Flying Dolphins in 2010, she operated on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. After just one summer there, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line in 2011, and she has since remained on that service. Right behind the POSIDON HELLAS was the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines , which was also leaving the port of Piraeus in order to begin her daily service on the Western Cyclades. The POSIDON HELLAS seen during her twenty-third season on the Saronic Gulf. She initially began service in 1998 for Poseidon Consortium Shipping, before the latter was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. The ship thus joined that company's division based on the Saronic Gulf, which was known as Saronikos Ferries. She continued to operate for the company, which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. After 10 more years with the latter, the POSIDON HELLAS was sold to 2way Ferries in 2015, with that company coincidentally being owned by the Papaïoannidis family which used to own Poseidon Consortium Shipping, her first-ever owners. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having just entered the port of Piraeus, in what was her tenth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The POSIDON HELLAS and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, two Saronic Gulf veterans, seen together in the port of Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Since she was bought by 2way Ferries, I have traveled with her five times. The first time was on 16 August 2016 (thus this picture was taken two days shy of the fourth anniversary of that trip) from Aegina to Piraeus , the second and third time was on 21 July 2017 while going from Piraeus to Aegina and back , the fourth time was on 27 July 2019 from Agistri to Piraeus (with this being the first time that I had ever traveled with a ferry from Agistri), and the fifth time was four days after taking this picture, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina, on 18 August 2020. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus. This was her fourth consecutive season operating on the Western Cyclades, and her second summer in a row on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA meeting each other in Piraeus. Both high speed craft have companies that are named after the Aegean Sea. The POSIDON HELLAS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving Piraeus. She is the only ship that is currently owned by her company. A nice view of the Piraeus morning traffic on 14 August 2020. The NISSOS SAMOS is docked, while the BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries is following the SPEEDRUNNER III as they head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. In between in the cruise ship CELESTYAL OLYMPIA of the Greek-Cypriot company Celestyal Cruises (formerly known as Louis Cruises). The POSIDON HELLAS seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen following the POSIDON HELLAS. Built in 1999, she joined Aegean Speed Lines in 2009. She spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while in 2010 her service was extended to the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. She then spent the 2012 season under lay-up due to her company experiencing financial problems as a result of the Greek government debt crisis, but she returned to service in 2013 by being deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, which is her company's core area of service. In 2015 she was chartered to the Moroccan company Navline for service on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line, while the following year she was chartered to Levante Ferries, operating on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea. After her sister ship, the SPEEDRUNNER IV, was sold to Golden Star Ferries (for whom she operates as the SUPERRUNNER) , the SPEEDRUNNER III was re-introduced by Aegean Speed Lines, being inserted on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. In 2018 her service was restricted to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line, while in 2019 it was further restricted to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Serifos, Sifnos and Milos. Behind her was the sister ship and fleetmate of the BLUE STAR NAXOS, namely the BLUE STAR PAROS. Her departure was always after that of her sister ship. In 2020 she was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Another view of the POSIDON HELLAS while she exits the port of Piraeus, right after the BLUE STAR DELOS had already done so. The SPEEDRUNNER III leaving the port of Piraeus. I also traveled with her, back when I headed from Sifnos to Piraeus on 29 July 2017 . This was during her first season back with Aegean Speed Lines, after she had spent the summers of 2015 and 2016 on charter to other companies. The SPEEDRUNNER III heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in the morning. Just like the BLUE STAR NAXOS, she has been an acclaimed ship on the Cyclades, and her service continues to be praised despite her now being 18 years old. While she has mainly served the Cyclades, she has also operated on the Dodecanese lifeline (in 2016 and in 2017), as well as the Northeast Aegean Sea. Notably, during the 2018 and 2019 seasons, she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. The BLUE STAR PAROS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. I have also traveled with her, back when I headed from Mykonos to Piraeus on 20 June 2018 . She was the second ship of Blue Star Ferries on which I had traveled, after the BLUE STAR PATMOS. The BLUE STAR PAROS leaving Piraeus in order to head to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos. While the SPEEDRUNNER III was leaving the port of Piraeus, I noticed that the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels had entered the port, after having arrived from Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having just entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 1998, she had spent her entire career up until the end of the 2020 season on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The BLUE STAR PAROS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The small GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having entered the port of Piraeus. She serves the Piraeus-Salamina line for her company alongside her sister ship, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS . The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen in Piraeus, after having arrived from Salamina. The BLUE STAR PAROS about to exit the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II heading towards her docking spot. She was the first ship on which I traveled in order to head from Piraeus to Salamina, something which I did back on 3 July 2018 . The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Another view of the beautiful EKATERINI P, as she is seen docked in Piraeus. Barely a few minutes after having docked in Piraeus, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II was already seen leaving the port in order to head towards Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having departed the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Just behind her was the other ship whose morning arrival I had witnessed a few minutes before taking this picture. Indeed, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was also leaving Piraeus after having loaded her new passengers. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to Aegina and Agistri. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA beginning to sail at full-speed as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. The next ship to leave the port of Piraeus was one that I had seen for the first time a day before taking this picture. Indeed, it was the small high speed boat SEBECO of ANES Ferries , which was spending her first season on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line (serving the port of Souvala). The SEBECO seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Built in 2018 in Greece for ANES Ferries, she spent her first two summers on the Rhodes-Symi line on the Dodecanese. In 2020 she was deployed on the Saronic Gulf for the first time in her career, as she replaced her fleetmate, the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS , which has reportedly been sold to Aqua Vera NE. The SEBECO seen leaving Piraeus, during her first season on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line. The SEBECO seen leaving Piraeus. In 2019, a ship which also had her name and which was built in the same shipyard as her was operating on the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, it was the SEBECO II of Alko Ferries , which was built in 2019 (a year after the SEBECO) and was operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. She stayed there for just one season, as she moved to the Rhodes-Chalki line on the Dodecanese (where the SEBECO had previously been operating) in 2020. The SEBECO on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The SEBECO seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. When she began service on the Rhodes-Symi line in 2018, she became the first ship of ANES Ferries to be deployed on the Dodecanese since the 2012, back when her fleetmate, the PROTEUS, was operating there before moving to her successful service on the Sporades in 2013. The SEBECO about to exit the port of Piraeus. The SEBECO seen heading from Piraeus to Souvala in Aegina. After a few minutes, I decided to head towards the E8 gate in order to wait for the ship that would be taking me to Salamina. As I was in the E1 gate, I had to walk around the entire port, passing by the E2, E3, E4, E5, E6 and E7 gates. While I was at the E3 gate, I spotted the fleetmate of the SEBECO, the ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS , leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen leaving Piraeus, in what was her twentieth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina line. She was built in 1999 in Greece, beginning service on the Sporades as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU for the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company. In 2001 she moved to the Piraeus-Aegina line, and was renamed AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. She was then sold to ANES Ferries in 2007. While passing by the E4 and E5 gates, I could spot the high speed ferry HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways right in front of me. Right in front of the bow of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED was her fleetmate, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII . The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen in the port of Piraeus, in what was her first season with Hellenic Seaways since 2018. Indeed, in 2019, she was chartered to Fast Ferries in order to cover the service left by the EKATERINI P on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, following her major engine failure. Along with her return to Hellenic Seaways, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED also received her company's new livery, which was introduced on all its high speed craft after the advertising partnership with Cosmote ended. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED docked together in Piraeus. The former operates on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The latter was deployed, a few days after taking this picture, on the Dodecanese for the first time in her career, as she was inserted on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen in Piraeus with her new and beautiful livery. I had notably traveled with her exactly three years and a month before taking this picture, back when I headed from Ios to Piraeus on 14 July 2017 . The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, two high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways, seen together in Piraeus. On the other side, I went on to see a ship for the first time since 2014. Indeed, it was the ELYROS of ANEK Lines , which was spending her first summer in Greece since the latter year. As a result, I was finally able to see the ship again after more than six years. A view of the ELYROS, which is the flagship of ANEK Lines. She has been owned by them since 2007, and first began service for them in 2008, on the Piraeus-Chania line (the main service of the company). However, during the summers of 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 and 2019, the ship was chartered to the Algerian company Algérie Ferries for service on the Marseille-Oran line. In 2020 the charter did not take place, and therefore she remained under ANEK Lines on the Piraeus-Chania line. The ELYROS seen in Piraeus, during her first full summer under ANEK Lines since 2014. While she would spend the summer with Algérie Ferries from 2015 to 2019, she would still operate for ANEK Lines during the winter, usually on the Piraeus-Chania line. However, in recent years, she occasionally operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line and on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Venice line, in order to cover the service left by her fleetmate when they would be undergoing their annual refits. The large funnel of the ELYROS, whose current design was added during her conversion in Perama from 2007 to 2008. The original funnel is covered in by the yellow and black shield, and used to be triangular back when the ship was in Japan, before joining ANEK Lines. The current funnel has a similar design to those of her younger fleetmates, the OLYMPIC CHAMPION and the HELLENIC SPIRIT. As it is the case with all ships of the company, the funnel features the company's name and a map drawing of the island of Crete. The ELYROS was seen in Piraeus alongside her fleetmate, the KRITI II , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2015. The ELYROS seen in Piraeus. Upon her return on the Piraeus-Chania line, she replaced the EL. VENIZELOS , which had operated there from 2017 to 2019. The latter ship remained in Perama for the 2020 season. In 2015, the ELYROS had been replaced by the KRITI I and by the KYDON , which also operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2016 before she was chartered on a long-term contract to Ferries Del Caribe in 2017. The impressive ELYROS seen resting in the port of Piraeus. Another view of the ELYROS in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen resting in Piraeus. Built in 1984, she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. Just like the FYING DOLPHIN XXIX, she has operated under Ceres Flying Dolphins (1984-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002), Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005) and Hellenic Seaways (since 2005). I then saw another high speed craft owned by Hellenic Seaways: the HIGHSPEED 4 , which was docked in Piraeus. One of the two funnels of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, which were once again painted with a red background and with the three dolphins (the logo of Hellenic Seaways) coloured in white. Before that, back when the high speed craft were sponsored by Cosmote, their background was painted in white, whereas the dolphins were painted in red. However, following the new livery change, the funnels were reverted back to their Vodafone-era appearance. As I was heading towards the E8 gate, I noticed that the small passenger boat ELENA F of Elena F Shipping had arrived in Piraeus from Salamina. In front of me was the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line on the Saronic Gulf. And while I was looking at the E9 gate, I spotted the conventional ferry AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets, which operates under the Sea Jets Ferries division . Shortly after the arrival of the ELENA F, I noticed another ship having arrived in Piraeus. This was the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which had returned to the port after having departed from the Saronic Gulf destinations that she serves during the early morning. Besides the ACHAEOS was another one of her fleetmates, the APOLLON HELLAS . The PHIVOS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Built in 1980 in Spain, she was bought by the then-newly-established Greek company Nova Ferries in 2004, and, following a lengthy conversion in Drapetsona, she began service in 2005 as the PHIVOS on the Saronic Gulf. She initially served the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line until 2007, when her service was restricted to the Piraeus-Aegina line. Since 2014 she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, following the creation of the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which includes her owners and 2way Ferries). In front of the AQUA JEWEL was yet another high speed craft owned by Hellenic Seaways: the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 . She was spending her second consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In front of her I noticed the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which had returned to Piraeus after having served the Saronic Gulf in the early morning. The AQUA JEWEL seen in Piraeus. She was spending her first season on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, on which she began serving after taking over the subsidy contract previously held by the IONIS of Triton Ferries , which was inserted on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line on the Cyclades. Behind the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX was one of her fleetmates, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XIX . In what has been one of the most unexpected comeback stories of the past few years, she was operating for the first time in eight years. After beginning to serve the Saronic Gulf in 2004 (back when Hellenic Seaways was known as Hellas Flying Dolphins), she remained there until right before the start of the 2012 season, when her service abruptly ended following a major accident in the islet of Melopi, while sailing between Aegina and Agistri. She was salvaged and towed to Perama, whereupon she was declared a constructive total loss. As she was due to be retired the following year after having reached 30 years of service (as these were the restrictions at the time in Greece), she was removed from the fleet of Hellenic Seaways. She remained laid-up in Perama until she was unexpectedly given the chance to have a second career in 2019. Indeed, after her fleetmate and sister ship, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII , was completely destroyed by a fire and was scrapped in Perama , Hellenic Seaways sought to fill the void left by the latter by deciding to reactivate the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, despite her having been declared a constructive total loss. Following a huge refit, she was reactivated in 2020, entering service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line for the first time in eight years. I was also able to see the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was serving the Piraeu-Milos-Heraklion line. The KNOSSOS PALACE resting in Piraeus. She was built in 2000 in Italy for Minoan Lines, and has so far spent all 20 years of her career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Since 2018 she has also added the island of Milos to her itinerary, thus operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. I also saw another high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways: the FLYINGCAT 6 . She also operates on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen departing the port of Piraeus once again. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving Piraeus. In my opinion she looked very nice with the new livery that was introduced on all the high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus. Built in 2006 in Greece, she began her career on the Piraeus-Aegina line, where she stayed for just one season before moving to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. She stayed there until 2013, and in 2014 she returned to the Saronic Gulf, being introduced on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, where she has since been very successful. The ACHAEOS docked in Piraeus during her seventh consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf. She was notably the first ship on which I traveled for the 2020 season, as I headed with her from Piraeus to Aegina on 7 August 2020, hence a wee before taking this picture . The FLYINGCAT 6 seen in Piraeus. Built in 1997, she joined Hellenic Seaways in 2005. She began service on the Sporades, where she remained until 2013, when she moved to the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. She returned to the Sporades in 2014, but then spent the 2015 season and the 2016 season on the Saronic Gulf. After returning once more to the Sporades in 2017, since 2018 she has remained on the Saronic Gulf. A view of the HIGHSPEED 4, which has been a jewel of the Cyclades since she began service in 2000. I notably traveled with her on 29 July 2018, while traveling from Paros to Piraeus . The KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen in the port of Piraeus. Her success on the Saronic Gulf in 2014 led her owners to purchase the POSIDON HELLAS in 2015 from Hellenic Seaways, as well as the APOLLON HELLAS in 2016 (also from the same company), which was reintroduced on the Saronic Gulf in 2017 (after having been on the Sporades from 2014 to 2016). A view of the PHIVOS and of the ACHAEOS, which were two of the four ships operating under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The PHIVOS having docked in Piraeus, during her seventh consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The APOLLON HELLAS was then seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Just like the PHIVOS, she also operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus. Just a day before my visit in Piraeus, I had traveled onboard her, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus on 13 August 2020. This trip was particular, as it marked my first trip with the ship following her impressive refit prior to the summer, during which her indoor areas were upgraded and modernised to the extent that she appeared like a much younger ferry . The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus, in what was her fifth summer under 2way Ferries. She spent her debut season under the latter on the Sporades in 2016, on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, where she had also been operating in 2015 under her former owners, Hellenic Seaways. Since 2017 she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf, an area which she had also previously served from 1990 (the year during which she was built) to 1995 (the year during which she was sold to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company), and then from 1999 to 2013 (following her repatriation). In 2014 she operated on the Sporades for the first time, as she was deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line for that season. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen resting in Piraeus. Another view of the HIGHSPEED 4, which was also carrying the new livery introduced by Hellenic Seaways this year. A view of the FLYINGCAT 4, which was also carrying the new livery of Hellenic Seaways. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen behind her fleetmate. I also traveled with her last year, as I was heading from Spetses to Piraeus on 28 July 2019 . The FLYINGCAT 6 and the FLYINGCAT 4, two Hellenic Seaways high speed catamarans operating on the Saronic Gulf, seen resting in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 and the FLYINGCAT 4 were spotted alongside another one of their fleetmates, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, which was also seen departing the port of Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen resting in the port of Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen resting as well. Another view of the ACHAEOS in Piraeus. Towards the end of her spell on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, she had spent a year on charter to the Italian company Blunavy, being deployed on the Piombino-Elba line on the Tyrrhenian Sea from 2011 to 2012. The PHIVOS and the ACHAEOS seen together in Piraeus. A view of the AQUA JEWEL in Piraeus. Built in 2003, she has had a very eventful career. She spent the first 11 years of her life on the Cyclades, first with Alpha Ferries (2003-2010) and then under charter to NEL Lines (2010-2014). After being plagued by numerous engine failures in 2013 and in 2014, her charter ended and she returned to Alpha Ferries in 2015. The company repaired her and attempted to reactivate her on the Saronic Gulf and then on the Sporades, but she was ultimately sold to Sea Jets in 2017 in order to resume service on the inter-Cyclades lifeline, which she had also served during her stint under NEL Lines. During the summer of 2018 and the summer of 2019 she was chartered to Atlântico Line for service on the Azores Archipelago. She returned to Sea Jets this year and has since been on her current service. The funnel of the AQUA JEWEL, which features the colours and the logo of Sea Jets. The KNOSSOS PALACE and the KRITI II seen together. Both ships are competitors, as they both connect Piraeus with Heraklion. The KRITI II seen departing the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Heraklion. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was also seen departing the port of Piraeus. The PHIVOS, in the meantime, was resting in the port. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She was notably the lead ship of the Kolkhida-class, which was a prominent class of hydrofoils built in the Soviet Union during the 1980s and early 1990s. She initially spent three years on the Black Sea, on the Odessa-Yalta line as the COLCHIS 1 of Black Sea Shipping Company-Noroflot. She was bought in 1986 by Ceres Flying Dolphins, being renamed FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, and joining her sister ship, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, on the Sporades. She was the third Kolkhida-class ship of her company, as well as the second one to be deployed on the Sporades. Just like all her current fleetmates, she also operated under Minoan Flying Dolphins from 1999 to 2002, for Hellas Flying Dolphins from 2002 to 2005, and for Hellenic Seaways beginning in 2005. She moved to the Saronic Gulf in 2004. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving the port of Piraeus in what was her first active season since 2012. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX now heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX leaving Piraeus. During her major refit in order to be reactivated, she also became the first high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways to carry the new livery introduced by the company on its high speed craft, following the end of the partnership with Cosmote. One final view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX as she leaves Piraeus. Another view of the impressive and acclaimed HIGHSPEED 4. The KRITI II seen departing Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen docked in the port of Piraeus. The KRITI II seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Built in Japan in 1979. she was bought by ANEK Lines in 1996, and entered service for them on the Adriatic Sea in 1997 alongside the KRITI I. She was first deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2002, remaining there until the first part of the 2011 season. After operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line in 2012 and n 2013, and on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2014, she returned to the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2015. Another view of the PHIVOS and of the ACHAEOS together in Piraeus. The KRITI II passing by the KNOSSOS PALACE and heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 6 and of the FLYINGCAT 4 in Piraeus. The KRITI II seen leaving Piraeus, during her sixth consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. One last view of the KRITI II as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The KNOSSOS PALACE moored in the port of Piraeus. I then witnessed another ship arriving in Piraeus. It turned out to be a ship that I had seen in the past, but this time I saw her with a new name for the first time in my life. Indeed, it was the small passenger boat POSEIDON of Poseidon Waterways, which was previously the THERMAÏKOS I of Salamina Waterways . The POSEIDON seen arriving in Piraeus, in what was the first season of her career on the Piraeus-Salamina line. She has been owned by Poseidon Waterways (formerly known as Thessaloniki Waterways) since late 2018. She had spent her debut season under her owners on the Thermaic Gulf, on the Thessaloniki-Peraia-Neoi Epivates-Agia Triada line. The POSEIDON heading towards her docking spot. She was built in 1995 in Greece as the MARIA K of Kalfaoglou Shipping. She was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line, where she remained until 2003, when she was laid-up in Salamina due to the financial difficulties experienced by her owner. She remained laid-up for 12 years, until she was reactivated in 2015 by Salamina Waterways, which renamed her THERMAÏKOS I. She resumed service on the Perama-Salamina line until 2018, when she was sold to her current owners. The POSEIDON seen in Piraeus, in what was the first time that I had seen her under her current name. The POSEIDON heading towards her docking spot in the port of Piraeus. Whereas ships such as the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II and the ELENA F connect Piraeus with Salamina through the ports of Kamatero and Paloukia, the POSEIDON instead serves the port of Selinia. The POSEIDON seen shortly before her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 still seen resting in Piraeus. The POSEIDON seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 is also seen resting in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen next to the tiny POSEIDON, which had just docked in Piraeus. Another view of the veteran ferry PHIVOS in Piraeus. The final arrival that I witnessed during the morning was that of the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 5 of Hellenic Seaways , which is a sister ship of the FLYINGCAT 6. The FLYINGCAT 5 having just arrived in Piraeus. This was her first summer operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2017. Just like the FLYINGCAT 6 and the hydrofoils, she was operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen carrying the new and beautiful livery of Hellenic Seaways. She was built in 1996, and joined Hellenic Seaways in 2005 alongside the FLYINGCAT 6. She began service on the Sporades, where she remained until 2013. She moved to the Saronic Gulf in 2014, but then returned to the Sporades in 2015 and in 2016. In 2017 she once again returned to the Saronic Gulf for one season, but then transferred to the Sporades yet again in 2018. She then returned for a third season on the Saronic Gulf in 2020. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Another view of the reliable ACHAEOS. The FLYINGCAT 6 and the FLYINGCAT 4 docked together in Piraeus. One last view of the FLYINGCAT 6. One last view of the small POSEIDON. After almost three hours, I had finally ended the first part of this long day full of Greek coastal service experience. Just like on 27 July 2019, it was an incredible experience to go to Piraeus so early in the morning in order to see numerous departures of ships heading to the Cyclades and the Saronic Gulf, with many of them being key presences in the port of Piraeus over the past few years. I also saw several arrivals of many ships, and was very happy to see many of them under new liveries, as well as some under a new name. This was the beginning of an extremely memorable day which I will hardly forget. The next step for me was an enriching trip from Piraeus to Salamina with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels, which will be covered in next week's Blog post. #piraeus #morning #summer2020 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #bluestarnaxos #bluestardelos #bluestarparos #bluestarferries #ekaterinip #fastferries #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxxix #hellenichighspeed #flyingdolphinxvii #highspeed4 #flyingcat4 #flyingdolphinxix #flyingcat6 #flyingcat5 #hellenicseaways #worldchampionjet #seajet2 #aquajewel #seajets #seajetsferries #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #posidonhellas #achaeos #apollonhellas #2wayferries #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #sebeco #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #elyros #kritiii #aneklines #elenaf #elenafshipping #phivos #novaferries #knossospalace #minoanlines #poseidon #poseidonwaterways

Over the last two years, I had the opportunity to enjoy the port of Piraeus while heading there in the early morning, having done so back in 27 July 2019, when I went there to witness the morning departures of numerous ships of the Greek coastal service , which was something that I also went on to do on 14 August 2020 . Having enjoyed this experience, I decided to continue the tradition during the summer of 2021. I therefore headed to Piraeus in the morning of 1 August 2021, hence ensuring that I would witness the morning departures of the ships of the Greek coastal service for a third consecutive season. I had previously returned to Athens after having traveled to the Cyclades from 22 July 2021 to 30 July 2021, with my last trip having been from Tinos to Rafina with the FAST FERRIES ANDROS of Fast Ferries . Later that day, I would travel to Aegina with my mother, onboard the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways , for which I had written a Tribute Post when I traveled with her on 19 July 2021 . As it was the case in 2019 and in 2020, I managed to find a day where I was free to go to Piraeus in order to take as many pictures as possible. Indeed, and as you saw in the relevant posts, 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 08:00, 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 06:15, in order to witness the first departures that would take place. I entered the port through the E8 gate, which is the area from which the ships serving the Saronic Gulf depart. There, I saw the landing craft ELENI of Kerkyra Seaways , which had been introduced on the Piraeus-Aegina line for the 2021 summer season, in order to replace the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which was sent to operate on the Agios Konstantinos-Glyfa-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades, due to her fleetmate, namely the SYMI (which was serving this line), being forced to end her season prematurely following a major engine failure. After the summer ended, the ELENI returned to her usual service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where she has been operating since 2007. I traveled with her three times during her short spell on the Saronic Gulf, with the first trip being on 21 July 2021, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus . After arriving in Piraeus, I decided to walk towards the E1 gate in order to take better pictures of the ships as they would be departing the port of Piraeus. I therefore passed by the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which was in the E7 gate. Built in 2000 in Australia, this successful ship has spent her entire career on the Cyclades, and she was operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line for the first time since 2018. She had previously operated there in 2014, and from 2016 to 2018. Besides the HIGHSPEED 4, I spotted the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, also 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. She was ordered by the Greek company Ceres Flying Dolphins, and she operated for them until their services were taken over by the then-newly-established Greek company Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. The latter was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen resting in Piraeus during the early morning. I have traveled with her four times, including on 19 July 2021, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina . I then saw the BLUE STAR DELOS of Blue Star Ferries . Built in 2011 in South Korea, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades (although she does not serve Ios during the summer), where she has gone to spend her enitre career thus far. Besides the BLUE STAR DELOS, there was another ship docked in the E7 gate, namely the BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries . She has spent her entire career on the Cyclades since being delivered to Blue Star Ferries in 2002. Since 2015, she has been operating on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline, and since 2018 she has been serving the demanding Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia lifeline. Another view of the BLUE STAR NAXOS, which has gone to become one of the most successful ships of the Greek coastal service. She is widely lauded by the residents of the Cyclades, where she has been operating with great success for almost two decades. A bit further down, I got to see the cruiseferry ELYROS of ANEK Lines , which serves the Piraeus-Chania line. She was built in 1998 in Japan, and she was bought by ANEK Lines in 2007. She was converted in Perama and she began service on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2008. She is the flagship of the historic Cretan company. Another view of the BLUE STAR NAXOS, moments before her morning departure for the Cyclades. Since 2020, she is the first ship to depart the port of Piraeus during the day. Next to the BLUE STAR PAROS, I saw her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR PAROS . She was also built in 2002 in South Korea, and she has spent the bulk of her career on the Cyclades, where she has also become an acclaimed ferry. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line since 2020, while having served the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in 2018 and in 2019. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen docked in the port of Piraeus at dawn, shortly before her morning departure. The great BLUE STAR NAXOS seen docked in the port of Piraeus at dawn. A closer view of the BLUE STAR PAROS as she is seen docked in Piraeus. She has operated on the Cyclades for most her career, with the sole exceptions being during the 2016 season and during the 2017 season, when she operated on the Dodecanese lifeline, while replacing the DIAGORAS which had been sold to Africa Morocco Link in 2016. The latter returned to Blue Star Ferries in late 2017, but the BLUE STAR PAROS was inserted on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in 2018, while the Dodecanese lifeline was assigned to the NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways (which joined Blue Star Ferries in 2020, for whom she operates as the BLUE STAR CHIOS ). A view of the funnel of the BLUE STAR DELOS, which was remodeled after the ship underwent a conversion during which she was equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system which enables her to limit her sulphur consumption. The funnel was slightly heightened, but its overall appearance did not change dramatically. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen docked in the port of Piraeus. She is one of the most hardworking ships of the Cyclades and of the Aegean Sea altogether. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen in the port of Piraeus at dawn. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen in Piraeus, during what was her tenth summer on the Cyclades, which is where she has been operating ever since she entered service for Blue Star Ferries. Another view of the BLUE STAR PAROS, as she is seen resting in Piraeus at dawn. While heading towards the E3 gate, I was able to take a better picture of the high speed ferry THUNDER of Fast Ferries . Owned by the company since late 2019, the 2021 season was her debut summer in Greece, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos line on the Cyclades. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen in Piraeus at dawn. She is one of the four ships of Blue Star Ferries that are assigned on the main services of the company that are focused on the Cyclades, together with the BLUE STAR PAROS, the BLUE STAR DELOS and the BLUE STAR PATMOS . The BLUE STAR DELOS seen in Piraeus alongside the THUNDER. Both ships serve the Cyclades, although the BLUE STAR DELOS began service there a decade before the THUNDER was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos line. The BLUE STAR DELOS, which is also one of the best ships that the Greek coastal service has seen, is spotted in Piraeus right before her usual morning departure. Just as I was walking in the E3 gate, I saw the KRITI I of ANEK Lines maneuvering in the port of Piraeus. She had just arrived from Heraklion, during her first summer back on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The KRITI I was seen maneuvering next to the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines , which was also due to depart the port of Piraeus in the morning. Three different ships of the Greek coastal service are seen together in Piraeus. We can see the THUNDER and the SPEEDRUNNER III docked in the port, while the KRITI I undergoes her maneuvering procedure. Two high speed ferries operating on the Cyclades are seen together in Piraeus. These are the THUNDER and the SPEEDRUNNER III. The THUNDER seen resting in Piraeus. She was built in 1998 in Australia, as the TURGUT ÖZAL for the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (İDO). She operated on the İstanbul-Bandırma line on the Marmara Sea for 21 years, before her sale to Fast Ferries. She was renamed THUNDER, and she became the first high speed craft to be owned by the company. After two years of conversion, she was introduced on the Cyclades, and she also became the first ship of Fast Ferries to be based in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS once again seen in Piraeus at dawn. The KRITI I seen having completed her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, and now preparing to dock in the E3 gate. Built in 1979 in Japan, she joined ANEK Lines in 1996, and she was introduced on the Adriatic Sea in 1997, together with her sister ship, namely the KRITI II . The summer of 2021 marked the ship's first one in Greece since 2016. Indeed, from 2017 to early 2020, she had been chartered to the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci, for whom she was deployed on the Civitavecchia-Termini Imerese line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. This was not the first time that the ship had operated there, as she had also spent the summer of 2013 under charter to the Italian company Go In Sardinia. That year, she served the Livorno-Olbia-Civitavecchia line, before returning to ANEK Lines the following summer. For the 2021 season, she replaced the KRITI II, which spent the entire summer under lay-up in Perama. In front of the KRITI I, I could see the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines . This was the ship's first summer under her new name and on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line, as well as her first season under Minoan Lines in 10 years. Indeed, she was originally the OLYMPIA PALACE, which was built for Minoan Lines in 2001. She was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line on the Adriatic Sea, where she remained until 2010, when she moved to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line. Following the completion of the 2011 season, her company closed the service, and she was chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione as the BONARIA. She was deployed for the latter on the Civitavecchia-Olbia-Arbatax line for six years. In 2018 she was transferred to the Italian company Grimaldi Lines, and she was deployed on the Livorno-Olbia line as the CRUISE BONARIA. Following the fleet reshuffle of Minoan Lines , the ship returned to Minoan Lines and she replaced the original KNOSSOS PALACE (built in 2000) , which joined Grimaldi Lines and became the new CRUISE BONARIA. The new KNOSSOS PALACE was eventually deployed in 2021 on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. A view of the funnel of the KNOSSOS PALACE, which was remodeled after the ship was equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system (also known as 'scrubbers') in 2019, back when she was operating as the CRUISE BONARIA for Grimaldi Lines. After finally reaching the E1 gate in Piraeus, I witnessed the docking procedure of a unique ferry, namely the cruiseferry ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways . The ship had just returned to Piraeus after having served the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The ARIADNE seen docking in Piraeus. This was her first summer back in Greece and with Hellenic Seaways after having spent three seasons under charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione (the former charterers of the current KNOSSOS PALACE). Indeed, from 2018 to early 2021, the ARIADNE operated on the Naples-Cagliari-Palermo line. Therefore, it was great to see such a fantastic ferry back in Greece after such a long time. The ARIADNE seen completing her docking procedure in Piraeus, and ready to unload her passengers and her vehicles. The ARIADNE now seen docked in Piraeus at dawn. During her comeback season under Hellenic Seaways, she was deployed on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese for the first time in her career. Indeed, she was inserted on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line. While she was praised for her impressive amenities and her large vehicle capacity, she had a few delays when docked in Paros, Naxos or Santorini, due to the limited port infrastructure found in these islands, which made her maneuvering procedures slower. Moreover, due to her large garage, several vehicles and lorries in these islands could embark onboard her, but the small capacity of the ports meant that all adjacent roads had to stop their regular traffic as long as the ferry was docked. This caused several disruptions in the middle of the high season. Nevertheless, her service to Samos, Kos and Rhodes in particular was met with much favourable reviews. The ARIADNE seen having docked in Piraeus, after having arrived from the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Built in 1996 in Japan, she spent her first 10 years there, initially as the RAINBOW BELL of Kyuetsu Ferry (1996-2002), and then as the FERRY HIMUKA of Miyazaki Car Ferry (2002-2004) and later of Shuttle Highway Line (2004-2006), before being laid-up in 2006. That same year, she was acquired by Hellenic Seaways, being renamed ARIADNE, and she underwent a major conversion in Perama in order to enter service in the Greek coastal service. She began service in late 2007 on the Piraeus-Chania line. However, her high operating costs soon drove her away from the plans of Hellenic Seaways, and she was chartered to Minoan Lines, ANEK Lines and Algérie Ferries between 2008 and 2013. In that same year, she had a brief-but ultimately successful-spell on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, back when she temporarily replaced the NISSOS CHIOS, which had moved to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line to replace the NISSOS MYKONOS , which had been taken out of service after her funnel was damaged by a fire just before the summer of 2013 began. The good impression that she left was taken into account by Hellenic Seaways, and in 2014 she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chio-Mytilene line on a permanent basis, as the NISSOS CHIOS was chartered to the Spanish company Baleària. The ARIADNE stayed there for four seasons, while in 2015 she also operated on the Piraeus-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. She was then chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione from 2018 to early 2021. The ARIADNE seen docked in Piraeus at dawn, during her first season back with Hellenic Seaways, and her seventh overall summer operating under the company. A nice view of the ARIADNE in Piraeus at dawn, after she had docked in the port. Another view of the ARIADNE in Piraeus, as the sun begins to rise. At around 06:55, I saw the first ship departing the port of Piraeus, namely the BLUE STAR NAXOS. She was leaving Piraeus in order to begin her long trip to Paros, Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. For the second consecutive year, she was the first ship that I saw departing the port during the morning. When I first started this tradition of heading to Piraeus to witness the morning departures back in 2019, the first ship that left Piraeus was the high speed ferry SUPEREXPRESS of Golden Star Ferries , back when she was operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Mykonos-Tinos-Andros-Rafina line. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen departing the port of Piraeus in the morning. She connects Piraeus with the Lesser Cyclades on a daily basis through a very tight schedule, which begins with her 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 the following morning. This is why she is such an exceptional ship. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. She has been connecting Piraeus with the Lesser Cyclades for many years, namely from 2002 to 2004, from 2007 to 2011, and since 2015. From 2015 to 2017 she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Amorgos-Santorini line, while from 2012 to 2014 she notably operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which is currently served by the BLUE STAR PAROS. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she leaves Piraeus. She performs her morning service to the Cyclades and Astypalaia (which is part of the Dodecanese) only during the summer, as Paros and Naxos are served by the BLUE STAR PATMOS during the evening. Outside of the summer season, the BLUE STAR NAXOS instead departs Piraeus at 17:30 in the late afternoon, whereupon she serves the Cyclades and Astypalaia during the night, and she makes her return back to Piraeus in the afternoon of the following day. The much-acclaimed BLUE STAR NAXOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to serve the Cyclades and Astypalaia. I had the chance to travel with her for the first time in my life back on 3 September 2020, while heading from Piraeus to Koufonisi . I was extremely impressed by her indoor areas, and I really found this trip to be very pleasant and comfortable. So far, this is the longest trip that I have done on the Aegean Sea with a ship leaving from Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to the Cyclades and Astypalaia. For the 2021 season, a banner celebrating the 20-year anniversary of Blue Star Ferries was added on both sides of her hull, towards the aft section. Most ships of the company also received this banner in 2021, even though the 20-year anniversary was actually in 2020, since Blue Star Ferries was established as the successor of Strintzis Lines in 2000. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. She and the BLUE STAR PAROS were built in 2002 in South Korea, two years and in the same shipyard as after their sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI. The latter also became a legend on the Cyclades, and she operated for Blue Star Ferries from 2000 to 2014, before being sold to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited. She has since been operating on the St John-Digby line on the Bay of Fundy as the FUNDY ROSE. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen shortly before she exited the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus, as she is due to begin yet another successful trip on the Cyclades. A few minutes after the departure of the BLUE STAR NAXOS, I witnessed the second ship leaving the port for the day. This was the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 2 of Sea Jets . Owned by the company since 2015, she was spending her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. While the CHAMPION JET 2 was seen leaving the port of Piraeus, she was being followed by another ship of Sea Jets, namely the WORLDCHAMPION JET . The CHAMPION JET 2 is seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Western Cyclades. Her introduction there proved to be successful, and her service there was key as Sea Jets further cemented their presence in the area. While she was departing the port of Piraeus in the afternoon during the 2020 season, this year she also performed morning services, so as to compete more effectively against Aegean Speed Lines and the SPEEDRUNNER III. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She was built in 1996 in Australia, and she operated as the CONDOR VITESSE under the French company Condor Ferries on the Channel. In 2015, she was sold, together with her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the CONDOR EXPRESS, to Sea Jets. The CONDOR VITESSE became the CHAMPION JET 2, whereas the CONDOR EXPRESS became the CHAMPION JET 1 . The CHAMPION JET 2 seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus in the morning. During her first two seasons in Greece, she operated on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. In 2017 she moved to the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, where she stayed for three seasons. Since 2020, she operates on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen following the CHAMPION JET 2, as both high speed craft of Sea Jets are departing the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Cyclades. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen leaving Piraeus, during what was her seventh consecutive season in Greece and under Sea Jets. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus, right behind the CHAMPION JET 2. Built in 2000 in Australia, she was bought by Sea Jets in 2018, and she began service for the latter in 2019. For the 2021 season, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Another view of the CHAMPION JET 2, as she is seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen leaving Piraeus for Serifos, Sifnos and Milos. Since entering service on the Cyclades under Sea Jets, she has become one of the most effective vessels of her company, operating on key services such as the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line and the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to the Western Cyclades. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. She and the CHAMPION JET 1 were part of the start of the rapid fleet growth of Sea Jets during the mid 2010s, and their acquisition meant that the company had the world's largest fleet of high speed craft built in the Incat Shipyard in Australia. The CHAMPION JET 1 operated on the Cyclades from 2015 to 2018, while in 2019 she was chartered to the Spanish company Naviera Armas for service on the Almería-Melilla-Málaga line on the Alboran Sea. She returned to Sea Jets in 2020, and in 2021 she was deployed on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line on the Sporades, hence taking over the service that had been launched earlier that season by the newly-acquired SUPERRUNNER JET (previously the SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries) . The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus at dawn. This was her third consecutive summer in Greece and under Sea Jets. During her debut season, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, while in 2020 she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen once again, while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One last view of the CHAMPION JET 2 as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET is also 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. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, as she is seen 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 10 days before this picture was taken. A view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she leaves the port of Piraeus. To further highlight the success of her services, she won the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2019. She 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 NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways (which is now the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries, also since 2020) . The WORLCHAMPION JET seen leaving Piraeus in order to serve the Cyclades. Thanks to her speed, she is able to return to the port of Piraeus towards 17:00, when some of her competitors serving the Cyclades only make it back to the port late at night. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she leaves Piraeus, during what was yet another successful summer season for her. One last view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The next ship to leave the port of Piraeus was the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries , which operates on the Western Cyclades lifeline, namely on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Piraeus during the morning, in order to perform her long itinerary on the Western Cyclades. She was built in 1990 in Japan, and she spent the first nine years of her career as the ROYAL KAWANOE for the Japanese company Shikoku Chuo Ferry. She was sold in 1999 to Zante Ferries, becoming their first-ever passenger ferry in the process. She was renamed DIONISIOS SOLOMOS and she was deployed on the Ionian Sea, namely on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, while in 2001 she also started to operate on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She stayed on the Ionian Sea until the end of the 2016 season, while having also spent large portions of the summers of 2013 and of 2015 on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. In 2017, her company decided to operate her on the Western Cyclades, and she underwent a major conversion in Keratsini, during which her bow was entirely remodeled. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus, during her fifth consecutive season of operations on the Western Cyclades. She spent the first two seasons on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios line, while in 2019 her service was extended to Santorini. She is now the only ship of the company that still operates on the Western Cyclades, as her fleetmate, namely the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS , moved to the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line following the completion of the 2019 season. The latter had been operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line since the 2009 season. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. As a conventional ferry, she notably competes against the high speed craft of Sea Jets and of Aegean Speed Lines. Due to this, she is the ship that is charged to transport lorries and most of the vehicles heading towards the Western Cyclades. As such, her service is extremely busy and demanding, but her hardworking crew always ensures that it remains efficient. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Piraeus, a place that she has been calling home since 2017, after having previously spent 17 years on the Ionian Sea. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Piraeus for the Western Cyclades. Back when she operated on the Ionian Sea, she was part of the Ionian Ferries joint venture, which included Zante Ferries and the now-defunct Greek company Tyrogalas Ferries, as well as ANEZ on certain occasions, with all these companies being based in Zakynthos. This joint venture ended in 2015, after Tyrogalas Ferries sold their last ship operating on the Ionian Sea, namely the IONIAN STAR, to the rapidly-emerging Greek company Levante Ferries, for whom she operates today as the MARE DI LEVANTE . Following this sale, the Ionian Group joint venture was established between Zante Ferries and Levante Ferries during the summer of 2015. It remained active until 2019, when Levante Ferries became the sole operator on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line and on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. The loyal and hardworking DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in the morning. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. As she was operating on the Ionian Sea throughout my entire childhood, I saw her several times in Zakynthos and in Kyllini during the 2000s and the 2010s, and I also traveled with her several times while sailing between both ports. The last time that I traveled with her was on 9 July 2013, while heading from Kyllini to Zakynthos. This was only a few days before she spent the rest of the 2013 season on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Piraeus, as she is due to head towards the Western Cyclades. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. I notably got the chance to see her docking in the port of Kimolos on 29 June 2021, back when I had visited the island . One last view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, as she is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Right behind the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, there was yet another ship leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Western Cyclades. This time, it was the SPEEDRUNNER III, which operates on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus at dawn. Built in 1999 in Italy, she joined Aegean Speed Lines in 2009, together with her sister ship, namely the SPEEDRUNNER IV (which is now the SUPERRUNNER JET of Sea Jets , since the summer of 2021). She spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while in 2010 she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. In 2012 her company experienced financial difficulties, and only operated the SPEERDUNNER IV, while the SPEEDRUNNER III was sent for lay-up in Elefsina. She was reactivated the following year and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, where she stayed for two seasons. In 2015, her service on the Western Cyclades was taken over by the SPEEDRUNNER IV, and therefore she spent the summer on charter to the Moroccan company Navline, while in 2016 she was chartered to Levante Ferries and operated on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. In 2017, following the sale of the SPEEDRUNNER IV to Golden Star Ferries, the SPEEDRUNNER III returned to the Western Cyclades in 2017, being deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. In 2018 her service was shortened to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line, while in 2019 it was restricted to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus, during her fifth consecutive summer on the Western Cyclades. This was also her third consecutive season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. Altogether, this was her seventh summer on the Western Cyclades. The SPEEDRUNNER III, which is now the only ship that is owned by Aegean Speed Lines, seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. I have traveled with her on three different occasions. The first one was during her comeback season under Aegean Speed Lines, while heading from Sifnos to Piraeus on 29 July 2017 . I then traveled with her from Piraeus to Milos on 22 June 2021, followed by a return from Milos to Piraeus on 1 July 2021, hence exactly a month before this picture was taken. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to follow the CHAMPION JET 2 and serve the ports of Serifos, Sifnos and Milos. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Before joining Aegean Speed Lines, she was known as the SUPERSEACAT THREE, and she operated for the British conglomerate Sea Containers on the Irish Sea and on the Channel between 1999 and 2003. She then had a spell on the Tallinn-Helsinki line on the Finnish Gulf while being chartered to the Finnish company Silja Line, for whom she operated under the SuperSeaCat brandname. She remained in this service until 2008, and she subsequently joined Aegean Speed Lines. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen as she prepares to sail towards the Western Cyclades at full-speed. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus in order to begin her first trip of the day. One last view of the SPEEDRUNNER III, as she prepares to exit the port of Piraeus. After the SPEEDRUNNER III left the port of Piraeus, I got to see yet another ship departing the port. This time, it was the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries , which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Oinousses-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. A view of the ARIADNE and of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS together in Piraeus at dawn. This picture was quite meaningful, as it shows the ARIADNE looking at her former fleetmate as the latter leaves the port. Indeed, the BLUE STAR MYCONOS used to be the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways, having operated for them from 2005 (the year during which she was built) until early 2020, when she joined Blue Star Ferries. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus, during her second season under Blue Star Ferries. This was also her first summer with her remodeled funnel, which she acquired after her conversion in Perama, during which she was also equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system, just like it was the case for the BLUE STAR DELOS. Unlike the latter, the BLUE STAR MYCONOS saw her funnel increasing significantly in size and height. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen departing the port of Piraeus at dawn. She was built in 2005 in Greece, two years before her sister ship, namely the NISSOS CHIOS (which also joined Blue Star Ferries in 2020, as the BLUE STAR CHIOS). She has spent the bulk of her career on the Cyclades and on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Since late 2014, after the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy stripped NEL Lines of its subsidy contract to operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, the BLUE STAR MYCONOS (then known as the NISSOS MYKONOS) was called to replace the latter company's ships. This enabled Hellenic Seaways to further expand their services on the Northeast Aegean Sea, with ships such as the NISSOS RODOS and the NISSOS SAMOS being introduced there during the mid 2010s. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus at dawn. She is considered to be one of the best ferries of the Greek coastal service, thanks to her modern and comfortable passenger amenities, her reliable speed and her impressive outdoor sun decks. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus. As stated above, she became the first ship of the Greek coastal service to receive the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards, which she earned in 2006, back when she was still known as the NISSOS MYKONOS. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Cyclades and to the Northeast Aegean Sea. She operated on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline alongside the DIAGORAS, which was serving the Piraeus-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line during the 2021 season. The great BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus. Her new funnel undoubtedly strikes one's eye, as it has become significantly larger than before. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen leaving Piraeus, during her second consecutive season under her current name. Another picture of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, as she is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. One last view of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS while she leaves the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR DELOS was the next ship to leave Piraeus. She is seen here heading towards the port's exit in order to serve Paros, Naxos and Santorini. The BLUE STAR DELOS, which is considered to be the best day ferry currently operating in the Greek coastal service, is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The summer of 2021 saw her and the BLUE STAR MYCONOS being equipped with scrubbers, something that makes them more environmentally-friendly since they are able to limit their sulphur emissions. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in the morning. While she serves the Cyclades during the morning, her main summer partner, namely the BLUE STAR PATMOS, serves the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line, while departing from the port of Piraeus during the late afternoon. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen leaving Piraeus at dawn. She was built in 2011 in South Korea, in the same shipyard where the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, the BLUE STAR PAROS, the BLUE STAR NAXOS and the BLUE STAR PATMOS were built. 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. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. I have traveled with her three times, with the first trip occurring on 23 July 2018, when I headed from Piraeus to Naxos . I then traveled with her from Santorini to Piraeus on 14 July 2019, followed by a trip from Naxos to Piraeus on 8 September 2020. The BLUE STAR DELOS, one of the most successful ships of the Greek coastal service, seen leaving the port of Piraeus as part of her usual daily service on the Cyclades. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR DELOS seen once more, as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One last view of the much-acclaimed BLUE STAR DELOS, as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. Right after the BLUE STAR DELOS had left the port of Piraeus, I saw yet another ship of Blue Star Ferries leaving the port. This time, it was the BLUE STAR PAROS, which was beginning her daily service on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving the port of Piraeus, and ready to follow her fleetmates on the Cyclades. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to Syros, Tinos and Mykonos. I have also traveled with this ship, having done one trip onboard her while heading from Mykonos to Piraeus on 20 June 2018 . The BLUE STAR PAROS, which is one of the most successful ships to have operated on the Cyclades, seen leaving Piraeus. She spent the first four seasons of her career on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, before moving to the Lesser Cyclades lifeline in 2006. She spent the next eight years on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line. After the BLUE STAR ITHAKI was sold to Bay Ferries Limited in late 2014, the BLUE STAR PAROS took over her service on the Rafina-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios line during the 2015 season. In 2016 she served the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line, while in 2017 she added Paros and Naxos to her itinerary, meaning that she operated on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line. Since 2018 she has been on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while also extending her service to Ikaria, Fournoi and Samos in 2018 and in 2019. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen making her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Another picture of the BLUE STAR PAROS, which is about to approach the exit of the port of Piraeus. One final view of the BLUE STAR PAROS, as she becomes the eighth ship to leave the port of Piraeus during that day. Another view of the ARIADNE, which is now resting in Piraeus. This was her first summer operating for Hellenic Seaways with the latter as a member of Attica Group. Indeed, in 2018, the same year during which she was chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione, Minoan Lines sold their stake in Hellenic Seaways to Attica Group, which features Superfast Ferries and Blue Star Ferries as members. The next ship to leave the port of Piraeus was the high speed catamaran SUPER JET of Sea Jets . She was spending her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, which she was serving together with her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the SEA JET 2 . The SUPER JET is seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to perform her lengthy trip on the Cyclades. She was built in 1995 in Sweden, and she is currently the high speed craft with the most experience in the Greek coastal service, if hydrofoils are excluded. The SUPER JET seen leaving Piraeus in the morning. She became the first ship to join Sea Jets, having started service for them in 2004, when the company was launched. Previously she was the SEA JET 1 of Strintzis Lines (1995-2000), and then of Blue Star Ferries (2000-2002), followed by a stint under Aegean Jet Maritime as the JET ONE (2002-2004). The SUPER JET seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. She has spent her entire career on the Cyclades, with the sole exception being during the 2004 season (her first summer under Sea Jets), back when she was deployed on the Rafina-Samos-Ikaria-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros line, this serving the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Dodecanese. The SUPER JET seen as she leaves Piraeus for the Cyclades. Behind the SUPER JET, I witnessed the first departure of a ship serving the Saronic Gulf during that day. Indeed, it was that of the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which was leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The SUPER JET seen leaving Piraeus at dawn. Since 2019, she has been departing the port of Piraeus every two days, as she alternates her service with the SEA JET 2. She performs the first part of her trip during one day, and she spends the night in Milos, before then making her way back to Piraeus during the following day. Another view of the SUPER JET, as she is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. She is one of the three passenger-only high speed catamarans of Sea Jets, with the other ones being the SEA JET 2 and the SIFNOS JET . The latter spent the largest part of the 2021 summer season on the Paros-Mykonos line, on which she was providing a shuttle service. Another picture of the SUPER JET, as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS was seen following right behind. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has been owned by 2way Ferries since 2016. 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 Piraeus, during what was her fifth straight summer on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The SUPER JET seen once more, as she leaves Piraeus in order to head to the Cyclades. I also got to see the high speed ferry TERA JET of Sea Jets , which was however spending the whole summer in Piraeus as she was not reactivated by her company following the 2019 season. This had been her last summer of operations, as she had been deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Since joining 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 . The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus in the morning. She became a major part of my childhood, as I saw her many times during the 2000s and early 2010s when she was operating on the Saronic Gulf, and I also had the chance to travel with her many times. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus for Aegina. She operates under the Saronic Ferries joint venture, which includes her owners and Nova Ferries. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One last view of the APOLLON HELLAS, as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. After the APOLLON HELLAS had left, I saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XIX of Hellenic Seaways leaving the port of Piraeus and passing by the TERA JET. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Just like all the hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways, she operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving Piraeus during the morning, being the first hydrofoil of Hellenic Seaways to depart the port for the day. This was her second season back on the Saronic Gulf, as she returned there for the 2020 season, following eight years of inactivity. This was due to her running aground in the islet of Metopi while sailing between Aegina and Agistri in 2012. She was declared a constructive total loss and she remained laid-up in Perama. No one thought that she would return to service, however she was given a second chance after the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII was destroyed by a fire in 2019 and was later scrapped at the end of that same year . The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was repaired and refurbished, and she resumed service in 2020. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she leaves Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving Piraeus in the morning. She is the lead ship of the Kolkhida-class, as she was its first-ever ship to enter service back in 1983, when she operated on the Odessa-Yalta line under Black Sea Shipping Company-Noroflot. She was bought by Ceres Flying Dolphins in 1986, and she was deployed on the Sporades. She moved to the Saronic Gulf in 2004, just a year before her company at the time, namely Hellas Flying Dolphins, was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, one of the three hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways, seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once again, as she departs the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once more, as she leaves Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. One final view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, whose departure was the the last one that I witnessed at 08:00. After witnessing all these departures, I started walking back towards the E7 gate. There, I once again had the chance to see the THUNDER, which had a departure at 12:00. The THUNDER seen in Piraeus, during her first season under Fast Ferries. Another view of the THUNDER, which is seen resting in Piraeus. She had a decent first season in Greece, and she was widely praised for her impressive indoor areas. The THUNDER seen docked in Piraeus. While she is the first high speed craft to be owned by Fast Ferries, she was however the second ship of her kind to operate for the company. Indeed, the latter had chartered the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways , which had replaced the EKATERINI P on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line during the summer of 2019, as a result of the latter having her season cut short after suffering an engine failure. Another view of the THUNDER, as she is seen resting in the port of Piraeus. She belongs to the Austal Auto Express 86-class, which is composed of seven high speed ferries built between 1998 and 2004 in the Austal Shipyard in Australia. This class also includes the WORLDCHAMPION JET, which therefore makes her a sister ship of the THUNDER, even though they have several differences in terms of ship design. I then got to see the two ferries of ANEK Lines that were performing the direct connection from Piraeus to Crete during the 2021 season. Indeed, the KRITI I was on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, while the ELYROS was on the Piraeus-Chania line. Another picture of the THUNDER, whose presence I really got to appreciate as I frequently saw her in the port of Piraeus. The THUNDER seen alongside the KRITI I in Piraeus. The ELYROS seen in the port of Piraeus. Another view of the ELYROS in Piraeus. This was her second consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Chania line, following her permanent return there. Indeed, between 2015 and 2019, she spent the summer under charter to Algérie Ferries, for whom she operated on the Marseille-Oran line (which connects France with Algeria). She would then return to the Piraeus-Chania line during the winter. The charter agreement ended before the 2020 season, and this enabled the ship to stay on the service on which she has been much-acclaimed. Another view of the impressive ELYROS, which has become one of the most appreciated ships in Crete. I then proceeded to head to the E8 gate, where I was due to travel with the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII. There, I happened to see the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 5 of Hellenic Seaways . I then saw the ELENI undergoing her maneuvering procedure, as she was departing Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The ELENI seen departing the port of Piraeus, during her lone season on the Piraeus-Aegina line. A view of the FLYINGCAT 5 as she is seen resting in Piraeus. She was spending her second consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Altogether, this was her fourth season on the Saronic Gulf, as she also operated there in 2014 and in 2016. She first began operations in Greece in 2005, and she has spent all her career under Hellenic Seaways on the Sporades, except for the four aforementioned seasons that she spent on the Saronic Gulf. The ELENI completing her maneuvering procedure in order to begin her trip to Aegina. She was built in 1993 in Greece, and she first operated on the Rion-Antirrion line as the ELENE B for Elene B Shipping. She was sold in 2005 to Gerontakis Shipping, and she was renamed ELENI. She stayed on the Rion-Antirrion line until 2007, when she moved to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. The ELENI is almost done with her maneuvering procedure, and she is now ready to leave the port of Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. Another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE, which was spending her first summer on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. After having seen the FLYINGCAT 5 and the ELENI, I then had the chance to take a picture of the conventional double-ended ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries . She also operates on the Saronic Gulf, and more specifically on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. The POSIDON HELLAS seen resting in the port of Piraeus. She was built in 1998 in Greece, and she became the first-ever double-ended ferry to operate in the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, having operated under Poseidon Consortium Shipping (1998-1999), before the latter was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, after which the ship served the Saronikos Ferries division. In 2002 Minoan Flying Dolphins became Hellas Flying Dolphins, and in 2005 the company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways. In 2015, after serving ten years under Hellenic Seaways, the ship was sold to 2way Ferries, for whom she continues to operate on the Saronic Gulf. The ELENI now seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The TERA JET seen docked in Piraeus. Built in 1999 in Italy, she was bought by Sea Jets in 2012, and she first began service in Greece during the 2014 season. Overall, since the start of her Greek coastal service career, she has operated for only five seasons, as she remained inactive during the summers of 2016, of 2020 and of 2021. A view of the bow of the POSIDON HELLAS, which usually keeps her front ramp open while being docked in Piraeus. A bit further down, I spotted the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines . She was a new introduction in Greece for the 2021 season. Indeed, she was bought by the newly-established Greek company Alpha Lines (which is under the management of the iconic Agapitos family, which used to operate Agapitos Lines from 1965 to 1999) in late 2020, in order to enter service on the Saronic Gulf. This became a reality during the spring of 2021, when she began service on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line. She therefore ended the monopoly of Hellenic Seaways in these islands, and she proved to be a very worthy competitor. Another view of the SPEED CAT I in Piraeus, during her debut season in Greece and under Alpha Lines. Her service was very successful, and eventually her company's efforts were recognised by the shipping community, as Alpha Lines won the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award during the Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2021, which were held a few days ago. As a result, Alpha Lines became the first-ever company to win this prestigious award during their first year of operations. Another view of the impressive TERA JET, which has been the flagship of Sea Jets since 2014. Her most successful season so far remains the one that she had on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line in 2017, when she successfully competed against the ships of Golden Star Ferries and of Fast Ferries. Her speed and her low ticket fares won her much acclaim. She also spent the 2018 season in Rafina, as she operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. I also had the chance to take a picture of the conventional ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which serves the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. Built in 1980 in Spain, she was bought by her current owners in 2004, and, following an extensive conversion in Drapetsona, she has been serving the Saronic Gulf since 2005. Another view of the POSIDON HELLAS, during her seventh season under 2way Ferries. The POSIDON HELLAS seen docked in the port of Piraeus. For the summer of 2021, the ship proved to be a mainstay for me, as I traveled with her on six different occasions. This is the largest number of trips that I had done with a single ship in Greece during a given calendar year. At about 08:30, I saw a familiar face for the first time in two years. Indeed, I spotted the small passenger ship AGIA MARINA AEGINIS of Aqua Vera NE departing the port of Piraeus. She was heading to the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina in Northern Aegina. This was her first summer under her current owners, who had purchased the ship from ANES Ferries in 2020. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Souvala and Agia Marina in Aegina. She was built in Greece in 2000, as the ALEXANDROS for Alexandros Shipping. She first performed one-day cruises on the the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefkada line on the Ionian Sea for seven seasons, before then spending the summer of 2007 on the Ierapetra-Chryssi line on the Libyan Sea. In 2008 she began operations on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, where she remained for the next 12 years (while also serving Agistri in 2010), despite many ownership changes. Indeed, in 2015 she joined My Ways, before being acquired the following year by Evoïkos Lines, which renamed her AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. She was bought by ANES Ferries in 2019, and she served the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Hydra line. The following year, she joined Aqua Vera NE, and she resumed service in 2021 on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line. Another view of the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS, whose summer was not very successful as she operated for barely a month, and she also had several engine troubles. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII was now seen docked in the E8 gate, after having shifted from the E7 gate where I had seen her when I had arrived in Piraeus at 06:15. Another view of the veteran hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, which has been serving the Saronic Gulf for almost four decades. The SPEED CAT I seen resting in Piraeus during her debut season on the Saronic Gulf. Before joining Alpha Lines, she was the ADRIATIC JET of the Croatian company Adriatic Lines, and she had operated on the Venice-Umag-Poreč-Rovinj-Pula line on the Adriatic Sea from 2009 to 2020. Prior to this stint, she had started her career in 2002 as the LYON for the Swiss government, operating across three major Swiss lakes on the Neuchâtel-Bienne-Morat-Yverdon line. She remained in this service until 2008, after which she joined Adriatic Lines. A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, on which I was about to embark for the second time during the 2021 season, and for the third time in my life (as I had traveled with her for the first time on 7 August 2019). Besides the POSIDON HELLAS and the PHIVOS, the E8 gate also featured the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , which also operates on the Saronic Gulf. The ACHAEOS seen resting in Piraeus. She was built in 2006 in Greece for 2way Ferries. She spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Aegina line, before then moving to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. She stayed there until 2013. She was also chartered between 2011 and 2012 to the Italian company Blunavy, for whom she was deployed on the Piombino-Elba line. In 2014, she made her comeback on the Saronic Gulf, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. Another view of the ACHAEOS in Piraeus, during her eighth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. Another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE as she is docked in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS is seen resting in the port of Piraeus, right next to the PHIVOS. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, shortly before I embarked onboard her. After a bit more than two hours, my morning visit to Piraeus came to an end. Just like it was the case in 2019 and in 2020, 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. I am able to see photograph many of the best ships of the Greek costal service, and I also get to experience the busy morning hours of the port, at a time during which ships begin their long journeys in order to bring passengers and vehicles to the islands of the Aegean Sea at the heart of the summer. They play a crucial role during the tourist season and for the local economy of all these islands. And I always enjoy witnessing these departures, as they indicate the strong competition level of the Greek coastal service, and in particular on the Cyclades. I was also very happy to see several ships performing their debut seasons in Greece, as well as seeing many of them making their returns to Greece, after having spent several years abroad, such as the KRITI I , the ARIADNE and the new KNOSSOS PALACE. Altogether, this is a day that I will hardly forget, and it further confirmed that this tradition that I began in 2019 is worth continuing over the summers that will follow. #piraeus #morning #greece #summer2021 #saronicgulf #aegean #eleni #kerkyraseaways #highspeed4 #flyingdolphinxvii #ariadne #flyingdolphinxix #flyingcat5 #hellenicseaways #bluestardelos #bluestarnaxos #bluestarparos #bluestarmyconos #bluestarferries #elyros #kritii #aneklines #thunder #fastferries #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #knossospalace #minoanlines #championjet2 #worldchampionjet #superjet #terajet #seajets #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #apollonhellas #posidonhellas #achaeos #2wayferries #speedcati #alphalines #phivos #novaferries #agiamarinaaeginis #aquaverane

The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Piraeus during the summer of 2016, which turned out to be her last full summer operating in the Greek coastal service. Just over two months after writing my Blog post about the IONIAN SKY of Agoudimos Lines (and lastly operated by NEL Lines) , I find myself writing yet another Ship Farewell Tribute post. Indeed, a ship which was laid-up next to the IONIAN SKY before she departed for the scrapyards in early 2020 is also currently following her to Turkey in order to end her career for good. This ship, however, is the legendary VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines , which is considered to be one of the best ferries to have ever operated in the Greek coastal service. This iconic ferry, which had been laid-up since 2017 in Salamina following a major engine failure, left Greece for the last time yesterday, and is currently on her way towards the Turkish coastal city of Aliağa in order to be demolished. This comes after 44 years of service, 26 of which were spent in Greece, with all of them being on the well-known Aegean Sea. However, the last three years of her career saw her inactive due to the aforementioned engine trouble which eventually ended her career. Along with her own end, yesterday also marked the end of LANE Sea Lines, which officially left the Greek coastal service frame after 26 years (although the company had been inactive since the arrest of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS in 2017). Therefore, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS operated for them throughout their entire period of existence , with the vast majority of that time being very successful. Before her iconic career in Greece, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS also spent 18 years in Northern Europe, as she operated for the British company Townsend Thoresen on the North Sea and then for its successor, P&O European Ferries, primarily on the Channel. Following an eventful spell there, she was bought in 1994 by the then-newly-established LANE Lines (which was rebranded as LANE Sea Lines in 2006), which sought to bring an end to the exclusion of the ports of the Lasithi region in Crete with the rest of the Aegean Sea. Indeed, as the main Cretan ports of Chania, Heraklion and Rethymnon were all being served by local operators, they sought to further strengthen the importance of the ports of Lasithi, Agios Nikolaos and Siteia, by operating an efficient ferry. This turned out to be the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, which, following a conversion in Piraeus and then a second one in Perama, began service in the summer of 1994 on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia line. The service was a success, and therefore LANE Lines extended it to other islands of the Cyclades and of the Dodecanese over the following years. In 1999, the company became a part of the joint venture formed and controlled by fellow Cretan company ANEK Lines. The latter gave the ferry TALOS to LANE Lines, with the ferry becoming the IERAPETRA L and providing the same successful service as the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. The latter, which became known for serving some of the most demanding and difficult lifelines of the Aegean Sea, also had a spell on the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Dodecanese in the mid 2000s. However, by that time, strong competition provided by Minoan Lines and airlines reduced the importance of the service to Agios Nikolaos and Siteia. This, combined with the poor management of LANE Sea Lines through ANEK Lines, led to the ship leaving the Cyclades-Lasithi-Dodecanese lifeline, and she instead went to another very demanding lifeline in 2009, the one linking Piraeus with the Peloponnese, Kythira, Antikythira and Crete. For the following eight years, she became a favourite within the Aegean Sea, and she provided very good service up until the last season of her career, in 2017. That year, she suffered a major engine failure, which took her out of action and left Kythira and Antikythira without any link with Piraeus and Crete. Combined with her old age and LANE Sea Lines' continuing financial issues, she was eventually withdrawn from service, and remained laid-up in Salamina from 2017 until yesterday, when she departed Greece for the last time in order to make the last trip of her career. Despite her eventual downfall in 2017, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS is remembered fondly by many passengers and shipping enthusiasts. In 26 years, she served some of the most difficult lifelines of the Aegean Sea, notably serving more remote islands like Kasos, Karpathos, Chalki and Castellorizon on the Dodecanese, and then Kythira and Antikythira in the last seasons of her career. She encountered a few technical problems and accidents during her Greek career, but these did not prevent her from becoming a beloved ship in the Greek coastal service. She was particularly praised for the professionalism of her crew, and she notably had some of Greece's finest captains watching over her helm. Her indoor areas were very much appreciated, her garage could fit a significant capacity of vehicles, and her outdoor areas were considered to be among the most precious of any Greek ferry. More notably, the balcony located right over bow and below her bridge was widely acclaimed as one of the nicest areas for a shipping enthusiast willing to have a full view of the Aegean Sea from the ship. All these factors made her a legendary ferry, which provided very good service for most of her career, while also serving some of the Aegean Sea's most remote islands and therefore connecting them with the rest of Greece. Just like all Ship Farewell Tribute posts that I have done in the past , this Blog post covers the entire history of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS from her career on the North Sea and the Channel until her final lay-up in Salamina. Unfortunately for me, I never got the chance to travel with her, as I have not yet been in Crete, the Dodecanese, Kythira and Antikythira. Looking at other people's pictures and trip experiences with her made me even more envious of them, as I really missed the opportunity to have a great trip with such a great ferry on the Aegean Sea. Despite this, I was able to see her and photograph her a few times in Piraeus, back when she was still operating regularly. Therefore, unlike other ferries that were sold for scrap, I at least managed to take pictures of her while she was still active, and not only during her final lay-up years. It is now the time for me to provide you with the full history of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, or 'The Poet' (as she was affectionally nicknamed), which will hardly be forgotten by shipping enthusiasts like me, as well as residents and travelers in Crete, Kythira, Antikythira, the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and the Northeast Aegean Sea. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was built in 1976 in Denmark, in the Aalborg Værft Shipyard in Aalborg, as the VIKING VISCOUNT for the British company Townsend Thoresen, whose roots can be traced back in 1935, when the European Ferries Group was established. The company became prominent in 1968, as it merged the services of the British company Townsend Car Ferries Ltd and the Norwegian operator Thoresen Car Ferries A/S, both of which were operating on the Channel and on the North Sea, connecting France, Belgium and The Netherlands with the United Kingdom. Notable services included the Calais-Dover line, the Boulogne-Dover line, the Cherbourg-Southampton line, the Le Havre-Portsmouth line, the Zeebrugge-Dover line, the Amsterdam-Felixstowe line and the Rotterdam-Felixstowe line. In the early 1970s, the company ordered several ferries and extended its services dramatically, while notably competing against the British conglomerate Sealink (later Sealink British Ferries), who also owned several well-known ferries on the Channel and on the North Sea. In 1973, Townsend Thoresen began to manage the Northern Irish port of Larne, and therefore began to serve the North Channel as well. The company had several distinguishable ferries, many of which went on to have successful spells in Greece at the end of the 20th century. These included the late FREE ENTERPRISE I (built in 1962, scrapped in 2013) which went on to become the iconic KIMOLOS of Ventouris Sea Lines and then the ERGINA of Ventouris Ferries, the late VIKING I (built in 1964, scrapped in 2008) which later became the EUROPEAN GLORY of European Seaways and then the MEDIA II of the famed Hellenic Mediterranean Lines (defunct since 2007), the late Ro-Ro carrier CERDIC FERRY (built in 1961, scrapped in 2007) which later became the passenger ferry SIFNOS EXPRESS of Ventouris Sea Lines and then the IGOUMENITSA EXPRESS of AK Ventouris (later known as C-Link Ferries, defunct since 2007), the late Ro-Ro carrier DORIC FERRY (built in 1962, scrapped in 2009) which later became the ALEKOS/KAPETAN ALEXANDROS/KAPETAN ALEXANDROS A of Agoudimos Lines (defunct since 2013), the late FREE ENTERPRISE VIII (built in 1974, scrapped in 2011) which became the legendary ROMILDA of GA Ferries (defunct since 2009), the late EUROPEAN GATEWAY (built in 1975, scrapped in 2013) which later became the PENELOPE A/PENELOPE of Agoudimos Lines, the PRINCE LAURENT (built in 1974) which became the legendary SUPERFERRY II of Strintzis Lines, Blue Star Ferries and now of Golden Star Ferries, and many more. The VIKING VISCOUNT was the last of the four sister ships that were ordered by Townsend Thoresen between 1975 and 1976, as part of the Viking V-class that was due to operate on the Channel and on the North Sea in addition to the newly-built ferries that were inserted on the core Calais-Dover line. The first two ships were the VIKING VENTURER and the VIKING VALIANT, which were deployed in 1975 on the Le Havre-Portsmouth line and on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line, respectively. In late 1975, the third ship, the VIKING VOYAGER, was inserted on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line as well. Finally, in 1976, the VIKING VISCOUNT was completed, and replaced the VIKING VALIANT on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line, and the latter joined the VIKING VENTURER on the Channel, being deployed on the Le Havre-Cherbourg-Southampton line. Therefore, the VIKING VISCOUNT and the VIKING VOYAGER (which later had a spell in Greece, operating as the SAMOTHRAKI for Saos Ferries from 2005 until she was sold for scrap in 2011) connected Belgium with the British port of Felixstowe, located in the county of Suffolk. All ships were registered in Dover and thus carried the British flag. The port of Felixstowe also saw several other ships of the company which would connect it with Amsterdam and Rotterdam, with these notably being the ships of the European-class. The VIKING VISCOUNT seen during her first year of operations, in 1976, while docked in the port of Felixstowe. She notably featured the famous orange livery of Townsend Thoresen, which became a major reference for passengers on the North Sea, the Channel and the North Channel. Picture taken by Bob Scott and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VISCOUNT seen sailing on the North Sea, during the first summer of her career in 1976. Picture taken by Cpt. Jan Melchers and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The introduction of the VIKING VISCOUNT and of the VIKING VOYAGER proved to be a smart move for Townsend Thoresen, and both ships became very popular in both Belgium and the United Kingdom, and were praised for their freight service and comfortable indoor areas. A view of the VIKING VOYAGER, the sister ship and first partner of the VIKING VISCOUNT on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line. She is seen leaving the latter port during one of the first years of her career. She moved to the Le Havre-Cherbourg-Southampton line in 1986. Just like most ships of Townsend Thoresen, she joined P&O European Ferries in 1987, and she was renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG in 1989, and was inserted on the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line the following year. After being temporarily renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG II in 1994, she was then sold that same year to the Spanish-Norwegian company Lineas Fred. Olsen, was renamed BAÑADEROS, and began service on the Canary Islands Archipelago. She was renamed BARLOVENTO in 2000, and in 2005 she was sold to the Greek company Saos Ferries, being renamed SAMOTHRAKI. She thus became the second ship of the Viking V-class to operate in Greece, following the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. She began service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line in 2005, where she had an average spell. She remained on the Northeast Aegean Sea during the 2007 season as well, when she was inserted on the Thessaloniki-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos line. She remained there until late 2008, when she was arrested by her crew in Kavala due to the company's financial difficulties. She was then sent to Alexandroupolis for further lay-up in 2009, and, after two years, she was sold for scrap to Turkey in 2011, leaving the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS as the last survivor of the Viking V-class. Picture taken by Peter Longhurst and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VALIANT, which was the second sister ship of the VIKING VISCOUNT, seen in Portsmouth in 1984. She started her career on the Le Havre-Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, and remained there until 1984, when her service was restricted to the Le Havre-Portsmouth line. In 1986, she underwent a major conversion in Bremerhaven in Germany, whereupon she underwent the 'Jumboisation' process alongside her sister ship, the VIKING VENTURER. This consisted in creating larger forward sections as well as adding another intermediate deck by having her accommodation superstructure initially cut in half before adding the new deck. As a result, both ships saw their passenger and vehicle capacity increase dramatically, but their aesthetic appearance was immediately panned. The VIKING VISCOUNT and the VIKING VOYAGER were initially supposed to undergo the same conversion, but the changes that occurred within the company in 1987 eventually spared them from having this unpleasant conversion. As a result, they were no longer identical to their two other sister ships. The VIKING VALIANT was reintroduced on the Le Havre-Portsmouth line, and in 1987 she joined P&O European Ferries, being renamed PRIDE OF LE HAVRE in 1989. In 1994 she was renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG and was deployed on the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line. She joined the P&O Portsmouth subsidiary in 1999, and in 2002 she was renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG A. Later that year, she and the VIKING VENTURER (which by that time had been renamed PRIDE OF HAMPSHIRE) were sold to the Egyptian company El Salam Maritime Transport for service on the Red Sea, and were renamed PRIDE OF AL SALAM 1 and PRIDE OF AL SALAM 2, respectively. They were both however chartered in 2003 to the Moroccan company COMANAV, with the PRIDE OF AL SALAM 1 being inserted on the Almería-Nador line. She was renamed NADOR in 2004, and continued to operate for COMANAV until 2005, when she spent the latter year's season as the MOGADOR. In 2006 she was laid-up in Suez, and she was sold for scrap in 2010, alongside the PRIDE OF AL SALAM 2 (which had been renamed OUJDA), becoming the first ships of the Viking V-class to be sold for scrap. Picture taken by Robert J. Smith and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VENTURER, which was the third sister ship of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, seen in Southampton in 1984. She was deployed on the Le Havre-Portsmouth line in 1975, and remained there until 1983, when she moved to the Le Havre-Southampton line. In 1984 she was transferred back to the Le Havre-Portsmouth line, and in 1986 she underwent the 'Jumboisation' conversion in Bremerhaven alongside the VIKING VALIANT. I n 1987 she joined P&O European Ferries, being renamed PRIDE OF HAMPSHIRE in 1989. In 1994 she was deployed on the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, where she remained until 2002. Later that year, she and the VIKING VALIANT (which by that time had been renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG A) were sold to the Egyptian company El Salam Maritime Transport for service on the Red Sea, and were renamed PRIDE OF AL SALAM 2 and PRIDE OF AL SALAM 1, respectively. They were both however chartered in 2003 to the Moroccan company COMANAV, with the PRIDE OF AL SALAM 2 being deployed on the Sète-Nador line. She was renamed OUJDA in 2004, and continued to operate for COMANAV until 2007. That same year, she was laid-up in Suez and she was sold for scrap in 2010, alongside the PRIDE OF AL SALAM 1 (which had been renamed MOGADOR), becoming the first ships of the Viking V-class to be sold for scrap. Picture taken by Robert J. Smith and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VISCOUNT remained a core presence on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line alongside the VIKING VOYAGER. The company's complete control of the port of Felixstowe enabled them to operate an efficient freight service, which was facilitated by the two ships' large garages. Starting from 1977, during the winter, the VIKING VISCOUNT would spend a few days operating on the Calais-Dover line and on the Zeebrugge-Dover line in order cover the service left by her fleetmates which were undergoing their annual refits. She would then return to her home base, the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line. The VIKING VISCOUNT seen in Dover in late 1977, during one of her short spells on the Calais-Dover line while replacing her fleetmates that were undergoing their annual refits. Picture taken by A. G. Jones, published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VISCOUNT seen approaching the port of Felixstowe in 1984. That year, her company underwent a logo change. It featured the letter 'T' twice in a white font, and was added in both the ship's two funnels. Picture taken by Brian Fisher and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . After spending her first 10 summers on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line alongside the VIKING VOYAGER, the VIKING VISCOUNT saw her services change at the end of the 1985 season. Indeed, Townsend Thoresen decided that the two Ro-Ro carriers NORDIC FERRY and BALTIC FERRY, two sister ships that were operating on the Rotterdam-Felixstowe line, would be converted into passenger ferries and be inserted on the Zeebrugge-Felixstowe line in 1986, thus replacing the incumbent Viking V-class sister ships. The latter two would instead be transferred to the Channel in order to operate on the Le Havre-Southampton line and on the Le Havre-Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, thus replacing their other two sister ships, the VIKING VALIANT and the VIKING VENTURER, which would go on to be converted in Bremerhaven as part of the aforementioned 'Jumboisation' process. Once they would be returning from their conversion, Townsend Thoresen planned to send the VIKING VISCOUNT and the VIKING VOYAGER for a similar conversion in 1987, although this eventually did not happen. In the meantime, Townsend Thoresen slightly modified their Western Channel services. The VIKING VISCOUNT replaced the VIKING VENTURER and the VIKING VALIANT on the Le Havre-Portsmouth line in 1986, while the VIKING VOYAGER was inserted on the Le Havre-Cherbourg-Southampton line. However, shortly after the completion of the 'Jumboisation' process and the return of the VIKING VENTURER and of the VIKING VALIANT to service, Townsend Thoresen experienced the most tragic event in its history, which ultimately brought an end to its services. Indeed, the ferry HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE, which was operating on the Zeebrugge-Dover line, capsized moments after having departed Zeebrugge and sank on the night of 6 March 1987, due to having left her ramp open while still sailing moments after having capsized. As a result, the seawater immediately flooded the ship, thus causing her to sink and resulting in the tragic loss of 193 passengers and crew members. The assistant boatswain was blamed for negligence, as well as the company for having failed to communicate appropriately shortly after the ship had capsized. The ferry was salvaged a year later and was sold for scrap to Taiwan, at just 8 years old. Following an uproar ignited by the British media and international maritime institutions, Townsend Thoresen quickly became one of the most infamous shipping companies in the ferry industry, and many passengers decided to never travel with the company again. In the aftermath of the disaster, Townsend Thoresen eventually saw their services end permanently. The British enterprise Peninsular and Oriental Steam Navigation Company, more commonly known as P&O, took over the European Ferries Group in late 1987 (to which it had ironically sold its cross-Channel ferry service just two years prior), and rebranded Townsend Thoresen as P&O European Ferries. During the transitional period, most ferries would continue to carry the livery of Townsend Thoresen on their hulls, but their funnels were replaced with the logo and the colours of P&O. In late 1987, the VIKING VISCOUNT moved to the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, alongside the VIKING VOYAGER. Ultimately, following the tragedy of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE and the takeover of Townsend Thoresen by P&O European Ferries, the plans to have both ships converted as part of the 'Jumboisation' process were abandoned. Therefore, both ferries avoided undergoing this unpleasant conversion and maintained their original aesthetic appearance. The VIKING VISCOUNT seen in Portsmouth in 1987, with her funnels now featuring the logo of P&O European Ferries following the sinking of her former fleetmate, the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE. Picture taken by Brian Fisher and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VIKING VALIANT seen in Portsmouth in 1986, following her 'Jumboisation' process. As you can see, she is completely unrecognisable following this conversion. Her sister ship, the VIKING VENTURER, also looked like this for the rest of her career. Picture taken by Photoship and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . Over the 1988 and the 1989 seasons, the former ships of Townsend Thoresen which continued to operate under P&O European Ferries underwent their transitional refit, which saw them receiving a new dark blue livery (implemented by P&O on all its ships) and a new name. Most of them consisted of having the prefix 'PRIDE OF' followed by a local place name from the United Kingdom, France, Belgium and The Netherlands. In the case of the VIKING VISCOUNT and of the VIKING VOYAGER, which were continuing to serve the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, they underwent their refit in 1989. The VIKING VOYAGER was renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG, while the VIKING VISCOUNT was renamed PRIDE OF WINCHESTER, being named after the eponymous city located next to Southampton in the country of Hampshire. She also saw her registry port change from Dover to Portsmouth. In late 1989, she made a temporary appearance on the Calais-Dover line in order to replace her P&O European Ferries fleetmates that were undergoing their annual refits at the time. She then moved back to the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line. The PRIDE OF WINCHESTER seen having entered the port of Dover in late 1989, shortly after her recent refit which saw her carry the full new livery of P&O European Ferries and her new name for the first time. Picture taken by Nigel Thornton and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk The PRIDE OF WINCHESTER seen arriving in Portsmouth in 1991. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The PRIDE OF WINCHESTER seen arriving in Portsmouth in early 1994, during the last months of her Channel career and shortly before leaving for Greece. Picture taken by Ken Larwood and published on http://www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . As the 1990s began, the PRIDE OF WINCHESTER continued to operate on the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, despite the introduction of newly-built Ro-Ro carriers by P&O European Ferries on their other services on the Channel. While continuing to provide regular service, the impending completion of the Channel Tunnel in 1994 began to hit the ferry market on the Channel, with many passenger ferries beginning to have a diminished role at the expense of the freight ferries, which continued to be very popular. Therefore, smaller ferries would soon begin to be insufficient as part of the continuing freight demand. Hence, several former Townsend Thoresen ferries were no longer a part of the long-term plans of P&O European Ferries by 1992 and 1993, and were either transferred to the North Channel and the Irish Sea, or were sold to companies operating on the Mediterranean Sea. A notable example was that of the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY (formerly known as the FREE ENTERPRISE VIII under Townsend Thoresen), which was sold in 1993 to the Greek company GA Ferries, becoming their second ferry to be named ROMILDA. While the undesired ships began to leave the fleet of P&O, the latter also sought to bring larger ferries with tremendous passenger capacity. Two of them were the then-recently-built sister ships OLAU HOLLANDIA and OLAU BRITANNIA of the defunct British company Olau Line, which were acquired by P&O European Ferries in 1994 and were renamed PRIDE OF LE HAVRE and PRIDE OF PORTSMOUTH, respectively. Currently known as the GNV CRISTAL and the GNV ATLAS of the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci, respectively, the two ships entered service on the Le Havre-Portsmouth line, replacing the two ferries that were operating there. These happened to be the sister ships of the PRIDE OF WINCHESTER, namely the original PRIDE OF LE HAVRE (and formerly known as the VIKING VALIANT) and the PRIDE OF HAMPSHIRE (formerly known as the VIKING VENTURER). Due to their 'Jumboisation' conversion, both ships were therefore transferred to the Cherbourg-Portsmouth line, thus replacing their younger sister ships, the PRIDE OF CHERBOURG and the PRIDE OF WINCHESTER. The PRIDE OF LE HAVRE became the new PRIDE OF CHERBOURG (she was later renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG A), while the PRIDE OF HAMPSHIRE kept her name. The original PRIDE OF CHERBOURG was temporarily renamed PRIDE OF CHERBOURG II, but was then sold to Lineas Fred. Olsen. As for the PRIDE OF WINCHESTER, she was withdrawn from service during the summer of 1994 and was sent for lay-up in Southampton, awaiting for a new buyer to come. The PRIDE OF WINCHESTER seen in Southampton, shortly after completing her P&O European Ferries career, and awaiting for a new opportunity to arise. Picture taken by Ken Larwood and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . Fortunately for the ship, she did not need to wait for a long time. Indeed, just a few days after she ended her Northern European career, she was sold to the newly-established Greek company LANE Lines. The latter was created by the businessman Georgios Alevizos in order to deploy a ship to the ports of Agios Nikolaos and Siteia, located in the Lasithi region, which is in the Easternmost part of Crete. Indeed, 'LANE' stands for 'Lasithiotiki Anonymi Naftiliaki Etaireia' in Greek, which basically means 'Anonymous Shipping Company of Lasithi' in English. Therefore, the company was managed by the population of Lasithi. This was based on the same concept that existed through multiple other Greek shipping companies, and most notably by the other three Cretan regions. Indeed, the region of Chania was represented by the well-known ANEK Lines, Heraklion is the base of famed company Minoan Lines, while Rethymnon was served by Cretan Ferries (also known as Rethymniaki NE), with all of them having direct connections between Piraeus and their respective ports. Until 1994, the region of Lasithi, unlike the other three, had been the only one not to have its local company. There were some ships serving the ports of Agios Nikolaos and Siteia, but very few stayed there on a permanent basis. In fact, most ships serving both ports would do so as part of a lifeline linking the Cyclades with the Dodecanese. These included the late KAMIROS of DANE Sea Line in the early 1980s, or the NEREUS of Agapitos Lines from 1982 to 1989 (when she unfortunately ran aground off the coast of Kavo Sideros in Crete, thus ending her career), as well as the OLYMPIA of that same company from 1988 to 1989. Other ships also included the DALIANA and the MILENA of GA Ferries (through several stops on the Cyclades followed by even more on the Dodecanese) from 1988 to 1991, as well as the SIFNOS EXPRESS of Ventouris Sea Lines from 1987 to 1993. The first attempt to have a ship providing a direct service from Piraeus to the ports of Lasithi came in 1987, when the local shipowner Antonis Lelakis, through the company Euroferries, deployed the ferry SITEIA (formerly operating as the MONACO on the Patras-Brindisi line) on the Piraeus-Siteia line, where she was then joined by her fleetmate, namely the Ro-Pax ferry IERAPETRA (later the ATHINA I of Five Star Lines on the Adriatic Sea). Both ships had an indifferent spell, and they therefore left the service in 1990. The latter was overtaken by the Greek-Cypriot company Poseidon Lines, which deployed the ferry LASITHI (later known as the SEA HARMONY, then as the SEA HARMONY II and finally as the OLYMPIA I) on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia line from 1990 to 1992 until they transferred her to the Piraeus-Rhodes-Limassol line (where she went on to stay with her other fleetmates until the company ceased operations in 2002). From 1992 to 1993, ANEK Lines made an entry to the service, by deploying the cruiseferry KRITI (later known as the SUPER NAÏAS of Agapitos Lines and then as the EXPRESS ARIS of Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins) on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia line. However, in 1994, it was announced that this ship would be deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line on the Adriatic Sea, where she remained for two years until her sale to Agapitos Lines in 1996. Therefore, with ANEK Lines no longer serving Lasithi, the best solution in order to ensure a better connection of Agios Nikolaos and Siteia with Piraeus was to create a company and to have a permanent ferry that would be funded and supported by the people of Lasithi. With LANE Lines established, the company quickly sought to have a ship ready for operations during the summer of 1994. After learning that the then-18-year-old PRIDE OF WINCHESTER was listed for sale, and deeming her fit for the required service in Lasithi, they decided to buy her. She arrived in Piraeus during the summer of 1994, and she was renamed VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, in honour of the eponymous Cretan poet originating from Siteia, who was a key figure of the Cretan Renaissance during the 16th century and early 17th century, being also acclaimed as one of the best Cretan writers of all time. She was reflagged from the United Kingdom to Greece, and she was registered in Agios Nikolaos, which is where her company was based. She underwent a quick conversion in Piraeus in order to be ready for service during the summer of 1994. As a result, she kept her dark blue P&O European Ferries (known as P&O Ferries since 2002) livery, and only had her P&O insignia replaced by those of LANE Lines on her hull and on her funnels. Her indoor areas and her stern were initially not upgraded, as the company planned to do this right after the completion of the 1994 season. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen leaving Southampton for the last time in order to begin her new career in Greece. As you can see, her P&O European Ferries insignia were erased, and her name on her bow was initially written as V. KORNAROS, although this was changed to VITSENTZOS KORNAROS by the time she began service under LANE Lines during the summer of 1994. Picture taken by Photoship and published on www.doverferryphotosforums.co.uk . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Piraeus in 1994, during one of her first days in Greece, following her arrival from Southampton. She is seen undergoing the last preparation stages before her entry to service in Lasithi. Her P&O European Ferries colours were maintained, with only the logo of LANE Lines being added to her funnels. The company's name was added on both sides of her hull right before she began to operate. Picture taken by Panteleimon Lelekis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . In August 1994, the ambitious project of LANE Lines became a reality, as the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS began service on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia line, and her service quickly became popular amongst the residents of Lasithi. The addition of Milos as an intermediate stop of the itinerary was also praised, with many passengers choosing the ship as she offered a direct link from Piraeus to the Cyclades island. She managed to operate well against her main competitor, namely the ROMILDA of GA Ferries and formerly her Townsend Thoresen and P&O European Ferries fleetmate, as she was previously known the FREE ENTERPRISE VIII and later the PRIDE OF CANTERBURY. Indeed, the latter made some calls to all ports served by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS as part of her long itinerary connecting Piraeus with the Cyclades, Crete and the vast majority of the Dodecanese. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Piraeus during her first summer in Greece, and her debut season under LANE Lines. This was also her first and only season under the original LANE Lines livery. Picture taken by Jürgen Saupe and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS docked in Piraeus during her debut season in Greece under LANE Lines. Picture taken by Jürgen Saupe and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . After a very successful first summer, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS headed to Perama in order to undergo her extensive conversion so that she could better fit the demands on the Aegean Sea. Her stern was completely upgraded, as it saw the creation of sun decks providing additional outdoor space to passengers. Several cabins were added, her lounge areas were fully refitted, her engines were upgraded, and her iconic front section balcony was maintained. Furthermore, her dark blue livery was abandoned and was replaced by one featuring a traditional white hull, which was present in the vast majority of the ships of the Greek coastal service at the time. After the completion of her conversion, she resumed service in 1995, this time on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos lifeline, thus operating under a government-subsidised lifeline for the first time (among the many) in her career. The addition of the remote Dodecanese islands of Kasos and Karpathos was challenging, as both of them have very underdeveloped ports which can easily become dangerous during rough weathers, which are quite frequent in this area. Despite these difficulties, 'O Poiïtis', or 'The Poet', as she was affectionally nicknamed by passengers, continued to provide excellent service, and her front section balcony became a landmark attraction for passengers and shipping enthusiasts. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen undergoing her conversion in Perama in 1995, during which her stern was completely modified. Picture taken by Georgios Giannakis and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in 1995, in her first summer following her major conversion in Perama, and during her second season under LANE Lines. She is seen with her new white livery, featuring an upgraded logo of the company. Picture taken by Georgios Giannakis and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS continued to be successful thanks to her excellent crew and the good care provided by her company. Her service on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos lifeline remained flawless for the following five seasons, despite the fact that airlines began to operate regular flights to Kasos and Karpathos, both of which have airports. However, the history of LANE Lines experienced a turning point in 1999. It will eventually seal its demise in the long term, as the company was never the same again following the events that occurred that year. Indeed, the company saw 50% of its stake being acquired by ANEK Lines, one of the largest Cretan operators alongside Minoan Lines. In return, the new shareholder sold one of its ships, the TALOS, which was operating on the Adriatic Sea on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona-Trieste line, to LANE Lines. The ship was renamed IERAPETRA L, after the famous town of Ierapetra located in the Lasithi region. She was also registered in Agios Nikolaos, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, thus being an additional ship providing a similar service as the one offered by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. The latter saw her own service extended as well, as she was inserted on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline. Therefore, the Dodecanese islands of Chalki, Rhodes and Castellorizon were added to her itinerary, which went on to be the same as that of the IERAPETRA L, except that the latter was also serving Santorini at the time. With these changes, LANE Lines basically became a satellite company of ANEK Lines, who sought to improve their presence in Crete by controlling most of the services on the island. Just a year after their investment in LANE Lines, they went on to fully acquire Cretan Ferries and their services on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line. The latter's two ferries, namely the AKRADI (which was sold in 2002 and sunk in 2011) and the PREVELI (which was renamed PREVELIS in 2000) , were therefore bought by ANEK Lines. But unlike Cretan Ferries, whose management team merged with that of ANEK Lines, that of LANE Lines continued to represent the company for the time being, and therefore still had control over its services, which continued to be subsidised by the Greek government. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Piraeus in 2000, a year after her company was partly acquired by ANEK Lines. Despite these changes, the ferry continued to operate efficiently for the time being. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström. Fortunes for the company began to change as the 21st century began. Indeed, the tragic sinking of the EXPRESS SAMINA of Hellas Ferries (a division of Minoan Flying Dolphins) in Paros on 26 September 2000 and the introduction of newly-built high speed cruiseferries and high speed craft signaled a threat to the older classic ferries on the Aegean Sea. By the start of the 2001 season, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was 25 years old, smaller and slower than the IERAPETRA L, and had started to show some signs of weakness. Indeed, the extension of her service until Castellorizon meant that her itinerary was longer, and therefore the daily connection of Agios Nikolaos and Siteia with Piraeus became less frequent. Because of this, passengers willing to go to Lasithi began to prefer traveling with the ships of Minoan Lines, which, despite stopping in Heraklion, were fast enough for them to reach the ports of Lasithi (by driving from Heraklion) before the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS would even reach them as part of her itinerary. This was thanks to the two newly-built cruiseferries, namely the KNOSSOS PALACE and the FESTOS PALACE (known as the KYDON PALACE since 2020) , which served the Piraeus-Heraklion line in just six hours. On the contrary, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS would reach Agios Nikolaos more than 10 hours after leaving Piraeus. The additional increase of passenger demand for flights to Kasos and Karpathos made things even more hard. Despite these setbacks, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS continued to operate on the Piraeus-Milos-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, and still provided decent results, even though she was no longer the acclaimed ferry that had first arrived in Lasithi back in 1994. In 2003 the ship began operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, thus serving Santorini and Heraklion for the first time and providing the exact same service as her fleetmate, the IERAPETRA L, which also added Heraklion to her itinerary. Beginning in 2004, in order to generate more revenue and to compete against GA Ferries, LANE Lines decided to have the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS operate alternatively on two different lifelines. The first one was her usual service, spent on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline. The second one was a lifeline connecting the Northeast Aegean Sea with the Dodecanese, more precisely the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes lifeline. Coincidentally, many of these islands were also served by her sister ship, namely the ex-VIKING VOYAGER, which entered service in Greece in 2005 as the SAMOTHRAKI of Saos Ferries, operating initially on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The service of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS produced favourable reviews, although she still remained more successful when operating on her core service on the Cyclades, Lasithi and the Dodecanese. She continued to perform both services until the end of the 2007 season. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS having just arrived in the port of Piraeus during the 2005 summer season. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS having departed Samos in 2005, during her second year operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea-Dodecanese lifeline. Picture taken by Dieter Pots and published on www.shipspotting.com . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen arriving in the port of Kos in 2006, in what was her third summer operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea-Dodecanese lifeline. It was also her last summer operating for LANE Lines before the latter rebranded themselves as LANE Sea Lines. Picture taken by Dieter Pots and published on www.shipspotting.com Despite continuous good service by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, the year 2006 also proved to be very eventful for the company. Indeed, after generating profits in 2004 and 2005, ANEK Lines decided to remove the key man that was in charge of LANE Lines, Georgios Alevizos, and replaced the board with members of ANEK Lines. In addition, the IERAPETRA L, which had already severely grounded off in Rhodes in 2005, suffered sustainable damage in Rafina. Indeed, she had been chartered for two days by the Greek football club AEK Athens in order to transport its fans from Rafina to Heraklion, where the team was due to play the final of the Greek Cup for that year. As the team ended-up losing, the ship was severely vandalised by angry supporters, and was seriously damaged. She was nevertheless repaired in Perama and returned to her usual service, but the reparation costs due to these brutal actions were very high for the company. Following the change in the management team and the completion of the 2006 season, LANE Lines underwent a brand upgrade, changing their colours, logo and name. Indeed, they were renamed LANE Sea Lines, and both the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the IERAPETRA L saw their liveries being upgraded. This was done for marketing reasons, as a way for the company to show that it was undergoing a major fleet renovation despite both its ships being over 30 years old. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen undergoing her livery upgrade, right after her company became LANE Sea Lines in late 2006. Picture taken by Michele Lulurgas and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen resting in the port of Piraeus in 2007, which was her first summer under the new livery of the newly-rebranded LANE Sea Lines. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström. The first seasons of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS under the upgraded LANE Sea Lines remained the same, as she continued to provide service on the two lifelines she had been operating on since 2004. She notably faced another familiar ship as one of her competitors. Indeed, on the Northeast Aegean Sea-Dodecanese lifeline, she operated alongside the PENELOPE of Agoudimos Lines, which used to be her fleetmate back when both ships were operating for Townsend Thoresen at the start of their careers. Formerly known as the EUROPEAN GATEWAY, the PENELOPE operated on the Thessaloniki-Samos-Kos-Rhodes-Chalki-Karpathos-Kasos-Heraklion-Santorini-Paros-Tinos-Skiathos line in 2005, and then on the Kavala-Thessaloniki-Samos-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes-Chalki-Karpathos-Kasos-Heraklion-Santorini-Paros-Tinos-Skiathos line in 2006 and in 2007, thus operating in many ports also served by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the IERAPETRA L seen together in Rhodes in 2007. They were the only two ships LANE Lines/LANE Sea Lines had in their 26-year-long history. The IERAPETRA L left the company in 2009 in order to return to ANEK Lines, for whom she operated until 2014, when she suffered a major fire which partially destroyed her accommodation superstructure. She was ultimately bought by Sea Jets in 2017, and entered service under them as the AQUA BLUE in 2018. As of 2020, she operates on the Lavrion-Agios Eftstratios-Limnos-Kavala line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The summer of 2008 turned out to be a very tough one for LANE Sea Lines. Indeed, poor management by the parent company, ANEK Lines, did not help the company in generating appropriate revenue. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS operated solely on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, while the IERAPETRA L was deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, as well as on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, a service which earned her mixed reviews. Furthermore, passengers heading towards Lasithi maintained their preference for the port of Heraklion served by the ships of Minoan Lines and ANEK Lines, and Superfast Ferries beginning in 2009. This left the port of Agios Nikolaos in a very vulnerable position, to the point where it was deemed not feasible to continue to have ferries serving it. At the end of the 2008 season, with losses becoming frequent despite the subsidies of the Greek government, and because of disagreements with the crews (which wanted 30% of the subsidies, while the company only wanted to give them 7% of them), both ships were arrested in Piraeus. As a result, all services towards the Cyclades, Lasithi, the Dodecanese and the Northeast Aegean Sea ended. After 14 years, LANE Sea Lines no longer had a permanent ferry connecting Piraeus with Agios Nikolaos and Siteia. When looking at the troubles faced by the company, ANEK Lines decided to make some substantial changes ahead of the 2009 season, in order to help the company survive the upcoming crisis that was slowly beginning to hit the Greek coastal service. Ten years after their initial investment in LANE Sea Lines, ANEK Lines made the following changes to the services of the former. Indeed, the IERAPETRA L was transferred back to ANEK Lines, and entered service on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline and on the Piraeus-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese. The service left by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was taken over by the PREVELIS , which was inserted on the new Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline, thus completely abandoning Agios Nikolaos and also adding Anafi to her itinerary. As for the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, she was introduced on a new lifeline: the one connecting Piraeus with the Peloponnese, Kythira, Antikythira and Crete. She was deployed on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos-Rethymnon lifeline. The latter had been left abandoned by the previous company that was serving it on a permanent basis, which was ANEN Lines, another satellite company of ANEK Lines. Their ferry, the MYRTIDIOTISSA (which later became the ALEXANDRA L of Kefalonian Lines in 2018) , had ran aground in Kythira in 2008, and the increasing economic problems of the company eventually led them to ceasing their operations. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS thus covered a line which had no permanent successor, while also serving the port of Rethymnon, which had not been a part of the former itinerary of the MYRTIDIOTISSA. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Piraeus in 2009, during her first summer operating on her new lifeline. Next to her is the PREVELIS, which replaced her on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline during that same year. Picture taken by Micke Aleksander and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Kalamata during her debut season on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos-Rethymnon lifeline. Picture published on www.nautilia.gr . The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen maneuvering in the very narrow bay where the port of Antikythira is located, during her debut summer on her new lifeline in 2009. Difficult weather in such an area makes it very dangerous for ships to undergo their maneuvering procedures, and can easily result in an accident if the ship is not sailing correctly. Despite these challenges, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS always performed very well in this port, and this further cemented her status as one of the best ships in the history of the Greek coastal service. Picture taken by the Antikythira Community and published on www.marinetraffic.com . Despite the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline being one of the most demanding and difficult lifelines of the Greek coastal service, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was an instant success, as she had previously also operated on a similarly-challenging lifeline for 14 years. Thanks to the professionalism of her crew and the leadership of the fantastic Cpt Dimitrios Ladas, her service was very much appreciated, and she therefore helped passengers forget the disappointing spell of the MYRTIDIOTISSA under ANEN Lines. Beginning in 2010, the ship also operated once a week on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line on the Cyclades, providing an additional service to all these islands at the start of the 2010s. The great VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen leaving Piraeus in 2010. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in the port of Santorini in 2010, during her first summer operating on the additional service provided by her company on the Cyclades. Picture taken by Dimitrios Salpigtis and published on www.shipspotting.com . Even though the Greek financial crisis began to hit several shipping companies at the start of the 2010s, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS continued to serve the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline with much success, even though she was also starting to become one of the oldest ships of the Aegean Sea, By that time, her three sister ships, the MOGADOR and the OUJDA (laid-up since 2006 and 2007 respectively) and the SAMOTHRAKI (laid-up since late 2008) were all sold for scrap between 2010 and 2011. This left the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS as the only ship of the Viking V-class to continue to operate. During the summer of 2011, some changes were made to her itinerary. Indeed, the call to Rethymnon stopped completely, while the port of the picturesque village of Monemvasia, located on the Myrtoan Sea on the Peloponnese, was added. Therefore, besides her service on the Cyclades, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was deployed on the Piraeus-Monemvasia-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline. Later that year, she collided with the EUROPEAN EXPRESS of NEL Lines in Piraeus, as she was returning back to the port. Difficult weather conditions caused by intense winds made the LANE Sea Lines ship lose control and hit the NEL Lines ship (which was sold for scrap in early 2019, a year before the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS) with her bow, striking a part of the latter's hull. Both ships were however quickly repaired and returned to their respective services. My first-ever picture of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, taken during the summer of 2013, which was her fifth consecutive on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline. After two other successful summers, the service on the Cyclades and the stops in Monemvasia ended, with LANE Sea Lines focusing solely on the Piraeus-Gytheion -Kalamata- Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline ahead of the 2014 season. At the age of 38, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was considered by many to be too old to continue operating. Despite the company being supposed to replace her with a younger ferry, the ship continued to operate, although her services began to become a bit more irregular, as poor maintenance in her engines caused a few technical failures which resulted in a few delays. Despite such setbacks, many continued to appreciate the ferry, due to the excellent service provided onboard and the friendliness of her crew. Her front section balcony continued to be a major hit, as such a feature started to become even more rare in Greek ferries. During the winter of 2015, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS temporarily returned to her original service, being deployed the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline in order to briefly replace the PREVELIS which was due to undergo her annual refit. Her service started well, but she then had a major accident in Kasos, as she grounded off in the pier of the island's port due to poor weather. The passengers were all safely evacuated, but the ship remained stuck for three days before being successfully brought back to the sea. She was then repaired in Perama and resumed service on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline. The following winter, she again temporarily replaced the PREVELIS, and again had an accident in Kasos when she hit the port's pier. However, the damage was minor compared to that of the previous year, and she immediately resumed service as usual. That year, despite her turning 40 years old, she had a particularly good season, as she sailed at a very convenient speed, while also maintaining excellent service for passengers in both her indoor and her outdoor areas. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen resting in Piraeus during the summer fo 2015. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, one of the most hardworking and acclaimed ships of the Greek coastal service, seen taking a well-deserved rest in the port of Piraeus during the summer of 2015. The veteran ferry VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen with a 'younger' veteran ferry, namely the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines, during the summer of 2015. The ship continues to operate on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline, which had previously been served by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS from 1994 to 2008. The latter initially served just Milos, Agios Nikolaos and Siteia, but she then began to add the other islands to her demanding itinerary, which made her such an acclaimed ship. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen during the summer of 2016 in Piraeus. This was her last summer operating in Greece, as the following one ended prematurely for her, following her major engine failure. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS resting in Piraeus in 2016, in what was my last-ever picture of the ship while she was still operating under LANE Sea Lines. Ahead of the 2017 summer season, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS spent the entire spring undergoing her annual refit in Drapetsona. With the residents of Gytheion, Kalamata, Kythira, Antikythira and Kissamos already skeptical due to the lack of service during the Easter season, their fears became more intense when the ship returned to service. Indeed, just two days after her return, she suffered a major engine failure in Piraeus. Deemed irreparable by LANE Sea Lines, all trips were canceled, and the islands of Kythira and Antikythira were left with no service from Piraeus, and as a result they were hit very hard by the lack of tourism. The only service they had was that of the reliable PORFYROUSA of the local company Triton Ferries, which connects them with Neapolis Voion on the Peloponnese. Because of the continued troubles of LANE Sea Lines and their failure in finding a replacement for the mechanically-troubled VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy stripped the company of its operating license on the lifeline, and ended the subsidy. At the end of the 2017 season, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was moved to Salamina, where she remained for the following three years. LANE Sea Lines was completely abandoned by the parent company ANEK Lines, which has also been facing several economic difficulties these past few years. Their poor management of the Lasithi-based company ended-up sealing the latter's demise. They effectively ceased operations in 2017, after 23 years of continuous service across the Aegean Sea. The service of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS was taken over in late 2017 by the IONIS of Leve Ferries , which, after having also spent the 2017 season laid-up in Salamina and being bought by Triton Ferries, was inserted on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline. She remained there until 2020, when she was replaced by the AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets , the current owners of the former fleetmate of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, the ex-IERAPETRA L, now known as the AQUA BLUE. With an irreparable engine at the age of 41, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS had little to no hope of ever resuming service again. She therefore suffered the same fate as that of her three sister ships and of many Greek ferries, which was to remain laid-up until making one final trip to the scrapyards. Several auctions were held by the Piraeus Port Authority in order to get rid of the ship, but most of them were unsuccessful. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen laid-up in Salamina in 2018, just a year after her last trip to Gytheion, Kalamata, Kythira, Antikythira and Kissamos. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS laid-up in Salamina during the summer of 2018, with her future remaining uncertain and pessimistic. Previously a legendary ship of the Greek coastal service, and a proven fighter on some of its most demanding lifelines, she was now becoming a victim of the long-term mistakes made by ANEK Lines upon acquiring her owners. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in 2018 in Salamina, in the Ambelakia Shipyards, in what turned out to be my last-ever picture of her. I did not expect it to be the case, as she headed for scrap less than two years later. Therefore, this picture is even more meaningful now, as it is my last memory of the historic ferry, which was a joy to so many Greek shipping enthusiasts, including myself. After being laid-up in Salamina for almost three years, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS left Greece yesterday as planned, in order to make her first trip in as many years. Unfortunately, it is also her last, as she is now going to meet the same end as that of her sister ships, that of many of her former Townsend Thoresen and P&O European Ferries fleetmates, and that of many of her former Greek competitors. Along with her, LANE Sea Lines is also disappearing forever, as she was the first and last ferry to bear the company's livery on both sides of her hull and on her funnels. The once-ambitious and successful company is now part of history. As I am finishing writing this post, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS is reaching Alia ğa in order to be scrapped, after 44 successful years, with 26 of them being in Greece, the country where she became one of the most beloved ferries of all time. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS will forever be remembered as one of the most popular ships in the history of the Greek coastal service. She helped connect Agios Nikolaos and Siteia with Piraeus on a regular basis, and then proceeded to operate on some of the most demanding lifelines of the Aegean Sea. Despite some occasional technical issues, her great crews and her iconic captains made her appear like an unbreakable fighter, up until the very end of her career. Many passengers and shipping enthusiasts were fond of her amenities, particularly her front section balcony which made her long trips across the Aegean Sea even more memorable and iconic. Wherever she operated, she made the best efforts to connect some of Greece's most remote islands with the rest of the country, despite facing competition from younger and faster ferries, and some occasional unfair criticism from 'experts' who considered that they knew everything about the Greek coastal service and its ships. She came to Greece as a legend from North Sea and the Channel, and she left Greece as an acclaimed and dignified ferry, and she will be missed by many. I still regret to have never had the chance to travel with her, but I was at least glad to see her and photograph her when she was still operating efficiently. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, I would like to thank you for your unique, acclaimed and dignified contribution to the Greek coastal service. #vitsentzoskornaros #lanesealines #lanelines #aneklines #aegean #cyclades #crete #lasithi #dodecanese #northeastaegeansea #myrtoansea #peloponnese #kythira #antikythira #agiosnikolaos #piraeus #greece #farewell #scrap #legend #extratribute

Trip: 20 June 2018. From Mykonos to Piraeus, via Tinos and Syros, with the BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries . The BLUE STAR PAROS was ordered in 2000 by the Greek company Blue Star Ferries (which had just been acquired by Attica Group, after previously serving the Greek coastal service as Strintzis Lines), along with the BLUE STAR NAXOS , as sister ships of their very successful 2000-built fleetmate, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI (now in Canada). Initially ordered under the name BLUE STAR SANTORINI, she was instead named BLUE STAR PAROS. This was done in order to avoid confusion with the ferry EXPRESS SANTORINI of Hellas Ferries (now the AL SALMY 4 of the Emirati company SAMC) which was operating on the Cyclades at the time. She was completed in 2002 in South Korea, and was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, replacing the BLUE STAR ITHAKI. Just like it was the case with the BLUE STAR NAXOS, the introduction of the BLUE STAR PAROS proved to be a major success, and the ship managed to beat off competition against established rivals such as Hellas Ferries (part of Minoan Flying Dolphins and later Hellas Flying Dolphins). Their introduction cemented Blue Star Ferries' dominance on the Aegean Sea, and most notably on the Cyclades. In 2006 she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line, where she would go on to operate for the next eight years, leaving the line after the 2014 season after an extremely successful service during which she was the sole provider of coastal service connexions of the Lesser Cyclades with Piraeus (while the same islands relied also on the traditional inter-island service provided by the small ferry EXPRESS SKOPELITIS of Small Cyclades Lines ). In 2015, the ship was deployed for the first time from the port Rafina, operating on the Rafina-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios line previously occupied by the company's former ship, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, before she was sold to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited in 2014 (serving today on the St John-Digby line as the FUNDY ROSE). The following year she was deployed on the Dodecanese lifeline for the summer, on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line, replacing the DIAGORAS which had been sold by Blue Star Ferries. Despite being a day ferry and lacking enough cabins required for this long and demanding lifeline, she performed extremely well, and was able to meet the success of her predecessor, which rejoined Blue Star Ferries after the 2017 season. In 2017, she connected the Dodecanese lifeline with the Cyclades islands of Paros and Naxos, thus operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line. In 2018, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. So this is a detailed summary of that special ship's history. Despite now being a veteran of the Greek coastal service, she is still among its youngest members, having spent all of her 16 years in Greek waters so far, alongside the BLUE STAR NAXOS. Together with the BLUE STAR ITHAKI which unfortunately is no longer operating in Greece, the three ships have formed one of the most successful trios in the history of the Greek coastal service. The BLUE STAR PAROS has traditionally been acclaimed on the Cyclades, but also met considerable success on the Dodecanese in recent years. The ferry, just like her sister ships, was built in order to mark a new era on the Aegean Sea, with ships built to today's design standards and featuring modern and comfortable amenities designed to make a trip in Greece an unforgettable experience. Sixteen years later, the ship has not disappointed at all, and many still claim that she is one of the few ferries that are this modern, reliable and fast when performing trips. I personally had the chance to travel with the BLUE STAR PAROS for the first time during the 2018 season, as part of my return trip from Mykonos to Athens, where I was to spend the next month as an intern. After having done a week-long trip in Ios, in Mykonos and in Delos with my university friends, it was now time to head back home. And I personally think that I chose the best ferry in order to make this return trip as memorable as possible. This trip marked my fifth one of the season, and was also the first time that I returned from the Cyclades to Piraeus with a conventional ferry, with my previous trips on that same route having only been done with high speed craft. Moreover, it was my third trip with a Blue Star Ferries ship, after having already done two different trips with the BLUE STAR PATMOS , one from Piraeus to Santorini on 7-8 July 2015 and one from Santorini to Ios on 10 July 2017 . Therefore, the BLUE STAR PAROS became the second Blue Star Ferries ship on which I traveled in my life. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen in the new port of Mykonos, shortly before traveling with her. I reached the new port of Mykonos (where ferries and some cruise ships dock, as the old port is too small to fit such ships today) by traveling on the MYKONOS STAR of Delos Tours-Mykonos Sea Bus from the old port (a trip which only lasts ten minutes). The BLUE STAR PAROS seen from the MYKONOS STAR in the new port of Mykonos. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen resting in Mykonos. The BLUE STAR PAROS, which had previously arrived from Ikaria. She had been deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos just a few days before my trip, with the BLUE STAR NAXOS being on the line before she returned to her usual service on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen in Mykonos, with the cruise ship JEWEL OF THE SEAS of Royal Caribbean International docked right behind her. The BLUE STAR PAROS seen as the MYKONOS STAR begins to approach the new port of Mykonos. While the BLUE STAR PAROS was still visible, I spotted the fleetmate of the MYKONOS STAR, the MYKONOS SPIRIT , leaving the new port of Mykonos in order to head towards the old port of the island. While I headed towards the docking spot of the new port of Mykonos, I spotted the fleetmate of the MYKONOS STAR, the MYKONOS EXPRESS , resting in the new port. The MYKONOS EXPRESS seen in her namesake island's new port. She was built in 2013, two years before the MYKONOS STAR, and was the first ship to connect the two ports of the island. Her service proved to be very successful, with her company deploying three new ships on this service in addition to their core services on the Mykonos-Delos line, as I mentioned it in my previous blog post . As I embarked aboard the BLUE STAR PAROS, I saw the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 2 of Sea Jets having arrived in the new port of Mykonos. Hence I decided to take pictures of this ship before going to present the indoor and outdoor areas of the BLUE STAR PAROS. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen in Mykonos. In 2018, she was on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, as it was also the case in 2017. Previously, she spent the summers of 2015 and 2016 on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, a line which was taken over by her sister ship, the CHAMPION JET 1 , beginning in 2017. The funnel of the CHAMPION JET 2, which is simply long and flat. Most ships built in her shipyard, the well-known Incat Shipyards in Australia, feature this funnel. Unlike her fleetmates, she does not have the logo of her company written down on her funnel. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen departing Mykonos in order to head towards Paros. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen departing Mykonos in order to make her return trip towards the Cyclades Islands and Crete. In what was her fourth season with Sea Jets, the CHAMPION JET 2 was very successful while operating on a very popular and demanding seasonal line: the connection of the main Cyclades islands with the Cretan ports. After seeing the CHAMPION JET 2 leaving the Mykonos port, it was now time for me to have a look around the ship's amenities, beginning with the indoor areas. The ship has a total of 8 decks, with Decks 6 and 7 being the ones featuring interior passenger areas. Deck 8 has the ship's well-known outdoor sun decks. Thus, I began walking around Deck 6, where I spotted a modern reception desk. Right behind the reception desk, I saw the ship's modern alley, part of the B' Class Lounge, which featured a few seats and a small bar selling soft drinks, coffee and snacks. The continuation of the alley, which becomes even more narrow and features seats placed one next to the other. Further forward, I could spot the Air Seats Area, which, as its name indicates, features aircraft-style seats aligned in one alley and right next to the ship's windows. The deckplan of the BLUE STAR PAROS, displaying signs in both Greek and English. Another view of the Air Seats Area. Further back, I spotted the ship's onboard retail store. Just like all Blue Star Ferries ships, it is managed under the Hellenic Travel Shops brandname. At the stern section of Deck 6, I noticed that the ship had restaurant area managed by Goody's Burger House, which is Greece's most popular fast food chain. It produces food of very good quality and is known to operate aboard the BLUE STAR NAXOS as well. The younger BLUE STAR DELOS is also known to have a Goody's restaurant onboard, as do the older sister ships BLUE STAR 1 and BLUE STAR 2 . The outdoor area of Deck 6, located next to the stern. It features a small sun deck with several wooden chairs and plastic tables sticked to the ground. I then headed upstairs, reaching Deck 7. The latter had a larger sun deck in the stern section, though it also featured an outdoor bar. It nevertheless features similar chairs and tables as the ones seen in the sun deck of Deck 6. The port side outdoor alley in Deck 7, featuring life-rafts and a small orange lifeboat. Another view of the port side outdoor alley. Inside the middle section of the ship in Deck 7, one can see the ship's few passenger cabins. Overall, she has 26 of them, which are enough for a long trip on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline or when doing trips to Ikaria, Fournoi and Samos, but not enough for the Dodecanese lifeline which she served in 2016 and in 2017. Some of the cabins' doors are decorated with posters showing the mascot of Blue Star Ferries, the small anthropomorphised blue star named Bluestarino. Above the character, the sign says, in Greek, 'Bluestarino wishes you a pleasant trip'. After exiting the cabins alley, one can find a brighter alley leading to another aircraft-style-seats-based lounge area, as shown in this picture. The indoor staircase linking Deck 6 with Deck 7, as shown in this picture. I then headed to Deck 8, which has the ship's famous outdoor sun deck. A view of the ship's Deck 8 seen from the front section, where the sun deck is located. One of the ship's many life buoys, featuring her name and port of registry (Piraeus) in English. The ship's foremast and emergency landing area. The bridge is located in front of the mast. The ship's builder's plate, which shows that she was completed in 2002 in the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering (DSME) shipyards in South Korea, just like the BLUE STAR ITHAKI did in 2000 and the BLUE STAR NAXOS did in 2002 as well. Two other ships were built for Blue Star Ferries in that same shipyard, the sister ships BLUE STAR DELOS (in 2011) and BLUE STAR PATMOS (in 2012), which both operate successful services on the Cyclades. Back at the stern section, I spotted the Greek flag flying onboard the ship. The ship's very modern funnel, painted in her company's colours and displaying the famous blue star, after which her owners are named. Just a few minutes before the BLUE STAR PAROS was supposed to depart the new port of Mykonos (at around 14:15), I spotted another high speed craft arriving at the port. This time, it was the unique SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was arriving from Paros. The SANTORINI PALACE, which had been operating for Minoan Lines for only 10 days prior to my trip with the BLUE STAR PAROS. She was the main rival of the CHAMPION JET 2, as she was on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line (all ports that are served by the Sea Jets high speed ferry, alongside Rethymnon and Naxos). She was previously operating under Hellenic Seaways, as the HIGHSPEED 5 (2005-2016) and then as the HIGHSPEED 7 (2016-2018). The SANTORINI PALACE seen prior to her maneuvering procedure in Mykonos. She has been on her line since 2013, and operated successfully for Hellenic Seaways, before suffering a fire incident while undergoing a minor conversion in Keratsini in 2015. She was repaired the following year and was renamed HIGHSPEED 7, returning to her usual service from Heraklion to the Cyclades. The SANTORINI PALACE approaching the new port of Mykonos. While she began the 2018 season under Hellenic Seaways, she was sold to Minoan Lines when the former was acquired by the parent company of the BLUE STAR PAROS, Attica Group. The deal included her sale to Minoan Lines (a member of Grimaldi Group, which were the previous major shareholders of Hellenic Seaways) and the transferring of the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line to the Cretan company, as a means to avoid a monopoly of Cyclades services by Attica Group. One of the two funnels of the SANTORINI PALACE, featuring the well-known logo of Minoan Lines. It was added just ten days before my trip with the BLUE STAR PAROS. The SANTORINI PALACE after having maneuvered and preparing to dock in Mykonos. The SANTORINI PALACE preparing to dock in Mykonos. She was the first high speed craft to operate for Minoan Lines since 1999. Indeed, the Heraklion-based company owned the HIGHSPEED 1 from 1997 to 1999, a ship which went on to become a fleetmate of the SANTORINI PALACE during their Hellenic Seaways years. The HIGHSPEED 1, the original ship that began to carry the 'Highspeed' trademark name, was sold by Hellenic Seaways in 2011, and now operates as the SEASTAR 7 of Korean company Jung Do. However, she has not been sailing since 2017, and is currently listed for sale. The SANTORINI PALACE having just docked in Mykonos. The SANTORINI PALACE departed Mykonos just a few minutes after having docked, in order to make her return trip towards Paros, Ios, Santorini and Heraklion. The SANTORINI PALACE departing Mykonos. The SANTORINI PALACE leaving Mykonos, in what was her first summer under Minoan Lines. The SANTORINI PALACE leaving Mykonos in order to head towards Paros. The SANTORINI PALACE beginning to head towards Paros. Another view of the SANTORINI PALACE. Another view of the Mykonos landscape, shortly before the departure of the BLUE STAR PAROS. At around 14:15 the BLUE STAR PAROS began to head for the first stop of the trip, the island of Tinos. For the BLUE STAR PAROS' standards, the trip only last 30 minutes. Fortunately, the sea was calm, making the crossing more smooth. Usually, the Cyclades area including Syros, Tinos and Mykonos is known for its intense winds which occasionally make the sea around these islands a bit rough. While the BLUE STAR PAROS departed, I noticed another high speed craft arriving from Paros to Mykonos. This time, it was the PAROS JET of Sea Jets , which was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line at the time. Th PAROS JET seen maneuvering in Mykonos. Just like the BLUE STAR PAROS, she is named after Paros, the beautiful Cyclades island located at the heart of the Archipelago. The PAROS JET seen maneuvering in Mykonos, while the BLUE STAR PAROS leaves that same island. After 30 minutes, we arrived in Tinos, at around 14:45. I got to see the port again, after having already done so six days before my trip with the BLUE STAR PAROS. Shortly prior to our departure, scheduled at 15:00, I saw the PAROS JET approaching the port of Tinos. The PAROS JET approaching the port of Tinos, just a few minutes after having left Mykonos. The PAROS JET seen approaching the port of Tinos. The PAROS JET preparing to enter the port of Tinos. The PAROS JET in the process of entering the port of Tinos. The PAROS JET seen shortly prior to her maneuvering procedure. The impressive PAROS JET seen in Tinos. The 2018 season was her fourth in Greece under Sea Jets, after beginning service for them in 2015. Her initial season was spent on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. Her second season saw her on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, while in 2017 she was solely on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, where she successfully operated alongside her fleetmate, the flagship of Sea Jets, the much-acclaimed TERA JET . The PAROS JET entering the port of Tinos. 2018 saw her operating as the company's spare ship, being deployed on any line covered by Sea Jets in case one of its incumbent ships would experience technical problems. And to be fair, this occurred quite frequently that summer, so the ship was quite busy. She spent most of her time on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, but also served the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line and the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. Moreover, she had stints on other lines not served by her company, being deployed for a few days on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades when the EXPRESS SKIATHOS of Hellenic Seaways had an engine failure, and also operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in the first days after the fire incident that the EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines experienced at the end of the summer season. The PAROS JET having entered the port of Tinos. Before being bought by Sea Jets, she operated in Italy (the country where she was built), being owned by the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries and operating as the CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA on various lines connecting the French island of Corsica with mainland Italy. In the early 2010s, her company had financial issues and used her sparingly in order to limit their fuel costs. The PAROS JET in Tinos. She has two sister ships that initially operated alongside her under the ownership of Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries. One of them, the CORSICA EXPRESS THREE (the only one still operating for the company to date), actually operated in Greece previously, when she was chartered by the now-defunct Kallisti Ferries, operating between 2007 and 2009 on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line (the same line on which the BLUE STAR PAROS was operating). This service was however unsuccessful, and as a result the company ceased operations and the ship returned to her owners. Six years later, her sister ship was bought by Sea Jets and still operates in Greece today. The PAROS JET seen maneuvering in Tinos. The PAROS JET maneuvering in Tinos. The PAROS JET seen in Tinos. At the same time, it was 15:00, which meant that the BLUE STAR PAROS began to leave for the next destination, which was Syros. The PAROS JET preparing to dock in Tinos. While the PAROS JET prepares to dock, the BLUE STAR PAROS has left Tinos. The PAROS JET heading towards Tinos' docking spot. One last view of the speedy PAROS JET in Tinos. After 30 minutes, we were already approaching the island of Syros. Right outside the latter, I spotted yet another Sea Jets ship. This time, it was the ANDROS JET , which was operating on her company's inter-Cyclades lifeline. The ANDROS JET having left Syros and heading towards Andros. The summer of 2018 was her debut season for Sea Jets, after having bought shortly after the 2017 season from Turkey, where she had previously spent her entire career, as the CEZAYIRLI HASAN PAŞA 1 for the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (İDO), on the Yalova-Pendik line. Her fist summer with Sea Jets saw her operating on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi lifeline. She had replaced the conventional ferry usually operating on the line, the AQUA JEWEL , which had been chartered to the Azores-based company Atlântico Line. The first year of the ANDROS JET was quite troublesome, as she suffered several technical problems while operating, causing many delays and canceled trips on a demanding line. The ANDROS JET seen heading from Syros to her namesake island. At around 15:45, the BLUE STAR PAROS was approaching Syros' port, which is located in the city of Hermoupolis, which serves as both the capital of the island and of the entire Cyclades regional division. The port of Hermoupolis shortly prior to entering it. Another view of the port of Hermoupolis in Syros, which has been hailed as one of the most beautiful ports in Greece. The port of Hermoupolis seen once again. There, the sister ship of the BLUE STAR PAROS, the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, became a legend, as she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line for many years, including during the last months of her Greek career. Syros was the last island she called before returning to Piraeus shortly before her departure to Canada. Not surprisingly, her last departure from Syros was extremely emotional for the island's residents and the ship's crew alike. Fortunately, the BLUE STAR PAROS can help the residents remain contact with a ship from such a successful class. A dry bulk carrier seen right next to the famous Neorion Shipyards, which serve as the main shipyards of the Cyclades. After several years of financial troubles, they have now been bought by a profitable shareholder and can now operate on a healthy basis once again. After 15 minutes spent in the port of Syros, we left for the final destination of the trip, Piraeus (at around 16:00). This was the longest section of the trip in terms of distance and time, as the BLUE STAR PAROS makes the Piraeus-Syros connection in three hours and 15 minutes. Here is a view of the back section of the ship seen from the Deck 8 sun deck. Another view of the impressive funnel of the BLUE STAR PAROS. At some point during the trip, we reached the area separating the islands of Kythnos from Kea. There, from a far distance, I saw, the conventional ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries , which was heading towards Kythnos as part of her usual trips on the Western Cyclades lifeline. Just two minutes later, I spotted a ship heading from Kea to the Attica coast. This was the legendary ferry MACEDON of Goutos Lines , which operates on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line. The MACEDON hence seen heading from Kea to Lavrion. She was built in 1972 (thirty years before the BLUE STAR PAROS) in Japan, and she has been operating in Greece since 1976, making 2018 her forty-third summer in Greek waters. The MACEDON on her way towards Lavrion. In her 42 years in Greece, she notably saw service in Rafina (connecting it with the Cyclades and later with the Northeast Aegean Sea). Her previous owners have included the now-defunct companies Epirus Line, Polemis Epirus Line, Peace Line and Nomicos Lines. Under the latter, she operated on the Sporades, and continued to operate there under Minoan Flying Dolphins until 2002. Passing by the MACEDON on the Cyclades. In 2002 she was sold to Goutos Lines, which also owned her previously between 1985 and 1992, although she sailed under the name KYTHNOS during her first stint. She has found a stable service since returning to Goutos Lines in 2002, having remained on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line ever since. Passing by the legendary MACEDON on the Cyclades. One last view of the MACEDON as she heads towards Lavrion. Twenty minutes after encountering the MACEDON, I spotted another veteran ferry. This time it was the Ro-Ro carrier KAPETAN CHRISTOS of Sourmelis NE , which had left from her base port, Elefsina, in order to serve several Aegean Islands. Though she is even older than the MACEDON, the KAPETAN CHRISTOS arrived in Greece more than forty years after the latter. She spent the 2017 season on the Elefsina-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, before serving the majority of the Aegean Sea beginning in 2018, making more frequent appearances in Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Syros. The beautiful KAPETAN CHRISTOS, with her classic white hull, seen sailing towards the Cyclades. One last view of the KAPETAN CHRISTOS. The next ship that I saw was a fleetmate of the BLUE STAR PAROS: the great BLUE STAR PATMOS , which was heading from Piraeus to Syros. The impressive BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was built in the same shipyard as the BLUE STAR PAROS, though she was completed exactly ten years after the latter. In 2018, she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line. A view of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, on which I have traveled twice (being the first ferry of Blue Star Ferries with which I traveled, and the only one until my trip with the BLUE STAR PAROS). One last view of the BLUE STAR PATMOS as she heads towards Syros. At around 18:50, the sun was starting to fade away. Around that time, we started to approach Piraeus. There, I saw another Blue Star Ferries ship, this time being the company's flagship, the BLUE STAR 1 , which was also heading from Piraeus to Syros. The BLUE STAR 1 was the first ship built for Blue Star Ferries as part of their newbuilding programme which consisted of building five ships between 2000 and 2002. This group included the BLUE STAR 1, the BLUE STAR 2 , the BLUE STAR ITHAKI (all built in 2000), the BLUE STAR PAROS and the BLUE STAR NAXOS (both built in 2002). Another view of the BLUE STAR 1 as she heads from Piraeus to Syros. The summer of 2018 was her first on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese since 2014. Between that period, she was connecting Piraeus with the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands. She has spent her career serving almost all ports of the Aegean Sea, and has been Blue Star Ferries' flagship since her construction was finished in 2000. We were almost in Piraeus, and this moment marked my maiden call at the Athens port for the 2018 season, as I had previously left Athens to travel on the Cyclades via Rafina . As we approached the port, I noticed another ship returning to Athens, though at the port of Floisbos, located a few kilometers away from Piraeus. It was the one-day cruise ship PLATYTERA TON OURANON of Hydraïki Cruises , which does one-day cruises on the Saronic Gulf, on the Floisbos-Hydra-Poros-Aegina line. The PLATYTERA TON OURANON heading towards Floisbos. I had traveled with her on 9 September 2017, performing a one-day cruise in Hydra, Poros and Aegina as my last trip for the 2017 season . At around 19:00, we finally reached Piraeus, where the port was waiting for me for the first time in almost ten months. A view of the port of Piraeus shortly prior to entering it. After entering the port of Piraeus, I got to see a familiar building, the one which hosts the headquarters of the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy. Behind it, next to the Vassiliadis Drydocks, was the floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, which has been a present figure in Piraeus since 2010. Next to her was the gigantic NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways resting in the port. Formerly the IONIAN QUEEN of Endeavor Lines on the Adriatic Sea, the NISSOS SAMOS spent her debut season with Hellenic Seaways on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line in 2016. In 2017 she successfully operated on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line. After the takeover of Hellenic Seaways by Attica Group, she returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea, replacing the BLUE STAR 1 on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line in 2018. The NISSOS SAMOS resting in Piraeus, in her third season under Hellenic Seaways. Behind her were two high speed craft which happened to be sister ships. These were the fleetmate of the NISSOS SAMOS, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED , and the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines . I also had the chance to see another Minoan Lines ship (this time in Piraeus): the flagship of the company, the KNOSSOS PALACE , which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. The KNOSSOS PALACE resting in Piraeus, in what was her nineteenth summer on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, where she has spent her entire career so far. In 2018, she also made crossings to the island of Milos, linking the latter with both Piraeus and Crete. I then saw another Sea Jets ship: the sister ship of the CHAMPION JET 2, the CHAMPION JET 1 , which had returned to Piraeus after her daily service on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, where she was spending her second consecutive summer. Three different ships operating on the Saronic Gulf: the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries and the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways . Next to them was another hydrofoil, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2010, and on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011. The POSIDON HELLAS seen resting in Piraeus. She has spent all of her twenty years on the Saronic Gulf, and has been owned by 2way Ferries since 2015. Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III, which was spending her second straight year on the Western Cyclades line since returning to Aegean Speed Lines following her charters to Navline and Levante Ferries in 2015 and 2016, respectively. The SPEEDRUNNER III resting in Piraeus. 2018 saw her operating on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line, stopping calls at Folegandros and Sikinos, which she had served in 2017. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED resting as well in Piraeus. The 2018 season was her third under the colours of Hellenic Seaways, while it marked the second season in a row that she was working on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line. Behind them, and next to the docking spot of the BLUE STAR PAROS, was the gigantic EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines , which operated on the Piraeus-Chania line, under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. The EL. VENIZELOS seen during her second straight summer on the Piraeus-Chania line, after having previously alternated between charters to companies operating on the Western Mediterranean Sea and services on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line during the Syrian refugee crisis. Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III resting in Piraeus. While the BLUE STAR PAROS was docking, I saw yet another one of her fleetmates. This time, it was the BLUE HORIZON , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, also under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III. The BLUE HORIZON seen in Piraeus. She has been on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. Previously, she operated as the SUPERFERRY HELLAS for Strintzis Lines on the Adriatic Sea before the latter became Blue Star Ferries. She was renamed BLUE HORIZON in 2000 and remained on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line until 2010, when she moved to the Piraeus-Chania line. After being laid-up in Syros in 2012, she returned to service in 2013, initially on the Piraeus-Santorini-Kos-Rhodes line, before moving to the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2014, where she remains today. The 21-year-old HELLENIC HIGHSPEED resting in Piraeus. One last view of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED in Piraeus. One last view of the EL. VENIZELOS. And a final one of the BLUE HORIZON. By that time, the BLUE STAR PAROS had already docked in Piraeus and was beginning to disembark all passengers and vehicles, thus marking the end of my trip with her. And so this ends my week-long trip on the Cyclades (though I would then return to other Cyclades islands with my family). And I found the perfect ship to make my trip back to Athens, and in Piraeus for the first time in 2018. The BLUE STAR PAROS is considered to be one of the best ferries in the Greek coastal service for a reason: she is a modern, fast and comfortable ship, with excellent amenities and unique sun decks which make the trip more enjoyable while being able to admire the Cyclades. I was also pleased to see several ships during the trip, with many of them being seen for the first time in 2018. I will remember this trip with this great ferry, without a doubt. #bluestarparos #bluestarferries #atticagroup #summer2018 #greece #cyclades #aegean #mykonos #tinos #syros #piraeus #mykonosspirit #mykonosexpress #delostours #mykonosseabus #championjet2 #parosjet #androsjet #championjet1 #seajets #santorinipalace #knossospalace #minoanlines #macedon #goutoslines #kapetanchristos #sourmelisne #bluestarpatmos #bluestar1 #bluehorizon #platyteratonouranon #hydraïkicruises #nissossamos #hellenichighspeed #flyingdolphinxxix #hellenicseaways #posidonhellas #2wayferries #phivos #novaferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #elvenizelos #aneklines #tribute

Trip: 25-26 August 2018. From Patras to Ancona, via Igoumenitsa, with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines . The cruiseferry OLYMPIC CHAMPION was ordered in 1999 by the Greek company ANEK Lines (which is based in Chania in Crete), being one of the two sister ships that were built at the well-known Fosen Shipyard in Norway. The two ships had been ordered following the successful deliveries of three cruiseferries by the same shipyard to the rival operator of ANEK Lines, namely Minoan Lines. These were the ARETOUSA (built in 1995, now the GIROLATA of the French company Compagnie Méridionale de Navigation, or simply La Méridionale), the IKARUS (built in 1997, later the IKARUS PALACE, and now the CRUISE SMERALDA of the Italian company Grimaldi Lines) and the PASIPHAE (built in 1998, later the PASIPHAE PALACE, and now the JEAN NICOLI of the French company Corsica Linea). With all three ships being successfully deployed on the Adriatic Sea, ANEK Lines sought to strengthen the competition against their arch-rivals by ordering two newly-built ships for service on the Adriatic Sea. The two ships were ordered as the KRITI III and the KRITI IV. The first one was to be completed in 2000 and the second one in 2001. Their construction initially began in Sweden, before they moved to Norway after they were launched. Before their launching, the KRITI III was renamed OLYMPIC CHAMPION and the KRITI IV was renamed OLYMPIC SPIRIT, in honour of the impending Olympic Games that were due to be held in Athens in 2004. The OLYMPIC CHAMPION was completed in late 2000, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line for a few months during her debut season. She became the second-ever newly-built ferry of ANEK Lines, and she also became the company's new flagship, taking over from the EL. VENIZELOS , which had held this role since her entry to service in 1992. In 2001, as her sister ship, which had been renamed HELLENIC SPIRIT, was completed, both ships were deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line on the Adriatic Sea, which was considered the most lucrative service of the company on the aforementioned area. They replaced the KRITI I and the KRITI II , and they collaborated successfully alongside the EL. VENIZELOS, which was serving the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Trieste line. The OLYMPIC CHAMPION quickly became one of the best ferries of the Adriatic Sea, and she was praised for her modern amenities, her excellent cabins, restaurant and self-service, while also making the crossings in a much faster time than the ships of Minoan Lines. She spent the following 6 years on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line, before being sent back to the Piraeus-Chania line to compete with the ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways in late 2007. The latter had just been introduced by Hellenic Seaways, and she therefore marked a threat to ANEK Lines on their main flagship service in Crete. The deployment of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION quickly eased the stress and she quickly won over the passengers and vehicles that had started to familiarise themselves with the ARIADNE. This led to the ship's withdrawal from the line after just four months. After successfully removing the ARIADNE from the Piraeus-Chania line, she returned to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line from 2008 to 2011. She remained the company's flagship until 2008, when the then-newly-refurbished ELYROS entered service on the Piraeus-Chania line. In 2011, following the establishment of the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture (then known as ANEK-Superfast), she was sent back to the Aegean Sea, in order to operate against Minoan Lines in Crete. She was deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, forming an excellent duo with her former rival, the SUPERFAST XII of Superfast Ferries (now the CRUISE AUSONIA of the Italian giants Grimaldi Lines). After three successful seasons there, she operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2014, partnering with the ELYROS. She returned to the Adriatic Sea in 2015, again on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line, where she has since been remaining. Within eighteen years of service, the OLYMPIC CHAMPION has been acclaimed as one of the best ferries of the Adriatic Sea and generally of the Greek coastal service. Alongside her sister ship, namely the HELLENIC SPIRIT, she has been praised for her reliable and comfortable service, with very few troubles and many exciting amenities to offer to her passengers. She is generally considered to be one of the three best ships of ANEK Lines, alongside the HELLENIC SPIRIT and the ELYROS. She still seems to be a newly-built ship, and it is notably thanks to her that ANEK Lines, now in a difficult financial situation, still exists to date. This is due to her continuing to serve passengers very well, which is why they continue to trust her and to travel with her. Of course, the partnership with Attica Group has also been vital to ANEK Lines. Besides her acclaimed service on the Adriatic Sea, she has also successfully operated on the Aegean Sea, when she would be deployed on her company's home island, Crete. She notably managed to successfully remove Hellenic Seaways and the ARIADNE from the Piraeus-Chania line in 2007. And this is considering the fact that the ARIADNE is also one of the best ships in the Greek coastal service. She was also about to return to service in late 2010 in order to also remove the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , which had spent her debut season on the line. Even though she did not arrive there, it was enough to scare Blue Star Ferries, which withdrew the BLUE HORIZON from the line simply due to ANEK Lines threatening to deploy the OLYMPIC CHAMPION there. Now that the company is facing economic issues and the agressive entrance of Minoan Lines on the Piraeus-Chania line with the MYKONOS PALACE in 2018, perhaps they should consider sending the OLYMPIC CHAMPION on the line once again, as a means of having a fierce competition against their Cretan arch-rivals. So this is the overview of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, which is truly one of the Greek coastal service's most precious jewels. It is now time for me to speak about my trip with her. Indeed, it was the last trip of the summer for me in Greece, as I was leaving the country in late August in order to stop by Italy, as my sister was due to begin her first year of studies in Milan. As my parents brought our family car, we decided to head from Greece to Italy via a ferry on the Adriatic Sea. This ferry turned out to be the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, which has been a familiar face for my family. Indeed, we have previously traveled onboard her on three occasions. Indeed, between the summers of 2006 and 2008 (at that time I was living with my family in Belgium), we would always go to Greece by car via Italy and the Adriatic Sea. Thus, we would always travel on a ferry operated by ANEK Lines. In 2006, we traveled from Ancona to Patras with the HELLENIC SPIRIT, and left Greece by heading from Patras to Venice with the LEFKA ORI (now known as the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries) . In 2007, we again traveled from Ancona to Patras with the HELLENIC SPIRIT, while we made our way back from Greece to Italy (from Patras to Ancona) with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, in August 2007. In 2008, we made both trips (from Ancona to Patras and from Patras to Ancona) with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION. And now, ten years later, we were back in Patras in order to travel with the ANEK Lines cruiseferry once again. I cannot confirm it for sure, but I am almost certain that our last trip with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION had been on 25 August 2008, hence exactly ten years before the trip discussed in this blog post. Thus, my last trip of the 2018 season ended up being my first trip on the Adriatic Sea since 2008, my first trip on an ANEK Lines ship since 2008, and my first trip with that specific ship since 2008. At the start of the day, my family and me were still in Aegina, making the last preparations before our departure from the island. We traveled in the morning from Aegina to Piraeus with the ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , and subsequently headed from Piraeus to Patras via the highway known as Olympia Odos. We arrived in the new port of Patras in the early afternoon. It was my first time seeing the new port, as the ships were still operating in the old port when I had made my last trip with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION back in 2008. The ship was due to depart at 14:30. However, due to delays in Italy, she arrived in Patras just before 14:00 (thus thirty minutes before her planned departure). The OLYMPIC CHAMPION seen in Patras, shortly after her arrival in the new port. The very modern and large funnel of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION. It depicts the initials of ANEK Lines and the geographic map of Crete, which is seen in all the ships owned by the company. The OLYMPIC CHAMPION and the HELLENIC SPIRIT became the first ships of the company to have a black background in the middle of the funnel, instead of the yellow and blue that had been carried by their fleetmates. The ELYROS went on to have this feature as well during her conversion which lasted from 2007 to 2008. While the passengers arriving from Italy were unloading, I decided it was a good opportunity to go and take pictures of the ship. But before I could attempt taking a good picture from a correct angle, I was interrupted by a port authority employee who told me that I was not allowed to take pictures while being in the port. To my disappointment, and following a blunt verbal confrontation, I was forced to go back to the passenger queue that was awaiting to embark onboard the ship. Thus, I was unable to take more pictures of the ship while she was docked in Patras. Shortly after entering the ship, I was guided alongside other passengers to Deck 9, where I was to stay for the duration of the trip. Unfortunately, even though we had booked the tickets in March, the cabins were all unavailable. This is due to many freight companies booking them for their drivers months in advance. As a result, I was unable to stay in a cabin for this trip. In my past three trips with the ship, I had stayed inside a cabin. I guess that online bookings and prepaid tickets from ten years ago were not as frequent as they are now. This floorplan shows the various decks of the ship and what they feature. The ship has 12 decks overall. Deck 1 is where the engine room is located. Decks 2, 3, 4 and 5 are reserved for the garage area. Decks 6 and 7 also feature the garage, though Deck 6 has additional shower rooms for campers (those traveling by camping cars and remaining there throughout the entire trip), and Deck 7 has 50 cabins. Decks 8, 9 and 10 are dedicated to the ship's accommodation services. Deck 11 is the bridge deck, and Deck 12, the highest deck the ship has, is the helicopter deck. The ship's deckplan, located in Deck 9. A not-so-good picture of the ship's reception area, located in Deck 8. The alley leading from the reception desk to the cabins in Deck 8. A view of the ship's starboard side alley on Deck 8. It leads to a small area which has a few chairs for passengers willing to stay outdoors. The ship's outdoor starboard side alley in Deck 8. It is located right below the two large lifeboats the ship has on her starboard side. She has two others on her port side. A poster seen right below the staircase leading from Deck 8 to Deck 9. It is an advertisement of ANEK Lines, which displays a picture of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, seen from her bow. Below it, it shows the company's destinations and served areas, written first in Greek and then in English. These areas consist of the Greece-Italy service (basically the Adriatic Sea), which is represented by the ports of Patras, Igoumenitsa, Corfu, Bari (though this port is not served by ANEK Lines, it is served by Superfast Ferries, which collaborates with ANEK Lines as part of the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture), Ancona and Venice. Next up is Crete, which is served by the company via the Piraeus-Chania line and the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Below it, the Aegean Islands are advertised. This line basically illustrates the service that the company has on the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese, through the ferry PREVELIS which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. Below the destinations, the company promotes itself by showing the social media platforms it uses, its own application available via the Apple Store, the Bonus Miles card (called the ANEK Lines Smart Card) available to loyal passengers, and its website. The modern staircase leading to Deck 9. Next to it is the lift, which links various passenger decks between them. The corner walls of the staircase area featured a few items enclosed behind glasses showing different objects. The one on the top represents a figurine of a man wearing a traditional 19th century Cretan dress (in honour of the company's home island), while the one below displays the flag of ANEK Lines. Deck 9 is undoubtedly the busiest deck, as it features most of the lounge areas, the ship's restaurant and self-service canteen, as well as the onboard stores and casino, and a sun deck. Here you can see the latter, which extends from the stern to the middle section of the ship. The floor was rather in a decrepit condition (as shown in this picture), but featured several plants and multiple plastic chairs for passengers. A view of the sun deck in the middle section of the ship. It was in a rather abandoned condition, with lots of space, chairs left abandoned in the corner, a decrepit-looking floor and a TV screen which seems to not have been used for a long time. Next to the indoor area of Deck 9, in the stern section, one can spot the Marina Bar, which serves as the ship's outdoor bar. Though it was closed at the time I took the picture (due to the ship still loading passengers and vehicles), it opened throughout the trip. It famously serves Greek gyro, prepared on a gyro grilling roll and served with pita bread. It also serves coffee, soft drinks and other snacks. Next to the bar is one of the ship's swimming pools. Although it had been a major highlight of the ship during the 2000s, with myself remembering that it was being used by many passengers during my trips with her in 2007 and 2008, the pool has unfortunately stopped to operate since the early 2010s. This unfortunately happened due to the decline of the cruiseferries on the Adriatic Sea, as companies preferred to operate freight-focused ferries that would simply make the trip operate at a faster rhythm, thus eliminating the 'cruise concept' of such trips in the area. Thus, passengers no longer desired to enjoy their time onboard by taking advantage of the cruiseferries' amenities, preferring to just remain in their cabins or their sleeping bags. Thus, swimming pools onboard ferries stopped to be used. This furthermore explains why the OLYMPIC CHAMPION's outdoor areas seem a bit abandoned. I can assure you that, ten years ago, they were the reason why this ship was so unique. They made the trip more entertaining and enjoyable, as passengers seemed to enjoy being in an outdoor bar and swimming pool while traveling onboard the ship. It is a shame that this mentality no longer exists. The ship's back pool, located on the stern. Just like its neighbour, it has been completely abandoned for many years. The ship's stern, which features the Greek flag, which has been proudly flying onboard the cruiseferry since her delivery in 2000. Another view of the Deck 9 stern sun deck. The alley on Deck 9, located on the starboard side of the ship, which leads to the indoor area. The narrow hallway features several posters. This one shows an advertisement of various hotels located throughout the entire island of Crete. The ship's onboard casino area, which seems to have also been abandoned and inactive for a very long time. A view of the alley and of the ship's onboard shop. A closer view to the shop, which was closed at the time of the departure. It sells various products, notably bags, suitcases, jewelry and fashion products. Another view of the alley, with the shop located on the left side. The ship's tiny kid's corner area, which is known as Kid's Planet. Moving more forward, one can see the Atrium Bar, which serves as the ship's main bar for Economy Class passengers. It really gives the impression that it looks like a 1950s-style bar, though decorated in a more contemporary style with various blue tiles hanging on the wall. A view of the seating area of the Atrium Bar, which was a bit dark and completely empty (though this was due to passengers not having boarded the ship yet). Moving even more towards the front section of the ship, one can spot the entrance to the ship's self-service canteen and seating area, named Dionysos (after the Greek mythology God). This area is very famous, as it has a very beautiful floor and an entrance made out of marble and displaying the name 'Dionysos' in an Ancient Greek font. On the left side of the entrance is a poster promoting the ANEK Lines Smart Card. A continuation of the alley, with the Dionysos self-service canteen seen in the left. The floor is decorated with a very nice blue carpet featuring aligned squares of different colours. On the right side, one can spot the ship's windows and some turning chairs. This is where my family and myself installed ourselves for the duration of the trip. They were very comfortable, so I had no complaints. Another illuminated poster promoting ANEK Lines. It displays traveling dates and discounts available on the company's services in Crete, on both the Piraeus-Chania line and the Piraeus-Heraklion line. It also shows the ANEK Lines Smart Card once again, at the bottom right corner of the poster. The ship shown in the picture is the fleetmate of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, the KYDON . This Japanese-built ship was acquired by ANEK Lines in 1998, and was initially known as the SOPHOCLES V. She began service in 1999 on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line. She was joined by her sister ship, the LEFKA ORI, in 2000. Both ships were transferred to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line in 2005, where they became extremely successful. Unfortunately, due to the effects of the Greek financial crisis on the coastal service sector, ANEK Lines was forced to charter the ships to the South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line as a way of reducing their debts in 2012. The charter ended up being a complete failure as the ships remained laid-up in Busan for a year. They returned to Greece in late 2013. The LEFKA ORI was subsequently transferred to Blue Star Ferries and was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2015 as the BLUE GALAXY. The SOPHOCLES V also underwent a refit and resumed service under ANEK Lines on the Piraeus-Chania line, having been renamed KYDON (which was also the name of the first ship ANEK Lines ever had, having bought her in 1967 operated her from 1969 to 1989). She spent two summers there (2015 and 2016), while also serving the Piraeus-Heraklion line during the winter of 2015-2016. Unfortunately, in early 2017, she left Greece for the second time, having been chartered on a multi-year deal to Ferries Del Caribe, which operates on the Caribbean Sea, connecting the Dominican Republic with Puerto Rico. Thus, seeing a poster of her in 2018 while she has not been in Greece since 2017 shows that it is outdated. I nevertheless felt nostalgic when seeing the ship, and hoped (as I still do now) that she will one day make her return to Greece. The second entrance of the Dionysos self-service canteen. A view of the self-service area, which has a significant amount of space for passengers. It has had an excellent reputation in terms of food quality and diversity. I remembered having eaten very well when I had traveled with the ship back in 2007 and 2008. In 2018, things were not different at all. ANEK Lines continues to have excellent cooks serving passengers onboard their ships. A closer view to the seating area of the self-service canteen. All tables are decorated with checkerboards. The area extends to the windows located in the port side of the ship. The walls in the area featured various beautiful paintings, two of which are seen here. They depict Ancient Greek amphorae alongside grapes and pears. This is an allusion to the way wine was being produced in Ancient Greek according to the mythological tradition of the God Dionysos, after whom the area is named. Having seen most of the indoor areas of Deck 9, it was now time to head towards Deck 10. One way to get there is by using the iconic staircase of the ship, which is located right next to the large window glass located towards the middle section of the ship. This staircase really makes the OLYMPIC CHAMPION look like a cruise ship. The HELLENIC SPIRIT also has the exact same staircase and overall deck structure In Deck 10, the middle section (which is located right next to a hallway leading to many passenger cabins) features the disco bar called 'The Observatory'. An overview of 'The Observatory'. It features a large bar area with high seats, as well as some lounges on the side. In the middle is a small dance floor area made out of light blue tiles. Another view of the disco dance floor area. Previously a major highlight of the ship's indoor areas (I remember seeing some shows taking place during nights in my trips with the ship back in 2007 and 2008), it has also been inactive for many years, just like the swimming pools. Nowadays, all the area is used by passengers having not managed to find a cabin, who sleep either on the lounges or on the floor. A shame to see this formerly entertaining area now being a bit of a sloppy and disorganised place used solely for sleeping. A hallway leading to various passenger cabins in Deck 10. Unfortunately for us, this time we were unable to stay in any cabin throughout the duration of our trip. The staircase area leading from Deck 10 to Deck 11. It also uses the tiles seen in the staircase area linking Deck 8 with Deck 9, which was seen previously. After having explored almost all the indoor areas on Deck 8, Deck 9, Deck 10 and Deck 11, I decided to head outside once again. I went to the stern section in Deck 10. There, I could again see the ship's large lifeboats. These are from the starboard side. Another view of the ship's swimming pool area, this time seen from Deck 10 (just above Deck 9, where the pools are located). The pool on the left side is the ship's hot tub, which has been inactive alongside its neighbours for many years. The ship's Deck 10 alley leading to Deck 11. A frontal view of the ship's large funnel, seen in Deck 11. The funnel alley in Deck 11, which leads to the ship's stern. The large outdoor area on Deck 11. This is on the ship's port side. In front is the ship's bridge and AC room. Behind it (where the two round windows are located) is a small compartment which has some of the crew's cabins. The ship's AC area, located right behind the bridge and the rest of the crew's cabins. Heading forward, I could see the ship's port side alley preceding the bridge. There, the ship also features several reserves of inflatable life-rafts. The port side section of the ship's wide bridge. The funnel of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION seen from the middle section of Deck 11. The pictures of the funnel from this angle have become iconic to the image of ANEK Lines, and have been used several times by the company in its advertising posters, website advertisements and videos. The ship seen receiving bunkers on her port side in Patras, shortly before our departure. The OLYMPIC CHAMPION departed Patras at 15:30, more than an hour after her scheduled departure. There was no other ship to be seen near the port, which disappointed me a bit as I believed that I would be able to see most of the Greek ferries that operate on the Adriatic Sea. Furthermore, it began to rain at some point during the trip, something that is unusual in Greece in late August. As a result, I was forced to spend the first thirty minutes of the trip in the indoor area on Deck 9. At this time, we were leaving the Patraic Gulf in order to enter the core of the Ionian Sea, which guides us towards Igoumenitsa. At around 16:00, as the weather improved, I headed outside once again. There, I spotted one of the biggest rivals of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION. It was the cruiseferry CRUISE EUROPA of Minoan Lines , which was heading towards Patras. Passing by the CRUISE EUROPA on the the Patraic Gulf. She was built in Italy in 2009, having been one of four gigantic cruiseferries ordered by the Italian colossus Grimaldi Group. The first two, the CRUISE ROMA and the CRUISE BARCELONA, were finished in 2008 and were deployed on the Civitavecchia-Porto Torres-Barcelona line under Grimaldi Lines, the main company of the group. The other two were the CRUISE EUROPA and the CRUISE OLYMPIA, which were finished in 2009 and in 2010, respectively. They were assigned to Minoan Lines, though they are owned by Grimaldi Group. As a result, both ships carry the Italian flag, making them the only ships of Minoan Lines not to fly the Greek flag. They were both transferred back under the care of Grimaldi Lines in early 2017, though they are still operated by Minoan Lines. Hence, their hulls feature 'Grimaldi Minoan Lines' as their operator. Passing by the CRUISE EUROPA, which was spending her tenth overall season on the Adriatic Sea. She and her sister ship are the largest ferries operating in the Greek coastal service. But the fleetmate of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, namely the EL. VENIZELOS, is the largest one flying the Greek flag. The introduction of the CRUISE EUROPA on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line imposed a major threat to both ANEK Lines and Superfast Ferries, which eventually teamed-up two years later by launching the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture in 2011. Both the CRUISE EUROPA and the CRUISE OLYMPIA began operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona-Triste line in late 2012, and, beginning in 2017, they were deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona-Venice line. This summer, they are due to make stops in Corfu, hence operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line. The CRUISE EUROPA seen heading towards Patras. She was initially registered in Heraklion while being built in Italy, but changed to Palermo after she was reflagged shortly before her delivery to Minoan Lines. Another view of the CRUISE EUROPA, the arch-rival of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, as she heads towards the port of Patras. After exiting the the Patraic Gulf, we began to head towards the North. We passed by the islands of Kefalonia and Ithaca, and were now in the passage between Ithaca and Lefakada, which also includes islands such as Madouri, Skorpios, Kastos, Kalamos, as well as Meganisi. We were in the Northern part of the Ionian Sea, which took us about two hours to reach from the port of Patras. At around 17:30, I spotted the landing craft MEGANISI II of Coatal Lines Ionios Corporation having exited the port of Frykes in Ithaca, in order to head towards Meganisi, her namesake island. The small MEGANISI II seen heading from Ithaca to Meganisi. She operates on the Lefkada-Meganisi-Ithaca line, which she has been serving since 2016. Before that, during her first years under her owners, she was on the Kefalonia-Ithaca-Meganisi-Lefkada line, serving the line from 2007 to 2015. She is a vital ship for the small island of Meganisi, as she is the only ferry serving it, and also helps it maintain a coastal service connection with Lefkada and Ithaca during both the summer and the winter. Three minutes later, I spotted another landing craft that works on an inter-Ionian Sea service. It was the AGIOS GERASIMOS II of Lixouri NE , which operates on the Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefkada line since 2017. The little AGIOS GERASIMOS II was seen heading from Lefkada to Ithaca, as part of her seasonal service on the line she serves. The MEGANISI II seen behind the stern of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, heading towards her namesake island. Passing by the AGIOS GERASIMOS II as she heads towards Ithaca. She was formerly known as the OLYMPIOS APOLLON of ANEM Ferries, operating under them from 1990 to 2012 on the Samos-Fournoi-Ikaria-Leipsoi-Kalymnos-Western Kos line. Afterwards, she was sold to the Lebanese Delegation to the United Nations, and operated as the CAROLYN on the Beirut-Naqoura line by transporting military supplies to the area. In 2016, she was bought by Lixouri NE, and became one of the few ferries to have made a comeback to Greece after having previously been sold to a foreign operator. After a lengthy conversion in Perama, she entered her current service on the Ionian Sea in 2017. The AGIOS GERASIMOS II heading towards Ithaca, during her second season on the Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefkada line under Lixouri NE. About two and-a-half hours later, we began to make our way towards the port of Igoumenitsa, after having passed by some of the Northern Ionian Sea islands such as Lefkada, Antipaxoi and Paxoi. The Southern part of Corfu was also seen. We were now entering the Igoumenitsa Gulf, where both the city and the port are located. Here is a view of the funnel of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION as sunset was beginning on the beautiful Ionian Sea. As we were approaching Igoumenitsa, I began to see a handful of ships. Indeed, Igoumenitsa is a major Greek coastal service port, serving as the main port of the iconic Epirus region. It is also the gateway to the Adriatic Sea, as it is the first port of mainland Greece that ferries reach after arriving from Italy. It is also connected with Thessaloniki via Northern Greece through the recently-built Egnatia Odos highway. It is therefore an important terminal for Northern Greek and Turkish lorry drivers arriving from Italy and for tourists who want to explore Northern Greece overall. Besides its important role on the Adriatic Sea service, the port is also the only way for passengers and drivers to reach Corfu and Paxoi, which are two of Greece's most visited islands on the Ionian Sea. Numerous ferries and landing craft can reach these islands from Igoumenitsa between one hour and two hours, depending on their speed. The first of these landing craft that I saw during this trip was the AGIOS SPIRIDON of S&L Ferries (trading as North West Ferries I) , which operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line. Passing by the AGIOS SPIRIDON as she heads from Igoumenitsa to Corfu. She is the ex-THASSOS VI of ANETH Ferries, having operated for them from 2001 (the year during which she was built in Greece) to 2015 on the Kavala-Thassos line. In 2015, she was sold to her current owners, as part of an exchange deal which saw the AGIOS PANTELEIMON (which operated for S&L Ferries from 2013 to 2015) being acquired by ANETH Ferries. The beautiful little ferry AGIOS SPIRIDON heading towards Corfu. This was her fourth summer operating for S&L Ferries. Passing by the AGIOS SPIRIDON as she heads towards Corfu, while we are heading towards her departure port, Igoumenitsa. One of the two funnels of the AGIOS SPIRIDON. it depicts the initial of her three co-owners. They are the shipowners Souliotis, Laïnas and Tourloumousis, all based in Corfu. The former two make the company's name, S&L Ferries. As Tourloumousis only has a share in this ferry (and not in the company's two other ferries), the AGIOS SPIRIDON operates under the trading name North West Ferries I, which is seen printed on both sides of her hull. Passing by the AGIOS SPIRIDON as she heads towards Corfu. As a result of the increasing competition on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line these recent years (with a total of twelve ships operating there as of 2018, as well as four others connecting Igoumenitsa with the Southern Corfu port of Lefkimmi), her company created a joint venture known as Corfu Ferries in late 2018, with fellow rivals Gerontakis Shipping. Their main competitor now is the other major joint venture of the line, known as Kerkyra Ferrie,s which is composed of Kerkyra Lines (the company which has the most ferries operating on the line) and of 2way Ferries. The AGIOS SPIRIDION on her way towards Corfu, under a beautiful scenery marked by a wonderful sunset. The magnificent Ionian Sea sunset seen from the stern of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION. It was spreading from Corfu to the Igoumenitsa Gulf. It marked the last sunset that I saw in Greece that summer, and thus marked the official end of my memorable stay there during the 2018 season. We were now heading towards the Adriatic Sea terminal of the port of Igoumenitsa, which is further away from the Corfu-Paxoi terminal which is served by the local ferries and landing craft. The Eastern section of the large port is undergoing renovations, as you can see in this picture, which also features the ferry BARI of Ventouris Ferries . The BARI seen resting in Igoumenitsa. She has been owned by Ventouris Ferries since 2010. Her acquisition by her current owners proved to be crucial, as they saved her due to her heading towards India for scrap, having been sold to a shipbreaking company by her previous owners, the Spanish company Baleària. While she was traveling from Spain to Turkey on what was supposed to be her last trip, Ventouris Ferrries bought her while she was approaching Greece. Thus, she was sparred from scrapping and has since been operating on the Adriatic Sea. The BARI seen resting in Igoumenitsa. She spent her first five summers with Ventouris Ferries operating on the Bari-Durrës line, which connects Southern Italy with Albania. Beginning in 2015, the ship spends the summer connecting Bari with the Ionian Islands, being deployed on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. I had seen her and photographed her in Zakynthos in 2015. Thus, I saw her for the first time in three years during my trip with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION. I then had a look at the Corfu-Paxoi terminal of the port of Igoumenitsa. There, I saw the double-ended ferry IONAS of S&L Ferries , which had just arrived in the port and was unloading passengers and vehicles. Further West was another landing craft, which turned out to be a familiar face. Indeed, it was the MENEKRATIS of Kerkyra Lines , which I had previously seen, two years earlier, operating on the Saronic Gulf. She used to be the OSIOS DAVID of Evoïkos Lines, which had spent the 2016 season on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, connecting Athens with the port of Souvala. After just one season there, she was sold in 2017 to Kerkyra Lines, which refurbished her and renamed her MENEKRATIS. She operated on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, serving the port of Lefkimmi on the latter island. It was quite nice to see her under her new owners, name, livery and service, at the other side of the country. Another view of the IONAS, which had just arrived in Igoumenitsa. She was spending her second summer on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line under S&L Ferries. She is therefore a fleetmate of the AGIOS SPIRIDON, and, together with the landing craft NIREAS, they make-up the fleet of the company. Just like her fleetmates, she became a ship operating for the Corfu Ferries joint venture in late 2018. Another view of the MENEKRATIS, during her second season under Kerkyra Lines. Her third summer with them however, will be spent on a line she knows very well. Indeed, she has been chartered this year by Saronic Ferries (the joint venture which is composed of Nova Ferries and 2way Ferries) in order to return to the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, thus serving Souvala once again. She will make her first appearance on the line in three years. I am therefore very excited that I will be seeing her once again on the Saronic Gulf. There will be many pictures of her there, without a doubt. Not far from the MENEKRATIS was another landing craft: the ELENI of Gerontakis Shipping . She has been owned by the latter since 2005, and has been on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line since 2007. Before that, she had spent all the first years of her career (which began in 1993) on the Rion-Antirrion line. Her company also joined the Corfu Ferries joint venture in late 2018. The IONAS seen in Igoumenitsa. Before beginning operations on a permanent basis on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line in 2017, she previously had an adventurous career across all of Europe. Indeed, she had stints in Denmark, Spain (including service between the latter and Morocco), Italy, an initial stint in Greece, Russia and Ukraine, and Estonia. Her first stint in Greece was perhaps one of the shortest ones in recent Greek coastal service history. Indeed, she had been bought in 2012 by 2way Ferries alongside her sister ship, which was known as the DORIEUS from 2012 to 2014. Her conversion lasted two years, and she began service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. But this service lasted just one month as she was then chartered to the Russian company Kerch Ferry State Shipping Company for service between Russian and Ukraine via the Kerch Strait, on the Kavkaz-Port Krym line. She was joined in that area by the DORIEUS, which had been sold to the Russian company JSC Proekt and was renamed OLYMPIADA. In 2015 she was chartered again, this time to the Estonian company Saaremaa Laevakompanii, and was deployed on the Virtsu-Kuivastu line. She stayed there until 2017, when she returned to Greece. Her ownership was transferred from 2way Ferries to S&L Ferries, and she returned to her service in Corfu. Another view of the IONAS, now operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi line for the second season in a row. The BARI seen about to depart, as the OLYMPIC CHAMPION is maneuvering in Igoumenitsa. The BARI, seen in Igoumenitsa in her ninth season under Ventouris Ferries, and her fourth consecutive summer on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. Since 2017, she has been joined by her fleetmate, the veteran ferry RIGEL I, and both ships perform the itinerary during the summer. The IONAS seen in Igoumenitsa. The IONAS seen in Igoumenitsa alongside a former fleetmate: the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II of 2way Ferries . In contrast to her fleetmates that operate on the Saronic Gulf, she operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, having been there since 2005. She is currently the only ferry of her company operating there, although the ACHAEOS (on which I had travelled on the same day as I took this picture) had previously served there as well between 2006 and 2013 (except during the 2011 summer season when she was on charter to the Italian company Blunavy) before returning to the Saronic Gulf in 2014. The ANO CHORA II resting in Igoumenitsa. With this picture, I had now seen and photographed all four ships currently owned by 2way Ferries. She was built in 2004 and spent her first year on the Rion-Antirrion line before moving to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in 2005. She had replaced her older fleetmate, the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA EXPRESS (built in 2001) which had been sold in 2003 to the Croatian company Jadrolinija. The ANO CHORA II is part of the Kerkyra Ferries joint venture, which is composed of her owners and Kerkyra Lines. Thus, it is interesting to see that all ships owned by 2way Ferris operate under a joint venture. Indeed, the ANO CHORA II operates under Kerkyra Ferries, while the three ships operating on the Saronic Gulf operate under Saronic Ferries (which her Kerkyra Ferries partner, the MENEKRATIS, is set to join this upcoming summer). The BARI about to depart Igoumenitsa. This turned out to be the last picture I took of a Greek ferry in a Greek port or in the Greek seas during the summer of 2018. The OLYMPIC CHAMPION docked in Igoumenitsa following a quick maneuvering procedure. There, I saw a tremendously large amount of passengers and vehicles boarding the ship. The number of people onboard more than quadrupled compared to when we were departing Patras. Most of them were Italian, and this explanation was justified by the fact that most tourists were now returning to their home country in late August after having spent the summer in Greece. The ship became completely crowded, to such an extent that we immediately went to the Dionysos self-service canteen as soon as we docked in Igoumenitsa in order to avoid a large queue. After eating an excellent dinner, we were beginning to depart the port at around 21:00, with the sun having ceded its place to the dark sky. This marked the official end of my stay in Greece for the summer of 2018, as we were now entering the Adriatic Sea, passing between Corfu and Albania in order to head towards the port of Ancona in Italy. As there was nothing to see in the dark, I remained inside the lounge alley in Deck 9, where my family had reserved the spinning chairs for the night (due to not being able to book a cabin). I thus left Greece in the middle of the night, and spent the next thirteen hours sleeping on the comfortable chair. Despite the increasing noise from other passengers standing next to us, this did not affect me as I had been too tired due to being awake since 05:00 that day. I woke up the following morning (on 26 August) at 10:00. We were in the middle of the Adriatic Sea at that time. Unfortunately, I could not go out once again due to poor weather, as it was still raining and there was quite an intense wind. I was thus unable to stay outdoors. Once the weather improved (although this did not last very long), I took a picture of the funnel as seen from the middle section of Deck 11. At around 14:00, we had finally arrived in Ancona. It was now the time to disembark. This is the staircase alley from which passengers held towards the ramps in order to leave the ship. Above it, you can see a picture of the ship's funnel as seen from Deck 11's middle section. Don't you think that it is quite similar to the picture I took of the ship (the one just above this one)? The picture (made-up of 16 different pieces all linked together like a puzzle) also says 'Have a nice journey!' both in Greek and in English. The stern of the OLYMPIC CHAMPION (featuring two large garage entrances for vehicles as well as the passenger entrance on the starboard side) shortly after disembarking her in a rainy Ancona. After exactly 24 hours, the trip came to an end. I had arrived in Italy for the first time in exactly ten years, and thus my interaction with the Greek coastal service for the summer of 2018 was officially over. We then left Ancona in order to head towards Milan, where my sister was due to begin her studies. Having spent an entire day (24 hours) onboard the OLYMPIC CHAMPION, I have to admit that it was a very nice experience. There were some issues that made this highly-anticipated trip not this perfect, notably the lack of other Adriatic Sea ships seen through the trip (except for the CRUISE EUROPA), the poor weather which forced me to spend a large portion of the trip indoors, and generally the overcrowded passengers which made too much noise. Moreover, the areas I once admired, such as the swimming pool section or the discothèque lounge, were no longer being used for leisure. Instead, they have been abandoned and passengers are now using them like bedrooms. This clearly shows the decline of the cruiseferrries on the Adriatic Sea, but the passengers are to blame. They do not care about a comfortable trip which would give the impression that they are traveling onboard a cruise ship (despite the modern and flawless amenities offered by the ship). They now simply want to go from Port A to Port B, regardless of the services offered onboard. Despite these issues, I was very happy to travel with the ship after exactly ten years since my last trip onboard her. Although she is no longer the newly-built jewel of ANEK Lines that everyone used to know during the 2000s, she still offers an efficient service, and her crew is extremely hardworking and does the best it can in order to maintain order onboard. Thus, I was satisfied to see that the financially-weakened ANEK Lines still have an excellent ship that helps them survive the arduous conditions that they have been experiencing since the start of the Greek financial crisis. And so this marks the end of the 2018 Greek coastal service season. It was undoubtedly one which saw me traveling in many places and taking pictures of various ships. Overall, I took almost 2,500 pictures of 150 different Greek ships, wrote 16 blog posts regarding various topics and trips, and traveled a total of 26 times with 19 different ships (and traveling on 12 of them for the first time). That summer saw me first on the Cyclades (in Ios, Mykonos and Delos), then in Athens (during which I made a few trips to Aegina and one in Salamina), a brief stay in Evoia, followed by a return to the Cyclades (this time in Naxos, Paros and Antiparos), and then a classic family stay in Zakynthos and Aegina, concluding with a trip on the Adriatic Sea. I am looking forward to seeing many ships (including new introductions) in the next few weeks, when I am going to return to Greece from late June 2019 to late August 2019. #olympicchampion #aneklines #anekatticagroup #summer2018 #greece #italy #patraicgulf #igoumenitsagulf #ionian #adriatic #patras #igoumenitsa #ancona #cruiseeuropa #minoanlines #meganisiii #coastallinesionioscorporation #agiosgerasimosii #lixourine #agiosspiridon #ionas #slferries #northwestferriesi #bari #ventourisferries #menekratis #kerkyralines #eleni #gerontakisshipping #anochoraii #2wayferries #tribute

For the fourth year in a row, I had the chance to perform back-to-back trips from Piraeus to Aegina for half a day. It was for the same exact purpose as the trips I made with my mother and her own mother on 3 July 2015 , on 19 July 2016 , and on 21 Jul y 2017 : it was a round-trip to the island of Aegina (one of the two islands in which I go to every summer, as you already know). Traditionally, my mother and my grandmother had been going to Aegina together a few days before we leave Athens for Zakynthos, in order to store in our Aegina house whatever we do not need for the vacation (such as oversized bags, warm clothes) and in order to take whatever is necessary for the beaches (volleyballs, rackets, towels, which stay in our Aegina house all year long). For the fourth consecutive year, I also went to Aegina with them for help (with my twin brother also coming with us this year), so it was once again an opportunity for me to see the Greek coastal service ships during both trips. We took the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries while heading from Piraeus to Aegina, and returned back with the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries . This post is dedicated to the two trips I made that day: from Piraeus to Aegina and back. This post is not a tribute post to either ship, as I had already done one for each of them: in June 2016 for the PHIVOS and in May 2018 for the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS . I did take photos of both ships' passenger areas, but they are the same as the ones from the previous years, so I will not update them in this post. Regarding the main focus of the post, it marked my third time in four years traveling from Piraeus to Aegina for this purpose with the PHIVOS. I had also traveled with her on 7 July of the same year while heading from Piraeus to Aegina for the weekend alongside my brother and two other friends. This trip with her was thus my second one during that summer. In the case of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, it was the first time I traveled with her as part of the traditional 'Saronic Gulf One-Day Trip'. I had also traveled onboard her on 24 June 2018, heading back from Aegina to Piraeus after spending the weekend there with my brother and another friend. I then traveled onboard her again on 13 August, when I headed to Aegina for the rest of the summer with my family. Hence, my trip on 1 August was the second out of the three trips I had with her that summer. The pictures below will describe you the experience of the two trips I made to and from the second nearest island from Piraeus, Aegina, thanks to the two veteran Saronic Gulf ferries which provided a memorable day for me. We immediately boarded the PHIVOS shortly after arriving in Piraeus, as we were due to depart at 10:00. From the ship's outdoor deck, I quickly saw the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was resting in the port. On the port side of the PHIVOS, I spotted the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways loading passengers, prior to her departure for her first destination: Poros. Immediately afterwards, I saw the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Built in 1998, she operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line, where she has so far spent her entire career. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. That summer marked my first-ever trips with her, as I traveled onboard her from Piraeus to Salamina and back on 3 July 2018 . While looking further up, I was surprised to spot the high speed ferry NAXOS JET of Sea Jets resting in the E9 gate. Indeed, that summer (which was her debut season under her current owners), she was operating on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, so it felt strange to see her docked in Piraeus. The reason was because Sea Jets decided to send her fleetmate, the PAROS JET , to operate on the line for that day only, due to her having a larger passenger and garage capacity. The NAXOS JET returned to her usual service the following day. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen approaching Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II about to begin her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having maneuvered in Piraeus and preparing to dock. Barely seconds after she had arrived, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II was being followed by another ship which had just returned to Piraeus. It was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA heading towards her docking spot. The summer of 2018 marked her ninth under Aegean Flying Dolphins, and her eighth consecutive on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The veteran hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which is one of the ships that performs the most trips in a day from Piraeus to any Greek island, making her way towards her docking spot in the E8 gate. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which has been the sole hydrofoil of her company operating on the Saronic Gulf since late 2011, after her older fleetmates were retired due to having reached the mandatory age limit of 30 years of service, though this limit has long ceased to exist. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having just docked in Piraeus, while the FLYINGCAT 6 is about to depart the port. The FLYINGCAT 6 having departed Piraeus, and beginning to head towards Poros. She operates on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. She served this line in 2013, 2015, 2016 and 2018. She is also set to operate there during the 2019 season. The speedy FLYINGCAT 6 leaving Piraeus in order to head towards Poros. Just a few seconds later, she was followed by the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, which had already loaded her passengers in order to return to Salamina. After seeing the FLYINGCAT 6 and the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II depart Piraeus, it now was our time to leave as well. Here is another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE, which is the flagship of Minoan Lines and was on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line during the summer of 2018. While the PHIVOS was departing, I had the chance to photograph the ferry that standing right next to her. It was the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line (just like the PHIVOS) and collaborates with Nova Ferries under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The APOLLON HELLAS seen resting in Piraeus. The summer of 2018 marked her second consecutive on the line, having returned there in 2017, after spending three seasons on the Sporades (two with her former owners Hellenic Seaways and one with 2way Ferries). Before that, she had been operating on the Saronic Gulf from 1999 to 2013. As we began to head towards the exit, I got to see the rival of the KNOSSOS PALACE, the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. She was also departing the port as part of her in-day trip to Crete. The APOLLON HELLAS in Piraeus. She had her first trip of that day just one hour after the PHIVOS' departure. The BLUE HORIZON seen departing Piraeus. In the meantime, another ship was seen arriving Piraeus: it was the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS, also owned by 2way Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The BLUE HORIZON seen leaving Piraeus. I now managed to photograph her during one of her departures, after having previously witnessed her arriving and making an impressive maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, when I visited the port on 12 July 2018 . While we were leaving the port, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA also departed (barely a few minutes after she had arrived). The ACHAEOS can be seen right in front of her. The ACHAEOS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. That summer was her fifth consecutive on the Saronic Gulf, and sixth overall in her career. Indeed, she spent her debut summer there, on the Piraeus-Aegina line, shortly after her construction was completed back in 2006. The BLUE HORIZON leaving Piraeus, and seen passing by the KNOSSOS PALACE. The APOLLON HELLAS, on which I had traveled on 23 June of the same year, resting in Piraeus. I also traveled onboard her for the first time since her return to the Saronic Gulf on 7 August 2017 (almost a year before taking this picture) . The BLUE HORIZON seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. A view of the NAXOS JET, seen resting in Piraeus for the day. The ACHAEOS seen heading towards the E8 gate, where the PHIVOS had previously been docked. Behind the dock where the BLUE HORIZON was moored prior to her departure, I saw the cruiseferry EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines , which was operating on the Piraeus-Chania line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA and the much larger BLUE HORIZON both seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. Built in 2000, she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The summer of 2018 saw her making connections to Milos for the first time ever. In the winter of 2018-2019, she became the second ship of her company (and of Greece as a whole) to undergo a conversion in order to have the exhaust gas cleaning system (also known as a 'scrubber') installed on her funnel. This will help her consume less sulphur and thus less gas oil, making her more environmentally-friendly. Most of her fleetmates have also undergone this conversion or are due to undergo it in the near future. The EL. VENIZELOS seen in Piraeus. She was also due to depart the port in order to make a day trip to Chania. The ACHAEOS having passed by the PHIVOS and making her way towards the E8 gate docking spot. The ACHAEOS about to dock next to her fleetmate, the APOLLON HELLAS. The BLUE HORIZON seen leaving Piraeus in order to go to Heraklion. She has been on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. Before that, she had a very successful spell on the Adriatic Sea from 1998 to 2009 (as the SUPERFERRY HELLAS of Strintzis Lines from 1998 to 1999, and as the BLUE HORIZON from 2000 to 2009), operating initially on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line (1998-1999), then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line (2003-2009). Afterwards she operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2010, with this being her first-ever service on the Aegean Sea. She was laid-up in 2012 due to problems caused by the Greek economic crisis at the start of the decade, but fortunately returned to service in 2013, being deployed on the Piraeus-Santorini-Kos-Rhodes line, before again finding a permanent spot the following year: this time on her current line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on her way towards Aegina. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. The BLUE HORIZON and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen from behind, as we all head towards the port's exit. As mentioned previously, the EL. VENIZELOS also began to depart Piraeus in order to reach Chania. Next to the ships in front of us, there was the cruiseferry NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the Northeast Aegean Sea, serving the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. The EL. VENIZELOS having departed Piraeus. The summer of 2018 was her second consecutive one on the Piraeus-Chania line, on which she had also served several times in the past. The summer of 2017 was her first one operating for ANEK Lines since 2012, after having had multiple charters in between. She was replacing her fleetmate, namely the ELYROS , which was on charter to Algérie Ferries (as it has been the case since the summer of 2015). Two rival ferries of two rival operators seen together in Piraeus. These were the KNOSSOS PALACE and the departing EL. VENIZELOS. While the KNOSSOS PALACE still is the flagship of Minoan Lines, the EL. VENIZELOS was previously the flagship of ANEK Lines, serving that role from her delivery in 1992 until the arrival of the newly-built OLYMPIC CHAMPION in 2000. The EL. VENIZELOS seen right behind us, on her way towards Chania. In the E1 gate located right next to the exit of the port of Piraueus, I got to see the ferry BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries , which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Amorgos-Santorini-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line, alongside her sister ship, the BLUE STAR 1 . Between where the NISSOS SAMOS and the BLUE STAR 2 were docked, I got to see a ship for the first time in more than a decade. It was the cruiseferry MYKONOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was operating for the company for the first time since 2012, being deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line. This marked Minoan Lines' first summer on the line exactly twenty years, having last served it in 1998. The NISSOS SAMOS seen receiving bunkers while resting in Piraeus. This was her third season under Hellenic Seaways. Before that, she was the IONIAN QUEEN of the now-defunct Adriatic Sea-based company Endeavor Lines, operating for them between 2005 and 2012, before being laid-up in Patras from 2012 to late 2015, when she was bought by her current owners. The MYKONOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. Her introduction to service on the Piraeus-Chania line was certainly the most discussed and most defining moment of the summer of 2018. Her first season was very successful, and it was a pleasure to see her back in Greece, after she had spent her previous years (2012-2017) under charter to Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione (taking the name AMSICORA). The funnel of the MYKONOS PALACE, carrying the logo of Minoan Lines (featuring the Lilly Prince from the fresco located in the palace of Knossos in Crete) for the first time since 2012. Her funnel however no longer looks like the one shown in the picture. Indeed, the ship was the first one of her company (right before the KNOSSOS PALACE) and the first in the history of the Greek coastal service to upgrade her oil consumption method by having scrubbers installed, as part of the Sulphur Cap legislation implemented by MARPOL which will come to effect on 1 January 2020. Minoan Lines is so far the only company in Greece to have undergone such a process, making it the most environmentally-friendly shipping company in the Greek coastal service as of 2019. The BLUE STAR 2 seen resting in Piraeus. She herself has also served the Piraeus-Chania line, having operated there back in 2003 and 2004. Since 2005, she has been permanently serving the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The MYKONOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. She became the third ship of her company to connect Piraeus with Crete that summer, alongside her two older sister ships (the KNOSSOS PALACE and the FESTOS PALACE ). Another view of the MYKONOS PALACE. She is the youngest of the four sister ships ordered by Minoan Lines at the Fincantieri Shipyard in Italy between 2000 and 2002. During her first spell under Minoan Lines, she operated as the EUROPA PALACE, and was on the Adriatic Sea. She was on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line from 2002 to 2010, and then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line from 2010 to 2011. In 2012, Minoan Lines closed the line, and she and her sister ship, the OLYMPIA PALACE (now the CRUISE BONARIA of Grimaldi Lines) , were chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione. The NISSOS SAMOS and the EL. VENIZELOS seen together in Piraeus. The gigantic cruiseferries were previously on the Adriatic Sea, although not in the same period of time (except when the EL. VENIZELOS operated there during the winter in 2005 and in 2006, when she would be replacing her fleetmates based there while they would be undergoing their annual winter refits). The impressive MYKONOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. Another view of the BLUE STAR 2. She was a competitor of the MYKONOS PALACE (then known as the EUROPA PALACE) in her debut season back in 2002, when both ships served the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line. The BLUE STAR 2 then moved to the Aegean Sea in 2003, and has been remaining there ever since. The MYKONOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. In her first stint under Minoan Lines, she was registered in Heraklion. Following her return, she was reflagged to Greece, but was instead registered in Piraeus. This makes her the only ship of Minoan Lines' Aegean Sea fleet not be registered in the company's base port. The BLUE HORIZON seen exiting the port of Piraeus. While the PHIVOS was exiting the port of Piraeus, I spotted the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS of Evoïkos Lines patiently waiting to enter it (due to many ships exiting at the same time). She operates on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, serving the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina. Another view of the MYKONOS PALACE as we begin to exit the port. Alongside another view of the BLUE STAR 2. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS awaiting the moment in which she will be able to enter the port of Piraeus. It was her third summer under Evoïkos Lines, having been sold to them in 2016. While exiting Piraeus, I then had a clearer view on the Piraeus Vicinity area, which includes Drapetsona, Keratsini and Perama. Near the Drapetsona pier, I spotted the landing craft PSYTTALEIA II of Psyttaleia Shipping , which connects Drapetsona with the nearby island Psyttaleia (which houses the largest sewage treatment plant in Europe). The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS preparing to enter the port of Piraeus. She was previously known as the ALEXANDROS of Alexandros Shipping (2000-2015) and then of my WAYS (2015-2016). After beginning her career as on the Ionian Sea on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefkada line (2000-2006) and in Crete on the Ierapetra-Chryssi line (2007), she was deployed on her current service in 2008. She has remained there ever since, despite changing owners in 2015 and 2016, as well as changing her name to her current one in the latter year. Next to the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS, I spotted another small passenger boat. It was the PETROULA of Petroula Speedline , which was spending her debut season on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The PETROULA about to enter Piraeus. She was previously known as the HERMES of Antiparos Speedline NE, operating for them between 2010 (the year she was built) and 2016 on the Paros-Antiparos line. She was sold that same year to her current owners, which renamed her PETROULA and deployed her on the Perama-Salamina line in 2017. In 2018, she instead connected Salamina with Piraeus. The BLUE HORIZON seen right after having exited the port of Piraeus. The great BLUE HORIZON seen heading towards Heraklion. The BLUE HORIZON seen en route towards Heraklion. The EL. VENIZELOS having just exited the port of Piraeus. A last view of the incredible BLUE HORIZON as she heads towards Crete. The EL. VENIZELOS seen following her, though she heads towards Chania. Her season last year was cut short near the end of August, as she suffered a fire onboard caused by some lorries inside her garage. Fortunately, thanks to the professionalism and calmness of her crew, it was extinguished and the ship was able to return to Piraeus and to safely evacuate all passengers, with no reported injuries. She was repaired in Perama and she returned to service on the Piraeus-Chania line three days ago. After having left the Piraeus area, we were now heading towards Aegina. There, I spotted the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which was heading from Aegina to Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, in what was her twentieth summer of operations, having spent all of them, except for the first two of her career, on the Piraeus-Aegina line. Before that, she was operating as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU on the Sporades, under her former owners, Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line. She has been owned by ANES Ferries since 2007. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen during her eighteenth summer on the Saronic Gulf, and twelfth under ANES Ferries. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on her way towards Piraeus. I would find myself onboard her just a few hours after taking this picture. After 65 minutes, we had reached Aegina. This marked my third time (out of four overall) going to the island that summer. As soon as we arrived, we disembarked and I saw the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA departing Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen leaving Aegina. The PHIVOS seen in Aegina, shortly after having disembarked her. She then left Aegina in order to head towards Methana and Poros. Just a few moments after having disembarked, I also spotted the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries arriving in Aegina, after having left Agistri. The first trip had thus come to an end. We then headed towards our house in Aegina in order to carry out our planned tasks. Just two hours later, we were already back at the port in order to make our return to Athens. While waiting for the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS to come, I saw the ACHAEOS resting in Aegina, shortly before her planned departure to Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen in Aegina, before her departure to Piraeus. About 30 minutes after the departure of the ACHAEOS, the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS had finally reached Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen maneuvering in Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen maneuvering and preparing to dock in Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS having finished maneuvering and preparing to dock in Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS preparing to dock in Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS having almost docked in Aegina. At around 14:30, we began to depart Aegina in order to return to Piraeus. I would find myself there again from 13 August to 25 August, spending my last summer days in Greece there before heading to Vienna (via Italy). We had already started leaving the island of Aegina. Fifteen minutes after our departure, I spotted the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , which was also heading towards Piraeus. Built in 1993, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. She is currently the youngest hydrofoil still in service in Greece. Crossing the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she heads towards Piraeus. She operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. A few minutes later, I saw the APOLLON HELLAS sailing right in front of us. The APOLLON HELLAS seen heading towards Aegina. The APOLLON HELLAS on her way towards Aegina, in her third season under 2way Ferries, and second consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf (on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line). Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS as she heads towards Aegina. Crossing the APOLLON HELLAS as she heads towards the island of Aegina. Near the Attica coast, I spotted the containership COSCO SHIPPING DANUBE of Chinese giants COSCO Shipping, which is also the main operator the port of Piraeus. After an hour and ten minutes, we had reached the port of Piraeus. I again saw the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, though this time she was standing behind us, as she was arriving from Salamina. We immediately entered the port of Piraeus, where I again saw the BLUE STAR 2. The BLUE STAR 2 seen resting in Piraeus. I then saw the MYKONOS PALACE again, as she was receiving bunkers shortly before her programmed departure to Chania. The MYKONOS PALACE seen during her first summer back with Minoan Lines. The MYKONOS PALACE seen in Piraeus shortly before her departure. Passing by the NISSOS SAMOS, which was still resting in Piraeus. The Japanese-built ship spent her first summer under Hellenic Seaways on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. In 2017, her second year, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line, where she was extremely successful. In 2018, due to the changes brought by the sale of Hellenic Seaways to Attica Group, she returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea, serving the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. She is due to operate there as well during the summer of 2019. Behind the NISSOS SAMOS, I saw the cruiseferry BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which had returned to Piraeus following her morning departures from the Cyclades islands she serves. Another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE, still resting in Piraeus. As we were starting to head towards the E8 gate docking spot, I saw the POSIDON HELLAS departing the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus, n route towards Aegina. She had been the ship on which I had done my Saronic Gulf One-Day Trip the previous year, having traveled onboard her from Piraeus to Aegina and back on 21 July 2017 . The great KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS resting in Piraeus, before her late afternoon departure to the Cyclades. Having been on the area since late 2014, she spent the 2018 season solely on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line. When looking towards the starboard side of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, I saw the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways resting in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 3, which was celebrating 20 years since her date of built in 2018. She was spending her third consecutive season serving the Saronic Gulf on a full-time basis, being deployed on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, together with the FLYINGCAT 6. She had also briefly operated on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line in 2015, in addition to her Cyclades service that was being spent on the Piraues-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line. Next to her was another high speed catamaran, the SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was loading passengers as she was due to depart the port for her afternoon and evening service on the Cyclades. I also saw the gigantic cruise ship MSC POESIA of Italian-Swiss company MSC Cruises (MSC standing for the Mediterranean Shipping Company). The SUPER JET seen in Piraeus. That summer, she was operating on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line, which she had also served in 2016 (back then, the island of Sikinos was part of her itinerary) and in 2017. The FLYINGCAT 3 resting in Piraeus, prior to her next departure for Poros. Another view of the SUPER JET, shortly before her departure to Serifos. As the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was beginning her maneuvering procedure, I saw the ACHAEOS, which had arrived in Piraeus an hour before us, resting besides us. Also docked were the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS and the PETROULA, which I had seen earlier that day at the exit of the port of Piraeus, when I was heading towards Aegina with the PHIVOS. The PETROULA seen resting in Piraeus. For the 2019 summer season, she is due to return to the Perama-Salamina line. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS and the PETROULA seen together in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 3 resting in Piraeus, right next to the two small passenger ships. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen in Piraeus. She has reportedly been sold to ANES Ferries, hence she will be a fleetmate of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS this upcoming summer. To add some positive news, she is rumoured to extend her service to Hydra, by thus operating on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Hydra line. If this eventually happens, it will mark the first-ever direct connection of the two islands (despite her leaving from the port of Agia Marina rather than from the main port of Aegina), if one-day cruise ships are excluded. After the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS had finished her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, we disembarked at around 16:00, thus marking the end of our day spent on the Saronic Gulf. These two trips with the PHIVOS and the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS (two ships which have been a significant part of my childhood) were exceptional to me, as I was able to enjoy a handful of Greek coastal service ships, seeing many of them multiple times and obviously taking more photos of them. I was now ready for my annual summer days with my family in both Zakynthos (from 2 August to 13 August) and Aegina (from 13 August to 25 August). #saronicgulf #summer2018 #greece #aegean #piraeus #aegina #phivos #novaferries #saronicferries #knossospalace #mykonospalace #minoanlines #flyingcat6 #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxxix #flyingcat3 #hellenicseaways #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #naxosjet #superjet #seajets #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #apollonhellas #achaeos #posidonhellas #2wayferries #bluehorizon #bluestar2 #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #elvenizelos #aneklines #agiamarinaaeginis #evoïkoslines #psyttaleiaii #psyttaleiashipping #petroula #petroulaspeedline #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries

Trip: 27 July 2019. From Piraeus to Agistri, via Aegina, with the SEBECO II of Alko Ferries . The small high speed boat SEBECO II was built in 2019 in Greece. She was delivered to newly-established Greek company Alko Ferries. The latter sought to provide additional service on the Saronic Gulf with a ship whose speed would be between that of conventional ferries and that of hydrofoils. She was therefore deployed on the Saronic Gulf, operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. She had a very good first year despite entering service just before the start of the high season and the intense competition that she faced in the area. She is the second ship to be named after the xebec, which was the name given to small fast ships operating on the Mediterranean Sea from the 16th century to the 19th century. The first ship, named SEBECO , was built in 2018 in the same shipyard as the SEBECO II, but she was ordered by ANES Ferries, and she operates on the Dodecanese, namely on the Rhodes-Symi line. The introduction of the SEBECO II on the Saronic Gulf, and particularly in Aegina (one of the two islands where I go to every summer) was an unexpected but pleasant surprise, as I was pleased to see the return of small passenger boats operating on the Saronic Gulf, besides those serving Salamina. Impressed by her overall aesthetic appearance and her speed, I decided that it was a good opportunity for me to have a trip onboard her for the first time. I had planned to spend a few hours in the island of Agistri, which is located right next to Aegina. This was done just in order for me to have a quick look at it (one can easily have a walk around the entire island) and to photograph the ships that serve it. It ended-up being my first time going there since 2008. And for that reason, I chose to go there with the SEBECO II. It was my first-ever trip from Piraeus to Agistri (as the only two times that I had visited the island, in 2007 and 2008 respectively, had been with a motor boat from Aegina), my first-ever trip to Agistri with a ship of the Greek coastal service, and my first-ever trip with a ship operating on the Saronic Gulf during her first-ever year of operations. I arrived in Piraeus very early in the morning in order to witness the numerous departures of ships heading to the Cyclades, the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Saronic Gulf, as they all left one after the other between 06:45 and 08:00 . After that unique moment, I headed towards the E8 gate in order to embark onboard the SEBECO II, which was due to depart at 08:35 for Aegina and Agistri. The SEBECO II docked in Piraeus, shortly before her morning departure. Her itinerary, specifically the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, was mentioned in Greek over the windows of her lower deck. A view of the newly-built SEBECO II prior to her departure, during the first summer of her career. Next to the ship, I spotted another ship which was operating for the first time, although in her case it was her first summer after several years of inactivity. Indeed, this ship was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I of Aegean Flying Dolphins . After having been laid-up since 2011 (except for two trips that she made in 2016 on the Saronic Gulf) due to the mandatory age limit imposed on hydrofoils once they would complete 30 years of service, she was reactivated in 2019 in order to serve the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line, as the age limit was removed in 2015. Behind the hydrofoil, I spotted the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways , in what was her first-ever season on the Saronic Gulf as well. Built in 1999, she had previously spent the largest part of her career on the Cyclades, while also serving the Sporades from 2001 to 2003 and from 2016 to 2017. The FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I seen docking in Piraeus, during her first full season since 2011. She became the only Kometa-class hydrofoil to deployed on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 4 is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. By being deployed on the Saronic Gulf, she thus ensured that all six catamarans that operate or that have operated under the 'Flyingcat' brand have been inserted on the Saronic Gulf at some point during their careers. Just like her current and former fleetmates, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen leaving Piraeus. The previous summer, back in 2018, saw her operating on the Cyclades, on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line. She then moved to the Saronic Gulf in 2019. The FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I having docked in Aegina. Built in 1981, she has spent her entire career in Greece, operating initially on the Sporades as the FLYING DOLPHIN XIV for Ceres Flying Dolphins (1981-1999) and Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (1999-2005), then on the Corfu-Paxoi line as the PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN for Paxos Flying Dolphins (2005-2008) before she she was sold to Aegean Flying Dolphins in 2008. She spent her first two summers on the Samos-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos line on the Dodecanese, and was then deployed in 2010 and in 2011 on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, before her first retirement after she had completed 30 years of service. While the SEBECO II was departing Piraeus, one could see a former fleetmate of the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I when the latter operated for Ceres Flying Dolphins and then for Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins. It was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , which also operates on the Saronic Gulf. Next to the departing SEBECO II was a Saronic Gulf veteran. Indeed, it was the small passenger boat AGIA MARINA AEGINIS, which was spending her first season under ANES Ferries . The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen docked in Piraeus. Built in 2000 as the ALEXANDROS, she operated for Alexandros Shipping on the Ionian Sea on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefkada line (2000-2006) and on the Ierapetra-Chryssi line in Crete (2007) before first arriving on the Saronic Gulf in 2008. She was deployed on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line (serving the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina), and has since remained there. She was sold to my WAYS in 2015 and operated for one season under the latter before being bought by Evoïkos Lines in 2016, whereupon she was renamed AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. After three seasons with that company, she was acquired by ANES Ferries, which has been a company operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2007. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen during her first summer under ANES Ferries. It was also her first summer on a new service introduced by the company. Indeed, she was operating on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Hydra line, marking the first direct coastal service connection of Aegina with Hydra since 2007. Next to the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS was her former Evoïkos Lines fleetmate: the landing craft MENEKRATIS of Kerkyra Lines which was under charter to Saronic Ferries (formerly known as the OSIOS DAVID) . This ship was also deployed on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line (serving the port of Souvala), marking her first summer there since 2016 (her last summer under Evoïkos Lines before being sold to her current owners in 2017). The bow of the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS in Piraeus. She had a very good first summer under ANES Ferries, and she also worked well in Hydra. It was not her first time operating beyond Northern Aegina, as she had also served the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Agistri line during the 2010 season. However, this service was discontinued from the 2011 season onwards. The stern of the MENEKRATIS as she is seen resting in Piraeus. She was known as the OSIOS DAVID while being owned by Evoïkos Lines from 2000 to 2017. She spent the first years of her career on the North Evoian Gulf, on the Glyfa-Agiokampos line (2000-2005), on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line (2006-2013 and in 2015) and on the Agios Konstantinos-Agios Georgios Lichados line (2014) before operating on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line in 2016. The following year she was sold to Kerkyra Lines, was renamed MENEKRATIS and was deployed on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line (serving the port of Lefkimmi). She was chartered in 2019 to the Saronic Ferries joint venture as the latter had promised to bring a ferry to Souvala during the summer. They decided to bring the MENEKRATIS due to her past experience on the line back in 2016. Next to her was a larger ferry: the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which was resting in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS was seen docking alongside her 2way Ferries fleetmate, the APOLLON HELLAS . Both ships have been experienced ferries on the Saronic Gulf. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen docked in Piraeus, during her first summer under her current owners. While we began to depart the port of Piraeus, I saw the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , whose arrival maneuvering procedure I had seen just a few hours earlier. Built in 2000, she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Since 2018, she has also been operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. Behind her was one of her competitors, the ferry KRITI II of ANEK Lines . Built in 1979, she also operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. I then saw the fleetmate of the KRITI II, namely the gigantic EL. VENIZELOS . She also operates for the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture, serving the Piraeus-Chania line, where she has been deployed since 2017. She had also served the line in 2012, and under multiple occasions from 1993 to 2004 and from 2008 to 2011, when her fleetmates operating there at the time would undergo their annual refits. The KRITI II and the EL. VENIZELOS seen together in Piraeus. Since 2017, they have been the two ANEK Lines ships that directly connect Piraeus with Crete. At the E11 gate, I spotted the FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways , which has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2016. Just like the FLYINGCAT 4, she operates on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. She had also operated on the Saronic Gulf in 2015, performing additional trips on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line while also serving her main itinerary that season, the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line. The KRITI II and the EL. VENIZELOS both docked in Piraeus. The next ship that I got to see was the BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries , which has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line since 2018. I had not spotted that ship during my early morning stay in Piraeus, so I presume that she had arrived in the port while I was heading towards the docking spot of the SEBECO II. Passing by the KNOSSOS PALACE in Piraeus. It was her first season operating under the new exhaust gas cleaning system that she acquired during a small conversion in Malta in early 2019. She received scrubbers and an upgraded funnel which make her more environmentally-friendly as she consumes less sulphur oil. While looking further towards the South, I saw that another ship of Blue star Ferries had arrived in Piraeus while I was embarking onboard the SEBECO II. It was the Ro-Pax BLUE STAR 1 , which operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Amorgos-Santorini-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line. I also passed by the cruiseferry NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways , which had also arrived in Piraeus during the early morning. Owned by her current company since late 2015, she was spending her second season in a row on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. The next ship that I got to see was another cruiseferry. Indeed, it was the MYKONOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , whose arrival I had witnessed just an hour before beginning my trip with the SEBECO II. It was her second season back with Minoan Lines (she was on charter to Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione from 2012 to early 2018), and her second consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Chania line. The impressive MYKONOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. Built in 2002 as the last of the four sister ships ordered in Italy by her company between 2000 and 2002, she first operated for Minoan Lines as the EUROPA PALACE on the Adriatic Sea. She first served the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line (2002-2010) and then the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line (2010-2011) before being chartered alongside her sister ship, the OLYMPIA PALACE (now the CRUISE BONARIA of Italian company Grimaldi Lines) to Tirrenia Di Navigazione in 2012. She returned to Minoan Lines in 2018, was renamed MYKONOS PALACE, and was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line. She was also the first ship in the history of the Greek coastal service to acquire scrubbers, after she underwent a small conversion after the 2018 season ended. The BLUE STAR 1 seen in Piraeus. Built in 2000, she is the flagship of her company. It was her second consecutive summer operating on her current service, as she began to share duties there with her sister ship and fleetmate, the BLUE STAR 2 . Before that, she was on the Northeast Aegean Sea from 2015 to early 2018. The BLUE STAR 1 seen docked alongside the veteran ferry AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets (operating under the Sea Jets Ferries division) , which was undergoing her final preparation stages before she began to operate for the second summer in a row under her current owners. The MYKONOS PALACE seen docked in Piraeus, after having arrived from Chania earlier in the morning. The BLUE STAR 1 docked in Piraeus and about to receive bunkers. The AQUA BLUE seen in Piraeus. She operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line in 2019. In her first season under Sea Jets Ferries, she operated on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line. After having exited the port of Piraeus, the SEBECO II began to sail under full-speed towards Aegina. At some point, we crossed the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which serves the Saronic Gulf as well. The great PHIVOS seen heading from Aegina to Piraeus. She has been on the Saronic Gulf with Nova Ferries since 2005. Since 2014 she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, when her company joined the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which also includes 2way Ferries and used to include Hellenic Seaways). Crossing the PHIVOS on the Saronic Gulf heading from Aegina to Piraeus, during her fifteenth season in Greece under Nova Ferries. A few minutes later, we began to pass by another conventional ferry operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries . She has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina line since 2001, and has been sailing for her current owners since 2007. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen heading from Piraeus to Aegina, during her nineteenth season on the Saronic Gulf. Her company, ANES Ferries, owns the original SEBECO , which was built in 2018 and was deployed on the Rhodes-Symi line on the Dodecanese. Passing by the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she heads from Piraeus to Aegina via the Saronic Gulf. While the SEBECO II is faster than the conventional ferries operating on the Saronic Gulf, she is slower than the hydrofoils. This was confirmed when the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX passed by us as she also headed from Piraeus to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen heading at full-speed towards Aegina. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line ever since she began service in 1993. She is currently the youngest hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service. I then saw the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries heading from Aegina to Piraeus. Just like the SEBECO II, she operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, having been in this service since 2014. As the SEBECO II began to approach Aegina, I saw the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX departing the port, after she had already docked and unloaded several passengers. After 50 minutes, the SEBECO II was now preparing to dock in Aegina. She did this at around 09:25. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen having departed Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving Aegina. She first operated for Ceres Flying Dolphins (1993-1999) before being acquired by Minoan Flying Dolphins. The latter then became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX ready to leave Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX having departed Aegina and now heading towards Agistri. While the SEBECO II was docking in Aegina, I saw the small local passenger boat AGISTRI EXPRESS I of Agistriotiki NE , which has been operating on the Aegina-Agistri line since 2000 (19 years before the SEBECO II was built). The AGISTRI EXPRESS I seen resting in Aegina, before her next departure for Agistri. As several passengers left Aegina, I thought that it was a good opportunity for me to take pictures of both the indoor and the outdoor areas of the ship. This is the lower deck sun deck, located right next to the stern and to the embarkation spot. It features a few chairs that look like aircraft-style seats, and an area for passengers to store their luggage and even their bicycles. The ship's sole passenger indoor area, located on the lower deck. It features a modern room with several grey aircraft-style seats aligned in rows. The front section of the indoor area, featuring even more grey aircraft-style seats. The ship also features a tiny bar at the front section of the deck. It sells a few beers, soft drinks, juices, coffee and snacks. A view of the upper deck, which primarily has the ship's bridge and an outdoor area forming the sun deck. It also features seats similar to the ones found in the outdoor section in the lower deck. The ship's starboard side alley leading from the sun deck in the upper deck to the ship's bridge. The ship's front section alley, located right in front of the bridge. One can have a full view of the bow. The SEBECO II docked in the exact same place where hydrofoils moor in Aegina. At around 09:40, the SEBECO II left Aegina for the last destination of the trip, which was Agistri. After just 15 minutes, we had already arrived, and the ship began to unload all passengers and load new ones in order to make her return trip from Agistri to Piraeus via Aegina. The SEBECO II having just arrived in Agistri. The SEBECO II docked in Agistri and loading new passengers. One last view of the friendly SEBECO II prior to her departure from Agistri. This therefore marks the end of my trip with the SEBECO II. I had now made it to Agistri for the first time since 2008. I stayed there for a few hours before heading back to Piraeus with the POSIDON HELLAS. It was a very fast trip onboard a very nice ship which had not even completed a month of service by the time I traveled with her. She has enough space to fit enough passengers and is a good alternative to the conventional ferries and to the faster hydrofoils. While she had a good first summer on the Saronic Gulf, her owners are reportedly looking to deploy her somewhere on the Dodecanese in 2020. Whether this happens or not will not really matter, as she is a brand-new passenger ship that can cover any short-distance trip in a very efficient manner. #sebecoii #alkoferries #summer2019 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #piraeus #aegina #agistri #flyingdolphinvenusi #aegeanflyingdolphins #flyingcat4 #flyingdolphinxxix #flyingcat3 #nissossamos #hellenicseaways #agiamarinaaeginis #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #menekratis #saronicferries #posidonhellas #apollonhellas #achaeos #2wayferries #knossospalace #mykonospalace #minoanlines #kritiii #elvenizelos #aneklines #bluestarparos #bluestar1 #bluestarferries #aquablue #seajets #seajetsferries #phivos #novaferries #agistriexpressi #agistriotikine #tribute

Just like it was the case during the summer of 2018, I also had the opportunity to spend a month in Athens during the summer of 2019, while waiting for my parents to head to Athens so that we could spend the rest of the summer together in Aegina. In the meantime, I did an internship with a Greek shipping company for the second consecutive summer, although this time it was with Kassian Maritime Ltd. Unlike V-Ships Greece, however, the company's offices were located in Kallithea instead of Piraeus. Due to the distance separating these two neighbourhoods and due to the fact that I would finish work quite late, I did not have the opportunity to go and see the ships in Piraeus the same way I did during the summer of 2019. I did however have the chance to go there on 22 July 2019, while I also kept an interaction with the Greek coastal service during the weekends. Indeed, during the weekend of 13-14 July, I headed to Santorini with my sister , while the following weekend (20-21 July) was spent with my sister and one of her friends in Aegina (one of the two islands on which I go every summer, the other being Zakynthos). This post shows several ships in Piraeus having already returned to the port following their daily services on the Aegean Sea. Indeed, I headed there towards 18:30, which meant that most ships were already back and now resting. That was not an issue for me, as I therefore got to see many ships, and thus I took several pictures which are all shown below. The first ship that I saw upon arriving in Piraeus at the E8 gate was one of the most exciting new introductions to the Greek coastal service. Indeed, it was the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets , which was docked in the E9 gate. It was her debut summer under Sea Jets, after having previously operated for the Danish company Bornholmer Færgen (formerly known as Bornholms Traffiken) as the VILLUM CLAUSEN from 2000 to 2018. Right next to me, at the E8 gate, I spotted the small passenger boat ELENA F of Elena F Shipping , which was maneuvering in the port. Built in 1998, she operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. In the meantime, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins was seen departing the port of Piraeus, while the high speed ferry TERA JET of Sea Jets was seen heading towards her docking spot, after having arrived from the Cyclades. Another ship that I got to see was the cruiseferry PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , which operates on one of the most demanding lifelines on the Aegean Sea. Indeed, she is the main ferry connecting the islands of Kasos and Karpathos with Piraeus, as she serves the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen resting in Piraeus. She was bought in late 2018 by Sea Jets. After being converted in Salamina, she made her debut during the spring of 2019, being deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. Her introduction was a massive success, as she became the fastest ferry on the Aegean Sea, and also managed to connect Piraeus with Santorini via three other Cyclades islands in barely four hours! She did not have any technical issues and was always on schedule. Her services surely improved Sea Jets' reputation and further cemented the company's rise within the Cyclades. Another ship that I got to see was the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which operates on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, as part of the services provided by the Saronic Ferries joint venture. I had traveled with her just two days before taking this picture, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina for the weekend. The ELENA F having docked in Piraeus. She has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, except during the 2013 season, when she was sent to the Sporades in order to operate on the Glyfa-Skiathos line. She returned to her usual service to Salamina the following summer, and has since been remaining there. The spectacular WORLDCHAMPION JET seen in Piraeus, after having returned from Syros during the afternoon. For the 2019 season, she replaced the CHAMPION JET 1 , which was operating on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line since 2017. When the WORLDCHAMPION JET entered service, the island of Syros was added to the itinerary. The CHAMPION JET 1 spent the summer of 2019 under charter to the Spanish company Naviera Armas. In the meantime, her fleetmate, the TERA JET, is seen returning to her docking spot in Piraeus. Owned by Sea Jets since 2014, she spent her first season on a new service introduced by her company that summer, on the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. Towards the E7 gate, I spotted another high speed ferry. It was the HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which had also already returned from her daily service on the Cyclades. The PHIVOS was then seen departing Piraeus. She was operating on the Saronic Gulf under Nova Ferries for the fifteenth straight summer, having been first introduced during the 2005 season, after a year-long conversion that she had undertaken in Drapetsona. The WORLDCHAMPION JET, hailed as the fastest ship in the Greek coastal service, seen resting in Piraeus. One the two very modern funnels of the WORLDCHAMPION JET. Unlike those of her fleetmates, instead of featuring the company's logo, they have white and dark blue checkers, which aim to symbolise the ship's speed, making it appear as if she was a race-car. The owner of Sea Jets, Marios Iliopoulos, is also known for being an avid racing enthusiast. In fact, he has also shared this passion with the passengers of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, as he stored an original Formula 1 race-car manufactured by Minardi and driven by the now-retired Dutch driver Jos Verstappen during the 2003-2004 Formula 1 season onboard the ship's main lounge area! Besides that, most of the indoor areas of the ship are decorated with posters depicting races and speed as the main theme. The ELENA F having docked in Piraeus. In the meantime, the PHIVOS is seen departing Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. The TERA JET is about to begin her maneuvering procedure. The TERA JET seen maneuvering in Piraeus. Since entering service for Sea Jets in 2014, she has been the company's flagship. She notably had spells on the Heraklion-Cyclades service in 2014 and in 2015, before operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line in 2016 in order to help transport Syrian refugees that had arrived in these two islands to Athens. In 2017 and in 2018, she had a tremendously successful service connecting Rafina with the Cyclades, which helped cement Sea Jets' presence in the area. For 2019, she operated extremely well on the new service introduced by her company, and has generally been a very acclaimed high speed ferry in Greece. The TERA JET having maneuvered in Piraeus and now preparing to dock. Despite the arrival of the impressive WORLDCHAMPION JET, she remains the company's flagship. Both high speed ferries formed a fantastic duo while operating from Piraeus to the most popular islands of the Cyclades. The WORLDCHAMPION JET and the TERA JET, the two best ships of Sea Jets, seen together in Piraeus. The TERA JET about to dock in Piraeus. During her massively successful service in Rafina, she spent the summer of 2017 on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, while in 2018 she was on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. She had a fierce rivalry with most of the ships operating there, particularly with fellow high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries . The stern of the HIGHSPEED 4 as she is seen resting in Piraeus. During the summer of 2019, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi line. Thus, as Amorgos was removed from her itinerary this year, she did not operate on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, like she had done so in 2014 and from 2016 to 2018. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen in Piraeus. Built in 2000 in Australia (in the same year and in the same shipyard as the WORLDCHAMPION JET), she has spent her entire career on the Cyclades, with the exception of the 2005 season, when she was on the Piraeus-Chania line. She was the fourth high speed ferry to join Minoan Flying Dolphins (the predecessor of Hellenic Seaways), having been ordered by them for entry to service in 2000. She is the only member of the 'Highspeed' brand to have operated throughout the entire existence of the company (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, and then Hellenic Seaways in 2005), and was the only ship of the brand that was still operating in 2019, as the other ship, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED , was chartered to Fast Ferries for service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. While walking around the E7, I was then able to see the enormous cruiseferry EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Chania line under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. Next to the huge EL. VENIZELOS was the much smaller ferry IONIS of Triton Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos line, thus serving the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline. The IONIS seen resting in Piraeus, during her second summer under Triton Ferries. Built in Greece in 1977, she has spent her entire career in the country where she was constructed, and always bore the same name. From 1977 to 2015, she mainly operated on the Ionian Sea and on the Adriatic Sea (from 1977 to 1991), with the exception of late 1991 when she briefly operated on the inter-Cyclades service before being laid-up in Elefsina for the following two years. She was then bought by Tyrogalas Ferries, which deployed her as a day ferry on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line from 1993 to 2014. In 2015, she spent her last season under them on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line under the Ionis Ferries brandname. She then operated for Aegina-based company Leve Ferries on the Piraeus-Aegina line during the summer of 2016. In 2017, however, due to problems regarding the debts owed to Tyrogalas Ferries by Leve Ferries, she did not return to service, instead remaining laid-up as the latter company had to cease operations. In late 2017, she was bought by Triton Ferries, which deployed her on her current service. The IONIS seen in Piraeus. Before she began to operate for Tyrogalas Ferries in 1993, she had spells with now-defunct companies Ionian Lines (1977-1984), the unsuccessful state-owned Hellenic Coastal Lines (1985-1989), and Seven Islands Lines (1989-1991). Under the latter, she notably operated on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Paxoi-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. The next ship that I saw was the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. Right behind her was the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , which also serves the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The IONIS entered service in late 2017 for Triton Ferries in order to cover the massive gap left by the previous ship operating on the lifeline, namely the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines . The latter, which had started operating there in 2009, suffered a major engine failure prior to the start of the 2017 summer season. Due to the significant damage and the economic difficulties that LANE Sea Lines began to experience, the ship was taken out of service, leaving the islands of Kythira and Kythira without any ship operating from Piraeus for the entire summer! Because of this, LANE Sea Lines saw their license for serving the lifeline revoked by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy, and immediately ceased operations. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS has since been laid-up in Salamina, and her future is now uncertain. The EL. VENIZELOS resting in Piraeus. The summer of 2019 was her third consecutive one on the Piraeus-Chania line, on which she had also been deployed several times in the past. The summer of 2017 was her first operating for ANEK Lines since 2012, after having had multiple charters in between. She was replacing her fleetmate, namely the ELYROS , which was on charter to Algérie Ferries (as it has been the case since the summer of 2015). Another ship that was seen resting in Piraeus was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the Saronic Gulf, serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The TERA JET seen unloading passengers and vehicles after having docked in Piraeus. The impressive WORLDCHAMPION JET seen resting in Piraeus, during her first summer in Greece under Sea Jets. The TERA JET docked in Piraeus, in what was her sixth season operating in Greece, with all of them being under Sea Jets. The IONIS seen docked in Piraeus, during her second summer under Triton Ferries. The EL. VENIZELOS seen in Piraeus. Her season in 2018 was cut short near the end of August, as she suffered a fire onboard caused by some lorries inside her garage. Fortunately, thanks to the professionalism and calmness of her crew, it was extinguished and the ship was able to return to Piraeus and to safely evacuate all passengers, with no reported injuries. She was repaired in Perama and she returned to service on the Piraeus-Chania line just before the 2019 season. The BLUE HORIZON is also seen resting in Piraeus. She has been on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. Before that, she had a very successful spell on the Adriatic Sea from 1998 to 2009 (as the SUPERFERRY HELLAS of Strintzis Lines from 1998 to 1999, and as the BLUE HORIZON from 2000 to 2009), operating initially on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line (1998-1999), then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line (2003-2009). Afterwards she operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2010, which was her first-ever service on the Aegean Sea. She was laid-up in 2012 due to problems caused by the Greek economic crisis at the start of the decade, but fortunately she returned to service in 2013, being deployed on the Piraeus-Santorini-Kos-Rhodes line, before again finding a permanent spot the following year: this time on her current line. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus. While usually docking in the E4 gate, in this case, she was seen departing from the tip of the E3 gate. Another view of the TERA JET as she is seen resting in Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 is also seen resting in Piraeus. This picture was taken a week shy of the first anniversary of my first-ever trip with her. Indeed, I had traveled with her from Paros to Piraeus on 29 July 2018 , in order to return to Athens after having been to the Cyclades island from 26 July to 29 July 2018. Before that, I had also spent three days in Naxos. Not far from her was her rival, the WORLDCHAMPION JET. Both ships were built in 2000 in the same shipyard, although the HIGHSPEED 4 began operating in Greece from the moment she was built, while the WORLDCHAMPION JET spent her first season in Greek waters during the summer of 2019. The FESTOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. She has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since being built for Minoan Lines in 2001. She was also spending her second straight summer on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line, as she first began connecting the Cyclades island with Piraeus and Crete during the summer of 2018. It was also her first summer operating under the exhaust gas cleaning system that she acquired following a conversion in Malta, making her more environmentally-friendly ahead of the MARPOL regulations regarding sulphur consumption beginning on 1 January 2020. She became the third ship in the history of the Greek coastal service to undergo this conversion, following her two fleetmates and sister ships, the MYKONOS PALACE and the KNOSSOS PALACE . The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen in Piraeus. She is the hydrofoil which has spent the most years operating on the Saronic Gulf in Greek coastal service history: 35 years so far. Since 1984, she has only been operating there, having had spells under Ceres Flying Dolphins (1984-1999), their successor Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002) and then under the latter's subsequent names, Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005) and Hellenic Seaways (since 2005). The WORLDCHAMPION JET, the fastest high speed ferry in Greece, seen alongside the TERA JET, which is the largest high speed ferry in Greece. Another view of the HIGHSPEED 4, which spent her twentieth season in the Greek coastal service. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus, shortly before her evening departure for the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese. The PREVELIS seen about to depart Piraeus. She has been in her current service since 2009. Before that, she had spent the start of her ANEK Lines career on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese in 2000, and then on Piraeus-Rethymnon line from 2001 to early 2007. It was also there that she began her career in Greek waters, having operated between 1995 and 2000 for Cretan Ferries as the PREVELI before the latter was absorbed by ANEK Lines, following which the ship was renamed PREVELIS. After the Piraeus-Rethymnon line was discontinued by ANEK Lines in 2007, she had one season on the Piraeus-Chania line, followed by another one on the Cyclades, namely on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, in 2008. The following year, she headed to the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline, where she has since been remaining. The PREVELIS is now seen departing the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen departing the port of Piraeus. The summer of 2019 marked the first time since 2006 that she did not have the ANEK Lines garland (painted in yellow and blue) that was spread from her stern to her bow on both sides of her accommodation superstructure. This feature was due to be present on all ships of ANEK Lines, but, ultimately, only the PREVELIS (from 2006 to 2019) and the EL. VENIZELOS (from 2006 to 2013) bore it. The PREVELIS maneuvering in order to leave the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS maneuvering in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, during what was her twentieth season under ANEK Lines. As the PREVELIS was maneuvering, I was able to see the NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways . She was spending her fourth straight summer under the latter, while it was her second consecutive summer operating on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The PREVELIS seen maneuvering so that she can head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The legendary PREVELIS seen undergoing her departure maneuvering procedure. The reliable and much-acclaimed TERA JET seen resting in Piraeus. The PREVELIS continuing to maneuver in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS still continuing her maneuvering procedure in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS having almost finished her maneuvering procedure in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS having finished her maneuvering procedure and beginning to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen leaving Piraeus in order to reach her first destination, namely Milos. The IONIS seen resting in the port of Piraeus. The ELENA F is also seen resting in Piraeus. And besides her was another ship: the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways , which also operates on the Saronic Gulf. The ELENA F and the FLYINGCAT 6 seen together in Piraeus. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET. At the time of her delivery, she was the fastest passenger ship in the world (being even mentioned in the Guinness Book of World Records at the time), and held the record for the fastest speed ever recorded by a ferry from 2000 until 2013, when it was surpassed by the newly-built FRANCISCO of Argentinian company Buquebus. The FLYINGCAT 6 in Piraeus. It was her second straight summer operating on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. She had also operated there during the summers of 2013, 2015 and 2016. Besides those years, since beginning service for Hellenic Seaways in 2005, she has operated on the Agios Konstantinos-Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. Another view of the ELENA F in Piraeus. Shortly after the PREVELIS had left Piraeus, I spotted the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries returning to the port. The ACHAEOS having just arrived in Piraeus. She was spending her sixth straight summer (and seventh overall) on the Saronic Gulf, serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The WORLDCHAMPION JET docked in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS on her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. One last view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET. The front section of the FLYINGCAT 6. Above her bow and below her bridge, the logo of Cosmote can be seen. The Greek telephone services company has been the main sponsor of Hellenic Seaways high speed craft since 2013. The ACHAEOS having docked in Piraeus. The logo of Saronic Ferries was added in the middle section on both sides of her hull, right above the logo of 2way Ferries. The other ships operating for the joint venture also saw the logo on both sides of their hulls for the first time this summer. Immediately after the ACHAEOS had docked, I was able to see the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , which had also returned to Piraeus from the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen resting in Piraeus, in what her fifteenth season in Greece, with all of them having been spent with Hellenic Seaways. The ELENA F still seen in Piraeus, shortly before her departure for Salamina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen about to dock in Piraeus. Just like the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, she operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX arriving in Piraeus. Built in 1993 for Ceres Flying Dolphins, she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. Just like the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, she was transferred to Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, and remained with the latter as they became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and then Hellenic Seaways in 2005. She is currently the youngest active hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX about to dock in the port of Piraeus. The ELENA F seen departing Piraeus for Salamina. The ELENA F seen leaving Piraeus in order to make her last trip to Salamina for the day. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen docking behind her fleetmate, the FLYINGCAT 6. The ACHAEOS having docked in Piraeus. I had traveled with her just one day before I took this picture, as I retuned with her from Aegina to Piraeus after having spent the weekend on the Saronic Gulf island. The last ship that I got to see that day was one which I had long looked forward to seeing again. Indeed, it was the landing craft MENEKRATIS, owned by Kerkyra Lines and chartered to the Saronic Ferries joint venture , which was spending her first summer under the latter on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, reaching the port of Souvala. It was her first summer operating there since 2016, back when she was known as the OSIOS DAVID of Evoïkos Lines. It was her first and only season under the latter there, as she was sold in 2017 to Kerkyra Lines for service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea under the name MENEKRATIS. Built in 2000 in Greece, the MENEKRATIS previously served the North Evoian Gulf, first on the Glyfa-Agiokampos line (2000-2006) and then on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line (2006-2013, and in 2015), as well one summer on the Agios Konstantinos-Agios Georgios Lichados line (2014). She then moved to the Saronic Gulf on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line in 2016, before being sold to Kerkyra Lines the following year. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen in Piraeus, with the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX having docked right behind her. The MENEKRATIS about to dock in Piraeus. Due to her past experience in Souvala in 2016, Saronic Ferries decided to charter her in 2019 in order to deliver their long-standing promise of having a ferry operate in Northern Aegina. She became the first ferry to operate there since she herself last did so in 2016. Her reintroduction was met with much excitement from the residents of Souvala, and she quickly found the success that she had experienced three years earlier. The MENEKRATIS about to dock in Piraeus. While it was my first time seeing her under that name in Piraeus, it was not my first time seeing her under her current name generally-speaking. Indeed, I had seen her in Igoumenitsa on 25 August 2018, while traveling from Patras to Ancona (via Igoumenitsa) with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines . One of the two funnels of the MENEKRATIS, which have been left blank since she left Evoïkos Lines before the 2017 summer season. The MENEKRATIS having almost docked in Piraeus. The MENEKRATIS docking in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 spotted in Piraeus, with the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen right behind her. The MENEKRATIS having just docked in Piraeus. When she was chartered by Saronic Ferries, she was basically operating under the collaboration of the two companies that are part of the joint venture, namely Nova Ferries and 2way Ferries. The MENEKRATIS in Piraeus, during the second season of her career on the Saronic Gulf. A few minutes later, I saw the FLYINGCAT 6 departing the port of Piraeus. The hardworking MENEKRATIS seen resting in Piraeus. The MENEKRATIS seen in Piraeus, after having returned there from Souvala in Aegina. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen departing the port of Piraeus in the evening. One last view of the MENEKRATIS in Piraeus. After the 2019 season ended, she returned to Kerkyra Lines. However, Saronic Ferries have plans regarding her replacement, as their newly-bought landing craft POSEIDONAS (previously owned by Farmakoris-Villiotis NE) is currently undergoing a conversion in Perama, and she is due to begin service as the ANTIGONE. One last view of the TERA JET in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen leaving Piraeus in the evening in order to head towards her first destination, namely the port of Poros. And so this marks the end of my post, as it was time for me to head back home in Central Athens. As it was the case with the previous times, this evening was quite memorable as I got to see multiple ship arrivals, as well as a few departures. I also saw some notable ships like the main weapons of Sea Jets (namely the WORLDCHAMPION JET and the TERA JET), several ships owned by Hellenic Seaways and ANEK Lines, as well the MENEKRATIS which had made a comeback to the Saronic Gulf. It really was an eventful evening which I will hardly forget. #piraeus #summer2019 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #worldchampionjet #terajet #seajets #elenaf #elenafshipping #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #prevelis #elvenizelos #aneklines #phivos #novaferries #highspeed4 #flyingdolphinxvii #nissossamos #flyingcat6 #flyingdolphinxxix #hellenicseaways #ionis #tritonferries #festospalace #minoanlines #bluehorizon #bluestarferries #achaeos #2wayferries #menekratis #saronicferries

Trip: 7 August 2017. From Piraeus to Aegina, with the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries . The APOLLON HELLAS was built in 1990 in Greece, as the GEORGIOS for the Greek company Akouriki Shipping Company, for service on the Saronic Gulf. She operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses line. She was sold to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company in 1995 and she was renamed SUN BEACH. Her service on the Saronic Gulf was taken over by the newly-built GEORGIOS 2 (now the ARTEMIS of Hellenic Seaways , which went on to become her fleetmate for many years). Upon arriving in South Korea, she was deployed on the Nokdong-Jeju line on the Jeju Strait. After two years, due to the financial difficulties of her owners, she was laid-up in Jeju, where she remained inactive for two years while awaiting for a new buyer. Ultimately, she returned to Greece four years later after having initially left the country, after having been bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping, which renamed her APOLLON HELLAS and re-deployed her on the Saronic Gulf, which was the area where she had started her career. She was inserted on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line. But she went on to spend only one summer with her owner, as she was sold in late 1999 to Minoan Flying Dolphins. This company, founded by Minoan Lines and led by the well-known entrepreneur Pantelis Sfinias, had entered the scene of Greek coastal service in 1999 by purchasing the entire hydrofoil network of Ceres Flying Dolphins. It then quickly expanded by purchasing ships from several Aegean Sea-based companies, such as the entire fleet of Agapitos Express Ferries (including the Ro-Ro carrier division operating on the Adriatic Sea, known as Express Sea Trailers), Agapitos Lines, Nomicos Lines, Arkadia Lines, Lindos Lines, as well as ferries from Agoudimos Lines, Goutos Lines, Ventouris Ferries and, finally, all ferries operating on the Saronic Gulf at the time, including those of Poseidon Consortium Shipping. Ahead of the 2000 summer season, the company then created four different divisions for its ferries. These consisted of Hellas Ferries for all conventional ferries operating on the Cyclades, the Dodecanese and the Northeast Aegean Sea, Hellas Flying Dolphins for all high speed craft, Sporades Ferries for all conventional ferries on the Sporades, and Saronikos Ferries for all conventional ferries and landing craft operating on the Saronic Gulf. The APOLLON HELLAS was hence operated by Saronikos Ferries and continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf, always on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line. Her company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before changing its name again in 2005, becoming Hellenic Seaways Hellenic Seaways. The APOLLON HELLAS joined the latter and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line until 2014, when she was deployed on the Sporades, operating on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, although she continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf during the winter under the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which included, when launched, Hellenic Seaways, 2way Ferries and Nova Ferries). In the summer of 2015 she returned to the Sporades, this time being deployed on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, while operating again on the Saronic Gulf for that year's winter season. In 2016, after eleven years with Hellenic Seaways, she was sold to 2way Ferries, a company which had also bought her former Saronic Gulf fleetmate POSIDON HELLAS in 2015, and she resumed her operations on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. Following the 2016 season she returned to her original area of operation, namely on the Saronic Gulf. This marked her return to the owner who briefly had her in 1999, namely the shipowner Papaïoannidis, who had founded 2way Ferries after having sold her to Minoan Flying Dolphins. She also became the first ferry of the company with a ramp on just one side , as all other ferries owned by the latter at the time were double-ended ferries, thus being the first ship not to fit the '2way' term which makes-up the company's name. For the 2017 season, it was announced that she would spend her first summer on the Saronic Gulf since 2013, serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line once again. So this is a quick overview of the now-28-year-old APOLLON HELLAS, a reliable Greek coastal service veteran that has always provided efficient service wherever she has operated thus far in her career. The APOLLON HELLAS seen in Piraeus on 26 July 2017, twelve days before my trip with her. My trip with the APOLLON HELLAS came in 7 August 2017, as part of my stay on the island of Aegina (one of the two islands I go to every summer) with my family for this year's summer. We were previously on the other island that we go to each year, Zakynthos. After spending eight days on the latter, we took the FIOR DI LEVANTE of Levante Ferries from there to Kyllini, then drove from the Peloponnesian port to Piraeus, where ferries depart for Aegina and the other Saronic Gulf ports. This marked my first-ever trip with the ship under the colours of 2way Ferries, and also meant that I had now traveled with all three ships of 2way Ferries that operate on the Saronic Gulf (having already previously traveled with the ACHAEOS and the POSIDON HELLAS under their current owners). Moreover, it was my first trip with her in seven years, as I remember myself traveling onboard her while she was operating for Hellenic Seaways back in 2010. The aft section of the garage shortly after having entered the ship, which is much darker and with limited capacity for vehicles to enter and exit simultaneously. The forward section of the garage, much brighter and much larger, being able to fit 100 vehicles. The garage has a a door near the stern that leads to the stairway that brings passengers to the ship's accommodation superstructure. The back section of the lower passenger deck has multiple tables and seats. The middle section of that same area has more lounges built symmetrically, also featuring a small Everest bar in the center. The forward section also features symmetrical lounges, which are however much brighter than in the middle section. A view of the ship's reception desk and pursuer's office. The ship has several paintings posted on her walls indoors displaying the Saronic Gulf. This one, located in the lower deck. This painting shows two traditional sailing ships on a Saronic Gulf port (presumably Spetses). The upper deck passenger indoor lounge area, featuring dark grey seats. The lower deck outdoor alley on the ship's port side. And here is the ship's port side outdoor alley from the upper passenger deck. The upper passenger deck features a sun deck located in the stern section of the ship, with several red and blue seats facing each other in rows. The upper passenger deck has a stairway leading to an open deck at the highest accessible point of the ship. This helps the passenger have a 360 degree overview of the ship and her surroundings. It features columns of plastic seats, coloured in black, blue, and red and pink in the front section. The forward section of the open deck area. The back section of the open deck area, featuring the sun deck covering the deck below, alongside the ship's two funnels. Next to the APOLLON HELLAS was the small passenger ship AGIA MARINA AEGINIS of Evoïkos Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, serving the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina. In front of the APOLLON HELLAS was the high speed craft SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was operating on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen in Piraeus. 2017 was her second season with Evoïkos Lines, after having spent the 2015 season as the ALEXANDROS under My Ways, and previously with Alexandros Shipping (2000-2015, being deployed on her current service in 2008). The SUPER JET, which also happened to spend her second season on her current line, seen shortly before her afternoon departure. A view of the cruiseferry EL. VENIZELOS of ANEK Lines , which was operating on the Piraeus-Chania line. In the meantime, a former fleetmate of the APOLLON HELLAS, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII of Hellenic Seaways , was departing Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, seen departing Piraeus. A view of the EL. VENIZELOS, which was back on the Piraeus-Chania line for the first time since 2012. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen resting in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII departing Piraeus. The SUPER JET preparing for departure as well. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII seen leaving Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII leaving Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII exiting Piraeus. We then began to leave the port as well. I was able to take a snapshot of the Hellenic Seaways headquarters building, which features a huge post depicting two of the company's most important ships: the cruiseferry NISSOS MYKONOS which operates on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line, and the high speed craft HIGHSPEED 4 , which operates on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. The EL. VENIZELOS seen in Piraeus. The then-25-year-old cruiseferry was previously the flagship of ANEK Lines from 1992 until 2000, and she has since been operating either under charter to companies on the Western Mediterranean Sea (namely Tunisia Ferries each summer from 2004 to 2011, the now-defunct SNCM in 2013, Go In Sardinia in 2014 and Africa Morocco Link in 2016), or replacing her fleetmates during their annual refits on the Adriatic Sea and on the Aegean Sea. Initially not due to operate in 2017, the charters of the KYDON , the KRITI I and the ELYROS to other companies left a spot available on the Piraeus-Chania line, which she covered immediately and she operated efficiently. A view of the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Another view of the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS slowly departing Piraeus. The SUPER JET almost ready to depart as well. A view of the KRITI II of ANEK Lines , which also operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The KRITI II, the oldest ferry currently operating for ANEK Lines, has been present on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2015, having also served there from 2002 until the start of the 2011 summer season. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen departing Piraeus in order to head to Souvala and Agia Marina in Northern Aegina. The SUPER JET almost ready to leave the port of Piraeus as well. Another view of the KRITI II. The EL. VENIZELOS seen resting in Piraeus. The EL. VENIZELOS seen in Piraeus. She is reportedly set to return in 2018 to the Piraeus-Chania line, again replacing the ELYROS, which is currently on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Venice line. The FESTOS PALACE seen in Piraeus, in what was her seventeenth season on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. As we were exiting the port, the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines had just entered it. She was returning from the Western Cyclades, an area where she returned for the first time since 2014. A view of the duo of ANEK Lines serving the two main ports of Crete from Piraeus in 2017 (and most likely in 2018 as well), namely the KRITI II and the EL. VENIZELOS. Next to them, in the corner of the E7 gate, was the cruiseferry BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries . Another view of the FESTOS PALACE as she is seen resting in Piraeus. The KRITI II seen in Piraeus. Her sister ship, the KRITI I, has been on charter to the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci since the start of the 2017 season. Upon entering service for them, she was deployed on the Civitavecchia-Termini Imerese line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The EL. VENIZELOS seen docked in Piraeus as well, during her first full summer under ANEK Lines since 2012. The SUPER JET seen departing the port of Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER III heading towards her docking spot. I had traveled with her nine days prior to my trip with the APOLLON HELLAS . In 2017, she was on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. For 2018, she is set to only operate on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line. The FESTOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. The SUPER JET following us from behind. The SPEEDRUNNER III heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FESTOS PALACE, with the KRITI II seen right behind her. The SPEEDRUNNER III having returned to Piraeus and now heading towards her docking spot. As we were heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, we passed next to another former fleetmate of the APOLLON HELLAS, namely the ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways . Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III, during her first summer under Aegean Speed Lines since 2014. During the 2015 season she was chartered to the Moroccan company Navline, while in 2016 she operated for Levante Ferries on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea. The SUPER JET heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS resting in Piraeus, during what was her third straight season on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi-Astypalaia line. Another picture of the FESTOS PALACE, which has been a strong presence on the Piraeus-Heraklion line for more than 15 years. The ARIADNE seen resting in Piraeus. After spending five consecutive summers on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, she will unfortunately not be present on the Aegean Sea in 2018, as she is due to be chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia di Navigazione. As we headed even more close to the port's exit, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins was spotted entering Piraeus, after having returned from Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, and deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011, seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. A view of the SUPERFAST XII of Superfast Ferries , which was on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line for the third straight summer. The SUPERFAST XII seen docked in Piraeus. Her future will be determined in the next few days, as the Greek Competition Commission will decide whether her owners, Attica Group, will be able to purchase Hellenic Seaways from Grimaldi Group. Should the transaction be approved, she will depart the fleet of Superfast Ferries and join Grimaldi Lines, which would mean, unfortunately, the end of her career in the Greek coastal service. As we headed even closer towards the exit, another ship was entering Piraeus. This time it was the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels , which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS having just entered Piraeus. The 2017 summer season marked her first on the Piraeus-Salamina line since 2015. Indeed, in 2016, she had been deployed on the Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line on the Cyclades, although this service ended up lasting just one season. She had previously spent her entire career since 1997 (the year during which she was built) on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. We then went on to exit the port, whereupon I spotted the SUPER JET leaving the port at full-speed. The SUPER JET beginning to head towards her first destination, namely Serifos. The SUPER JET seen near the Attica coast near Piraeus. The SUPER JET heading towards Serifos. Another view of the SUPER JET as she is heading towards Serifos at full-speed. Just over 15 minutes after exiting the port of Piraeus, I spotted the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries heading towards the opposite direction. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen on the Saronic Gulf, during what was her seventeenth summer on the Piraeus-Aegina line, and her eleventh season under ANES Ferries. Crossing the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she heads from Aegina to Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS returning from Aegina to Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen heading from Aegina to Piraeus, while sailing on the Saronic Gulf. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS beginning to approach the port of Piraeus. Another view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on the Saronic Gulf, while she has almost reached the port of Piraeus. A bit further from the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, I also spotted another ship operated by ANEK Lines, namely the cruiseferry PREVELIS . Right behind the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was the fleetmate of the APOLLON HELLAS, the POSIDON HELLAS , which was also returning from Aegina. The POSIDON HELLAS seen heading from Aegina to Piraeus, during what was the twentieth summer of her career, which has been entirely spent on the Saronic Gulf. The POSIDON HELLAS has been a longtime fleetmate of the APOLLON HELLAS under different operators. In fact, the APOLLON HELLAS has been a fleetmate of the POSIDON HELLAS in every single year of the latter's career, except in 1998 (as the APOLLON HELLAS was still in South Korea back then) and in 2015 (when the POSIDON HELLAS was sold to 2way Ferries, the APOLLON HELLAS remained with Hellenic Seaways until 2016, when she was also sold to 2way Ferries). The beautiful POSIDON HELLAS heading from Aegina to Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS seen on the Saronic Gulf. The POSIDON HELLAS heading towards Piraeus. This went on to be my last picture of the ship for the 2017 season, as she suffered a major engine failure five days after my trip, and she remained out of service for five months, thus missing the end of the summer. Fortunately, she is now back in service with 2way Ferries. Another view of the PREVELIS, which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA then passed by us, after having loaded her passengers in Piraeus for her next itinerary to Aegina and Agistri. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen sailing at full-speed on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards the port of Aegina. Another picture of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA while she heads towards Aegina. After 40 minutes, we progressively began to approach the port of Aegina, where I saw the ACHAEOS, the other fleetmate of the APOLLON HELLAS , leaving the island in order to head towards Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen on the Saronic Gulf, while heading towards Piraeus. Crossing the ACHAEOS, during her fourth straight summer on the Saronic Gulf (and fifth overall in her career). The double-ended ferry ACHAEOS heading towards Piraeus, after having left Aegina. Another view of the ACHAEOS on the Saronic Gulf, as she makes her way back to Piraeus. The ACHAEOS was then followed by the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, which was also returning to Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII having left Aegina and heading towards Piraeus. One final picture of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII. After ten other minutes, we were able to see the port of Aegina, where we were greeted by the one-day cruise ship PLATYTERA TON OURANON of Hydraïki Cruises . The PLATYTERA TON OURANON seen in Aegina. She operates daily cruises on the Floisbos-Hydra-Poros-Aegina line, having performed this service ever since she joined Hydraïki Cruises in 2007. The PLATYTERA TON OURANON seen in Aegina, as we began to maneuver right beside her. The PLATYTERA TON OURANON, seen during her first season back on her line since 2015, after having spent the 2016 undergoing a major refit in Perama, whereupon her cruise operations were taken over by her fleetmate, the ANNA MARU . After a three-minute-long maneuvering procedure, the APOLLON HELLAS docked in Aegina, thus effectively ending our trip. The trip ended, and so began my one-month stay in Aegina (as I did not start my studies until October). That day was thus extremely memorable for me, as it marked the first time I traveled onboard the APOLLON HELLAS in almost seven years, and also for the first time under her new owners. The ship is still the same brilliant ferry I had been used to traveling with during my childhood years, and is set to provide her services for many more years to come. Hopefully she will remain on the Saronic Gulf in the long term. #apollonhellas #2wayferries #saronicferries #summer2017 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #piraeus #aegina #agiamarinaaeginis #evoïkoslines #superjet #seajets #elvenizelos #kritiii #prevelis #aneklines #flyingdolphinxvii #ariadne #hellenicseaways #festospalace #minoanlines #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #superfastxii #superfastferries #georgiosbroufas #broufasvessels #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #posidonhellas #achaeos #platyteratonouranon #hydraïkicruises #tribute

My third and fourth trips in the Greek coastal service for the 2017 summer season occurred on 21 July 2017. For the third year in a row, it was for the same exact purpose as the trips I made with my mother and her own mother on 3 July 2015 and on 19 July 2016 . Indeed, it was a round-trip to the island of Aegina (one of the two islands in which I go to every summer, as you already know). Traditionally, my mother and my grandmother had been going to Aegina together a few days before we leave Athens for Zakynthos, in order to store in our Aegina house whatever we do not need for the vacation (such as oversized bags, warm clothes) and in order to take whatever is necessary for the beaches (volleyballs, rackets, towels, which stay in our Aegina house all year long). For the third consecutive year, I also went to Aegina with them for help, so it was once again an opportunity for me to see the Greek coastal service ships during both trips. We took, on both occasions, the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which was also the last ferry I traveled with on the Saronic Gulf and overall in the Greek coastal service in 2016. This post is dedicated to the two trips I made that day: from Piraeus to Aegina and back. This post is not a tribute to the ship of 2way Ferries, as I had already done one last June . I did take photos of the passenger areas of the POSIDON HELLAS, but they are the same as the ones from last year, so I will not update them in this post. Regarding the topic of the post, it was a great joy to make my first trip of the season on the Saronic Gulf with the POSIDON HELLAS (more than 11 months after making my last trip with that same ship). The summer of 2017 symbolically marked her twentieth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. For the vast majority of the summer, she operated extremely well during what was her third consecutive season with 2way Ferries (who had acquired her in 2015 from Hellenic Seaways), although her services ended abruptly in mid August after she suffered a major engine failure which kept her out of service until November 2017. Her loss had a subsequent impact on the rest of the Saronic Gulf summer season, as many itineraries had to be removed since only three ships were operating for the Saronic Ferries joint venture at that time. She has since returned to service and hopefully she will have a full and successful 2018 summer season. The pictures below will describe you the experience of the two trips I made to and from the second nearest island from Piraeus, Aegina, thanks to the beautiful double-ended ferry which provided a memorable day for me. I first arrived in Piraeus early in the morning to drop my sister, as she was leaving to Hydra for two days with the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways . I then spent the next two hours in the port of Piraeus, photographing all the ships that were moored there, as well as the ones departing and/or leaving the port. As I took too many pictures, I am not going to publish them on this post, and they are anyways available in the Gallery section of this website. A view of the POSIDON HELLAS in Piraeus, shortly before my trip with her. The POSIDON HELLAS seen alongside her 2way Ferries fleetmate and longtime Saronic Gulf collaborator, the APOLLON HELLAS . The latter had previously arrived from Aegina and was now resting in the port, while the POSIDON HELLAS was preparing to load passengers and vehicles for her trip to the Saronic Gulf. Next to them were the two high speed catamarans of Hellenic Seaways operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 3 . Both ships operate on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. On the right of the APOLLON HELLAS was the small passenger ship SALAMIS EXPRESS I of Salamis Express , which was spending her second straight season on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The port side funnel of the APOLLON HELLAS. Just like the POSIDON HELLAS, instead of a company logo, she carries a portrait of the Greek God after whom she is named. In this case, it is Apollon, the God of light, arts and music. After my mother and my grandmother arrived, we immediately embarked onboard the POSIDON HELLAS. Upon our embarkation, I spotted the FLYINGCAT 5 departing the port of Piraeus. At the same time of the departure of the FLYINGCAT 5, the POSIDON HELLAS also departed for her trip to Aegina, Agistri, Methana and Poros. We immediately passed by her fleetmate, namely the APOLLON HELLAS. The FLYINGCAT 5 following us right from behind. The summer of 2017 marked her second season operating on the Saronic Gulf, the previous time being during the summer of 2014. Apart from these two years, she has been operating on the Sporades, on the Agios Konstantinos-Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. The FLYINGCAT 3 resting in Piraeus. This was the ship's second consecutive season operating full-time on the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, two years ago (2015), she combined her services to the Cyclades (on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line) with a few extra trips on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line, hence providing additional service to these islands which were also being served by two other catamarans of Hellenic Seaways, namely the FLYINGCAT 1 (which was sold in 2016 to the Turkish company Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri) and the FLYINGCAT 6 , which spent the 2017 season on the Sporades (on the Agios Konstantinos-Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line) after switching services with her sister ship, the FLYINGCAT 5. The APOLLON HELLAS seen resting in Piraeus. This was her first summer on the Saronic Gulf since 2013, and her second season under 2way Ferries. Indeed, between 2014 and 2016, she operated on the Sporades, first under Hellenic Seaways (who owned her from 2005 to 2016) and then under 2way Ferries, before the latter decided to bring her back on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line for the 2017 season. The FLYINGCAT 5 following us as we head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. As we are moving towards the port's exit, we could now see the ships from the E4, E5, E6 and E7 gates. There, I saw the cruiseferry PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , which had arrived earlier in the morning from her service on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen leaving the port of Piraeus right behind us. Next to the PREVELIS was her fleetmate, namely the cruiseferry EL. VENIZELOS . The 2017 season marked her return on the Piraeus-Chania line after five years of absence, whereupon she replaced the KYDON which was chartered to Ferries Del Caribe on the Caribbean Sea. Next to the EL. VENIZELOS was the other ship of ANEK Lines operating in Crete, namely the KRITI II , which is deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The three ferries of ANEK Lines that operated in Crete (and on the Aegean Sea as a whole) in 2017 seen together in Piraeus. These were the KRITI II, the EL. VENIZELOS and the PREVELIS. On the port side, I noticed the cruise ship CELESTYAL OLYMPIA of Celestyal Cruises. The 2017 season was her sixth with her current owners (who were known as Louis Hellenic Cruise Lines, or simply Louis Cruises, until 2015), and her third under her current name (as she was previously known as the LOUIS OLYMPIA). In front of the KRITI II was her one of her main competitors, namely the KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which also operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The KNOSSOS PALACE is the flagship of Minoan Lines since her delivery to the company in 2000. She has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line alongside her sister ship, the FESTOS PALACE . Both ships are considered to be among the best ships the Greek coastal service has ever seen. The FLYINGCAT 5 heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Built in 1996, she first arrived in Greece in 2004, after having been acquired by Hellas Flying Dolphins. While she was undergoing her conversion, her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. She began operations on the Sporades, where she operated from 2005 to 2013 and from 2015 to 2016. In front of the KNOSSOS PALACE, I saw a fleetmate of the FLYINGCAT 5, namely the gigantic ferry NISSOS RODOS of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos Kavala lifeline. The NISSOS RODOS seen during what was her third consecutive season operating on the Cyclades and on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She had also spent one season on the Aegean Sea, back in 2010, when she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Kos-Rhodes line. As we were heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I saw the flagship of Superfast Ferries, the much-acclaimed SUPERFAST XII , which operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line in 2017. The NISSOS RODOS seen resting in Piraeus prior to beginning her long itinerary, which lasts almost two days. Ever since she started operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, she has become a vital ship on the Aegean Sea, and her service has been constantly praised by passengers and residents of the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands. The SUPERFAST XII seen resting in Piraeus. She has been in her current service since 2015, and she has also received very favourable reviews from passengers and island residents alike. The NISSOS RODOS seen in Piraeus. Owned by Hellenic Seaways since 2005, she has had an adventurous path in these past 12 years, spending time on the Corinth-Venice line on the Adriatic Sea as a Ro-Ro carrier with her owners, under charter to various companies (Grimaldi Lines, SAMC), and on the Aegean Sea. She was converted to a full-time passenger ship in 2010, and she seems to have found a permanent spot within her company in her current service. The SUPERFAST XII seen receiving bunkers in Piraeus. Built in 2002, she operated on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line on the Adriatic Sea before being deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2009. She returned to the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line in 2013, while in 2014 she served the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line. In 2015 she returned to the Aegean Sea as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line. In 2017, with the addition of the island of Kalymnos, she served the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen sailing behind us, along with the EL. VENIZELOS which has also departed, and the APOLLON HELLAS on the right. The FLYINGCAT 5 and the EL. VENIZELOS seen following us as we head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen exiting the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 5 having just exited Piraeus at the same time that we did. The FLYINGCAT 5 having just exited Piraeus. While we exited the port of Piraeus, the conventional ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries was heading towards the entrance of the port, after having returned from Aegina. The PHIVOS seen heading towards Piraeus. The summer of 2017 marked her thirteenth consecutive season in Greece, with all of them being spent on the Saronic Gulf for her current owners. Since the establishment of the Saronic Ferries joint venture in 2014, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The FLYINGCAT 5 now seen heading towards Poros, Hydra, Ermioni, Spetses and Porto Cheli. The PHIVOS seen heading towards Piraeus. The beautiful PHIVOS, now 37 years old and the oldest ship in the area, but still looking as if she was a newly-built ferry. The enormous EL. VENIZELOS seen exiting the port of Piraeus, in order to head towards Chania. The EL. VENIZELOS exits the port of Piraeus while the smaller PHIVOS intends to enter it. The EL. VENIZELOS having exited the port of Piraeus and heading towards Chania. The 25-year-old cruiseferry was previously the flagship of ANEK Lines from 1992 until 2000, and she has since been operating either under charter to companies on the Western Mediterranean Sea (namely Tunisia Ferries each summer from 2004 to 2011, the now-defunct SNCM in 2013, Go In Sardinia in 2014 and Africa Morocco Link in 2016), or replacing her fleetmates during their annual refits on the Adriatic Sea and on the Aegean Sea. Initially not due to operate in 2017, the charters of the KYDON, the KRITI I and the ELYROS to other companies left a spot available on the Piraeus-Chania line, which she covered immediately. As we headed towards Aegina, we were followed by the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards Aegina. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA operating at full-speed. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen as she heads towards Aegina. We then crossed the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina line. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen as she is returning from Aegina to Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen during her seventeenth season on the Piraeus-Aegina line. Built a year after the POSIDON HELLAS, she spent her first two years on the Sporades as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU, on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line, before moving to the Saronic Gulf in 2001. She was owned by the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company from 1999 to 2007, after which she was bought by ANES Ferries. Despite the latter being based in Symi, they nevertheless kept the ship on the Saronic Gulf, where she has remained a loyal ferry for almost two decades. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen once more as she heads towards Piraeus. We arrived in Aegina after one hour and five minutes. After disembarking, I immediately spotted the fleetmate of the POSIDON HELLAS, namely the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS , as she was returning from Agistri. The ACHAEOS heading from Agistri to the port of Aegina. The double-ended ferry ACHAEOS seen approaching the port fo Aegina. After doing our task in our house in Aegina, we headed back to the island's port in the early afternoon. There, while waiting for the POSIDON HELLAS, the APOLLON HELLAS was docking at the port. The APOLLON HELLAS heading towards the dock of the port of Aegina. After boarding the POSIDON HELLAS, we departed for our return trip. We once again left while the APOLLON HELLAS was docked in the same port as us. The APOLLON HELLAS seen resting in Aegina. Built in 1990 in Greece, she began her career on the Saronic Gulf as the GEORGIOS for the Akouriki Shipping Company. She was sold in 1995 to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company, for whom she operated on the Nokdong-Jeju line as the SUN BEACH. After four years there, she returned to Greece after being bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping in 1999. She was renamed APOLLON HELLAS and she returned to the Saronic Gulf. Later that same year, her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins, which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002. The ship continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf under the Saronikos Ferries division, and remained there as her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The APOLLON HELLAS seen resting in Aegina upon our departure. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS as she is seen in Aegina. The APOLLON HELLAS in Aegina. Apart from 1998, 2014, 2015 and 2016, this ship has been by the side of the POSIDON HELLAS on the Saronic Gulf every single summer since the latter's entry to service. As we were leaving Aegina, the ACHAEOS was heading towards the opposite direction. The ACHEAOS heading towards Aegina. The summer of 2017 marked her fourth straight season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, and she had also previously operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line during her debut year in 2006. The ACHAEOS heading towards Aegina. Between 2006 and 2013, she operated on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. She was also chartered to the Italian company Blunavy from 2011 to 2012, and she operated for the latter on the Piombino-Elba line. The beautiful Greek-built ACHAEOS seen as she heads towards Aegina. Crossing the ACHAEOS on the Saronic Gulf. The ACHAEOS heading to Aegina. The ACHAEOS seen heading towards Aegina. Another view of the ACHAEOS as she is heading towards Aegina. As we started approaching the port of Piraeus, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways was seen heading towards Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which is the youngest hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service, seen heading towards Aegina. She was previously a fleetmate of the POSIDON HELLAS when the ship was owned by Minoan Flying Dolphins (later Hellas Flying Dolphins) and then by Hellenic Seaways. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX heads towards Aegina. Crossing the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she heads towards Aegina. Built in 1993, the hydrofoil has spent her entire career so far on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. Crossing the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she heads towards Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX heading at full-speed towards Aegina. After 60 minutes, we began entering the port of Piraeus. At the same time, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was following us, after she had returned from Agistri and Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen entering the port of Piraeus. The hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having just entered the port of Piraeus. Another view of the great SUPERFAST XII of Superfast Ferries. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having entered the port of Piraeus. She has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, and she spent her first season for them on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. Since 2011, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards the E8 gate of the port of Piraeus. The SUPERFAST XII seen resting in Piraeus, prior to her departure for her first stop, which was the island of Syros. Another view of the SUPERFAST XII, whose future is uncertain as she is apparently due to be sold by her company to Grimaldi Group as part of the deal which will see Attica Group acquire Hellenic Seaways from the parent company of Minoan Lines. Her potential departure (if the deal eventually takes place) will be a huge loss for the Greek coastal service, without a doubt. Another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines. A view of the KNOSSOS PALACE and of the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which had arrived in Piraeus in the afternoon. The impressive bow of the KNOSSOS PALACE. The BLUE STAR PATMOS resting in Piraeus. This summer was her third consecutive on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi-Astypalaia line, which she performs by departing the port of Piraeus in the late afternoon. Another view of the impressive KNOSSOS PALACE, which has been an established ship on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. Another view of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which is the youngest cruiseferry that operates in Greece. Next to the BLUE STAR PATMOS was the workhorse PREVELIS, which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. Next to the PREVELIS was the KRITI II, which was spending her third consecutive season on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus. She has been in her current service since 2009, after having spent her first summer with ANEK Lines on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyris-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese, followed by six seasons on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line (where she had also operated under her first owners, namely Cretan Ferries, who were taken over by ANEK Lines in 2000), one season on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2007, and one season on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2008. Another view of the KNOSSOS PALACE as she is seen docked in Piraeus. Another view of the KRITI II in Piraeus. Built in 1979 in Japan, she arrived in Greece in 1996, after she and her sister ship were bought by ANEK Lines. They were deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line on the Adriatic Sea in 1997. The KRITI II then operated on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line in 2001, before heading to the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2002. After being laid-up in Perama in 2011, she was reactivated in 2012 in order to begin service on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line, where she stayed for two seasons. After a season on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2014, she once again returned to the Piraeus-Heraklion line in 2015. Another view of the PREVELIS, during her ninth consecutive season on her current service. On the starboard side of the POSIDON HELLAS, at the E9 gate, I spotted the high speed catamaran SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was loading passengers prior to her afternoon departure to the Western Cyclades. In front of us was the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels , which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The SUPER JET waiting to load dozens of passengers. Built in 1995, she has been owned by Sea Jets since the latter was established in 2004. She is the high speed craft with the most experience in the Greek coastal service, if we exclude hydrofoils. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading slowly towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The SUPER JET beginning to load passengers. She spent the 2017 summer season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. In front of us, I was able to spot the PHIVOS and the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, which were both resting in Piraeus. A view of the PHIVOS, which is the fastest conventional ferry on the Saronic Gulf, despite her advanced age. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen docked in Piraeus as well.. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having just docked in Piraeus. The SUPER JET preparing to depart the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen once more as she heads towards her docking spot. The SUPER JET seen alongside the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen passing by the SUPER JET in order to dock in Piraeus. One more view of the KNOSSOS PALACE. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards the E8 gate. The SUPER JET seen prior to her departure for Serifos. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having just docked in Piraeus. The summer of 2017 marked her twentieth season in service, with all of them having been spent on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA preparing to dock in the E8 gate in Piraeus. One final view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, as the POSIDON HELLAS and we disembarked, thereby completing our second trip with her that day. These two trips with the POSIDON HELLAS were exceptional to me, as I was able to spot a handful of Greek coastal service ships, seeing many of them multiple times and obviously taking more pictures of them. I was also very happy to see Aegina for the first time in many months. I would go on to spend a huge portion of my summer there, and I was fortunate enough to see the ships serving the island on numerous occasions for the remainder of the season. #saronicgulf #summer2017 #greece #aegean #piraeus #aegina #posidonhellas #2wayferries #saronicferries #apollonhellas #achaeos #flyingcat5 #flyingcat3 #nissosrodos #flyingdolphinxxix #hellenicseaways #salamisexpressi #salamisexpress #prevelis #kritiii #elvenizelos #aneklines #knossospalace #minoanlines #superfastxii #superfastferries #phivos #novaferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #superjet #seajets #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels

Trip: 7 August 2015. From Aegina to Piraeus, with the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries . The conventional ferry PHIVOS was built in Spain in 1980, as the PUNTA EUROPA for the Spanish company Isnasa (the brandname for Isleña de Navegación Sociedad Anónyma), based in Palma. She was one of four sister ships that were built for service on the Gibraltar Strait and on the Balearic Islands. The names of that quartet were PUNTA EUROPA, BAHIA DE CEUTA, BAHIA DE MÁLAGA and BAHIA DE CÁDIZ. The latter was sold in 1984 to competitor Trasmediterránea, but the former three operated together for almost 15 years on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line, before Isnasa (and its subsidiary Flebasa Lines) had to face extremely tough competitors in the region, such as Trasmediterránea, Umafisa and Iscomar. As a result, the company was forced to transfer the BAHIA DE MÁLAGA and the BAHIA DE CEUTA to Flebasa Lines in 1994. The PUNTA EUROPA remained as the only ferry, before she herself had to depart Isnasa in 1998, as latter shit down operations along with Flebasa Lines, due to severe economic problems. She was therefore chartered to Spanish operator Euroferrys in 1998, for service on the Algeciras-Ceuta line. She therefore reunited with her sister ship, the BAHIA DE CEUTA, which was also transferred to Euroferrys, while the BAHIA DE MÁLAGA was sold to the newly-established company Baleària. The PUNTA EUROPA was then laid-up in 1999 in Algeciras, and she only returned to service under charter to Umafisa in 2000. The latter sought a ship to replace their ferry, the ISLA DE TAGOMAGO, which ran aground in Dénia in late 1999 and had to be sold for scrap after she was declared a constructive total loss. The PUNTA EUROPA was therefore deployed on the Dénia-Ibiza line on the Balearic Sea, under the Pitra brandname. After the high season, she was permanently laid-up in Algeciras in 2001, while awaiting for a new buyer. She was later joined by her sister ship, the BAHIA DE CEUTA, after her own service with Euroferrys ended. Both ships were initially bought in 2003 by Italian company TRIS Traghetti Isole Sarde and were both towed to Genoa, and were scheduled to operate on the Piombino-Elba line. However, due to economic problems and permits denied by the Italian Ministry of Shipping, the two ferries never underwent their conversion, and the plans to operate the two ships were abandoned after TRIS was taken over by the company Enermar. The two ships were therefore laid-up in Genoa for a year, until they were bought by newly-established Greek company Nova Ferries in 2004. This company was formed under the co-ownership of the Agapitos family and the Lefakis family. The first family, led by Kostas Agapitos, previously operated the company Agapitos Express Ferries on the Cyclades until it was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. It also began to operate the company Aegean Cargo, which was composed of Ro-Ro carriers operating from Piraeus to Crete and on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The second family had operated two ships on the Saronic Gulf since 1981, namely the SARONIKOS (now the GRAMVOUSA of Cretan Daily Cruises) and the EFTYCHIA (now the SYMI of Sea Dreams) , before their ferries ended-up being also taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002) in 1999. Following the restructuring of that company under the name Hellenic Seaways in 2005, the two families decided to return to Greek coastal service operations by buying the two laid-up Spanish ferries. The two ships were towed to Greece in late 2004 and underwent an extensive conversion in Drapetsona. Due to co-ownership issues, it was decided that one of the two ships would be owned by Agapitos and the other one by Lefakis, and that both ships would be operating under the Nova Ferries brandname. Therefore, the BAHIA DE CEUTA was taken by Agapitos and was renamed ATHINA, while the PUNTA EUROPA was purchased by Lefakis and was renamed PHIVOS. Both ships were named after the mascots of the 2004 Summer Olympic Games which had been held in Athens. They both entered service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line in 2005, while the ATHINA also made a few additional trips to Spetses in August. However, the co-ownership with Agapitos did not last, and, despite rumours that Lefakis would also include her in his fleet, the ATHINA was sold in 2006 to Portuguese company Transmaçor, which is based on the Azores Archipelago. The Nova Ferries joint venture was therefore fully taken over by Lefakis, with the PHIVOS being the lone ship of the company. She was deployed exclusively on the Piraeus-Aegina line in 2007, before returning to the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line in 2014, when Nova Ferries joined the newly-established Saronic Ferries joint venture, which was formed along with competitors Hellenic Seaways and 2way Ferries. Since the departure of the ATHINA, Nova Ferries had also bought the ship THASSOS VIII from ANETH Ferries in 2009 and renamed her PHEDRA, but sold her after the 2010 season to Egyptian-Jordanian company Arab Bridge Maritime, leaving the PHIVOS again as the only ship of the company. However, Nova Ferries has constantly been looking for a new ship, while also considering the fact that the PHIVOS is slowly aging. Today, the PHIVOS is the most acclaimed ship on the Saronic Gulf, despite her being the oldest ferry for many years (until the arrival of the IONIS of Tyrogalas Ferries-but now operating under Leve Ferries- in 2015, which is three years older than her). She is mostly known for her speed (she is the fastest conventional ferry in the region) and her large open deck areas, as well as for her unique indoor areas, most notably the Old Piraeus Lounge, which I will talk about later. She is now operating for the Saronic Ferries joint venture, along with two former competitors, the POSIDON HELLAS and the ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries . As for her sister ships, her former Nova Ferries fleetmate ATHINA had an unsuccessful spell on the Azores Archipelago as the ILHA AZUL, and she was sold in 2011 to Cape Verdean company Diallo & Macedo, being renamed NOSSA SENHORA DA GRAÇA, but she has been inactive since 2012. The BAHIA DE MÁLAGA was sold by Baleària in 2009 to Turkish company Kada Denizcilik and she was renamed MED DREAM. She has since been operating between Cyprus and Turkey on the Kyrenia-Taşucu line, remaining there even after she was sold 2014 to company Akgünler Denizcilík, and currently operates under the name LADY SU. The BAHIA DE CÁDIZ was the first ship of the quartet to be scrapped, as she was demolished in 2012 in Turkey after a spell on the on the Trabzon-Sochi line on the Black Sea as the PRINCESS VICTORIA of Russian company Victoria Lines from 2005 to 2012. Having covered the history of the PHIVOS and the impact of her operations on the Saronic Gulf, I will talk specifically about the trip that I did with her on 7 August 2015. It was my last trip in Greece for the 2015 season, as I was leaving Aegina for Athens in order to take the plane back to New York City. It was the second time that I took the PHIVOS that season, as I had previously traveled with her during my one-day trip to Aegina earlier in the summer . This feat was also performed in 2010 and 2012, and I had also taken the PHIVOS four times (a record) in 2007. She is definitely my favourite ship on the Saronic Gulf, ever since her arrival in 2005. I remember the first time I saw her, ten years ago, as she was docked in Aegina, upon my arrival with the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries (then owned by the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company) . Her distinctive red hull and her imposing appearance impressed me, but traveling with her made it even more unique. She is by far the most reliable ship in the region, and, in my opinion, was the one that had the best passenger indoor areas for a day ferry in short services of the Greek coastal service, until the arrival of the FIOR DI LEVANTE of Levante Ferries in late 2014 . Her conversion today is widely regarded as one of the best that have been made in Greece. As a tribute to her, I chose the username 'PHIVOS' for my accounts on the forums of Arxipelagos.gr and Nautilia.gr . We arrived in Aegina at 08:30, with the ship waiting for us in the port in order to make her first return of the day to the port of Piraeus. The PHIVOS waiting for us early in the morning, shortly before her departure. The beautiful PHIVOS. The 'IΛ' sign (the second letter is the lambda, the Greek version of the 'L') on her funnel refers to the initials of her owner, Ioannis Lefakis. Right upon boarding, we went through the escalators and reached the ship's reception desk. The PHIVOS has three decks dedicated to the passengers. Deck 5 features most of the indoor lounge areas of the ship, while Deck 6 features an aft lounge area and the atrium that leads to the outdoor areas. Deck 7 is the upper deck which features an open outdoor deck. The reception desk features a poster encouraging passengers to head towards the forward section of Deck 5, where the Old Piraeus Lounge area is located. A view of the main lounge area seen in Deck 5 on the PHIVOS, which resembles to that of a classic day ferry, especially that of a ferry operating on the Saronic Gulf. Another view of the crowded main lounge area found in Deck 5 of the ship, which features several dark grey lounges, with some of them centered around small plastic tables linked to the floor. A view of some chairs located in the aft section of the indoor passenger lounge area in Deck 5. These one are located next to the wall, which features three tiers with an original lighting design displaying different shades of blue. Another view of the aft passenger lounge area in Deck 5, as well as the original wall with the tiers displaying different shades of blue lights. The area also features several TV screens. The indoor passenger lounge area located towards the middle section of Deck 5, which continues to feature grey-blue lounges and seats. While heading towards the front section of the ship in Deck 5, one can head to another indoor area called the Old Piraeus Lounge, whose design had been requested by Ioannis Lefakis' wife, Voula. It is themed after Piraeus, and displays various pictures of Greece's main port in the 19th century as well as in the early 20th century. The starboard side alley of the Old Piraeus Lounge, which features comfortable white seats facing one another while being separated by small circular wooden tables. Next to the windows, small white chairs are assigned in quarters around small wooden rectangular tables. The beautiful Old Piraeus Lounge area, which features several pink wooden chairs centered around white circular and rectangular tables. Heading more forward, there are several comfortable white lounges, again surrounding small wooden tables. The entrance poster of the Old Piraeus Lounge, which displays the area's name in Greek, as well as a picture of the port of Piraeus from approximately 125 years ago. A beautiful picture representing the railway station of Piraeus during the 1910s. Another painting inside the Old Piraeus Lounge area, depicting Piraeus in the early 20th century, during a golden period in the history of the Greek coastal service. The painting shows many steamboats and a small shipyard in the same area that today harbours the E9, E10, E11 and E12 departure gates. Next to the bar of the Old Piraeus Lounge area, one can find two frames attached to the wall, featuring miniature original maritime equipment (such as a ship's wheel, knots and anchors) and a miniature replica of an old sailing ship. A view of the ship's safety instructions poster, which has instructions in both Greek and English. It also features the deckplan of the PHIVOS. A small room next to the ship's atrium area leading to the outdoor areas of Deck 6. Just like the aft indoor lounge area seen in Deck 5, the walls in this room are also coloured in cyan and turquoise. A view of the sun deck found in the stern section of Deck 6 (which gives access to the outdoor areas of the ship), where one can see the PHIVOS proudly carrying the Greek flag. The outdoor alley on the port side of the ship, seen in Deck 6. It features a plastic white bench watching towards the sea, as well as a pile of white plastic chairs that passengers are able to take in order to seat comfortably when staying outdoors. One of the many buoys of the ship found next to the bridge in Deck 6. This one mentions the ship's name and her Piraeus registry number. A view of the ship's bridge, with a very quick look of the control room. One of the two funnels of the ship, which are located in the open deck area in Deck 5. The impressive design of these two funnels is the same one she had during her time in Spain. We departed the island and we were ready to reach Piraeus in less than one hour. There, we crossed the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII of Hellenic Seaways , which was heading towards the opposite direction. Built in 1984, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2005, when she was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Soon after we crossed another ship going to Aegina. It was the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which was also making her first trip of the day. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was slowly continuing her journey towards her namesake island. Though she is 19 years younger than the PHIVOS, she is much slower than the latter. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina line since 2001. Before that, she operated on the Sporades, on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU of the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company. She then moved to the Saronic Gulf two years later, being renamed AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. In 2007 she was sold to ANES Ferries, which continued to operate her on the Saronic Gulf. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen sailing on the Saronic Gulf, on her way to Aegina. Despite her slow speed, still fights well against fellow competitors. It was sad to see her for the last time that year, but she will be waiting for us this year for sure. We then crossed the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , as she was also making her first trip to Aegina and Agistri. The ACHAEOS seen heading to Aegina during the morning. She is the youngest ferry (as well as the youngest passenger ship in general) on the Saronic Gulf. This was her second consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf, having been deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line in 2014. She had also operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line during the first year of her career back in 2006, before she moved to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea later during that year. She stayed there until 2013, while also having a stint on the Piombino-Elba line while being under charter to Italian company Blunavy from 2011 to 2012. One last picture of the ACHAEOS, which I saw for the last time in 2015. Making her first trip of the day as well, the small passenger boat ALEXANDROS of My Ways is seen heading towards the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina in Northern Aegina. It would be her only season for My Ways, as she has recently been sold to Evoïkos Lines in order to continue her service as the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. It was therefore the last time I saw her under the name she had been sharing with me for the first 15 years of her career. In less than an hour we had already reached the piers of the port of Piraeus. There, we saw another ferry operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the IONIS of Ionis Ferries . The IONIS seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. I had previously seen her (as well as traveled with her) on the Ionian Sea, before she was transferred to the Aegean Sea as part of her company's strategic redeployment in 2015. In her first season there, she served the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The beautiful IONIS, which is only three years older than the PHIVOS. She had a very successful first season, and left a very good impression on passengers of the Saronic Gulf. Before that, she had spent her entire career on the Ionian Sea, having been deployed there under Ionian Lines from 1977 to 1989, then under Seven Island Lines from 1989 to 1991, before being acquired by Tyrogalas Ferries in 1993, following a two-year-long lay-up. Between 1993 and 2014, she operated on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. As I bid farewell to the ship, little did I know that it would be the last time I would ever see the logo of Tyrogalas Ferries on her funnels. Indeed, the ferry was sold in 2016 to Leve Ferries, which has kept her on the Saronic Gulf on the Piraeus-Aegina line. Therefore, this picture was my last one featuring the historical company, which had been present in Zakynthos for 43 years and for most of my childhood, before selling the IONIAN STAR to Levante Ferries in 2015 (which renamed her MARE DI LEVANTE in early 2016) in 2015, and later the IONIS to the newly-established Leve Ferries in early 2016. Inside the port, we found the cruise ship CELEBRITY REFLECTION of Celebrity Cruises, a company that has Greek origins, as it was previously owned by the historical Chandris family. Another historical photo: the last picture I ever took of the high speed ferry JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries , which had been laid-up in Piraeus since 2008. I knew that she would soon leave the main port and go to Elefsina, but I then found out that she had been sold for scrap to Turkey in early 2016 . I made sure to wave her a final farewell sign, as I therefore knew that it would be the last time I would ever see her with my own eyes. Beside the JET FERRY 1 was the flagship of Superfast Ferries, the SUPERFAST XII , which was preparing to depart for the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The CELEBRITY REFLECTION seen in Piraeus. The red-hulled ferry SUPERFAST XII, which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line. It was her debut season on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese, after having previously operated on the Adriatic Sea (from 2002 to 2008 and from 2013 to 2014) and on the Piraeus-Heraklion line (from 2009 to 2012). A view of the headquarters of the Ministry of Shipping and the Aegean, which was renamed the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy following the introduction of the second cabinet of Greek Prime Minister Alexis Tsipras. The beautiful SUPERFAST XII seen resting in Piraeus. She has been the flagship of Superfast Ferries since she was delivered to them in 2002. As we headed towards our docking spot, we saw two kinds of ships docked the cruise terminal, namely the Mexican training sailing ship ARM CUAUHTÉMOC and the small cruise ship ATHENA of Grand Circle Travel Cruises. Besides these two ships, I then saw the cruise ship CELESTYAL OLYMPIA of Celestyal Cruises, the only existing Greek cruise line as of today. While we were ready to dock, we saw the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels , which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. Upon reaching the docking spots of the Cretan ships, I saw the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines . She is the flagship of Minoan Lines, and has been serving on the Piraeus-Heraklion line ever since her construction was completed in 2000. A view of the two cruise ships owned by Celestyal Cruises: the CELESTYAL CRYSTAL on the left and the CELESTYAL OLYMPIA on the right. Afterwards, I had the chance to have a look at the E3, E4 and E5 gates of Piraeus, where five ships could be seen docked. These were the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , the PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines , the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines and the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines . While looking at the starboard side, I spotted the conventional ferry ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries . Just like the IONIS, this ship also transferred to the Aegean Sea in 2015 after she had spent all her previous seasons under Zante Ferries on the Ionian Sea, from 2003 to 2014. The BLUE HORIZON seen resting in Piraeus. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The BLUE GALAXY, previously the LEKFA ORI of ANEK Lines, operates on the Piraeus-Chania line since 2015, when she was transferred to Blue Star Ferries. The two 'lifeline' ships of the Aegean Sea seen together in Piraeus. Indeedm the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS operates on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, while the PREVELIS operates on the lifeline that connects Piraeus with the islands of Kasos and Karpathos, more specifically the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. A true pair of historical ferries. And they are joined by another historical ferry, but which has been suffering since early 2015. The legendary PANAGIA TINOU, formerly known as AGIOS GEORGIOS (2004-2015), has been laid-up in the E5 gate since she had briefly replaced the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, which had replaced the PREVELIS on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline, due to the latter undergoing her annual refit. This service was, however, cut short in March 2015, due her company's severe financial difficulties. The ship's crew, which had not been paid for over 10 months, decided to go on strike, and the vessel was arrested and later seized by the Port Authority of Piraeus. Almost a year after this photo, the ferry would sadly capsize and partially sink in the port . So this picture could potentially be my last one of that specific ship. At the same time, one of the two catamarans of Hellenic Seaways on the Saronic Gulf, the FLYINGCAT 6 , departs for the island of Poros. She operates on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. A view of the ANDREAS KALVOS, which spent her debut season on the Western Cyclades, being deployed on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line. I then saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways resting in Piraeus. Built in 1993, she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, having been deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. While heading towards our docking spot in Piraeus, I spotted the conventional double-ended ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which cooperates with the PHIVOS under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The modern and luxurious KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus, in what was her fifteenth summer on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The beautiful POSIDON HELLAS seen in Piraeus during her first season under 2way Ferries, whom she joined in 2015 after having spent ten years with Hellenic Seaways. She serves all ports operated by the Saronic Ferries joint venture, as she is on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. Another picture of the BLUE HORIZON, during her second season on the Piraeus-Heraklion, and third overall while serving Crete, as she was on the Piraeus-Chania line during the 2010 season. And another picture of the BLUE GALAXY, previously known as the LEFKA ORI of ANEK Lines. Under them, she operated on the Adriatic Sea, on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line (2000-2004) and on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line (2005-2011), alongside her sister ship, the SOPHOCLES V (now operating as the KYDON , also on the Piraeus-Chania line). Both ships were inactive from 2012 to 2014 due to a failed charter to South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line, but they were eventually reactivated in order to resume service in Crete in 2015. Another picture of the ANDREAS KALVOS, during her first summer on the Western Cyclades. I then saw the small passenger boat BOB SFOUGKARAKIS of Kavouris Shipping Company departing the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Salamina, as she also operated on the Piraeus-Salamina line, just like the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. Since 2016, she has been serving the Perama-Salamina line. The impressive bow of the POSIDON HELLAS, which has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf ever since she was built in 1998. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which has also spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf since being delivered to Ceres Flying Dolphins in 1993. After going through the ownerships of Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002) and Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005), she has since been operating for their successor, Hellenic Seaways. She is currently the youngest active hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service. I then saw the other high speed catamaran of Hellenic Seaways operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the veteran FLYINGCAT 1 , resting in Piraeus. Just like the FLYINGCAT 6, she was operating on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. There was no doubt about it: this trip was rather emotional than adventurous, as it would be the last time that I would see some ships in Greece, as well as some ships under their previous liveries prior to ownership changes in 2016. But making a final trip for 2015 with my favourite ferry was the ideal way to end a spectacular summer in which I saw so many ships that I had never seen previously (as well as seeing many of them for the first time in several years). This was due to having the chance to travel to two new islands, namely Santorini and Thirassia, and also seeing ferries that were reactivated in 2015, after having been laid-up for many years or under charter to foreign operators due to the effects of the Greek financial crisis. Even as the country continued to struggle in 2015, the Greek coastal service prevailed, and many companies made successful deployments for their ships on the Aegean Sea. Overall, the landscape of the Greek ferry industry changed dramatically, but it was a nice experience that enabled to see and photograph multiple ships. And, as usual, traveling with the PHIVOS is always meaningful. She features impressive areas which make her stand out compared to the other ships of the Saronic Gulf. I cannot wait to travel with her again, as I am due to return to Greece for the 2016 summer season, which is certainly planned to be very promising. #phivos #novaferries #saronicferries #summer2015 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #aegina #piraeus #flyingdolphinxviii #flyingcat6 #flyingdolphinxxix #flyingcat1 #hellenicseaways #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #achaeos #posidonhellas #2wayferries #alexandros #myways #ionis #tyrogalasferries #ionisferries #jetferry1 #gaferries #superfastxii #superfastferries #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #knossospalace #minoanlines #bluehorizon #bluegalaxy #bluestarferries #panagiatinou #ventourissealines #vitsentzoskornaros #lanesealines #prevelis #aneklines #andreaskalvos #zanteferries #bobsfougkarakis #kavourisshippingcompany #tribute

On 3 July 2015, I had my first trip with a Greek ferry for my 2015 summer vacation. Though this post is not a tribute to a particular ferry, it is rather a description of all ships I saw during this trip (as they were many). It was a round-trip to the island of Aegina, one of the two islands in which I go to every summer, as you already know. Traditionally, my mother and her own mother go to Aegina a few days before we leave Athens for Zakynthos, in order to store in our Aegina house whatever we do not need for the vacation (such as oversized bags, warm clothes) and in order to take whatever is necessary for the beaches (volleyballs, rackets, towels, which stay in our Aegina house all year long). This time, I also went to Aegina in order to help my mother and my grandmother, so it was also an opportunity for me to see the Greek coastal service ships for the third time in the last four days. I went to Piraeus for the first time on 30 June 2015 , as well as the following day . Also, I went to Lavrion the next day (2 July 2015) after a visit to my aunt and my cousins in Cape Sounion, so it was the fought straight day seeing Greek coastal service ships overall. We took t he conventional ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries to Aegina, and we returned with the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins a couple of hours later. As I mentioned it previously, this is not a tribute to any of these ships, as the tribute to the PHIVOS will be made in June 2016. Moreover, it was hard to take pictures of the crowded indoor area of a hydrofoil. Also, I did not take any pictures of the PHIVOS' indoor areas that day. However, these trips were exceptional as it was my first time at sea during that summer, and I managed to see many other ships in Piraeus and in the middle of the Saronic Gulf. The pictures below will describe you the experience of both trips to the second nearest island from Piraeus, Aegina. On board the PHIVOS. I immediately went to the outdoor deck in order to take pictures of the other ships. Next to the Nova Ferries ship was her Saronic Ferries joint venture partner, the ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries . One of the two identical bows of the ACHAEOS. It was her second straight season operating on the Saronic Gulf, and her third season overall, having also spent the first season of her career there back in 2006. Since 2014, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. Further left was the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 1, owned by Hellenic Seaways , which has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since her delivery in 1991. The ACHAEOS seen resting in Piraeus. Between her first year of service in 2006 and the 2014 season, she operated on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea (except between 2011 and 2012, when she had a brief charter in Italy, operating for the local company Blunavy on the Piombino-Elba line). As I looked towards the South, I saw from a far distance the cruise ship CELESTYAL OLYMPIA. Owned by the Greek-Cypriot company Celestyal Cruises, the ship had just exited the port in order to leave for her Aegean Sea destinations. On my right, I saw the Cretan ships, most of which I had also seen on 1 July 2015. Here was the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. And right behind her was the other ship of Blue Star Ferries operating in Crete, namely the BLUE GALAXY . I had seen both ships two days prior to my trips with the PHIVOS and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. The impressive BLUE GALAXY, which was receiving bunkers by a tanker owned by Aegean Marine Petroleum. Passing right in front the PHIVOS, the ELENA F of Elena F Shipping was returning to Piraeus from Salamina. Three completely different ships all operating on the Saronic Gulf: a double-ended ferry (the ACHAEOS), a high speed catamaran (the FLYINGCAT 1) and a small passenger ship (the ELENA F). As I kept looking towards the South, I saw two Greek coastal service ships which had just arrived in the port of Piraeus. The first ship was another high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways, the FLYINGCAT 3 , while the ship following her was the ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries . A close view of the FLYINGCAT 3, which returned from her morning schedule, which was spent on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line. The FLYINGCAT 3 having arrived in Piraeus. It was her second season operating under the Hellenic Seaways Cosmote livery following her return from the engine failure she suffered in 2012. In 2015, she also made extra trips on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 3 quickly reached her docking spot, located in the E7 gate. The FLYINGCAT 3 having docked in just 25 seconds, with the BLUE HORIZON seen right behind her. As the FLYINGCAT 3 had already docked, the much slower AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries was still standing in the same spot. Incredibly, she is one year younger than the catamaran, though the latter's speed is justified as she is a high speed craft. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 3 and of the BLUE HORIZON. As well as another view of the FLYINGCAT 1. She has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf under the same name, though she operated under different companies. These are Ceres Flying Dolphins (1991-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002) and their successors Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005) and Hellenic Seaways (since 2005). A sneaky view of the ships located near the two Blue Star Ferries ships (in the E4 gate). On the left is the laid-up PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines , and she is seen alongside active veterans, namely the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines and the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines . An overall view of the E3, E4, E5 and E7 gates in Piraeus. We can see the BLUE HORIZON, the FLYINGCAT 3, the BLUE GALAXY, the PANAGIA TINOU, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the PREVELIS all docked together in that area. The PHIVOS just departed. Here is a full picture of the ACHAEOS. Along with another picture showing her bow. Here is the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines, which operates on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline since 2009. Her entire itinerary consists of the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. And right next to her is another lifeline ship, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS, which operates on the Peloponnese and Kythira-Antikythira lifelines, namely on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos line. Coincidentally, both ships arrived in Greece in 1994, and both have been serving their respective lifelines since 2009, and, also, both are acclaimed ferries in the Greek coastal service. The BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus, receiving bunkers. Along with the BLUE HORIZON, also receiving bunkers by an Aegean Marine Petroleum tanker. The FLYINGCAT 3 seen in Piraeus, with the PANAGIA TINOU, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the PREVELIS behind her. On the port side I saw the ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries , seeing her for the third time in the last four days. She is a familiar face, as she had previously operated on the Ionian Sea, making occasional appearances in Zakynthos through the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, though she was mainly on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. I traveled with her in 2012 from Kyllini to Zakynthos, and three years later, she was operating with her fleetmate, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS , from Piraeus to the Western Cyclades. More specifically, she was operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line. The ANDREAS KALVOS, along with the high speed ferry MASTER JET of Sea Jets , which I had also seen two days before my trips with the PHIVOS and with the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. It was a busy season for the MASTER JET, as she operated on all of her company's lines during the spring and the summer, mainly as a spare ship, though she was then permanently deployed on her company's Western Cyclades service. That day, she was having her first trip on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, after having been replaced by the CHAMPION JET 2 on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos Santorini line, and she stayed there until the arrival of the PAROS JET in August, when she was then transferred to the Western Cyclades, on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line, in the place of the CHAMPION JET 1 . The ANDREAS KALVOS, in her first season following her second conversion in Keratsini and in Piraeus, which took place in early 2015. She spent the summer on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line for the first time in her career. Crossing the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she is preparing to dock in the E8 gate where we were standing. Another view of the Cretan and Southern Aegean Sea lifeline ferries (from left to right): the BLUE HORIZON, the BLUE GALAXY, the PANAGIA TINOU, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the PREVELIS. The two Japanese-built Cretan Blue Star Ferries ships: the BLUE HORIZON and the BLUE GALAXY. Another coincidence is that both ships previously operated on the Adriatic Sea as competitors, both were out of service in 2012 with rumours of their sales to Asian companies, and now they are fleetmates operating on the same island: Crete. Furthermore, both ships also used to be fleetmates when they operated in Japan, as they were both owned by Higashi Nihon Ferry (which also owned several other ships that went on to spend their careers in Greece). The classic Greek ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, which has been deployed on her namesake's island (on the Piraeus-Aegina line) since 2001, and since 2007 for her current owners. The hard-working MASTER JET resting before her afternoon departure to the Cyclades Islands. As we kept sailing, we passed by the cruise ship terminals, where we saw the small cruise ship TERE MOANA of Paul Gauguin Cruises. She was previously the LE LEVANT of French company Compagnie du Ponant, before being sold to Paul Gauguin Cruises in 2012. A frequent visitor in Greek ports, 2015 was her final summer with her owners, as she was sold the following year to the company Grand Circle Cruises. It is still unknown where she will operate and if she will be renamed. Another view of the BLUE HORIZON, in her second season operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. On the other side of the cruise terminals were the Vassiliadis Drydocks, which are hosting the floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, one of the three only Liberty ships to be still 'alive' today. Returning to Piraeus was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , on which we traveled a few hours later when leaving Aegina. As we were about to leave the port, we saw the flagship of Superfast Ferries, the SUPERFAST XII , which had just arrived from the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. A view of the building housing the headquarters of the Ministry of Shipping and the Aegean, now known as the Ministry of Shipping and Inuslar Policy. The fantastic SUPERFAST XII seen in Piraeus. It was her first time operating on the Aegean Sea since 2012, as she was previously on the Piraeus-Heraklion line from 2009 to 2012, and it was also her first-ever season on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Indeed, the summer of 2015 marked her debut on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line. The SUPERFAST XII, the flagship of a unique company which celebrated its 20 years of service in 2015. All ships had a celebration logo on their sterns, right next to their names and ports of registry. You can see them a bit in the previous pictures. The bow of the SUPERFAST XII as she is seen docked in Piraeus. She has been the flagship of Superfast Ferries since she was delivered to the latter in 2002. The laid-up JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries right next to the entrance pier in Piraeus. Another view of the SUPERFAST XII. Her career has so far been spent on the Adriatic Sea, primarily on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line (2002-2008 and 2013-2014), though she served the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari-Ancona line during the 2004 season and the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line during the 2014 season. She also operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line from 2009 to 2012, and since 2015 she has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kos-Rhodes line. The JET FERRY 1 spent two more months in Piraeus before being temporarily towed to Elefsina for further lay-up. She has been inactive since she completed the 2008 season under her owners on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades (where she had started to operate in 2002). Since 2009, all ships owned by GA Ferries were arrested in Piraeus due to the economic difficulties of the company. All of them headed for scrap between 2011 and 2012, and the JET FERRY 1 is the only one to have ben spared so far. The CELESTYAL OLYMPIA being cleared by the pilot boats in order to depart for the Aegean Islands and Turkey. The CELESTYAL OLYMPIA departing. It was her first season under the colours of Celestyal Cruises, which was formerly known Louis Hellenic Cruises (or just Louis Cruises, for whom she sailed as the LOUIS OLYMPIA). Aged 33 at the time, she also had spells with Royal Caribbean International (as the SONGBIRD), Sun Cruises (as the SUNBIRD) and Thomson Cruises (as the THOMSON DESTINY) during her career. The great CELESTYAL OLYMPIA, possibly the flagship of Celestyal Cruises. The CELESTYAL OLYMPIA heading towards the Aegean Islands. A small containership, the BF CATANIA of the German company BF Shipmanagement, in Piraeus Roads awaiting to dock. In the Piraeus Roads area, you can find many ships that are either awaiting their turn to dock on the cargo terminals, or laid-up permanently. An example of this kind of ships is the one above. It is the abandoned ferry MAKEDONIA, owned by the Samothraki-based company Saos Ferries. She was bough from Japan in 2006 and had started her conversion in Perama until 2008, when the conversion was halted because of the company's huge financial difficulties. The ship never managed to complete her conversion and she was reportedly sold for scrap in 2013, leaving Perama for Turkey, only to surprisingly return to Greece in order to stay laid-up in the Piraeus Roads area. She has stayed there ever since, being a major issue to traffic as she has constantly been languishing in days with bad weather. Nothing seems to be saving this ship from misery. Aegina seen from our exit from Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA quickly passed by us in order to reach Aegina. While also racing against a seagull :) The speedy FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. I fear the sailing ship behind her as the former's waves will definitely be shaking the latter. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on her way to Aegina. She has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, and spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Since 2011, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. After 65 minutes, we reached the port of Aegina, located in the town of the same name. It was the first time in almost a year since I last saw it. There, I saw the sailing cruise ship GALILEO of Variety Cruises, which operates around all of Greece. I also saw the GALILEO in Milos, nine days after I saw her in Aegina, while returning to Piraeus from the island of Santorini . The beautiful port of Aegina, which is one of the few places I call home. The very beautiful GALILEO berthed in Aegina. Upon disembarking from the PHIVOS, we went to our home in Aegina, which I saw for the first time in 11 months and one day. After exchanging our supplies and cleaning the house for a bit, we went back to the port, leaving with a hydrofoil, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, as she was the only ship to depart at that specific time. Regarding the trip back, it was the fourth trip in my life with a hydrofoil, three of these having actually been done with the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, as my two previous trips with her were both made in 2012: one being leaving Piraeus for Aegina after spending an afternoon in Athens (coincidentally, I was on the PHIVOS while going from Aegina to Piraeus, therefore marking my second time spending a round-trip with these two ships) and one when leaving the following day from Aegina to Athens as we were returning to the United States. Luckily, I was able to go the outdoor area of the hydrofoil, which is behind the passenger seating area and right next to the ship's stern. While returning to Piraeus, we crossed the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII of Hellenic Seaways , one of the three rivals of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on the Saronic Gulf. The equally-speedy FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, seen heading towards Aegina. She operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII was then followed by the ACHAEOS, which was also making her way to Aegina. The ACHAEOS seen on the Saronic Gulf, heading towards Aegina. Right upon returning to Piraeus (in only 35 minutes!), we saw the SUPERFAST XII once again, as she was preparing to depart for her late itinerary to Syros, Amorgos and the Dodecanese. Another picture of the doomed JET FERRY 1, along with the damaged entrance pier, which has not been repaired since late 2013, when it was damaged by the cruise ship MSC MAGNIFICA of MSC Cruises, leading to the sinking of the red lighthouse. The beautiful and super modern SUPERFAST XII seen in Piraeus. The SUPERFAST XII before her departure to the XIInese. Seeing the HELLAS LIBERTY for a second time that day. As well as the TERE MOANA. As well as the BLUE HORIZON, which was still seen resting in Piraeus. However, a new guest in the port was the great BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which had just returned from the Cyclades Islands. I would go on to travel onboard her four days later, when I headed from Piraeus to Santorini (through Syros, Paros, Naxos and Ios) . The PREVELIS seen once again, along with the bow of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS. The BLUE HORIZON, the PANAGIA TINOU, the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS and the PREVELIS, seen together in Piraeus. The small Salaminian passenger boat BOB SFOUGKARAKIS of Kavouris Shipping Company leaving for the small port of Selinia. She is the fastest ship operating on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The two Japanese bows of the BLUE HORIZON and of the BLUE GALAXY. The MASTER JET shortly before her first departure to Paros, Naxos, Koufonisi and Amorgos. Upon approaching the E8 gate where we were docking, we saw another familiar face from the Ionian Sea. This time it was the IONIS of Ionis Ferries , which was returning from Aegina. After seeing her on the Ionian Sea until 2014 (as she operated there from 1993 to 2015 under Tyrogalas Ferries, as well as from 1977 to 1991 under Ionian Lines, Hellenic Coastal Lines and Seven Islands Lines), she was having her first season on the Saronic Gulf. The IONIS maneuvering in Piraeus. Her owners, Tyrogalas Ferries, decided to operate as Ionis Ferries when they transferred her to the Saronic Gulf. She is now the only ferry owned by the company, as the IONIAN STAR , which was operating on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line since 2003, was sold during the summer of 2015 to rival operator Levante Ferries. Therefore, Tyrogalas Ferries now only operates on the Saronic Gulf, after having been present on the Ionian Sea from 1973 to 2015. Two other Saronic Gulf ferries, the PHIVOS, on which I had traveled a couple of hours before, along with the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. Though the former is 19 years older than the latter, she is the fastest ferry in the region, while the latter is the slowest. The MASTER JET seen yet again in Piraeus. The PHIVOS and the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS resting in Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, in what was her fifteenth season operating on the Piraeus-Aegina line. Another picture of the two ships, with the bow of the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries also present in the picture. We docked in the E8 gate, in the departure area of the Saronic Gulf high speed craft. Present there was also the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways , the sister ship of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen yet again. She began her career in Greece in 1999, as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU of the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company (which went on to become Hellas Speed Cat in 2008), on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line, before she was transferred to the Saronic Gulf in 2001, whereupon she was renamed AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS in honour of Aegina's patron Saint. She was sold to ANES Ferries in 2007, but she nevertheless remained on the Piraeus-Aegina line. The IONIS now ready to dock in Piraeus. During the 2015 season, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The legendary IONIS seen heading towards her docking spot. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen right after disembarkation. Behind her was the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets , which had just returned from the Cyclades Islands. The CHAMPION JET 1 resting in Piraeus. I would find myself onboard that ship as well, nine days later, as I traveled with her from Santorini to Piraeus (through Ios, Folegandros, Milos and Sifnos) . These two trips were exceptional to me, as I was able to enjoy the Greek coastal service ships for a fourth straight day, seeing many of them multiple times and obviously taking more photos of them. I was also very satisfied to see Aegina for the first time in many months. #saronicgulf #summer2015 #greece #aegean #piraeus #aegina #phivos #novaferries #saronicferries #achaeos #posidonhellas #2wayferries #flyingcat1 #flyingcat3 #flyingdolphinxviii #flyingdolphinxvii #hellenicseaways #bluehorizon #bluegalaxy #blustarpatmos #bluestarferries #elenaf #elenafshipping #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #prevelis #aneklines #vitsentzoskornaros #lanesealines #panagiatinou #ventourissealines #andreaskalvos #zanteferries #masterjet #championjet1 #seajets #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #superfastxii #superfastferries #jetferry1 #gaferries #bobsfougkarakis #kavourisshipppingcompany #ionis #tyrogalasferries #ionisferries

The Greek coastal service season for the summer of 2017 began for me as soon as I arrived in Greece. Unlike other years, however, it did not start from Piraeus or Kyllini. Instead, it began from the island of Santorini, which I had first visited in 2015. Indeed, that summer was particular for me, as it was the one that followed my final year in high school, so I had planned a European summer trip with my brother and my friends in several places, including the island of Ios, which I was about to visit for the first time in my life. As Barcelona preceded our stay in Ios, our only way to get to the latter was by plane overnight, reaching Santorini the following day at 03:00. Hence, we left on the evening of 9 July 2017, and arrived in Santorini the following day at the aforementioned time. Santorini, seen at 03:00 in the morning of 10 July 2017. The ferry port of Santorini, known as Athinios, seen at night during 10 July 2017. The port of Santorini, generally quiet, awaiting for the first ferries of the day. One of the port's travel agencies, which features advertisement signs of three Aegean Sea giants: Sea Jets, ANEK Lines and Hellenic Seaways. The Dakoutros Travel Port Agency, potentially related to the Dakoutros family, which owns the Dakoutros Speed-Santorini Boatmen Services company, operating between Santorini and the nearby volcanic islands of Palaia Kameni and Nea Kameni. Daylight slowly making its way to Santorini and the Cyclades. We had planned to take the first ferry of the day that would leave from Santorini to reach the island of Ios, which is the closest island to the latter. Coincidentally, that ferry happened to be a particular one, when taking into account the previous (and only, so far) trip I made to Santorini. Indeed, this ferry was none other but the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries . This ship is quite meaningful, as she was the first-ever ship I took in order to go to the Cyclades. Moreover, it was going to be my first trip with her, exactly two years and three days after making my first one with her from Piraeus to Santorini, back in 2015 . This trip kind of meant the beginning of my return trip with that particular ship from Santorini, as I had returned from that island to Piraeus back in 2015 with a different boat , the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets . Therefore, it seemed like I was beginning my round trip from Santorini two years and three days after making my initial trip, though I did not complete it since I disembarked on the first stop, the island of Ios. A very emotional moment was at approximately 06:00, when, as the sun began to rise, the BLUE STAR PATMOS emerged, which signified not only the beginning of the day, but also, for me, the beginning of the summer. My first picture of the Greek coastal service for 2017. It turned out to be the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was arriving in Santorini from the island of Anafi. The beautiful BLUE STAR PATMOS, one of the best ships in the Greek coastal service, preparing to maneuver in Santorini. Built in South Korea in 2012, the BLUE STAR PATMOS spent her first three summers on the Northeast Aegean Sea, on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. In 2014, after the sale of her older fleetmate, the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited, she was transferred to the Cyclades, where she just completed her third summer season. Alongside her sister ship, the BLUE STAR DELOS , the BLUE STAR PATMOS serves the main Cyclades Islands. The BLUE STAR DELOS operates solely on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line in the morning and returns in the evening. On the contrary, the BLUE STAR PATMOS sails from Piraeus in the afternoon, serving not only Paros, Naxos and Santorini, but also Syros, Donousa, Amorgos, Ios, Anafi and Astypalaia. The great BLUE STAR PATMOS maneuvering in the port of Santorini. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen as she undergoes her maneuvering procedure. The BLUE STAR PATMOS maneuvering in Santorini, a port where she has seen lots of success, just like all of her Blue Star Ferries fleetmates that serve it. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen in Santorini, with her decks still illuminated as they were in the preceding evening and night. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having completed her maneuvering procedure in Santorini and preparing to dock on the Eastern area of the port. The BLUE STAR PATMOS now beginning to open her stern ramps for docking. The BLUE STAR PATMOS preparing to dock in Santorini. The BLUE STAR PATMOS heading towards the dock of Santorini. The BLUE STAR PATMOS beginning to make contact with the dock of the port of Santorini. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having just docked in Santorini. The BLUE STAR PATMOS now docked in Santorini and immediately unloading the few passengers and vehicles that arrived from Anafi. We are now ready to board. As I had already done a presentation of the interior areas of the BLUE STAR PATMOS two years ago, I am not showing them in this post, but I will instead show pictures from the moments of this trip. The port of Santorini at sunrise, seen from one of the outdoor decks of the BLUE STAR PATMOS. Upon looking towards the sea, I immediately spotted a white ship heading towards the port. This ship, which I recognised immediately, was the veteran cruiseferry PREVELIS of ANEK Lines . The PREVELIS approaching the Santorini port at sunrise. Next to her is the uninhabited island of Aspronisi. The beautiful and acclaimed Japanese-built PREVELIS, which has been sailing in Greek waters since 1995. The PREVELIS is, despite her advanced age (37 years old in 2017), one of the most hardworking ferries in the Greek coastal service. Indeed, she is the only ferry making permanent connections between Piraeus and the islands of Kasos and Karpathos on the Dodecanese. She however performs this itinerary by also serving the islands of Milos, Santorini and Anafi on the Cyclades, the ports of Heraklion and Siteia in Crete, and the islands of Chalki and Rhodes on the Dodecanese. The beautiful and hardworking PREVELIS maneuvering in Santorini, after having arrived from Milos. The PREVELIS maneuvering during daylight. One of the two funnels of the PREVELIS, featuring the colours of ANEK Lines and their well-known logo, which displays the map of the island of Crete. She has been carrying the same funnel display since her acquisition by ANEK Lines in 2000. Prior to that, she operated for the now-defunct company Cretan Ferries (which was based in Rethymnon) from 1995 to 2000 as the PREVELI. The PREVELIS maneuvering in Santorini, during what was her ninth consecutive season operating on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. She is the only ferry of ANEK Lines that is currently serving the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. The PREVELIS maneuvering in Santorini. The PREVELIS preparing to dock in the port of Santorini, on the other side of the docking spot of the BLUE STAR PATMOS. The much-acclaimed PREVELIS, which is 32 years older than the BLUE STAR PATMOS, having just docked in Santorini. The PREVELIS having just docked in Santorini and immediately beginning to unload passengers and vehicles that came from Piraeus and Milos. The PREVELIS now able to rest for a few minutes in Santorini. While the ANEK Lines veteran has now been able to rest for a few minutes, it was time for the BLUE STAR PATMOS to depart for Ios as part of her return trip from the Cyclades to Piraeus. She left at approximately 07:00, as it was planned. As we depart, we pass by the now-docked PREVELIS. The bow of the PREVELIS, which is also decorated with the yellow and blue 'garlands' added by ANEK Lines in 2007. This was part of a marketing and design shift project and was initially planned to be implemented on all ANEK Lines ships. However, only the PREVELIS and the EL. VENIZELOS received these garlands, with the latter having them removed since 2013, making the former the only one to still have them to date. The Southern part of Santorini seen from the BLUE STAR PATMOS. With daylight now fully emerged, the PREVELIS is now completely bright as she is seen behind us upon our departure from Santorini. The island of Aspronisi seen from the BLUE STAR PATMOS. Another view of the PREVELIS. The PREVELIS seen as we depart Santorini for Ios. The PREVELIS and the port of Santorini beginning to distance themselves from the BLUE STAR PATMOS. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having left Santorini. In front of us were the volcanic islands on the Santorini Gulf. This one is Nea Kameni, where the actual volcano is located, and which I had visited on 11 July 2015, making my day of my trip with the BLUE STAR PATMOS one day shy of the two-year anniversary of this visit . I discovered that Nea Kameni serves as a resting area for all small ships operating around the Santorini Gulf during the night. There, I could spot the traditional sailing boat AFRODITI of the Santorini Boatmen Union, which was the ship on which I had traveled when I went to Nea Kameni, as well as to Palaia Kameni and Thirassia. Several small boats resting in Nea Kameni, belonging to the Santorini Boatmen Union, Santorini Sea Excursions and Dakoutros Shipping. Two small boats resting on a separate docking area in Nea Kameni. These boats are both owned by Dakoutros Shipping. The one on the left is the 2016-built TAXIARCHIS D, which operates for Dakoutros Speed while the one on the right is the CALYPSO, which operates for Dakoutros Glass Bottom Boat Cruises . The TAXIARCHIS D and the CALYPSO seen resting in Nea Kameni, prior to their operations later that day. The Greek flag on the stern of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, facing the rising sun on the Aegean Sea. The strait between Aspronisi and Santorini, with a Silversea Cruises cruise ship seen between these islands. The BLUE STAR PATMOS passing by the Northernmost village of Santorini, namely Oia, which is also the most famous and most beautiful village of the island. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having passed by Oia and now having left the Santorini Gulf. The BLUE STAR PATMOS is now in open sea, with daylight now fully present. Meanwhile, behind, we can see the waves made by the BLUE STAR PATMOS after having passed by the strait between Santorini and the smaller island of Thirassia. Ios seen from far away. As we were approaching Ios, another ship made her appearance. This time, it was the high speed catamaran SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was heading towards the opposite direction, from Ios to Santorini. The SUPER JET heading towards Santorini. The 2017 season marked her second straight summer operating from Piraeus to the Western Cyclades. She leaves Greece's largest port in the afternoon, and spends the entire night in Ios. More specifically, she serves the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. The speedy SUPER JET now heading towards Santorini. She is the first ship that joined Sea Jets, and is also, as of 2017, the high speed craft (excluding hydrofoils) with the most experience in the Greek coastal service. The summer of 2017 indeed marked her twenty-third overall season in Greece, as she has had stints as the SEA JET 1 with Strintzis Lines (1995-2000) and Blue Star Ferries under the Blue Star Jets division (2000-2002), and as the JET ONE for Aegean Jet Maritime (2002-2004) prior to her sale to Sea Jets in 2004. The SUPER JET heading at full-speed towards Santorini. The SUPER JET en route towards Santorini. By reaching the latter island, she completes her full itinerary from Piraeus. She then returns to Ios later in the morning before making her way back to Piraeus. After only one hour onboard, the BLUE STAR PATMOS is now entering the port of Ios, which welcomes ships with a beautiful lighthouse built on the estuary. The bay of Ios, where ferries enter the island and head towards the port. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having entered the bay of Ios. The entrance of Ios seen from behind. While entering Ios, the beautiful all-white Church of Agia Eirini can be seen. We quickly maneuvered and the BLUE STAR PATMOS docked in the very small pier of Ios. We immediately disembarked. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen in Ios, prior to her departure for her next destination, Naxos. This very short trip with this amazing ferry was very pleasant and marked the beginning of the 2017 Greek coastal service season, as well as my 2017 summer in Greece overall. The ferry still remains, even two years and three days after first traveling with her, extremely modern, clean and comfortable. She had an extremely successful summer, although it ended on an unfortunate note. She grounded off in the exact same port where she disembarked us at the end of August, and remained there for an entire week before being fully removed from rocks that had trapped her. She then headed in early September 2017 to Perama and later in Elefsina for repairs, and hopefully she will return even better and stronger in early 2018, whereupon she is planned to spend the winter on the Dodecanese lifeline. #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #atticagroup #summer2017 #greece #cyclades #aegean #santorini #ios #neakameni #prevelis #aneklines #afroditi #santoriniboatmenunion #taxiarchisd #calypso #dakoutrosshipping #dakoutrosspeed #dakoutrosglassbottomboatcruises #superjet #seajets

As I stated on the previous Blog post that was published last week , I was able to see the ships of the port of Piraeus several times after finishing work each day during my summer internship. I would then spend the late afternoon in the port of Piraeus in order to take pictures of the ferries that were there at the time, or arriving or departing the port. This post shows my summer daily routine, sharing all the pictures I took on 13 July 2018, just a day after 12 July 2018, whose pictures are on the Blog since last week. Just like the previous day, it was quite nice to see many ships. But this time, I saw even more, as I had the opportunity to witness multiple arrivals and even some departures of ships towards the Aegean Sea. Therefore, this post is even longer than its predecessor due to it having much more pictures, since I saw more ships than I did the previous day. Without any further ado, it is time for me to share these pictures with you. Surely you will see many ships which have become a regular feature on this site. But, nevertheless, I never get tired of looking at them and taking pictures of them. Right upon exiting the office, I headed towards the E7 gate. There, I saw the great ferry BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which was awaiting her late afternoon departure to the Cyclades Islands. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen in Piraeus shortly before her departure. Built in 2012, she began service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Since late 2014, she has been operating on the Cyclades. Between the summers of 2015 and 2017, she was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi-Astypalaia line. She therefore served the islands during the evening and the night, while her sister ship, the BLUE STAR DELOS , would do so in the morning. In 2018, she operated only on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line, with the service to Donousa, Amorgos and Astypalaia being taken over by the BLUE STAR NAXOS . The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen in Piraeus. I have already traveled on her three times: once on 7-8 July 2015 from Piraeus to Santorini , then from Santorini to Ios on 10 July 2017 , and then from Naxos to Paros on 26 July 2018. She is the ferry on which I have traveled the most amount of times on the Cyclades, and was the first ferry of Blue Star Ferries on which I have ever embarked onboard. Next to the BLUE STAR PATMOS, I spotted another well-known ferry, namely the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line since 2009. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen shortly before her departure to the Cyclades Islands. The PREVELIS, docked in the E3 gate, was also preparing to depart at around the same time as the BLUE STAR PATMOS, as she had an evening service that day. Both ships connect Piraeus with Santorini and Anafi. The latter only has a connexion with Piraeus with these two ferries. Just after taking my second picture of the PREVELIS, I spotted the catamaran FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Saronic Gulf. She is on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line since 2016. The FLYINGCAT 3 departing Piraeus in order to head towards Poros. Built in 1998, she had previously spent a significant part of her career on the Cyclades. Since 2016, however, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The summer of 2018 hence marked her third straight on the Saronic Gulf. She had also served the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line in 2015, in addition to her main service that was spent on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line that season. The beautiful PREVELIS seen in Piraeus. She operates on one of the most demanding lifelines of the Greek coastal service, namely the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. Kasos only has a connection with Piraeus thanks to her, while Karpathos is served seasonally by Attica Group since 2017 (with the NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways calling there for the 2018 season). Due to their remoteness, their small ports and the strong winds surrounding them, the two islands are a tough challenge for any ship. However, the PREVELIS has thrived on the line since 2009, and has been praised for her efficient service there. The two islands (in addition to Anafi and Chalki) mainly rely on her, particularly during the winter when services are limited. The PREVELIS seen alongside the BLUE STAR PATMOS, shortly before their respective departures. The PREVELIS and the BLUE STAR PATMOS seen together in Piraeus. Another view of the PREVELIS, in what was her tenth straight season on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. As the time was 17:30, it was time for the BLUE STAR PATMOS to depart the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen departing Piraeus. Her first stop is the island of Syros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS, the youngest cruiseferry in Greece to date, seen leaving Piraeus. The impressive BLUE STAR PATMOS seen leaving Piraeus, in what was her fourth straight summer operating on the Cyclades. In the meantime, the PREVELIS is still resting in Piraeus while loading vehicles and passengers. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen leaving in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The amazing BLUE STAR PATMOS passing by me as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS, one of the best ships of the Greek coastal service, seen leaving Piraeus. Another view of the BLUE STAR PATMOS as she heads towards Syros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS heading towards the Cyclades. It was nice to see her back in service after she grounded off in Ios at the end of the 2017 summer season. Fortunately she was towed safely to Piraeus, and was then repaired in Elefsina. The PREVELIS still seen in Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus. She has been owned by ANEK Lines since 2000, after the latter acquired her former operators, namely Cretan Ferries (also known as Rethymniaki). She previously operated for Cretan Ferries on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line between 1995 and 2000 under the name PREVELI. When she joined ANEK Lines, she was renamed PREVELIS and she first operated on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyris-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese in 2000, before returning to the Piraeus-Rethymnon line in 2001. She remained there until early 2007. After ANEK Lines discontinued operations on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line, she spent the 2007 season on the Piraeus-Chania line. In 2008, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, but this service lasted just one season, as she then moved to the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline in 2009. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus, shortly before her departure. After the BLUE STAR PATMOS had left, I saw the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels returning to Piraeus. She operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. Shortly after the BLUE STAR PATMOS had departed Piraeus, I saw another ship leaving the port. This time, it was the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which operates on the Saronic Gulf. Built in 1980 in Spain, the PHIVOS was bought by Nova Ferries in 2004. After a one-year-long conversion, she started service in 2005 on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line. Starting in 2007, she only operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line, something which she continued to do until the end of the 2013 season. After forming the Saronic Ferries joint venture with Hellenic Seaways (now no longer part of it) and 2way Ferries, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line since the summer of 2014. The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus, in what was her fourteenth summer on the Saronic Gulf under Nova Ferries. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen heading towards the E8 gate, after having returned to Piraeus from Salamina. The PHIVOS, in the meantime, is departing Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. The PHIVOS on her way to Aegina. In 2018, I traveled with her twice, both times while heading from Piraeus to Aegina. The first time was on 7 July, while the second time was on 1 August. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Another view of the PHIVOS leaving Piraeus. On the E8 gate, I spotted two other ships, besides the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II (seen at the right side of the picture) which had just docked. The first one was the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , while the second one was the small passenger ship AGIA MARINA AEGINIS of Evoïkos Lines . While heading more towards the South, I passed by the E3 gate, in which ships that mainly serve Crete depart. There I went past by the KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines . The KNOSSOS PALACE is the flagship of Minoan Lines, She was built in 2000 and began service for them on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. In 2018, she and her sister ship, the FESTOS PALACE , were deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line, connecting the Cyclades island with both Athens and Crete. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen in Piraeus. She connects Piraeus with the two Northern Aegina ports: Souvala and Agia Marina (the port after which she is named). She was previously known as the ALEXANDROS, and was owned by Alexandros Shipping from 2000 to 2015. Initially operating on the Ionian Sea on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Lefakada line from 2000 to 2006 and then on the Ierapetra-Chryssi line in Crete in 2007, she moved to her current service in 2008. She was sold to the Greek company My Ways in 2015, but the following season she changed owners again, being bought by Evoïkos Lines, which renamed her AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. Next to her was the ACHAEOS, which was built in Greece in 2006 and has been owned by 2way Ferries ever since. She spent her first summer on the Piraeus-Aegina line, but moved afterwards to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where she remained until 2013. In 2014, she returned to the Saronic Gulf, and has since been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. As I looked towards the open sea near the entrance of the port, I spotted the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries heading towards Piraeus. The impressive BLUE GALAXY seen entering the port of Piraeus in the early evening. She has been operating for Blue Star Ferries since 2015. Ever since this introduction, she has been serving the Piraeus-Chania line, under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. The majestic bow of the BLUE GALAXY, as she enters the port of Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY having entered the port of Piraeus. She was built in Japan in 1992, and operated there as the HERCULES of the Japanese company Higashi Nihon Ferry before her sale to ANEK Lines in 1999. After being converted in Perama, she entered service as the LEFKA ORI on the Adriatic Sea, initially on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line between 2000 and 2004, and then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line between 2005 and 2011, alongside her sister ship, the SOPHOCLES V (now known as the KYDON) . After a failed charter to the South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line in 2012, she returned to Greece alongside her sister ship in late 2013 and was refitted in late 2014 in Perama after she was transferred to Blue Star Ferries, being renamed BLUE GALAXY. Among the best ferries of the Greek coastal service (as it the case for all ships owned by Blue Star Ferries), the BLUE GALAXY has been hailed for her service on the Piraeus-Chania line, on which she has been operating for the past four summer seasons. The BLUE GALAXY in Piraeus. After a successful spell on the Adriatic Sea, she had no trouble with repeating that success on the Aegean Sea. She and her current fleetmate and former competitor, the BLUE HORIZON , are the two ferries of Blue Star Ferries that operate in Crete. While the BLUE GALAXY operates on the Piraeus-Chania line, the BLUE HORIZON operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The BLUE GALAXY passing by me in Piraeus in order to head to her docking spot in the E4 gate. I have already traveled with her in the past, back when she was operating under ANEK Lines as the LEFKA ORI. It was during a trip from Patras to Venice in 2006, as my family and I were returning from Greece to Belgium via Italy. The big BLUE GALAXY passing by me in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY having passed by where I was standing and heading towards her docking spot. She is the second ship of Blue Star Ferries to have ever been named BLUE GALAXY. The first one was the legendary IONIAN GALAXY of Strintzis Lines, which had an extremely successful career on the Adriatic Sea from 1988 to 2000, operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line. Ironically, her new competitor turned out to be the current BLUE GALAXY, which was at the time starting her career as the LEFKA ORI for ANEK Lines. The IONIAN GALAXY (also a Japanese-built ferry, built 20 years before the current BLUE GALAXY) was renamed BLUE GALAXY in 2000, when Strintzis Lines was taken over by Attica Group in order to form the new company Blue Star Ferries. She operated under that name for two seasons. The first one (2000) was spent on an unsuccessful Heraklion-Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line, while the second one (2001) was spent on the Patras-Brindisi line. Afterwards, she was sold to the Turkish company Turkish Marmara Lines and operated as the ÇEŞME 2 line on the Brindisi-Çeşme line. In 2003 she was sold to the Emirati company Marco Lines, being renamed MERDIF 2 and operating on the Dubaï-Umm Qasr line. She was sold for scrap in 2011. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head towards Souvala and Agia Marina. The BLUE GALAXY seen from the stern as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS preparing to exit the port of Piraeus. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS, in what was her eleventh season connecting Piraeus with Souvala and Agia Marina. It was also her third one under her current owners and under her current name. The BLUE GALAXY seen from behind. The nice little AGIA MARINA AEGINIS heading towards Souvala and Agia Marina. Another view of the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS. Since 2000, she has undergone two different conversions. The first one was in 2002 in Perama, whereupon she was lengthened and her passenger capacity and speed were upgraded. The second one occurred in 2009 in Salamina, right after her first season on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line. During that conversion, she received a bulbous bow and a new stern ramp, much longer than the one she previously had. The BLUE GALAXY preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure. Thus, just one day after seeing her fleetmate and Cretan collaborator, the BLUE HORIZON, doing hers after having arrived in the evening from Heraklion, I witnessed the one done by BLUE GALAXY following her return to Piraeus from Chania. The BLUE GALAXY seen undergoing her impressive maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY seen maneuvering in Piraeus. While the BLUE GALAXY was maneuvering, I saw the AGIA MARINA AEGINIS heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, while the ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries had just entered it. The BLUE GALAXY seen maneuvering in the port of Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY seen maneuvering in the port of Piraeus, having taken a 90-degree turn towards the East. The BLUE GALAXY maneuvering in the port of Piraeus, having taken a 90-degree turn towards the East. The AGIA MARINA AEGINIS exiting the port while the APOLLON HELLAS has entered it. On the left side, the HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways is also seen approaching Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY still seen maneuvering in the port of Piraeus, while already having taken a 90-degree turn towards the East. The BLUE GALAXY now beginning to complete her 180-degree turn in order to head towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The loyal APOLLON HELLAS seen in Piraeus, having just returned from Aegina. The BLUE GALAXY having almost taken her 180-degree turn while maneuvering in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS, which has been owned by 2way Ferries since 2016. Before that, she was owned by Hellenic Seaways (2005-2016), their predecessors Minoan Flying Dolphins (later Hellas Flying Dolphins) under the Saronikos Ferries division (1999-2005), and Poseidon Consortium Shipping-the predecessors of 2way Ferries (1999). Between 1995 and 1999 she was in South Korea under the name SUN BEACH and operating for the company Wing Ferry Company. Her first stint in Greece was between 1990 and 1995 under Akouriki Shipping Company, and was also spent on the Saronic Gulf. Behind the APOLLON HELLAS, two high speed craft were following her as they headed towards their respective docking spots: the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins (also heading back from Aegina) and the HIGHSPEED 4. The APOLLON HELLAS on her way towards her docking spot. The summer of 2018 was her second one on the Saronic Gulf under her current owners. Before that, she had spent her last two summers under Hellenic Seaways on the Sporades, operating on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2014 and on then on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2015. She remained on the latter line in 2016, when she was bought by 2way Ferries. In 2017, she returned to the Saronic Gulf for the first time since 2013, being deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, the line on which she was also operating during her Hellenic Seaways stint. The BLUE GALAXY seen completing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS passing by me as she heads towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY having finished maneuvering and now preparing to dock in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen following the APOLLON HELLAS towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS on her way towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY having completed her maneuvering procedure and now preparing to dock in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having just arrived in Piraeus. Owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011. The APOLLON HELLAS seen from behind as she heads for docking in Piraeus. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus, while her competitor BLUE GALAXY prepares to dock behind her. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen in Piraeus, in what was her ninth season on the Saronic Gulf under her company, and also her eighth consecutive one on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY seen docking in Piraeus. Her maneuvering and docking procedures were as impressive as the ones done by the BLUE HORIZON a day earlier. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. A wider view of the E8 gate as seen from where I was standing: the APOLLON HELLAS prepares for her maneuvering procedure, while her fleetmate, the ACHAEOS, and the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II are already docked. They are all to be joined by the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. The APOLLON HELLAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus, with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II right next to her. The APOLLON HELLAS maneuvering in Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 having also entered the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen maneuvering in the E8 gate. The fantastic HIGHSPEED 4 having returned to Piraeus after having served her itinerary for the day. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen arriving in Piraeus. She has spent her entire career in Greece, having operated for Hellenic Seaways and previously under the latter's predecessors (Minoan Flying Dolphins and later Hellas Flying Dolphins). Moreover, she has served the Cyclades during every single summer season since her arrival in Greece in 2000. The HIGHSPEED 4 passing by me in order to head towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Th HIGHSPEED 4 on her way towards the E7 gate in Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen maneuvering in Piraeus. In the summer of 2018, the HIGHSPEED 4 was serving the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, where she has been operating since 2016. She had also operated there in 2014, with tremendous success. 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 . The impressive HIGHSPEED 4 having quickly completed her maneuvering procedure and now docking in Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 having quickly completed her maneuvering procedure and having docked in Piraeus. While the HIGHSPEED 4 had moored in Piraeus, it was now the time for the ACHAEOS and of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II to depart the port. The ACHAEOS departing Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. The double-ended ferry ACHAEOS seen leaving Piraeus. I had traveled on her on 8 July (five days before I took this picture), when I headed back from Aegina to Piraeus after having spent the weekend there with my brother and two friends. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen leaving Piraeus in order to head towards Salamina. The ACHAEOS passing by me while departing Piraeus. A more detailed post on a trip I had with her on 19 July 2016 can be found here . The ACHAEOS passing by me and heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The ACHAEOS was immediately followed by the smaller GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, which was heading towards Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen departing Piraeus. Just 10 days before taking this picture, I had traveled onboard her from Piraeus to Salamina , making my first-ever trip on that line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen heading towards Salamina. And as the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II was leaving in order to go from Salamina, another ship that was heading from the latter island was arriving in Piraeus. It was the PETROULA of Petroula Speedline , which was spending her debut season on the Piraeus-Salamina line, connecting the Athens port with the port of Selinia. The PETROULA having just arrived from Salamina. She was built in 2010 and was previously known as the HERMES of Antiparos Speedline NE. She operated on the Paros-Antiparos line from 2010 to 2016, after which she was replaced by a former Piraeus-Salamina line boat (a 'Koulouriotiko'), the HELLAS , and was sold to her current owners. She spent her first summer under them (after having been renamed PETROULA) on the Perama-Salamina line, while the following one, 2018, was spent on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The PETROULA heading towards the docking spot left by the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II in Piraeus. The small passenger boat PETROULA on her way to her docking spot in Piraeus. The PETROULA having just arrived in Piraeus. Shortly after the arrival of the PETROULA and the departures of the ACHAEOS and of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, it was now time for the PREVELIS to depart Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen leaving Piraeus, with the HIGHSPEED 4 seen next to her. They are two completely different ships, but they happened to be competitors in 2008, when the PREVELIS was deployed on the Cyclades. They have an age difference of 20 years, although the PREVELIS arrived in Greece only six years before the HIGHSPEED 4 was built. The PREVELIS leaving Piraeus in order to head towards her first destination, namely Milos. The beautiful PREVELIS ready to pass by me as she departs Piraeus. The impressive Japanese bow of the PREVELIS, which is seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The front section of the PREVELIS seen as she is passing by right next to me. The PREVELIS heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, in order to begin her long trip to the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese, and notably Kasos and Karpathos. Just a few moments later, and barely 10 minutes after having docked, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was already leaving the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen leaving Piraeus, heading towards Aegina first and then towards Agistri. The reliable FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA and the PREVELIS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Just two minutes after the two ships had left Piraeus, another ship operating in Salamina was returning to the port, namely the small passenger boat ELENA F of Elena F Shipping . And right behind her, another ship was also returning to the port: the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets . The ELENA F seen returning to Piraeus. Built in 1998, she has spent the bulk of her career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, after having replaced her older fleetmate, the DIMITRIOS F, which was retired from service. She has only spent one season on a service other than the Piraeus-Salamina line. Indeed, in 2013, she operated on the Sporades, on the Glyfa-Skiathos line. She however returned to her usual service once that season concluded. The ELENA F having just arrived in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus. Besides her usual service on the Piraeus-Salamina line, she has also done some successful one-day cruises to other Saronic Gulf islands, namely Aegina, Agistri and Poros, as part of exclusive events. She has been to all three islands at least once every summer since 2014. She also served them back in 2012. The ELENA F heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 1 following her right behind. She had returned from her daily service spent on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen returning to her docking spot in Piraeus. Owned by Sea Jets since 2015, she spent her fourth season on the same line where she also operated in 2017, as well as for the start of the 2015 season. The CHAMPION JET 1 in Piraeus. The day I took all these pictures marked exactly three years and one day since my first (and so far only) trip with her, when I traveled with her from Santorini to Piraeus . The CHAMPION JET 1on her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Her addition in 2015 was an important step for the rise of Sea Jets, which has gone from a fleet of only four ships in 2013 to a fleet of 18 ships as of February 2019! The CHAMPION JET 1 on her way towards the E9 gate where she usually docks. The speedy CHAMPION JET 1 heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She is currently being chartered to the Spanish company Naviera Armas, being deployed on the Las Palmas-Santa Cruz de Tenerife line on the Canary Islands Archipelago. Initially supposed to last for four weeks, it has been extended, and there is a slight possibility that the ship will stay there during the summer of 2019, instead of operating in Greece. Regardless of what happens, here we see the CHAMPION JET 1 preparing to maneuver in Piraeus, in what was generally a successful season for her. Another view of the E7, E8 and E9 gates: the docked HIGHSPEED 4 watches her competitor, the CHAMPION JET 1, undergoing her maneuvering procedure. In between the APOLLON HELLAS has already docked, while the ELENA F also maneuvers next to the PETROULA. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 1 having finished her maneuvering procedure and preparing to dock in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 1 having just docked in Piraeus. Like the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, the PETROULA left Piraeus just a few minutes after having arrived, in order to make her last trip to Salamina for the day. The PETROULA seen departing Piraeus. The PETROULA on her way towards Salamina. After the summer season ended, she returned to the Perama-Salamina line. So far there has not been any information regarding her return to the Piraeus-Salamina line for the 2019 summer season. The BLUE GALAXY now resting in Piraeus, after having done her long but impressive maneuvering procedure. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen resting in Piraeus, after another successful day sailing on the Cyclades. The CHAMPION JET 1, seen not far away, also docked in Piraeus after having spent yet another day on the Cyclades. Another view of the great BLUE GALAXY, now unloading passengers and vehicles. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen departing Piraeus in order to perform an evening trip to Paros. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen leaving Piraeus in order to head towards Paros. The HIGHSPEED 4 having departed Piraeus. One last view of the BLUE GALAXY, which was undoubtedly the main protagonist that evening thanks to her unique arrival in Piraeus. As I was beginning to leave the port of Piraeus in order to take the subway and head back home, I spotted the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways having also returned to the port. Here she is seen alongside the KNOSSOS PALACE. Just a few minutes after her fleetmate had left the port, the HELELNIC HIGHSPEED was now preparing to maneuver in Piraeus. This was her second straight summer on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The day after I took this picture marked the first anniversary of my trip with her, on 14 July 2017, when I traveled onboard her from Ios to Piraeus . And so this marks the end of my post, as it was time for me to head back home in Central Athens, just like every day. As it was the case with the day before, this evening was quite memorable as I got to see a large amount of ship arrivals, but also numerous departures (including some ships that left Piraeus as soon as they had docked). I also saw impressive maneuvering procedures, such as those of the BLUE GALAXY, the APOLLON HELLAS, the HIGHSPEED 4 and the CHAMPION JET 1. It really was an eventful evening which I will hardly forget. #piraeus #summer2018 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #bluestarpatmos #bluegalaxy #bluestarferries #prevelis #aneklines #flyingcat3 #highspeed4 #hellenichighspeed #hellenicseaways #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #phivos #novaferries #achaeos #apollonhellas #2wayferries #agiamarinaaeginis #evoïkoslines #knossospalace #minoanlines #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #petroula #petroulaspeedline #elenaf #elenafshipping #championjet1 #seajets

The summer of 2018 has been the one during which I have spent the longest amount of time in Greece (ever since I left the country in order to live overseas) yet. This was primarily due to my university exams finishing in early June and due to an internship that I had for about a month with the Greek subsidiary of the ship management giants V-Ships. I began this internship in late June and completed it in late July. Afterwards, I spent another month of vacation in the Greek Islands as my entire family had been reunited in Athens shortly after the completion of my internship. Besides having a great experience while working there, I was also pleased to find out that the company's offices were located in one of my favourite places in the world: the port of Piraeus. They were right on the E7 gate, hence I had an amazing view while working. And several times after finishing work for the day, I would then spend the late afternoon in the port in order to take pictures of the ferries that were there at the time. It was therefore the definition of paradise for me. This post hence shows my daily summer routine, sharing all the pictures I took on 12 July 2018 after I had finished work (at around 19:00) and stayed in Piraeus for about an hour. It is quite nice to show up during that period of time, as many ships are beginning to return to Piraeus after having left for the Aegean Islands (especially the Cyclades) early in the morning. Therefore, the port begins to fill-up extremely fast, and this is exactly what a shipping enthusiast like me wants to see. Without any further ado, it's time for me to share these pictures with you. Surely you will see many ships which have become a regular feature on this site. But, nevertheless, I never get tired of looking at them and taking pictures of them. The first ship I saw right after leaving from work was the well-known BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , which was seen resting in Piraeus. Since joining Blue Star Ferries in 2015, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Chania line. And on the other side, at the E7 gate, I saw the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways , which had just returned to Piraeus. She was operating on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line, having been there since the summer of 2017. The impressive HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen resting in Piraeus after having completed her trip to the Cyclades. The day I took this picture marked two days shy of the first anniversary of my first trip with her, back on 14 July 2017, when I traveled onboard her in order to head from Ios to Piraeus . The bow of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, which is the only monohull high speed craft to have ever operated for Hellenic Seaways. In 2018, the company was reduced to only two high speed ferries, as they sold the HIGHSPEED 7 to Minoan Lines (as part of the deal that would see Hellenic Seaways become a part of Attica Group), who renamed her SANTORINI PALACE . When looking further towards the East, I spotted t he conventional ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries , which was seen resting in Piraeus. And when I looked towards the South I spotted two of the biggest ferries of the Greek coastal service. These were the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries (which is seen arriving in Piraeus) and the NISSOS RODOS of Hellenic Seaways . Coincidentally, both ships have been built in Japan in the same year, 1987. Both started their careers there before eventually being bought by their current owners in Greece. Moreover, both of them had a stint on the Adriatic Sea before permanently moving to the Aegean Sea. Finally, both ships were laid-up between 2011 and 2012 due to the effects of the Greek financial crisis, before being reactivated in 2013. Now collaborators as Hellenic Seaways joined Attica Group, the BLUE HORIZON operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, while the NISSOS RODOS spent her first season on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. In front of the BLUE GALAXY (at the E3 gate), the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines was also seen resting. She competes against the BLUE HORIZON on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, on which she has spent her entire career, ever since her construction was completed back in 2001. In 2018, she operated on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line for the first time. Minoan Lines added Milos to her itinerary shortly before the start of the summer season. The BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus. She was receiving bunkers and she was due to depart at 22:00 in order to reach Chania the following morning. In the meantime, her fleetmate, namely the BLUE HORIZON, is seen heading towards her docking spot, after having arrived from Heraklion. During the summer, ANEK Lines and Blue Star Ferries operate day trips for their Cretan ships, instead of only overnight trips that occur during the winter season. The ADAMANTIOS KORAIS seen in Piraeus. Just like the BLUE HORIZON and the NISSOS RODOS, she was also built in 1987 in Japan. The summer of 2018 was her eleventh one in Greece, and her tenth consecutive one on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, which she has successfully served and which has earned her considerable acclaim. Next to her (at the E9 gate), the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets had also returned to Piraeus, after having operated on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. Present in Greece since 2015, she has quickly become a key component of the rise of Sea Jets in the Greek coastal service. On yet another coincidence, the day I took all these pictures marked exactly three years since my first (and so far only) trip with her, when I traveled with her from Santorini to Piraeus . Therefore it was nice to see her exactly three years after this memorable trip. The latter was notably my first-ever trip in Greece onboard a high speed ferry. The impressive BLUE HORIZON seen approaching her docking spot in Piraeus. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The beautiful ADAMANTIOS KORAIS resting in Piraeus. She has been the flagship of Zante Ferries ever since beginning service for them. Her first season was spent on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, but she then moved to the Western Cyclades lifeline and she has remained there ever since. The BLUE HORIZON progressively approaching her docking spot in Piraeus. Alongside the CHAMPION JET 1, I also spotted the catamaran FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways . Built in 1998 in the United Kingdom, the FLYINGCAT 3 had previously spent a significant part of her career on the Cyclades. Since 2016, however, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The summer of 2018 hence marked her third straight one on the Saronic Gulf. She had also served the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line in 2015, in addition to her main service that was spent on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line that season. The BLUE HORIZON facing me with her impressive Japanese bow. She is about to begin her maneuvering procedure. Another view of the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. The summer prior to last year's I had traveled onboard her, from Piraeus to Sifnos, on 26 July 2017 . It was my favourite trip of the season, as the ship was truly exciting and offered me several memorable pictures. The BLUE HORIZON about to start her maneuvering procedure. While looking further towards the E8 gate, I saw a familiar ship, namely the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The BLUE HORIZON now preparing to maneuver in Piraeus. The entire procedure lasted a long time due to the ship's size and the limited space next to the E4 gate. But it truly was a spectacle, as I was able to see it being performed right in front of me. The BLUE HORIZON seen maneuvering in Piraeus. It was really a very special moment. While Piraeus residents see it on a daily basis, I saw it for the first time in my life and I was obviously really amazed. It goes on to illustrate the professionalism and efficiency of her crew. When looking at the E8 gate again, I saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways departing Piraeus in order to head towards nearby island Aegina. The BLUE HORIZON seen as she performs her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The BLUE HORIZON having taken a 90-degree turn on her starboard side and facing towards the E8 gate and the E9 gate. It really was an impressive maneuvering procedure. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen heading from Piraeus to Aegina. The summer of 2018 was her thirty-fifth straight in Greece. All of them have been spent on the Saronic Gulf. Only the one-day cruise ship COSMOS of Evermore Cruises has operated in the area for a longer time than this reliable hydrofoil. In the background of the picture is the iconic Church of Agios Nikolaos, who is said to be the seamen's protector Saint. Another picture of the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. The BLUE HORIZON beginning to complete her 180-degree turn in order to head towards her docking spot. The BLUE HORIZON facing me perpendicularly. Her length almost covered the entire passage from the E4 to E9 gates to the port's exit. It was a really impressive scene. In the meantime, I could see, from the only visible area not covered by the BLUE HORIZON, another ship returning to Piraeus. It was another ship owned by Hellenic Seaways, namely the HIGHSPEED 4 . Another view of the BLUE GALAXY. Before entering service with Blue Star Ferries, she was previously known as the LEFKA ORI of ANEK Lines, having operated for them between 2000 and 2012. Between 2012 and 2015 she did not sail at all due to a failed charter to the South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line. She returned to ANEK Lines in 2013, while in 2015 she was acquired by Blue Star Ferries. The HIGHSPEED 4 approaching the E7 gate in Piraeus The fantastic HIGHSPEED 4 seen arriving in Piraeus. She has spent her entire career in Greece, having operated for Hellenic Seaways since the latter was originally established as Minoan Flying Dolphins (before becoming Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002). Moreover, she has served the Cyclades during every single summer since her arrival in Greece in 2000. In 2018, the HIGHSPEED 4 was serving the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, where she has been operating since 2016. She had also operated there in 2014, with tremendous success. Th HIGHSPEED 4 preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, in the exact same location as the BLUE HORIZON did hers just a few minutes earlier. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen quickly maneuvering in Piraeus. Obviously, due to her much smaller size and her status as a high speed craft, her procedure is much faster than the one of the BLUE HORIZON. 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. The HIGHSPEED 4 preparing to dock in Piraeus. Another view of the ships resting in the E9 gate, namely the high speed catamarans FLYINGCAT 3 and CHAMPION JET 1, and the conventional ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. The HIGHSPEED 4 having finished her maneuvering procedure and beginning to dock in Piraeus, while the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS watches. In the meantime, the BLUE HORIZON has completely finished her maneuvering procedure and she is now docked in Piraeus, just in front of her fleetmate, namely the BLUE GALAXY. While the sun begins to set, I took another picture of the NISSOS RODOS, which was set to depart to Chios and Mytilene later in the evening. Another view of the FESTOS PALACE as the evening approaches. The HIGHSPEED 4 still seen docking in the E7 gate. The BLUE HORIZON having docked in Piraeus. She is now seen with the BLUE GALAXY. Both ships were built in Japan and operated under the same company, namely Higashi Nihon Ferry. After being sold to Blue Star Ferries and ANEK Lines, respectively, they became competitors on the Adriatic Sea during the 2000s. After the BLUE GALAXY joined Blue Star Ferries in 2015, the two ships became fleetmates for the first time since 1999. They are now the two ferries of the company serving Crete, and they cooperate with ANEK Lines as part of the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. The HIGHSPEED 4 having docked in Piraeus. And so this marks the end of my post, as it was time for me to head back home in Central Athens. It was a typical evening that I enjoyed during my internship stint. But this day was quite memorable as I got to see a fantastic arrival and maneuvering procedure of the BLUE HORIZON, as well as that of the HIGHSPEED 4. It is a pleasure for me to see how unique the ships of the Greek coastal service are and how their crews take care of them despite having to repeat the same process everyday and having limited free time in the middle of the summer. Next week, an equally-impressive post showing my visit to Piraeus on 13 July 2018 , just one day after taking this post's pictures, will be published. You will get to see it in 7 days! #piraeus #summer2018 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #bluegalaxy #bluehorizon #bluestarferries #hellenichighspeed #nissosrodos #flyingcat3 #flyingdolphinxvii #highspeed4 #hellenicseaways #adamantioskorais #zanteferries #festospalace #minoanlines #championjet1 #seajets #achaeos #2wayferries

The 2020 summer season began for me in early August, as I had finally arrived in Greece after having spent five months as an intern in Cyprus with the Limassol-based shipping company Intership Navigation. Having been reunited with my family, we spent a few days together in Athens before heading to Aegina for a week, so as to start our usual vacation in that island. Despite me spending just a month-and-a-half in Greece this year, I managed to go to several islands and travel with numerous ships. More information about my trips will be published over the next few months, which will focus on my Greek coastal service experience during the summer of 2020. By beginning the season by going to Aegina, I found myself traveling in an area that I know very well: the Saronic Gulf. And this was with a ship that I also know very well, namely the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries . While this post is not a Ship Tribute post, as I had already made one about the ACHAEOS back when I traveled with her from Aegina to Piraeus in 19 July 2016, I usually tend to write about my first trip of the summer regardless of whether the ship on which I travel has had already a post fully dedicated to her services. A similar case was that of 2017, when I made my first trip of that summer with the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries from Santorini to Ios in 10 July 2017 , even though I had already written a Tribute post about the latter when I traveled with her from Piraeus to Santorini back in 7-8 July 2015 . Concerning the ACHAEOS, this was her seventh consecutive season operating on the Saronic Gulf. Since 2014, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, operating under the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which includes her company and Nova Ferries). She had also spent the first season of her career, back in 2006, while serving the Piraeus-Aegina line, before heading to the Ionian Sea the following year in order to operate on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Ever since her return to the Saronic Gulf, she has become an established ferry in the area, and the advantage of her being a double-ended ferry has made her an extremely convenient ship when docking in Aegina or Agistri, despite her not being the fastest ferry on the line. She remains the youngest ferry of the Saronic Gulf operating from Piraeus. We headed to the port of Piraeus on 7 August 2020, and the ACHAEOS was already there waiting for us. We were simply waiting for my sister to arrive in Piraeus from Paros, with her arrival being right before the departure of the ACHAEOS. Regarding my experience with the latter, this was the seventh trip onboard her, as I had already traveled with her twice in 2014, once in 2016 , twice in 2018 and once in 2019. My first picture of the Greek coastal service for 2020. It shows the ACHAEOS as she is docked in Piraeus, shortly before embarking onboard her. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus, during her seventh consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf (and eighth overall since she began her career). Facing me was a ship which I managed to see for the first time in my life. Indeed, it was the AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets Ferries , a ferry with a long and quite eventful career since she began service after being built in Greece in 2003. This was her first-ever season operating out of Piraeus, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, thus serving the Peloponnese and the islands of Kythira, Antikythira and Crete. The ACHAEOS seen loading passengers and vehicles in Piraeus, before her next departure to Aegina. The AQUA JEWEL resting in Piraeus. Built in 2003 for Alpha Ferries, she had a successful stint on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line (having started to serve the latter island in 2005 after being lengthened in Elefsina) before being chartered to NEL Lines in 2010. Under the latter, she operated on the inter-Cyclades lifeline, but her service in 2013-2014 was marred by engine troubles and NEL Lines' severe financial problems. After a major engine failure ended her service in 2014, she returned to Alpha Ferries, who attempted to reactivate her over the following years. She was ultimately bought by Sea Jets in 2017, in order to deploy her back on the inter-Cyclades line, so as to replace the company's previous ferry, the AQUA SPIRIT (which was a former partner of the AQUA JEWEL on the Cyclades back when both ships operated for NEL Lines), which had been sold to the Canadian company BC Ferries. After spending one season there, she spent two summers under charter to the Portuguese company Atlântico Line, being deployed on the Azores Archipelago. Afterwards, she returned to Sea Jets (for whom she operates under the Sea Jets Ferries division) and began her current service on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos line, replacing the IONIS of Triton Ferries which was deployed on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line on the Cyclades. Next to the AQUA JEWEL was one of her fleetmates, namely the high speed catamaran SEA JET 2 . A regular presence on the Cyclades for more than two decades, she served the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line in 2020, alongside her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the SUPER JET . I then saw the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries , which has been operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. Next to her was another familiar face. Indeed, it was the high speed ferry HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways , which had returned to her owners after having spent the previous summer under charter to Fast Ferries. Apart from returning to Hellenic Seaways, she also received the company's new livery, which was added on all its high speed craft. After the partnership with Cosmote ended, Hellenic Seaways did not seek to collaborate with another advertiser. Instead, the ships began to carry a traditional livery featuring the company's colours, while featuring its logo and name on both sides of their hulls. The BLUE HORIZON seen in Piraeus. Built in 1987 in Japan, she first arrived in Greece in 1998, having been acquired by Strintzis Lines. She operated for them as the SUPERFERRY HELLAS on the Adriatic Sea, before the company was taken over by Attica Group, resulting in the creation of Blue Star Ferries in 2000. After being renamed BLUE HORIZON, she continued to operate on the Adriatic Sea until 2010, when she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line. She remained there until 2011, after which she was laid-up, before she was successfully reactivated in 2013 in order to serve the Piraeus-Santorini-Kos-Rhodes line. Since 2014 she is on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, operating under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. The next Hellenic Seaways high speed craft that I saw was none other than the HIGHSPEED 4 , which was also carrying her company's new livery for the first time. After having spent 17 years with the advertisements of Vodafone and then of Cosmote, she finally began to only feature her company's name and logo on both sides of her hull. To be fair, the new livery fits her extremely well. The AQUA JEWEL seen in Piraeus, in what was her second summer operating for Sea Jets (after having also served two summers on the Azores Archipelago). Another view of the veteran ferry BLUE HORIZON. While looking towards the port's exit, I spotted the NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways , which serves the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea since 2018. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen in Piraeus. A few days after seeing her, she began her summer service on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line, being deployed in Crete and on the Dodecanese for the first time in her career. This happened as her fleetmate operating there, namely the EXPRESS PEGASUS , grounded off in islets near Kasos and had parts of her hull cracked. Therefore, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED marked her comeback under Hellenic Seaways by replacing her older fleetmate, which has since been laid-up in Drapetsona. Another view of the HIGHSPEED 4, which was celebrating her twentieth anniversary since successfully beginning operations in Greece, back when she was a newly-built high speed ferry under Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 before being restructured as Hellenic Seaways in 2005). One of the two funnels of HIGHSPEED 4, which were once again painted with a red background and with the three dolphins (the logo of Hellenic Seaways) coloured in white. Before that, back when the high speed craft were sponsored by Cosmote, their background was painted in white, whereas the dolphins were painted in red. However, following the new livery change, the funnels were reverted back to their Vodafone-era appearance. Next to the BLUE HORIZON was another Greek coastal service veteran. Indeed, it was the cruiseferry PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , which operates on one of the most demanding lifelines of the Aegean Sea, the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line, since 2009. Another view of the NISSOS SAMOS, formerly known as the IONIAN QUEEN of now-defunct company Endeavor Lines. She was acquired in late 2015 by Hellenic Seaways after having previously been laid-up in Patras for more than three years. She entered service on the Aegean Sea for the first time during the summer of 2016, being deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. In her second season under Hellenic Seaways, in 2017, she had a successful stint on the Cyclades, on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line. She then returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea, on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line, in 2018, and has since continued to operate there. The AQUA JEWEL docked in Piraeus, shortly before her departure for Gytheion. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen resting in Piraeus. I had traveled with her exactly two years and nine days before my trip with ACHAEOS, back when she brought my family from Paros to Piraeus on 29 July 2018 . The impressive BLUE HORIZON seen in Piraeus, awaiting her next departure to Heraklion. The PREVELIS docked in Piraeus. The summer of 2020 marked exactly 20 years since she began operating for ANEK Lines. Before that, she operated on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line as the PREVELI for Cretan Ferries. After ANEK Lines acquired the latter in 2000, the PREVELI became one of the many ships to have served the famous Cretan company. She was renamed PREVELIS and she operated for one season on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese, before heading back to the Piraeus-Rethymnon line in 2001, where she remained until early 2007. She spent the 2007 season on the Piraeus-Chania line, while in 2008 she had a stint on the Cyclades, namely on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, before moving to her current service in 2009. The stern of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, featuring her name and port of registry (Piraeus) in Greek on both the port side and the starboard side. While I was photographing the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, I spotted one of her former fleetmates, namely the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which had just returned to Piraeus after having carried-out her usual service on the Saronic Gulf. The BLUE HORIZON seen docked in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS having just returned in Piraeus. This was her twenty-third summer since she began operations, with all of them having been on the Saronic Gulf. She has operated under Poseidon Consortium Shipping (the original company of the Papaïoannidis family, which now owns 2way Ferries) from 1998 to 1999, under Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins from 1999 to 2005, and under Hellenic Seaways for exactly ten years (2005-2015), before she was sold to 2way Ferries in 2015. As part of the Saronic Ferries joint venture, she operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. The POSIDON HELLAS seen arriving in Piraeus. She was the first-ever conventional double-ended ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service back when her construction was completed in 1998. The POSIDON HELLAS about to begin her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, after having arrived from Aegina. The POSIDON HELLAS about to begin her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, in what was her sixth consecutive season under 2way Ferries. The AQUA JEWEL and the POSIDON HELLAS seen together in Piraeus. Coincidentally, both ships had extremely large construction delays, with both of them waiting 17 years before they were completely built, and in fact their initial building plans were completely different compared to how they were eventually built. Indeed, the AQUA JEWEL was initially ordered in 1986 as multi-purpose megayacht available for daily cruises under the company Perosea Shipping Company. She was due to be completed under the name NISSILIOS, but her construction was delayed and she was ultimately abandoned in Elefsina. Her unfinished hull was bought in 2001 by the then-newly-established Greek company Alpha Ferries, owned by the shipowner Perogiannakis, and she was instead built as a ferry under the name AQUA JEWEL in 2003. As for the POSIDON HELLAS, she had been ordered as an electricity supply ship for OTE in 1981, under the name THALIS O MILISSIOS II. The plans were however abandoned, and the ship was instead built as a conventional double-ended ferry in 1998, as the POSIDON HELLAS for Poseidon Consortium Shipping. Thus, seeing these two ships together is quite meaningful, considering that they both waited 17 years for their construction to be completed. The POSIDON HELLAS about to begin maneuvering in Piraeus, The POSIDON HELLAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus. Barely a few minutes after the arrival of the POSIDON HELLAS, another ship had returned to the port of Piraeus. Indeed, it was the great BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which had just returned from her service on the Cyclades. She was the ship on which my sister was traveling, as she headed back to Piraeus from Paros. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having just arrived in Piraeus, in what was the ninth summer of her career. This year was quite particular for her. Indeed, and as you will see it in the upcoming pictures, she underwent a major conversion in Malta, during which she was equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system, also known as 'scrubbers', so as to be in accordance with the new environmental regulations set by the IMO regarding sulphur consumption. She became the first ship of Blue Star Ferries and of Attica Group to undergo this conversion. She is also the sixth ship of the Greek coastal service to have received scrubbers, with the other five being the cruiseferries of Minoan Lines. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having returned to Piraeus and heading towards her docking spot. This was her sixth consecutive summer on the Cyclades, having first started service there in 2015. For the 2020 season, the islands of Ikaria and Samos were added to her itinerary in some weekdays. Therefore, she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi-Ikaria-Samos line this year. The BLUE STAR PATMOS heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. In the meantime, the POSIDON HELLAS is still seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS heading towards the E7 gate, where her docking spot is located. The POSIDON HELLAS having finished her maneuvering procedure and beginning to dock in Piraeus. The impressive BLUE STAR PATMOS heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Outside of the ships operating on the Saronic Gulf, she is the ship with which I have traveled the most on the Aegean Sea. Indeed, since 2015, I have traveled with her four times: the first time was during my first-ever trip on the Cyclades, on 7-8 July 2015 from Piraeus to Santorini . The second time was on 10 July 2017 from Santorini to Ios , the third time was on 26 July 2018 from Naxos to Paros, and the fourth time was on 12-13 July 2019, again from Piraeus to Santorini ( back when I went to the island with my sister , who happened to be onboard the ship when this picture was taken). A view of the funnel of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which had to be modified so as to fit in the new exhaust gas cleaning system. It was heightened a bit, while its back section was extended. Moreover, several openings were added, and the base became a bit wider. The PREVELIS seen resting in Piraeus. As she turned 40 this year, it is noteworthy to state she has spent exactly half of her career under ANEK Lines, as she joined them in 2000, back when she was 20 years old. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having quickly maneuvered and beginning to dock in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS about to dock in Piraeus. A frontal view of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, which is seen resting in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR PATMOS seen docking in Piraeus. Another view of the PREVELIS. The BLUE STAR PATMOS having almost docked in Piraeus. After she did, I greeted my sister and together we headed towards the E8 gate in order to embark onboard the ACHAEOS. Another view of the upgraded funnel of the BLUE STAR PATMOS following her scrubbers installation. The other ship of Attica Group to have been equipped with the latter before the 2020 season was the SUPERFAST XI of Superfast Ferries, which underwent her conversion in Perama. The sister ship of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, the BLUE STAR DELOS , is set to finish her service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in the next few days in order to begin the same conversion in Perama. She is planned to finish the scrubber installation in early 2021. After having boarded the ACHAEOS, I was able to continue to take pictures of the surrounding ships. Here is her fleetmate, the POSIDON HELLAS, right after she had finished docking in Piraeus. On the ship's port side, I spotted two Hellenic Seaways high speed craft operating on the Saronic Gulf. The first one was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XIX (which was operating for the first time since 2012), while the second one was the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 . Both of them were carrying the new livery introduced by their company on all its high speed craft. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen in Piraeus. In what has been one of the most unexpected comeback stories of the past few years, I was able to to see and photograph a ship which I had constantly seen during my childhood. Indeed, she had been present on the Saronic Gulf from 2004, hence a year before Hellenic Seaways was established. She remained there until right before the start of the 2012 season, when her service abruptly ended following a major accident in the islet of Melopi, while sailing between Aegina and Agistri. She was salvaged and towed to Perama, whereupon she was declared a constructive total loss. As she was due to be retired the following year after having reached 30 years of service (as these were the restrictions at the time in Greece), she was removed from the fleet of Hellenic Seaways. She remained laid-up in Perama until she was unexpectedly given the chance to have a second career in 2019. Indeed, after her fleetmate and sister ship, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII , was completely destroyed by a fire and was scrapped in Perama , Hellenic Seaways sought to fill the void left by the latter by deciding to reactivate the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, despite her having been declared a constructive total loss. Following a huge refit, she was reactivated in 2020, entering service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line for the first time in eight years. The FLYINGCAT 6, another Hellenic Seaways veteran, seen carrying her company's new livery. This was her third consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and sixth overall in her career. This year however, she also began operating in Aegina and Agistri for the first time, thus being deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli alongside the hydrofoils. In the E9 gate was the high speed ferry SUPEREXPRESS of Golden Star Ferries , which has been owned by the latter since 2019. The FLYINGCAT 6 resting in Piraeus, as the ACHAEOS began leaving the port at 15:30. Another view of the impressive HIGHSPEED 4, with the BLUE STAR PATMOS seen in the background. The BLUE HORIZON seen in Piraeus, as the ACHAEOS begins to leave the port. The PREVELIS and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen together in Piraeus. A few days later, the two ships would find themselves operating together on the Crete-Dodecanese lifeline, with the service on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line performed by the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED also being a part of the long itinerary of the PREVELIS. A final view of the PREVELIS in Piraeus. The SUPEREXPRESS seen alongside a rival: the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets . Despite both their companies having a fierce competition on the Cyclades, both ships have a close relation. Indeed, they were built in the same shipyard in Australia, with both being well-known Incat-built catamarans. Moreover, both of them used to serve the Channel during a part of their careers before being bought by their current Greek owners. Next to them was another ship owned by Golden Star Ferries, the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED . She had been repaired following the major engine failure that she suffered last summer, back when she was operating on the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. The SUPEREXPRESS and the CHAMPION JET 1 seen together in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen in Piraeus. She returned to her owners this year, after having spent the previous summer under charter to the Spanish company Naviera Armas, being deployed on the Almería-Melilla-Málaga line for the latter. Before that, she had spent two seasons (2017 and 2018) on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line for Sea Jets. After seeing two rival high speed ferries, this picture now shows two rival small passenger-only high speed craft: the SUPERSPEED and the SEA JET 2, both of which compete on the Cyclades. One last view of the BLUE HORIZON, as seen from the departing ACHAEOS. While heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I spotted another high speed craft of Golden Star Ferries: the SUPERRUNNER . Owned by Golden Star Ferries since late 2016, she spent her first three seasons on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, where she was extremely successful. Passing by the NISSOS SAMOS, which was resting prior to her departure for the Northeast Aegean Sea islands that she has been serving since 2018. Facing the SUPERRUNNER was another familiar face, but which had also undergone a major change. Indeed, it was the cruiseferry KYDON PALACE of Minoan Lines, which was previously known as the FESTOS PALACE . This was the first time that I saw the ship under her new name, which she acquired as part of a fleet reshuffle carried-out by Minoan Lines. Indeed, after having previously operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line from the start of her career in 2001, she switched her itinerary with that of her fleetmate and sister ship, the MYKONOS PALACE (which originally began her career under Minoan Lines as the EUROPA PALCE) , which was operating on the Piraeus-Chania line since 2018. As a result of this change, the MYKONOS PALACE was renamed FESTOS PALACE, while the original FESTOS PALACE was renamed KYDON PALACE and was inserted on the Piraeus-Chania line for the first time in her career. The SUPERRUNNER seen in Piraeus. I had traveled with her back in 17 June 2018, while heading from Ios to Mykonos . The KYDON PALACE seen in Piraeus, during her first summer on her new line and under her new name. Another view of the veteran ferry NISSOS SAMOS, in what was her fifth season under Hellenic Seaways. The large funnel of the KYDON PALACE, which was upgraded back in 2019, when the ship underwent her scrubbers installation conversion in Malta back when she was still known as the FESTOS PALACE. She became the third ship of Minoan Lines and of the Greek coastal service to undergo this conversion, after the MYKONOS PALACE (the current FESTOS PALACE) and her other sister ship, the KNOSSOS PALACE . Another view of the KYDON PALACE. Despite no longer having the name which made her famous in Greece, she remains one of the best ships of the Greek coastal service. Moreover, her service on the Piraeus-Chania line was praised by many, and she quickly won the hearts of the passengers using the line, just like she had done so in her 19 years while serving the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The next ship that I saw while heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus was the superb BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries , which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line. The BLUE STAR 2 seen in Piraeus. This was her twentieth anniversary since beginning operations. Seventeen of these years have been spent on the Aegean Sea, with fifteen of them on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese, and she became one of the most important ships to have ever served these areas. She was one of the main reasons why Blue Star Ferries became the dominant company on the services from Piraeus to the Dodecanese. She also carried a celebration sign on each side of her hull (near her stern) in honour of the 20 years since Blue Star Ferries was established. Another view of the KYDON PALACE in Piraeus. Interestingly, the name KYDON is more associated with ships of ANEK Lines, the arch-rivals of Minoan Lines. Indeed, the former's first-ever ship bore that name (from 1967 to 1989), as did two more ships, namely the current AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets Ferries (owned by ANEK Lines from 1990 to 1999 and from 2009 to 2016, having also operated as the TALOS and as the IERAPETRA L) and the current KYDON (the ex-SOPHOCLES V for ANEK Lines, currently under a long-term charter to Ferries Del Caribe, for whom she operates on the Santo Domingo-San Juan line on the Caribbean Sea). A view of the Vassiliadis Drydocks and of the floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, a former Liberty ship. She is one of the only three surviving members of her class, which operated for the United States during World War II. The class had 2,710 ships. This one was donated to Greece by the United States in 2008 and she opened as a museum in 2010. One last view of the KYDON PALACE, which was also preparing to depart the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Chania. The BLUE STAR 2 seen in Piraeus. Before beginning her career on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese in 2005, she had spent two seasons on the line currently served by the KYDON PALACE, namely the Piraeus-Chania line. While her service there was very successful, her company decided to instead deploy her on the Dodecanese, which ultimately was a move that clearly paid off and helped the ship cement her status as one of the best ships of the Greek coastal service. Next to the BLUE STAR 2 was another ferry, namely the EKATERINI P of Fast Ferries . She was not operating this summer (her second in a row) as she was still being repaired following the major engine failure that she experienced in early 2019. The EKATERINI P seen in Piraeus, after having undergone most of her repairs. Usually, she operates on the Rafina-Cyclades service, having first started operating there in 2012. She was first on the classic Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, before moving to the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line in 2016, where she was extremely successful. The EKATERINI P docked in Piraeus. Before beginning to operate on the Cyclades in 2012, she previously served the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line under Fast Ferries, just like the ACHAEOS had done so as well. The EKATERINI P was there from 1999 to 2011, whereas the ACHAEOS was there from 2007 to 2011 and from 2012 to 2013. From 2011 to 2012 she had been chartered to the Italian company Blunavy, operating for the latter on the Piombino-Elba line. The EKATERINI P and the BLUE STAR 2 seen together in Piraeus. Two ships of the Aegean Sea seen together in Piraeus: the smaller but older EKATERINI P (which was built in 1990) and the larger but younger BLUE STAR 2 (which was built in 2000). Another view of the BLUE STAR 2 in Piraeus. The large funnel of the BLUE STAR 2, which features the well-known logo of her company, the eponymous blue star. The ACHAEOS passing by her former competitor on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line, namely the EKATERINI P. The EKATERINI P seen in Piraeus, undergoing the subsequent reparations stages required so that she can resume service for Fast Ferries in 2021. Right upon exiting the port of Piraeus, I saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways about to enter. Just like her other fleetmates, she also features the new livery of Hellenic Seaways. Built in 1993, she has so far spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX about to enter the port of Piraeus. At 27 years old, she is the youngest active hydrofoil in Greece. And just a few seconds later, I spotted the last of the three hydrofoils currently owned by Hellenic Seaways: the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII . She was also heading towards the port of Piraeus, and, just like her fleetmates, carried the new red and black livery of Hellenic Seaways. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII heading towards Piraeus. Built in 1984, she has also spent the entirety of her career on the Saronic Gulf. She first operated for Ceres Flying Dolphins, before the latter was acquired by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. Since then, she has operated under the latter, which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and then Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The veteran hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen heading towards Piraeus. Coincidentally, my trip with the ACHAEOS was done exactly one year after the first-ever trip I had with the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII. Indeed, back in 7 August 2019, I traveled onboard the hydrofoil from Aegina to Piraeus, in order to do carry-out some tasks in Athens before returning to the island later that day. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen heading to Piraeus. Behind her is the small island of Psyttaleia. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen on the Saronic Gulf, on her way towards Piraeus. She is the passenger ship with the most experience in the region, having been on her service since 1984. Only the one-day cruise ship COSMOS of Evermore Cruises has operated longer than she has on the Saronic Gulf, although she only performs one-day cruises and not regular passenger-only service. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII on her way towards the port of Piraeus. A few minutes later, I spotted yet another hydrofoil operating on the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, it was the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , which was also heading towards Piraeus, after having departed from Aegina. Built in 1991, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, thus spending her eleventh summer under them. This season marked her tenth consecutive on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, which she has been serving since 2011. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen on the Saronic Gulf, while heading towards Piraeus. During her first season under Aegean Flying Dolphins in 2010, she operated on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Crossing the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA on the Saronic Gulf, as she heads towards Piraeus. Right behind her was another familiar face operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries . Crossing the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on the Saronic Gulf, as she is seen returning to Piraeus. The summer of 2020 was her twentieth consecutive on the Piraeus-Aegina line, which she has been serving loyally and efficiently all these years. She first began operating there under the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, before she was sold to ANES Ferries in 2007. Despite the latter being originally based on the Dodecanese, the ship remained on the Piraeus-Aegina line, and has since become one of the most distinguishable figures of the Saronic Gulf. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen in the middle of the Saronic Gulf. She was built in 1999, originally as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU of the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, and spent her first two years on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line before moving to the Piraeus-Aegina line in 2001. The loyal and much-appreciated AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen heading towards Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on her way towards the port of Piraeus. Crossing the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she heads towards Piraeus, in what was her fourteenth summer under ANES Ferries. One last view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she heads towards Piraeus. A few minutes later, I saw the APOLLON HELLAS, also owned by 2way Ferries . Just like all the other ships that I had just seen, she was heading from Aegina to Piraeus. Crossing the APOLLON HELLAS on the Saronic Gulf. Along with the POSIDON HELLAS and the ACHAEOS, she is part of the ships of 2way Ferries serving the area. The company also operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea (where the ACHAEOS used to be as well) with the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II . Crossing the APOLLON HELLAS on the Saronic Gulf as she heads towards Piraeus. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has spent the bulk of her career on the Saronic Gulf. She originally operated there from 1990 to 1995 as the GEORGIOS of Akouriki Shipping Company, before having a stint from 1995 to 1999 in South Korea, as the SUN BEACH of Wing Ferry Company. She was however repatriated in 1999 after having been bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping (the predecessor of 2way Ferries which had just deployed deployed the POSIDON HELLAS in 1998) and resumed service on the Saronic Gulf as the APOLLON HELLAS. Later during that year her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins (later Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, and Hellenic Seaways since 2005), and she operated under the Saronikos Ferries division. After joining Hellenic Seaways in 2005, she continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf until 2014, when she was deployed on the Sporades for the first time in her career. She first served the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2014, and then the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2015. She remained on the latter in 2016, the year during which she was acquired by 2way Ferries (which had just bought the POSIDON HELLAS in 2015). The following year she returned to the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, where she has since been remaining. Crossing the beautiful APOLLON HELLAS on the Saronic Gulf. She was celebrating 30 years since the start of her career. For that occasion, she underwent a major refit this year prior to beginning her summer operations in Perama, with her indoor areas being completely renovated and her engines being improved. As such, she became a completely different ship, upgraded to today's standards and with better speed. The APOLLON HELLAS seen on the Saronic Gulf, heading towards Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf, I traveled with her twice between 2017 and 2019. The first time was on 7 August 2017 (exactly three years before taking this picture) from Piraeus to Aegina , while the second time was on 7 July 2018, also from Piraeus to Aegina. The APOLLON HELLAS seen on the Saronic Gulf, during her fifth season under 2way Ferries, and fourth consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The APOLLON HELLAS seen heading towards Piraeus. She is the first and only non-double-ended ferry of 2way Ferries, as such she does not really fit the company's name. Regardless, she still performs excellently for them, especially since this year, following her major upgrade. The APOLLON HELLAS on her way towards the port of Piraeus. One last view of the APOLLON HELLAS, on which I would go on to travel six days later while heading back from Aegina to Piraeus. This was my first trip with the ship since 2018, and my first-ever trip following her major renovation in Perama. Shortly after crossing the APOLLON HELLAS, I noticed that the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII had managed to catch us up while heading from Piraeus to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII passing by us while heading towards Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen on the Saronic Gulf, heading towards Aegina. While the ACHAEOS was approaching Aegina, I managed to see the last ship operating on the Saronic Gulf that had not appeared yet. And it was none other than my favourite ship, the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries . Crossing the PHIVOS on the Saronic Gulf, while she heads from Aegina to Piraeus. Built in 1980, she has been in Greece and under Nova Ferries since 2005. Her entire Greek career has been spent on the Saronic Gulf, having operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line from 2005 to 2006, solely on the Piraeus-Aegina line from 2007 to 2013, and on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line since 2014 (when her company joined the Saronic Ferries joint venture). Passing by the PHIVOS on the Saronic Gulf. The impressive 40-year-old ferry was spending her sixteenth consecutive summer in Greece under Nova Ferries. Crossing the PHIVOS as she is seen heading towards Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen on the Saronic Gulf, on her way towards Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen on the Saronic Gulf. She began her service there a year before the ACHAEOS was built, and has been remaining there ever since. Barely a few minutes after having seen her passing by us while heading to Aegina, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII had just departed the island's port and was now heading back to Piraeus. Crossing the speedy FLYING DOLPHIN XVII as she is seen heading back to Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII on her way back towards Piraeus, with Aegina seen in the background. At around 16:45, the ACHAEOS had finally arrived and docked in Aegina. At last I had returned to the island after almost one entire year. Here is the ship right after we had disembarked. The ACHAEOS having just docked in Aegina. Only 10 minutes after having docked in Aegina, the ACHAEOS was already leaving the port in order to head towards Agistri. One last view of the ACHAEOS as she leaves Aegina for Agistri. And so a usual trip from Piraeus to Aegina came to an end. While having done countless trips on this line in my life, it was nice to gain a first taste of the summer in Greece, as well as to spend some time in Aegina with my family. Just like it was the case with the previous six trips that I had onboard the ACHAEOS prior to this one, she was a very efficient and sail-worthy ship, and this short trip was a nice way to start the 2020 summer season in Greece. I was also pleased to see many familiar faces from Piraeus and from the Saronic Gulf, with some of them having a new livery or a new name. Overall, this trip was symbolic as it officially inaugurated a very interesting and lively 2020 season for me. #achaeos #2wayferries #saronicferries #summer2020 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #piraeus #aegina #aquajewel #seajet2 #championjet1 #seajets #seajetsferries #bluehorizon #bluestarpatmos #bluestar2 #bluestarferries #hellenichighspeed #highspeed4 #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxix #flyingcat6 #flyingdolphinxxix #flyingdolphinxvii #hellenicseaways #prevelis #aneklines #posidonhellas #apollonhellas #superexpress #superspeed #superrunner #goldenstarferries #kydonpalace #minoanlines #ekaterinip #fastferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #phivos #novaferries

On 21 September 2020, I had my last interaction with the Greek coastal service for the 2020 season. This was done by going to the port of Piraeus for one final time during that year, in order to see the various ships that I had the chance to spot during that short and meaningful visit. As the large majority of the ships that I saw that day consisted of ships that I got to see very often throughout my trips during the summer of 2020, it was an opportunity to bid farewell to them for the time coming, until my return to Greece for the summer of 2021. However, there were some notable exceptions, all of which will be covered in this post. Just one day after traveling to Syros and back with the WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets , and one day before my departure from Greece in order to head back to the United Kingdom, I spent a couple of hours at noon in the port of Piraeus, whereupon I got to see several ships, including some that were already beginning their annual winter refits (due to the incoming end of the tourist season for that year). There were also a few departures and arrivals, though not as many as usual due to those occurring mostly during the early morning and early evening. Without further ado, here are all the pictures that I took that day, as part of my last visit to the port of Piraeus for 2020. The first ship that I got to see right upon arriving in Piraeus was one of my favourites: the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries . Built in 1980, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2005. In these 15 years that followed, she became one of the most acclaimed ships to serve the area, and she has also been a major part of my childhood and all the memories that I have from my summers in Greece. As soon as I arrived, I was able to take a quick picture of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which had departed the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. I then got to see the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries . She has been owned by the latter since 1999, and initially served the Ionian Sea, on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line, as well as the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line in 2013 and in 2015. Since 2017, after she underwent a major conversion in Keratsini (during which her bow was modified and her stability at sea was improved), she has been operating on the Western Cyclades. She has been on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line since 2019 (after not having served Santorini in 2017 and in 2018). I then went on to see the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways , which was spending the 2020 season on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In front of the FLYINGCAT 6 was her fleetmate, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII , which also operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. A view of the PHIVOS in Piraeus, in what was her sixteenth consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf. Since 2014, as part of the itineraries provided by the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which is composed of Nova Ferries and 2way Ferries), she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen resting in Piraeus. This was her third consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf, and overall it was her sixth summer serving the area. Indeed, she had also operated there during the summers of 2013, 2015 and 2016, on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In 2020 she started serving Aegina and Agistri for the first time. Having started service for Hellenic Seaways in 2005, the years in which she was not operating on the Saronic Gulf saw her instead being deployed on the Sporades. A view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in Piraeus. As she had been operating on the Ionian Sea throughout my entire childhood, I have many fond memories of that ship as I would see her in Zakynthos almost every single summer prior to her conversion and subsequent service on the Western Cyclades. When she was on the Ionian Sea, I got to travel onboard her several times. So far, my most recent trip with her dates back from 9 July 2013, when I was heading from Kyllini to Zakynthos. A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII in Piraeus. She was notably seen spotting the new livery of the Hellenic Seaways high speed craft, which they acquired after the company decided not to renew the advertising partnership that it had with Cosmote. The PHIVOS seen resting in Piraeus. In 2020, I traveled with her just once, on 30 August, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina with my two best friends from my university. A view of the PHIVOS in the port of Piraeus, during a year that also marked 40 years since she began her career. Before her arrival to Greece, she operated as the PUNTA EUROPA on the Gibraltar Strait and later on the Balearic Islands for several Spanish companies, before being laid-up in 2003. Although she was initially bought by the Italian company TRIS Traghetti Isole Sarde, the latter was taken over by the company Enermar and the plans to reactivate the ship were abandoned. She was instead bought by the then-newly-established Greek company Nova Ferries in 2004. After a lengthy conversion in Drapetsona, she began her successful second life as the PHIVOS in Greece in 2005. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII in Piraeus. Built in 1984, she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. She initially operated under the famed company Ceres Flying Dolphins from 1984 to 1999, until the latter was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. The new operators of the hydrofoil were then renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, and were then rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The PHIVOS seen in the port of Piraeus. In her first two seasons under Nova Ferries, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line, before then operating solely on the Piraeus-Aegina line from 2007 to 2013. When I began to look towards the E7 gate, I saw a familiar face under a different appearance for the first time. Indeed, I got to see the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries, which was formerly known as the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways . Built in 2005 in Greece, the ship spent 15 years under Hellenic Seaways, before joining Blue Star Ferries in early 2020. As a result, her name and her livery were changed. Her fleetmate and sister ship, the NISSOS CHIOS, was also transferred to Blue Star Ferries in that same period, and she now operates as the BLUE STAR CHIOS . A view of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, during her debut season under Blue Star Ferries. During that year, she continued to serve the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea, just as she had done during her spell under Hellenic Seaways. For 2020, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Oinousses-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen with a ship that used to be one of her fleetmates. Indeed, that ship is the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 4 of Hellenic Seaways . Both ships were the main faces of the company in most of its advertisements, but now they are no longer owned by the same operator (even though both Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways are controlled by Attica Group). A view of the HIGHSPEED 4 in the port of Piraeus. It was her first year carrying the new livery of the Hellenic Seaways high speed craft. The funnel of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, which saw the famed blue star logo of Blue Star Ferries flying over the ship for the first time. However, this happened to be the only year during which we got to see the funnel under this form. Indeed, it will appear different in 2021, due to the BLUE STAR MYCONOS recently undergoing a conversion in Perama that would see her being equipped with an exhaust gas cleaning system, also known as 'scrubbers'. She has returned to service just three days ago, being inserted on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Oinousses-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen in Piraeus. I have so far traveled with her once, back in 28 July 2019, when I was heading from Spetses to Piraeus . A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII in Piraeus. I have also traveled with her once so far, also during the summer of 2019. This was on 7 August 2019, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus. She is the most recent Hellenic Seaways hydrofoil, as well as the most recent Hellenic Seaways ship, onboard which I have traveled. The PHIVOS seen resting in Piraeus. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS also seen resting in Piraeus, in what was her fourth consecutive summer on the Western Cyclades. The HIGHSPEED 4 seen docked in Piraeus. Built in 2000 for Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005), she has so far spent her entire career operating on the Cyclades, on which she has become one of the most acclaimed ships of the last two decades. The PHIVOS was seen alongside one of her Saronic Ferries collaborators, namely the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries . The latter also operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. A view of the HIGHSPEED 4 in the port of Piraeus. Due to the various economic difficulties that Hellenic Seaways experienced in the 2010s, she is one of the only two remaining high speed ferries that are part of the 'Highspeed' brand, along with the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED . I then proceed to seeing the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was serving the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in the port of Piraeus, during her first season under Blue Star Ferries. I also saw the high speed ferry SUPEREXPRESS of Golden Star Ferries in Piraeus. She began operating for the latter in 2019. Towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I spotted the NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways , which serves the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen resting in Piraeus. After her fleetmate, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS , headed for operations on the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line, she has been the only ship of Zante Ferries operating on the Western Cyclades. The PHIVOS seen in Piraeus, alongside the APOLLON HELLAS. In the meantime, I saw the small passenger boat ELENA F of Elena F Shipping arriving in Piraeus. Built in 1998, she is one of the ships operating on the Piraeus-Salamina line. At the E10 gate, I saw the bow of the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED of Golden Star Ferries . The SUPERSPEED seen in the port of Piraeus. She began service for Golden Star Ferries in 2018, initially on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades, followed by a stint on the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line on the Cyclades in 2019. The latter service was unsuccessful, as her season ended prematurely following a major engine failure that she suffered in Naxos in the middle of the summer. The NISSOS SAMOS seen in Piraeus, during her fifth summer under Hellenic Seaways. She was previously the IONIAN QUEEN of Endeavor Lines, for whom she operated on the Adriatic Sea from 2005 to 2012, when the company ceased to exist. After being laid-up in Patras for three years, the ship was bought by Hellenic Seaways in late 2015, and was reactivated as the NISSOS SAMOS on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line in 2016. She then spent one successful season on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line in 2017, before returning to the Northeast Aegean Sea in 2018, having since been operating on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in Piraeus. She is considered to be one of the best, if not the best (according to many) ferry of the Greek coastal service. At some point, I saw the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII departing the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. As the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII was leaving, I then got to see the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, also of Hellenic Seaways . Just like her fleetmate, she operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen passing by the PHIVOS and the APOLLON HELLAS in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen heading towards Aegina, after having left Piraeus. The impressive BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in Piraeus. So far she has spent her entire career on the Northeast Aegean Sea, while also serving many islands of the Cyclades along the way (including Syros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos). The HIGHSPEED 4 seen in the port of Piraeus. I traveled with her back on 29 July 2018, while heading from Paros to Piraeus . The APOLLON HELLAS and the PHIVOS docked together in Piraeus. The former returned to the Saronic Gulf back in 2017, after having previously operated on the Sporades between 2014 and 2016. Before that, she had operated on the Saronic Gulf from 1999 to 2013, under Poseidon Consortium Shipping (1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins (1999-2002), Hellas Flying Dolphins (2002-2005) and Hellenic Seaways (2005-2013). She was acquired by 2way Ferries in 2016, while she was operating on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. A few moments later, I saw the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries arriving in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS was seen maneuvering in Piraeus, in order to dock next to her Saronic Ferries partners. Built in 1998 in Greece, she became the first-ever conventional double-ended ferry to enter the Greek coastal service. She has so far spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, having operated under Poseidon Consortium Shipping (1998-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins and Hellas Flying Dolphins under the Saronikos Ferries division (1999-2005), Hellenic Seaways (2005-2015) and 2way Ferries (since 2015). The POSIDON HELLAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus, in what was her sixth summer under 2way Ferries. The POSIDON HELLAS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen having docked in Piraeus. She has spent all her career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, except for the 2013 season, when she was deployed on the Glyfa-Skiathos line on the Sporades. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in Piraeus. She became the first ship of the Greek coastal service to win the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards, back in 2006. Her sister ship won that same award in 2007, while the WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets won it in 2019. The POSIDON HELLAS having completed her maneuvering procedure and preparing to dock in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen departing the port of Piraeus for Salamina immediately afterwards. The POSIDON HELLAS about to dock in Piraeus. A view of the FLYINGCAT 6 while she is seen resting in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS having just docked in the port of Piraeus. That summer, I traveled with her once, back when I went from Piraeus to Aegina on 18 August 2020. A view of the POSIDON HELLAS, just after she had docked in Piraeus. She serves the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line, thus making her the only ship of the Saronic Ferries joint venture to operate in all of its destinations. The POSIDON HELLAS seen in Piraeus. She was bought by 2way Ferries in 2015, after having operated for Hellenic Seaways for ten years. Interestingly, 2way Ferries was the successor company of Poseidon Consortium Shipping, which ended service in 1999 after it was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins. The company was owned by the Papaïoannidis family, which today owns and operates 2way Ferries. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen in Piraeus, right before leaving for the Western Cyclades. Just after the POSIDON HELLAS had docked in Piraeus, another ship operating on the Saronic Gulf and named after the Greek God of the Sea was seen arriving in the port. Indeed, it was the small passenger boat POSEIDON of Poseidon Waterways . She was spending her debut summer on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The POSEIDON seen arriving in Piraeus. Built in 1995, she was previously known as the MARIA K of Kalfaoglou Shipping, and operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 1995 until 2003. She was then laid-up for 12 years, until she was reactivated by Salamina Waterways as the THERMAÏKOS I in 2015. She operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2015 until 2018. Afterwards, she was bought by Thessaloniki Waterways, which was rebranded as Poseidon Waterways, with the ship herself being renamed POSEIDON. She spent the 2019 season on the Thermaic Gulf, on the Thessaloniki-Peraia-Neoi Epivates-Agia Triada. After only one summer there, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Salamina line in 2020. The APOLLON HELLAS seen in Piraeus. In 2020, she underwent an extensive refit, which saw all her indoor areas being modernised and making her look much more attractive for passengers. Her speed and her engines were also improved. I was able to see such changes when I traveled with the ship from Aegina to Piraeus on 13 August 2020 . As I started walking towards the E7 gate, I noticed the FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which had finished her summer service on the Saronic Gulf, and was now beginning her annual winter refit. She had completed her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In front of me, I also saw the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Chania line. In front of the BLUE GALAXY was her former fleetmate, namely the KRITI II of ANEK Lines . She was operating on the Piraeus-Heraklion line for the sixth consecutive summer. After seeing the aforementioned two ships, I then saw a familiar face, though in an unfamiliar location. Indeed, I saw the legendary SUPERFERRY II of Golden Star Ferries docked in Piraeus. Having been an icon operating from Rafina to the Cyclades since 1993, the ship was seen in Piraeus as she was temporarily serving the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karapthos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline, as the incumbent ship operating in this service, the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , was undergoing her annual refit in Perama. As such, the SUPERFERRY II, which had already finished her service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line for that season, was called to replace her. A view of the SUPERFERRY II in Piraeus, while replacing the PREVELIS. Built in 1974 in Belgium, since her arrival in Greece she has spent all her summers on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while also adding many more islands along the way during different seasons. She has been operating for Golden Star Ferries since 2011. Before that, she operated under Blue Star Ferries, and even before that for the latter's predecessor, namely Strintzis Lines. The BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus. She began operations for Blue Star Ferries in 2015, on the Piraeus-Chania line. Before that, she was the LEFKA ORI of ANEK Lines, having operated for them on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line (2000-2004) and on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line (2005-2011) on the Adriatic Sea. In 2012, she was chartered to South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line, but she never entered service for them due to their economic issues. As a result, she was laid-up in Busan in 2013, and returned to ANEK Lines, where she remained laid-up until late 2014, when she began preparations in order to be reactivated by Blue Star Ferries as the BLUE GALAXY in 2015. The KRITI II seen in Piraeus, during her twenty-fourth summer under ANEK Lines. She has operated on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line (1997-2000), on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line (2001), on the Piraeus-Heraklion line (from 2002 to 2011, and since 2015), on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line (2012-2013) and on the Piraeus-Chania line (2014). The BLUE GALAXY seen during her sixth season under Blue Star Ferries. I traveled with her back when she was operating as the LEFKA ORI, while heading from Patras to Venice in 2006. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. Built in 2000 in Italy, she was the flagship of Minoan Lines for 20 years, as she operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line (while also adding the port of Milos in 2018). The BLUE GALAXY seen in the port of Piraeus. She is one of the two ships of Blue Star Ferries operating in Crete. The other one is the BLUE HORIZON , which has been serving the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The SUPERFERRY II seen in Piraeus, with that day being the first time that I had seen her in Athens' main port. In 2020, I traveled with her for the first time, while heading from Andros to Rafina on 18 August 2020 . The BLUE GALAXY and the SUPERFERRY II seen together in Piraeus. The latter also used to operate for the company that owns the former. Indeed, she operated for Blue Star Ferries from 2000 to 2010, before her sale to Golden Star Ferries. A view of the SUPERFERRY II in Piraeus. Just two months ago, she and three of her Golden Star Ferries fleetmates were subject to much coverage in Greek coastal service news. Indeed, she has been sold to Sea Jets (one of the biggest rivals of Golden Star Ferries), with delivery to them being planned after the summer of 2021 . As such, this is due to be her last-ever season under Golden Star Ferries. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS docked in the port of Piraeus. The SUPERFERRY II seen in Piraeus. She has since resumed her service on the Cyclades for Golden Star Ferries, and has been deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line for the summer of 2021. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in Piraeus, right before her afternoon departure for Syros. The bow of the KRITI II in Piraeus. Just a few days after taking this picture, she was replaced by her sister ship and fleetmate, the KRITI I , on the Piraeus-Herkalion line. She has since remained in Perama, and so far there have not been any plans regarding her return to service. As such, her future remains unclear. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen alongside the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in Piraeus. A view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in Piraeus, with her impressive bow, which she acquired in 2017 following her conversion in Keratsini. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS in Piraeus. Due to me seeing her under a new name and a new livery for the first time, she was clearly the main protagonist during my visit to Piraeus that day. A few moments later, I saw the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels having arrived in Piraeus. Just like the ELENA F, she operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS about to maneuver in Piraeus, with the FLYINGCAT 6 seen right next to her. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS and the FLYINGCAT 6 seen alongside the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in Piraeus. A view of three high speed craft, all of which were built in Australia: the SUPEREXPRESS, the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets and the SUPERSPEED. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen in Piraeus. Usually, during the high season, she has morning departures from Piraeus, whereas during the winter she departs in the afternoon. Another view of the great BLUE STAR MYCONOS in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen about to begin her maneuvering procedure. I traveled onboard her for the first time last year, while heading from Piraeus to Salamina on 14 August 2020 . A view of the PHIVOS, the POSIDON HELLAS, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX and the GEORGIOS BROUFAS. All these ships operate on the Saronic Gulf. An impressive view of numerous ships docked together in Piraeus: the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, the APOLLON HELLAS, the PHIVOS, the POSIDON HELLAS, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, the FLYINGCAT 6, the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, the SUPEREXPRESS, the CHAMPION JET 1 and the SUPERSPEED. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen alongside the BLUE STAR MYCONOS. This turned out to be my final picture featuring the former Minoan Lines flagship. Indeed, just two months after seeing her in Piraeus, she ended her illustrious Minoan Lines career after 20 years, as she was transferred to Grimaldi Lines following the fleet reshuffle that was undertaken by the Grimaldi Group . She replaced the CRUISE BONARIA (the ex-OLYMPIA PALACE of Minoan Lines), taking over her name and being inserted on the Civitavecchia-Olbia line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The former CRUISE BONARIA instead rejoined Minoan Lines, being introduced on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line as the new KNOSSOS PALACE in 2021. The BLUE STAR MYCONOS seen alongside the APOLLON HELLAS, the PHIVOS and the POSIDON HELLAS. With the exception of the PHIVOS, all these ships used to operate for Hellenic Seaways in the past. One last view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS in Piraeus. And one last view of the BLUE STAR MYCONOS, with this being my last picture of her with her former funnel, prior to its modification following the introduction of the exhaust gas cleaning system during the ship's conversion in Perama in 2021. Towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I spotted the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries . I then saw the BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries , which was operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line during that year. The BLUE STAR 2 was seen alongside her fleetmate and sister ship, the BLUE STAR 1 . In 2020, both vessels celebrated their twentieth anniversary since beginning operations. In these 20 years, they became two of Blue Star Ferries' most vital weapons, garnering much acclaim first on the Adriatic Sea, and later on the Dodecanese. The BLUE STAR 1 will however not be in Greece this year, as she has been chartered to Irish Ferries for service on the Pembroke Dock-Rosslare line on the Irish Sea. The BLUE STAR 2 is set to remain in the same service as the one she operated on last year. The SUPERRUNNER seen alongside the KYDON PALACE of Minoan Lines . The latter, formerly known as the FESTOS PALACE, was spending her debut season on the Piraeus-Chania line. Before that, she had spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The SUPERRUNNER seen in Piraeus, in what was her last year under Golden Star Ferries. Indeed, she was one of the four ships of the company that were sold to Sea Jets. Who would have thought that she would end up joining her main rival after having been its main threat since 2017? She had engaged in impressive races from Rafina to the Cyclades against Sea Jets ships such as the TERA JET, the PAROS JET or the NAXOS JET. Now she will be their fleetmate. Just a few days ago, the ship was renamed SUPERRUNNER JET , and began service on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line on the Sporades. This marks the first-ever appearance of Sea Jets in that area, as it was awarded a service subsidised by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy. The BLUE STAR 2 and the SUPERRUNNER seen together in Piraeus. My last picture of a ship of the Greek coastal service for 2020 also happened to be my last picture of the SUPERRUNNER under her name and under Golden Star Ferries, as she has now joined Sea Jets. This will be her third different ownership since her arrival in Greece Indeed, before joining Golden Star Ferries, she was the SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines from 2009 to 2016. After taking all these pictures, it was time for me to leave, and I therefore concluded my Greek coastal service experience for the 2020 season. Although I did not stay in Greece for as much as I wanted during that year, I still had the opportunity to see and photograph many ships that year, as well as performing several trips across the Aegean Sea. Unfortunately, Zakynthos was not part of the experience this year, but I am looking forward to return there in 2021. Overall, I got to see Aegina, Salamina, Andros, Koufonisi, Naxos and Syros, as well as other islands along the way. I had many memorable trips, and was happy to see several ships in Piraeus numerous times. And that visit on 21 September 2020 was quite meaningful, as I saw many ships onboard which I had traveled that year, as well as some for the last time before their change of ownership or before their departure from Greece. As such, I was very pleased with the Greek coastal service scene for 2020, and I cannot wait to see it again in 2021. This time, I will stay for a much longer period, and will also see many islands for the first time, so stay tuned for more pictures appearing on this site in the upcoming months! #piraeus #summer2020 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #phivos #novaferries #agiosnekariosaeginas #anesferries #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #flyingcat6 #flyingdolphinxvii #highspeed4 #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxix #flyingcat4 #hellenicseaways #bluestarmyconos #bluegalaxy #bluestar2 #bluestar1 #bluestarferries #apollonhellas #posidonhellas #2wayferries #knossospalace #kydonpalace #minoanlines #superexpress #superspeed #superferryii #superrunner #goldenstarferries #elenaf #elenafshipping #poseidon #poseidonwaterways #kritiii #aneklines #georgiosbroufas #broufasvessels

Just like it was the case on 21 September 2020 , my final interaction with the Greek coastal service for the 2021 summer season happened to be one last visit in the port of Piraeus, whereupon I could see several ferries, high speed craft and small passenger boats for one last time before heading back to the United Kingdom in order to begin my postgraduate studies in London. As the large majority of the ships that I saw that day consisted of ships that I got to see very often throughout my trips during the summer of 2021, it was an opportunity to bid farewell to them for the time coming, until my return to Greece for the summer of 2022. However, there were some notable events during that day, as I went on to see some ships under their ownership for the last time, as they were acquired by other companies ahead of the 2022 season. Due to the fact that I took a huge numbers of pictures that day, I decided that it was best to divide them into two separate posts, with the second one due to be published next week . Overall, my final week in Greece during the summer of 2021 proved to be extremely prolific in terms of photographing and traveling, as I visited the port of Lavrion on 6 September 2021 , headed two days later to Patras and performed a trip from Rion to Antirrion and then back , before spending the following day spotting various ships in the island of Poros and then heading back to Piraeus with the high speed ferry SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines that very same evening . My final visit to Piraeus also proved to very entertaining, as I spent the entire afternoon witnessing several ships departing the port or returning back from their services on the Aegean Sea. Without further ado, here is the first part featuring the many pictures that I took that day, as part of my last visit to the port of Piraeus for 2021. I arrived in Piraeus at 15:15, and I proceeded to the E7 gate, from which most ships serving the Cyclades dock. From there, I saw the veteran cruiseferry PREVELIS of ANEK Lines , which has been operating on the demanding Kasos-Karpathos lifeline since 2009. A view of the PREVELIS as she is seen docked in Piraeus. Built in 1980 in Japan, she has been operating for ANEK Lines since 2000. She currently serves the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline. The PREVELIS seen docked in Piraeus, resting before her evening departure for Milos. She has been the only ship of ANEK Lines serving the Cyclades and the Dodecanese since 2012. The PREVELIS seen as she is resting in the port of Piraeus. The PREVELIS was seen alongside the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , which was also built in Japan and also used to operate for ANEK Lines, as she was previously the LEFKA ORI from 1999 to 2012. In front of the BLUE GALAXY was her fleetmate, namely the BLUE HORIZON , which has been deployed on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since 2014. The BLUE GALAXY and the PREVELIS seen together in the port of Piraeus. Both ships began their stints under ANEK Lines during the summer of 2000. Indeed, the BLUE GALAXY (then known as the LEFKA ORI) had started operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line on the Adriatic Sea after having spent a year being converted in Perama following her acquisition from the Japanese company Higashi Nihon Ferry in 1999. The PREVELIS had already been operating in Greece since 1995, as the PREVELI for the now-defunct company Cretan Ferries on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line. After the latter was absorbed by ANEK Lines in 2000, she was renamed PREVELIS and she spent one season on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese, before returning to serve the Piraeus-Rethymnon line from 2001 until the service was discontinued by ANEK Lines in 2007. At the same time that I had arrived, I saw the BLUE STAR CHIOS of Blue Star Ferries departing the port. The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. At the time, she was operating on the Northeast Aegean Sea, being deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala lifeline. She was temporarily replacing her fleetmate and sister ship, the BLUE STAR MYCONOS , which was undergoing a brief refit in Perama. The ship spent one week out of service before eventually resuming her regular operations on the Northeast Aegean Sea. A view of the very modern funnel of the BLUE STAR CHIOS, which has been in its current form since 2020, after the ship joined Blue Star Ferries, after having spent the first 13 years of her career as the NISSOS CHIOS under Hellenic Seaways from 2007 to 2020. Indeed, she and the NISSOS MYKONOS joined Blue Star Ferries and were renamed BLUE STAR CHIOS and BLUE STAR MYCONOS, respectively. The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen as she leaves Piraeus in order to head to Syros, during her temporary stint on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline. During the summer of 2021, she operated on the Dodecanese lifeline, serving the Piraeus-Ikaria-Fournoi-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Kasos-Karpathos-Castellorizon line as well as the Piraeus-Mykonos-Chios-Sigri line (on Saturdays only). She has been performing such services since 2018, back when she was still operating under Hellenic Seaways. The departing BLUE STAR CHIOS was seen alongside the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines , which was also due to leave Piraeus in order to perform an afternoon trip on the Western Cyclades. The BLUE HORIZON seen docked in the port of Piraeus. She was built in 1987 in Japan, and has been in Greece since 1998. She was bought by Strintzis Lines that year, and began service on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona-Venice line on the Adriatic Sea as the SUPERFERRY HELLAS in 1999. In 2000 Strintzis Lines was taken over by Attica Group, and this resulted in the establishment of Blue Star Ferries. The ship was renamed BLUE HORIZON and continued to operate on the Adriatic Sea under the Blue Ferries division, before the latter was eventually merged under Blue Star Ferries. The BLUE GALAXY seen docked in Piraeus. She was built in Japan in 1992, and she has been operating for Blue Star Ferries since 2015, with all her seasons under the company having been so far spent on the Piraeus-Chania line. The PREVELIS seen resting in the port of Piraeus, during what was her twenty-second season with ANEK Lines, and her thirteenth consecutive season on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. The stern of the BLUE STAR CHIOS, seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus in order to head to Syros. At the other side of the port, I spotted two notable high speed ferries. These were the TERA JET of Sea Jets and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways . At the time that I took this picture, neither ship was sailing as they were both performing their annual winter refits in Piraeus. The TERA JET seen docked in Piraeus. She was built in Italy in 1999, and she has been owned by Sea Jets since 2014. She did not perform any sailings during the 2021 season, for the second consecutive summer, as her company did not have her as part of their plans during these two years. While looking towards the E8 gate, I got to see the conventional double-ended ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line on the Saronic Gulf. I also got to see the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 5 of Hellenic Seaways , which also operates on the Saronic Gulf. Another view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS as she leaves the port of Piraeus. She was built in Greece in 2007, two years after her sister ship. She is largely considered to be one of the best ships of the Greek coastal service, and she has been praised for her impeccable career, which she has primarily spent on the Northeast Aegean Sea, before becoming a major player on the Dodecanese since 2018. The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. From 2007 to 2014 she operated under Hellenic Seaways on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, while also serving Tinos in 2008 as well as Syros and Mykonos in 2009. From 2014 to 2017 she was chartered to the Spanish company Baleària, for whom she operated with much success. She returned to Greece in 2018 and she was initially deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades. However, after Hellenic Seaways was taken over by Attica Group during that same year, the ship was instead assigned on the Dodecanese lifeline. The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen about to pass by her former fleetmate, namely the NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways . A view of the NISSOS SAMOS in Piraeus. Owned by Hellenic Seaways since late 2015, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea since 2018. The BLUE STAR CHIOS seen leaving the port of Piraeus and heading next to her former Hellenic Seaways fleetmate. The NISSOS SAMOS was the ship initially serving the Cyclades before the BLUE STAR CHIOS (then known as the NISSOS CHIOS), having had a successful season on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line in 2017. While the ex-NISSOS CHIOS succeeded her in this service, she eventually moved to the Dodecanese following the takeover of Hellenic Seaways by Attica Group and the subsequent fleet reshuffle that was performed. Another view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, during her second season under Blue Star Ferries. A view of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED in Piraeus. She had just completed her summer season on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line. After seeing the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, I spotted another high speed craft, namely the SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines . Built in 2002 in France, she was spending her debut season under her company, serving the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line on the Saronic Gulf. A view of the TERA JET as she is seen docked in the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 5 seen in Piraeus as well. She was spending her second season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, and her fourth season overall on the Saronic Gulf, as she also operated there in 2014 and in 2017. One final view of the BLUE STAR CHIOS, as she passes by the NISSOS SAMOS. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen docked in Piraeus. She was built in Italy in 1997, and had an unstable career in Northern Europe before she was acquired by Hellenic Seaways in 2009. Initially known as the HELLENIC WIND, she did not operate for the company during her first six years under their ownership, being instead chartered every summer to the Azores-based company Atlântico Line for service on the Azores Archipelago. She only began operating for Hellenic Seaways in 2016, after having been renamed HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. She was deployed on the Cyclades with much success, spending the 2016 season on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line, before spending the following two seasons on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line. She then operated under charter to Fast Ferries on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line during the 2019 season, as a replacement for the conventional ferry EKATERINI P which missed the entire summer due to an engine failure. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED returned to Hellenic Seaways in 2020, and was deployed on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese. This service was taken over by the PAROS JET of Sea Jets during the 2021 season. A closer view of the SPEEDRUNNER III, which happens to be one of the three sister ships of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. She was spending her fifth consecutive season on the Western Cyclades, and her third summer in a row on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. Another view of the BLUE HORIZON as she is seen resting in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY seen docked in Piraeus as well. I have traveled with her once, back in 2006, when she was still known as the LEFKA ORI. Indeed, she was the ship onboard which I sailed in order to head from Patras to Venice. The PREVELIS seen in Piraeus as well. She was one of the three ships owned by ANEK Lines that operated on the Aegean Sea in 2021, along with the ELYROS and the KRITI I . In front of the BLUE HORIZON was the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was spending her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. The BLUE HORIZON, the BLUE GALAXY and the PREVELIS seen docked together in Piraeus. Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III as she is seen loading passengers and vehicles in Piraeus. Another ship that I got to see was the BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries , which has been a vital ship serving the Cyclades. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen in Piraeus. She has been owned by Aegean Speed Lines since 2009, and has been the company's longest-serving ship. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen docked in Piraeus. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line since 2018, while having also been in this service while additionally operating in Tinos and Mykonos from 2015 to 2017. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen once again in Piraeus. While I was having a look at the SPEEDRUNNER III, I managed to see a familiar face for the first time in many weeks. Indeed, this was the conventional ferry AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries , which was leaving the port of Piraeus in order to sail to Aegina. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen alongside the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, which I got to see for the first time since early July 2021. Indeed, even though I performed numerous trips between Piraeus and Aegina during that summer, the ship was unusually missing from the Saronic Gulf, as she was unexpectedly sent to the Sporades for the remainder of the high season in order to replace her fleetmate, the SYMI , which suffered a major engine failure that kept her out of service for the rest of the summer. As such, the service of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on the Piraeus-Aegina was taken over by the landing craft ELENI of Kerkyra Seaways , which temporarily left her usual operations on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen as I had managed to have a brief reunion with her on the very last day that I saw ships of the Greek coastal service in 2021. After having completed the summer season on the Sporades, she returned to her usual service on the Piraeus-Aegina line, while the ELENI returned to the Ionian Sea. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen leaving Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. During her stint on the Sporades, which happened to be her first time serving the area since 2001, she operated on the Agios Konstantinos-Glyfa-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. Her fleetmate, the SYMI, has since been repaired and is today returning to service on the Sporades, on the Agios Konstantinos-Glyfa-Skiathos-Skopelos line. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen in Piraeus, during her fifteenth season under ANES Ferries. As stated previously, she was sent to operate on the Sporades for the first time in 20 years during the summer of 2021. Indeed, she had spent the first two years of her career there, as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU of the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, from 1999 to 2001. That same year, she was renamed AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS and was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina line, where she operated for 20 years in a row. In 2007 she was sold to ANES Ferries. A view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, during my short-lived reunion with her as she was leaving the port of Piraeus. Her service on the Sporades seems to have satisfied her company, as she is due to return there in July and August in order to serve the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos line, with no ship replacing her on the Piraeus-Aegina line. With this move, ANES Ferries will have three ferries on the Sporades, as the ship will join the SYMI and the PROTEUS. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Even though I did not see her a lot during the 2021, I still managed to travel onboard her, as I headed from Piraeus to Aegina with her on 4 July 2021. Another view of the veteran ferry PREVELIS, which was also set for a late afternoon departure. My final picture of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, during what proved to be my short-lived reunion with the ship in Piraeus for 2021. Depending on how long I will stay in Greece during the summer of 2022, I hope to see her in some way or another, even though she will once again be missed on the Piraeus-Aegina line, which her company has controversially decided not to cover during her absence. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen receiving bunkers in Piraeus. As the high season had ended, the ship reverted to her winter schedules, whereupon her departure from Piraeus takes place during the afternoon, as opposed to the early morning during the summer. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen in Piraeus shortly before her afternoon departure. The FESTOS PALACE seen in the E3 gate in Piraeus. This was her second season on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line and under her current name. Before that, she was known as the MYKONOS PALACE, and had operated on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2018 and in 2019. In 2020, following the fleet reshuffle undertaken by Minoan Lines , she became the new FESTOS PALACE and moved to her current service, whereas the original FESTOS PALACE was renamed KYDON PALACE and was placed on the Piraeus-Chania line instead. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen once again in Piraeus. I traveled with her twice during the 2021 season, first on 23 June from Piraeus to Milos, and then from Milos back to Piraeus on 1 July. Before these trips, I had also traveled with her from Sifnos to Piraeus on 29 July 2017 . The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen resting in Piraeus, just before her own afternoon departure. The TERA JET seen docked in Piraeus. Regardless of the fact that she did not sail for Sea Jets in 2020 and in 2021, she still remains the company's flagship, as well as the largest high speed ferry in the Greek coastal service. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED spotted in the port of Piraeus, with her summer season having been completed earlier in September 2021. The SPEEDRUNNER III is seen departing the port of Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER III departs and passes in front of the TERA JET. Both ships were built in 1999 in Italy, and they have both been operating on the Cyclades since their arrival in Greece. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Formerly the SUPERSEACAT THREE of Sea Containers (and operating under the SuperSeaCat brandname), she joined Aegean Speed Lines together with her sister ship, the SUPERSEACAT FOUR (which became the SPEEDRUNNER IV), during the 2009 season. She was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, with her service being extended to the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line in 2010. She was then laid-up during the 2012 season as the Greek financial crisis impacted her company, which was forced to reduce its services on the Cyclades. She returned the following year on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, where she also remained in 2014. With the SPEEDRUNNER IV returning to this service in 2015, she was chartered to the Moroccan company Navline in order to operate on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait. In 2016 she was chartered to Levante Ferries and was deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea. Following the sale of the SPEEDRUNNER IV to Golden Star Ferries later in that same year , the SPEEDRUNNER III returned to Aegean Speed Lines ahead of the 2017 season. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. During her comeback season under Aegean Speed Lines, she served the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. The following year she only served the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line, before seeing her services shortened to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line since 2019. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus and passing in front of her sister ship, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The latter was built in 1997 (two years before the SPEEDRUNNER III), and was known as the SUPERSEACAT TWO under Sea Containers (1997-2003) and later under the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Company (2003-2008). The two ships have been operating in Greece along with another one of their sister ships, namely the ex-SPEEDRUNNER IV, which operated as the SUPERRUNNER under Golden Star Ferries from 2017 to 2021, before being acquired by Sea Jets during that same year and beginning operations as the SUPERRUNNER JET . Furthermore, the three high speed ferries will see the arrival of their elder sister ship, the ex-SUPERSEACAT ONE, in Greece. Indeed, the ship, which has been known as the ALMUDAINA DOS of the Spanish company Trasmediterránea since 2006, is due to begin operations on the Cyclades, having been bought by the newly-established company Panellenic Lines. She is planned to serve the Heraklion-Santorini line as the SANTA IRINI. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen once again as she leaves the port of Piraeus, during her fifth consecutive season under Aegean Speed Lines, after she returned to the company during the 2017 season. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving Piraeus in order to perform her additional summer afternoon and evening services on the Western Cyclades. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen docked in Piraeus. Ever since she began her career back in 2002, together with her sister ship, the BLUE STAR PAROS , she has become one of the most successful day ferries of the Cyclades and of the Greek coastal service altogether. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Another view of the SPEEDRUNNER III as she is spotted leaving the port of Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I seen docked in Piraeus, just one day after I had performed my first-ever trip with her, from Poros to Piraeus . The SPEEDRUNNER III seen in what proved to be final individual picture of the ship under her name and her livery. Indeed, it was confirmed last month that she will be joining Sea Jets, after Aegean Speed Lines decided to sell her and cease operations in the Greek coastal service . This comes after many difficult years for the company, which, despite providing excellent service on the Western Cyclades, could not resist the fast-growing competitor and its tactics. Indeed, Sea Jets deployed the CHAMPION JET 2 with a very competitive timetable, and they sought to further expand their services on the Western Cyclades this year by bringing in the TERA JET. With Aegean Speed Lines already facing economic problems and being impacted by the low passenger traffic in 2020 and 2021, they eventually decided to sell the ship and leave the high speed ferry market. The SPEEDRUNNER III will most likely be renamed SPEEDRUNNER JET . Her service under her new owners has yet to be determined. The SPEEDRUNNER III having passed by the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. With her sale to Sea Jets, this will mean that two out of the four sister ships of the MDV 1200-class will now be operating under Sea Jets. Indeed, the SPEEDRUNNER III will reunite with her former fleetmate, the ex-SPEEDRUNNER IV, which was bought by Sea Jets in 2021, after four years with Golden Star Ferries. She has been known as the SUPERRUNNER JET, and spent the 2021 season operating in various services of Sea Jets on the Northeast Aegean Sea and later on the Cyclades. A picture that went on to become historic for me, as it features the SPEEDRUNNER III under the livery of Aegean Speed Lines for the last time. She is seen passing by the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, which will also not feature the livery of Hellenic Seaways this year. Indeed, she will be chartered to Africa Morocco Link (a subsidiary of Attica Group) in order to operate on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line (which the SPEEDRUNNER III served during the 2015 back when she was chartered to Navline) on the Gibraltar Strait during the summer. Another view of the TERA JET in Piraeus. As indicated previously, she will return to service this summer, as she will be deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line on the Western Cyclades. She will perform this service along with the SUPERRUNNER JET, which will return to the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2016, which was her last year under Aegean Speed Lines. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen docked in the E11 gate in Piraeus, where she spent the majority of the winter this year. Another view of the TERA JET in Piraeus. When she began her career under Sea Jets, she was deployed on the Heraklion-Santorini line during the 2014 season. Her service on a rapidly-growing line proved to be a major success, and her service was extended on the Heralion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line in 2015. After serving the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line for the most part of 2016, in order to transport refugees from the Northeast Aegean Sea to Piraeus, she returned to the Cyclades in 2017 in spectacular fashion, as she was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. Her service there was a massive success, and she engaged in a fierce duel against the SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries, which is today her fleetmate. Sea Jets and Golden Star Ferries competed very heavily against each other on the Rafina-Cyclades service, and engaged in a notable price war. After two seasons in Rafina, in 2019 the TERA JET moved to the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line, where she also had a successful service. She was then laid-up due her high operating costs at a time during which passenger traffic hit very low numbers due to the pandemic, and she was deemed to surplus requirements by Sea Jets. This year, as the lockdowns have ceased and passenger numbers hav returned to high levels, the ship will make her long-awaited comeback on the Cyclades. The FLYNGCAT 5 was seen alongside the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries and the POSIDON HELLAS. The PHIVOS had just arrived in Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I and the TERA JET seen together in the port of Piraeus. Five different ships of the Greek coastal service spotted together in Piraeus. These included the FLYINGCAT 5, the PHIVOS, the POSIDON HELLAS, the SPEED CAT I and the TERA JET. With the exception of the latter, all of them were serving the Saronic Gulf during the 2021 season. A view of the FESTOS PALACE in Piraeus. She was built in 2002 in Italy, and initially served Minoan Lines as the EUROPA PALACE on the Adriatic Sea, first on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line (2002-2010) and then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line (2010-2011). After the latter was discontinued by Minoan Lines, she was chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione in 2012, along with her sister ship, the OLYMPIA PALACE (which is today known as the KNOSSOS PALACE ). During her six years of operations with that company, the ship operated as the AMSICORA. She returned to Minoan Lines in 2018, was renamed MYKONOS PALACE, and was introduced on the Piraeus-Chania line. Since 2020 she has been operating on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. At about 16:40, I saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways having entered the port of Piraeus, after having returned from Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen having just returned to the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She was built in 1993 in Georgia, and she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen having arrived in Piraeus. When she was built in 1993, she joined the famed company Ceres Flying Dolphins, which had been the first company to introduce hydrofoils in the Greek coastal service back in 1975. She became the twenty-eighth and final small hydrofoil to join the company (they did not have a ship named FLYING DOLPHIN XIII for superstitious reasons), and she remained with them until 1999, when they were acquired by Minoan Flying Dolphins. The latter was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus. She is one of the the three remaining active hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways, as well as the youngest active hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen heading to her docking spot in Piraeus, after having returned from Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus, having just returned to the port. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus, as she heads towards her docking spot in the E8 gate. I have traveled with her just once in my life, back when I headed from Piraeus to Aegina with her on 20 August 2017. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she heads towards her docking spot in the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus. In spite of the different changes in ownership that she experienced during her career, she has nevertheless remained a permanent staple of the Saronic Gulf, being one of the most experienced high speed craft in the area. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen once again in Piraeus, as she heads to her docking spot. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen in Piraeus as she is about to pass by her fleetmate, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Immediately after seeing the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, I saw the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels having returned to Piraeus as well. Built in 1997 in Greece, she serves the Piraeus-Salamina line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen having returned to the port of Piraeus from Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen having entered the port of Piraeus. Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUAS as she is seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She has spent almost her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, serving the ports of Kamatero and Paloukia. The only time in which she did not serve Salamina was during the 2016 season, when she operated on the Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line on the Cyclades. Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, during what was her fifth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Salamina, following her lone season on the Cyclades in 2016. Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS as she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. I traveled with her for the first time during the 2020 season, back when I headed from Piraeus to Salamina on 14 August 2020 . Since then, I had the opportunity to travel with her two more times-both during the 2021 season-on 5 August 2021 and on 3 September 2021. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus, after having completed yet another trip from Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen in Piraeus. Her sister ship and fleetmate, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II , was missed in Piraeus this year, as she was sent on a long-term charter to the Hellenic Army in order to transport soldiers on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the Dodecanese, following the conclusion of the 2020 season. Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. As I looked towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I had the chance to see the BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries , which serves the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. Indeed, since 2020 she has been serving the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line. The BLUE STAR 2 seen resting in the port of Piraeus. She was built in The Netherlands in 2000, and she has spent the bulk of her career on the Dodecanese. She is regarded as one of the best ships to have ever operated in the Greek coastal service. The BLUE STAR 2 seen resting in Piraeus. She spent the first three seasons of her career on the Adriatic Sea, first on the Patras-Brindisi-Ancona line in 2000, and then on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Ancona line in 2001 and in 2002. She then moved to the Piraeus-Chania line in 2003, and remained there for two seasons, before heading to the Dodecanese in 2005. She has since remained there, operating with much success and cementing her company's presence in the area. A few minutes after the GEORGIOS BROUFAS had arrived in Piraeus, I spotted yet another ship having made her return to Piraeus. Indeed, it was the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which had returned from Poros. The FLYINGCAT 4 having returned to the port of Piraeus from Poros. Built in 1999 in the United Kingdom, she has spent her entire career in Greece, and she has been serving the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf since 2019. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen having arrived in the port of Piraeus. Just like the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, her career has seen her operating initially under Minoan Flying Dolphins after joining the latter in 1999 (after having failed to operate for her initial owners, Agapitos Lines, as the SEA SPEED 1). She served the core Minoan Flying Dolphins division on the Cyclades, even as the company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen in Piraeus during her third consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen in Piraeus, while she heads towards her docking spot. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She was one of the three 'Flyingcats' that operated on the Saronic Gulf during the 2021 season, together with the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6 . The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she heads towards her docking spot in the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once again following her arrival in Piraeus. Just one day before taking this picture, I had the chance to witness her departure from Poros to Hydra via the Troizinia Strait. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen in Piraeus, towards the end of her third season on the Saronic Gulf. She is once again due to operate there during the 2022 season, together with the FLYINGCAT 5. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she heads towards her docking spot in the E8 gate in Piraeus. Another view of the impressive FLYINGCAT 4 in Piraeus. Out of the four 'Flyingcats' that continue to operate for Hellenic Seaways, she is certainly the most successful one, as she has experienced great success on the Cyclades, on the Sporades, and more recently on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once again in the port of Piraeus. For a significant part of the 2021 season, the ship also operated on the Cyclades. Indeed, she operated for most of June and July on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, in order to replace her fleetmate, the FLYINGCAT 3 , which was normally operating there. The latter had a major engine failure in June, followed by a a grounding off near Mykonos in July. As such, the FLYINGCAT 4 had to leave the Saronic Gulf due to these events. After the FLYINGCAT 3 was eventually repaired, the FLYINGCAT 4 returned to the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, while facing the TERA JET. Due to her temporary deployment on the Cyclades, I was able to also see her in the port of Tinos in late July 2021 . One last view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Just moments after the FLYINGCAT 4 had docked in Piraeus, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX was spotted on the move once again. This time, she was leaving the port in order to head to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen again, this time as she departs the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she leaves Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX preparing to head towards the Saronic Gulf at full-speed. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. As things currently stand, she continues to operate on the Saronic Gulf, while Hellenic Seaways awaits to have three newly-built state-of-the-art aero high speed catamarans delivered to them later this summer. These three ships are due to enter service on the Saronic Gulf in order to replace the company's aging hydrofoils. Built in Norway, they are expected to arrive in Greece in August 2022. The fate of the three hydrofoils remains unknown, and Hellenic Seaways has not yet indicated whether they will continue to operate for the company hereafter. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen once more, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One more view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. Another view of the area featuring the E8 gate and the E9 gate in Piraeus, with dozens of ships docked together. These included the FLYINGCAT 5, the PHIVOS, the POSIDON HELLAS, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS (which was seen departing the port), the FLYINGCAT 4, the SPEED CAT I and the TERA JET. Among all these ships, only the latter was not serving the Saronic Gulf. Shortly after she had docked in Piraeus, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS departed the port in order to head back to Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus, performing one of her many daily trips to Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus, during the first season during which she was the sole ship of Broufas Vessels that was serving the Piraeus-Salamina line. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II is set to continue her assignment to the Hellenic Army for this summer as well. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus for Salamina The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen once again, while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen once again, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS passing in front of me, as she makes her way towards Salamina. One last view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, shortly before she exited the port of Piraeus. Barely two minutes after the GEORGIOS BROUFAS had left the port of Piraeus, the conventional ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries was seen having entered the port. The APOLLON HELLAS seen having returned to Piraeus from Aegina. She has been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line since 2017, under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she makes her way towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen having arrived in Piraeus. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has spent the majority of her career on the Saronic Gulf. She was originally known as the GEORGIOS of Akouriki Shipping Company, and served the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line until she was sold to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company, for whom she operated for two years as the SUN BEACH on the Nokdong-Jeju line on the Jeju Strait. She was laid-up in 1997, and made her comeback to Greece in 1999, after having been bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping. She returned to the Saronic Gulf as the APOLLON HELLAS, being deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line. Later during that same year, her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002), and the ship continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf under the Saronikos Ferries division. The company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005, and the ship began serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line from 2008 to 2013. She then spent her final two years with Hellenic Seaways on the Sporades, first on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2014, and then on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2015. In 2016 she was sold to 2way Ferries, and she remained on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, before making her second return to the Saronic Gulf in 2017. The APOLLON HELLAS seen during what was her sixth season with 2way Ferries, and her fifth consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf. The APOLLON HELLAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. She became the first non-double-ended ferry in the history of 2way Ferries, hence not really fitting the company's name. Regardless, the ship was known to the company's owners, as the Papaïoannidis family was in charge of Poseidon Consortium Shipping, which had brought the ferry back to Greece from South Korea in 1999, before being eventually absorbed by Minoan Flying Dolphins later in that same year. The family resumed operations in the Greek coastal service as 2way Ferries in 2001, whereupon they deployed the then-newly-built double-ended ferry ANO CHORA EXPRESS on the Rion-Antirrion line. That ship remained with the company until 2003, when she was sold to the Croatian company Jadrolinija, for whom she continues to operate today as the TIN UJEVIĆ. The APOLLON HELLAS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS in Piraeus. She is one of the three ships owned by 2way Ferries that operate on the Saronic Gulf. In addition, the company operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, with the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II (since 2006), and also began serving the Agia Marina-Nea Styra line on the Petalioi Gulf during the summer of 2021, after having deployed the recently-refurbished landing craft KANARIS, which they had acquired in late 2020. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once again, as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf, she has been operating under the Saronic Ferries joint venture, which includes her company and Nova Ferries. It also included her former owners, Hellenic Seaways, until 2016, when they sold her to 2way Ferries. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more, as she continues to make her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen in Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf, I have traveled with her six times, including three times during the 2021 season. My first trip with her under the ownership of 2way Ferries was on 7 August 2017, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina , and I also had a notable trip onboard her from Aegina to Piraeus on 13 August 2020, following a major refurbishment that she underwent prior to that year's summer . Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS following her arrival in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELALS seen together with the TERA JET in the port of Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS seen in Piraeus together with her former fleetmate, namely the FLYINGCAT 4. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen along with her new competitor on the Saronc Gulf for the 2021 season, namely the SPEED CAT I. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she begins to undergo her maneuvering procedure next to the FLYINGCAT 5. The PHIVOS and the POSIDON HELLAS are also seen docked in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen maneuvering in the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen having completed her maneuvering procedure and docking in the port of Piraeus. Just moments after the APOLLON HELLAS had returned to Piraeus, yet another ship serving the Saronic Gulf had entered the port as well. This time, it was the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways . The FLYINGCAT 6 seen having entered the port of Piraeus just moments after the APOLLON HELLAS had done so. Built in 1997 in Norway, she has been operating for Hellenic Seaways since the latter was established in 2005. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. This was her fourth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and her second consecutive summer on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen in Piraeus. Just one day before taking this picture, I had traveled onboard the ship in order to head from Piraeus to Poros. This was my second-ever trip with her, with my first one having been on 28 July 2019, as I was returning from Spetses to Piraeus . The FLYINGCAT 6 seen upon her return to Piraeus. She has been on the Saronic Gulf since 2018, and she has also operated there in 2013, in 2015 and in 2016. From 2005 to 2012, in 2014 and in 2017, she operated on the Sporades, with her first stint there being along with her sister ship, the FLYINGCAT 5. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 6 as she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. For this summer, she is due to make her return to the Sporades for the first time since 2017, as she will operate on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. In the meantime, the APOLLON HELLAS was seen docking next to her fleetmate, the POSIDON HELLAS. The SPEED CAT I was also seen resting in the E8 gate. The APOLLON HELLAS seen about to dock right next to the POSIDON HELLAS. Both ships have played a major role in serving the Saronic Gulf over the past two decades, and they have become beloved ferries in the region. Since the POSIDON HELLAS was built in 1998, the two ships have been fleetmates under three different ownerships for all but two seasons. These included the 1998 season (the debut season of the POSIDON HELLAS), as the APOLLON HELLAS was still in South Korea at the time (before she was purchased by Poseidon Consortium Shipping, which had ordered the POSIDON HELLAS), as well as the 2015 season, when the POSIDON HELLAS was sold by Hellenic Seaways to 2way Ferries. The APOLLON HELLAS continued to operate for Hellenic Seaways on the Sporades during that season, before eventually joining the POSIDON HELLAS the following year. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen once more as she continues to maker her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen once more, as she heads towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more as she heads towards her docking spot, next to the POSIDON HELLAS. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads to her docking spot in Piraeus. Ever since the FLYINGCAT 4 began serving the Saronic Gulf in 2019, Hellenic Seaways has been operating three 'Flyingcats' in the region, with the FLYINGCAT 6 having been present in all trios. This will however end this season, as she will return to the Sporades. Hellenic Seaways will only have the FLYINGCAT 4 and the FLYINGCAT 5 operating on the Saronic Gulf in during the summer of 2022. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more, as she is about to dock in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen passing in front of the TERA JET as she heads towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen joining her sister ship and fleetmate, the FLYINGCAT 5, as well as her former Hellenic Seaways fleetmates (the APOLLON HELLAS and the POSIDON HELLAS), in the E8 gate in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 and the SPEED CAT I seen once again as they are docked in Piraeus. The PHIVOS, the APOLLON HELLAS, the POSIDON HELLAS and the FLYINGCAT 4 seen all together in Piraeus. A few minutes after the APOLLON HELLAS had docked in Piraeus, the PHIVOS herselft was seen departing the port, in order to head to Aegina. The PHIVOS seen as she leaves Piraeus, with the FLYINGCAT 4 and the SPEED CAT I seen right behind her. The PHIVOS, widely perceived as the best ferry operating on the Saronic Gulf for almost two decades, seen heading to Aegina. The PHIVOS seen as she leaves Piraeus. Built in 1980 in Spain, she arrived in Greece in 2004, after having been bought by the then-newly-established company Nova Ferries. The latter was founded by the Aegina-based Lefakis family, which had previously operated two ferries on the Saronic Gulf from 1981 to 1999. These were the landing craft SARONIKOS (which later joined Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and subsequently Hellenic Seaways and has been known as the GRAMVOUSA of Cretan Daily Cruises since 2007) and the passenger-only EFTYCHIA (which was later converted into a ferry in 1993, and is better known today as the SYMI of ANES Ferries ). Both ships were transferred to Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, and the Lefakis family eventually made an independent comeback on the Saronic Gulf five years later. The PHIVOS, along with her sister ship, the ATHINA, entered service in 2005, following a conversion in Drapetsona. She began service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line. With the ATHINA being sold to the Portuguese company Transmaçor in 2006, the PHIVOS remained the sole ship of Nova Ferries, and her service was reduced to the Piraeus-Aegina line exclusively from 2007 to 2013. Following the establishment of the Saronic Ferries joint venture in 2014, the ship has since been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The impressive PHIVOS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. She has been my favourite ferry ever since I saw her for the first time in 2005, back when I was 6 years old. I have traveled with her on numerous occasions from Piraeus to Aegina and vice versa. For the 2021 season, I traveled with her twice, with the first trip being my first one of the summer altogether, back when I headed from Piraeus to Aegina on 21 June 2021. My second trip with her was exactly two months later, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen upon her departure from Piraeus to Aegina, during her seventeenth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. The PHIVOS seen leaving Piraeus. Despite being the oldest ship serving the Saronic Gulf from Piraeus, she is nevertheless the fastest conventional ferry, as well as the one that has the best passenger amenities onboard. The PHIVOS seen as she leaves Piraeus. Ever since Nova Ferries began operations in 2005, she has been the sole continuous member of the company's fleet. They also operated another ferry on the Saronic Gulf from 2009 to 2010, namely the Greek-built PHEDRA, which served the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Agistri line, serving the port of Souvala. She was sold in late 2010 to the Egyptian-Jordanian company Arab Bridge Maritime, for whom she has been operating as the AYLAH on the Gulf of Aqaba. The PHIVOS seen once again, as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The PHIVOS seen as she leaves Piraeus for Aegina. Since 2010, when I began recording all the trips that I have done during my summers in Greece, she has been the ship on which I have traveled the most times. Indeed, I have performed 15 trips with her, with all of them being between Piraeus and Aegina. The PHIVOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, in order to perform yet another trip on the Saronic Gulf. The PHIVOS seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. During the first part of her career, she operated as the PUNTA EUROPA on the Gibraltar Strait for the Spanish company Isnasa from 1980 to 1998. After the latter began to experience financial difficulties, the ship was chartered to Euroferrys for the 1998 season, followed by another charter to Umafisa of the Pitra shipping group for service on the Balearic Sea in 2000. She was then laid-up from 2001 to 2003, and, after an unsuccessful reactivation attempt in Italy under the company TRIS Traghetti Isole Sarde, the ship was eventually sold to Nova Ferries. The PHIVOS spotted again as she leaves Piraeus and heads towards the exit of the port. Another view of the PHIVOS while she leaves Piraeus. My final picture of the much-appreciated PHIVOS for the 2021 season, as she is seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Shortly after the departure of the PHIVOS, yet another ship was making her return to Piraeus. This time, it was the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets . The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen having returned to Piraeus from the Cyclades, where she was operating for the third straight summer. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. During the 2021 season, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, where she once again proved to be extremely successful. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, which is the fastest ship operating in the Greek coastal service ever since making her debut under Sea Jets in 2019. During her first season with the company, she was on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, while in 2020 she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. When she began her career in 2000, as the VILLUM CLAUSEN of 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, appearing even on the Guinness Book of World Records for the fastest speed ever recorded by a passenger vessel. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, which has been the most prominent weapon of Sea Jets in their quest for dominance on the Aegean Sea, and most notably on the Cyclades. The WORLDCHAMPION JET having completed yet another day of service on the Cyclades and now heading for rest in Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, while facing the TERA JET. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen in Piraeus alongside the TERA JET and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. Another view of the impressive WORLDCHAMPION JET. I had the chance to travel with her during the 2021 season, as she was the ship that I took in order to head from Piraeus to Ios on 22 July of that year. This was my third trip with the ship, having also used her in order to go from Piraeus to Syros and back on 20 September 2020 . The WORLDCHAMPION JET see heading towards the E9 gate in Piraeus. To further highlight the success of her services, she won the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2019. She became the third Greek coastal service ship to win the much-coveted award, and the first one since 2007, back when the BLUE STAR CHIOS (then known as the NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways) won it. The first Greek coastal service ship to have received this honour was the sister ship of the NISSOS CHIOS, namely the NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways (today the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries) . Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET while she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen undergoing her quick maneuvering procedure in order to dock in Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET having completed her maneuvering procedure and now seen docking in Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen docking not far from her fleetmate, the TERA JET. Both high speed ferries are considered to best ships of Sea Jets. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen alongside the TERA JET in Piraeus, with the SPEED CAT I seen in between. The WORLDCHAMPION JET having almost finished docking in Piraeus, with the SPEED CAT I seen right behind her. Another view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET as she is about to dock in the E9 gate in Piraeus. The WORLDCHAMPION JET seen having docked in Piraeus, with the TERA JET spotted right next to her. So far, the two ships have only seen one season of service together on the Cyclades, and that was during the debut season of the WORLDCHAMPION JET in 2019. Since then, the TERA JET has remained inactive. However, as she will return to service on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line this summer, the two ships will be seen operating together from Piraeus to the Cyclades once again. At 17:35, just 35 minutes after having docked in Piraeus, the FLYINGCAT 4 was seen leaving the port once again in order to head to the ports of the Saronic Gulf that she serves. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen during her late afternoon from Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen leaving Piraeus for Poros. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once more as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen during her departure from Piraeus. Since the establishment of Hellenic Seaways, she has been the only high speed craft of the company (excluding the hydrofoils) which has operated in every summer since 2005, with the other one being the HIGHSPEED 4 . Moreover, she and the FLYINGCAT 3 are the only ships of the 'Flyingcats' that have been continuously present in Greece since the brandname was established upon the creation of Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. Indeed, both ships continue to operate under Hellenic Seaways, whereas the FLYINGCAT 1 was sold by the company in 2016 for service in Turkey as the İZNIK for Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri, while the FLYINGCAT 2 was sold in 2012 to the South Korean company Seaspovill, for whom she operates as the SEASTAR 3. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen upon her departure from Piraeus. As it was mentioned previously, she has spent the bulk of her career on the Cyclades. Indeed, during her debut season under Minoan Flying Dolphins in 2000, she operated on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. After three seasons on the Sporades, she then spent nine consecutive seasons on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line from 2004 to 2012. In 2013, after being replaced by the larger HIGHSPEED 5 (known as the SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines since 2018) , she was assigned on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, while in 2014 she was on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa line, followed by a successful stint on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2015. After returning to the Sporades in 2016 and in 2017, she returned to the Cyclades in 2018 when she was inserted on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Folegandros-Sikinos line. Since 2019, she has operated on the Saronic Gulf, but she also spent some time last season on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line in order to replace the FLYINGCAT 3. The impressive FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus during the afternoon. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once more, while making her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Regarding her career on the Sporades, she operated on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line from 2001 to 2003, and she returned to that same service 13 years later, during the 2016 season. In 2017 she solely operated on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. Despite her success there, Hellenic Seaways withdrew from the line and it was taken over in 2018 by the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED of Golden Star Ferries . The FLYINGCAT 4, one of the most reliable high speed craft of the Greek coastal service, seen leaving Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen passing in front of me while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen passing in front of her fleetmate, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, while she leaves Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once more, while she leaves Piraeus, The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once again as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 almost ready to start sailing at full-speed in order to head to Poros and all the ports of the Saronic Gulf that she serves. Seeing the FLYINGCAT 4 leaving the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4, which is perhaps the best high speed craft currently operating on the Saronic Gulf, seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen for one last time in 2021 as she leaves Piraeus. This therefore marks the end of the first part featuring the many ships that I got to see that day, just before my departure from Greece. The second part will be released next week , and will wrap-up the final moments and interactions that I had with the ships of the Greek coastal service during the 2021 season. #piraeus #summer2021 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #prevelis #aneklines #bluehorizon #bluegalaxy #bluestarchios #bluestarnaxos #bluestarferries #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #terajet #worldchampionjet #seajets #hellenichighspeed #flyingcat5 #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxxix #flyingcat4 #flyingcat6 #hellenicseaways #posidonhellas #apollonhellas #2wayferries #speedcati #alphalines #festospalace #minoanlines #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #phivos #novaferries #georgiosbroufas #broufasvessels

As mentioned in last week's post , this here is the second part featuring the pictures that I took of the various ships of the Greek coastal service that I had seen on 10 September 2021. This was one day before I left Greece in order to head to London so as to begin my postgraduate studies. Due to the many pictures that I took that day (a s the large majority of the ships that I saw that day consisted of ships that I got to see very often throughout my trips during the summer of 2021, so it was an opportunity to bid farewell to them for the time coming, until my return to Greece for the summer of 2022), it was better to make two separate posts so as to show all these pictures in depth. In case you did not read the first part and decided to proceed to reading this part only, here is a context regarding what I had done in the days prior to my last visit to the port of Piraeus for 2021. Indeed, my final week in Greece during the summer of 2021 proved to be extremely prolific in terms of photographing and traveling, as I visited the port of Lavrion on 6 September 2021 , headed two days later to Patras and performed a trip from Rion to Antirrion   and then back , before spending the following day spotting various ships in the island of Poros  and then heading back to Piraeus with the high speed ferry SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines that very same evening . My final visit to Piraeus also proved to very entertaining, as I spent the entire afternoon witnessing several ships departing the port or returning back from their services on the Aegean Sea. Without further ado, here is the second part featuring the many pictures that I took that day, as part of my last visit to the port of Piraeus for 2021. The first part had stopped right after I took the last picture of the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways as she was departing the port of Piraeus at 17:30. Barely 5 minutes after the FLYINGCAT 4 had exited the port of Piraeus, the small passenger ship ELENA F of Elena F Shipping  was seen having arrived from Salamina. The ELENA F seen having just arrived in Piraeus. Built in 1998 in Greece, she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, with the exception of the 2013 season when she served the Glyfa-Skiathos line on the Sporades. The ELENA F seen during the completion of her return leg from Salamina to Piraeus. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus. Her company has been active in the Greek coastal service since 1967, having always served the Piraeus-Salamina line. Indeed, it is run by the Filiagkos family, which also operated the double-ended ferry AGGELIS F  on the Perama-Salamina line from 2019 to 2020, before selling her to the Kuwaiti company Ikarus United Marine Services. Before operating the ELENA F, the company owned two small sister ships, the ELENI F and the DIMITIRIOS F, which began service on the Piraeus-Salamina line during the 1967 season. The ELENI F was sold in 1981 to the company Panou Shipping, and since 2001 she has been known as the IONIAN DOLPHIN of Mitsoulis Cruises , for whom she performs daily cruises on the Ionian Sea. The DIMITRIOS F was retired in 1998, just after the ELENA F was introduced to service. The ELENA F seen as she is heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen during her eighth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Salamina line, having returned there in 2014 following her single season on the Glyfa-Skiathos line. The ELENA F seen as she has returned to Piraeus from Salamina. I had the chance to travel with her for the first time last year, having done so while heading from Piraeus to Salamina on 5 August 2021. Unfortunately, my camera ran out of battery and I was unable to take any pictures, therefore I did not have the opportunity to write a Tribute post for the ship. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus. In addition to her regular service in Salamina, she has also made several excursions and one-day cruises to other islands of the Saronic Gulf, such as Aegina, Agistri and Poros. The ELENA F seen once again, as she makes her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen as she heads to her docking spot in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus. When heading to Salamina, she serves the ports of Kamatero and Paloukia. This is also the case for the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels . Both ships serve the Piraeus-Salamina line under a timetable that has been agreed by both their owners. The ELENA F making her way towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The ELENA F, one of the most appreciated ships of Salamina, seen as she heads to her docking spot in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen once again in Piraeus, while she heads towards her docking spot. The ELENA F seen once again, as she continues to maker her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus, with the high speed ferry HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways spotted in the background. Another view of the port of Piraeus, featuring the FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways and her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the FLYINGCAT 5 . Also there were the conventional ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries and her fleetmate, the POSIDON HELLAS . These two ferries notably used to be fleetmates of the two high speed catamarans, as they operated for Hellenic Seaways before their respective sales to 2way Ferries. The FLYINGCAT 6 was seen leaving her docking spot in Piraeus in order to proceed to the E10 gate. Here she is seen along with her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the FLYINGCAT 5. Both ships were operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf during the 2021 season. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 6 together with the FLYINGCAT 5, the APOLLON HELLAS and the POSIDON HELLAS. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she shifts from the E7 gate to the E10 gate in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen heading towards the E10 gate in Piraeus. This shift was performed in order to provide available space for berthing in the E7 gate, where the ship had docked (as opposed to the E8 gate where high speed craft serving the Saronic Gulf usually dock). As she had completed her services for the day, she headed to the E10 gate in order to rest. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen passing in front of the WORLDCHAMPION JET of Sea Jets (which had returned to Piraeus from the Cyclades) and of the TERA JET (also of Sea Jets) while making her way towards the E10 gate in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen once again, as she sails in front of the TERA JET. The WORLCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET and the FLYINGCAT 6, three high speed craft frequently seen in Piraeus, spotted in the port together. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen once more, as she proceeds to the E10 gate in Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 having almost reached the E10 gate in order to dock next to her fleetmate, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. At about 17:50, the POSIDON HELLAS was the ship now leaving Piraeus, in order to head to Aegina. She serves the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Methana line on the Saronic Gulf, under the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus. This was her seventh season under 2way Ferries. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Built in 1998 in Greece, she is notably the first double-ended ferry in the history of the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, having now operated there for 24 consecutive summers. This is the longest active run amongst all conventional ferries currently operating on the Saronic Gulf. The POSIDON HELLAS seen once more, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Just as the POSIDON HELLAS was leaving the port of Piraeus, yet another ship was seen having returned from the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, this time it was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins . A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA upon her return to Piraeus. She has been owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, and she has been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011. The POSIDON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus. The 2021 season proved to be a milestone one for me, with this ship being the main protagonist. Indeed, I traveled with her six times during that summer (three times from Piraeus to Aegina and another three from Aegina to Piraeus), which makes her the ship onboard which I have traveled the most times during a single summer. She therefore eclipsed the record previously held by the PHIVOS, with which I had performed four trips in 2007 and in 2019. I am curious to see if and when this new record will be broken, and with which ship. The POSIDON HELLAS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. My first-ever trip with the ship under the ownership of 2way Ferries occurred on 16 August 2016, as I headed from Aegina to Piraeus for my final trip during the 2016 season . The POSIDON HELLAS seen passing in front of me in order to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. In the meantime, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was seen continuing to make her way towards her docking spot in the E8 gate in Piraeus. One final picture of the POSIDON HELLAS for the 2021 season, as she is seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. At 18:00, the ELENA F was seen leaving Piraeus in order to head back to Salamina. The ELENA F seen performing her final trip of the day, as she heads from Piraeus to Salamina. The ELENA F seen while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The ELENA F seen passing in front of me, while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The ELENA F on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus, as she heads for Salamina. The ELENA F seen in Piraeus. This year, she will spend yet another season on the Piraeus-Salamina line, together with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS. One last view of the ELENA F while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Just two minutes after the ELENA F had exited the port of Piraeus, I witnessed yet another arrival, more specifically that of the conventional ferry AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets Ferries . She was returning to the port after having completed her service on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline, which she has been serving since 2020. The AQUA JEWEL seen having returned to Piraeus at about 18:05 in the evening. She has been owned by Sea Jets since 2017, and she operates under the Sea Jets Ferries division, as do all conventional ferries owned by the company. Another view of the AQUA JEWEL after she had entered the port of Piraeus. Built in 2003 for Alpha Ferries, she had a successful stint on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line (having started to serve the latter island in 2005 after being lengthened in Elefsina) before being chartered to NEL Lines in 2010. Under the latter, she operated on the inter-Cyclades lifeline, but her service in 2013-2014 was marred by engine troubles and the severe financial problems faced by NEL Lines. After a major engine failure ended her service in 2014 (which has since been taken over by the ARTEMIS of Hellenic Seaways ), she returned to Alpha Ferries, who attempted to reactivate her over the following years. She was ultimately bought by Sea Jets in 2017, in order to deploy her back on the inter-Cyclades line, so as to replace the company's previous ferry, the AQUA SPIRIT  (which was a former partner of the AQUA JEWEL on the Cyclades back when both ships operated for NEL Lines), which had been sold to the Canadian company BC Ferries (for whom she operates today as the NORTHERN SEA WOLF). After spending one season there, she spent two summers under charter to the Portuguese company Atlântico Line, being deployed on the Azores Archipelago. Afterwards, she returned to Sea Jets and began her current service on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos line, replacing the IONIS of Triton Ferries  which was deployed on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line on the Cyclades. The AQUA JEWEL seen having returned to the port of Piraeus. This was her second straight season on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, and her third summer operating for Sea Jets altogether, as she spent the 2018 season and the 2019 season under charter to Atlântico Line. During these two seasons, her service on the inter-Cyclades lifeline was taken over by her fleetmate, the high speed ferry ANDROS JET . Since 2020, the ship that has been assigned to the lifeline has been the CALDERA VISTA, also of Sea Jets . The AQUA JEWEL seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen upon her return to the port of Piraeus. She became the second conventional ferry to have been purchased by Sea Jets, following the AQUA SPIRIT which she eventually replaced after the latter was sold to BC Ferries in 2017. Since then, Sea Jets went on to acquire three more conventional ferries. These are the AQUA BLUE (previously the IERAPETRA L of ANEK Lines)  which was bought in 2017 and has been operating on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline since 2020, the SPORADES STAR (previously the AQUA STAR)  which was bought in 2021and has started to operate on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades this season, and the SUPERSTAR (previously the legendary SUPERFERRY II of Golden Star Ferries)   which was acquired at the end of the 2021 season  and is continuing to be present in her successful service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line on the Cyclades. The AQUA JEWEL seen as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen upon her return to Piraeus. While the largest part of her career has been associated with the Cyclades, she has become a valuable vessel for the islands of Kythira and Antikythira ever since she started to serve these two islands in 2020. The AQUA JEWEL seen in Piraeus. Even though she was built in 2003, her story dates back to 1986. Indeed, she was initially ordered that year as multi-purpose megayacht available for daily cruises under the company Perosea Shipping Company. She was due to be completed under the name NISSILIOS, but her construction was delayed and she was ultimately abandoned in Elefsina. Her unfinished hull was bought in 2001 by the then-newly-established Greek company Alpha Ferries, owned by the shipowner Perogiannakis, and she was instead built as a ferry under the name AQUA JEWEL in 2003. As the AQUA JEWEL was arriving in Piraeus, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which had returned just minutes prior, was seen leaving the port in order to head back to Aegina and Agistri. The AQUA JEWEL seen heading towards her docking spot, with the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED spotted in the background. The high speed ferry has occasionally operated on the inter-Cyclades lifeline previously served by the AQUA JEWEL during her stint with NEL Lines, usually in order to replace the ARTEMIS whenever the latter undergoes her annual refit. The AQUA JEWEL seen as she heads towards the E9 gate in Piraeus. The latter is known to be the principal departure spot for ships operated by Sea Jets, hence the ferry has been docking there ever since she began to operate on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline. Ships that previously served that lifeline would usually dock in the E4 gate, next to the cruiseferries that operate in Crete. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen as she departs the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen in Piraeus during what was her eleventh consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, as well as her twelfth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, during her debut season under Aegean Flying Dolphins in 2010, she operated on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen during her departure from Piraeus. During the 2021 season, she was the only hydrofoil of Aegean Flying Dolphins that operated on the Saronic Gulf. The other two hydrofoils of the company, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN ERATO and the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I , operated on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. The former has been operating there since 2014, whereas the latter joined her during the summer of 2021, after having spent the 2020 season under lay-up in Perama. For the 2022 season, the company will once again deploy two hydrofoils on the Saronic Gulf, as she the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I will also operate on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. This will be her first season on the Saronic Gulf since 2019, back when she served the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. The AQUA JEWEL seen once again as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen departing Piraeus in order to head to Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen again as she leaves Piraeus. During the 2021 season, I traveled twice with her, with the first time being on 2 July 2021 from Aegina to Piraeus, followed by a trip from Piraeus to Aegina ten days later. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen once again as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen proceeding towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen leaving Piraeus, just before she would start sailing at full-speed. Seeing the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA as she leaves Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen almost reaching the E9 gate in order to dock in Piraeus. One final view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, as she is seen heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen about to begin her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL preparing to begin her maneuvering procedure in the port of Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL now seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Piraeus, in front of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The AQUA JEWEL, one of the few Greek-built ships operating in Piraeus, seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure. The AQUA JEWEL having almost completed her maneuvering procedure in order to dock in Piraeus. A wider view of the E9 gate, the E10 gate and the E11 gate in Piraeus. Indeed, it shows three ships owned by Sea Jets (the WORLDCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET and the AQUA JEWEL) along with the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The WORLDCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET and the AQUA JEWEL seen together in the port of Piraeus. All three vessels happen to be among the three youngest ships owned by Sea Jets. The TERA JET seen in Piraeus along with the AQUA JEWEL, which has almost completed her maneuvering procedure. The AQUA JEWEL about to dock in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL preparing to dock in Piraeus, wit the FLYINGCAT 6 seen right behind her. The AQUA JEWEL seen as she is about to dock in Piraeus, with the FLYINGCAT 6 spotted in the background. The AQUA JEWEL and the FLYINGCAT 6 seen together in Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL having almost finished docking in Piraeus. While the AQUA JEWEL had almost finished docking, I then got to see the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines departing the port of Piraeus, in order to begin her long itinerary along the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. Another picture featuring the WORLCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET and the AQUA JEWEL. The PREVELIS seen leaving Piraeus, during her thirteenth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Anafi-Heraklion-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline. During her first two seasons in this service, she operated alongside the IERAPETRA L, which was previously owned by LANE Sea Lines, and which has been known as the AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets since 2017. The PREVELIS seen leaving Piraeus during the early evening. Before joining ANEK Lines, she operated as the PREVELI for the Greek company Cretan Ferries (which was based in Rethymnon) from 1995 to 2000, serving the Piraeus-Rethymnon line. After her company was absorbed by ANEK Lines in 2000, the ship was renamed PREVELIS and she spent one season on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line on the Dodecanese. She returned to the Piraeus-Rethymnon line 2001. She moved to the Piraeus-Chania line in 2007, followed by a spell on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2008. The PREVELIS seen once more as she leaves Piraeus. In spite of her advanced age, she has been praised for her longevity and for having been the most efficient ship to have ever served the extremely demanding Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. Indeed, she has been operating there all year long, while serving some of the most difficult ports of the Aegean Sea under extremely adverse weather conditions. Despite having occasionally experienced a few accidents and technical issues, she has nonetheless proved to be extremely reliable and passengers continue to appreciate her and her crew for continuously connecting them with the rest of Greece. The AQUA JEWEL seen once again as she has finished docking in Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen as she leaves Piraeus. The PREVELIS seen as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The AQUA JEWEL seen docked in Piraeus along with the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The PREVELIS seen leaving Piraeus, with the TERA JET spotted in the background. The PREVELIS seen once more during her departure from Piraeus. It will be interesting to see where she will be operating this season. Indeed, after 13 years of loyal service, the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy controversially assigned the subsidy contract of the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline to the OLYMPUS of Sea Speed Ferries , which has been known for providing very irregular services on the Cyclades and Crete since 2019. Indeed, her company has been operating under very questionable practices, heavily relying on state subsidies and only operating during the high season. Moreover, this ship has experienced several engine failures which have resulted in multiple delayed and canceled trips. Furthermore, her large size and outdated navigational abilities will undoubtedly cause major risks in some of the most difficult ports of the Aegean Sea, while potential engine troubles and canceled trips during the high season could easily harm the touristic services of Kasos, Karpathos and Chalki in the middle of the summer. Overall, this is really a very questionable move, especially as the PREVELIS was considered a perfect fit for this lifeline. She is due to be replaced by the OLYMPUS next month, and he future remains uncertain. The PREVELIS seen as she leaves Piraeus, during what eventually proved to be, based on the current turn of events, her final full summer on the Kasos-Karpathos lifeline. The PREVELIS spotted as she leaves the port of Piraeus, with the AQUA JEWEL seen in the background. The PREVELIS passing in front me and heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One last view of the PREVELIS as she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. Yet another picture featuring the three notable ships of Sea Jets, namely the WORLDCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET and the AQUA JEWEL. Another panoramic view of the port of Piraeus, covering the Eastern section of the port. The picture shows the FLYINGCAT 5, the APOLLON HELLAS, the WORLCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET, the AQUA JEWEL, the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. In other words, it only features ships owned by Hellenic Seaways and by Sea Jets, with the exception of the APOLLON HELLAS, herself a ship formerly owned by Hellenic Seaways. While looking towards the other side of the port, I saw the FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines along with the BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries , whose turn it was to leave Piraeus. The great BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she performs her late afternoon departure from Piraeus to Paros, Naxos and the Lesser Cyclades. Indeed, she operates on the Piraeus -Syros-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Donousa-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia line since 2018, while having also been in this service while additionally operating in Tinos and Mykonos from 2015 to 2017. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus, during her twentieth season on the Cyclades. This upcoming summer will mark the 20 years since she began service along with her sister ship and fleetmate, the BLUE STAR PAROS . The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen while she leaves Piraeus. While the bulk of her career has been spent on the Cyclades, she has also occasionally operated on the Dodecanese, including during the 2005 season when she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Kalymnos line, as well during every winter from 2008 to 2014, when she would usually replace the DIAGORAS  on the Dodecanese lifeline while the latter would perform her annual refit. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. She was ordered back in 2000 together with the BLUE STAR PAROS following the successful introduction of their older sister ship, the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, during that summer. The latter was owned by Blue Star Ferries until 2014, when she was sold to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited, for whom she operates as the FUNDY ROSE. All three ships have played a pivotal role in the rise of Blue Star Ferries on the Cyclades and on the Aegean Sea altogether. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen upon her afternoon departure from Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen again as she leaves Piraeus. Exactly one year and one week prior to taking this picture I had traveled with her for the first time, having sailed onboard her from Piraeus to Koufonisi on 3 September 2020 . The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen in Piraeus, as she begins her long trip to the Cyclades. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen yet again, as she leaves the port of Piraeus. During the summer her afternoon departure to Paros and Naxos is taken over by the BLUE STAR PATMOS , which has been serving the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini-Anafi line since 2018 (while having also done extensions to Ikaria and Samos during the summer of 2020). Seeing the BLUE STAR NAXOS during her usual late afternoon departure from Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS about to appear right in front of me as she heads out towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS spotted right in front of me, while she leaves Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS, a ship associated with the continuous reliability of the services offered by Blue Star Ferries for more than two decades, seen leaving the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS having passed in front of me and heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen for one last time in 2021, as she is about to exit the port of Piraeus. After the BLUE STAR NAXOS had left, I had the chance to take a quick picture of the E2 gate, where I saw a portion of the cruiseferry KYDON PALACE of Minoan Lines . She was the original FESTOS PALACE that operated for the company on the Piraeus-Heraklion line from 2001 until she acquired her current name in 2020, following a major fleet reshuffle undertaken by Minoan Lines during that year . She began operating during on the Piraeus-Chania line, whereas in 2021 she operated on the Piraeus-Milos-Chania line. Following the departure of her sister ship, the original KNOSSOS PALACE , which moved to Grimaldi Lines in order to become the new CRUISE BONARIA, the FESTOS PALACE is now the longest-serving current ship of the fleet of Minoan Lines. I then looked further down towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, and I had the chance to see the BLUE STAR 2 of Blue Star Ferries , which has been a mainstay of the Dodecanese since 2005. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Syros-Amorgos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line since 2020. Built in 2000 in The Netherlands, she has been one of the most successful ships of the company, and she is widely seen as one of the best ferries to have ever operated on the Dodecanese. Towards 18:25, I saw the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels having returned once more from Salamina, and she was heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen once again in Piraeus, in the early evening. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading back towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Seeing the GEORGIOS BROUFAS as she heads back towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS having made her way back to Piraeus, having made her final leg of the day from Salamina. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen once more, as she heads to her docking spot in the E8 gate in Piraeus. Another view of the various high speed craft spotted in Piraeus-along with one conventional ferry-namely the SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines , the WORLDCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET, the AQUA JEWEL, the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The NISSOS SAMOS of Hellenic Seaways was also seen docked in the E2 gate in Piraeus. Built in 1988 in Japan, she first arrived in Greece in 2004, after having been bought by Agoudimos Lines. Initially due to be named IONIAN GLORY, she was eventually acquired by Endeavor Lines and was deployed on the Adriatic Sea in 2005 as the IONIAN QUEEN. She remained with Endeavor Lines until 2012, when the company ceased operations due to financial problems. She remained laid-up in Patras for three years until she was bought in late 2015 by Hellenic Seaways. After being converted in Perama and being renamed NISSOS SAMOS, she began service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line in 2016, following by an extremely successful spell on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line during the 2017 season. After the takeover of Hellenic Seaways by Attica Group in 2018, the ship returned to the Northeast Aegean Sea and was deployed on the Piraeus-Psara-Oinousses-Chios-Mytilene line. At about 18:30, yet another ship was seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Indeed, the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT I was now heading towards the port's exit, in order to perform her evening service on the Saronic Gulf. The SPEED CAT I seen as she leaves the port of Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I seen leaving Piraeus. That was just one day after my first-ever trip with her, as I was heading back from Poros to Piraeus . The SPEED CAT I seen once again as she leaves Piraeus. Her company was established in 2020 by the well-known shipowner Antonios Agapitos together with his son, Vassilios. The former used to be the manager of the famous company Agapitos Lines, and was also among the top managers of Minoan Flying Dolphins, which later became Hellas Flying Dolphins before being rebranded to Hellenic Seaways. Following the latter's takeover by Attica Group in 2018, Antonios Agapitos resigned as the company's CEO and went on to form Alpha Lines two years later, thereby marking a new chapter in his famed career in the Greek coastal service. The WORLDCHAMPION JET and the TERA JET seen once more, as both of them are docked in Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I seen as she leaves Piraeus, during her debut season in Greece and under Alpha Lines. Her entry to service on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line proved to be a major success, as she was praised for her comfortable service and her indoor areas. Despite her unusual aesthetic appearance which has polarised shipping enthusiasts, the ship was considered to be extremely reliable and was further appreciated due to the fact that she provided competition on a demanding line of the Saronic Gulf that had previously been dominated solely by Hellenic Seaways (the former employers of Antonios Agapitos himself). Moreover, the ship introduced several innovative onboard features which made the trips even more convenient and enjoyable for passengers, and she notably had an outdoor deck area with dedicated aircraft-style seats that would enable passengers to remain outdoors throughout the whole duration of the trip, which is a rarity for a Greek high speed craft. Due to her success, Alpha Lines went on to win the prestigious 'Passenger Line of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2021. This marked the first time that a Greek company won this award in its debut season, and it therefore implies very promising things to come in the future. The SPEED CAT I seen as she leaves Piraeus during the evening. Seeing the SPEED CAT I while she leaves Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I seen departing the port of Piraeus. When she was built in 2002, she was one of six sister ships that were ordered by the Swiss government in order to perform an inland waterway service connecting three major Swiss lakes, namely Lake Neuchâtel, Lake Bienne and Lake Morat. They were all part of the Iris Catamaran-class built between 2000 and 2002. The ship began service as the LYON on the Neuchâtel-Bienne-Morat-Yverdon line, just before the start of the 2002 National Swiss Exposition. She remained in this service until 2008, and in 2009 she was sold to the Croatian company Adriatic Lines, and was renamed ADRIATIC JET. She was introduced on the Venice-Umag-Poreč-Rovinj-Pula line, thus connecting Italy with Croatia via the Adriatic Sea. She remained there for 11 years, until her sale in 2020 to Alpha Lines. A view of the SPEED CAT I in Piraeus, as she heads towards the port's exit. Coincidentally, when she entered service, she became the first ship not owned by Hellenic Seaways to be deployed on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line since the similarly-named SPEED CAT 1, also a high speed craft, which is owned by Hellas Speed Cat. Indeed, the latter ship, which was previously the PANORMITIS of ANES Ferries from 2001 to 2007, attempted to operate on the Saronic Gulf during the 2016 season. After being deployed there in March 2016, she unfortunately suffered a major engine failure after only a couple of weeks in service, and she was withdrawn from the line. She has never returned to service ever since, instead remaining laid-up in Salamina while awaiting her fate. The SPEED CAT I seen yet again, while she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The SPEED CAT I seen once again, as she performs her evening service to Poros, Hydra and Spetses. The SPEED CAT I leaving Piraeus in order to serve the Saronic Gulf, with Poros as her first stop. The SPEED CAT I see while she continues to make her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. One final view of the last ship onboard which I traveled in 2021, namely the SPEED CAT I. This year will be very interesting for her, as Hellenic Seaways has decided to enhance its services on the Saronic Gulf partly as a response to the arrival of Alpha Lines. Indeed, the company awaits to have three newly-built state-of-the-art aero high speed catamarans delivered to them later this summer, and plans to deploy them on the Saronic Gulf in order to replace the aging hydrofoils. Built in Norway, they are expected to arrive in Greece in August 2022. As such, the passengers of the Saronic Gulf will benefit hugely from high-quality services and different new options to choose from, especially those heading to Poros, Hydra and Spetses. A view of the E8 gate in Piraeus, where I spotted the FLYINGCAT 5, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS and the APOLLON HELLAS, which was leaving the port for her evening service. The APOLLON HELLAS seen passing by the WORLDCHAMPION JET, as she starts to head towards Aegina. Another view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS, together with the APOLLON HELLAS and the WORLDCHAMPION JET. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving Piraeus and passing in front of the AQUA JEWEL. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she leaves Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf in 2017, she has been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The APOLLON HELLAS seen leaving the port of Piraeus. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has spent the majority of her career on the Saronic Gulf. She was originally known as the GEORGIOS of Akouriki Shipping Company, and served the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line until she was sold to the South Korean company Wing Ferry Company, for whom she operated for two years as the SUN BEACH on the Nokdong-Jeju line on the Jeju Strait. She was laid-up in 1997, and made her comeback to Greece in 1999, after having been bought by Poseidon Consortium Shipping. She returned to the Saronic Gulf as the APOLLON HELLAS, being deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line. Later during that same year, her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002), and the ship continued to operate on the Saronic Gulf under the Saronikos Ferries division. The company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005, and the ship began serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line from 2008 to 2013. She then spent her final two years with Hellenic Seaways on the Sporades, first on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2014, and then on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2015. In 2016 she was sold to 2way Ferries, and she remained on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, before making her second return to the Saronic Gulf in 2017. The APOLLON HELLAS, one of the most prominent ships serving the Saronic Gulf over the past three decades, seen leaving Piraeus. She is one of the three ships owned by 2way Ferries that operate on the Saronic Gulf. In addition, the company operates on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, with the double-ended ferry ANO CHORA II  (since 2006), and also began serving the Agia Marina-Nea Styra line on the Petalioi Gulf during the summer of 2021, after having deployed the recently-refurbished landing craft KANARIS, which they had acquired in late 2020. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once again as she passes in front of the AQUA JEWEL. The APOLLON HELLAS now seen passing in front of her former Hellenic Seaways fleetmates, namely the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The APOLLON HELLAS seen having left Piraeus. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS, as she proceeds towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS leaving the port of Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf, I have traveled with her six times, including three times during the 2021 season. My first trip with her under the ownership of 2way Ferries was on 7 August 2017, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina , and I also had a notable trip onboard her from Aegina to Piraeus on 13 August 2020, following a major refurbishment that she underwent prior to that year's summer . The APOLLON HELLAS spotted once again, as she begins her evening trip to Aegina. The APOLLON HELLAS about to pass in front of me while she heads towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS on her way towards the exit of the port of Piraeus in order to serve the Saronic Gulf. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she performs her evening trip from Piraeus to Aegina. The APOLLON HELLAS seen upon her departure from Piraeus. The loud noise made by her engines is undoubtedly one of the most recognisable ones in Piraeus and on the Saronic Gulf. In fact, when I am in Aegina, there are instances in which I can hear and recognise the noise even if I do not actually see the ship! The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more, as she is about to head towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, during what was her sixth season under 2way Ferries. For the summer of 2022, she is due to remain in her usual service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. One final view of the APOLLON HELLAS for the 2021 season, as she leaves Piraeus. Another glimpse of the Eastern section of the port of Piraeus, covering from the E8 gate to the E11 gate and featuring ships of Hellenic Seaways and Sea Jets. These include the FLYINGCAT 5, the WORLDCHAMPION JET, the TERA JET, the AQUA JEWEL, the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. Just 3 minutes after the APOLLON HELLAS had exited the port of Piraeus, I saw another ship having arrived, namely the double-ended ferry ACHAEOS, also of 2way Ferries . With her arrival, I had the chance to see and photograph the three ships of the company that operate on the Saronic Gulf. The ACHAEOS seen having arrived in Piraeus. She was built in Greece in 2006, and she has spent her entire career under the ownership of 2way Ferries. Apart from a charter to the Italian company Blunavy from 2011 to 2012, she has always operated in Greece. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus. During her debut season in 2006, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line, but she was then assigned to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line together with her fleetmate, the ANO CHORA II. She returned to the Saronic Gulf in 2014, being deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus, after having arrived from Aegina. Her return to the Saronic Gulf proved to be a major success. Facilitated by the establishment of the Saronic Ferries joint venture, the ship proved to be a valuable asset for passengers heading to both Aegina and Agistri. Ultimately, 2way Ferries went on to enhance their presence on the Saronic Gulf, acquiring the POSIDON HELLAS in 2015 and the APOLLON HELLAS in 2016, although the latter first operated on the Sporades before heading back to the Saronic Gulf in 2017. The ACHAEOS seen heading towards the E8 gate in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS spotted in Piraeus, during what was her eighth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and her ninth season there overall if we include her stint on the Piraeus-Aegina line during her debut season in 2006. The ACHAEOS seen making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS, a reliable double-ended ferry that is well-fitted to serve the Saronic Gulf, seen upon her arrival in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS continuing to head towards her docking spot in the port of Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, following her arrival from Aegina. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf in 2014, I have traveled with her on 11 different occasions, either from Piraeus to Aegina or vice versa. My first two trips with her happened to be in her comeback season in 2014, while my third one, which consisted of a return leg from Aegina to Piraeus on 19 July 2016, was analysed more in depth . She was also the first ship onboard which I traveled during the 2020 season, having done so on 7 August 2020 while heading from Piraeus to Aegina. During the 2021 season, I traveled twice with her: on 19 July 2021 from Aegina to Piraeus, and on 25 August 2021 from Piraeus to Aegina. The ACHAEOS seen making her way towards her docking spot in Piraeus, after having completed her return trip from Aegina. The ACHAEOS spotted in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus, having completed her services for the day. Another view of the ACHAEOS, while she continues to head towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen as she is about to pass in front of the TERA JET while heading towards the E8 gate in Piraeus, The ACHAEOS seen in Piraeus, with the WORLDCHAMPION JET and the TERA JET seen right behind her. The ACHAEOS seen yet again in Piraeus, having almost reached her docking spot. The ACHAEOS having almost arrived in the E8 gate in Piraeus. Right behind the ACHAEOS, I had the chance to wintess yet another ship operating on the Saronic Gulf having returned to Piraeus. This time, it was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XIX of Hellenic Seaways , which is one of the three ships of her type serving the company. All of them operate on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen having returned to Piraeus. This was her second consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf following her reactivation in 2020. Before that, she had been laid-up in Perama from 2012 to 2019, after having running aground in the small islet of Metopi on the Saronic Gulf, while sailing from Aegina to Agistri in June 2012. Despite being declared a constructive total loss at the time, she was eventually repaired seven years later following the fire that destroyed her fleetmate and sister ship, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII , in 2019. The latter ship was eventually scrapped later in that same year . The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen in Piraeus, after having returned from Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen in Piraeus. She was built in 1983 in Georgia, which was at the time part of the Soviet Union. She is notably the lead ship of the well-known Kolkhida-class, which was considered the newest generation of hydrofoils upon their introduction from the early 1980s to the mid 1990s. Many ships of the class went on to operate in Greece, with all three hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways belonging to the class (as it was also the case with the now-scrapped FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII), and Aegean Flying Dolphins also owning two vessels of that type. The ACHAEOS seen having docked in the E8 gate, with the FLYINGCAT 5 having also shifted to the usual spot where she docks. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen about to pass right next to her fleetmates, namely the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. This picture is quite special, as it shows the three different types of high speed craft operated by Hellenic Seaways, This is while awaiting for the arrival of a new type, namely the new aero high speed catamarans, which are set to be deployed on the Saronic Gulf this upcoming summer. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she is about to pass in front of her fleetmate, namely the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once again as she heads towards her docking spot in Piraeus. Another view of the ACHAEOS, which is now docked right next to the GEORGIOS BROUFAS. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen once again as she heads towards her docking spot in the port of Piraeus. Another view of the AQUA JEWEL, which is docked next to the FLYINGCAT 6 and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she is about to dock next to the WORLDCHAMPION JET. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX as she is about to dock in Piraeus, with the WORLDCHAMPION JET seen right next to her. As my stay in the port was about to come to an end, I walked towards the E4 gate, where I once again saw the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , which serves the Piraeus-Chania line. A further view of the BLUE GALAXY together with her fleetmate, the BLUE HORIZON , as the sun begins to set. Both ships connect Piraeus with Crete, although the BLUE HORIZON is on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. Another view of the BLUE GALAXY, once known as the LEFKA ORI of ANEK Lines, as she is docked in Piraeus. She would go on to leave for Chania later in the evening. Another view of the FESTOS PALACE, which serves the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line since 2020. Before that, she operated as the MYKONOS PALACE on the Piraeus-Chania line for two seasons, and was originally the EUROPA PALACE that operated on the Adriatic Sea from 2002 to 2012. She then had a six-year-long stint under charter to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione as the AMSICORA, before her return to Minoan Lines in 2018. Just as I was about to leave, I got to witness the last ship that I saw arriving in Piraeus in 2021. That was the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , which had returned to the port following her departure a few hours prior (as seen in the previous Blog post). The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen having arrived in Piraeus once again. As it has been stated several times, she is the youngest active hydrofoil operating in the Greek coastal service. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, with the much larger TERA JET seen right behind her. And here is my final picture of a Greek coastal service ship for the 2021 season, and the FESTOS PALACE was the ferry that was given such an honour. Having taken over 3,000 pictures that year, this was the last for the summer. And this therefore marks the end of the second part of the pictures taken during my final visit in Piraeus during the 2021 season, and it ultimately concludes all the coverage of my interactions with the Greek coastal service during that year's summer. This proved to be an extremely eventful year full of records and new experiences. Indeed, besides having taken the most pictures of Greek coastal service ships in my life so far, I also had the chance to perform 41 different trips within the span of less than three months, including onboard 11 new ships for the first time ever. That summer saw me discovering several new ships for the first time, as well as seeing others under different services, ownerships, names and liveries. I had the opportunity to explore several islands on the Cyclades (including Milos, Kimolos and Tinos for the first time) and on the Saronic Gulf, and also went on to visit new areas on my own just out of plain curiosity in order to see them with my own eyes, such as Lavrion, Patras and the Rion-Strait. Overall, I was lucky to see and photograph 157 different ships during the 2021, which is obviously an all-time record. As I am now ending my postgraduate studies in late July (it is crazy that the year went by so fast, considering that this post as well as last week's showed pictures that I took only days before I began to study in London), I am looking very much forward to returning to Greece, for what I hope will be a very exciting summer that will enable me to see many ships again, as well as new ones in other areas of the Greek coastal service that I have not seen yet, and also some familiar faces under different names, liveries and areas of service. In other words, I hope to carry on with the unique moments that I experienced during the summer of 2021, and hopefully try to take even more pictures in order to then have the opportunity to share them with you on this website. Until the new pictures are published, enjoy all the ones that I have taken for far, and stay tuned for what is about to come in the next few months! #piraeus #summer2021 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #elenaf #elenafshipping #hellenichighspeed #flyingcat5 #flyingcat6 #nissossamos #flyingdolphinxix #flyingdolphinxxix #hellenicseaways #apollonhellas #posidonhellas #achaeos #2wayferries #worldchampionjet #terajet #aquajewel #seajets #seajetsferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #prevelis #aneklines #festospalace #kydonpalace #minoanlines #bluestarnaxos #bluestar2 #bluegalaxy #bluehorizon #bluestarferries #georgiosbroufas #broufasvessels #speedcati #alphalines

The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in Perama in September 2021, just three months before she left Greece forever in order to head for demolition, after 27 successful years on the Adriatic Sea and on the Aegean Sea. Last month, the Greek coastal service lost one of its greatest-ever members, as the legendary ferry EXPRESS PEGASUS of Hellenic Seaways left Greece for the last time in order to be scrapped in the Turkish coastal city of Aliağa. This therefore marked the end of an illustrious career for a much-acclaimed ferry, which had a very successful 27-year-long spell in Greece, and most notably on the Aegean Sea, where she first arrived in 1996, following two seasons on the Adriatic Sea. For some, she remains the iconic PEGASUS of Ventouris Ferries, while, for others, she was the reliable EXPRESS PEGASUS that operated on many key services of Hellenic Seaways, even as she became older and she began to be outperformed by the newly-built vessels that were deployed on the Aegean Sea during the 2000s. Despite these challenges and occasionally being out of the plans of her final owners, she nevertheless continued to operate way beyond anyone would have imagined, and it was only an unfortunate accident in the islet of Armathia near Kasos on the Dodecanese during the summer of 2020 that eventually sealed her fate, as she was never repaired and she was sold for scrap after a year of lay-up in Perama. Had this event never occurred, perhaps she could have continued her career even though she was 44 years old. The EXPRESS PEGASUS originally began her career in Italy, as the ESPRESSO VENEZIA of the iconic Italian company Adriatica Di Navigazione, which in turn chartered her to the fellow Italian state-owned ferry company Tirrenia Di Navigazione for 12 years. During that period, she operated on the Tyrrhenian Sea, providing excellent service, although she would usually be replaced by larger tonnage on the different lines on which she was assigned, due to the Italian ferry market experiencing a significant boom during the 1980s. The ship was part of the famed Espresso Livorno-class, which was a successful quartet of ships that played a key role on the connection of Italy with the rest of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. Most notably, all ships had a spell on the Adriatic Sea, and two of them, namely the ESPRESSO RAVENNA (as the VENEZIA) and the ESPRESSO LIVORNO (as the GRECIA) were owned by the Greek company Halkidon Shipping, but they were instead deployed on the connection between Italy and Albania under flags of convenience. After 13 very successful years on the Tyrrhenian Sea, the ESPRESSO VENEZIA finally found a role under Adriatica Di Navigazione, for whom she spent the 1989 season on the Patras-Brindisi line. However, this turned out to be her sole season under the company, as in 1990 she was then fully transferred back to Tirrenia Di Navigazione, for whom she was introduced on the Reggio Calabria-Catania-Valletta line as the ESPRESSO MALTA. After two years, she was laid-up in Palermo in 1992, as the service was not deemed successful. Following two years of lay-up, she was bought by the well-known Greek company Ventouris Ferries, which had become an established player on the Adriatic Sea during the 1980s. She was renamed PEGASUS and she was inserted on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line, where she had a decent spell. In 1996, her company made a significant move when it decided to deploy her on the domestic Greek market, namely on the Western Cyclades lifeline, which had started to become one of the most competitive services of the Aegean Sea. After a difficult start marked by a major accident in the islet of Patroklos in late 1996, the ship soon became a major success on the line, becoming one of the most beloved ships of the Aegean Sea and, for many, the second greatest ship in the history of the Western Cyclades, after her main competitor (and later fleetmate), namely the legendary MILOS EXPRESS of Lindos Lines. Despite this success, Ventouris Ferries was unable to stay present on the Aegean Sea for long, as its domestic services were taken over in late 1999 by the newly-established giants Minoan Flying Dolphins, which was a company that had absorbed several prominent shipping operators of the 1990s, therefore being close to forming a monopoly on the Cyclades, on the Northeast Aegean Sea, on the Sporades and on the Saronic Gulf. The PEGASUS remained on the Western Cyclades, operating as the EXPRESS DIONISOS under the Hellas Ferries division. The new company, which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, experienced a tumultuous period during the early 2000s, and soon most of its oldest ferries were outperformed by newly-built vessels, and many of them were poorly maintained. As a result of this, several ships of the company were sold for scrap or to other companies. The EXPRESS DIONISOS was spared from this fate, as she continued to be a part of the company's plans. She was renamed EXPRESS PEGASUS in 2002, and she remained in the company's fleet in 2005, the year during which they rebranded themselves as Hellenic Seaways. That same year, she moved to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, where she stayed for three seasons. After being replaced by the newly-built NISSOS MYKONOS , she was deemed to surplus requirements by Hellenic Seaways. Despite this, she was not sold, instead remaining as a spare vessel and covering the services of her fleetmates when they would be undergoing their annual refits. She spent a large part of the 2008 season on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, as she replaced the incumbent ferry operating there, as the latter experienced several technical issues combined with the financial difficulties of her company. Unfortunately, after a permanent successor was introduced on this service, the EXPRESS PEGASUS once again failed to find a role during the 2009 season, especially after experiencing a major engine failure that kept her laid-up in Drapetsona for over a year. However, in 2010, she finally re-entered her company's plans, as she was deployed on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades during the summer. She remained in this service for five seasons. After several rumours regarding her next employment, she was eventually placed on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line in 2015, hence taking over the service abandoned by NEL Lines, which shut down operations due to financial difficulties. Despite this being a demanding service, the EXPRESS PEGASUS operated there with much success, and she was much-appreciated by passengers and residents of the Northeast Aegean Sea. Her spell there ended in 2020, when the lifeline was assigned to Sea Jets. The ship managed to find a new area of service, this time being the Dodecanese, as she was placed on the new Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes lifeline during the summer of 2020. However, she ran aground in the islet of Armathia, and this prematurely ended her season, and, ultimately, her career, as she remained laid-up in Perama for a year, until she was sold for scrap last month. At the time of her departure, she was the oldest ship of Hellenic Seaways, and the third ship of the Espresso Livorno-class to have been sold for scrap, as her two sister ships, namely the GRECIA and the VENEZIA, had met the same fate back in 2010. As I am writing this post, the EXPRESS PEGASUS is no longer among us, as her scrapping in Aliağa has already finished. Her departure for the demolition yards was very painful, as we were talking about a great ship that provided excellent service for almost three decades. She has been acclaimed for her longevity and her versatility, as she was deployed across numerous different services on the Aegean Sea, including on some of the most competitive and most demanding ones of the Greek coastal service. She is one of the few ships to have served all the main areas of the Aegean Sea, as she operated on the Cyclades, on the Northeast Aegean Sea, on the Sporades and on the Dodecanese, while having also been deployed on the Adriatic Sea. She became an icon on the Western Cyclades, with many frequent passengers to these islands stating that, even in today's standards, few or no ships have ever operated there as successfully as she did. These statements have been made despite her staying on the Western Cyclades for less than 10 years. Her later career under Hellenic Seaways was also very successful, and she always operated effectively on every area that she was called to serve. After having two years of uncertainty due to her company not counting on her and due to technical troubles, she had a successful resurgence during the 2010s, and only her grounding in Armathia in 2020 resulted in her being permanently withdrawn from service, and subsequently being sold for demolition. In addition to her lengthy career, she was also noted for her speed (especially during her first years in Greece), her large garage, her comfortable indoor areas and her pleasant outdoor areas (particularly those in the stern section), and her excellent sailing abilities during intense weather conditions. Several passengers continued to appreciate her towards the end of her career, as she reminded them of the memorable trips that she performed during the 1990s, which were a golden era for the Greek coastal service. Just like all Ship Farewell Tribute posts that I have done in the past , this Blog post covers the entire history of the EXPRESS PEGASUS, from her career in Italy until her final year under Hellenic Seaways. Notably, she is the third ship that has previously operated for Ventouris Ferries for which I have to write such a post these past few months, after the RIGEL I in September 2021 and the BARI just a month later . However, unlike both vessels, which were photographed back when they were still operating on the Adriatic Sea, I never had the chance to see the EXPRESS PEGASUS until the summer of 2021, despite her frequent presence in Piraeus during the 2000s and having also stopped in Lavrion in 2015. As a result of this, I only have three pictures of the famed ship, with all of them being during her lay-up in Perama, just three months before she was sold for scrap. Due to her operating during the late 2000s and the 2010s on the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Sporades, areas in which I have never been so far, I could not witness the ship during her final active years under Hellenic Seaways, let alone take pictures of her. Thankfully, seeing several pictures, videos and trip experiences onboard her published online helped me grasp the importance of this ship, as well as her unique career, which I will now present in detail. The ship that went on to become the EXPRESS PEGASUS was ordered in 1976 by the Italian state-owned company Adriatica Di Navigazione. Due to be named ESPRESSO VENEZIA, she was part of the second pair of the Espresso Livorno-class, a famed quartet of vessels built at Cantieri Navali Luigi Orlando Shipyard in Livorno in Italy (which also built the famous armored cruiser GEORGIOS AVEROF, which was the flagship of the Hellenic Navy during the first half of the 20th century). The ships of this quartet are considered to be the first Ro-Pax ferries of the Mediterranean Sea. The first pair of the class was originally ordered by the Italian company Trans Tirreno Express, which had been founded by the Greek shipowner Spyros Magliveras in 1970 and was active until 1981. The first pair of ships consisted of the ESPRESSO LIVORNO, built in 1973, and the ESPRESSO CAGLIARI, built in 1974. Both ships were inserted on the Livorno-Olbia line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. In 1976, they both joined Adriatica Di Navigazione, initially under charter, and operated on a successful service linking Italy with Greece, Turkey, Egypt, Cyprus and Israel, on the Venice-Piraeus-Heraklion-İstanbul-İzmir-Alexandria-Limassol-Haifa line. As they were satisfied with the performance of these two vessels, two additional sister ships were ordered. These ferries were also due to be built at the Luigi Orlando Shipyard, and were planned to enter service on the lengthy itinerary served by their two older sister ships under the historic company Adriatica Di Navigazione. The latter had been founded in 1936, back when the Italian fascist regime began to manage four state-owned passenger shipping companies in order to maintain full control of the Italian shipping sector. The four companies were named according to the areas on which they operated, The first company was Italia Di Navigazione (also known as Italian Line, founded in 1932), which operated ocean liners from Italy to the United States and later to South America before shifting to the cruise industry in the 1970s and then to freight shipping in the 1980s before being privatised in 1998 following a takeover by D'Amico Società Di Navigazione (who then sold the company to the Canadian company CP Ships in 2002, with the latter now part of the German giants Hapag-Lloyd). The second one was Lloyd Triestino (founded in 1919), which also operated ocean liners from Italy to Africa, Asia and Australia, before also transitioning to the container segment during the 1970s, and being known as Italia Marritima, a subsidiary of the Taiwanese giants Evergreen Marine Corporation since 2006. The other two companies were both founded in 1936. The first one was Tirrenia Di Navigazione, dedicated to the passenger traffic between mainland Italy and Sardinia and Sicily on the Tyrrhenian Sea, while the second one, Adriatica Di Navigazione, was dedicated to the connection of Italy with Greece, Albania, Yugoslavia and the ports of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, mainly through the Adriatic Sea. The company also served the Tremiti Islands on the Adriatic Sea. When World War II ended and the fascist regime collapsed in 1945, the company dedicated itself mostly to the services on the Adriatic Sea and the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, including Greece, Egypt, Turkey and later Israel. In 1961, they formed a joint venture alongside their Greek rivals Hellenic Mediterranean Lines on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, whereupon they introduced the first-ever ferry connection between Patras and Brindisi. This service was provided by the legendary EGNATIA of the Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, which had already started service in 1960 and went on to spend her entire operational career on the aforementioned line, until her retirement in 1996. Adriatica Di Navigazione, in turn, deployed the newly-built ferry APPIA, which operated on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line for 28 years, becoming an iconic ferry as well. The company's success lasted throughout the entirety of the 1960s, and in the early 1970s they also provided additional freight service through effective Ro-Ro carriers, before experiencing further growth through the acquisition of the ESPRESSO CAGLIARI in 1974, followed by that of the ESPRESSO LIVORNO in 1976. Their deployment to Egypt and the Middle East was praised by passengers, and the company therefore decided to order two more ships from the Espresso Livorno-class. While the third ship was being built in the Luigi Orlando Shipyard, Adriatica Di Navigazione eventually saw its services on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea severely impacted by the geopolitical tensions in Egypt and the Middle East. The state-owned company therefore came to the conclusion that the two newly-built ferries could not enter service under such conditions. Instead of deploying them on a service between Italy and Greece, Adriatica Di Navigazione decided to charter them to the fellow state-owned company Tirrenia Di Navigazione, which planned to introduce them on the Tyrrhenian Sea. The third ship was eventually completed just in time for the 1977 summer season, and began service on the Genoa-Porto Torres line as the ESPRESSO VENEZIA. Her name is the Italian translation of 'Venice Express', and she was named after the famed Italian city, where she was due to operate under Adriatica Di Navigazione (although Tirrenia Di Navigazione eventually decided to maintain her original name). She was registered in Venice, and became the first Ro-Pax ferry to operate on the Tyrrhenian Sea. Her sister ship, the ESPRESSO RAVENNA, entered service in 1978, therefore completing the quartet. She was also inserted on the Genoa-Porto Torres line, which connected mainland Italy with Sardinia. The ESPRESSO VENEZIA seen during her launching ceremony in the Luigi Orlando Shipyard in Livorono, in early 1977, a few months before she began her career under Tirrenia Di Navigazione. Picture published on www.naviecapitani.it . The ESPRESSO VENEZIA became an instant success for Tirrenia Di Navigazione, as her status as a Ro-Pax ferry enabled her to transport significant amount of lorries heading to Sardinia, in addition to her large passenger capacity. Indeed, she could transport 1,300 passengers, which at the time was considered a huge number for a ferry. She therefore became a key component of the Italian state-owned giant, which was seeing its fleet growing exponentially during the 1960s and the 1970s, thanks to the ever-increasing tourism in Sardinia and Sicily during that period. Indeed, due to major economic boom experienced by Italy after World War II, tourism and industrial activities in both major Italian islands grew significantly. As a result, passenger and freight demand to both islands also increased substantially, as did ferry services from Italy to Malta, Libya and Tunisia. Besides the ESPRESSO VENEZIA and the ESPRESSO RAVENNA, Tirrenia Di Navigazione had made huge investments in new ferries during the 1970s. Indeed, it ordered eight ships that were part of the Poeta-class. All of them were built in Italy, and were delivered between 1970 and 1978. One of these ships was the VERGA, built in 1978 and deployed on the Civitavecchia-Olbia line, which in 1997 became the famous DIMITROULA of the Greek company GA Ferries, for whom she operated on many services across the Aegean Sea until she was sold for scrap in 2011. In addition to these ships, Tirrenia Di Navigazione also deployed several Ro-Ro carriers that would serve the increasing freight demand between Italy, France and Northern Africa (namely the STAFFETTA JONICA, the STAFFETTA ADRIATICA and the STAFFETTA TIRRENICA, all of which joined the company in 1973), as well as other ferries such as the LA VALLETTA (built in 1971, she operated on the Syracuse-Valletta line before being sold in 1976 to fellow Italian company Siremar, while she later became the MISTRAL II of the Greek cruise line Epirotiki Cruises and then the MARIA PA of Golden Ferries, the predecessor of Idomeneas Lines) and her successor, the MALTA EXPRESS (which operated for the company from 1976 to 1988, and later became the MOBY WILL of future rivals Moby Lines). Finally, the company also made significant investments on regional services based out of Sardinia, deploying dozens of smaller ferries to operate on different itineraries, such as the Portovesme-Carloforte line (served by the Dutch-built ferry CARLOFORTE, previously the ROSPIGGEN of the Finnish company Eckerö Linjen) or the Palau-La Maddalena line. Despite all these successful introductions, the fleet of Tirrenia Di Navigazione at the end of the 1970s was still unable to sustain the continuous rise of passenger and vehicle traffic on the Tyrrhenian Sea. To that end, the company proceeded to ordering six new ferries, at the time the largest to have ever been built in an Italian shipyard. They were due to be delivered between 1979 and 1981, as part of the Strade Romane-class built in the Italcantieri Shipyard in Castellamare di Stabia, with the exception of one ship which was built in the famous Fincantieri Shipyard. The first ship to be delivered, the DOMIZIANA (today the AF FRANCESCA of Adria Ferries), began service in 1979 on the Genoa-Porto Torres line, whereupon she replaced the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, which was sent to operate on the Genoa-Cagliari line. Only one year later, the fifth ship of the Strade Romane-class, the AURELIA, was also deployed on the Genoa-Porto Torres line, thereby taking over the service of the ESPRESSO RAVENNA, which was reunited with her sister ship on the Genoa-Cagliari line. Both ships continued to operate very effectively for the company on this new line, where they went on to stay for the next eight years. The ESPRESSO VENEZIA seen in the port of Cagliari in Sardinia in 1979, during her first year of service on the Genoa-Cagliari line, after having previously started her career on the Genoa-Porto Torres line. Despite spending the first 12 years of her career under charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione, she never featured the company's famous all-white livery. Instead, she maintained the colours of her first owners, namely Adriatica Di Navigazione. Picture published on www.naviearmatori.net . The beautiful ESPRESSO VENEZIA, admired by many for her impressive silhouette which highlighted the reputed design skills of the Italian shipbuilders, seen as she arrives in the port of Genoa, during the 1979 season. Picture taken by Carlo Martinelli and published on www.shipspotting.com . The ESPRESSO VENEZIA seen arriving in Cagliari in 1981, during her third season on the Genoa-Cagliari line. Picture published on www.naviearmatori.net . A view of one of the three sister ships of the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, namely the ESPRESSO RAVENNA (who was her main partner for 11 years) in the port of Genoa in 1979. She was built in 1978, being the youngest ship of the Espresso Livorno-class. Just like the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, she was owned by Adriatica Di Navigazione, but was chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione. She was deployed on the Genoa-Porto Torres line in 1978, before moving to the Genoa-Cagliari line in 1980. She remained there until 1987, when she was inserted on the Naples-Cagliari line. In 1990 she returned under the management of Adriatica Di Navigazione, and she took her sister ship's name, hence becoming the new ESPRESSO VENEZIA (the original one had been renamed ESPRESSO MALTA at the time). She was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea. In 1992 she was deployed on the Ancona-Split line, before moving to the Ancona-Bar line in 1994, followed by the Ancona-Durrës line in 1999. In 2003 she was sold to the Greek company Halkidon Shipping. She was renamed VENEZIA and was deployed on the Trieste-Durrës line. During the summer of 2005, she returned to the Ancona-Durrës line under charter to Adria Ferries. She subsequently returned to her owners, and began operating on the Trieste-Bari-Durrës line in 2006. She was sold for scrap to Turkey in 2010. Picture published on www.naviearmatori.net . A view of the ESPRESSO LIVORNO, the lead ship of the Espresso Livorno-class, as she undergoes her maneuvering procedure in her namesake port in 1974. She was built in 1973 for Trans Tirreno Express, and she was deployed on the Livorno-Olbia line. In 1976 she was chartered to Adriatica Di Navigazione, alongside her sister ship, the ESPRESSO CAGLIARI (built in 1974). They were both assigned on the Venice-Piraeus-Heraklion-İstanbul-İzmir-Alexandria-Limassol-Haifa line. In 1980, the ESPRESSO LIVORNO was definitely bought by Adriatica Di Navigazione, was renamed ESPRESSO GRECIA, and was deployed on the Patras-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea, before shifting to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line in 1983. In 1989 she began serving the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. In 1992 she was inserted on the Ancona-Durrës line. In 1995 she was deployed on the Trieste-Durrës line. She remained in this service even after she was sold in 1999 to Halkidon Shipping, for whom she was renamed GRECIA. Her sister ship, the ESPRESSO VENEZIA (which was renamed VENEZIA) joined her in 2003. In 2006 she started to operate on the Trieste-Bari-Durrës line, where she remained until she was sold for scrap to Turkey together with the VENEZIA in 2010. Picture taken by Egidio Ferrighi and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . A view of the third sister ship of the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, namely the ESPRESSO CAGLIARI, undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Piraeus in 1978, as part of her long itinerary on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea under Adriatica Di Navigazione. She was the second ship of the Espresso Livorno-class to be built, after having been delivered to Trans Tirreno Express in 1974. In 1976, after two years of service on the Livorno-Olbia line, she and the ESPRESSO LIVORNO were chartered to Adriatica Di Navigazione, and was deployed on the Venice-Piraeus-Heraklion-İstanbul-İzmir-Alexandria-Limassol-Haifa line. In 1980 she was definitely sold to Adriatica Di Navigazione, being renamed ESPRESSO EGITTO. She continued to link Italy with Greece and Egypt, serving the Venice-Bari-Piraeus-Heraklion-Alexandria line. In 1991 she underwent an extensive conversion in La Spezia, during which her accommodation superstructure was entirely remodeled. She therefore looked completely different when placed next to her sister ships, as she featured an upgraded stern (which saw the addition of five passenger decks) and a fully-remodeled bow. She was renamed EGITTO EXPRESS and resumed service on the Venice-Bari-Patras-Piraeus-Heraklion-Alexandria line. In 1993 she was deployed on the Trieste-Durrës line, while in 1994 she was inserted on the Patras-Brindisi line. In 1998 she remained as the last vessel of Adriatica Di Navigazione to be employed between Greece and Italy, as she was on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. Her company eventually stopped serving Greece after the 2000 season, and, during the summers of 2001 and of 2002, the ship was chartered to the Greek company Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, for whom she operated on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. In 2003 she was deployed on the Bari-Durrës line. After the closure of Adriatica Di Navigazione in 2004, she was sold to the newly-established Italian company Adria Ferries and was renamed RIVIERA DEL CONERO. She was deployed on the Ancona-Durrës line. Her 2005 season was cut short due to a severe engine failure, but she was nevertheless repaired and returned to service in 2006. She acquired sponsons in 2010, while in 2012 she was renamed AF MICHELA. In 2015 she was sold to the Italian company Traghetti Delle Isole and she was renamed LAMPEDUSA. She was inserted on the Porto Empedocle-Linosa-Lampedusa line on the Pelagie Islands Archipelago in early 2016, but she soon moved to the Trapani-Pantelleria line on the Sicilian Strait. She suffered another major engine failure in late 2017, and this caused her to be laid-up in Trapani and to miss the entire 2018 season. She was repaired in 2019 and resumed service on the Trapani-Pantelleria line, where she remains today. She is the only surviving member of the Espresso Livrono-class following the retirement of the EXPRESS PEGASUS in 2021. Picture taken by Kenneth Gibson and published on www.shipspotting.com . After spending eight successful years on the Genoa-Cagliari line, the ESPRESSO VENEZIA had to be replaced by larger tonnage as a result of the continuous rise in passenger traffic. Tirrenia Di Navigazione considered ordering new ferries, but they instead decided to upgrade some of their Ro-Ro carriers. Indeed, three such vessels, the STAFFETTA MEDITERRANEA, the STAFFETTA LIGURE and the STAFFETTA JONICA (the second ship of the company to carry that name, as the first one had been sold in 1978), which were three sister ships of the Staffetta-class that was delivered between 1979 and 1980 in order to provide freight traffic from Genoa and Naples to Sardinia, Sicily and Libya, all underwent a major conversion during which they became conventional ferries. The upgrades were performed in La Spezia, and the three ferries became part of the new Sociale-class. The first ship to be converted was the STAFFETTA JONICA, which was renamed ARBOREA in 1987. She would later go on to be bought by the Greek company GA Ferries in 2004, however her overall condition was extremely poor, and she was sold for scrap without ever entering service on the Aegean Sea, as it had been planned initially. The STAFFETTA MEDITERRANEA was also refitted in 1987, and was renamed TORRES, while the STAFFETTA LIGURE became the CARALIS. The ARBOREA and the TORRES were inserted on the Genoa-Cagliari line during the 1987 season, hence replacing the ESPRESSO VENEZIA and the ESPRESSO RAVENNA. The latter pair was moved to the Naples-Cagliari line, and therefore continued to operate on the Tyrrhenian Sea. They replaced the two ferries that were previously serving this line, namely the veteran sister ships CALABRIA and SICILIA (two former passenger-only ships of the Regione-class built in 1952, which were converted into conventional ferries in 1967 and in 1968, respectively), which were retired and subsequently sold for scrap in 1988. The ESPRESSO VENEZIA seen on the Tyrrhenian Sea during the 1988 season, which she spent on the Naples-Cagliari line. Picture published on www.naviecapitani.it . Although the ESPRESSO VENEZIA provided reliable service on the Naples-Cagliari line, she only stayed there for two seasons, as she was eventually linked with a return under her owners, namely Adriatica Di Navigazione. The latter had ended the joint venture that they had along with Hellenic Mediterranean Lines, and sought to reshuffle their fleet on the Greece-Italy service. At the same time, Tirrenia Di Navigazione decided to deploy another ship owned by Adriatica Di Navigazione on the Naples-Cagliari line, the ferry TINTORETTO (built in 1966 and previously linking Italy with the former Yugoslavia during the 1980s), which they chartered in late 1988. With these changes, the ESPRESSO VENEZIA joined Adriatica Di Navigazione in 1989, and therefore finally began service for her owners, after having spent the first 12 years of her career with Tirrenia Di Navigazione. She was one of the three ferries that were deployed by Adriatica Di Navigazione on the service between Greece and Brindisi. The other two ships were her sister ship, the ESPRESSO GRECIA (previously the ESPRESSO LIVORNO), and the TIEPOLO (which had joined Adriatica Di Navigazione in 1981), which was also deployed in Greece for the first time in her career. The ESPRESSO VENEZIA was deployed on the Patras-Brindisi line, hence providing the direct service between the two main ports, whereas the ESPRESSO GRECIA was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, hence replacing the veteran ferry APPIA, which moved to the Ancona-Split-Dubrovnik line. The TIEPOLO was the ship that performed the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, which had previously been served by the ESPRESSO GRECIA. An aerial picture of the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, which was used in the brochures provided by Adriatica Di Navigazione during the 1989 season. Picture published on www.nautilia.gr . The ESPRESSO VENEZIA seen arriving in Igoumenitsa during a summer evening in 1989, during her debut season on the Adriatic Sea and under Adriatica Di Navigazione. This call to Igoumenitsa must have been performed under special circumstances, as the ship would usually operate on the Patras-Brindisi line. Picture taken by Stefanos Antoniadis and published on www.adriaticandaegeanferries.com . The 1989 season marked the first summer during which the ESPRESSO VENEZIA was deployed in Greece, a country where she would then go on to have an extremely successful career. Thanks to her speed, she had a rather good season with Adriatica Di Navigazione, and she competed well against the two other companies serving Brindisi from Greece, namely Hellenic Mediterranean Lines and Fragline. Her direct service from Patras to Brindisi was effective, and her large garage enabled more vehicles to travel directly from Greece to Italy. Moreover, this was the first time that she was fleetmates with her two older sister ships, namely the ESPRESSO VENEZIA and the ESPRESSO EGITTO (previously the ESPRESSO CAGLIARI). However, her first season under Adriatica Di Navigazione would ultimately be her only one, as she was eventually sold to Tirrenia Di Navigazione. As a result, she returned to the latter for a second stint, although this time she was fully owned by the company. Adriatica Di Navigazione decided to replace her by bringing in a ship that they also owned but had chartered to Tirrenia Di Navigazione. This was none other than the ESPRESSO RAVENNA, the sister ship of the ESPRESSO VENEZIA, which ended service on the Naples-Cagliari line under Tirrenia Di Navigazione following the 1989 season. She joined her owners for the first time, after having also spent 12 years under charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione. She made her debut on the Adriatic Sea in 1990, whereupon she was renamed, becoming the new ESPRESSO VENEZIA, and being inserted on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. As for the original ESPRESSO VENEZIA, she returned to Tirrenia Di Navigazione under a new name. Indeed, she became the ESPRESSO MALTA, as the company now intended to have her deployed on the Reggio Calabria-Catania-Valletta line on the Malta Channel, hence connecting mainland Italy and Sicily with Malta. She began this new service during the summer of 1990. The company therefore returned to Malta for the first time since 1988, after having previously sold the MALTA EXPRESS to Navarma Lines, a company known as the predecessor of Moby Lines. During her spell on the Reggio Calabria-Catania-Valletta line, the ESPRESSO MALTA notably competed against the Maltese company Virtu Ferries, which had started operations between Sicily and Malta in 1988. She notably became the victim of an alleged hijacking during the summer of 1991, when she had been requisitioned by the Italian government to transport Albanian refugees back to their homeland, as the latter were considered to be 'illegal economic migrants'. Angry refugees seized the vessel in order to prevent her from sailing from Catania to Valletta. After the intervention of the police, the ship was freed and returned to her usual service. The ESPRESSO MALTA seen in Valletta during the summer of 1992, which marked her third season on the Reggio Calabria-Catania-Valletta line. Despite being now owned by Tirrenia Di Navigazione, just like during her first stint under the company, she maintained the livery of Adriatica Di Navigazione. This summer was also her final one under Tirrenia Di Navigazione, as she was subsequently laid-up in Palermo. Picture taken by Gordon Dalzell and published on www.shipspotting.com . After spending two years on the Reggio Calabria-Catania-Valletta line, the ESPRESSO MALTA was withdrawn from service, and was laid-up in Palermo in late 1992. This occurred as the company decided to end the service to Malta, which they deemed unprofitable. During that time, the company decided to further assert its commitment to the services on the Tyrrhenian Sea, and was planning to put its fleet modernisation plan into action. Indeed, Tirrenia Di Navigazione would deploy several newly-built vessels between the mid 1990s and the early 2000s, including seven cruiseferries, six high speed craft (one of which was the high speed ferry SCORPIO, which was built in 1999 and is today known as the TERA JET of Sea Jets ) and three Ro-Ro carriers. Having already an established fleet through the Strade Romane-class and the Sociale-class, smaller ferries such as the ESPRESSO MALTA were not expected to remain in the plans of Tirrenia Di Navigazione. As a result of this, the ship remained in Palermo and was listed for sale. A logical move would have been a return to Adriatica Di Navigazione. However, the latter experienced difficulties on the Adriatic Sea, as they were forced to withdraw their ferries serving former Yugoslavian ports due to the Yugoslav Wars. They also failed to keep a strong market share on the service between Greece and Brindisi, as the deployment of the three sister ships of the Palladio-class (the PALLADIO, the SANSOVINO and the LAURANA, which were built for Adriatica Di Navigazione between 1989 and 1992 and initially began operations in the former Yugoslavian ports) proved to be a major failure, primarily due to these ferries' slow speed and frequent engine troubles. Because of this, Adriatica Di Navigazione, which went on to be absorbed by Tirrenia Di Navigazione in 2004, did not consider bringing the ESPRESSO MALTA back under their fleet. As no other ferry company expressed interest in buying her, the ESPRESSO MALTA remained laid-up in Palermo during the entire 1993 season. Fortunately for the ship, she finally managed to find a new owner in 1994, when it was announced that she would be joining Ventouris Ferries. The latter has been an important Greek ferry company, having had a strong presence on both the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea for more than four decades. Its roots go back to 1975, when a ferry company was founded by the Kimolos-native Konstantinos Ventouris, a well-known self-made shipowner who established himself in the shipping industry by operating cargo vessels before deciding to enter the Greek coastal service. Along with his four sons, he bought the small passenger ship AGIOS GEORGIOS, which began service in 1976 on the Western Cyclades. The ship immediately made a great impact and gave the company significant exposure across the Aegean Sea. In 1978, the family bought the ferry KONINGIN WILHELMINA of the Dutch company Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland, which was initially renamed CAPETAN KONSTANTINOS, and was introduced on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 1980. She was then renamed PANAGIA TINOU in 1981, and went on to have a legendary spell on the aforementioned line. The success of the vessel led the Ventouris family in making significant new acquisitions in the early 1980s. Indeed, in 1980, the company, which had began trading as Ventouris Ferries, bought the ex-FREE ENTERPRISE I of the British company Townsend Thoresen (the predecessor of P&O Ferries), converted her in Perama and introduced her in 1980 on the Western Cyclades as the KIMOLOS. The latter also went on to become largely successful, and therefore the company bought the ferry ROI BAUDOUIN of the Belgian company Regie voor Maritiem Transport (later known as Oostende Lines) in 1983. Initially renamed GEORGIOS B, this ship was converted in Perama and entered service on the Cyclades as the legendary GEORGIOS EXPRESS, considered by many to be the greatest ship in the history of the Greek coastal service (although the PANAGIA TINOU is also a major candidate regarding that debate). In 1984, they also began operating on the Adriatic Sea, having bought two ships belonging to the British conglomerate Sealink: the PATRA EXPRESS (the ex-ST GEORGE of British Railways) and the BARI EXPRESS (the ex-PRINCESSE ASTRID of Regie voor Maritiem Transport, and the sister ship of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS). Both ships were successfully introduced on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. However, in 1986 the Ventouris family split into two groups following disagreements between the four Ventouris brothers as their father retired from the coastal service sector. The two oldest sons formed the two subsequent companies: the new company Ventouris Sea Lines was founded by Evangelos Ventouris (along with his younger brother Antonis), while Ventouris Ferries continued under Georgios Ventouris (along with his younger brother Apostolos). The result of this was the transfer of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS and of the KIMOLOS to Ventouris Sea Lines, while Ventouris Ferries would continue to operate solely on the Adriatic Sea with the PATRA EXPRESS and the BARI EXPRESS, as well as the newly-acquired ATHENS EXPRESS (later renamed ATHENS in 2003). Just a year later, the Ventouris family experienced a further split, as Apostolos Ventouris went on to found the company AK Ventouris, and took over the ownership of the PANAGIA TINOU. Antonis Ventouris also operated the smaller company Ventouris Lines on the Saronic Gulf beginning in 1992. While his brothers went on to experience abrupt ends to their services during the 1990s, Georgios Ventouris and his company prevailed, operating several successful ships that went on to have legendary spells on the Adriatic Sea as well as on the Aegean Sea. The company established a solid base in Bari, becoming very popular amongst Italian travelers and hauliers. Their presence there during the 1980s was key in the port's development, and in fact several passengers preferred to call there rather than in Brindisi, which had been the main Southern Italian port that was connected with Greece. This would ultimately mark the decline of the services provided by Hellenic Mediterranean Lines and Adriatica Di Navigazione, the former owners of the ESPRESSO MALTA. Ships of Ventouris Ferries that were deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line as well as on the shorter Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line over the following years included: the GRECIA EXPRESS (bought in 1987 from the Dutch company North Sea Ferries), the legendary Ro-Pax VENUS (the ex-DANA GLORIA of DFDS Seaways and later the GEDSER/GEDSER LINK of the German company GT-Link, she was bought in 1989 and replaced the PATRA EXPRESS-which was sold in 1990-and was later renamed SIREN in 2004), the sister ships EUROPA (the ex-FALSTER of the Swedish company Rederi Ab Nordö, then operated as the ATLAS IV on the Adriatic Sea for the Greek company Libra Maritime, before being bought in 1989 by Ventouris Ferries, being renamed VEGA in 1990 before being sold for scrap in 2004) and EUROPA II (the ex-SCANDINAVIA of Rederi Ab Nordö, then operated as the ATLAS III on the Adriatic Sea for Libra Maritime, before being chartered in 1989 and then bought in 1990 by Ventouris Ferries, being renamed SATURNUS and operating until 2003, she was then the ALEXANDRA/ALEXANDRA T of Tsirikos Lines from 2005 until her sale for demolition in 2011). Another major purchase occurred in 1991, when the company deployed the iconic Ro-Pax ferry POLARIS (the sister ship of the VENUS/SIREN, and previously the DANA FUTURA of DFDS Seaways and then the SKÅNE LINK of the Swedish company Nordö-Link), which operated for 20 years and is widely considered to be the greatest ship in the history of Ventouris Ferries. All these ships played a crucial role in the continuous rise of the company, which became an established operator on the Adriatic Sea, and whose fleet continued to expand. Moreover, the company also had a successful comeback on the Aegean Sea, as they deployed the BARI EXPRESS on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line on the Cyclades in 1988. The latter's service was widely acclaimed, and she is considered to be one of the greatest ferries to have served the demanding Rafina-Cyclades service. In addition, the company also operated the small ferry YDRA (previously the historic AINOS of the Greek company Strintzis Lines, and then the NERAÏDA II of the Saronic Gulf-based company Sigma Ferries) on the Saronic Gulf from 1990 to 1992, the year during which they sold her to Ventouris Lines, for whom she operated for three years as the AGIOS NEKTARIOS. Ahead of the 1994 season, the company had to face several challenges on the Adriatic Sea. The first one was the anticipated arrival of two new competitors in Bari. One of them was ANEK Lines, one of the most important players on the Adriatic Sea, which deployed two ships: the the KRITI (which later became the SUPER NAÏAS of Agapitos Lines, and a future fleetmate of the ESPRESSO VENEZIA as both ships would join Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999) which was deployed on the standard Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line, and the KYDON (today the AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets Ferries) which served the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari-Ancona line. The other new competitor was the Greek company Marlines, which left Brindisi and deployed the acclaimed ferries COUNTESS M and DUCHESS M on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line and the VISCOUNTESS M on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. Other competitors such as Arkadia Lines and Poseidon Lines also continued to threaten the dominance of Ventouris Ferries, with two ships each. In addition, the GRECIA EXPRESS, which was undergoing her annual refit in the port of Aegion in late 1993, was mysteriously hit by a fire which completely destroyed her and resulted in her remaining partly submerged in the port. The ship was declared a constructive total loss, and was ultimately salvaged and sold for scrap to Turkey in 1995. In order to compensate for the loss of an important ship and to respond to the growing competition, Ventouris Ferries decided to buy two new ships. These included the ESPRESSO MALTA and the larger ferry ABEL TASMAN of the Australian company TT-Line Company. The ESPRESSO MALTA did not undergo a significant refit, as her past experience on the Adriatic Sea and on lengthy services on the Tyrrhenian Sea convinced the company that her amenities did not require a significant upgrade. She was renamed PEGASUS, hence following the company's trend (which had started in 1990) of naming their ships after constellations. She acquired the Cypriot flag and was registered in Limassol. She was introduced on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line during the summer of 1994. There, she operated alongside the VENUS and the POLARIS, while the SATURNUS was on the direct service on the Patras-Bari line. The ATHENS EXPRESS was on the Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line, while the shorter service on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line was covered by the VEGA and by the ABEL TASMAN, which was renamed POLLUX and became the flagship of the company thanks to her impressive size. Despite the increasing competition, Ventouris Ferries remained the leading force in Bari, with the PEGASUS greatly complementing the successful services of the SIREN and of the POLARIS. The PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Patras during the summer of 1994, which marked her debut season under Ventouris Ferries. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The PEGASUS seen maneuvering in the port of Patras after having arrived from Bari (with intermediate stops in Corfu and Igoumenitsa) during the 1994 season. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . After a good first season, the PEGASUS remained in the company's plans, despite being forced to decrease their services as a result of the decrease in passenger traffic between Greece and Bari. This was primarily due to the launching of the Greek company Superfast Ferries, which deployed the SUPERFAST I and the SUPERFAST II, two extremely fast Ro-Pax ferries, on the Patras-Ancona line during the 1995 season. The introduction of these two new ferries marked the start of a new era on the Adriatic Sea, during which several companies would order newly-built cruiseferries that would perform faster crossings and provide luxurious services onboard. As a result of this passengers, preferred Ancona over Bari, despite the latter's closer proximity to Greece. Ventouris Ferries therefore made significant changes in 1995, namely the deployment of the SATURNUS on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line and the sale of the POLLUX (despite her being the company's flagship) to NEL Lines, for whom she became the well-known THEOFILOS, spending the 20 seasons that followed on the Northeast Aegean Sea until her permanent lay-up in 2014. The PEGASUS remained on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line alongside the SIREN and the POLARIS, while the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line was served by the ATHENS EXPRESS and the VEGA. Despite another satisfying season on the Adriatic Sea, the PEGASUS would unexpectedly leave the area the following year, as she was due to move to the Aegean Sea, where she would go on to spend the remainder of her career with great success and much acclaim. Indeed, in 1996, Ventouris Ferries decided to deploy her on the Western Cyclades. This was due to a sudden gap that was created in the Greek coastal service following the abrupt collapse of Ventouris Sea Lines following the 1995 season. Indeed, despite the latter having been one of the most dominant companies of the Cyclades under Evangelos Ventouris, several questionable investments and previously-hidden financial issues ultimately caused the company's downfall. Similarly, Ventouris Lines, the company of Antonis Ventouris, ceased operations in 1995 under the same circumstances, but the void left on the Saronic Gulf could be easily covered by other operators. However, in the case of the Cyclades, this proved to be more challenging. Although popular services such as the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line and the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line continued to be served by the former competitors of Ventouris Sea Lines, namely Agapitos Lines and Agapitos Express Ferries, the service on the Western Cyclades had not yet found a new operator. To that end, Ventouris Ferries entered this service with the PEGASUS. Due to her transfer from the Adriatic Sea to the Aegean Sea, the ship was reflagged to Greece and was registered in Piraeus. After a refit in Perama during which her upper passenger deck was significantly upgraded, she began service on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, hence becoming the successor of the APOLLON EXPRESS 2 of Ventouris Sea Lines (which joined Agapitos Lines as the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI in 1996, and later became a fleetmate of the PEGASUS under Minoan Flying Dolphins, before becoming the AGIOS GEORGIOS/PANAGIA TINOU of a reformed Ventouris Sea Lines from 2004 to 2017, the year during which she was sold for scrap ). The latter was serving on the Western Cyclades and also on the Dodecanese during the 1995 season, as she was on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line. The PEGASUS therefore became the main competitor of the main protagonist of the Western Cyclades, which was the legendary MILOS EXPRESS of Lindos Lines. The latter had been operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line since 1988, and is still regarded as the best ferry to have ever served the area. In addition, a third ferry also began operations in the exact same service covered by the MILOS EXPRESS and the PEGASUS during the 1996 season. This was the ANEMOS of Nomicos Lines, a notable Japanese-built ferry, which later became the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines and is now the ALEXANDRA L of the defunct company Kefalonian Lines . Therefore, the Western Cyclades experienced a major boost in terms of services and competition, as three excellent ferries were available to passengers willing to head to these islands. With her introduction on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, the PEGASUS became the second ship of Ventouris Ferries to operate on the Cyclades, as the BARI EXPRESS was continuing her successful service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. The PEGASUS seen docked in the port of Serifos during the summer of 1996, which marked her debut season on the Western Cyclades and on the Aegean Sea. This was also the first time that Ventouris Ferries was operating on the Western Cyclades since the 1985 season, just before the split between the four Ventouris brothers. Picture taken by Apollon Nomikos and published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The PEGASUS seen arriving in Milos during the summer of 1996. This was her first summer on the Western Cyclades, where she eventually became an acclaimed ferry despite a rocky start. Her successful service there cemented her place among the best ships in the history of the Greek coastal service. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The first season of the PEGASUS on the Western Cyclades was promising. Despite the difficult competition, she managed to provide good service, and her speed of 21 knots made her a valuable asset for all the islands that she served. However, this first year also ended on a bad note. Indeed, on 26 October 1996, while heading from Piraeus to Kythnos, she ran aground in the islet of Patroklos, which is located right below Cape Sounion. As she hit a reef in the islet, her bow was severely damaged, and there were fears that her hull could have also cracked. Due to the impact caused by the collision with the reefs, one passenger tragically lost his life, while a few injuries were also reported. The passengers were evacuated through the EXPRESS DANAE of Agapitos Express Ferries, which made a prompt arrival from Poros and returned the passengers to Piraeus. The PEGASUS was eventually towed back to Piraeus during that same day, and she immediately headed for repairs. Her damaged bow was remodeled, and made the ship more resistant against strong winds and potential future collisions. After 20 days of repairs in Piraeus, she returned to service on the Western Cyclades in late 1996. The PEGASUS seen right after having hit the reefs of the islet of Patroklos on the Saronic Gulf on 26 October 1996, which resulted in her bow being seriously damaged. Picture taken in the 'Efoplistis' magazine and published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The PEGASUS seen in Piraeus in November 1996, while undergoing repairs following her accident in the islet of Patroklos. Her damaged bow was replaced by a new one, which was added in Piraeus prior to the ship resuming her service on the Western Cyclades. Picture taken in the 'Efoplistis' magazine and published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The PEGASUS seen entering the port of Piraeus in late 1996, right after having resumed service after her repairs were completed. This is one of the first pictures of the ship with her new bow, which was remodeled during the repairs that she underwent following her accident in Patroklos. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.shipfriends.gr . The PEGASUS returned to service in late 1996, and her comeback marked the start of the most successful period of her career. Indeed, the next three seasons that followed helped establish her as one of the best ferries of the Aegean Sea, and she became a beloved ship on the Western Cyclades. Her service was widely acclaimed by passengers, and she was appreciated for her speed, her large garage and her impressive outdoor areas. In particular, her front section balcony enabled passengers to have an impressive view while sailing around the Western Cyclades. Furthermore, she had several passenger cabins, which made her very valuable when performing evening and overnight services on a long and demanding lifeline. A major key to the ship's success was her crew, which was under the command of Cpt Evangelos Antonopoulos, one of the best captains to have served in the Greek coastal service. Thanks to these impeccable seasons, the ship proved to be the first true challenger of the MILOS EXPRESS on the Western Cyclades, and she is generally considered to be the second greatest-ever ferry to operate there, after the iconic ship of Lindos Lines. The ship's success was also facilitated by the departure of the ANEMOS, which left the Western Cyclades in 1997 in order to be deployed on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Another company that also had relative success on the Western Cyclades was GA Ferries, which deployed several well-known ferries such as the DALIANA, the MILENA and the ROMILDA. The PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Piraeus during Good Friday in 1997. This was her second year on the Aegean Sea and on the Western Cyclades. She is seen passing by the legendary ARKADI of Cretan Ferries. Behind her (at the left side of the picture) is the iconic cruiseferry MYTILENE of NEL Lines , which was operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The PEGASUS seen having left the port of Piraeus in 1997, during her second season on the Western Cyclades under Ventouris Ferries. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.limnosfm100.gr . The PEGASUS seen as she departs the port of Piraeus during the summer of 1998. These were considered to be the golden years of the ship, as she established herself as a legendary ship on the Western Cyclades. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published on www.kaipoutheos.gr . The PEGASUS seen on the Saronic Gulf, while making her way towards the Western Cyclades during the 1998 season. Picture published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Piraeus, after having returned from the Western Cyclades, during the summer of 1998. Picture taken by Kostas Sarlis and published on www.naviearmatori.net . The PEGASUS seen arriving in Sifnos during the feast of Panagia Chrysopigi in 1999. The latter is considered to be the patron protector of the island. The annual celebration calls for a passenger ship serving Sifnos to transport the holy icon of Panagia Chrysopigi to its eponymous monastery, located on the island's Southeastern coast. This is always a very emotional and remarkable celebration, and several well-known ships of the Western Cyclades have transported the holy icon. The PEGASUS was one of them, as she notably performed this role during her stint under Ventouris Ferries and later under Minoan Flying Dolphins. Picture taken by Antonis Lazaris and published on www.kaipoutheos.gr . The PEGASUS seen on the Saronic Gulf, shortly after having left the port of Piraeus, during the summer of 1999. Picture taken by Apollon Nomikos, and published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . With the glorious 1990s coming to an end and with the Greek coastal service transitioning to the 21st century, everything seemed to go very well for the PEGASUS. Indeed, she continued to provide excellent service on the Western Cyclades, and, by 1998, was the only ship of Ventouris Ferries that served the Aegean Sea, as the BARI EXPRESS had been sold that year to Agapitos Express Ferries (for whom she entered service on the Cyclades as the EXPRESS HERMES). However, in late 1999, the PEGASUS unexpectedly departed the fleet of Ventouris Ferries, as she became one of the many ferries that were acquired within a very short timespan by the Greek giants Minoan Flying Dolphins, better known today as the predecessor of Hellenic Seaways. The latter was created in late 1998, when Minoan Lines agreed to establish a new ferry company that would absolve the operations of the popular company Ceres Flying Dolphins, which had been operating a fleet of 30 hydrofoils and two high speed catamarans. The company began trading as Minoan Flying Dolphins, which was a portmanteau of Minoan Lines and Ceres Flying Dolphins, and also took over the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 1 of Minoan Lines (built in 1996, she had been operating on the Cyclades under Minoan Lines beginning in 1997), followed by her fleetmate, the FEDRA. But the new company's growth did not stop there. Indeed, its charismatic manager, Pantelis Sfinias, sought to create a monopoly on the Aegean Sea by buying almost all ships operating on the Cyclades, Crete, the Dodecanese, the Northeast Aegean Sea, the Sporades and the Saronic Gulf, with most of them being owned by traditional shipping families. Combined with the upcoming deliveries of three newly-built high speed ferries (the HIGHSPEED 2, the HIGHSPEED 3 and the HIGHSPEED 4 ) in 2000, Sfinias managed to buy all the ferries and high speed craft from Agapitos Lines, Agapitos Express Ferries (and their Ro-Ro carrier division on the Adriatic Sea called Express Sea Trailers), Nomicos Lines, Arkadia Lines, Lindos Lines, all but one from Goutos Lines, the domestic ferries of Ventouris Ferries (in this case, the PEGASUS) and Agoudimos Lines, as well as the Saronic Gulf companies Lefakis Shipping, Poseidon Consortium Shipping, Maltezos Shipping and Akouriki Shipping Company. This resulted in the formation of a fleet of unprecedented size, with a total of 77 ships. This included 27 conventional ferries, 4 Ro-Ro carriers, 8 landing craft, 30 hydrofoils, 4 high speed ferries and 4 high speed catamarans. With these acquisitions, Minoan Flying Dolphins became the new leading force of the Greek coastal service, with only GA Ferries (who actually almost joined Minoan Flying Dolphins as well, but eventually did not), NEL Lines, ANEK Lines, LANE Lines (which later became LANE Sea Lines in 2006), DANE Sea Line and Strintzis Lines (which went on to become Blue Star Ferries after being acquired by Attica Group in 2000) being able to resist them. With this move, Ventouris Ferries ceded the PEGASUS to this new company, and ended their services on the Aegean Sea. Since then, they have continued to operate solely on the Adriatic Sea, serving the Bari-Durrës line and the Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. Minoan Flying Dolphins divided the fleet into four different operators, based on the region where they would be operating. The high speed craft all operated under the core Minoan Flying Dolphins division, while ferries operating on the Cyclades, on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the Dodecanese, as well as the Ro-Ro carriers sailing on the Adriatic Sea, would be operated by Hellas Ferries. The ferries operating on the Saronic Gulf and on the Sporades were transferred to the Saronikos Ferries and Sporades Ferries divisions, respectively. As she was a ferry coming from the Cyclades, the PEGASUS joined Hellas Ferries. Ahead of the 2000 season, Minoan Flying Dolphins implemented a naming policy that was applied to almost all its ferries, which carried on the one introduced by Agapitos Express Ferries, which was the use of the prefix 'EXPRESS' and adding the name of a figure from the Greek mythology, a name similar to the one a ship held under her previous ownership or the name of a Greek location. The PEGASUS was renamed EXPRESS DIONISOS, therefore taking the name of the Greek God Dionysos (the God of wine, festivities and theatre). She reunited with the EXPRESS HERMES (her former Ventouris Ferries fleetmate BARI EXPRESS), and she also became fleetmates with her main rival, the MILOS EXPRESS, which was renamed EXPRESS MILOS. She also became fleetmates with one of her first competitors on the Adriatic Sea, the ex-KRITI of ANEK Lines, which became the EXPRESS ARIS after having previously spent three years on the Cyclades under Agapitos Lines as the SUPER NAÏAS (from 1996 to 1999). Moreover, she was also fleetmates for a few months alongside the ex-ANEMOS of Nomicos Lines, which became the EXPRESS ANEMOS, but never operated for the company as she was sold to ANEN Lines before the 2000 season. Altogether, most of the ferries that sailed under the Hellas Ferries division continued to operate on the lines that they were previously serving under their previous owners, with only a few exceptions. This included the EXPRESS ARIS, which was sent to operate on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea. The PEGASUS seen in Piraeus in late 1999, as she undergoes her change in livery ahead of her entry to service under Hellas Ferries, one of the four divisions of Minoan Flying Dolphins. The company's logo was already added on both her funnels, while she maintained her name, which she later changed to EXPRESS DIONISOS. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . As it was anticipated, the EXPRESS DIONISOS continued to serve the Western Cyclades under her new owners, operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line together with the EXPRESS MILOS. Both ships remained successful there, and cemented the dominance of Minoan Flying Dolphins on the Western Cyclades. Only GA Ferries competed against them, and notably deployed, on some occasions, the ferry DIMITROULA, a former fleetmate of the EXPRESS DIONISOS back when they both operated for Tirrenia Di Navigazione. Indeed, the DIMITROULA was previously known as the VERGA, and had been acquired by GA Ferries in 1998. The EXPRESS DIONISOS seen arriving near the Church of Panagia Chrysopigi in Sifnos in 2000, during her debut season under Minoan Flying Dolphins and the Hellas Ferries division. Just like the year before, she was transporting the holy icon of Panagia Chrysopigi to its eponymous church, amidst the celebrations in Sifnos. Picture taken by Kyriakos Smyrnaios and published on www.kaipoutheos.gr . The EXPRESS DIONISOS seen arriving in Piraeus during the 2000 season, which was her fifth overall on the Western Cyclades, and her first one under the livery of Hellas Ferries and under her new name. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . One of the most well-known pictures of the EXPRESS DIONISOS, which shows the ferry heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus, as viewed from her stern. She was returning to the port of Piraeus after having served the Western Cyclades during the summer of 2000. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . Despite operating as a monopoly and having the largest fleet on the Aegean Sea, the year 2000 ended on a disastrous note for Minoan Flying Dolphins. Indeed, the EXPRESS SAMINA (the ex-GOLDEN VERGINA of Agapitos Lines), tragically sank in Paros on 26 September 2000, resulting in the loss of 81 people . The entire population of Greece was shocked by the events, and the sinking became one of the biggest maritime tragedies in the history of the Greek coastal service. Just two days later, the EXPRESS ARTEMIS (the ex-PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI of Agapitos Lines) suffered a blackout in Naxos while carrying more than 1,000 passengers. As a result of this, all ships owned by Minoan Flying Dolphins were arrested on a national scale, with many of them being laid-up until they would meet safety requirements. The EXPRESS DIONISOS was cleared to sail again, but many of her fleetmates were forced to end their services on a permanent basis, such as the EXPRESS NAÏAS (the ex-NAÏAS II of Agapitos Lines) or the EXPRESS HERMES. Minoan Flying Dolphins was seriously hit by all these events, becoming the centre of much criticism due to having undergone poor refits on their older ferries. Moreover, several of them did not meet the main safety standards that are required in order to sail. With the mounting negativity and public outcry, the final straw for Minoan Flying Dolphins came when Pantelis Sfinias committed suicide by jumping from the rooftop of the company’s office building in Piraeus. Despite all the chaos, the company continued to be active and was ready to redeem itself for the 2001 season. In that same year, the EXPRESS DIONISOS underwent a brief refit in Perama, during which her stern was significantly upgraded. The outdoor deck in the stern section was extended and was covered in order to become a sun deck. This therefore increased her passenger capacity and allowed for a more comfortable stay in her outdoor areas. She resumed service on the Western Cyclades together with the EXPRESS MILOS. The EXPRESS DIONISOS spotted in Piraeus during the 2001 season, which marked her first summer of operations following the minor conversion that she underwent. Her stern was fully remodeled and saw the addition of a new sun deck. Picture taken by Bernard Dobbs and published on www.hhvferry.com . The EXPRESS DIONISOS seen leaving Milos during the 2001 season, which was her second one under Minoan Flying Dolphins, whose reputation had now become tarnished because of the tragedy of the EXPRESS SAMINA. Picture taken by Jan Vinther Christensen and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . In 2002, the company was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins, in an attempt to make the public forget about the name Minoan Flying Dolphins, which had been significantly damaged as a result of the EXPRESS SAMINA disaster. But this was not the only change that the company carried out. Indeed, ahead of the 2002 season, the EXPRESS DIONISOS was renamed EXPRESS PEGASUS, therefore reverting to the name that she bore during her spell under Ventouris Ferries, albeit with the prefix 'EXPRESS' which the company continued to implement on its ferries. The name change was done in order for passengers to again identify themselves with the ship, under the name that made her famous on the Western Cyclades. The company had also done a similar move the year before, with the EXPRESS ARTEMIS being once again renamed PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI (the name that she had under her previous owners, Agapitos Lines) in 2001 (although this change was primarily done due to the residents of Paros, of which Panagia Ekatontapyliani is the patron protector, being outraged over the name change when the ship joined Minoan Flying Dolphins). The newly-renamed EXPRESS PEGASUS continued to serve the Western Cyclades alongside the EXPRESS MILOS. Despite providing good service overall, her company was underperforming. With a tarnished reputation and an aging fleet, Hellas Flying Dolphins began to lose its momentum as well as a large amount of passengers. They were unable to match the competition and the standards of Blue Star Ferries, which was experiencing a rapid growth and had deployed two newly-built ferries that went on to become a massive success on the Central Cyclades in 2002, namely the sister ships BLUE STAR NAXOS and BLUE STAR PAROS . They also failed to break the dominance of NEL Lines on the Northeast Aegean Sea, as the latter company continued to provide services of high quality, as well as deploying three newly-built high speed ferries that were superior to the ships of Hellas Ferries. Altogether, Hellas Flying Dolphins only saw success from its core division, which included the 'Highspeeds' and the 'Flyingcats'. On the contrary, the conventional ferries were not maintained nor upgraded, and soon this began to to reflect itself upon the services that the ships started to provide from late 2001 onwards. Most of the successful ferries of the 1990s were now marred by technical issues, and their indoor amenities began to look outdated next to those of the newly-built ferries. Aiming to focus more on the good services of the high speed craft, Hellas Flying Dolphins began to withdraw much of its older tonnage. The EXPRESS HERMES and the EXPRESS ARIS were laid-up in 2002, and were sold for scrap in 2003 and 2004, respectively. The EXPRESS NAÏAS, the sister ship of the doomed EXPRESS SAMINA, was also sold for scrap in 2003. Many older hydrofoils that had entered service under Ceres Flying Dolphins were also sold for demolition. Furthermore, three ferries operating under the Sporades Ferries division were sold to smaller Greek ferry operators in 2002. Even though the company was the sole operator on the Western Cyclades along with GA Ferries, they also began to experience issues, especially the EXPRESS MILOS which had a few engine troubles. The EXPRESS PEGASUS continued to operate successfully and was among the few ships of the company that remained under a good overall condition. However, in late 2002 and early 2003, her stabilisers began to malfunction, and they were unfortunately never repaired. This affected her sailing patterns, especially during poor weather conditions, as she would be easily shaken by heavy waves and her maneuvering procedures in ports would become more difficult. However, despite these difficulties, she continued to provide reliable service, and was one of the few shining stars of Hellas Flying Dolphins, in contrast to many of her fleetmates that were experiencing a decline in the quality of the services that they provided. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen as she departs the port of Piraeus during the 2002 season. This was her third summer under Minoan Flying Dolphins (which had been renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins), and her first one under her new name, which she went on to keep for the remainder of her career. Picture published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . As the poor ferry services and the economic troubles of Hellas Flying Dolphins were becoming more significant, the company decided to shift towards a modernisation of the fleet. The company instead decided to order one new high speed ferry, the HIGHSPEED 5 (which became the HIGHSPEED 7 in 2016, before joining Minoan Lines in 2018 as the SANTORINI PALACE ) to be delivered in 2005, and two cruiseferries planned for delivery in 2005 and in 2007. More older ships were sold for scrap, such as the EXPRESS NAÏAS, the EXPRESS HERMES (as stated previously), as well as Ro-Ro carrier SEA TRAILER in 2003. The STAR TRAILER was sold to Saos Ferries in 2003, and she began service for them as the PANAGIA KRIMNIOTISSA. That same company also went on to acquire the EXPRESS MILOS during that same year, and deployed her as the NISSOS LIMNOS on the Northeast Aegean Sea before retiring her from service in 2004, after which she was sold for scrap following an acclaimed career in Greece. The departure of the EXPRESS MILOS meant that Hellas Flying Dolphins needed a second ship to operate on the Western Cyclades, alongside the EXPRESS PEGASUS. This gap was filled with the EXPRESS APOLLON (previously the APOLLON EXPRESS/APOLLON EXPRESS 1 of Ventouris Sea Lines and then the EXPRESS APOLLON of Agapitos Express Ferries, and an iconic ship of the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line), which was inserted on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. Her service there was very inconsistent, as she experienced several technical issues which were due to the fact that the company did not maintain her accordingly (as it had been the case for most of its older ships). The EXPRESS PEGASUS performed much better, but she continued to be impacted by the damaged stabilisers which were not repaired by Hellas Flying Dolphins. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen maneuvering next to the Church of Panagia Chrysopigi in Sifnos, as part of the island's annual celebrations, shortly before the summer of 2003. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen resting in Piraeus during the 2003 season. Picture taken by Benoît Donne and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in Piraeus during the 2003 season, during yet another summer spent on the Western Cyclades. Picture take by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . Even though the EXPRESS PEGASUS performed well, the 2003 season was yet another disappointment for Hellas Flying Dolphins, whose poor reputation and lack of maintenance on its older ferries continued to adversely impact the company. Ahead of the 2004 season, the company decided to further diminish its fleet, notably selling the sister ships PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI and EXPRESS PENELOPE back to their original owners, a reformed Ventouris Sea Lines and Agoudimos Lines, respectively. The sales of these two ships to prominent new competitors proved to be a major mistake, as both companies outperformed Hellas Flying Dolphins on the Rafina-Cyclades service on which both ships were deployed during the 2004 season. This happened despite both ships having previously served the company. Because of this, Hellas Flying Dolphins and in particular its Hellas Ferries division continued to experience a substantial decline on the Cyclades. Despite this, the Western Cyclades continued to feature two conventional ferries for the 2004 season. These were the EXPRESS PEGASUS and the EXPRESS ADONIS (previously the DIMITRA of GA Ferries and then the NAÏAS EXPRESS of Agapitos Lines), which replaced the EXPRESS APOLLON, as the latter moved to the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. Both ships had a relatively good season despite strong competition provided by GA Ferries. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen docked in Piraeus in April 2004, just before beginning her ninth consecutive summer season on the Western Cyclades, and her fifth in a row under the Hellas Ferries division. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen docked in the port of Ios during the summer of 2004, which ultimately proved to be the final one that she spent on the Western Cyclades. Picture published on www.efoplistis.gr . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen departing Piraeus in 2004, for yet another trip to the Western Cyclades. Picture taken by Dinos Lemonis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen on the Western Cyclades, as she sails between Kimolos and Milos, during the 2004 season. Picture taken by Nikolaos Tselentis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . After the 2004 season was completed, there were many questions regarding the future of Hellas Flying Dolphins, as the company continued to experience financial difficulties and saw their services being outperformed, for the most part, by GA Ferries, Ventouris Sea Lines, Agoudimos Lines, NEL Lines and especially Blue Star Ferries. However, the company did have a season to look forward to, as it was anticipating the delivery of the HIGHSPEED 5 in 2005, as well as that of the first out of the two cruiseferries that were being built in Greece, namely the NISSOS MYKONOS . They also acquired two relatively young high speed catamarans, the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6 , which were planned for entry to service on the Sporades during the summer of 2005 in order to replace the aging hydrofoils. In 2005, changes in the company's board of directors and shareholders prompted it to improve its corporate identity and strategy, with a focus on consolidated services operated by a young generation of Greek ferries. To that end, Hellas Flying Dolphins and all its divisions were rebranded under one single entity named Hellenic Seaways. The 'Highspeed', 'Flyingcat' and 'Flying Dolphin' brandnames continued to exist, while all conventional ferries were to feature the livery of the new company. Out of the ships that had been operating under the Hellas Ferries division, the ones that joined Hellenic Seaways included the EXPRESS APOLLON, the EXPRESS APHRODITE, the EXPRESS ATHINA, the EXPRESS SANTORINI, the EXPRESS HAROULA (previously operating under the Sporades Ferries division from 1999 to 2002, she was renamed EXPRESS SKIATHOS in 2005) and the EXPRESS PEGASUS. The EXPRESS POSEIDON, the EXPRESS OLYMPIA and the EXPRESS ADONIS were all removed from the company's plans, with the first two heading for scrap during the summer of 2005. The EXPRESS ADONIS remained laid-up in Piraeus and in Drapetsona until she was sold in 2006 to the Indian company Samudera Ferry Shipping & Cruise Service, for whom she sailed for four years until she was scrapped in 2010. The EXPRESS PEGASUS was reportedly the first ship that underwent the livery change in order to be repainted with the colours of Hellenic Seaways, during her annual refit in Drapetsona. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in Drapetsona in 2005, while she is being repainted with the well-known black livery of Hellenic Seaways. Her funnels were repainted in red and black, and later featured the famous three dolphins that form the logo of the company. Picture taken by Dinos Lemonis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . Aside from changing her livery, the EXPRESS PEGASUS also underwent a change in her area of deployment. Indeed, as the EXPRESS OLYMPIA, which was serving the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, was sold for scrap, the EXPRESS PEGASUS was called to replace her in this service. With this move, she left the Western Cyclades after nine extremely successful years. Hellenic Seaways did not replace her, instead maintaining only one conventional ferry on the line, namely the EXPRESS APHRODITE, which was inserted on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line during the 2005 season. The company further added the HIGHSPEED 3 to the Western Cyclades. The area also saw the arrival of the AGIOS GEORGIOS, which was deployed on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line (making her the formal successor of the EXPRESS PEGASUS), and of the newly-established company Aegean Speed Lines, which deployed the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER I on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Paros line. As for the EXPRESS PEGASUS, she moved to a demanding service on the Northeast Aegean Sea, which she was able to cover thanks to her large garage and her fair amount of passenger cabins. She was inserted on a service on which Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins had been operating with little competition, with that coming primarily from GA Ferries and NEL Lines, which had deployed the newly-built high speed ferry AEOLOS EXPRESS (which was renamed AEOLOS KENTERIS I in 2007) on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Samos line between 2002 and 2004. She did not return to service in 2005 due to financial constraints. GA Ferries deployed two ships in Ikaria and Samos for the 2005 season, namely the DIMITROULA and the MARINA, which entered service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. Despite the EXPRESS PEGASUS having a smaller garage than the MARINA, she had a decent first season on the line, despite her malfunctioning stabilisers affecting her sailing patterns under poor weather conditions. She notably performed the service in a shorter time compared to the slow GA Ferries veterans, while her indoor areas were praised by passengers. With the completion of the construction of the NISSOS MYKONOS in 2005 and her subsequent deployment on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, Hellenic Seaways had an established a solid base on the Northeast Aegean Sea with two excellent ferries. The EXPRESS PEGASUS, now fully painted in the colours of Hellenic Seaways, seen in the port of Piraeus during the 2005 season, which was her first one on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen about to enter the port of Piraeus during the 2005 season, which was her first one under the livery of Hellenic Seaways. Picture taken by Lucas Latreche and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen resting in the port of Vathy in Samos in 2005, during her debut season on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line. Her stint on the Northeast Aegean Sea was ultimately very successful, and enabled Hellenic Seaways to make further investments on the area over the years that followed. Picture taken by Dieter Pots and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in the port of Vathy in Samos in 2006, during her second year on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line and under Hellenic Seaways. Picture published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The first two seasons on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line were deemed successful for the EXPRESS PEGASUS, which continued to provide good service. Hellenic Seaways was operating well on the Northeast Aegean Sea, on the Saronic Gulf, on the Sporades and on the Adriatic Sea. However, their conventional ferries on the Cyclades struggled against their competitors, and most of the ships experienced engine troubles that resulted in the company no longer finding the incentive to further invest on them. Moreover, they continued to make investments dedicated to the renewal of the fleet. Indeed, following the introduction of the HIGHSPEED 5 and of the NISSOS MYKONOS, they bought the then-10-year-old Japanese-built cruiseferry FERRY HIMUKA of the Japanese company Miyazaki Car Ferry in 2006, which was renamed ARIADNE and was planned to enter service on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2007. Additionally, the second cruiseferry due to be built in Greece, namely the NISSOS CHIOS (the sister ship of the NISSOS MYKONOS), was also planned to be delivered in 2007. She was expected to operate on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, hence taking over the service of the NISSOS MYKONOS, which in turn would move to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line in order to replace the EXPRESS PEGASUS. The latter's future therefore became uncertain, as Hellenic Seaways did not consider deploying her on the Cyclades in order to avoid experiencing the same issues encountered by her older fleetmates. To that end, ahead of the 2007 season, the company had sold the EXPRESS ATHINA and the EXPRESS APOLLON to Greek companies, while the EXPRESS APHRODITE was sold to the Egyptian company Namma Lines. The EXPRESS SANTORINI also stopped operating for the company in 2007, as she would spend each of the subsequent summers on charter to the Portuguese company Atlântico Line, for whom she would operate on the Azores Islands Archipelago. She would only return to Hellenic Seaways during the winter in order to perform her annual refit and to cover for any of her fleetmates that would be undergoing their own refits. With the planned introduction of the NISSOS CHIOS, there were many rumours that the EXPRESS PEGASUS would have the same fate as that of her former fleetmates. However, the ARIADNE was not prepared in time for the 2007 summer season, and this resulted in the NISSOS CHIOS being sent to the Piraeus-Chania line while the former continued her conversion in Perama. The NISSOS MYKONOS therefore stayed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line for the 2007 season, and this meant that the EXPRESS PEGASUS would continue to serve the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line for an additional summer season. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Evdilos in Ikaria in 2007, during her third and final season on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen leaving the port of Piraeus during the 2007 season. This was her third season under Hellenic Seaways, and that year marked the thirtieth anniversary since the start of her career back in 1977, under Tirrenia Di Navigazione. Picture taken by Jukka Koskimies and published on www.shipspotting.com . Just as the summer of 2007 came to an end, the ARIADNE finally entered service on the Piraeus-Chania line. This new introduction paved the way for the aforementioned reshuffle of the operations of Hellenic Seaways on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Indeed, the NISSOS CHIOS was moved to the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, whereas the NISSOS MYKONOS was transferred to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line, whereupon she replaced the EXPRESS PEGASUS. The latter remained in Drapetsona and underwent her annual refit, while waiting for her next deployment. There were rumours suggesting that she would return to the Western Cyclades, or that she would be introduced on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. In addition, several Greek coastal service forums stated that the ship had been sold overseas. However, these proved to be false and the ship continued to remain laid-up, with her future still uncertain. Ultimately, Hellenic Seaways did not find a service for her, and she instead spent the first part of the 2008 summer season operating alongside a newly-built replica of the famous Greek mythological ship ARGO, which was due to operate on the Aegean Sea and on the Black Sea for educational and training purposes. This project eventually underwent many changes, with the ship and the EXPRESS PEGASUS only sailing around the Saronic Gulf and the Corinthian Gulf. After the expedition ended, the EXPRESS PEGASUS once again faced an uncertain future. However, she eventually found a role for the remainder of the 2008 season. Indeed, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, whereupon she took over the service that was left abandoned by the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines (briefly her fleetmate under Minoan Flying Dolphins, as she used to be the EXPRESS ANEMOS). The latter experienced several mechanical troubles and also grounded off in Kythira during the summer of 2008. As ANEN Lines was also suffering from severe financial difficulties, the residents of Kythira, Antikythira and the Peloponnese called for another ship to replace her. Fortunately, the EXPRESS PEGASUS was available, and she therefore was assigned to serve the demanding Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline. She performed her new operations dutifully, and was very effective in re-establishing a sound connection of these ports with Piraeus and Crete. She was much-appreciated by the residents of Kythira and Antikythira, all of whom quickly forgot the problems that had been seen with the MYRTIDIOTISSA (which was then sent for lay-up in Elefsina and then in Perama, before joining NEL Lines in 2010 as the AQUA MARIA). The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in the tiny port of Antikythira during the summer of 2008. Despite beginning the season without a role, she eventually began service on the demanding Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline and once again proved how valuable of a ferry she was, as she performed her service with much success. Picture taken by Mathaios Aggelioudakis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen resting in Kythira during the summer of 2008, which she spent on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline in order to replace the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines, whose services were marred by technical and financial troubles. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . After the season concluded, the EXPRESS PEGASUS briefly returned to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line in late 2008, in order to replace the NISSOS MYKONOS which was undergoing her annual refit. Her permanent successor on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline was the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines , which went on to operate there with great success until the start of the 2017 season, when she abruptly ended her service and was eventually sold for scrap in 2020 . After the NISSOS MYKONOS completed her refit, the EXPRESS PEGASUS headed to Perama, with Hellenic Seaways eyeing a major upgrade of her indoor areas. Indeed, even though the ship was sailing efficiently (despite her damaged stabilisers), she had not undergone a proper renovation in years and her indoor areas were in a rather poor condition compared to those of her younger fleetmates. After a small refit in Perama, she went to operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos line. She was employed there in order to replace another ship which was forced to abandon her subsidised lifeline service due to her owners experiencing financial problems. This ship was the SAMOTHRAKI of Saos Ferries, which had started this service in 2007 and was then arrested in Kavala in late 2008 due to her crew remaining unpaid for months. Saos Ferries lost the subsidy contract for the lifeline, and a temporary replacement had to be found before the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine, the Aegean and Insular Policy would grant a new subsidy to a permanent successor. As a result, the EXPRESS PEGASUS went on to serve the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, while her successor eventually was the THEOFILOS of NEL Lines (coincidentally, her former Ventouris Ferries fleetmate, the ex-POLLUX). The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in the port of Thessaloniki, during her brief spell on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline in early 2009. She would then be replaced by the THEOFILOS of NEL Lines, which was awarded the subsidy contract by the Greek Ministry of Mercantile Marine, the Aegean and Insular Policy. Picture taken by Georgios Givisis and published on www.shipfrends.gr . While everything seemed to go well for the EXPRESS PEGASUS, her services on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline abruptly ended in April 2009, when she experienced a major engine failure in Mytilene. The damage was considerable, and the ship had to head back to Piraeus for repairs. Unfortunately, the engines were severely hit and required new spares, which Hellenic Seaways was hesitant to order. Because of this, the ship eventually spent the entire 2009 season under lay-up, and failed to feature among the company's plans for the second consecutive summer (even though she had eventually returned to service on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline in 2008). She was deemed to surplus requirements by Hellenic Seaways and remained laid-up in Drapetsona. Once more, there were several rumours regarding her future. Some stated that she would be repaired and reactivated, while others indicated that the ship would possibly be sold for scrap due to her age and her poor technical condition. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen laid-up in Drapetsona during the 2009 season, after suffering a major engine failure and failing to be a part of the plans of Hellenic Seaways. Picture taken by Georgios Givisis and published on www.shipfriends.gr . After a difficult 2009 season for the ship and her company, the Greek coastal service enthusiasts were overjoyed when they learned that Hellenic Seaways decided to repair the EXPRESS PEGASUS. Indeed, in late 2009, she headed to Salamina in order to not only receive her upgraded engines, but also to undergo a full renovation of her indoor areas, as her company had planned to undertake earlier in the year. It was decided that she would become a day ferry, and therefore all her passenger cabins would be removed in order to have them replaced with indoor lounge areas. To that end, new windows were added in her lower passenger deck, and her existing indoor lounge areas were also modernised. Once again, there were several rumours regarding the line on which the ship would operate: a comeback on the Western Cyclades, a deployment on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line or on the Sporades. Ultimately, it was announced that she would be deployed on the latter region for the 2010 season, and more specifically on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. The latter had previously been served during the 2009 season by the HIGHSPEED 1 (which moved back to the Cyclades during the 2010 season) and by the DALIANA of GA Ferries. For the 2010 season, Hellenic Seaways was once again expected to dominate on the Sporades with two ferries and three high speed craft. While they benefitted from GA Ferries ceasing operations altogether after the end of the 2009 season, they nevertheless faced competition from Skyros Shipping Company (which only serves the islands of Skopelos and Alonissos during the summer, linking them with Skyros and Kymi in Evoia) and most notably NEL Lines, which had deployed the high speed ferry PANAGIA THALASSINI (today the KALLI P of the inactive company Idomeneas Lines) during the summer of 2009. For the 2010 season, NEL Lines chartered the high speed ferry ALKIONI and deployed her on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line. This new service threatened the dominance of Hellenic Seaways, as did the deployment of the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT 1 of Hellas Speed Cat on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, which would directly compete against the EXPRESS PEGASUS. The latter eventually began service there during the summer of 2010, therefore being reactivated after more than a year of lay-up. She would operate from Agios Konstantinos alongside the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6, whereas the service from Volos would continue to be covered by the EXPRESS SKIATHOS. The FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6 also operated in Volos, as did the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIII. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen arriving in Skopelos during the summer of 2010, which marked her debut season on the Sporades. This was also her first summer of service since 2008, and her first season as a day ferry, after having previously spent her entire career operating on nightly services in Italy, Malta and Greece. Picture taken by Kostas Andreou and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen docked in Agios Konstantinos in 2010, during her debut season on the Sporades. Picture published on www.forum.nautilia.gr . The first season of the EXPRESS PEGASUS was considered satisfactory, despite the ship failing to operate at the same speed under which she was sailing prior to her major engine failure in 2009. She then headed for her winter lay-up in Chania, before briefly returning to service on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in early 2011, in order to replace the EXPRESS SANTORINI (which had finished her seasonal charter to Atlântico Line and was replacing the EXPRESS SKIATHOS during the latter's annual refit), which was sent (along with many other ships of the Greek coastal service) to Libya in order to evacuate foreign residents living in the country in the wake of the First Libyan Civil War. For the 2011 season, the ship returned to the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, which she performed alongside the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6. The Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line was covered by the EXPRESS SKIATHOS, the FLYINGCAT 5, the FLYINGCAT 6 and the FLYING DOLPHIN XV, which had replaced the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIII following the latter's retirement. While the SPEED CAT 1 was withdrawn from the Sporades after prematurely ending her 2010 season due to an engine failure, the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line saw the addition of the PANAGIA PAROU of NEL Lines (the sister ship of the PANAGIA THALASSINI) for the 2011 season. Despite this, the EXPRESS PEGASUS had an excellent season and was praised by the passengers traveling on the Sporades. After the 2011 summer season ended, the ship made a symbolic comeback on the Western Cyclades, the area where she had been a major success for nine years. Indeed, she was temporarily deployed on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line in order to replace the AGIOS GEORGIOS of Ventouris Sea Lines, which was taken off service following engine troubles. As such, the ship returned to the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2004, and she brought a wonderful feeling of nostalgia to the residents of all the islands that she had served faithfully for almost a decade. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen maneuvering in Serifos in late 2011, during her temporary deployment on the Western Cyclades, which she served for the first time since 2004 and for the first time under the livery of Hellenic Seaways. Picture taken by Kostas Loudaros and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS was once again deployed on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line for the 2012 season. That year, Hellenic Seaways (despite no linger operating hydrofoils) was the only operator on the Sporades (besides the seasonal service of Skyros Shipping Company), as NEL Lines did not insert any ship on the area due to financial issues. The EXPRESS PEGASUS and the EXPRESS SKIATHOS continued to be the two main ferries of the company serving the Sporades, despite new competitors entering the market, such as ANES Ferries in 2013 and Aegean Flying Dolphins in 2014. Ahead of the 2014 season, it was reported that the EXPRESS PEGASUS would be deployed on the Heraklion-Santorini line. Eventually, this did not happen, and the ship retuned to the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. Following the definite sale of the EXPRESS SANTORINI (which is also rumoured to have been sold for scrap) by Hellenic Seaways in 2014, the EXPRESS PEGASUS became the oldest ship of the company, and the final ship previously operating under the Hellas Ferries division on the Cyclades (as the EXPRESS SKIATHOS also operated under the Hellas Ferries division on the Sporades from 2002 to 2005) still in operation under Hellenic Seaways. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Skopelos during the summer of 2012, which marked her third consecutive season on the Sporades. Picture taken by Kostas Andreou and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Skopelos during the 2013 season. Picture taken by Marco Amato and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Alonissos during the summer of 2014, during what turned out to be her final season on the Sporades. Picture taken by Stratos Predaris and published on www.marinetraffic.com . Following the conclusion of the 2014 season, the EXPRESS PEGASUS left the Sporades after five very successful years. She was not planned to return there, as Hellenic Seaways announced that the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line would be served by the APOLLON HELLAS during the 2015 season. Once again, the ship's next employment became the centre of many rumours. She did manage to obtain a license in order to operate once again on the Western Cyclades, on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line. This anticipated comeback became even more probable after it was announced that the AGIOS GEORGIOS would no longer serve the Western Cyclades after having spent 10 seasons there. However, it never came to fruition, and the Western Cyclades continued to be served by Zante Ferries (which had started operations there in 2009). She was then rumoured to be inserted on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line on the Ionian Sea, a service which had started to become very competitive following the introduction of Levante Ferries in late 2014. This rumour too, however, proved to be false. Her company then announced that she would make her return to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line in order to complement the services of the NISSOS MYKONOS, which had started to extend her service to Chios, Mytilene, Limnos and Kavala, after the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline previously served by NEL Lines was taken over by Hellenic Seaways, due to the many problems the Lesbos-based company faced there during the 2014 season. To that end, as she had become a day ferry, the addition of passenger cabins was a necessity. These were added during her annual drydock in Piraeus. She therefore became a night ferry for the first time since 2009. Ultimately, a new permanent role was found for the ship on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline. Indeed, this service was being covered since 2012 by the TAXIARCHIS of NEL Lines , but was experiencing significant problems (as with most lifelines that had been assigned to NEL Lines), due to the latter ship having several engine troubles and her crew remaining unpaid for many months. As the summer of 2015 was due to begin, several trips were canceled due to the TAXIARCHIS being arrested by her crew many times. This problem was also found on the AQUA SPIRIT , which was operating on one of the two inter-Cyclades lifelines that had been granted to NEL Lines. Eventually, the company was forced to cease operations, and both the TAXIARCHIS and the AQUA SPIRIT were laid-up in Lavrion and their contracts on their respective lifelines were revoked by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy. The latter immediately sought to find replacements as the summer season was due to begin. Fortunately, the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline was immediately handed over to Hellenic Seaways, and therefore the EXPRESS PEGASUS finally managed to find a new role. She began her new service during the 2015 season, and she operated extremely well, to the point that the TAXIARCHIS and NEL Lines were quickly forgotten by the passengers, and especially the ones traveling to Agios Efstratios. In spite of her rather slow speed, her onboard amenities (even her smaller amount of beds) were widely praised, and she was always on schedule without missing any trip. This season marked her first one on the Northeast Aegean Sea since 2007. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in the port of Lavrion in 2015, during her debut season on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line On the left side of the picture is the AQUA SPIRIT of NEL Lines, which had been arrested by her crew following the company's demise. She joined Sea Jets in 2016, and returned to the inter-Cyclades lifeline that she had previously been serving under NEL Lines. In 2017 she was sold to the Canadian company BC Ferries, for whom she still operates to date as the NORTHERN SEA WOLF. Picture taken by Leonardos Kozanitis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . After a very good first season, it was announced that the ship would make seasonal calls in the port of Mesta in Chios, which therefore meant that she would be operating on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline. She continued to operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea, with much success. She was one of the four conventional ferries that helped cement the company's presence on the Northeast Aegean Sea, together with the ARIADNE (which was serving the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line), the NISSOS MYKONOS and the NISSOS RODOS (which were serving the Cyclades and most Northeast Aegean Sea Islands). She had a few engine troubles in late 2016, but she was always immediately repaired and this did not affect her services. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen arriving in the port of Lavrion in 2016, during her second consecutive season on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline serving Chios, Agios Efstratios and Limnos. Picture taken by Georgios Mertis and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in the port of Kavala in 2016 together with her fleetmate at the time, the NISSOS MYKONOS. It is noteworthy to state that the EXPRESS PEGASUS operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line before being replaced by the NISSOS MYKONOS, which went on to establish herself in this service. Both ships played a vital role in the success of Hellenic Seaways on the Northeast Aegean Sea during the 2010s. Picture taken by Tasos Argyros and published on www.kavalaportnews.blogspot.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen sailing on the Cyclades, while making her way back to the port Lavrion during the summer of 2017. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . Ahead of the 2018 season, the Greek coastal service became a witness to one of its most defining moments, as it was announced that the stakes of Hellenic Seaways that were previously owned by Minoan Lines and the Piraeus Bank would be sold to Attica Group, which managed Superfast Ferries and major rivals Blue Star Ferries. After the sale was confirmed, there were several questions arising regarding the future of the fleet. Due to Attica Group favouring newer ships, it was widely expected that the EXPRESS PEGASUS would be among the first ships to leave the fleet, as she was now past 40 years old and was the oldest ship of Hellenic Seaways. However, Attica Group decided to keep her, and she therefore continued to serve the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline just as she had done for the three seasons prior. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in Lavrion during the summer of 2018. She continued to provide service of very high quality on a rather demanding lifeline, despite her age and her declining technical capabilities. Picture taken by Nektarios Papadakis and published on www.shipspotting.com . The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Limnos during the 2019 season, which eventually was her final one on the Northeast Aegean Sea as her subsidy provided by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy expired at the start of 2020. Picture taken by Babis Kouremetis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . After spending five very successful years on the Northeast Aegean Sea (despite a few technical issues in 2016, early 2017 and in late 2019), the EXPRESS PEGASUS abruptly ended her service on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline in 2020, as the latter was instead assigned to the AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets . The Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy considered that ferry to be larger and more in line with the demands of the lifeline, especially in terms of speed, indoor lounge areas and passenger cabins. Moreover, the amount that Sea Jets requested for the subsidy of the lifeline was far lower than that of Hellenic Seaways, which was forced to remove the EXPRESS PEGASUS in favour of the AQUA BLUE. The latter continues to serve the line today, despite missing a large portion of the 2021 season following a major engine failure, which saw her being temporarily replaced by the high speed ferry SUPERUNNER JET and then by the ferry AQUA STAR . Already impacted by the transfer of its two youngest ferries, the NISSOS MYKONOS and the NISSOS CHIOS, to Blue Star Ferries (whereupon they became the BLUE STAR MYCONOS and the BLUE STAR CHIOS , respectively), Hellenic Seaways lost an important base on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Needing to once again find a new employment for her, Hellenic Seaways ultimately decided to deploy the EXPRESS PEGASUS on a newly-introduced lifeline on the Dodecanese. Indeed, this was the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line, which was subsidised by the Greek Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy in order to strengthen the ferry connection of Kasos and Karpathos with Crete, Chalki and Rhodes. It was, in other words, a local service of the lifeline linking these islands with Piraeus and the Cyclades, which has been served by the PREVELIS of ANEK Lines since 2009. By entering service there, the EXPRESS PEGASUS was inserted on the Dodecanese for the first time in her career. She therefore became one of the few ships to have served all the main areas of the Aegean Sea (excluding the Saronic Gulf). The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen on the Dodecanese, after having left Siteia in order to head to Kasos during the summer of 2020. This was her first season on the Dodecanese, initially being the only ship of Hellenic Seaways to have been deployed on that area during that year. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . As the 2020 summer season was coming to a close, the EXPRESS PEGASUS unfortunately had an accident that eventually ended her career. Indeed, on 24 August 2020, while heading from Siteia to Kasos, she grounded off in the small islet of Armathia near Kasos, after passing by a dangerous point with strong winds and a low draft. Her hull was severely damaged, especially near the bow section, and it caused the ship to list when she managed to dock in Kasos. Fortunately, no injuries were reported. The ship stayed in Kasos for 10 days, as the crew and local authorities managed to improve her stability at sea. She then headed to Perama, whereupon the company would inspect the degree of the damage that she received. Her service on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line was taken over by her fleetmate, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED for the rest of the 2020 season. In 2021, the line was covered by the PAROS JET of Sea Jets , which operated there during the summer while also making calls in Heraklion, Santorini and Agios Nikolaos. The EXPRESS PEGASUS seen in 2020 in Kasos, where she managed to dock following her accident in the small islet of Armathia. She stayed there for 10 days in order to avoid listing further. She then left the island in order to head to Perama, therefore ending her active career on the Aegean Sea. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . As the EXPRESS PEGASUS was deemed to have been significantly damaged following the accident in Armathia, Hellenic Seaways and Attica Group did not consider it worthy to repair her. She instead remained under lay-up in Perama for the entire 2021 season, and was unable to be given another chance of a return to service, just as it had been the case in 2010 after her major engine failure in early 2009. Her old age and the removal of Hellenic Seaways from the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line meant that the chances of her being again a part of the company's plans were very limited. For many, a sale for demolition seemed like the only viable option for the legendary ferry, which was now damaged and left in a poor condition despite having offered so much to the Greek coastal service. The first-ever picture that I took of the EXPRESS PEGASUS, while she was seen laid-up in Perama in 2021. After never having the chance to see her during her active days, I was now finally able to take a picture of her. Unfortunately, this only happened during the last months of her career, right before she headed for scrap. This picture was taken while I was sailing on 3 September 2021 from Piraeus to Salamina, onboard the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels . My second picture of the EXPRESS PEGASUS, as she is seen laid-up in Perama in 2021. Previously a much-appreciated ferry which operated across different lines on the Aegean Sea, she was now awaiting her fate, as her company did not consider repairing her and reactivating her for service. My third and final picture of the EXPRESS PEGASUS, while she is seen laid-up in Perama in 2021. Only three months after taking this picture, the ship left Greece forever, as she began to head to Turkey in order to be demolished, following an illustrious career on the Aegean Sea. In November 2021, it was reported that the EXPRESS PEGASUS had been renamed PEGASUS X and had been reflagged to Togo. This meant nothing but a certain sale for demolition, as Hellenic Seaways decided that her damage was unrepairable and her old age meant that she now deserved to end her career for good. On the night of 14 December 2021, the ship quietly departed Perama in order to make her first trip in over a year. Unfortunately, this was her final one. A trip without passengers, a trip without vehicles, a trip without engines activated, a trip without a beautiful Greek island serving as a destination. The only destination was Aliağa in Turkey, whereupon she would be scrapped after 44 immensely successful years spent on the Mediterranean Sea. The first 17 were under Italian companies, while the remaining 27 were spent in Greece, out of which 25 were on the Aegean Sea. The latter was where she became an iconic ship, under three different companies. By departing the fleet of Hellenic Seaways, she left as the oldest ship of the company, the first ship to have been sold for scrap by the company since the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII following her fire and eventual sale for demolition in 2019 , and as the first ferry to have been sold for scrap by the company since the Ro-Ro carriers HELLENIC TRADER and HELLENIC MASTER in late 2013. She was also the first conventional ferry of Hellenic Seaways to have been sold for scrap by the company. Moreover, with her departure, she became the last ferry that had previously carried the livery of Hellas Ferries on the Cyclades to leave the fleet of Hellenic Seaways, while also being the second-to-last ship formerly belonging to the 'Express' group to leave Hellenic Seaways, with the EXPRESS SKIATHOS being its final standing member as she continues to serve the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades. With the departure of the EXPRESS PEGASUS, one may suggest that this marks the end of an era, as she ends her Hellenic Seaways chapter, which had began after she became one of the many glorious ferries operating on the Cyclades during the 1990s to join the company, back when it was known as Minoan Flying Dolphins. Her departure is therefore as the end of that wonderful generation of ferries, which brought so many fond memories to passengers sailing around the Aegean Sea, and in particular on the Cyclades. Her sale for demolition also means that she is the third ship of the historical Espresso Livorno-class to be scrapped, as her sister ship, the GRECIA (the ex-ESPRESSO LIVORNO) and the VENEZIA (the ex-ESPRESSO RAVENNA), had already demolished in 2010. The lone survivor of the famed quartet is the ex-ESPRESSO CAGLIARI, which continues to operate as the LAMPEDUSA under the Italian company Traghetti Delle Isole on the Trapani-Pantelleria line on the Sicilian Strait. The EXPRESS PEGASUS undoubtedly leaves an ever-lasting legacy behind her, as she was a beloved ferry that served her companies very well for almost three decades. After having had a very successful spell on the Tyrrhenian Sea, whereupon she played a key role in the growth of the now-troubled Tirrenia Di Navigazione, she had a decent spell on the Adriatic Sea, under the great Greek company Ventouris Ferries. But it was on the Aegean Sea that she became an icon, and in particular on the Western Cyclades, where she was highly revered for nine seasons. Her spell there is still remembered fondly by the residents of these islands, and, together with the legendary MILOS EXPRESS, contributed to the improved ferry connection of the area during the wonderful 1990s period. Both ships are still considered today as the greatest ships to have operated on the Western Cyclades, even though younger and faster ships have since been deployed there. The ship's speed, large garage, impeccable indoor areas and outdoor decks (which were significantly improved as the years went by) were valuable assets which made her extremely versatile, to the point that she could cover several services across the Aegean Sea. Even when she joined a company that poorly maintained its older ferries during the 2000s, she continued to provide excellent service (despite herself later suffering from damaged stabilisers, which were never repaired and affected her later career). She then had an excellent spell on the Northeast Aegean Sea, and, after being initially taken out of the company's plans following a major engine failure in 2009, she made a successful comeback on the Sporades as a day ferry. She then again confirmed her abilities by having five successful years on the demanding Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, which she could have continued serving if the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy had not chosen another ship to replace her. Overall, she always served various demanding services across the Greek coastal service with great reliability, and was always a very valuable solution (whether short-term or permanent) to lifelines that could not be served due to the previous ferries operating there experiencing technical troubles or financial companies affecting their owners. Notably, she filled voids on the Western Cyclades, on the Northeast Aegean Sea (twice) and on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline, successfully taking over services that had been abandoned by Ventouris Sea Lines, ANEN Lines, Saos Ferries and NEL Lines, respectively. Her good operations both as a night ferry and then as day ferry are hardly matched by any other Greek ferry, past or present. But overall, sailing onboard her was what made this ship so unique and so acclaimed by passengers. She provided a beautiful feeling of nostalgia together with modernity, with her outdoor areas (especially her front section balcony) giving her passengers a wonderful view across the Aegean Sea and its beautiful islands. Her departure to the scrapyards was met with much sadness by ferry enthusiasts, who posted various pictures of her glorious days, in order to remind everyone how great of a ferry she was. I also followed along, writing a post about a legendary ferry on which I unfortunately never had the chance to travel, instead only seeing her during her final months, when she was left in a poor condition. But I hope that this post can honour her in the best way, and show the impact of her career from the start until the end, and not only with the three pictures that I took of her a few months ago. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, EXPRESS PEGASUS, I would like to thank you for your unique, acclaimed and dignified contribution to the Greek coastal service. #expresspegasus #hellenicseaways #atticagroup #pegaus #ventourisferries #expressdionisos #minoanflyingdolphins #hellasflyingdolphins #hellasferries #aegean #adriatic #cyclades #northeastaegeansea #myrtoansea #peloponnese #kythira #antikythira #sporades #dodecanese #crete #piraeus #greece #farewell #scrap #legend #extratribute

Trip: 14 June 2018. From Rafina to Ios, via Andros, Tinos, Mykonos and Paros, with the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries . The SUPERFERRY seen leaving Mykonos a few days after my trip with her. The conventional ferry SUPERFERRY was built in Japan in 1995. She was initially known as the KOGANE MARU of the Japanese company Sado Kisen, and she was deployed on the Naoetsu-Ogi line, which connects the two Japanese islands of Honshu (Japan's 'main' island) and Sado, where her initial owners are based. She had one sister ship, the OKESA MARU (built two years before her), which still operates for Sado Kisen to date. She had an extremely successful stint there, as she was a very modern, comfortable and reliable ferry operating throughout both day and night. After spending twenty years on the line, she was replaced by a newly-built high speed ferry known as the AKANE. As a result, she was sold in 2015 to a Greek company, namely the Andros-based Golden Star Ferries. This company has been one of Greece's most promising coastal service companies, as it has experienced an impressive growth in recent years. It was founded in 2010 by the brothers Georgios and Dimitris Stefanou, two shipowners that originate from the island of Andros and who have had experience in shipping through the freight company Bright Navigation. Golden Star Ferries had its first breakthrough in the Greek coastal service by acquiring the legendary SUPERFERRY II of Blue Star Ferries in order to extend her career on her highly-acclaimed service, namely the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. She was delivered in 2011 and resumed her service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. As her service continued to be extremely successful despite strong competition, the company decided to expand its fleet by initially deciding to buy another ship from Sado Kisen, namely the 1988-built OSADO MARU in 2013, with a planned delivery to Greece in 2014 and a conversion that would be completed in 2015. Sado Kisen agreed to sell the ship to Golden Star Ferries, but when the time came for them to take over the ship in Japan, the two owners were amazed by her younger fleetmate, the KOGANE MARU, and thought that she would be more efficient for service on the Cyclades. Hence, as the KOGANE MARU was supposed to depart the fleet of Sado Kisen in 2015, they decided to buy her, and proceeded to selling the OSADO MARU to the Indonesian company Sekawan Maju Sejahtera (where she now operates under the name SMS SAGITA). Despite initial reports suggesting that the ship would be converted in Portugal, she was instead converted in Perama throughout the whole of 2015, in order to enter service for her new owners in 2016. She arrived in Perama under the provisional name GOLDEN FERRY, and underwent a major conversion which lasted almost a year, seeing completely renovated interior areas and improved passenger accommodation. She finally entered service in 2016, having been renamed SUPERFERRY and having been registered in Andros. She was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line that summer, operating alongside her new fleetmate, the SUPERFERRY II, which was serving the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line. Her introduction to the Greek coastal service was immediately successful, and she was praised for her impressive amenities and outdoor areas, as well as for the professionalism and friendliness of her crew. In 2017 she was on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line instead of the SUPERFERRY II. Success continued, and she was a key contributor to her company's nomination as the 'Passenger Line of the Year' that year at the popular Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards. 2017 also saw her company acquiring its third ship and first high speed craft, most specifically the SUPERRUNNER (the ex-SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines) , which was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Her service was also very successful, and she formed a fierce rivalry with the equally-successful TERA JET of Sea Jets . Due to the success of both companies on the Rafina-Cyclades service, competition became extremely strong (which was notably highlighted by price wars during the summer of 2017), and Golden Star Ferries sought to expand both its fleet and operations on the Cyclades and Crete, where Sea Jets also operates extremely successful connections from Heraklion and Rethymnon to the Cyclades. As a result, two new high speed craft were purchased in order to enter service during the 2018 summer season, while the SUPERFERRY and the SUPERFERRY II were to be deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, hence connecting Rafina with Crete for the first time in Greek coastal service history. Despite doubts and pessimism by the media, the service went quite well in its first summer, and the company hence cemented its place in both the Cyclades and Crete, despite the length of the line and the big amount of stops in different islands. So this is a quick historical yet important background of the SUPERFERRY and Golden Star Ferries, as it provides the overall context of the reasons behind a trip which included stops in four islands before I could reach my final destination. Indeed, I was supposed to go to Ios in order to spend a one-week-long vacation stay on the Cyclades with university friends, with the two islands being Ios and Mykonos (more posts about my experience there will be pusblished in the upcoming months). I had just arrived in Greece two days prior to the trip, and I decided to do the trip from Athens to Ios in a less traditional way. Indeed, instead of leaving from Piraeus with a high speed craft, I chose to take the conventional ferry from Rafina, which is why I was able to travel with the SUPERFERRY. It was officially my first trip of the 2018 summer season in Greece, my first-ever trip with a ship owned by Golden Star Ferries, my first-ever trip from Rafina to another destination, and, finally, my first-ever trip on the Aegean Sea in which the Attica-based port of departure was not Piraeus. I arrived from Athens to Rafina by taxi cab very early in the morning with my good friend, taxi driver Mr Dimitris. The SUPERFERRY was due to leave at 07:50 from the port for her first destination, Andros. The scenery upon my arrival in the port was the one that I had expected. Indeed, it was full of ships ready to depart for the Cyclades Islands during the day, with ferries from the various companies based in Rafina, such as Golden Star Ferries, Sea Jets, Fast Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, and more. Due to the competitive environment, all ships are to leave Rafina between 07:00 and 08:30, although no ships belonging to the same company can depart at the same time or within ten minutes between them. The port was obviously packed and the vehicles and passengers were patiently waiting to board any docked ship. The ship's lower garage deck, usually filled with vehicles heading to the first three destinations (Andros, Tinos and Mykonos). The ferry's reception desk right next to escalators transporting passengers from the entrance to the lounge area. As you can see it is quite small and painted in blue, which is the company's main colour. The script logo of Golden Star Ferries is hung up on the wall, over a nice wreath. A view of the ship's deckplan. The first passenger deck, Deck 5, features the ship's indoor lounge areas, which are all decorated with pictures from the islands served by the SUPERFERRY. This one is an aerial view of the main town of Andros, known as the Chora. The intersection area of Deck 5, which leads to the forward lounge areas and to the staircase and the elevators that lead the passengers to the other decks. The lounge area located there is the Chora (Andros) Lounge, as shown by this signpost. The Chora is, at it is the case with most Cyclades Islands, the main town and village, basically the island's 'capital'. A view of the ship's floorplan. It states that Decks 5-7 include the passenger lounge areas, the aircraft-style seats, WC and bars. Deck 8 features the outdoor lounge area (namely the First Class Lounge area), the hospital cabin and the bridge. Deck 6 also features cabins. The escalators connecting Deck 5 with the garage (which is part of Decks 3 and 4). The company's logo can again be seen hanging on the wall. A view of the Chora (Andros) Lounge, which features many chairs and tables right next to the windows. The aft section of the Chora (Andros) Lounge, which features a giant TV screen in the background. At the opposite of the Chora (Andros) Lounge is the Naoussa (Paros) Lounge, named after Paros' well-known village, which is one of the prettiest on the Cyclades. I quickly went to have a little look at Deck 6. Next the staircase leading me there, a black-and-white picture of the iconic Andros lighthouse and of the Church of Panagia Thalassini was seen attached to the wall. A quick view of the Achla (Andros) First Class Lounge, which features nice white and red chairs and a bar in the back. The signpost of the Achla (Andros) First Class Lounge. Achla is the name of one of Andros' prettiest and most popular beaches. As one heads towards the stern section of Deck 6, they can see aircraft-style seats, all of which feature the logo of Golden Star Ferries. And even further back is the Pyrgos (Tinos) Lounge, whose signpost is at the entrance of the room. A view of the Pyrgos (Tinos) Lounge, which has several white chairs and tables and a small bar right next to the entrance. The Pyrgos (Tinos) Lounge also features a few exhibits, such as Ancient Greek sculptures that were most likely made on the Cyclades. Outside the Pyrgos (Tinos) Lounge is the outdoor area at the level of the stern. It is connected to Deck 7 through the ship's well-known wooden staircase, which underwent a particular refit during her conversion in Perama. The aft section outdoor area, which also features several chairs and tables. An extended view of the outdoor area, with a bar located in the middle (it was closed before the ship's departure, and is only operational while the ship is sailing). Another view of the outdoor area. It notably has lounges, which is a rare feature found in a Greek ferry. At the forward section of Deck 6 is the front section balcony, from which passengers have a full view of the ship from the bow's perspective. This balcony was already on the ship back when she was operating in Japan. While heading upwards Deck 7 has, on both sides, two alleys for passengers to walk and sit while admiring the view of the sea. Here is the alley from the port side. The Deck 7 outdoor alley seen on the starboard side. The accommodation block on this deck features cabins, used by the crew. One the two visible lifeboats of the SUPERFERRY, which features the ship's name. Finally, the highest point one can reach onboard the SUPERFERRY is Deck 8, which has a fully open outdoor area. The front section is where the bridge is located, alon with the ship's foremast. Behind them are seven wooden houses where pets traveling along with passengers are kept during the trip. In the open deck is the helicopter landing area in case of emergency. It features the IMO number of the ship (9110016), printed in yellow characters. A wider view of the open deck area found on Deck 8. At the back of this fully open area is the ship's funnel, which is surrounded by lifeboats and life-rafts on both sides. The funnel of the SUPERFERRY, painted in blue and bearing the gold star, which is the logo of Golden Star Ferries. At the starboard side of the SUPERFERRY in Rafina was the high speed ferry PAROS JET of Sea Jets , which was also preparing for her morning departure. The funnel of the PAROS JET, painted in dark blue and featuring the well-known logo of Sea Jets. The PAROS JET seen in what was her fourth summer under Sea Jets, and her third consecutive season on the Rafina-Cyclades service. The summer of 2018 ultimately found her operating across all of the Aegean Sea, as she was her company's spare ship in case one of its other ferries would have a technical issue during the summer. Right next to her, I spotted the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways departing Rafina. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen during what was her twentieth summer operating in the Greek coastal service, and her fourteenth under Hellenic Seaways. In 2018, she was on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line. The summer of 2018 was the first one that the FLYINGCAT 4 spent on the Cyclades and from Rafina since 2015. Indeed, in 2016 and in 2017, she operated in Northern Greece, as she connected the Sporades Islands with Thessaloniki (and also Agios Konstantinos in 2016). The FLYINGCAT 4 departing Rafina and heading towards Tinos. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen heading towards Tinos at dawn. A view of the port of Rafina, which features numerous travel agencies right next to the main dock. The PAROS JET seen ready to depart. Even though she has been in Greece since 2015, this day marked the first time that I got to see her in front of me. Just after the FLYINGCAT 4 left Rafina, another high speed craft could be seen departing the port. This time, it was one of the SUPERFERRY's fleetmates, the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER . The SUPPERRUNNER, previously known as the SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines (for whom she operated between 2009 and 2016), seen leaving the port of Rafina. The SUPERRUNNER seen as she leaves Rafina. The summer of 2018 was her second one with Golden Star Ferries, and she once again spent it on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The SUPERRUNNER seen leaving Rafina. She was the first high speed craft bought by Golden star Ferries. Two more have followed since, although they only transport passengers. The first one is the trimaran SUPERSPEED , which was deployed on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2018, hence replacing the FLYINGCAT 4 which returned to the Cyclades. The second one is the high speed catamaran SUPERCAT , which is still being prepared in Perama and Salamina. The SUPERRUNNER leaving Rafina in order to head towards Tinos, which was her first destination. The SUPERRUNNER seen heading towards Tinos. The SUPERRUNNER seen leaving Rafina at dawn. Since arriving in Greece in 2009, she has spent all her seasons on the Cyclades (except for the summer of 2013, during which she was laid-up in the Elefsina Bay). The SUPERRUNNER heading towards Tinos, as seen by her fleetmate. On the port side of the SUPERFERRY was one of her competitors, namely the conventional ferry EKATERINI P of Fast Ferries . This is one of her two funnels, which display the letter 'Π', which is the Greek initial of her owners, the Panagiotakis family. Right next to the EKATERINI P was one of her fleetmates, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS , which was seen leaving Rafina as well. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Rafina at dawn. Just like the SUPERFERRY, she was also built in Japan, and she spent the start of her career there before heading to Greece. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen heading towards Andros. This summer was her fourth one under her owners, who acquired her in 2015 from the Kefalonia-based Strintzis Ferries. She was owned by the latter from 2003 to 2015, and operated for them on the Ionian Sea as the EPTANISOS. A view of the funnel of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which also features the letter 'Π'. The funnel's shape is one of the most recognisable in the Greek coastal service. Although she had it since the start of her career in Japan, Strintzis Ferries increased its height and width during the ship's conversion in Perama back in 2003. Another view of the PAROS JET, as she is also ready to leave the port of Rafina. She was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line alongside the TERA JET for the month of June. She had previously operated on the same line alongside the flagship of Sea Jets during the 2017 season, and both high speed ferries were extremely successful there. They were therefore considered to be major threats by Golden Star Ferries, although the latter also responded to the competition quite effectively with the deployment of its three ships from Rafina. The PAROS JET seen leaving Rafina for Tinos. Before arriving in Greece in 2015, she was known as the CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA of the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries, for whom she mainly operated on the Ligurian Sea. Apart from her debut season in 1996, during which she served the Nice-Bastia line, she connected mainland Italy with Corsica before her sale to Sea Jets in 2015. The PAROS JET seen departing Rafina. The PAROS JET seen leaving right after the FAST FERRIES ANDROS and the SUPERRUNNER (her main competitor). It is fair to say that the Golden Star Ferries-Sea Jets rivalry from Rafina to the Cyclades is impressive from a shipping enthusiast's point of view. Next to the EKATERINI P, I was able to see was the major threat of Golden Star Ferries in Rafina, namely the high speed ferry TERA JET of Sea Jets . Here is her funnel, which also features the logo of Sea Jets. A view of the Southern coast of Rafina. With the SUPERFERRY now due to depart, I spotted another ferry, athough it was the only one arriving at the port of Rafina, as all the other ones were leaving. That ship was another Japanese-built ferry, and more specifically the EVIA STAR of Geraistos NE , which operates on the Rafina-Marmari line. Marmari is a port located at the Southern part of the island of Evoia, on the Petalioi Gulf. The EVIA STAR was initially a Ro-Ro carrier in Japan, and she was converted into a passenger ferry in 2000, following her purchase by Geraistos NE. She was operating on the Rafina-Marmari line for the eighteenth straight summer. The EVIA STAR seen approaching the port of Rafina. She operates on the Rafina-Marmari line alongside the PANORAMA of Panorama Shipping , which has been operating there since late 2011. The EVIA STAR preparing to maneuver in Rafina. The EVIA STAR seen preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Rafina. The EVIA STAR ready to maneuver in Rafina. The EVIA STAR maneuvering in Rafina, as the SUPERFERRY prepares to depart. The EVIA STAR seen maneuvering in Rafina. The EKATERINI P seen next to the SUPERFERRY as the latter departs and begins her trip. The impressive TERA JET, which was however resting that day as she did not have any planned trips. The TERA JET seen during what was her second season in a row in Rafina. However, in 2018, she also operated in Andros, in addition to Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos. She was therefore on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. Another view of the EKATERINI P, which was the last ship due to depart from Rafina. The TERA JET resting in Rafina. The EVIA STAR having just finished maneuvering in Rafina. Two rivals, the classic ferry EKATERINI P and the high speed ferry TERA JET, together in the port of Rafina. Another view of the TERA JET, Sea Jets' flagship. The EVIA STAR preparing to dock in Rafina. Three ferries seen from the departing SUPERFERRY: the EVIA STAR, the EKATERINI P and the TERA JET. The TERA JET seen once again in Rafina. Built in 1999 in Italy, she spent the start of her career with the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione, for whom she operated on the Tyrrhenian Sea as the SCORPIO. After her company experienced financial issues during the mid 2000s, the high speed ferry and her three sister ships were deemed to surplus requirements. She almost headed for scrap in 2011 despite being only 12 years old at the time, but she ultimately avoided a premature end to her career as she was reportedly bought by a Greek company. After being laid-up in Perama between 2012 and 2014, it was revealed that she had been acquired by Sea Jets, and she became the company's flagship. As the TERA JET, she spent the 2014 season on the Heraklion-Santorini line, with her service being extended the following year, as she served the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line. After remaining idle in 2016, she had an extremely successful 2017 season on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. The EKATERINI P seen once again. For the third straight season, she was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, and she is the only ship of Fast Ferries serving the latter island (she also made stops in Andros in 2017). She has been owned by Fast Ferries since 1999, but she has been serving Rafina and the Cyclades since 2012. Before that, she had spent 13 years on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. The EVIA STAR having just docked in Rafina. Another view of the three ferries seen in Rafina from the stern of the departing SUPERFERRY. These were the EVIA STAR, the EKATERINI P and the TERA JET. The TERA JET seen once again in Rafina. She is the largest high speed craft that operates in Greece. About thirty minutes after the ship's departure, the island of Evoia could be spotted from a far distance. Almost two hours after the departure from Rafina and after having passed by Southern Evoia and the channel known as Cavo Doro (one of the most dangerous places for shipping on the Aegean Sea due to intense winds and several reefs in the middle of the waterwat), we were now headed for the first destination. This was Andros, which is the island where the SUPERFERRY is registered, as well as the island from which her owners come from. Andros was now clearly visible to us. We now just needed to enter the Gavrion Bay, named after Gavrion, which is the main port of the island. Right upon spotting the Gavrion Bay, I saw the FAST FERRIES ANDROS leaving, after she herself had docked in the port. She was now heading towards Tinos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen having left her namesake island. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen during her fourth summer with Fast Ferries. Her first one was spent on the Rafina-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where the results were mostly mixed. Since 2016, she has been on her company's main service, namely on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which is also served by her other fleetmates as well (although the EKATERINI P did not make calls in Andros in 2018, as she instead served Naxos). The island of Andros seen from the SUPERFERRY. The beautiful FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Andros and heading towards Tinos. Back when she operated as the EPTANISOS for Strintzis Ferries she operated on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line from 2003 to 2010, before moving to the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line from 2011 to 2012, after which her company ceased operations. She remained laid-up for three years, before being finally reactivated in 2015, following her acquisition by Fast Ferries. A view of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which is nowadays one of the most successful day ferries on the Cyclades. She and the SUPERFERRY briefly served the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line under charter to Blue Star Ferries, as the BLUE STAR PATMOS had an accident in Ios in 2017, which required her to be replaced by the BLUE STAR NAXOS , which was due to serve the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line in late 2017. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS was therefore chartered to Blue Star Ferries from October 2017 to February 2018, after which she returned to her usual service under Fast Ferries. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Andros. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS leaving Andros in order to head towards Tinos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS now seen heading towards Tinos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS on her way to Tinos, after having left the Gavrion Bay. A few minutes after encountering the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, the SUPERFERRY entered the Gavrion Bay at approximately 09:45. A view of the small port of Gavrion in Andros. The port of Gavrion in Andros seen just as the SUPERFERRY began to maneuver. A view of the houses that were adjacent to the port of Gavrion in Andros. After quickly unloading passengers and vehicles and getting a few other ones onboard, we began to leave at around 10:00. At the same time, another ship was seen approaching Andros. This was the conventional ferry THEOLOGOS P of Fast Ferries . The THEOLOGOS P was built in 2000 in Japan, and she operated there until she was sold to Fast Ferries in 2006. Since 2007, she has been operating on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line (in 2017 she also served Naxos alongside the EKATERINI P). The THEOLOGOS P having entered the Gavrion Bay in Andros. The THEOLOGOS P having reached the port of Gavrion in Andros. She is the third ferry in the history of Fast Ferries to be named THEOLOGOS P. The previous two ships were landing craft that were deployed on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in the 1970s and the 1980s, although the first THEOLOGOS P had actually began her career on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf from 1974 to 1979. The second THEOLOGOS P is still in service in Greece, as she is currently known as the PANAGIA THASSOU of Thassos Ferries since 2003, and she is operating on the Kavala-Thassos line. The THEOLOGOS P ready to maneuver in Andros. She was the first ship of Fast Ferries to be deployed on the Aegean Sea since her eponymous predecessor, the original THEOLOGOS P. She was also the first ship of the company to be deployed on the Rafina-Cyclades service. It was a major risk taken by her company, due to their past experience being, for the vast majority of their history, based on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. It turned out to be a major success, as the ship has now remained on the line for the twelfth consecutive season. She is hence credited for bringing Fast Ferries from Corfu to the Cyclades, as she was joined by the EKATERINI P (which underwent a major conversion in order to comply with the demands of the area) in 2012, and later by the FAST FERRIES ANDROS after she was bought in 2015. The pretty Japanese-built THEOLOGOS P, which is named after her owner Theologos Panagiotakis, preparing to maneuver in Andros. The THEOLOGOS P ready to maneuver in Andros at the same time as the SUPERFERRY departs the port. She is the flagship of Fast Ferries, despite being the youngest ferry of the fleet. The THEOLOGOS P maneuvering in Andros. One of the two funnels of the THEOLOGOS P, featuring, as you now know, the initial of the Panagiotakis family. The THEOLOGOS P having finished her maneuvering procedure and unloading passengers and vehicles in Andros. Passing by the THEOLOGOS P in Andros. The THEOLOGOS P seen resting in Andros. While the SUPERFERRY leaves Andros, the THEOLOGOS P rests before leaving for Rafina. The THEOLOGOS P seen in Andros. While the EKATERINI P and the FAST FERRIES ANDROS leave Rafina for the Cyclades in the morning and complete the return leg during the evening, the THEOLOGOS P performs the opposite schedule. Indeed, she spends the night in Mykonos, leaves the latter for Tinos, Andros and Rafina early in the morning, before returning to the Cyclades islands in the late afternoon/early evening. On Saturdays, however, she departs Rafina for the Cyclades in the morning, just like her fleetmates do. Another view of the THEOLOGOS P as she is seen docked in Andros. One last view of the THEOLOGOS P in the port of Andros, while we now head towards Tinos. The SUPERFERRY seen heading from Andros to Tinos, with the Greek flag seen flying over the ship's stern. At approximately 11:30, the port of the island of Tinos was visible to us. Despite its width, it has very narrow piers, which can be potentially dangerous for ferries attempting to enter or leave the port. The port of Tinos seen from the front section balcony of the SUPERFERRY. The SUPERFERRY preparing to enter the port of Tinos. The dangerous side piers of the port of Tinos. The most recent ship to have been involved in an accident due to these piers was the FLYINGCAT 4, which had grounded off there back in 2015. The port of Tinos seen while the SUPERFERRY was undergoing her maneuvering procedure. In the hill located right above the port is a historic monument, namely the Holy Monastery of Panagia Tinou, which is a symbolic worship place for Orthodox Christians. Several ships have been named in honour of the monastery, with the most recent one being the late PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines (the ex-AGIOS GEORGIOS of the same company) , which was sold for scrap last year . After loading new vehicles and passengers, the SUPERFERRY departed Tinos at approximately 11:45. The next stop was particularly popular for some passengers. Indeed, it was the island of Mykonos, known as 'The Island of Winds' in Greece, which is located right next to Tinos. It usually takes just 45 minutes for a regular ferry to travel from one island to the other. As the SUPERFERRY was approaching Mykonos, another ferry was seen leaving the island, namely the great NISSOS MYKONOS of Hellenic Seaways . The Greek-built ferry is deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, and she therefore serves the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea. The NISSOS MYKONOS seen having left her namesake island. The NISSOS MYKONOS seen leaving Mykonos. The ship has spent her entire career so far with Hellenic Seaways. Since 2007 she has served the islands of Ikaria and Samos every single summer, although other islands have been added over the years. She has been on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline since 2014, although she has served it during the summer season only since 2017. The NISSOS MYKONOS seen leaving Mykonos. She was built in 2005, exactly ten years after the SUPERFERRY, and exactly ten years before the latter's sale to Golden Star Ferries. The NISSOS MYKONOS leaving Mykonos in order to head towards Ikaria. The NISSOS MYKONOS seen heading towards Ikaria. Next to the port of Mykonos was the cruise ship COSTA DELIZIOSA of the Italian cruise line Costa Crociere (Costa Cruises). Due to her large size, she is unable to dock in the port. Passengers make it to the shore with the small ships owned by the Association of the Boatmen of Mykonos. As soon as we began to approach the new port of Mykonos (located in the village of Tourlos, which is further away from the old port which is located next to the Chora of Mykonos), I got to see another ship for the first time with my own eyes. Indeed, it was the high speed ferry NAXOS JET of Sea Jets . The NAXOS JET seen leaving Mykonos at full-speed. This was her first summer of operations under Sea Jets, which she spent the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. Her service had not been announced until late May. However, it turned out to be very successful. The summer of 2018 marked the debut season of the NAXOS JET under Sea Jets, and her second season in Greece altogether, as she had been previously on the Heraklion-Santorini line while being chartered to NEL Lines from the now-defunct My Ferries in 2010 (although she only operated there for one month), under the name CYCLADES EXPRESS. Afterwards, she was laid-up in Salamina from 2011 to 2016, before she was bought by Sea Jets. She underwent a two-year-long refit in order to return to service for the first time in eight years. The NAXOS JET seen during her first season of service since 2010, as she leaves Mykonos in order to head towards Tinos. The small funnel of the NAXOS JET featuring the logo of Sea Jets. It is a well-known funnel that was found on almost all ships of the Incat 74m WPC-class, most of which started their careers under the British company Hoverspeed. The NAXOS JET has three sister ships that are also owned currently by Sea Jets, although only one has been in active service as of 2018. That ship is the CALDERA VISTA (the ex-MASTER JET) which was recently renamed and deployed on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Paros-Mykonos-Tinos-Syros line. The other two are the HIGH SPEED JET (the ex-COSMOS JET and formerly the SPEEDRUNNER I of Aegean Speed Lines from 2005 to 2008) and the SEA SPEED JET, which have been laid-up in Chalkida since 2013 and 2014, respectively, and are unlikely to ever sail for Sea Jets in the future. The NAXOS JET leaving Mykonos in order to head towards Tinos. Her service started out of Naxos in the morning, and she would reach Rafina by the afternoon. She would then leave Rafina for the Cyclades in the late afternoon and reach Naxos late at night, where she would be staying until the following morning. While the SUPERFERRY was preparing to maneuver in the new port of Mykonos, the EKATERINI P and the FAST FERRIES ANDROS could also be spotted. The EKATERINI P seen resting in Mykonos. Despite having left after the SUPERFFERY, she reached Mykonos first as she does not make calls to Andros, instead going directly from Rafina to Tinos. The NAXOS JET seen heading towards Tinos at full-speed. The EKATERINI P docked in Mykonos and almost ready to depart for Naxos. The EKATERINI P seen in Mykonos, with the FAST FERRIES ANDROS right behind her. Both ships were built in Japan and operated on the Ionian Sea until 2012. The EKATERINI P headed to the Cyclades during that same year, while the FAST FERRIES ANDROS joined her three years later. The EKATERINI P seen docked in Mykonos. Owned by Fast Ferries since 1999, she is the second ship in the history of the company to bear that name. The first one was a landing craft built in 1975 and which was on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line before the arrival of the current EKATERINI P. She later became the KONSTANTINOS G of Costar Lines (2006-2010) and of NEL Lines (2010-2014, although she only operated during the summers of 2011 and 2012), being deployed on the Mytilene-Dikili line. The latter port is located in Turkey. Since 2014 she is in Equatorial Guinea, serving the company Somagec under the name ELOBEY XII. The EKATERINI P preparing to depart Mykonos. The EKATERINI P almost ready to leave Mykonos. The EKATERINI P seen leaving Mykonos. Right behind the ferry terminal of the new port of Mykonos is a smaller pier for pleasure craft, as well as for ships connecting the port with the old port of the island and Delos. There, I saw one of the ships of Delos Tours serving under the Mykonos Sea Bus brandname, namely small passenger boat MYKONOS EXPRESS . The EKATERINI P in the meantime has left Mykonos in order to head towards Naxos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS now clearly visible and seen resting in Mykonos. The five-year-old MYKONOS EXPRESS seen leaving the new port of Mykonos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen in Mykonos, as she is resting for a few hours before making her return leg to Rafina via Tinos and Andros. The EKATERINI P en route from Mykonos to Naxos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen in Mykonos. After having seen her in the port of Kyllini several times during the 2000s, I was also very pleased to see her on the Cyclades, where she has become an established ferry. Another view of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS. The MYKONOS EXPRESS leaving the new port of Mykonos. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS and the MYKONOS EXPRESS seen together in Mykonos. Th MYKONOS EXPRESS seen heading towards the old port of Mykonos. While the MYKONOS EXPRESS was heading towards the old port, another ship of Delos Tours-Mykonos Sea Bus was seen approaching the new port. It was the small high speed boat MYKONOS SPIRIT . The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen again in Mykonos. She was built in 1989 in Japan, and she spent the first 11 years of her career there as the SHINKO MARU for the Japanese company Nippon Kaiun. She then spent three years in Taiwan as the KING HUNG of the Taiwanese company King Fung Ma, before being sold to Strintzis Ferries in 2003. The MYKONOS SPIRIT seen approaching the new port of Mykonos. The MYKONOS SPIRIT in the port of Mykonos. This summer was her second one under her current owners. Previously, she was the MYTHOS of Captain Vangelis Special Cruises, also known as Kefalonia Cruises. She operated from 2009 to 2016 under the latter, before being replaced by the newly-built NIRIIS in 2017. Back when she was known as the MYTHOS, she was on the Kyllini-Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea. The MYKONOS SPIRIT, which is the third ship to have been acquired for service under the Mykonos Sea Bus brandname, seen in the new port of Mykonos. The MYKONOS SPIRIT seen heading towards the Mykonos Sea Bus terminal in the new port of Mykonos. The MYKONOS SPIRIT preparing to maneuver in the new port of Mykonos. The MYKONOS SPIRIT having just docked in the new port of Mykonos. Another picture of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS. A view of the Chora of Mykonos, which is the main village of the island and perhaps the most famous one. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS once again seen resting in Mykonos. While the SUPERFERRY was preparing to depart at around 12:40, the BLUE STAR NAXOS of Blue Star Ferries was seen arriving towards Mykonos. The great BLUE STAR NAXOS was on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line during that period, covering for her sister ship, the BLUE STAR PAROS , as the latter was undergoing her annual refit. Another picture showing the resting FAST FERRIES ANDROS. The impressive BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the new port of Mykonos. After the BLUE STAR PAROS returned to service two days after my trip with the SUPERFERRY, the BLUE STAR NAXOS was deployed on her new summer service for 2018, namely the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Irakleia-Schoinousa-Koufonisi-Amorgos-Santorini-Astypalaia lifeline. The 16-year-old BLUE STAR NAXOS seen approaching the port of Mykonos. The BLUE STAR NAXOS, just like the BLUE STAR PAROS, has been one of the best ships on the Aegean Sea and in the Greek coastal service. She has served almost all Cyclades Islands, as well as some on the Dodecanese. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen just a few days before returning to her usual service on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the new port of Mykonos. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen approaching Mykonos, while we are now departing for the next destination, which was the island of Paros. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen heading towards the new port of Mykonos. Built in 2002 in South Korea, she has spent the bulk of her career on the Lesser Cyclades lifeline. The BLUE STAR NAXOS seen approaching the new port of Mykonos. The BLUE SAR NAXOS in Mykonos, heading towards the port. Behind her is the giant cruise ship NORWEGIAN STAR of Norwegian Cruise Lines. After leaving Mykonos, we were now heading towards Paros. Right after passing by the Mykonos-Delos Strait, I spotted yet another ship heading towards Mykonos. It was a familiar face, but with a rather unfamiliar appearance. Indeed, the ship was the high speed ferry SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines (the ex-HIGHSPEED 7 of Hellenic Seaways) , which had been sold to her new owners just four days before my trip with the SUPERFERRY. The HIGHSPEED 7 had to be sold to Minoan Lines, as part of the deal which saw Grimaldi Group (the majority shareholder of Minoan Lines) sell its Hellenic Seaways shares to Attica Group. The Hellenic Competition Commission approved the transaction, with Hellenic Seaways being forced to pull out of the service where the HIGHSPEED 7 (also known as the HIGHSPEED 5 from 2005 to 2016) was operating successfully from 2013 to 2014 and from 2016 to 2018, which was the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line. Minoan Lines kept the ship on that same itinerary, and they therefore expanded their area of operations, as they connected Crete with the Cyclades for the first time since 2005. The HIGHSPEED 7 was renamed SANTORINI PALACE and was registered from Piraeus to Heraklion, which is where Minoan Lines is based. The SANTORINI PALACE seen heading from Paros to Mykonos, only a few days after beginning service under Minoan Lines. Right behind the SANTORINI PALACE was a ship that I had seen earlier that morning. Indeed, it was the PAROS JET, which was heading from Paros to Mykonos as well, as part of her return leg. The PAROS JET had left just a few minutes before the SUPERFERRY did from Rafina, and went to Naxos via Tinos, Mykonos and Paros, and was now already making her return leg from Paros to Mykonos. The PAROS JET heading at full-speed from Paros to Mykonos. The PAROS JET en route towards Mykonos. During her debut season under Sea Jets in 2015, she served the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. The following season saw her on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, while last year she operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line together with the TERA JET. Another view of the PAROS JET as she heads towards Mykonos. At approximately 14:15, the island of Paros was visible to us. We were now headed for the port, which is located in the village of Paroikia. A few nautical miles near Paroikia, one can spot the infamous Portes islets, which the doomed ferry EXPRESS SAMINA of Hellas Ferries tragically hit, leading to her sinking and to the death of more than 80 people, more than 18 years ago. This place unfortunately is now remembered as the area where one of the most tragic events in the history of the Greek coastal service occurred. A view of the port of Paroikia in Paros, where the SUPERFERRY began to maneuver just before 14:30. The stretched pier of the port of Paros, which is where the SUPERFERRY docked. We stayed in Paros until 14:45, after which we began to head for the next destination (and the final one for me), namely the island of Ios. While we were leaving, I spotted the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets heading towards Paros. A view of the CHAMPION JET 1, which was operating on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, where she was temporarily replacing her sister ship and fleetmate, the CHAMPION JET 2 , which was on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. The two ships switched to their summer lines just a few days later, with the CHAMPION JET 1 leaving from Piraeus and the CHAMPION JET 2 leaving from Heraklion, as they had also done so in 2017. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen heading towards Paros, during her fourth summer under Sea Jets. A view of the CHAMPION JET 1, which is a valuable ship for Sea Jets as she can operate on many lines across the Cyclades. The CHAMPION JET 1 en route towards Paros. She is notably the first-ever high speed ferry onboard which I traveled in Greece, as I headed from Santorini to Piraeus with her on 12 July 2015 . She also became the first ship of Sea Jets onboard which I embarked. The impressive CHAMPION JET 1 seen heading towards Paros. One last view of the CHAMPION JET 1 as she is seen approaching the port of Paros. After going through the south of Paros, I spotted another high speed craft seen earlier in the morning and heading back to Rafina. Indeed, this was the fleetmate of the SUPERFERRY, namely the SUPERRUNNER. The SUPERRUNNER seen heading from Naxos to Paros. The speedy SUPERRUNNER seen on her way to Paros. Another view of the SUPERRUNNER as she sails on the Cyclades. Just like it was the case with the PAROS JET, the SUPERRUNNER had left Rafina just a few minutes before the SUPERFERRY, made it to Santorini via Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Ios, and was now returning to Rafina, heading from Naxos to Paros. The SUPERRUNNER en route towards Paros. Her successful introduction on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line prompted her company to further invest into high speed craft, in order to strengthen its forces against Sea Jets. A few minutes after seeing the SUPERRUNNER, I got to see the third and final ship of Golden Star Ferries that was operating on the Cyclades for the 2018 season. Indeed, this was the legendary SUPERFERRY II , which was performing the return leg from Heraklion to Rafina via the Cyclades. The SUPERFERRY II was seen heading from Ios to Paros, after having left Heraklion late in the morning and having also stopped in Santorini. The SUPERFERRY seen at the heart of the Aegean Sea, where she has been operating successfully since 1993. This was her eighth season under Golden star Ferries. A view of the SUPERFERRY II on the Cyclades. The summer of 2018 marked 25 years since she was introduced on the Aegean Sea. A quarter-century later, she is still among the best ships in Greece, and does not give you the impression that she is 44 years old. Right after our encounter with the SUPERFERRY II, the SANTORINI PALACE passed by us as she headed towards Ios. The extremely fast SANTORINI PALACE seen heading towards Ios, during her first days under Minoan Lines. The SANTORINI PALACE seen heading to Ios. She was the first acquisition of Minoan Lines in eight years (back when the newly-built CRUISE OLYMPIA was delivered to them in 2010), although the company also saw the return of the ex-EUROPA PALACE, which had been on charter to Tirrenia Di Navigazione from 2012 to 2017. That ship was renamed MYKONOS PALACE and was deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line. The SANTORINI PALACE heading towards Ios. Built in 2005, she began service for Hellenic Seaways just after the latter had been rebranded (they were previously known as Hellas Flying Dolphins from 2002 to 2005) as the HIGHSPEED 5, and she became one of the most acclaimed high speed craft of the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career on the Cyclades, which she served from Piraeus from 2005 to 2012, before moving to Heraklion in 2013. After being severely damaged by a fire in 2015, she had to miss the entire summer season that year and she was repaired in Italy, after which she returned on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line as the HIGHSPEED 7 during the 2016 season. After two hours approximately, we finally reached the port of Ios, where I made my return for the first time in exactly eleven months, after I had left the island on 14 July 2017 with the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways . We arrived at 16:30 as planned, and the ship unloaded very quickly. However, before I could turn and face her in order to take one last picture of her, she had already left in order to head towards Santorini and her final destination for the day, namely the port Heraklion. Hence, my eight-hour trip onboard the SUPERFERRY had now come to an end. The SUPERFERRY seen in Mykonos, a few days after I had sailed with her from Rafina to Ios. And so this marks the end of a fantastic day during which I got to see so many ships (including many that I had not seen before) and dozens of beautiful Cyclades islands. It was undoubtedly the best way to start the 2018 summer season in Greece, with the first trip of the year being a very memorable one. As her name indicates it, the SUPERFERRY truly is a superferry, with very modern amenities and a wonderful outdoor area from which you can enjoy a wonderful view of the Aegean Sea. Thanks to her qualities, she was able to prove doubters wrong by having a very satisfying first summer on her new service, which she shared with the equally-successful SUPERFERRY II. And along the good services of the SUPERRUNNER, as well as the recent introduction of the SUPERSPEED on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, Golden Star Ferries enjoyed another successful summer, despite the intensifying competition (particularly from Sea Jets). Nevertheless, the company's future seems very promising, as the SUPERCAT will be ready for service soon, and a new high speed ferry is also set to join them soon. Indeed, a few days ago, Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries agreed to collaborate by buying the high speed craft EXPRESS (which has notably operated for Buquebus, P&O Ferries, Gotlandsbåten, Viking Line and Naviera Armas) and planning to deploy her on the Cyclades. Hence, next summer will be very interesting and very entertaining from the point of view of a shipping enthusiast like myself. #superferry #goldenstarferries #summer2018 #greece #cyclades #petalioigulf #aegean #rafina #andros #tinos #mykonos #paros #ios #parosjet #terajet #naxosjet #championjet1 #seajets #flyingcat4 #nissosmykonos #hellenicseaways #superrunner #superferryii #ekaterinip #fastferriesandros #theologosp #fastferries #eviastar #geraistosne #mykonosexpress #mykonosspirit #delostours #mykonosseabus #bluestarnaxos #bluestarferries #santorinipalace #minoanlines #tribute

Just one week after I went to Piraeus during the early morning in order to see the different ferries that were making their respective morning departures and arrivals from and to the port , I found myself going to another well-known port for the similar reason. This port happened to be the second most important one of the region of Attica (after Piraeus): the port of Rafina. Indeed, my father very kindly thought to bring me to that port just before 07:00 in order to witness and photograph all the morning departures of the ferries and high speed craft that connect it with the Cyclades, Crete and the Northeast Aegean Sea. This consisted in both of us waking up at 05:00 in order to reach the port in time, and for that I was extremely grateful to him for doing this just so that I could see several well-known ships and take pictures of them. Therefore, this post is dedicated to him. Before showing you my pictures, I thought that it was a good idea to provide you with a quick historical background of the port of Rafina. Indeed, it is located on the Eastern coat of the region of Attica, not far from the Athens International Airport, and North of Lavrion. The position of the port is convenient for ships that travel to Evoia, the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Northern Cyclades islands of Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, as a departure from Piraeus means that reaching these areas implies traveling around Cape Sounion, which requires more time. Therefore, Rafina is preferred by passengers wanting to go to Andros, as they can reach it in just two hours, and even less if they travel with a high speed craft. Moreover, ships can also connect Attica with Evoia through the Rafina-Marmari line, with the port of Karystos having also been formerly served by ferries. The port of Rafina was already used by passenger ships since the 1910s, but it was during the 1960s and 1970s that it began to experience a significant rise. This was initially the case with the ships of the Rafina-Marmari-Karystos line, and then the ones serving Andros, Tinos and later Mykonos. Towards the late 1970s and early 1980s, several companies like Polemis Epirus Line, NEL Lines, Goutos Lines and Nomicos Lines became prominent by inserting very popular ferries for service on the Cyclades, the Sporades and the Northeast Aegean Sea. Later in the 1980s, companies like Agoudimos Lines, Strintzis Lines and Ventouris Ferries also deployed very large and fast conventional ferries. Strintzis Lines notably inserted the legendary EPTANISOS on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros line in 1984, and her success helped cement the company's presence on the Aegean Sea, as well as the status of Rafina as a major departure port towards the Cyclades. The company then proceeded to deploying several other successful ships from Rafina during the 1990s, such as the original SUPERFERRY (later the BLUE AEGEAN of Blue Star Ferries) in 1992, the iconic SUPERFERRY II (which still operates on the line today) in 1993, the then-newly-built high speed catamaran SEA JET 1 (known as the SUPER JET of Sea Jets since 2004) in 1995, and later her sister ship, the SEA JET 2 (also owned by Sea Jets, since 2006) in 1999, before they were acquired by Attica Group in 2000, which resulted in the creation of Blue Star Ferries. In the meantime, Agoudimos Lines deployed the historic PENELOPE A on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 1992, and remained a major presence in Rafina, alongside Ventouris Ferries (which owned the legendary BARI EXPRESS), Goutos Lines (which also introduced two newly-built catamarans in 1996 and 1998, respectively), and Agapitos Express Ferries, but all of their ships operating on the Cyclades were acquired by the newly-established company Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999 (although Goutos Lines managed to keep one ship, the MIRINA EXPRESS, on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line). The latter (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and then Hellenic Seaways in 2005) continued to operate a few ships from Rafina over the years in order to compete against Blue Star Ferries, and later new entrants to the market, such as Alpha Ferries (with their 2003-built ship, the AQUA JEWEL ), the returning Agoudimos Lines (which bought back the PENELOPE A in 2004), Ventouris Sea Lines (which spent one season on the Rafina-Cyclades service after having bought the ship AGIOS GEORGIOS from Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2004), Sea Jets (established in 2004) and later Fast Ferries (which entered the market in 2007. During the 2010s, despite suffering from the Greek financial crisis, companies continued to thrive in Rafina thanks to the increase of tourism in Greece and on the Cyclades. Blue Star Ferries ceded the SUPERFERRY II to the newly-established company Golden Star Ferries, which then went on to buy more ships in the late 2010s. The continued success of Fast Ferries saw them operating three ships at the end of the decade. Agoudimos Lines experienced economic troubles, which resulted in them leaving the area in late 2013. Hellenic Seaways continued to deploy some of their high speed craft from Rafina on a seasonal basis, and Sea Jets slowly started to become one of the dominant players in Rafina. This happened thanks to the successful introduction of the SUPER JET on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line from 2013 to 2015. That service was taken over by the high speed ferry PAROS JET in 2016, and in 2017 the latter operated alongside the company's flagship, the fantastic TERA JET, on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, with both services being extremely successful. Combined with a fierce competition against Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries which resulted in a price war, passengers were now able to travel with multiple ships from Rafina, and beyond Andros, Tinos and Mykonos. Indeed, they could also head to other known islands like Paros, Naxos, the Lesser Cyclades, Ios and Santorini. Furthermore, in response to the threats of Sea Jets on the Cyclades, Golden Star Ferries also began operations from Rafina to Crete in 2018 and 2019. As a result of this increasing competition, the port of Rafina has now been considered to be an ideal place for some companies to make profits, and an ideal spot for passengers to choose the ship on which they want to travel. Over the past years, all ships have been leaving the port between 07:05 and 08:05, with many of them racing against each other in other to see which one will first reach the ports of the Cyclades. Some afternoon departures are also very popular, as they suit the freight demand in the area. Therefore, just like it is the case with Piraeus, the daily morning departures in Rafina are a special highlight during the summer, as several ships depart one after the other in order to serve their respective islands. Now that the historical background of the port of Rafina has been described in depth, I can now talk to you about my visit to the port on 3 August 2019. Indeed, it was the second time in my life that I went to Rafina. The first one was during the previous summer, when I traveled from the port to Ios with the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries on 14 June 2018. Back then, I also witnessed all of the ships' departures to the Cyclades, and had been impressed by the competition instigated by the various companies. I saw most of them on 3 August 2019 as well, but was very pleased about that as I was able to take pictures of many of them for the second summer in a row. Without further ado, let's have a look at the countless pictures I took that morning, which consisted of eight different ferry departures, as well as one arrival. Right upon arriving in Rafina with my father just before 07:00, the first ship that we happened to see was the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries , which was one of the many ships that were intending to depart the port that morning. The SUPERRUNNER seen in Rafina before her morning departure. The port of Rafina seen at dawn, with the port's pier and Evoia (seen in the background) watching the beautiful rising sun. The SUPERRUNNER seen in Rafina. Built in 1999 in Italy, she first arrived in Greece in 2009, having been bought by Aegean Speed Lines and having been renamed SPEEDRUNNER IV. She spent the next seven years with the company, operating mostly on the Western Cyclades, which is their main area of service. She was also their flagship during that period of time. After the 2016 season, she was sold to Golden Star Ferries, becoming their first-ever high speed craft. She was renamed SUPERRUNNER and began service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2017. She also operated on that same line in 2018 and in 2019. The SUPERRUNNER and the other ferries operating in Rafina seen together at dawn, with all of them waiting for the sun to rise even more in order for them to begin their day. Another view of the SUPERRUNNER, which was operating for Golden Star Ferries for the third consecutive season. A very nice picture featuring several billboard signs of companies operating in Rafina. All of them appear to be promoted by the Togias Travel Agency. The post mentions Golden Star Ferries and its two conventional ferries. Right below the latter is a screen which happened to feature the ferry PANORAMA of Panorama Shipping , which is one of the two ferries that operate on the Rafina-Marmari line. Below her, the logos of Blue Star Ferries (which has not been operating from Rafina since 2015) and Fast Ferries (featuring the three ships that the company owned at the time) can be spotted. Further down, one can see a picture of the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries on the left, and a picture of the TERA JET of Sea Jets . The latter also has a sign on the right side of the poster, which displays the company's logo, colours and slogan, which says 'The World's largest high speed craft fleet' in Greek. As my father and I began to head towards the Northern pier of the port in order to have a better view of the departing ships, we had to pass by all of them. There I saw the PAROS JET of Sea Jets , which was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. Not far from the PAROS JET was the FAST FERRIES ANDROS of Fast Ferries , which served the traditional Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. A view of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, which has been owned by Fast Ferries since 2015. Next to the FAST FERRIES ANDROS was the stern of the newest introduction in Rafina at the time, that of the cruiseferry AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets, which operated under the Sea Jets Ferries division . The Northern pier of the port of Rafina seen at dawn. Just over 13 months after visiting Rafina for the first time, I was now back in the port, and ready to see all the ferries leave the port in order to head towards the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea. There, we were also greeted by a seemingly-familiar local resident :) Picture taken by my father. The ship that happened to be at the corner of the Northern pier was the high speed ferry HELLENIC HIGHSPEED , owned by Hellenic Seaways and chartered by Fast Ferries, She is a sister ship of the SUPERRUNNER, and she also arrived in Greece for the first time in 2009. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen in Rafina. After having seen and photographed her under the livery of Hellenic Seaways during the summers of 2017 and 2018, it felt strange seeing her operating under Fast Ferries. She was chartered by the latter in order to cover the absence of the EKATERINI P , which was forced to miss the entire 2019 season due to a major engine failure. As a result, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED replaced her on her usual service, which is spent on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. Despite lacking the same vehicle capacity as the EKATERINI P, she had an excellent summer and was praised by passengers for her efficient service. She also helped Fast Ferries in maintaining their positive reputation on the Cyclades, as they managed to quickly find a good alternative to their problem just before the summer season began. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen alongside the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries in Rafina. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen resting in Rafina. Although she was originally bought by Hellenic Seaways in 2009 and was renamed HELLENIC WIND, she did not operate for them until late 2015. Between 2009 and 2015, she would instead spend the summer on charter to Atlântico Line, operating on the Azores Archipelago. She then briefly operated on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Kimolos-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos lifeline on the Cyclades in late 2015, in order to replace her fleetmate, the ARTEMIS , which was undergoing her annual refit at the time. Ahead of the 2016 season, Hellenic Seaways finally decided to include her in their Greek coastal service plans, and converted her in Perama and renamed her HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. She was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line in 2016, with her first summer there being extremely successful. However, after the company sold the HIGHSPEED 6 to the Spanish company Naviera Armas following the 2016 season, she took over the latter's previous service, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line in 2017 and in 2018. In 2019 she left that line in order to operate for Fast Ferries. The first ship that departed the port of Rafina (at around 07:05) was the THEOLOGOS P of Fast Ferries , which was operating a morning service on the traditional Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. The THEOLOGOS P seen leaving Rafina at dawn. Built in 2000 in Japan, she was bought by Fast Ferries in 2006, and, following a conversion in Perama, she began service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2007, at just 7 years old. She became the first ship of the company to be deployed on the Cyclades (and the first to operate on the Aegean Sea as a whole since 1979), while also being the first one in 28 years to operate on a service other than that of the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where her company had started operations back in 1975. Their only previous experience on other lines had been between 1974 and 1979, back when the original THEOLOGOS P was operating on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf. Her service was very successful, and it ultimately convinced Fast Ferries to leave the Ionian Sea and focus only on the Cyclades. Since then, they added two other ships in Rafina, the EKATERINI P (which had been owned by them since 1999) in 2012 and the FAST FERRIES ANDROS in 2015. The THEOLOGOS P seen leaving the port of Rafina in the morning. She usually departs that same port during the afternoon, providing an additional service for passengers and freight operators, although she also makes some trips from Rafina during the morning, as it was the case that day. Since entering service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 2007, she has been praised for her comfortable passenger amenities, her large garage which is essential for freight capacity, and for her efficient itineraries, as she has very rarely had engine troubles. The THEOLOGOS P seen leaving Rafina in order to head towards Andros, Tinos and Mykonos. She is currently the ferry with the second largest amount of experience on the Rafina-Cyclades service, with the SUPERFERRY II being having been on the line longer than she has. In all of her 13 summers in Greece so far, she has been operating on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, with the exception of the 2017 season. Indeed, during that year, she added Naxos to her itinerary, and therefore operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, alongside the EKATERINI P. The THEOLOGOS P passing by us as she leaves Rafina. She is the third ferry in the history of Fast Ferries to be named THEOLOGOS P. The previous two were landing craft that were deployed on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line in the 1970s and the 1980s, although the original THEOLOGOS P also had a spell on the Oropos-Eretria line from 1974 to 1979. The second THEOLOGOS P is still in service in Greece, being currently known as the PANAGIA THASSOU of Thassos Ferries since 2003, and she is operating on the Kavala-Thassos line. The beautiful THEOLOGOS P seen leaving Rafina at dawn, in order to head towards her first destination: Andros. A view of the SUPERFERRY, on which I had traveled on 14 June 2018, from Rafina to Ios (via Andros, Tinos, Mykonos and Paros) . By traveling with her, I went to Rafina for the first time in my life. She was also the first ship of Golden Star Ferries on which I have ever traveled, as this was also my first trip on a ship departing from Rafina, and generally on a ship heading to the Cyclades from a mainland port other than Piraeus. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen right next to the SUPERFERRY. I had also traveled with her, exactly 11 months before my trip with the SUPERFERRY, while I was heading from Ios (the island that I reached with the ship of Golden Star Ferries) to Piraeus (via Sifnos) on 14 July 2017 . This was when the ship was spending her first summer on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line, under Hellenic Seaways. A view of the three ships that were seen next to the Northern pier of the port of Rafina: the AQUA BLUE, the SUPERFERRY and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED. All three of them happened to operate under each of the three main companies serving Rafina during the 2010s, namely Sea Jets, Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries, respectively. The THEOLOGOS P seen heading towards Andros at dawn. Another view of the AQUA BLUE, the SUPERFERRY and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED in Rafina. The SUPERFERRY seen in Rafina. She was built in Japan in 1995, and spent her first 20 years operating as the KOGANE MARU of Sado Kisen on the Naoetsu-Ogi line. She was then sold to Golden Star Ferries in 2015, becoming the second ship in the history of the company. She was converted in Perama, was temporarily renamed GOLDEN FERRY before being renamed SUPERFERRY at the start of her operations. She entered service in 2016, being deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. In 2017 she was on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line, while in 2018 she and the SUPERFERRY II were deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, becoming the first ships to connect Rafina with Crete and the Cyclades. In 2019 they were both deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion line. The second ship to leave the port of Rafina, right after the THEOLOGOS P, was the SUPERRUNNER, which was beginning her usual service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The SUPERRUNNER having left Rafina. I also traveled with her, just three days after my trip with the SUPERFERRY, while heading from Ios to Mykonos (via Naxos and Paros) on 17 June 2018 . She became the second Golden Star Ferries ship on which I traveled, while also being the third ship of the MDV 1200-class (among the three that operate in Greece as of 2020) on which I had a trip, after having been onboard her sister ships, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED and her former fleetmate, the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines (from Sifnos to Piraeus) , during the summer of 2017. The SUPERRUNNER leaving Rafina in order to head towards Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos, Ios and Santorini. The SUPERRUNNER departing Rafina. While it was the first time that I saw most Rafina-based ships during the summer of 2019, I had seen her in Santorini when I had visited the island with my sister on 13-14 July of that same year . The SUPERRUNNER leaving Rafina in order to head towards her first destination: the port of Tinos. The SUPERRUNNER seen heading towards Tinos and the other Cyclades islands that are included in her itinerary, which she has been serving successfully since 2017. The SUPERRUNNER seen departing Rafina. Her acquisition by Golden Star Ferries helped contribute to the company's growth on the Cyclades, and she notably competed very well against the ships of Sea Jets, including during the summer of 2017 which was marked by a fierce price war between the two companies. She has also notably raced against the TERA JET in order to see which ship would first arrive in Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos, which were the four ports that were served by both ships in 2017 and in 2018. I witnessed one of their races while being in Paros during the summer of 2018 . The TERA JET was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line in 2019, and, as a result, the SUPERRUNNER was mainly competing against the PAROS JET during that summer. The SUPERRUNNER having left Rafina and now heading at full-speed towards the Cyclades. Just a few minutes after the SUPERRUNNER had departed, it was now the turn of the PAROS JET to leave Rafina. She was also due to catch-up the SUPERRUNNER as part of their classic races to Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos. The PAROS JET seen leaving Rafina. She has been owned by Sea Jets since 2015. Before that, she was known as the CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA of the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries, for whom she operated from 1996 (the year during which she was built) to 2015. In her first season under Sea Jets, she operated on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, while in 2016 she operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. In 2017 she operated alongside the TERA JET on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, leaving Naxos in the morning and departing from Rafina during the afternoon. Both ships' services were extremely successful. In 2018 she was used as the spare ship of the company, and she operated notably on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, as well as on other services such as the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades or the Piraeus-Chania line, when the incumbent ships in these areas (including ships not owned by Sea Jets) would experience technical problems. In 2019 she returned to the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line on a permanent basis, cooperating alongside her fleetmate, the NAXOS JET , which was operating on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. The PAROS JET seen leaving Rafina in order to head towards Tinos, Mykonos, Paros and Naxos. The PAROS JET seen departing the port of Rafina, during her fifth season under Sea Jets. The PAROS JET seen leaving the port of Rafina, from which she has departed during three different summer seasons (2016, 2017 and 2019), while also occasionally appearing there during her lone season as a spare ship under Sea Jets (2018). The PAROS JET departing the port of Rafina during the morning. After witnessing the first three departures from the port of Rafina, we then happened to see an arrival. Indeed, it was that of the EVIA STAR of Geraistos NE , which is one of the two ships that operate on the Rafina-Marmari line. The PAROS JET having left Rafina during the morning. The PAROS JET seen leaving Rafina and now sailing at full-speed. The EVIA STAR is seen approaching the port of Rafina, whereas the PAROS JET is leaving the port. Another view of the EVIA STAR and of the PAROS JET. Barely a few seconds after the departure of the PAROS JET, it was now the turn of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS to leave the port of Rafina. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Rafina. Just like the THEOLOGOS P, she operates on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line under Fast Ferries. She has been operating for them since 2015, after having previously spent 12 years as the EPTANISOS of the now-defunct company Strintzis Ferries on the Ionian Sea. Built in Japan in 1989, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS first arrived in Greece in 2003, after having been bought by the then-newly-established company Strintzis Ferries, which was an indirect successor of Strintzis Lines. She was renamed EPTANISOS (just like the former ship of Strintzis Lines which had a legendary spell on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Syros line from 1984 to 1992), was converted in Perama, and entered service later that year on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line on the Ionian Sea. She stayed there until 2011, when she switched her itinerary with that of her former fleetmate, the KEFALONIA (owned by Levante Ferries since late 2018) , and she was therefore inserted on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. She remained there until late 2012, when she was withdrawn from service due to Strintzis Ferries' economic troubles. Despite some comeback attempts, the ship remained laid-up in Drapetsona, Piraeus and then in the Elefsina Bay, until she was sold to Fast Ferries in 2015. She was refitted in order to be ready to operate on the Aegean Sea, was renamed FAST FERRIES ANDROS, and entered service on the Rafina-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. After one season there, she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, where she has since been remaining. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving the port of Rafina, in what was her fifth summer under Fast Ferries, and her fourth consecutive season on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS, the third ship of Fast Ferries to be deployed on the Cyclades, seen leaving the port of Rafina during the morning. The PAROS JET seen leaving Rafina at full-speed, while the EVIA STAR continues to approach the port. The PAROS JET being followed by the FAST FERRIES ANDROS, while the EVIA STAR is returning to Rafina from Marmari. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS having left the port of Rafina. The PAROS JET, the EVIA STAR and the FAST FERRIES ANDROS are seen sailing right next to the port of Rafina. The PAROS JET and the FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Rafina, while the EVIA STAR is about to maneuver in order to dock in the latter port. The EVIA STAR seen approaching the port of Rafina, after having made the first trip of the day from Marmari. The veteran ferry was spending her nineteenth season in Greece, with all of them having been on the Rafina-Marmari line (although she was on the Rafina-Marmari-Karystos line from 2001 to 2009). Another view of the FAST FERRIES ANDROS as she is seen leaving Rafina in order to make her first stop in her namesake island. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen leaving Rafina and following the PAROS JET. The EVIA STAR seen approaching Rafina. Along with the PANORAMA, she serves the Rafina-Marmari line under the Marmari Ferries joint venture. The EVIA STAR seen shortly before beginning her maneuvering procedure. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS and the PAROS JET seen sailing on the Cyclades in order to head towards their respective destinations. The EVIA STAR preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure. She was built in 1980 in Japan, and initially operated there as a Ro-Ro carrier, as the HAYABUSA No. 3 of the Japanese company Kyoei Unyu. She was sold to Geraistos NE in 2000, and underwent a year-long conversion in Perama, during which she became a passenger ferry. She then entered service on the Rafina-Marmari-Karystos line in 2001. In 2010 she underwent a second conversion in Perama, during which she received sponsons, and returned to service on the Rafina-Marmari line. Another view of the AQUA BLUE, the SUPERFERRY and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, just before their respective morning departures. One of the two funnels of the EVIA STAR, which features a yellow star in a dark blue background. During the first years of her career in Greece, she had a different livery, with the colours of her funnels being the opposite of what they are today. Indeed, the background was painted in yellow, while the star was painted in blue. This design is very similar to that of Blue Star Ferries, which can be seen on all of the company's ships. The EVIA STAR preparing to undergo her maneuvering procedure. She is the ship with the second longest amount of experience in Rafina (whereas the THEOLOGOS P is the one with the second largest amount of experience on the Rafina-Cyclades service, on which the EVIA STAR is not deployed), as she has been operating from the port to Evoia since 2001. Only the SUPERFERRY II, which has been operating from Rafina to the Cyclades since 1993, has been there for a longer period of time than her. The EVIA STAR beginning to undergo her maneuvering procedure in Rafina. The EVIA STAR is now starting her maneuvering procedure in order to dock in Rafina. The EVIA STAR maneuvering in Rafina. In the meantime, the SUPERFERRY was preparing to depart the port in order to follow her competitors and reach the ports of Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini and Heraklion. The SUPERFERRY seen departing the port of Rafina. The SUPERFERRY now departing the port of Rafina. At the exact same time, the AQUA BLUE also began to leave the port. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen shortly before her own departure. The SUPERFERRY seen departing Rafina. During the two seasons during which she and the SUPERFERRY II operated from Rafina to the Cyclades and Heraklion, one ship would depart the Attica port in the morning, while the other one would leave the Cretan port during that same time in order to head towards the opposite direction. By the end of each day, the two ships would arrive at their final respective destinations, and would then make their return trips the following day. The amazing SUPERFERRY, on which I had the pleasure to make my first trip from Rafina, seen leaving the port in order to head towards the Cyclades and Crete. In the meantime, I was also able to take pictures of the AQUA BLUE. This happened to be just her second day of service that season, as she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line just a day before I took this picture. The stern of the SUPERFERRY as she is seen leaving the port of Rafina. The AQUA BLUE seen leaving the port of Rafina in order to head towards the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea. She became the first ship to connect Rafina with the islands of Ikaria and Samos since her current fleetmate, the SUPER JET, which was deployed on the Rafina-Samos-Ikaria-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros line during her debut season under Sea Jets in 2004. The SUPERFERRY and the AQUA BLUE seen leaving Rafina at the same time. As they both headed to Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, they engaged in a fierce race, which lasted until the SUPERFERRY left Mykonos for Paros, while the AQUA BLUE began to head towards Ikaria. Just a few minutes after the departures of the SUPERFERRY and of the AQUA BLUE, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED was the last ship among the ones operating on the Rafina-Cyclades service to leave the port that morning. The SUPERFERRY, full of passengers in the outdoor areas located in her stern, leaving Rafina in order to head towards her first destination: Andros. The AQUA BLUE having left Rafina as well. Built in Japan exactly 20 years before the SUPERFERRY, she was acquired by ANEK Lines in 1990, and initially entered service in 1991 as the KYDON on the Adriatic Sea, following a year-long conversion in Perama. Four years later, she underwent a second conversion in Perama, during which she was renamed TALOS. In 1999 she was sold to LANE Lines (which was rebranded as LANE Sea Lines in 2006) and was renamed IERAPETRA L. She made her debut on the Aegean Sea, being deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline. In 2003 she was inserted on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, which she continued to serve until 2008. That year, she was also deployed on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos lifeline on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She returned to ANEK Lines in 2009, and continued to serve the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. In 2012 she had a successful spell on Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line, but was withdrawn the following year without any given explanation. In 2014 she returned to the Adriatic Sea, being inserted on the Bari-Durrës line. However, after that season ended, she suffered a major fire accident while heading back to Perama for her annual refit. Despite her condition and her old age, she was acquired by Sea Jets in 2016, was repaired and renamed AQUA BLUE, and spent her debut season on the long Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion lifeline in 2018. After one season there, she was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line in 2019, being the third ship of Sea Jets to begin operations from Rafina that summer. The SUPERFERRY and the AQUA BLUE beginning their fierce race right after leaving Rafina. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED is also seen departing, as she is ready to begin her daily service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen leaving Rafina. She notably became the first high speed craft to ever operate for Fast Ferries. Her success prompted the company to finally buy a ship of her type for the first time. Indeed, after the 2019 season, the high speed ferry TURGUT ÖZAL of the Turkish company İstanbul Deniz Otobüsleri (also known as İDO) was bought, and is currently being converted in Perama in order to enter service on the Cyclades as the THUNDER . Another view of the SUPERFERRY and of the AQUA BLUE. The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED departing at full-speed and seen following the AQUA BLUE (as well as the SUPERFERRY). The HELLENIC HIGHSPEED having just departed the port of Rafina, during her first and only season under Fast Ferries. She has since returned to Hellenic Seaways, and is currently on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Kimolos-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos lifeline, replacing the ARTEMIS which is currently undergoing her annual refit in Drapetsona. The SUPERFERRY and the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED seen together, after having departed the port of Rafina. The SUPERFERRY, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED and the AQUA BLUE all seen operating on the Cyclades, having left Rafina in order to head towards their respective destinations. The SUPERFERRY, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED and the AQUA BLUE having left Rafina in order to serve their respective companies and their passengers in the best way possible. The SUPERFERRY, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED and the AQUA BLUE, three very fierce competitors during the 2019 season, having all left Rafina. The SUPERFERRY and the AQUA BLUE are heading towards Andros, while the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED is directly heading to Tinos. The AQUA BLUE is currently operating on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, having replaced the EXPRESS PEGASUS of Hellenic Seaways which had been operating there since 2015. In the meantime, while all ships were departing Rafina, the EVIA STAR managed to complete her maneuvering procedure and had docked in the port. The EVIA STAR having just docked in the port of Rafina. One last view of the SUPERFERRY, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED and the AQUA BLUE as they all head from Rafina to their respective destinations. The EVIA STAR seen resting in the port of Rafina. Passing by the EVIA STAR, which is unloading passengers and vehicles in Rafina. After having witnessed all the departures as well as the arrival of the EVIA STAR, my father and I headed back near the parking in order to have a quick breakfast before returning to Athens. I saw another nice poster made by the Mamalis Travel Agency. It features the logos of Fast Ferries (including the names of the company's three conventional ferries), Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways (which did not operate any ship from Rafina in 2019, but had last deployed the FLYINGCAT 4 on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Folegandros-Sikinos line in 2018), Sea Jets, Golden Star Ferries (featuring the names of the company's two conventional ferries) and Marmari Ferries (featuring the names of the two ships of the joint venture, namely the PANORAMA and the EVIA STAR). Just a few minutes after my father and I finished our breakfast, we saw the EVIA STAR leaving the port of Rafina in order to make her first trip towards Marmari. The EVIA STAR seen heading towards from Rafina to Marmari. This therefore marked the end of our busy morning in the port of Rafina, whereupon we witnessed the departures of some of the main protagonists of the Cyclades and of the Greek coastal service as a whole. It was really a great experience, as it really highlights the intense competition between the companies that operate on the Rafina-Cyclades service, and particularly between Sea Jets, Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries. All of them had three ships operating from Rafina (with Golden Star Ferries actually having five), and are more than willing to further strengthen their services across the Cyclades. It will be very interesting to see how this competition will unfold, as Golden Star Ferries has bought three other high speed craft following the successful debut season of the SUPERRUNNER in 2017 (with these being the SUPERSPEED which entered service in 2018, as well as the SUPERCAT and the SUPEREXPRESS which entered service from Piraeus in 2019), Sea Jets wants to add more ships operating from Rafina to the Cyclades, Fast Ferries is preparing to operate the newly-acquired high sped ferry THUNDER, while Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways are also considering a return to the area. Therefore, the competition from Rafina to the Cyclades will undoubtedly continue to offer some precious moments to passengers and shipping enthusiasts like myself, with many simultaneous departures and fierce races in order to see which ship will fist reach each port. This does not nothing but help improve Greece's tourism, and therefore its overall economy. Of course, this visit to Rafina will not have been possible without the very touching gesture of my father, who was willing to drive me very early from Athens to Rafina just to see all the ships departing the port at dawn. I am extremely grateful to him for making this great morning happen. Lastly, Happy Easter to all, as the Greek Orthodox Easter is on 19 April this year! #rafina #morning #summer2019 #greece #cyclades #crete #northeastaegeansea #petalioigulf #aegean #superrunner #superferry #goldenstarferries #parosjet #aquablue #seajets #seajetsferries #fastferriesandros #hellenichighspeed #theologosp #fastferries #eviastar #geraistosne

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, 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 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-Ischia line. 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-Ischia line. 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

Trip: 8 September 2021. From Rion to Antirrion, with the ORION III of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE . The double-ended ferry ORION III was ordered in 2017 by the Greek company Farmakoris-Villiotis NE, right after her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the ORION II, was sold to the Mexican company Ultramar during her own construction. She was completed in 2018 in Greece, and she was inserted on the Perama-Salamina line. She is the fourth double-ended ferry to have been ordered by the company, following the ORION (built in 2016 and sold in 2017 to the Turkish company Şehir Hatları, for whom she operates as the ŞH AŞIYAN) and the CHRYSA (built in 2017). In 2019 she was deployed on the Megara-Salamina line, before heading back to the Perama-Salamina line in 2020. In 2021 she was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line, while in 2022 she returned to the Perama-Salamina line. The ORION III has been one of the many double-ended ferries that were built in Greece during the late 2010s, having succeeded two double-ended ferries that were under her company's ownership for a very brief time. While she has so far spent each year of her career on a different area of operations, she has been noted for being able to operate across various short-distance services of the Greek coastal service. She is the flagship of her company, which also owns two double landing craft that were also built in 2018, namely the ALKYON and the ALKYON II . Both the ORION III and the CHRYSA operate under the Salamina Ferries joint venture. On 8 September 2021, the ORION III would become the protagonist of a historic moment for me, as she became the ship on which I traveled while sailing on the famed Rion-Antirrion line for the first time in my life This was a very special moment for me as an enthusiast of the Greek coastal service. Indeed, the Rion-Antirrion line was the one on which a ferry operated in Greece for the first time in history. Indeed, that was back in 1946, when the legendary landing craft SOKRATIS IASEMIDIS of KYDEP (a former landing craft that participated in the 1944 Normandy landings during World War II, which later became the EVGENIA P of Enosis Egchorion and which was still operating until 2011, before being laid-up in Elefsina and being then unfortunately damaged by a fire in 2015) began operations there. With this introduction, a ferry was used to operate on the Rion Strait, which is located between the Corinthian Gulf and the Patraic Gulf on the Ionian Sea. The latter corresponds to the shortest distance separating the Peloponnese from Western mainland Greece. Having a ferry linking the towns of Rion (located on the Peloponnese) and Antirrion (located in Aetolia-Arcanania, which is part of the Western Greece region, and literally meaning 'opposite of Rion' in Greek) enabled a connection of the aforementioned regions without vehicles needing to head to Corinth, which required additional driving hours at a time during which the Greek national roads were extremely underdeveloped. The success of the SOKRATIS IASEMIDIS prompted many companies to deploy landing craft on the Rion-Antirrion line, as well as on other short-distance services in Greece. Eventually, the Rion-Antirrion line became extremely popular and went on to feature many well-known landing craft which had acclaimed careers in the Greek coastal service. During the early 2000s, they were also joined by double-ended ferries. However, the ferry service on the Rion-Antirrion line was heavily impacted following the opening of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge in 2004, which took a significant share of the vehicles traveling along the Rion Strait. However, despite many people believing that the ferry service would be made redundant, it eventually prevailed, especially during the 2010s (as a result of the Greek financial crisis), as the bridge's high toll fees resulted in passengers and lorries preferring the use of the cheaper ferries. Eventually, the return of double-ended ferries in 2011 gave the line a fresh outlook, with these larger and more modern ferries providing better services at a greater capacity. Over time, the double-ended ferries eventually phased-out the landing craft, with only one remaining there as of 2022. The 2021 season featured 14 ships operating on the Rion-Antirrion line, with 12 of them being double-ended ferries from the Salamina Ferries joint venture and the Agios Nikolaos Lines joint venture. Most of these double-ended ferries have been based on the Perama-Salamina line, and they are assigned for one season (for most of the time, although some ships have stayed for two or three consecutive seasons) on the Rion-Antirrion line before returning back to Salamina. So this is a quick overview of the Rion-Antirrion line, which plays a vital role in the history of the Greek coastal service and which has been able to uphold the competition against a very modern and impressive bridge. As I would go to Zakynthos every summer, I would usually see the bridge and the ferries based in Rion, as the latter was along the way while traveling from Athens to Kyllini and vice versa. However, I never had the chance to see the ferries from a closer view, and therefore I decided to use the remaining days of my summer stay in Greece for the 2021 season to visit Rion and Patras, just two days after having visited the port of Lavrion . After seeing several ships docked in Rion, I then decided to travel onboard the ORION III in order to head to Antirrion and take pictures of all the ferries that I would be seeing along the way. As such, I traveled for the first time on the Rion-Antirrion line, and it was my first-ever trip with a double-ended ferry on the Ionian Sea. In addition, it was my first-ever trip with a ship of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE. A view of the ORION III in Rion, shortly before embarking onboard her. This was the fourth season of her career, and her first one on the Rion-Antirrion line. Next to the ORION III was the double-ended ferry PROTOPOROS XIV of Tsokos Lines . Built in 2018 (the same year as the ORION III) in Greece, she has so far spent her entire career on the Rion-Antirrion line. Another double-ended ferry that I saw in Rion was the PROKOPIOS M of Dimitrios P NE . The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked right next to the ORION III in Rion. Another view of the PROKOPIOS M as she is seen docked in Rion. She was built in 2003 in Greece for Dimitrios P NE. She operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2003 to 2013, and also from 2015 to 2019. During the 2014 season, she was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line, where she has returned since the 2020 season. A view of the ORION III right upon embarkation. Like most double-ended ferries, she has a wide open garage, which passes under her accommodation superstructure. She also has side ramps which allow the passengers to take the staircases that lead to the accommodation superstructure. Right above the garage is her name, which is printed in Greek characters. Right after embarking, I headed to the lower deck of the accommodation superstructure, which features the ship's indoor lounge area. The central section features several rows of white lounge seats, with some of them also having wooden tables attached to the floor. A view of the ship's bar, located at the corner of the indoor lounge area found in the lower deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. Its base is decorated with several stickers stating the words 'Passion', 'Charm', 'Love', 'Vision', 'Harmony', 'Grace', 'Altruism' and 'Enthusiasm'. A very interesting feature that I never seen before onboard a Greek ferry. In addition to the typical lounge seats, the indoor lounge area in the lower deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure also had a few comfortable gray chairs right next to the bar. A view of one of the two entry points of the ship, with the side ramps leading passengers to the accommodation superstructure. A view of the middle deck and of the upper deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. The former has the ship's main outdoor areas and seats as well as the crew cabins, while the latter features the ship's bridge. A red stripe separating the two decks also features the IMO number of the ORION III, which is the number 9848807. A view of the outdoor area in the middle deck of the accommodation superstructure, which features several rows of white plastic chairs facing each other and being attached to the floor. Another view of the white chairs seen in the ship's outdoor area in the middle deck of the accommodation superstructure. The starboard side alley leading passengers to each section of the ship in the middle deck of the accommodation superstructure. Once again, one can see numerous rows of white plastic chairs, with the ones located next to the crew cabins facing towards the sea. Another view of the outdoor area in the middle deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. A view of one of the four funnels of the PROTOPOROS XIV, which features her owner's initial written against a red background, as the latter is the company's colour. While looking towards the North and the Rion Strait, I spotted the double-ended ferry AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE , which was heading towards Antirrion. At about 13:00, the ORION III departed the port of Rion in order to head to Antirrion. Here is a view of the PROTOPOROS XIV, which was operating on the Rion-Antirrion line for the fourth summer in a row. As the ORION III departed, I also took a picture of the PROKOPIOS M, which was spending her second consecutive season on the Rion-Antirrion line. It was also her third season on this service overall, as she also operated there during the summer of 2014. A view of the PROTOPOROS XIV in Rion. Contrary to what her name suggests, she was actually the thirteenth ship to join Tsokos Lines, as the PROTOPOROS XI was only delivered in 2019, hence a year after the PROTOPOROS XIV. Another ship that happened to be docked in the port of Rion was the MICHAIL N of Nikolaïdis NE , which is also a double-ended ferry originating from Salamina. A view of the MICHAIL N, which was also built in 2018 in Greece, just like the ORION III and the PROTOPOROS XIV. This was her first season on the Rion-Antirrion line, after having operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2018 to 2020. Another view of the PROTOPOROS XIV, which is one of the four ferries that are part of the current fleet of Tsokos Lines. The MICHAIL N and the PROTOPOROS XIV seen together in Rion, as the ORION III has departed the port. A view of the main 'competitor' of the ORION III, namely the impressive Rion-Antirrion Bridge. Officially known as the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, it is the longest bridge in Greece, as well as one of the longest multi-span cable-stayed bridges in the world. Its construction began in 1998, and it opened during the summer of 2004. Ever since it became operational, it has played a crucial role in connecting the Peloponnese with mainland Greece, and especially the Western part of the country. Another view of the PROKOPIOS M, which is one of the three double-ended ferries owned by Dimitrios P NE. The other two are the DIMITRIOS P and the TELAMON , which were both built in 2000. The latter also operated on the Rion-Antirrion line during the 2021 season, while having also been inserted there in 2020 alongside the PROKOPIOS M. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked in Rion. When she entered service on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2018, she succeeded the PROTOPOROS VIII (built in 2016), which had been deployed there during the 2017 season. However, after that season ended, the ship was sold to Thassian Sea Lines, for whom she has been operating on the Keramoti-Thassos line as the DIMITRIOS CH. The MICHAIL N, the PROTOPOROS XIV and the PROKOPIOS M seen docked together in Rion. Another view of the veteran double-ended ferry PROKOPIOS M in Rion. The MICHAIL N seen in Rion. She is the second ship in the history of the company to bear that name, with the first one having been a double-ended ferry that operated for Nikolaïdis NE from 2002 until 2016. She was sold to Şehir Hatları, which is the same company that owns the ex-ORION that had operated for Farmakoris-Villiotis NE between 2016 and 2017. The original MICHAIL N has been operating as the ŞH ERGUVAN since 2017. Another view of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, which dominates the Rion Strait. Her overall length is 2,380 metres. Another view of the MICHAIL N and the PROTOPOROS XIV, which were built 15 years after the PROKOPIOS M, which is in the right corner of the picture. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked in Rion. She is the second largest ferry of Tsokos Lines, as she is slightly smaller than the PROTOPOROS X . The latter is the flagship of the company. Another view of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, as we sail right beside it. One last view of the MICHAIL N, the PROTOPOROS XIV and the PROKOPIOS M. As the ORION III continued to make her way towards Antirrion, I spotted a ferry that was heading towards the opposite direction. Indeed, it was the landing craft KAPTAN STAVROS of Kaptan Stavros NE . The KAPTAN STAVROS seen sailing towards Rion. Built in 1979 in Greece, she was one of the two landing craft that were still operating on the Rion-Antirrion line during the 2021 season. She was also the ship with the second longest amount of experience on the line, as she had first been deployed there in 2010. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen as she sails to Rion. Before being introduced on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2010, she had spent three decades on the North Evoian Gulf, as she operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line from 1979 to 2007 and then on the Glyfa-Agiokampos line from 2007 to 2009. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen sailing on the Rion Strait as she makes her way from Antirrion to Rion. She has had a lengthy career in Greece, and she has shown no signs of slowing down. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen during her twelfth consecutive season on the Rion-Antirrion line. The all-white KAPTAN STAVROS seen sailing between Antirrion and Rion. Throughout her entire career, she has been under the ownership of Kaptan Stavros NE. Another view of the KAPTAN STAVROS, while she heads to Rion. Since last month, she has been deployed on the Megara-Salamina line, after having spent 12 years on the Rion-Antirrion line. This makes her the fourth ferry to operate on the Megara-Salamina line (where the ORION III had also operated in the past, as she was deployed there during the 2019 season), and this also became the fourth line on which she was deployed during her career. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen during what turned out to be the last season of her career on the Rion-Antirrion line, as she now serves the Megara-Salamina line. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen once again, with the Rion-Antirrion Bridge spotted right behind her. The KAPTAN STAVROS, which was built 39 years before the ORION III, seen sailing towards Rion. One final view of the KAPTAN STAVROS, as she sails towards the port of Rion. After 10 minutes, I had a clearer view of the port of Antirrion, which we were about to approach. There, I spotted the landing craft NIKOLAOS A of Anatiolotakis NE and the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. The NIKOLAOS A and the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen docked together in Antirrion. Another view of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, whose construction has been widely praised by engineers, as the Rion Strait is known to have deep waters and for being an area of prominent seismic activity. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen docked in Antirrion. She was built in 2002 in Greece, and she became the fourth ship to operate for Feidias NE. She spent the first two years of her career on the Rion-Antirrion line, whereupon she became one of the first double-ended ferries to begin her career on that specific service. However, the opening of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge forced her company to deploy her on the Perama-Salamina line in 2004. She remained there until 2020, with the sole exception being during the 2017 season, when she served the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf. The summer of 2021 marked her first summer back on the Rion-Antirrion line after a 17-year-long absence. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen in Antirrion, during her first season on the Rion-Antirrion line since 2004. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen resting in the port of Antirrion. Coincidentally, another ship that was serving the Rion-Antirrion line during the 2021 season was her former fleetmate, namely the ex-AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS III, which has been known as the AGIOS NIKOLAOS L of Agios Nikolaos Shipping since 2009. I had spotted that ship in the port of Rion, in the area where some double-ended ferries were resting as they would only be deployed during the late afternoon and during the evening. A view of the veteran ferry NIKOLAOS A, which was also built in 1979 in Greece, just like the KAPTAN STAVROS. Along the latter, they were the oldest ships serving the Rion-Antirrion line in 2021, as well as the only two remaining landing craft to operate there during that year. The NIKOLAOS A also happens to be the ferry with the most experience on the line, as she was first deployed there in 2002, hence eight years before the KAPTAN STAVROS. The NIKOLAOS A seen resting in Antirrion, during her twentieth consecutive season on the Rion-Antirrion line. Before entering service there in 2002, she had previously spent 23 years on the Preveza-Aktion line on the Ambracian Gulf. However, this service was discontinued following the completion of the Preveza-Aktion Undersea Tunnel in 2002, after which ferry traffic was made redundant. Because of this, the NIKOLAOS A moved to the Rion-Antirrion line. Despite the subsequent construction of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, which was believed to also bring an end to the ferry service on the Rion Strait, the landing craft continued to stay there. Nevertheless, the past few years have seen the ship struggling against the rising competition caused by the deployment of the Salamina-based double-ended ferries. The NIKOLAOS A seen docked in Antirrion. Following the departure of the KAPTAN STAVROS which moved to the Megara-Salamina line, she is now the last landing craft that still operates on the Rion-Antirrion line. The NIKOLAOS A seen in the port of Antirrion. Despite her being the last landing craft operating on the Rion-Antirrion line, there have been many rumours regarding her future, including a potential sale for service on the Aegean Sea. Another view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV, which has since returned to the Perama-Salamina line, after the 2021 season was completed. Passing by the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV as we are about to dock in Antirrion. Another view of the veteran landing craft NIKOLAOS A, as she is resting in Antirrion. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen once again in the port of Antirrion. The NIKOLAOS A seen as we are about to dock right next to her in Antirrion. Another view of the NIKOLAOS A, which is currently undergoing her winter refit in Rion. The NIKOLAOS A seen at 13:20, right when the ORION III had finished her docking procedure in Antirrion. A view of the NIKOLAOS A in Antirrion, shortly after I disembarked from the ORION III. The ORION III seen in Antirrion, shortly after I completed my trip with her. One final view of the ORION III, just after she had docked in Antirrion. This was her first season on the Rion-Antirrion line, and she also became the third ship in the history of her company to operate there. The first one was the landing craft POSEIDONAS (today the ANTIGONE of Saronic Ferries , which is due to begin service on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line this year), which operated there in 2011. The second one is the CHRYSA, which spent the 2020 season on the Rion-Antirrion line. This therefore marks the end of this post, which showed several interesting ships that served a line that has seen a ferry connection for more than 75 years, and whose historical contribution to the Greek coastal service cannot be understated. I had the opportunity to travel by ferry across the Rion Strait for the first time, and I was happy to do it with a simple yet modern ferry such as the ORION III, which perfectly fits the requirements for a short-distance trip on the Rion-Antirrion line. The latter has prevailed, despite the strong competition caused by the construction of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, thanks to the deployment of several modern double-ended ferries that have contributed to the traffic being less congestive and the duration of the trip being far shorter, in addition to the competitive prices compared to the bridge's hill toll fees. #orioniii #farmakorisvilliotisne #salaminaferries #summer2021 #greece #rionstrait #corinthiangulf #patraicgulf #ionian #rion #antirrion #protoporosxiv #tsokoslines #prokopiosm #dimitriospne #agioseleftheriosiv #feidiasne #michailn #nikolaidisne #kaptanstavros #kaptanstavrosne #nikolaosa #anatiolotakisne #tribute

Trip: 8 September 2021. From Antirrion to Rion, with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE . The double-ended ferry AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV was built in 2002 in Greece, for the Greek company Feidias NE, which is based in Salamina. She became the fourth ship to have been built for her company, as well as their second double-ended ferry. Indeed, the first ship of such type to join Feidias NE was the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS III, which was built in 1999 and which operated for them until she was sold in 2008 to the Turkish company Şehir Hatları, but she never entered service for the latter and she instead returned to Greece in 2009, having since been known as the AGIOS NIKOLAOS L of Agios Nikolaos Shipping . The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV began service on the Rion-Antirrion line, where she remained until 2004, whereupon she was poart of the significant exodus of ferries from the service following the completion of the construction of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge. She then transferred to the Perama-Salamina line, becoming one of the many ferries to operate on this service. In 2017 she was deployed on the North Evoian Gulf, as she was inserted on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line. She returned to the Perama-Salamina line the following year, and she remained there until 2020. In 2021 she returned to the Rion-Antirrion line, before returning to the Perama-Salamina line for a third time in 2022. She operates under the Salamina Ferries joint venture. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV has been one of the many double-ended ferries that have operated across many short-distance services of the Greek coastal service, and she has notably been a well-known ship in Salamina, which she has served for most of her career. She has been operating under a small family-owned company which has been in the Greek ferry business for 60 years, having deployed two landing craft and two double-ended ferries throughout its history. The two landing craft, the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS (built in 1962 and sold in 1997, she eventually sank in Perama in 2009 and she was ultimately demolished in 2014) and the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS II (built in 1965 and sold in 2001, she eventually sank as the MARIE GALANTE 1 in Guadeloupe) both spent 35 years on the Perama-Salamina line and helped the company in remaining stable in the Greek coastal service. After both landing craft had to be retired as a result of the mandatory age limit that existed for such ships at the time, Feidias NE was eventually able to modernise its fleet through two double-ended ferries, with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV continuing to provide reliable service even to date. After having traveled on the Rion Strait for the first time in my life on 8 September 2021, whereupon I sailed onboard the ORION III of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE from Rion to Antirrion , it was now time for me to make the return trip to the Peloponnese, as I then planned to go to Patras in order to see the ships that were docked there. As seen in the previous post, the other double-ended ferry that happened to be in the port of Antirrion was the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV, on which I proceeded to embark onboard. My trip with her was my second-ever trip across the Rion Strait (after having completed my first one just minutes prior to my embarkation), my first-ever trip from Western mainland Greece to the Peloponnese, and the first-ever trip with a ship of Feidias NE. Information regarding the history of the Rion-Antirrion line was already provided in the previous post, therefore I will immediately proceed to showing you the pictures that I took during my trip with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. A view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV in Antirrion. This was her first season on the Rion-Antirrion line since 2004, back when her company moved her to the Perama-Salamina following the opening of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge. Her second stint on the Rion-Antirrion line proved to be short, as she once again returned to the Perama-Salamina line in 2022. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen right before I proceeded to embark onboard her. A view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV right upon embarkation. Like most double-ended ferries, she has a wide open garage, which passes under her accommodation superstructure. She also has side ramps which allow the passengers to take the staircases that lead to the accommodation superstructure. Moreover, just like most Greek-built double-ended ferries, her accommodation superstructure has three decks. The lower one features the indoor lounge area for passengers, the middle one has the crew cabins and outdoor areas for passengers, while the upper one has the ship's bridge. Over the ship's garage, one can spot the flag of the European Union, which is a recognisable feature onboard the ship. A view of the port side alley in the lower deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. Right next to it is the indoor lounge area. A view of the indoor lounge area found in the lower deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. Unlike that of the ORION III which was more modern, this one features old-school dark blue lounge seats, with several wooden tables attached to the floor. Another view of the ship's indoor lounge area, which also has a small white cabin that serves as the ship's reception desk. The dark blue lounge seats of the indoor lounge area seen once again. I then headed to the middle deck of the shop's accommodation superstructure. There, I saw the outdoor area of the deck, which has several grey wooden benches attached to the floor and facing each other. Another view of the benches found in the middle deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. A view of the upper deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure, which has the ship's bridge. Right next to the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV was the ORION III of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE , which was spending the first season of her career on the Rion-Antirrion line. Built in 2018 in Greece, she spent her first season on the Perama-Salamina line. She moved to the Megara-Salamina line in 2019, while in 2020 she once again returned to the Perama-Salamina, before being deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2021. At about 13:25, I ended my very short stay in Antirrion, as the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV left the port in order to head to Rion. Here is another view of the ORION III, on which I happened to be onboard just five minutes before taking this picture, as I traveled with her from Rion to Antirrion . The ORION III seen resting in the port of Antirrion. The ORION III seen in the port of Antirrion. Just like the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV, she returned to the Perama-Salamina line following the completion of the 2021 season. The ORION III was seen in Antirrion alongside the landing craft NIKOLAOS A of Anatoliotakis NE , which is one of the two landing craft that served the Rion-Antirrion line during the 2021 season. The NIKOLAOS A seen alongside the ORION III in the port of Antirrion. While the latter was spending the first season of her career on the Rion-Antirrion line, the former was completing her twentieth consecutive season on that same service. Indeed, she has been operating there since 2002. Before that, she had spent the first 23 years of her career on the Preveza-Aktion line on the Ambracian Gulf. However, after the completion of the Preveza-Aktion Undersea Tunnel in 2002, the ship moved to the Rion-Antirrion line. As of today, she is the last landing craft to operate there, with the remaining ships being double-ended ferries. While the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV was sailing towards Rion, the double-ended ferry MICHAIL N of Nikolaïdis NE was heading towards the opposite direction. The MICHAIL N seen heading towards Antirrion, after having left the port of Rion. Built in 2018 in Greece, she was also spending her debut season on the Rion-Antirrion line. A view of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, officially known as the Charilaos Trikoupis Bridge, dominating the Rion Strait. As also stated in the previous post, it opened in 2004, and has played a vital role in the connection of the regional units of Achaïa (in the Peloponnese) and Aetolia-Acarnania (in Western Greece). Underneath it, one can spot the double-ended ferry KONSTANTINOS K of Salaminia Ferries-K Star , which was docked in Rion. Another view of the Rion-Antirrion Bridge, while the port of Rion is also clearly visible. The MICHAIL N seen sailing on the Rion Strait, while heading from Rion to Antirrion. She spent the first three seasons of her career on the Perama-Salamina line, before moving to the Rion-Antirrion line in 2021. The MICHAIL N seen making her way towards Antirrion. She was initially ordered in 2017 by the Greek company Sofras NE (which is based in Salamina) as the EVANGELOS S. Shortly before her construction began, her rights were sold to Nikolaïdis NE (which is also based in Salamina), and she was renamed MICHAIL N. She is the second ship in the history of the company to bear that name, with the first one having been a double-ended ferry that operated for Nikolaïdis NE from 2002 until 2016. That same year, that ship was sold to the Turkish company Şehir Hatları, for whom she has been operating as the ŞH ERGUVAN on the İstinye-Çubuklu line on the Bosporus Strait since 2017. A view of the MICHAIL N, as she is seen sailing from Rion to Antirrion. The impressive MICHAIL N seen heading towards Antirrion. She is one of the two double-ended ferries that operate for Nikolaïdis NE, with the other one being the STAVROS N . That ship was built in 2017 and she serves the Perama-Salamina line. Crossing the MICHAIL N as she makes her way to the port of Antirrion. The MICHAIL N spotted on the Rion Strait, while heading from Rion to Antirrion. Crossing the MICHAIL N on the Rion Strait, during her first season on the Rion-Antirrion line, and during the fourth season of her career. Another view of the MICHAIL N while she sails from Rion to Antirrion. Since her company began operations in 1991, she has been the fifth double-ended ferry to join it. Besides the original MICHAIL N and the STAVROS N, the company also operated the AGIOS LAVRENTIOS (built in 2010, sold in 2015) and the AGIOS LAVRENTIOS II (built in 2015, sold in 2016) during the first part of the 2010s. The ex-AGIOS LAVRENTIOS joined the Russian co mpan y Oboronlogistics LLC, and she operated on the Kavkaz-Port Krym line on the Kerch Strait as the LAVRENTIY until she was laid-up in Kerch in 2018, following the opening of the Crimean Bridge. The ex-AGIOS LAVRENTIOS II, on the contrary, has headed to the other side of the world, as she operates for the Chilean company Naviera Austral as the AGIOS on the Puerto Montt-Ayacara-Chaitén-Castro line on the Corcovado Gulf. The MICHAIL N seen once more, on her way towards Antirrion. Another view of the MICHAIL N, which has been praised as one of the best double-ended ferries of the Greek coastal service. A final view of the MICHAIL N, while she heads towards the port of Antirrion. After 10 minutes of sailing, I had a better view of the Western terminal of the port of Rion. There, I saw three ships, namely the landing craft KAPTAN STAVROS of Kaptan Stavros NE , the double-ended ferry PROTOPOROS XIV of Tsokos Lines and the double-ended ferry PROKOPIOS M of Dimitiros P NE . A view of the KAPTAN STVAROS, which is a veteran landing craft, alongside the much modern double-ended ferries PROTOPOROS XIV and PROKOPIOS M. The KAPTAN STAVROS, the PROTOPOROS XIV and the PROKOPIOS M seen docked together in Rion. The KAPTAN STAVROS, the PROTOPOROS XIV and the PROKOPIOS M seen resting in Rion. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen docked in Rion. She was built in 1979 in Greece, and she was one of the two landing craft serving the Rion-Antirrion line during the 2021 season, with the other one being the NIKOLAOS A. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen in Rion next to the much younger and much larger PROTOPOROS XIV, which was built in 2018. A view of the impressive PROTOPOROS XIV in the port of Rion. She has so far spent her entire career on the Rion-Antirrion line, ever since she was inserted there in 2018. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen resting in the port of Rion, with the PROKOPIOS M right beside her. Contrary to what her name suggests, she was actually the thirteenth ship to join Tsokos Lines, as the PROTOPOROS XI was only delivered in 2019, hence a year after the PROTOPOROS XIV. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen in Rion, during her twelfth consecutive season on the Rion-Antirrion line. Before that, she had operated on the North Evoian Gulf for three decades, serving the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line from 1979 to 2007 and then the Glyfa-Agiokampos line from 2007 to 2009. Another view of the PROTOPOROS XIV, which is one of the four ferries that are part of the current fleet of Tsokos Lines. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked in Rion. When she entered service on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2018, she succeeded the PROTOPOROS VIII (built in 2016), which had been deployed there during the 2017 season. However, after that season ended, the ship was sold to Thassian Sea Lines, for whom she has been operating on the Keramoti-Thassos line as the DIMITRIOS CH. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked in the port of Rion. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen in Rion, just before her departure for Antirrion. Another view of the veteran ferry KAPTAN STAVROS. Since 2022, she has been deployed on the Megara-Salamina, hence becoming the fourth ship to be deployed there. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen in the port of Rion, which she has served for more than a decade. After the NIKOLAOS A, she was the ship with the most experience on the Rion-Antirrion line. Another view of the impressive PROTOPOROS XIV, as we are about to dock in the port of Rion. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen docked in the port of Rion. Since 2022, the PROTOPOROS XI has joined her on the Rion-Antirrion line. Therefore, two ships of Tsokos Lines are expected to operate there this year. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen departing the port of Rion, right as the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV is about to dock. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in order to leave the port of Rion. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen as she completes her maneuvering procedure in order to leave Rion. Another view of the PROTOPOROS XIV while she is resting in the port of Rion. The PROTOPOROS XIV seen resting in Rion. She is the second largest ferry of Tsokos Lines, as she is slightly smaller than the PROTOPOROS X . The latter is the flagship of the company. Another view of the PROTOPOROS XIV, which also happens to be the largest ferry to serve the Rion-Antirrion line. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen having almost completed her maneuvering procedure in order to head to Antirrion. The KAPTAN STAVROS having finished her maneuvering and procedure, and now heading from Rion to Antirrion. Another view of the PROTOPOROS XIV while she is moored in the port of Rion. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen making her way towards the port of Antirrion, after having left Rion. Another view of the KAPTAN STAVROS while she is seen sailing from Rion to Antirrion. The KAPTAN STAVROS, known for her all-white livery which reminds many of the landing craft that operated throughout the second half of the 20th century in Greece, seen leaving Rion. Towards 13:45, we went on to dock in the port of Rion, next to the PROTOPOROS XIV. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen once more, as she sails on the Rion Strait in order to reach the port of Antirrrion. The KAPTAN STAVROS seen after having left the port of Rion, during her final days on the Rion-Antirrion line, as she is now operating on the Megara-Salamina line. One last view of the KAPTAN STAVROS, as she sails towards Antirrion. I proceeded to disembark from the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV after I had arrived in Rion. Here is another picture of the impressive PROTOPOROS XIV. One last view of the PROTOPOROS XIV in the port of Rion. Here is the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV right after she had arrived in Rion, hence marking the end of my trip. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen in the port of Rion, right after finishing her trip from Antirrion. A view of the PROKOPIOS M, which has spending her second season on the Rion-Antirrion line. She had also operated there in 2014. Besides these three seasons, she has spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line. A final view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV in Rion. She has since resumed service on the Perama-Salamina line, after her lone season on the Rion-Antirrion line. This therefore concludes my post regarding the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV, along with my coverage of the visit that I had on the Rion Strait on 8 September 2021. It was a great experience for me, as I traveled along an important service of the Greek coastal service, and I also had the chance to see some well-known Greek ferries for the first time in my life, and I also had the opportunity to spot double-ended ferries that I had seen multiple times in Salamina in another setting. Having the opportunity to sail alongside the impressive Rion-Antirrion Bridge is truly a unique experience, and I was happy to make the return trip with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. Despite her simplicity and having typical amenities for a double-ended ferry, she performed her duty very well, just like she has done so while operating on the Perama-Salamina line. After leaving Rion, I headed back to Patras, where I saw the Ro-Pax ferry SUPERFAST I of Superfast Ferries and the cruiseferry OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines , which operate on the Adriatic Sea. This therefore ended a very special day for me, as I was able to take pictures in three ports that I rarely visit during my summer stays in Greece. But now, I know that I will return there over the next summer, if my schedule allows it. Bonus picture: The SUPERFAST I of Superfast Ferries seen docked in the port of Patras. Built in 2008, she has spent her entire career so far on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line on the Adriatic Sea. Another bonus picture: The OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines is seen arriving in the port of Patras after having sailed from Igoumenitsa. Built in 2000, she is one of the best ships of ANEK Lines, as she is noted for her speed, her very modern and comfortable amenities and the amazing service provided by her crew. She operated on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line from 2000 to 2010, and she has resumed service there since 2015. She also operated on the Piraeus-Heraklion line between 2011 and 2013, while also being deployed on the Piraeus-Chania line in 2014. I have traveled with her on four different occasions, with the most recent one being on 25-26 August 2018, while heading from Patras to Ancona . These were two bonus pictures featuring two incredible ships that I got to see in the port of Patras shortly after finishing my trip with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. You can see more pictures of these two ferries in their respective pages in the Gallery . With that, I had yet another memorable day in terms of shipspotting in Greece. #agioseleftheriosiv #feidiasne #salaminaferries #summer2021 #greece #rionstrait #corinthiangulf #patraicgulf #ionian #antirrion #rion #patras #orioniii #farmakorisvilliotisne #nikolaosa #anatoliotakisne #michailn #nikolaidisne #konstantinosk #salaminiaferrieskstar #kaptanstavros #kaptanstavrosne #protoporosxiv #tsokoslines #prokopiosm #dimitriospne #superfasti #superfastferries #olympicchampion #aneklines #tribute

Located on the Saronic Gulf, next to the Methana Peninsula and facing the regional unit of Troizinia (which is part of the Argolid Peninsula in the Eastern Peloponnese), the island of Poros has been a well-known destination for tourists and Greek locals. Its proximity to both Athens and the Peloponnese has enabled it to attract more visitors, who are able to enjoy its beautiful beaches and beautiful green areas. It also has a very nice port town and it is a notable destination for pleasure craft and sailing ships that make excursions around the Saronic Gulf. The narrow Troizinia Strait which separates Poros from the Argolid Peninsula is a very popular sea lane, which is also used by ships of the Greek coastal service. The island also features an important base for the Hellenic Navy, and, just like many other Greek islands, has a very rich maritime history. All these factors have helped establish a very effective connection of Poros with mainland Greece and the other islands of the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, the island is served directly from Piraeus by both high speed craft (either directly from Piraeus or via the islands of Aegina and Agistri) and conventional ferries (which mainly serve the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line). The high speed craft also connect Poros with the islands of Hydra and Spetses, as well as the coastal Peloponnesian towns of Ermioni and Porto Cheli. Moreover, the island has a very frequent ferry connection with Galatas Troizinias, which is the town facing the port of Poros on the Troizinia Strait. In 2021, four landing craft and one double-ended ferry performed this service, which is one of shortest crossings in Greece. Finally, Poros is also served by several passenger ships performing one-day cruises on the Saronic Gulf, including those of Hydraïki Cruises, Evermore Cruises and Antoniou Cruises. While spending my last week in Greece for the 2021 summer season, I had the opportunity to discover new prominent important places where Greek ferries operate, including the port of Lavrion and the Rion Strait (on which I performed two trips, namely with the ORION III of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE and with the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE ). A day after visiting the latter, I planned to make my next visit to another well-known Greek coastal service destination, and to that end I chose to go to Poros on 9 September 2021, and I planned to stay there for most of the day. This day would mark the second time that I went to Poros, with the first time having been, coincidentally, exactly four years prior. Indeed, I went there on 9 September 2017, back when I performed the Saronic Gulf One-Day Cruise from Floisbos to Hydra, Poros and Aegina onboard the PLATYTERA TON OURANON of Hydraïki Cruises . I had also briefly seen the island in 2019, while traveling to Spetses, but I did not visit it back then. While my visit to Poros in 2017 saw me spending only 45 minutes in the island as part of the cruise, the visit that I did four years later lasted for about seven hours. This enabled me to see several ships and take various pictures of them, all of which will be shown below. I arrived in Poros at about 11:30 with the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways . The latter was spending her second season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, as she was one of six high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways to serve the Saronic Gulf in 2021. Due to heading to an island that I do not visit frequently, I would have normally covered my trip towards that island with a Tribute Post, however I traveled from Piraeus to Poros with the FLYINGCAT 6, for which I had already written such a post when I used the ship to head from Spetses back to Piraeus on 28 July 2019 . The trip that I did on 9 September 2021 from Piraeus to Poros was therefore the second one that I did onboard that specific vessel. A view of the FLYINGCAT 6 as she departs the port of Poros, in order to head towards Hydra. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen leaving the port of Poros only moments after having docked there. She was now heading towards Hydra, and would then continue her trip to Ermioni, Spetses and Porto Cheli. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she now sails along the Troizinia Strait in order to head from Poros to Hydra. A few moments after the FLYINGCAT 6 left Poros, I spotted the landing craft FANEROMENI POROU IV of VR Ferries heading towards the port, after having sailed from Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen making her way towards the port of Poros. She was built in 2015 in Greece, having been ordered by her company in order to serve the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen heading towards Poros. As it is suggested, she is the fourth ship of her company to bear that name. The first ship to have that name was the FANEROMENI POROU, a landing craft that operated for VR Ferries from 1996 to 2006, and is currently the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II of Antiparos Shipping serving the Paros-Antiparos line on the Cyclades since 2008. The second ship, the landing craft FANEROMENI POROU II, operated on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line for VR Ferries from 2000 to 2010, after which she was sold to the Cameroonian company BIR, for whom she operated as the MUNDEMBA before sadly sinking near the Bakassi Peninsula in 2017, due to extremely harsh weather conditions. The third landing craft, the FANEROMENI POROU III, was built in 2010 in order to replace the FANEROMENI POROU II. She eventually joined her in Cameroon four years later, after having also been acquired by BIR, for whom she continues to operate today as the GREEN TREE. As such, the FANEROMENI POROU IV was ordered in 2014, right after the sale of the FANEROMENI POROU III. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen as she sails towards Poros, during her seventh season on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. Despite being launched in 2014, she was only completed a year later, after which she began her operations on the Troizinia Strait. From the port of Poros, I was able to see that of Galatas Troizinias, where I spotted the double-ended ferry KYRIAKI of Troiziniaki NE . Built in 2000 in Greece, she has also spent her entire career so far on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. Another view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV as she heads to the port of Poros. The KYRIAKI seen docked in Galatas Troizinias. She became the first-ever double-ended ferry to serve the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, and she remains the only ship of that kind to have ever operated there. Indeed, all the other ships providing that service are landing craft. The KYRIAKI seen docked in the port of Galatas Troizinias. In addition to being the only double-ended ferry serving the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, she is also the ship that currently has been operating there for the longest period of time, as she was spending her twenty-third consecutive summer on the Troizinia Strait. While heading towards the ferry docking area of the port of Poros, I got to see another landing craft, namely the NIKOLAKIS D of Troiziniaki NE . Being a fleetmate of the KYRIAKI, she also operates on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. The NIKOLAKIS D seen docked in the port of Poros. Built in 1994 in Greece, she has been owned by Troiziniaki NE since 2016. She was bought by the latter following the sale of the landing craft ELEFTHERIA D (built in 2010) to the British Virgin Islands-based company Solaris Shiptrade Company. As her first summer on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line was in 2017, this therefore marked her fifth season in her current service. The NIKOLAKIS D seen docked in the port of Poros. Just as I was taking more pictures of the NIKOLAKIS D, I saw the conventional ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries arriving in in Poros, having left Piraeus and stopping first by Aegina and Methana. The APOLLON HELLAS seen arriving in the port of Poros. She was built in 1990 in Greece, and she has spent the bulk of her career on the Saronic Gulf. Her current stint there is the third one of her career, as she has been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line since the 2017, after having spent three seasons on the Sporades. She operates under the Saronic Ferries joint venture, which is composed of her company and Nova Ferries. The NIKOLAKIS D seen docked in Poros, during her fifth summer under Troiziniaki NE and on the Galatas Troizinias line. Before joining her current owners, she had spent 12 years on the Paros-Antiparos line on the Cyclades, as the AGIOS SPYRIDON of Agia Marina I NE. Coincidentally, the ship that replaced her on the Paros-Antiparos line in 2017, namely the landing craft AGIOS NIKOLAOS, also went on to join the very same company that bought the ship that the NIKOLAKIS D herself replaced in Poros, namely the ex-ELEFTHERIA D. Indeed, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS was sold after just one year to Solaris Shiptrade Company, for whom she operates today as the AEGEAN SEAL. Agia Marina I NE subsequently went on to deploy two newly-built landing craft, namely the new AGIOS NIKOLAOS and the AGIOI ANARGYROI , on the Paros-Antiparos line during the 2018 season. The NIKOLAKIS D seen resting in Poros. In addition to her career on the Paros-Antiparos line and on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, she had also spent the first 10 years of her career on the Pounta-Elafonisos line on the Lakonian Gulf, as the AGIOS SPYRIDON of Simos Star. With the arrival of the then-newly-built landing craft PANAGITSA (which left Greece for Saudi Arabia as the ROBIAN 1000 in 2015) in 2003, the AGIOS SPYRIDON was sold to Agia Marina I NE. After 12 years with the latter, she joined Troiziniaki NE and she was renamed NIKOLAKIS D. The APOLLON HELLAS seen arriving in the port of Poros. She is one of the three ships of the Saronic Ferries joint venture that serve the island, together with the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries and the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries . In the meantime, the FANEROMENI POROU IV had arrived in Poros, and she was unloading all passengers and vehicles that had traveled onboard her from Galatas Troizinias. The APOLLON HELLAS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in the port of Poros. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS as she is seen maneuvering in Poros. The ferry dock of the port is in a rather good condition, and this allows the larger conventional ferries to dock safely and to even spend the full night in Poros. I then got to see the the landing craft IOANNIS II, also of VR Ferries . Just like the FANEROMENI POROU IV, she also operates on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. The stern of the APOLLON HELLAS seen while she undergoes her maneuvering procedure in Poros. The APOLLON HELLAS seen having completed her maneuvering procedure, and now ready to dock in Poros. The APOLLON HELLAS seen once more, as she is about to dock in Poros. Another view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV, as she is now seen resting in Poros. In addition to serving the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, she also occasionally transports trucks containing fuels and combustibles from Poros to Aegina. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen docked in the port of Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV, which is one of the four landing craft to serve the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, seen docked in Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV now seen departing the port of Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen maneuvering as she leaves the port of Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure while departing the port of Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV having completed her maneuvering procedure and now heading towards Galatas Troizinias. The APOLLON HELALS seen docked in Poros. She has been owned by 2way Ferries since 2016, after having previously operated under Hellenic Seaways. She first began her career on the Saronic Gulf, while operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses line as the GEORGIOS of Akouriki Shipping Company. She was sold in 1995 to the South Korean Wing Ferry Company, for whom she operated as the SUN BEACH on the Nokdong-Jeju line until 1997. After being laid-up for two years, she was sold in 1999 to Poseidon Consortium Shipping and she was repatriated to Greece as the APOLLON HELLAS. She was deployed back on the Saronic Gulf, namely on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line, even as her company was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in late 1999. The ship operated under the Saronikos Ferries division from 1999 to 2005, when her owners (which had been renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002) were rebranded as Hellenic Seaways. Her service was restricted to the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line from 2005 to 2013, and in 2014 she moved to the Sporades, being deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. In 2015 her service on the Sporades was slightly modified as she was inserted on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. The following year, she was sold to 2way Ferries, and she remained on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line until the end of the 2016 season. Since 2017, she has been back on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The NIKOLAKIS D seen once again in the port of Poros. After having had a look of the port, I proceeded to visit the town of Poros, which notably features a hill that watches over the Kalavreia area and the Troizinia Strait. Here is a view of the APOLLON HELLAS from the Poros Clock Tower which is at the top of the hill located above the town. The APOLLON HELLAS seen docked in Poros. Since joining 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 . An aerial view of the port of Galatas Troizinias, where I spotted the FANEROMENI POROU IV and the KYRIAKI. The FANEROMENI POROU IV and the KYRIAKI seen docked together in the port of Galatas Troizinias, as seen from the Poros Clock Tower. The KYRIAKI seen from the hill above the town of Poros. She is docked in Galatas Troizinias, from which the FANEROMENI POROU IV had left in order to return to Poros. A nice view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV leaving the port of Poros in order to head to Galatas Troizinias, while the APOLLON HELLAS remains docked. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen as she sails from Poros to Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen leaving the port of Poros as she sails towards Galatas Troizinias. Her company's name comes from the initials of the two families that own the ship, namely the Vassiliou and the Raditsas families. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen as she sails to Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen once again, while sailing from Poros to Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen over the Troizinia Strait, while heading to Galatas Troizinias. Another aerial view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV, while making her way from Poros to Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen once more, while sailing along the Troizinia Strait and heading towards Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen yet again from the Poros Clock Power. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen making her way to Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen arriving in Galatas Troizinias in order to dock next to the KYRIAKI. The FANEROMENI POROU IV having docked right next to the KYRIAKI in Galatas Troizinias. Just moments after the FANEROMENI POROU IV docked in Galatas Troizinias, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways was seen arriving in Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen arriving in the port of Poros. She was built in 1993, and she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen about to dock in the port of Poros. She is one of the three hydrofoils owned by Hellenic Seaways, together with the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX . The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen about to dock in Poros. She began her career under the famous Greek company Ceres Flying Dolphins, being the last hydrofoil to join the latter (excluding the 'Mega Dolphins', which were three larger hydrofoils featuring two passenger decks instead of one). She stayed with them until 1999, when they were taken over by the new company Minoan Flying Dolphins, which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002 and was then rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX having almost docked in Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX having docked in Poros, after having arrived there from Hydra. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen having just docked in the port of Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen docked in Poros. She is one of the most experienced ships on the Saronic Gulf, as she has been operating there for almost three decades. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving the port of Poros moments after having docked there. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving her docking spot in Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen as she departs the port of Poros. She is notably the youngest active hydrofoil of the Greek coastal service. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX now seen sailing at full-speed as she leaves the port of Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving the port of Poros. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she leaves the port of Poros. It will be interesting to see what the future holds for her and for her two sister ships, as Hellenic Seaways plans to deploy three newly-built passenger catamarans on the Saronic Gulf during the 2022 season. These new ships have been announced as the successors of the hydrofoils of the company, which means that the latter will most likely be taken out of the active fleet of Hellenic Seaways. While the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX (despite having been fully refurbished in 2020) are deemed old as they near four decades of service, the much younger FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX could still operate for a few more years, perhaps for another Greek company. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving Poros, during what could have been her final full season on the Saronic Gulf, in anticipation of the arrival of the three new catamarans of Hellenic Seaways. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen once more, as she has departed the island of Poros. A final view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX from the Poros Clock Tower, now sailing at full-speed on the Saronic Gulf. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS, which is a former fleetmate of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, back when both of them operated under Minoan Flying Dolphins, Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways. The APOLLON HELLAS seen docked in the port of Poros, during her sixth season under 2way Ferries, and her fifth consecutive summer on the Saronic Gulf. After having stayed at the top of the hill watching over the town of Poros, I proceeded back down to the island's port. Here is another view of the IOANNIS II, which happens to be the youngest ferry operating on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. Next to the IOANNIS II was the landing craft NISSOS POROS of Poros Ferries . She also operates on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, and that specific day she was not sailing as she was the ship that was off-duty as part of the rotational scheme involving the ferries serving the line. The IOANNIS II seen docked in Poros, next to the APOLLON HELLAS. She was built in 2017, after the company ordered her following the sale of their previous ferry, namely the IOANNIS VR (built in 2011), to the Greek company Kefalonia Ferries in late 2016 (for whom she continues to operate today as the VIKENTIOS D on the Ionian Sea, linking the two ports of Argostoli and Lixouri in Kefalonia). As such, the IOANNIS II was completed for service during the 2017 season, and she has remained on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line since then. The best picture I could take of the NISSOS POROS from the side, with a blue container unfortunately blocking the view. The NISSOS POROS was built in 1986 in Greece, and she began her career on the Ionian Sea as the MEGANISI of Coastal Lines Ionios Corporation, serving the Kefalonia-Ithaca-Meganisi-Lefkada line. After 21 years there, her company bought the younger landing craft MEGANISI II in 2007, and the MEGANISI operated on the Lefkada-Meganisi line until she was sold to Poros Ferries in 2010, for whom she has since been operating on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line as the NISSOS POROS. She is the oldest ferry currently serving the line. The IOANNIS II seen resting in the port of Poros. Just like the FANEROMENI POROU IV, she also makes trips transporting trucks carrying fuel and combustibles from Poros to Aegina, while having also started heading to Agistri since 2020. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen arriving in Poros once again, after having sailed from Galatas Troizinias. As the FANEROMENI POROU IV had arrived in Poros, the APOLLON HELLAS was seen departing the port in order to head to Methana. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she departs the port of Poros. The APOLLON HELLAS seen as she leaves her docking spot in Poros. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS, which is leaving the port of Poros in order to head to Methana. She would then dock to Aegina before making her way back to Piraeus. The APOLLON HELLAS having departed Poros. A noteworthy fact regarding the ship's history is that her current owners, namely 2way Ferries, also used to operate her during her comeback season in Greece back in 1999. Indeed, Poseidon Consortium Shipping was under the management of the Papaïoannidis family, which went on to form 2way Ferries in 2001, after having sold its ships to Minoan Flying Dolphins in late 1999. The same case applied for the POSIDON HELLAS, which operated under Poseidon Consortium Shipping from 1998 to 1999, as she was then sold to 2way Ferries in 2015 after having operated for Hellenic Seaways for ten years (in addition to the six years that she spent under Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins from 1999 to 2005). The APOLLON HELLAS was not the only ship to depart Poros, as the FANEROMENI POROU IV also left the port moments after having docked there. Another view of the APOLLON HELLAS as she is seen making her way from Poros to Methana. The APOLLON HELLAS seen again, as she has left Poros and is now heading towards the port of Methana. About an hour after the departure of the APOLLON HELLAS, the FANEROMENI POROU IV was once again seen leaving the port of Galatas Troizinias in order to head back to Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV having completed her maneuvering procedure in order to head from Galatas Troizinias to Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen sailing from Galatas Troizinias to Poros. The FANEROMENI POROU IV making her way towards Poros, while the KYRIAKI remains docked in Galatas Troizinias. The FANEROMENI POROU IV seen heading towards the port of Poros, after having left Galatas Troizinias. Another view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV, as she is heading towards her docking spot in Poros. A short while later, I started walking along the road that links the town of Poros with the rest of the island. The latter is located along the coast that separates Poros from Galatas Troizinias. From there, one can see the Troizinia Strait, which is also used by ships heading towards the Southern part of the Saronic Gulf. From there, I saw the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which had departed Poros and was heading towards Hydra. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen after having left Poros in order to head to Hydra. Built in 1999 in the United Kingdom, she has spent her entire career in Greece. Although the majority of her spell there has been associated with the Cyclades, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2019, having been deployed on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she passes through the Troizinia Strait in order to head towards Hydra, during her third consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she heads towards Hydra via the Troizinia Strait. Since her deployment there in 2019, she has been the fastest ship operating on the Saronic Gulf. For the 2021 season, she was one of the 'Flyingcats' that were employed by her company on the Saronic Gulf, together with the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6. The impressive FLYINGCAT 4 seen heading from Poros to Hydra. She was originally ordered by the Greek company Agapitos Lines, as the SEA SPEED 1, in order to begin service on the Cyclades. She therefore became the first high speed craft of the company. However, due to technical and bureaucratic problems, the ship never operated under that name, and eventually Agapitos Lines was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins just a few months later. The ship was renamed FLYINGCAT 4, and she made her debut under her new owners on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she sails along the Troizinia Strait after having left the port of Poros. In addition to having served the Cyclades and the Saronic Gulf, she has also operated on the Sporades. Indeed, from 2001 to 2003, and then during the summers of 2016 and of 2017, the high speed craft served the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line (although in 2017 she only served the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line). Another view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she is seen making her way towards Hydra after having left Poros. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen en route to Hydra. While she has been very successful on the Saronic Gulf so far, she continues to be fondly remembered for her career on the Cyclades. In particular, her nine consecutive seasons on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line (between 2004 and 2012) helped cement her company's presence on the popular Heraklion-Cyclades service. Eventually, her success was so considerable that the rival company Sea Jets was forced to enhance its services between Crete and the Cyclades. This eventually led Hellenic Seaways in later deploying the larger and faster HIGHSPEED 5 (which became the HIGHSPEED 7 in 2016, and which operates as the SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines since 2018) during the 2013 season. The latter would go on to further elevate the company's standards on the line, and therefore the work of the FLYINGCAT 4 was overtaken by a worthy vessel. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen as she heads from Poros to Hydra. After she ended her spell on the Heraklion-Cyclades service in 2013, she continued to operate on the Cyclades from Rafina, being deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. The service was very successful, and Koufonisi and Amorgos in particular benefitted from her itineraries. As such, they were incorporated into the services of the HIGHSPEED 4 , which began operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos Koufonisi-Amorgos line from 2014, where she has since remained while providing a service that has met acclaim. During the 2014 season, the FLYINGCAT 4 was again operating from Rafina, although this time was she was inserted on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Irakleia-Schoinousa line, while in 2015 she was on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. After her two seasons on the Sporades, she had a comeback on the Rafina-Cyclades service during the 2018 season, as she operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line. She then headed to the Saronic Gulf in 2019, and she has been remaining there ever since. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she passes through the Troizinia Strait following her departure from Poros. While most of the 2021 season saw her on the Saronic Gulf, she also spent most of July back on the Cyclades. Indeed, she operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line a few times as her fleetmate that was operating there, namely the FLYINGCAT 3 , had a major engine failure and then grounded off on Mykonos just a few days after her return to service. During both such occasions whereupon the FLYINGCAT 3 was required to undergo repairs, the FLYINGCAT 4 stepped in for her fleetmate. I eventually had the chance to see her Tinos when I was in the island between 26 July and 30 July of last year . The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once again, as she passes by me in order to head towards Hydra. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she sails from Poros to Hydra. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen on the Troizinia Strait, while heading from Poros to Hydra. This was her second season under the new livery that was introduced for all the high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways. Indeed, after seven years, the advertising partnership between the company and Cosmote came to an end, which resulted in all the high speed craft being repainted in the colours of Hellenic Seaways. A view of the FLYINGCAT 4, which is by far the largest of the four 'Flyingcats' currently owned by Hellenic Seaways. The FLYINGCAT 4 having passed by me and continuing her course towards Hydra. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen making her way towards the port of Hydra, after which she would then head towards Ermioni, Spetses and Porto Cheli. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she heads to Hydra via the Troizinia Strait. The FLYINGCAT 4 seen once more, as she heads towards Hydra. While she has been operating on the standard Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line served by the 'Flyingcats', the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6 have also started stopping by Aegina and Agistri since the 2020 season, hence operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line which is also served by the three hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways. One last view of the FLYINGCAT 4 as she heads towards the island of Hydra. After another 40 minutes of walking around Poros, I started heading back towards the town through the coast of the Troizinia Strait. There, I saw the FLYINGCAT 6 as she was heading towards the port of Poros, after having completed her trip up to Porto Cheli and performing the return leg back to Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen heading towards the port of Poros, only a few hours after I had been onboard her in order to head to the island from Piraeus. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen making her way towards the port of Poros. As stated in the beginning of the post, my trip with her on 9 September 2021 was my second one with the ship, as the first one had been on 28 July 2019, when I traveled with her from Spetses to Piraeus . The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards Poros. This was her fourth consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In 2018 and in 2019, she solely operated on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, where she also operated in 2013, in 2015 and in 2016. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen making her way through the Troizinia Strait in order to head towards Poros. She was built in 1997 in Norway, and she first arrived in Greece in 2004, after having been acquired by Hellas Flying Dolphins alongside the FLYINGCAT 5. While both ships were being prepared for service on the Sporades, the company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. They were then deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line and on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, performing both services on a rotational basis. They stayed there until 2013, when the FLYINGCAT 6 moved to the Saronic Gulf. For the next six seasons that followed, the FLYINGCAT 5 and the FLYINGCAT 6 would switch their services each summer, with one staying on the Sporades while the other would operate on the Saronic Gulf. As such, the FLYINGCAT 6 returned to the Sporades in 2014 and in 2017, while spending consecutive seasons on the Saronic Gulf in 2015 and in 2016, as well as in 2018 and in 2019. Since 2020, however, both ships have been operating on the Saronic Gulf, as Hellenic Seaways stopped operating high speed craft on the Sporades. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen making her way towards the port of Poros, after having sailed from Hydra. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen on the Saronic Gulf, about to enter the Troizinia Strait in order to dock in Poros. This was therefore her seventh season on the Saronic Gulf. When she first operated there in 2013, she was partnered with another sister ship, namely the FLYINGCAT 1 , which had been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 1991 (when she began her career under Ceres Flying Dolphins before subsequently joining Minoan Flying Dolphins, Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways). The latter stayed there until 2016, when she was sold to the Turkish company Bursa Deniz Otobüsleri, for whom she has been operating on the İstanbul-Mudanya line on the Marmara Sea as the İZNIK. In 2016 and in 2018, the FLYINGCAT 6 operated on the Saronic Gulf alongside the FLYINGCAT 3, with the FLYINGCAT 4 joining them in 2019. Since 2020, the FLYINGCAT 5 has replaced the FLYINGCAT 3, as the latter moved back to the Cyclades. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards the port of Poros. Currently, she is the slowest high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways, as she barely manages to sail above 30 knots. Overall, her speed has been declining for the past decade. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards Poros through the Troizinia Strait. Before beginning her operations in Greece, she had been operating in Northern Europe. Indeed, she started her career in Germany, as the BALTIC JET for the German company Weiße Flotte, spending one year on the Travemünde-Warnemünde line on the Baltic Sea before moving to the Cuxhaven-Heligoland line on the North Sea. She then spent a year on charter to Channel Hoppers between 1999 and 2000, being deployed on the Jersey-Guernsey-Alderney line on the Channel, and in 2000 she returned to Weiße Flotte and she was renamed HANSE JET II. She operated on the Hamburg-Heligoland line on the North Sea until 2003, when she returned to the Cuxhaven-Heligoland line. In 2004 she was deployed on the Bremerhaven-Heligoland line. After the 2004 season was completed, she was sold, alongside her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the HANSE JET, to Hellas Flying Dolphins. The HANSE JET II became the FLYINGCAT 6, while the HANSE JET was renamed FLYINGCAT 5. Since 2005, when the company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways, both ships have become key high speed craft on the Sporades and subsequently on the Saronic Gulf. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 6, as she continues to head towards Poros. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen once more, as she heads towards Poros. The FLYINGCAT 6 seen as she heads towards the port of Poros. For the 2022 season, she is planned to return to the Sporades for the first time since 2017, as she is due to operate on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line. The FLYINGCAT 6 having just entered the Troizinia Strait and heading towards Poros. One last view of the FLYINGCAT 6, as she is seen sailing through the Troizinia Strait on her way back to Poros. As I returned to the town of Poros, I saw the NIKOLAKIS D heading towards Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen heading from Poros to Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen as she heads towards Galatas Troizinias. She is named after the son of the owner of Troiziniaki NE, namely Eleftheria Darsinou (after whom the ELEFTHERIA D was named). Her son happens to be the captain of the KYRIAKI. Another view of the NIKOLAKIS D as heads towards Galatas Trozinias. She is the second oldest ship operating on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line, after the NISSOS POROS. The NIKOLAKIS D seen once more, while heading from Poros to Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen arriving in Galatas Troizinias, in order to dock next to her fleetmate, namely the KYRIAKI. The NIKOLAKIS D seen as she is about to dock in Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen arriving in Galatas Troizinias in order to dock next to the KYRIAKI. Only a few minutes after docking in Galatas Troizinias, the NIKOLAKIS D was already beginning to make her way back to Poros. The NIKOLAKIS D seen as she heads back to the port of Poros. I then got to see the FANEROMENI POROU IV once again, as she was resting in the port of Poros. Another view of the FANEROMENI POROU IV as she is seen docked in Poros. About an hour after seeing the arrival of the NIKOLAKIS D in Poros, I saw the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XIX of Hellenic Seaways departing the port. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen departing the port of Poros. Just like the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, she serves the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf. This was her second consecutive season there, as she had returned to service in 2020 after an 8-year absence as a result of the accident that she had in the islet of Metopi (located between Aegina and Agistri) back in 2012. Despite being deemed a constructive total loss and being removed from the active fleet of Hellenic Seaways, the ship was eventually repaired seven years later, in order to fill the void left by the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII , which was destroyed by a fire in 2019 in Perama which resulted in her being scrapped at the end of that year . As such, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was fully refurbished and she returned to service during the 2020 season. As the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX was departing the port of Poros, the NIKOLAKIS D was once again seen heading back to the port after having left Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen arriving in Poros, while the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX is departing the port in order to head to Hydra. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen beginning to make her way towards the Troizinia Strait. The NIKOLAKIS D can be seen right behind her. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she leaves Poros. She was built in 1983 in Georgia (which was at the time part of the Soviet Union), and she arrived in Greece in 1986, after having been bought by Ceres Flying Dolphins. She notably became the first second-hand vessel to be acquired by the company. She operated for them on the Sporades, and she remained there after they were taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999. In 2004, when her company was known as Hellas Flying Dolphins, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX moved to the Saronic Gulf, after having spent 18 years on the Sporades. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen as she departs the port of Poros in order to head to Hydra. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving the port of Poros. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX spotted as she leaves the port of Poros. Another major important historical fact about her is that she is the lead ship of the famed Kolkhida-class, which consisted of several hydrofoils that were far larger than those of the preceding Kometa-class. The Kolkhida-class hydrofoils were built during the 1980s and up until the mid 1990s. As of 2021, all hydrofoils operating on the Saronic Gulf come from the Kolkhida-class, including the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins . The latter also has another hydrofoil from that class, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN ERATO, which operates on the Sporades. In addition, that company has a Kometa-class hydrofoil, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I , which is due to return to the Saronic Gulf in 2022, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line, after a 3-year absence. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX now about to head through the Troizinia Strait in order to reach the port of Hydra. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen leaving the port of Poros. One last view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, as she is seen leaving Poros in order to head to Hydra. A few minutes after the departure of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, the NIKOLAKIS D was once again seen heading towards the port of Galatas Troizinias, in order to dock next to the KYRIAKI. The KYRIAKI and the NIKOLAKIS D, the two ships of Troiziniaki NE, seen together in the port of Galatas Troizinias. The NIKOLAKIS D seen leaving the port of Galatas Troizinias yet again. The NIKOLAKIS D seen as she once again heads from Galatas Troizinias to Poros. A final view of the NIKOLAKIS D, as she sails towards the port of Poros. Another view of the KYRIAKI as she is docked in Galatas Troizinias. She is notably the smallest double-ended ferry in Greece, and she is also known as 'The Basket' in Poros, due to her small size and her basket-like appearance. Towards the late afternoon, I witnessed yet another ship arriving in Poros, namely the high speed catamaran SPEED CAT I of Alpha Lines . She had entered the Troizinia Strait after having left from Hydra. The SPEED CAT I seen arriving in Poros. Built in 2002 in France, she was bought by Alpha Lines in 2020. The latter was a new company established by Vassilis Agapitos, the son of Antonis Agapitos, who owned the historic company Agapitos Lines and who then served as the CEO of Hellenic Seaways for many years. Alpha Lines sought to begin services on the Saronic Gulf and to become a new competitor in the area. To that end, they bought the SPEED CAT I, which had previously been operating as the ADRIATIC JET for the Croatian company Adriatic Lines on the Venice-Umag-Poreč-Rovinj-Pula line since 2009. After a conversion in Salamina, the SPEED CAT I began operations on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line in 2021. Her service was deemed extremely successful, as her company was eventually chosen as the 'Passenger Line of the Year' in the Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2021. Another view of the SPEED CAT I during her debut season on the Saronic Gulf. I would go on to travel with her in order to return back to Piraeus, with this trip marking the first time that I would be traveling on the Saronic Gulf onboard a high speed craft not owned by Hellenic Seaways nor Aegean Flying Dolphins . This therefore marks the end of this lengthy post, which covered that special day that I had in Poros. Indeed, that day was quite prolific in terms of pictures taken, as I had the chance to witness several passenger ships of different kinds arriving in the port of Poros and subsequently departing it in order to head to other ports of the Saronic Gulf. In particular, the ships passing through the Troizinia Strait were quite a joy to watch, as were the ones that I saw when I was next to the Poros Clock Tower that watches over the port. Overall, it was a great idea to go and visit the island, as I had the chance to explore it for a longer period of time compared to the first time that I had been there back in 2017. It was a nice day that I will hardly forget. #summer2021 #greece #saronicgulf #troiziniastrait #aegean #poros #galatastroizinias #flyingcat6 #flyingdolohinxxix #flyingcat4 #flyingdolphinxix #hellenicseaways #faneromeniporouiv #ioannisii #vrferries #kyraki #nikolakisd #troiziniakine #apollonhellas #2wayferries #nissosporos #porosferries #speedcati #alphalines

The SPEEDRUNNER III seen departing the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Western Cyclades during the summer of 2021. Only one year after completing one of the most notable transactions of the Greek coastal service, during which it acquired four ships from the rival operator Golden Star Ferries , the Greek company Sea Jets once again finds itself at the centre of much attention within the Greek ferry market after buying yet another notable high speed craft. Indeed, just a few days ago, the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines performed her final trip under the latter's ownership, as she is also due to join the company owned by Marios Iliopoulos. The ship had already began operating for what was believed to be her sixth consecutive season on the Western Cyclades, but, ultimately, the deal between the two companies was completed and she was withdrawn from service. With the SPEEDRUNNER III joining Sea Jets, there are two major changes in the landscape of the Greek coastal service. The first one is that Sea Jets will now be the sole operator of high speed craft on the Western Cyclades, and one of only two companies linking these islands with Piraeus (the other one being Zante Ferries, which operates the conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line). The second and most defining one is that Aegean Speed Lines will cease to exist as a company, after 17 years of operations on the Cyclades and after having deployed four different high speed ferries during that timespan. While its owner, namely Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis, states that he will return to the Greek coastal service in some other capacity, it will definitely not be with high speed craft, as Sea Jets has now become a force to be reckoned with on the Cyclades. Indeed, they now have a fleet of 24 vessels, of which 18 are active (assuming that the SPEEDRUNNER III immediately begins operations for the company). The active fleet consists of ten high speed ferries, four passenger-only high speed catamarans, and four conventional ferries that operate under the Sea Jets Ferries brandname. With such numbers, the company now has the largest fleet in the Greek coastal service (excluding companies that operate local tour boats and small passenger ships such as the Santorini Boatmen Union), and it is now present across all parts of the Aegean Sea except for the Saronic Gulf. And this is considering the fact that, only ten years ago, that very same company owned just four ships. Its impressive growth, which began during the mid 2010s, does not appear like it will be stopping anytime soon, and this was further confirmed by the fact that they bought yet another ship from a notable competitor. This 'In The News' post aims to analyse how the SPEEDRUNNER III was eventually bought by Sea Jets, and how this will have an impact on the Cyclades, as well as on the Aegean Sea as whole. As it has also been the case with previous 'In The News' posts on this Blog, I will provide a thorough historical background for both companies, and analyse the performances of their operations in the most recent seasons. Regarding Aegean Speed Lines, the latter was established in 2005, initially as a joint venture between the Evgenidis Group led by the Greek shipowner Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis (who is originally from Sifnos) and the British conglomerate Sea Containers. The latter owned and managed several companies in Northern Europe, including the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Company on the Irish Sea from 1996 to 2003, and the British companies Hoverspeed and SeaCat on the Channel and on the Irish Sea, respectively. They also operated the SuperSeaCat brandname on the Finnish Gulf in 2000, while having also attempted to operate on the Adriatic Sea under the Superseacat Italia brandname in 1998, although this project never materialised. At the time during which Aegean Speed Lines was formed, Sea Containers were experiencing a significant decline in their services due to financial issues. They therefore made a desperate final attempt in maintaining their ferry portfolio profitable by deploying a high speed craft on the Cyclades. The latter had seen a significant rise in passenger traffic and the addition of several newbuildings by companies such as Blue Star Ferries and Alpha Ferries. However, the most notable additions were those of newly-built high speed craft by companies such as Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005) and NEL Lines. With the Greek coastal service undergoing a vast modernisation highlighted by the deployment of multiple high speed craft on the Aegean Sea, Sea Containers and the Evgenidis Group decided to enter the market. To that end, they planned to operate on the Western Cyclades, an area well-known by Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis due to his Sifnian roots. They brought in the high speed ferry ÉMERAUDE GREAT BRITAIN, which had been chartered to the now-defunct French company Émeraude Ferries. Built in 1990, she was previously the HOVERSPEED GREAT BRITAIN of Hoverspeed and then of SeaCat, and she had spent most of her career on the Channel. The ship was renamed SPEEDRUNNER I and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Paros line for the 2005 season. There, she notably competed against the conventional ferries of Hellenic Seaways, GA Ferries and Ventouris Sea Lines, as well as another high speed craft, namely the SUPER JET of Sea Jets . The latter was spending her second season under her owner, and she was serving the Piraeus-Kythnos-Milos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Irakleia-Schoinousa line. Built in 1995 for the Greek company Strintzis Lines as the SEA JET 1, she was one of the first high speed catamarans to operate on the Cyclades. She stayed with her original owners until 2000, when Strintzis Lines was taken over by Attica Group, which resulted in the establishment of Blue Star Ferries. To that end, the SEA JET 1 and her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the SEA JET 2 , which had been delivered to Strintzis Lines in 1998, both joined the Blue Star Jets division. The SEA JET 1 operated for them for two years, before being sold to the Greek company Aegean Jet Maritime, which was under the control of the Iliopoulos family. The latter has had a lengthy experience in shipping, and it first began operations in the Greek coastal service in 1989, when it launched the company Ilio Lines, which deployed several hydrofoils on the Cyclades and in Crete. They also operated the company Saronic Dolphins on the Saronic Gulf beginning in 2001. After the acquisition of the SEA JET 1 (which was renamed JET ONE in 2002) and the subsequent establishment of Sea Jets in 2004 (after which the JET ONE was renamed SUPER JET), Marios Iliopoulos, the man in charge of the companies, discontinued the operations of Ilio Lines and Saronic Dolphins. After deploying the SUPER JET on the Rafina-Samos-Ikaria-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros during the 2004 season, he then decided to bring her back to the Cyclades, where she found herself competing against the SPEEDRUNNER I. The two high speed craft had a very good season in 2005, and Sea Jets decided to further strengthen its presence on the Western Cyclades, as Hellenic Seaways was slowly beginning to retreat from the area. As such, the SUPER JET was deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line for the 2006 season. The SPEEDRUNNER I operated on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros line during that year and she ultimately proved to be more successful on the Western Cyclades (despite suffering from technical difficulties from late July 2006 to early August 2006). During that same year, Sea Containers went bankrupt, and therefore Aegean Speed Lines was fully taken over by the Evgenides Group. Following two successful seasons, Aegean Speed Lines decided to further expand its fleet in 2007, and they therefore bought their first high speed ferry, namely the TALLINK AUTOEXPRESS 4 of the Estonian company Tallink (and previously the STENA PEGASUS of the Swedish giants Stena Line), which was renamed SPEEDRUNNER II. Built in 1996 in Italy, she arrived in Greece just before the 2007 season, and, following a quick conversion, she was inserted on the Western Cyclades, on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Sikinos-Folegandros-Paros-Santorini line. She therefore complemented the services of the SPEEDRUNNER I, which operated on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Paros-Santorini line. Both services went well, although the SPEEDRUNNER II did not always sail at full-speed. During that year, Sea Jets did not deploy any ship on the Western Cyclades, having instead decided to operate the SUPER JET on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line. They had also bought a second ship during the previous year, namely the SEA JET 2, which was sold by Blue Star Ferries and which was employed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line, where she remained until 2012. After being satisfied with the performances of its two ships in 2007, Aegean Speed Lines continued to make plans for further expansion in the Greek coastal service. While they looked for new ships, they eventually decided to sell the SPEEDRUNNER I just before the start of the 2008 season. The ship was bought by the Greek company Panagiotopoulos Shipping (which became known as Idomeneas Lines in 2015) and she entered service for them on the Heraklion-Santorini-Mykonos line as the SEA RUNNER. As a result, only the SPEEDRUNNER II operated on the Cyclades for the company during the summer of 2008. In that same year, Sea Jets bought its first high speed ferry, namely the MEGA JET (which had been built in the same shipyard as the ex-SPEEDRUNNER I), which was deployed on the Piraeus-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, before moving to the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line the following year. While many thought that Aegean Speed Lines was taking a major step backwards when selling the SPEEDRUNNER I, this proved to be false, as the company eventually purchased two more high speed ferries in 2008. These were the sister ships SUPERSEACAT THREE and SUPERSEACAT FOUR of SuperSeaCat, which also happened to have been built in the same shipyard as the SPEEDRUNNER II. Indeed, both ships are part of the MDV 1200-class, and they have several common technical characteristics as the SPEEDRUNNER II, although they are not sister ships since they are slightly larger and have more powerful engines. Both ships were built in 1999 in Italy, and they had been operating on the Tallinn-Helsinki line before SuperSeaCat ceased operations in late 2008. They arrived in Greece the following year, after having been converted in Poland, and they were renamed SPEEDRUNNER III and SPEEDRUNNER IV , respectively. Their introduction to service further cemented the presence of Aegean Speed Lines on the Cyclades, as they now had three modern high speed ferries that could compete against those of Hellenic Seaways, NEL Lines and Sea Jets. The SPEEDRUNNER III was introduced on a new service by the company, most specifically on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the SPEEDRUNNER II was deployed on the Piraeus-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. The SPEEDRUNNER IV, which became the flagship of the company, was inserted on its core Western Cyclades service, namely on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros line. All three ships had an extremely successful service, and the company was chosen as the winner of the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2009. With this distinction, the company was poised to become one of the leading operators on the Aegean Sea, and become rivals to companies such as Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, ANEK Lines and NEL Lines. Nevertheless, the company did face strong competition on the Western Cyclades during that year. Indeed, besides the AGIOS GEORGIOS of Ventouris Sea Lines and the HIGHSPEED 3 of Hellenic Seaways, the 2009 season saw the introduction of the impressive conventional ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, as well as the return of Sea Jets, which deployed the SUPER JET on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line. As such, the upcoming seasons would turn out to be a major challenge for Aegean Speed Lines, as their high speed ferries had to maintain strong performances against various companies on the Western Cyclades. For the 2010 season, Aegean Speed Lines remained present on the Cyclades with its three ships. The services were similar to those of the 2009 season, with the exception of the SPEEDRUNNER III which saw her itinerary being extended, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. Sea Jets once again deployed the SUPER JET on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line, while the AGIOS GEORGIOS and the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS continued to serve the Western Cyclades lifeline. Hellenic Seaways replaced the HIGHSPEED 3 (which was sold to the Moroccan company Comarit along with the HIGHSPEED 2) with the newly-acquired HIGHSPEED 6 (previously the MILENIUM of the Spanish company Trasmediterránea, then known as Acciona Trasmediterránea), which spent her first season in Greece on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Kimolos-Milos-Ios-Santorini line. Aegean Speed Lines had a good season overall, but the Greek financial crisis began to impact the ferry industry, and many companies started to experience economic troubles. Many of them had to limit their services and sell some of their ships, while others went on to cease operations during the early 2010s. Despite these setbacks, the company kept its three ships during the 2011 season, with the SPEEDRUNNER III and the SPEEDRUNNER IV remaining in their respective services, while the SPEEDRUNNER II was deployed on the Heraklion-Santorini line, hence marking the company's first season on a service linking Crete with the Cyclades. There, the ship notably competed against the MEGA JET of Sea Jets, and also against her former fleetmate, namely the ex-SPEEDRUNNER I, which was taken over by Sea Jets, while operating on the Chania-Heraklion-Rethymnon-Agios Nikolaos-Santorini line as the COSMOS JET. Both former fleetmates had a difficult season, and the COSMOS JET notably suffered a major engine failure and she was withdrawn from service shortly before the 2011 season ended. She was laid-up in Keratsini for more than a year, before moving for further lay-up in Chalkida in 2013, where she has since been remaining. Other than being renamed HIGH SPEED JET in late 2014 and having her engines used as spare parts for her sister ships that went on to be acquired by Sea Jets during the 2010s, the ship has never been repaired, and she will most likely never return to service again. Additionally, the SPEEDRUNNER III also had a major engine failure in late August, which ultimately ended her services prematurely. Only the SPEEDRUNNER IV performed well enough on the Western Cyclades, as did the ships of Ventouris Sea Lines, Zante Ferries and Sea Jets. The 2012 season ultimately proved to be an even more difficult one for the company. Due to the continuing effects of the Greek financial crisis, Aegean Speed Lines could not longer guarantee profitable services, and they therefore decided to focus only on the Western Cyclades. The SPEEDRUNNER IV saw her services being restricted to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, while the SPEEDRUNNER II and the SPEEDRUNNER III were laid-up for the entire year in the Elefsina Bay. The following year, the SPEEDRUNNER III was reactivated, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, hence replacing the SPEEDRUNNER IV which joined the SPEEDRUNNER II for lay-up in the Elefsina Bay. Many thought that company would not survive a third consecutive season with just one ship, but, ultimately, things improved in 2014. Indeed, the SPEEDRUNNER III was coming off a very good 2013 season, and the company started to experience profitable services once again. The SPEEDRUNNER IV was also reactivated, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line during the summer of 2014. She would go on to serve the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line once again during the 2015 season, while it was rumoured that the SPEEDRUNNER III would be introduced on a new service between Rafina and the Cyclades during that same year. While Aegean Speed Lines had a difficult start to the 2010s decade, Sea Jets began its impressive growth, which still lasts to date and one wonders whether and when it will stop. Indeed, during the 2012 season, they replaced the COSMOS JET with one of her sistser ships, namely the MASTER JET (previously the HOVERSPEED FRANCE of Hoverspeed, later known as the SNAEFFEL of the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Company), which operated on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line along with the MEGA JET for two years. In 2013, the company brought the SEA JET 2 on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line, while the SUPER JET was introduced on a successful new service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. In 2014, the company further expanded its fleet by deploying the large high speed ferry TERA JET on the Heraklion-Santorini line, where she made an immediate impact, helping in establishing Sea Jets as one of the leading companies on the Cyclades. The MASTER JET (which is known as the CALDERA VISTA since 2018) was introduced on the Piraeus-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, while the other three ships remained on their usual services. Following a very successful 2014 season, the company went on to further increase its fleet, acquiring the ÉMERAUDE FRANCE (a sister ship and another former fleetmate of the ex-SPEEDRUNNER I) which became the SEA SPEED JET (she however entered service for the company, as she has remained under lay-up in Chalkida alongside the COSMOS JET/HIGH SPEED JET ever since) in 2014; the sister ships CONDOR VITESSE and CONDOR EXPRESS of the French company Condor Ferries, which became the CHAMPION JET 1 and the CHAMPION JET 2 , respectively; and the high speed ferry CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA of the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries, which was renamed PAROS JET . Excluding the HIGH SPEED JET and the SEA SPEED JET, the company therefore had eight high speed craft due to enter service during the 2015 season. Two of them were deployed on the Western Cyclades. Indeed, the SEA JET 2 served the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, while the CHAMPION JET 1 was introduced on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. Her service there was deemed disappointing, as she was plagued by technical issues. She was replaced in August 2015 by the MASTER JET, when the latter left her service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, which was taken over by the PAROS JET once her conversion was finished. The SPEEDRUNNER IV had another good season as she continued to be supported by the local residents of the Western Cyclades. Ultimately, the company once again only had one ship operating, as the SPEEDRUNNER III was never deployed in Rafina, being instead chartered to the Moroccan company Navline, for whom she spent the summer of 2015 on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait. In addition, they sold the SPEEDRUNNER II, which had been inactive since the 2011 season, to the Venezuelan company Naviera Paraguaná, for whom she has since been operating as the PARAGUANÁ I. Furthermore, the 2015 season notably saw the departure of Ventouris Sea Lines from the Western Cyclades, as they tried to deploy the AGIOS GEORGIOS on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line as the PANAGIA TINOU , but they ultimately ceased operations due to severe financial problems, and the ships remained laid-up in Piraeus until being sold for scrap in 2017 . To compensate the loss of a conventional ferry, Zante Ferries went on to deploy a second ship on the Western Cyclades, namely the ANDREAS KALVOS , which started serving the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line. The SPEEDRUNNER IV seen leaving the island of Milos in order to start her return leg to Piraeus, during the summer of 2015. This had been her second consecutive summer on the Western Cyclades, and her sixth overall since arriving in Greece in 2009. She was the flagship of Aegean Speed Lines, and she only missed the 2013 season due to her company's financial issues at the time. A view of the SEA JET 2 as she is seen leaving Santorini in order to head to Amorgos during the 2015 season. This was her third consecutive season on the Piraeus-Cyclades service, which she had taken over from her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the SUPER JET, which moved to Rafina in 2013. She went on to be a notable competitor of Aegean Speed Lines for the remainder of the 2010s. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen in Piraeus in 2015, during her debut season in Greece and under Sea Jets. That year, she notably operated on the Western Cyclades, on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. She encountered several technical issues and she therefore was unable to keep her service according to schedule. I notably performed my first trip onboard a high speed ferry and through the Western Cyclades when I sailed onboard her from Santorini to Piraeus on 12 July 2015 . With the Greek coastal service having recovered from the Greek financial crisis and with passenger numbers on the rise on the Cyclades, Aegean Speed Lines and Sea Jets continued to compete effectively against each other during the 2016 season. The SPEEDRUNNER IV saw her services being extended beyond Milos for the first time since 2011, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III was once again out of the company's plans, and she was instead chartered to the Greek company Levante Ferries, for whom she began service on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line on the Ionian Sea. Sea Jets removed the CHAMPION JET 1 from the Western Cyclades and deployed her on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line. They instead decided to operate their two passenger-only catamarans, namely the SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET, in the area. The former operated on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line, while the latter was introduced on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. Both ships had a very good service, and the company had a satisfying season overall. Aegean Speed Lines also performed very well, but they ultimately ended the year by selling yet another ship and therefore further diminishing their fleet. Indeed, the company sold its flagship, namely the SPEEDRUNNER IV, to the Greek company Golden Star Ferries. The latter had started operations on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line in 2011, after having bought the legendary ferry SUPERFERRY II (now the SUPERSTAR of Sea Jets) from Blue Star Ferries. As that company grew over the seasons that followed, and due to strong competition from Sea Jets in Rafina, they proceeded to buying their first high speed craft. The SPEEDRUNNER IV therefore left Aegean Speed Lines and the Western Cyclades, and she began service for her new owners as the SUPERRUNNER on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line during the 2017 season. To replace her, Aegean Speed Lines brought back the SPEEDRUNNER III and deployed her back on the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2014. She therefore spent the 2017 season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. The SPEEDRUNNER IV seen departing the port of Piraeus during the 2016 season, which ultimately proved to be her final one under Aegean Speed Lines. Indeed, she was subsequently sold to Golden Star Ferries, for whom she began service in 2017 as the SUPERRUNNER. Her departure left her former company with only one ship, namely her sister ship, the SPEEDRUNNER III. A view of the SUPER JET while she sails on the Cyclades during the 2017 season. She had left Piraeus and she was now heading towards Serifos. This was her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, during which she would leave Piraeus during the afternoon. Her service there proved to be very successful, and she was a notable threat to the services of Aegean Speed Lines. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen maneuvering in the port of Sifnos during the summer of 2017. This was her first season on the Western Cyclades since 2014, as well as her first year operating for Aegean Speed Lines, after having spent the previous two seasons under charter to Navline and Levante Ferries. Her return to the Western Cyclades proved to be very successful, and she was praised for her effective services and for the professionalism of her crew. The 2017 season was seen as very satisfying by Aegean Speed Lines. They nevertheless continued to maintain a single-ship service and did not seek to further expand their fleet. Sea Jets also performed very well on the Western Cyclades with the SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET, as did Zante Ferries, which replaced the ANDREAS KALVOS with the recently-converted conventional ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios line. For the 2018 season, all companies maintained the same services as they did in 2017, with the sole exception being the SPEEDRUNNER III ceasing service in Folegandros and Sikinos in order to have a stronger presence in Serifos, Sifnos and Milos. She did continue to operate in Kimolos that year, however in 2019 she was back at operating solely on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. Zante Ferries continued to operate its two conventional ferries very effectively, while Sea Jets further strengthened its presence on the Western Cyclades in 2019 by having three ships operating there. The SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET operated a successful tandem service on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line (where one ship would make the first leg towards the islands one day, while the other one would perform the return leg back to Piraeus, and vice versa), while the previous service of the SUPER JET was taken over by a new acquisition of the company, namely the high speed catamaran SIFNOS JET , which spent her debut season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Thirassia-Santorini-Ios line. During the second half of the 2010s, Sea Jets had become an established company across the Cyclades, having purchased seven ships between 2016 and 2019, two of which were conventional ferries. Some successful new introductions included the NAXOS JET (previously the CYCLADES EXPRESS of NEL Lines, and another sister ship and former fleetmate of the ex-SPEEDRUNNER I) which was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line in 2018, and, most notably, the high speed ferry WORLDCHAMPION JET , which began service on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, thereby becoming the fastest passenger ship of the Greek coastal service. The company also continued to experience much success of the demanding Rafina-Cyclades service, where it operated two high speed ferries each season between 2017 and 2019, which competed very effectively against companies like Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries. While this area did not concern Aegean Speed Lines, Sea Jets nevertheless continued to pose a major threat to the company on the Western Cyclades at the start of the 2020s. The SPEEDRUNNER III seen leaving the port of Piraeus in order to head to the Western Cyclades during the 2019 season. Having stopped services in Kimolos, Folegandros and Sikinos, she was spending her first summer serving only the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line since 2014. A picture of the SIFNOS JET during her debut season in 2019. She was bought by Sea Jets in 2016, and she finally entered service for them three years later by being deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Thirassia-Santorini-Ios line, where she replaced the SUPER JET. She therefore became the third ship of Sea Jets to be deployed on the Western Cyclades. Following a very successful 2019 season, the Greek coastal service looked forward to 2020, until the effects of the pandemic adversely affected tourism in Greece. Despite these setbacks, the Western Cyclades remained an important destination during the summer. To that end, Aegean Speed Lines was able to maintain the SPEEDRUNNER III on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. Sea Jets managed to further assert itself in the area by maintaining a three-ship service. Benefitting from the departure of the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS which moved to the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line (hence leaving the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS as the only conventional ferry on the Western Cyclades, as she continued to serve the demanding Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini lifeline), Sea Jets introduced a high speed ferry on the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2015. Indeed, they deployed the CHAMPION JET 2 on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, whereupon she would have afternoon departures from Piraeus. The SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET continued their tandem service on the Western Cyclades, whereas the SIFNOS JET headed to the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Naxos line. The introduction of the CHAMPION JET 2 proved to be very successful, and she was widely praised by passengers. Her deployment added significant pressure to the SPEEDRUNNER III, which nevertheless continued to be supported by several locals. But Sea Jets could not be stopped on the Western Cyclades, where they had now cemented themselves as the leading operator against Aegean Speed Lines and Zante Ferries. During the 2021 season, they once again operated the three ships that they had used during the previous summer, but they decided to have the CHAMPION JET 2 depart from Piraeus in the morning, hence competing directly against the services of the SPEEDRUNNER III. Both ships operated well, but it was clear that Sea Jets now had the upper hand, despite Aegean Speed Lines having strong local support and matchings its itineraries with those of the ships of Minoan Lines, which began to make summer calls to Milos beginning in 2018. Additionally, there were several rumours about Sea Jets planning to deploy a conventional ferry on the Western Cyclades, with that being the SUPERSTAR (the ex-SUPERFERRY II) that they had acquired from Golden Star Ferries in late 2021 . The CHAMPION JET 2 seen docked in Piraeus during the 2020 season. This was her first summer on the Western Cyclades, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. Before that, she had spent three seasons on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, while she saw her first two summers under Sea Jets on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. Her introduction on the Western Cyclades proved to be a major success, and her two seasons there were a major reason why Aegean Speed Lines went on a decline. After two very challenging summers, Aegean Speed Lines found itself lagging behind Sea Jets. The latter continued to have an ambitious agenda for the Western Cyclades ahead of the 2022 season. Indeed, they announced their intention to deploy the TERA JET on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, whereupon she would leave Piraeus during the morning. The deployment of a larger and faster high speed ferry, and most specifically the company's flagship, meant that Sea Jets genuinely sought to dominate on the Western Cyclades. They also planned to operate the CHAMPION JET 2 in the afternoon service of the Western Cyclades, while the SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET are set to operate together on an inter-Cyclades service on the Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos. Despite criticism from the residents of Folegandros over the lack of a direct connection with Piraeus with a high speed craft, Sea Jets had more promising timetables that would benefit Serifos, Sifnos and Milos. Aegean Speed Lines began to operate the SPEEDRUNNER III on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line last month, but concerns over the company's profitability due to the competitive summer environment brought about by Sea Jets and the high fuel prices resulting from the impact of the Russian invasion of Ukraine earlier this year, led the company in ceding its final ship to its main competitor. Indeed, on 29 April 2022, the company made the following announcement on its website: 'From 2005 and following a continuous 17-year-long presence in the Greek coastal service, the pandemic and the rising fuel costs prompted the management of Aegean Speed Lines to cease its operations of high speed craft in Greece, and most specifically on the Western Cyclades. A major factor behind this decision was the allocation of the company's services during the 2021 season, as well as the numerous planned services for this current period, which exceed the real demand figures in that specific area. Aegean Speed Lines would like to thanks everyone who supported it during its long-lasting growth, from friends to passengers, and most importantly its crew members who gave their hearts and souls in order to bring positive results to our common efforts. The Evgenidis Group intends to remain present in the Greek coastal service, always remaining alert to demand trends and carefully monitoring the market conditions that will be seen in the Greek ferry industry. The Management Team'' Just six days after this announcement, the SPEEDRUNNER III performed her final sailing under Aegean Speed Lines. Her final arrivals and departures from Serifos, Sifnos and Milos were met with much emotion, as several locals came to say one last goodbye to the ship and to her crew, as the insignia of Aegean Speed Lines are disappearing for good. The ship will most likely be renamed SPEEDRUNNER JET , and rumours suggest that she will either be deployed on the Western Cyclades instead of the CHAMPION JET 2 (which will apparently start a new service for the company on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line) or on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese, which was served by the PAROS JET last year. With the acquisition of the SPEEDRUNNER III, Sea Jets now has, as stated previously, a fleet of 24 vessels (of which 18 are active), and it therefore continues to extend its record as the company with the largest current fleet in the Greek coastal service (excluding local tour companies such as the Santorini Boatmen Union). The SPEEDRUNNER III will notably be reunited with her sister ship and former fleetmate, namely the ex-SPEEDRUNNER IV, which joined Sea Jets in 2021 as the SUPERRUNNER JET , after spending five years with Golden Star Ferries. She also reunites with many high speed craft that used to operate for Sea Containers, such as the NAXOS JET and the CALDERA VISTA. Moreover, she becomes the third ship previously owned by Aegean Speed Lines that joins Sea Jets, as the latter also has the ex-SPEEDRUNNER I (currently the HIGH SPEED JET), although she has been laid-up for 11 years and will most likely never sail again. Therefore, it is interesting to see that three out of the four ships that Aegean Speed Lines had in its history have since been acquired by Sea Jets, with the sole exception being the ex-SPEEDRUNNER II which has been in Venezuela since 2016. My last-ever picture featuring the SPEEDRUNNER III under the livery of Aegean Speed Lines, as she is seen sailing from Piraeus during the afternoon. This picture was taken in September 2021, and it coincidentally shows SPEEDRUNNER III with one of her sister ships. Indeed, she is seen passing by the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, which is owned by Hellenic Seaways . The latter had completed her summer service on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Symi-Rhodes line. Built in 1997 (two years before the SPEEDRUNNER III), she also arrived in Greece for the first time in 2009 (just like her two sister ships when they joined Aegean Speed Lines), but she first operated there during the 2016 season, as Hellenic Seaways would send her under charter to Atlântico Line for service on the Azores Archipelago. Another interesting fact is that the fourth ship of the MDV 1200-class, namely the ALMUDAINA DOS of the Spanish company Trasmediterránea, is also set to arrive in Greece, as she was acquired by the newly-established Greek company Panellenic Lines, for whom she is set to operate as the SANTA IRINI on the Heraklion-Santorini line. This therefore means that all four sister ships will be reunited in Greece, after having all started their careers on the Channel under SuperSeaCat. This therefore marks the end of Aegean Speed Lines, which was once an ambitious company that went on to spend 17 years on the Western Cyclades, while occasionally attempting to further expand their services on other islands of the Cyclades, as well as in Crete during the 2011 season. They operated four different high speed ferries, while they had a three-ship service for three years between 2009 and 2011. For some, the company peaked at a very early stage, and it never recovered from the impact of the Greek financial crisis, instead preferring to remain 'safe' on its core area, the Western Cyclades, as they had a strong local support there. Even though the SPEEDRUNNER IV and later the SPEEDRUNNER III ensured that the company remained a strong presence there during the 2010s, the rapid rise of Sea Jets made them more vulnerable and their long-term plans were directly hit. For others, the eventual acquisition of the SPEEDRUNNER III by Sea Jets was long overdue, as Aegean Speed Lines seemed to find a way to leave the Greek ferry market scene following the strong pressure from its rival. The latter now has a full control of the high speed services on the Western Cyclades, and only Zante Ferries and the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS (which are also rumoured to be experiencing financial constraints) are the remaining challengers there. Seeing how Sea Jets managed to acquire four ships from one its major rivals, namely Golden Star Ferries, last year, and how they easily bought the last remaining ship of Aegean Speed Lines, one may wonder whether they will eventually become a monopoly on the Cyclades. Based on their latest transactions, they are performing similar tactics to those of Minoan Flying Dolphins between 1998 and 1999, back when they were gradually buying each ship owned by traditional ferry operators of the Cyclades until they controlled a fleet of 77 ships in 2000. Who knows whether they will surpass that record as well. One thing that will be very interesting is where the SPEEDRUNNER III will be used during the 2022 season, and whether she could complement the SUPERRUNNER on a service on the Cyclades. Regarding their former owner, the announcement does suggest that Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis has not entirely given up on the Greek coastal service, instead opting to discontinue operations of high speed craft. To that end, he might consider buying a conventional ferry in the future, something which had always been a topic of discussion while Aegean Speed Lines was still active. Considering the strong support that he has from the Western Cyclades locals, and the lack of a second conventional ferry in the area, could he make a strong comeback against Sea Jets by deploying a new ferry? Was the sale of the SPEEDRUNNER III a necessary sacrifice so that the Evgenidis Group could raise more funds in order to start a new (and potentially more ambitious) project on the Western Cyclades? Could they prevent Sea Jets from becoming a monopoly on the Cyclades? The future will determine this, and hopefully very soon. #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #seajets #summer2022 #greece #aegean #cyclades #piraeus #serifos #sifnos #milos #kimolos #folegandros #sikinos #ios #santorini #syros #tinos #mykonos #paros #naxos #speedrunneri #speedrunnerii #speedrunneriv #superjet #seajet2 #megajet #cosmosjet #highspeedjet #masterjet #calderavista #terajet #seaspeedjet #championjet1 #championjet2 #parosjet #naxosjet #sifnosjet #worldchampionjet #superrunnerjet #superstar #seajetsferries #agiosgeorgios #panagiatinou #ventourissealines #adamantioskorais #andreaskalvos #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #hellenichighspeed #hellenicseaways #sale #inthenews

The SUPERRUNNER seen leaving the port of Rafina during the summer of 2018. The iconic SUPERFERRY II seen arriving in the port of Gavrion in Andros during the 2020 season. She had departed the port of Tinos and she was then due to head to Rafina. The high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED seen in Perama during the summer of 2019, after her season on the Cyclades was cut short because of a major engine failure. The SUPERCAT seen docked in Piraeus in 2019, during her first summer of operations under Golden Star Ferries. Just as the companies of the Greek coastal service have started to make preparations for the 2021 summer season, an unexpected transaction occurred between two main players of the Cyclades who happen to be fierce rivals for the past few years. And, for sure, such a transaction could not go unnoticed nor uncommented, as it is probably one of the most shocking ones that the Greek coastal service has seen in recent memory, perhaps to a much higher extent than the sale of the NISSOS KEFALONIA of Kefalonian Lines to Levante Ferries back in November 2018 . Indeed, it was announced that Golden Star Ferries, a company that had started operations on the Rafina-Cyclades service in 2011 and which had undergone a major growth in the past few years, had sold four of its six vessels to its main rival, namely Sea Jets. This sale consisted of one conventional ferry, namely the SUPERFERRY II (which had been the first vessel owned by Golden Star Ferries upon the start of their operations), and of three high speed craft. These are the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER , the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED and the high speed catamaran SUPERCAT . All of them had joined the company between late 2016 and early 2018, back when it underwent a major fleet expansion while also making a huge investment into high speed craft. With this sale, Golden Star Ferries is now left with two ships, namely the conventional ferry SUPERFERRY and the high speed ferry SUPEREXPRESS , which had started operations for the company in 2016 and in 2018, respectively. Sea Jets, on the contrary, continues its incredible growth, with its fleet continuing to increase exponentially. Indeed, with these four purchases, the company is due to have a total of 21 ships (if we include the RAPIDLINK JET which joined the company in late 2019 and which is due to begin her conversion for service in Greece soon), of which 17 are high speed craft. As a reminder, the company only had four ships back in 2012! Based on the given information on Greek coastal service forums, the SUPERRUNNER is due to join Sea Jets with immediate effect, while the SUPERSPEED and the SUPERCAT will join the company at some point during the summer (although they will most likely not be prepared for service under their new owner until 2022). The SUPERFERRY II will spend the 2021 season on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line with Golden Star Ferries, while she is due to be delivered to Sea Jets in October 2021. The thought of seeing Golden Star Ferries abruptly ceding two-thirds of its fleet to its main rival would have been unimaginable even during the 2020 season, when the intense competition had eased down between the two companies, in contrast to the seasons prior. However, such an event altogether brings (at least for now) an end to a major saga of the Greek coastal service, as both privately-owned companies battled against each other on the Cyclades as well as in Crete, especially during the summers of 2018 and of 2019. As suggested by the transaction, one can easily believe that, in the end, Sea Jets, prevailed. However, my personal opinion is that this move will not necessarily mark the end of Golden Star Ferries, but, on the contrary, it suggests a shift into their competitive mindset, as they will learn from these intense seasons in order to better define their role within the Greek coastal service. This 'In The News' post aims to analyse how the events leading to the acquisition of these four ships by Sea Jets unfolded, and what will be their impact on the Cyclades, as well as on the Aegean Sea as whole. In order to provide you with a thorough analysis of this sale, it is essential to give the historical context of both companies and how they expanded their operations during the 2010s. Their backgrounds do have some similarities, considering that they are owned by traditional shipping families originating from the Cyclades, and with their managers having also owned and operated freight shipping companies. Indeed, Sea Jets is under the management of Marios Iliopoulos (who owns the tanker company Worldwide Green), whereas Golden Star Ferries was founded by the brothers Dimitris Stefanou and Georgios Stefanou (who own the tanker and dry bulk carrier company Bright Navigation). In addition, both companies began their operations by acquiring a ship from Blue Star Ferries. In the case of Golden Star Ferries, as stated previously, it was through the purchase of the SUPERFERRY II, which had been operating for Blue Star Ferries from its formation in 2000 until the end of the 2010 season. Sea Jets began operations in 2004 with the high speed catamaran JET ONE (previously the SEA JET 1 of Blue Star Ferries under the Blue Star Jets division) of Aegean Jet Maritime, which became the SUPER JET . That company had been under the management of Marios Iliopoulos, and it is considered the predecessor of Sea Jets. Another noteworthy fact is that the second ship of Sea Jets was also acquired from Blue Star Ferries, and this was none other than the sister ship and the former fleetmate of the SUPER JET, namely the SEA JET 2 (previously operating under the Blue Star Jets division of Blue Star Ferries), which joined the company in 2006. However, there are nevertheless some differences in how the two companies evolved based on their experience within the Greek coastal service. Indeed, the Iliopoulos family had already been involved with the passenger sector since 1989, when it was operating the company Ilio Lines, which operated several hydrofoils on the Cyclades and Crete, and later on the Saronic Gulf through the Saronic Dolphins brandname. They stopped activities in 2005, as Marios Iliopoulos had dedicated himself to Sea Jets. The Stefanou brothers, on the contrary, had their first taste of the Greek ferry market through Golden Star Ferries. Based in Andros, they bought the SUPERFERRY II, which had become an acclaimed ship on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line from the moment that she began her career in Greece in 1993, first with Strintzis Lines (1993-2000) and then under Blue Star Ferries (as the latter was formed in 2000, when Attica Group took over Strintzis Lines). However, as Blue Star Ferries continued to modernise its fleet (anticipating the arrivals of the newly-built sister ships BLUE STAR DELOS and BLUE STAR PATMOS in 2011 and in 2012, respectively), they decided that the 1974-built SUPERFERRY II would no longer be a part of their future plans. These views were all but confirmed after the ship collided with the main pier of the port of Tinos in 2010. However, Golden Star Ferries emerged, and they took advantage of the ship's fame on the Cyclades in order to keep her in Rafina. After undergoing a refit in Piraeus, the ship started service on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. At the same time, Sea Jets was operating on the Cyclades with the SUPER JET and the SEA JET 2, as well as with the high speed ferry MEGA JET, which they bought in 2008. That ship was operating on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line during the 2011 season (where she first began operating in 2009), although her spell under Sea Jets has been noted for the numerous engine failures that she experienced. After a good first season for Golden Star Ferries, there were rumours that they would be acquiring a second ship, with reports stating that they had bought the conventional ferry EPTANISOS of Strintzis Ferries (which was a company created by the Strintzis family in 2003, after Strintzis Lines was taken over by Attica Group in order to become Blue Star Ferries back in 2000). However, these rumours eventually proved to be false, and Golden Star Ferries continued to solely operate the SUPERFERRY II for the time being. The 2012 season was essentially the starting point of both companies' expansion plans, even though Golden Star Ferries stayed with just one ferry until 2015. Indeed, that year, despite the Greek financial crisis reaching its peak and destabilising the Greek coastal service, the company continued to provide excellent service despite the strong competition provided by Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways, Agoudimos Lines and Fast Ferries in Rafina. The latter in particular made a key addition on the Rafina-Cyclades service. Indeed, inspired by the success of their flagship, namely the conventional ferry THEOLOGOS P , which had started operations on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line back in 2007, they decided to bring their other ship, namely the EKATERINI P (which had been operating on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea since 1999) as a second ferry in Rafina, after converting her in Perama. The introduction of the EKATERINI P proved to be a major success, and it now meant that Fast Ferries operated two ferries from Rafina, as opposed to the other companies that only had one ship there. At the time, Sea Jets was operating the SEA JET 2 on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line, where she had been deployed since 2006. While they did not immediately consider expanding their services in Rafina, they nevertheless strengthened their fleet by buying a second high speed ferry, namely the SNAEFFEL of the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Company. The latter was renamed MASTER JET and she began service on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line alongside the MEGA JET. With the results of the 2012 season deemed satisfactory by both companies, they both began a transition phase for 2013 and 2014. Indeed, Sea Jets strengthened its services in Rafina by having the SUPER JET deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, where she was extremely successful. The SEA JET 2 replaced her on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line. The continued good performances of the MASTER JET and of the MEGA JET on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line combined with the successful deployment of the HIGHSPEED 5 of Hellenic Seaways on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line during the 2013 prompted Sea Jets to further consolidate its presence there. This happened in 2014, when the company deployed the large high speed ferry TERA JET (previously the SCORPIO of the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione) on the Heraklion-Santorini line, while the MEGA JET expanded her service in order to operate on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line. The introduction of the TERA JET, which became the flagship of Sea Jets, proved to be a massive success. Indeed, the ship's large size and her impressive speed quickly made her one of the best high speed craft in Greece, and she proved to be a worthy competitor against the equally-successful HIGHSPEED 5. That same year, the MASTER JET was deployed on the Piraeus-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, where she had a decent spell. The 2014 season was generally seen as a breakthrough year for Sea Jets, as the company continued to expand its fleet and services on the Cyclades, and was generating fair amounts of revenue despite the Greek financial crisis. As for Golden Star Ferries, the year 2014 proved to be eventful as they were due to acquire the Japanese-built ferry OSADO MARU of the Japanese company Sado Kisen. She was due to undergo a conversion in China before entering service as the company's second ferry in Rafina during the 2015 season. However, shortly after she was delivered to the company, the latter instead took notice of another ship owned by Sado Kisen, namely the younger ferry KOGANE MARU. As a result of this, they sold the OSADO MARU to the Indonesian company Sekawan Maju Sejahtera (where she now operates under the name SMS SAGITA) and bought the KOGANE MARU, which arrived in Greece during the summer of 2015, with an anticipated entry to service during the 2016 season. With the 2014 season ending on a successful note for Sea Jets and Golden Star Ferries, both companies turned their attention towards the summer of 2015. As stated above, Golden Star Ferries continued to successfully operate the SUPERFERRY II, while the KOGANE MARU arrived in Greece in June 2015, and immediately began her conversion in Perama. Sea Jets further asserted their plans to expand their fleet by buying two new high speed ferries in early 2015, namely the sister ships CONDOR VITESSE and CONDOR EXPRESS of the French company Condor Ferries, which were serving the Channel Islands. The two ships were renamed CHAMPION JET 1 and CHAMPION JET 2 , respectively. Their acquisition sparked much excitement and the company therefore was expected to further dominate on the Cyclades with two impressive new high speed ferries. Furthermore, Sea Jets had acquired the high speed ferry ÉMERAUDE FRANCE of the defunct French company Émeraude Ferries (which had been laid-up in Tilbury since 2007) and had planned to operate her in Rafina for the 2015. While the ship was renamed SEA SPEED JET, she never entered service for the company, instead being used as a relief ship and remaining laid-up in Chalkida, with her engines being used as spare parts in case one of the active ships of the company would have technical issues. While this purchase proved to be disappointing, Sea Jets however planned to bring another high speed ferry for service on the Cyclades in 2015. This was the CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA of the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries, which was renamed PAROS JET and was sent for a conversion in Elefsina. As the 2015 season began, the CHAMPION JET 1 was the first one to begin service, being deployed on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, hence taking over the service of the MASTER JET, which was instead deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. While the ship started off well, she then had an engine failure which impacted her services for the rest of the year, and she had several delayed and canceled trips, as well as a minor collision with the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins (and coincidentally a ship once owned by the Iliopoulos family through Ilio Lines) in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 2 also entered service in July 2015, and she operated on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line instead of the CHAMPION JET 1, which moved to a new service introduced by her company on the Western Cyclades, namely the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. The aforementioned problems of the ship led her company in making a few changes to its services. Indeed, when the PAROS JET was ready to enter service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, the MASTER JET was instead placed on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line, and the CHAMPION JET 1 was withdrawn from service. In spite of these problems, the company had a good season, with the SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET continuing to have success in Piraeus and Rafina, respectively. The latter in particular had an excellent season. Similarly, the TERA JET, by now the company's flagship, operated successfully on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line, instead of the MEGA JET which was back on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini line. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen sailing on the Cyclades during the 2015 season, which was her first one under Sea Jets. That year, she had a successful summer on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. A view of the TERA JET as she is seen arriving in Santorini from Heraklion during the 2015 season. Despite her high operating costs due to her large size, the ship was a key contributor to the growth of Sea Jets during the mid 2010s, first in Heraklion and then in Rafina. With the entire Greek coastal service having experienced a very successful 2015 season marked by a return to profitability for many companies and a significant rise in passenger and tourist traffic in Greece, all main ferry operators began to set their sights towards the 2016 season. Most notably, the Rafina-Cyclades service saw an incredible rise in the number of ships due to operate during the season. While Blue Star Ferries left the area, Hellenic Seaways introduced the high speed ferry HELLENIC HIGHSPEED on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. Fast Ferries was now operating three ships from Rafina, after having bought and deployed the FAST FERRIES ANDROS (previously the EPTANISOS of Strintzis Ferries) during the 2015 season. The latter and the THEOLOGOS P were to serve the traditional Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the EKATERINI P, which had been operating there successfully since 2012, was inserted on a new service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. Golden Star Ferries responded to this move by finally having two ships in Rafina, namely the SUPERFERRY II and the ex-KOGANE MARU, which was now ready to enter service as the SUPERFERRY following her successful conversion in Perama. She was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, whereas the SUPERFERRY II saw her service being extended on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line. Sea Jets also added a ferry in Rafina, after having been satisfied with the performances of the SUPER JET during the previous three seasons. They initially deployed the MASTER JET on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, but they immediately replaced her with the PAROS JET, which went on to spend the rest of the summer there. In addition, the company placed the CHAMPION JET 1, now repaired and fully refurbished, on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, while the SUPER JET returned to the Western Cyclades after being placed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, thereby complementing the service of the SEA JET 2 which was operating on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Mykonos line. Overall, the 2016 season was also deemed a huge success for all companies, with the services from Rafina to the Cyclades being particularly praised by passengers. The SUPERFERRY had an excellent first season and she was praised for her impressive passenger areas and her comfortable services. The SUPERFERRY II was a bit less successful in Naxos and Paros, but she still maintained services of high standard. The PAROS JET was also appreciated for her speedy services. Ultimately, this season would mark the start of a very fierce rivalry in between Golden Star Ferries and Sea Jets, as they would continue to expand their fleet and services, with a particular focus in Rafina. The goal of both companies was to become the most dominant operator there, as the competition was becoming more intense, and they also felt threatened by the presence of other companies on the Cyclades, including Fast Ferries in Rafina and Hellenic Seaways in Piraeus and Heraklion. To that end, both companies made several major moves ahead of the 2017 season. In the case of Golden Star Ferries, the company decided to further increase its fleet number and to acquire a high speed craft for the first time in its history. Indeed, in late 2016, it was announced that the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines (which had been operating on the Cyclades since 2009) would join the company and become the third ship of Golden Star Ferries. She was renamed SUPERRUNNER and she was due to be deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Her acquisition meant that Golden Star Ferries was able to serve more islands on the Cyclades, and they benefitted largely from the departure of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED from Rafina, as the latter moved to the Piraeus-Sifnos-Ios-Santorini line in order to fill the void left by the HIGHSPEED 6 , which was sold in early 2017 to the Spanish company Naviera Armas. The successful service of the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED was not picked up by another ship of Hellenic Seaways, and therefore Golden Star Ferries had the opportunity to cement its presence in Rafina with the SUPERRUNNER and its two conventional ferries. The SUPERFERRY II was back in operation on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the SUPERFERRY was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line for her second season under her owners. In response to the introduction of the SUPERRUNNER, Sea Jets decided to enhance its services in Rafina by deploying two high speed ferries on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. These were the PAROS JET, which would be departing from Rafina in the afternoon, and most notably the TERA JET, which would leave Rafina in the morning around the same time as the SUPERRUNNER. When the 2017 summer season began, both companies performed intense marketing campaigns in order to promote their services, while the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER would often race against each other (up until reaching Naxos) in order to see which ship would dock first in each of the ports of the Cyclades. Due to the additional competition provided by the three conventional ferries of Fast Ferries, which sailed under lower fares, Sea Jets decided to lower the normally high passenger fares for its high speed craft in Rafina, with a ticket from Rafina to Tinos with the TERA JET costing as little as €15! Golden Star Ferries strongly objected to these changes and also went on to lower its fares for all of its ships. The summer was also marked by numerous confrontations between the Stefanou brothers and Marios Iliopoulos. Despite the tumultuous atmosphere caused by this intense competition, both companies had a hugely successful summer. The deployment of the TERA JET was seen as a massive success by passengers, while the SUPERRUNNER also had an excellent year. She was a major factor in Golden Star Ferries being bestowed the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2017. The SUPERRUNNER seen maneuvering in the port of Ios during the summer of 2017. This was her debut season under Golden Star Ferries, for whom she operated on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. Her introduction to this service as the first high speed craft of the company proved to be a very successful move, as she contributed to the growth of Golden Star Ferries and its expansions to other destinations on the Cyclades. The CHAMPION JET 2 seen leaving the port of Ios during the 2017 season. This was her third season under Sea Jets, and her first summer of the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, which she took over from her sister ship, the CHAMPION JET 1. The latter moved to the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, where the CHAMPION JET 2 had spent her first two seasons in Greek waters. For the 2017 season, the CHAMPION JET 2 was the only ship of Sea Jets linking Heraklion with the Cyclades, as the TERA JET was operating in Rafina, while the MEGA JET was chartered to Atlântico Line in order to serve the Azores Archipelago during the summer season. She headed there along with the MASTER JET. Following yet another successful season and an ever-increasing rivalry, both Sea Jets and Golden Star Ferries began to prepare their plans for the 2018 season, which was due to experience yet another rise in passenger traffic on the Cyclades. After being satisfied with the successful operations of the SUPERRUNNER, Golden Star Ferries decided to make further investments in high speed craft, and to that end they purchased two passenger-only ships of that kind in late 2017 and early 2018. These new ships were the small high speed catamaran KAROLIN of the Estonian company Linda Line and the high speed trimaran KRILO ECLIPSE of the Croatian company Krilo Ferry. Both ships arrived in Greece during the winter in order to undergo their respective conversions that would enable them to operate on the Aegean Sea. The KAROLIN was renamed SUPERCAT , whereas the KRILO ECLIPE became the SUPERSPEED . In addition, in order to add further pressure to Sea Jets following the numerous clashes that they had with the company in Rafina, Golden Star Ferries decided to introduce a new very interesting service linking Rafina with Heraklion via the Cyclades. This consisted in having the SUPERFERRY and the SUPERFERRY II deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, with one ship departing from Rafina and the other one from Heraklion in the morning, before reaching the opposite final destination during the evening. This marked the first-ever connection of Rafina with Crete, and the move was made in order for Golden Star Ferries to take a part of the market share held by Sea Jets on the Heraklion-Cyclades service. Both companies also benefitted from the departure of Hellenic Seaways from the area, as the latter sold the HIGHSPEED 5 (which had been renamed HIGHSPEED 7 in 2016) to Minoan Lines. The ship remained on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line as the SANTORINI PALACE , but her new owners' lack of experience in this service enabled Sea Jets to introduce more accommodating schedules for passengers and to strengthen their commercial relationships with travel agencies on the Cyclades and in Crete. In response to the deployment of the two ships of Golden Star Ferries on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, Sea Jets decided to add two ships on the Heraklion-Cyclades service. The first one was the CHAMPION JET 2, which had already been serving the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line since 2017, while the second one was the newly-refurbished MASTER JET, which was renamed CALDERA VISTA and was deployed on the Heraklion-Rethymnon-Santorini-Paros-Mykonos-Tinos-Syros line. In Rafina, the company once again had two ships, namely the TERA JET on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line and a new introduction, the NAXOS JET (previously the CYCLADES EXPRESS of NEL Lines and a sister ship of the CALDERA VISTA and of the SEA SPEED JET), which was deployed on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line. The PAROS JET was used a relief vessel for the company. In addition, Sea Jets also made investments in conventional ferries. This had started back in 2016, when they bought the laid-up ferry AQUA SPIRIT of NEL Lines and re-introduced her on her previous subsidised inter-Cyclades services. They then sold her in 2017 to the Canadian company BC Ferries, and they replaced her with the AQUA JEWEL of Alpha Ferries , which went on to be chartered to Atlântico Line in 2018 (and she was replaced on the inter-Cyclades lifeline by another high speed ferry acquired by the company in 2017, namely the ANDROS JET ). In 2018, they went on to deploy the veteran ferry AQUA BLUE (previously the IERAPETRA L of LANE Lines/LANE Sea Lines and then of ANEK Lines) on a lengthy service linking Thessaloniki with the Sporades, the Cyclades and Crete. That ship, which spent her debut season under Sea Jets on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line, was meant to add further competition to the services of the SUPERFERRY and of the SUPERFERRY II. With that introduction, Golden Star Ferries once again responded by expanding their rivalry with Sea Jets on the Sporades, thereby deploying the SUPERSPEED on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line for her debut season. The SUPERCAT was also supposed to be deployed on the Sporades, but her conversion did not finish in time for the summer season. The TERA JET seen docked in the port of Rafina during the 2018 season. This was her second season on the Rafina-Cyclades service, where she played an integral role for her company's growth. Her speed and her large size were key in assuring that Sea Jets would be the main operator on the Cyclades, despite the strong competition of Golden Star Ferries and Fast Ferries. A view of the high speed ferry NAXOS JET, which is seen leaving the port of Mykonos during her debut season under Sea Jets. She spent the summer of 2018 on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, being the second ship to link Rafina with the Cyclades, together with the TERA JET. The iconic SUPERFERRY II of Golden Star Ferries seen arriving in the port of Paros during the summer of 2018. This was her eighth season under her company, and her twenty-sixth consecutive summer on the Rafina-Cyclades service. That year, together with the SUPERFERRY, she served the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line, hence connecting Rafina with the Cyclades and Crete for the first time in her career. Her service there went well overall, although Golden Star Ferries did not meet the expected results in terms of passenger and freight traffic. The perfect illustration of the Sea Jets-Golden Star Ferries rivalry, as suggested by this picture. Indeed, here we see the TERA JET and the SUPERRUNNER racing against one another, in order to see which ship will be the first one to dock in the port of Paros. Both high speed ferries had left the port of Mykonos simultaneously, and aimed to dock as soon as possible, just before the competitor. I had covered that race back when I was in Paros during the summer of 2018, for which you can find the related Blog post here . Another view of the SUPERRUNNER and of the TERA JET racing against one another. Here, the high speed ferry of Golden Star Ferries had departed the port of Paros just before the flagship of Sea Jets, and both of them were heading towards the port of Naxos. For many Greek coastal service enthusiasts, their daily races reminded them of the famous confrontations of the iconic ferry NAÏAS II of Agapitos Lines and of the legendary PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines during the early 1990s, when both ships would race along the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. As the 2018 season ended, most analysts were able to draw conclusions regarding the performances of the two companies. Overall, both of them were reasonably successful, but they did encounter some issues. Indeed, Sea Jets was praised for its new services, but many of its ships had engine failures. Moreover, the company was forced to cancel a few scheduled trips, and had the tendency to switch the ships that would perform a specific trip, sometimes with a late notice or even without warning passengers (although such actions frequently occurred during the summers of 2016 and of 2017 as well). The services of the AQUA BLUE were not particularly successful, and therefore the company did not repeat them in 2019. Nevertheless, the services of the TERA JET, the CHAMPION JET 1, the CHAMPION JET 2, the NAXOS JET and the SUPER JET were widely praised. In the case of Golden Star Ferries, while the SUPERRUNNER continued to be very successful, the SUPERFERRY and the SUPERFERRY II had encouraging performances but failed to offset Sea Jets on the Crete-Cyclades service. Moreover, the SUPERSPEED had an indifferent season on the Sporades, and therefore the company planned to have her on the Cyclades together with the SUPERCAT. The confrontation between the Stefanou brothers and Marios Iliopoulos continued, and both sides frequently argued over the legitimacy of their operations, with Golden Star Ferries accusing the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy of granting the services on the Cyclades based on the preferences of Sea Jets. The latter would criticise Golden Star Ferries for trying to imitate their business model through the deployment of high speed craft, and of using all means to have their services approved by the Ministry (with the brothers even performing a hunger strike in order to have the services of the SUPERFERRY and of the SUPERFERRY II approved!) and of tarnishing the reputation of Sea Jets. In the midst of all this chaos, the two companies prepared for the 2019 season by injecting new weapons on the Cyclades, either through new vessels or new services. At the end of the year, Sea Jets won the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2018, just a year after Golden Star Ferries had earned that same honour. In anticipation of the 2019 season, Golden Star Ferries acquired yet another high speed craft, this time in collaboration with Fast Ferries. This was the high speed ferry EXPRESS, owned by the Swedish company Gotlandsbåten and chartered in 2018 to the Spanish company Naviera Armas in 2018. The ship arrived in Greece as the GOLDEN EXPRESS, and she was due to operate on the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line as a second high speed ferry for Golden Star Ferries. The company also introduced services from Piraeus for the first time, in order to compete against Sea Jets. They announced that the SUPERSPEED would operate on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Mykonos-Tinos-Andros-Rafina line, while the SUPERCAT would be deployed on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line. The SUPERRUNNER would remain on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, whereas the SUPERFERRY and the SUPERFERRY II would continue their services from Rafina to the Cyclades and Crete, although Ios was removed from their itineraries. Sea Jets, on the other hand, made smart moves by having the SUPER JET and the SEA JET 2 operating together on Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Naxos-Paros-Mykonos line, where one ship would perform the first leg in the morning and the return leg the following morning (and vice versa). That way, the ships would not need to serve that many islands during the day and return to Piraeus very late at night, and this therefore limited the chances of the two ships having technical issues. The operations previously covered by the SUPER JET were taken over by another new ship introduced by Sea Jets, namely the high speed catamaran SIFNOS JET , which was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Thirassia-Santorini-Ios line. Additionally, the CHAMPION JET 2 and the CALDERA VISTA continued their successful services on the Crete-Cyclades service, with the latter in particular having an excellent season on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line. In Rafina, the company deployed the PAROS JET alongside the NAXOS JET, while also adding the AQUA BLUE as a third ship on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line. The TERA JET, following two successful seasons in Rafina, moved to Piraeus in order to begin a new service on the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. However, the most important event of the year was the introduction of a new extremely fast high speed ferry, namely the WORLDCHAMPION JET , which had arrived in Greece after being acquired by Sea Jets in late 2018. Built in 2000 and previously the VILLUM CLAUSEN of the Danish company Bornholmer Færgen, she used to be the fastest passenger ship in the world, and held the record for the fastest speed ever recorded by a ferry from 2000 until 2013. Upon starting operations on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line (thereby replacing the CHAMPION JET 1 which spent the 2019 season under charter to Naviera Armas), she became the fastest ship in the Greek coastal service, and her service was a massive success. She remains to date the best ship of Sea Jets, and a major reason behind the company's good performances on the Central Cyclades. Overall, Sea Jets had an excellent season, with much less technical troubles (except for the ANDROS JET, the SIFNOS JET and the CHAMPION JET 2). They were further rewarded when the WORLDCHAMPION JET was bestowed the 'Ship of the Year' award given by Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2019, hence becoming the third ship in the history of the Greek coastal service to win the prize. Golden Star Ferries, on the other hand, had a very underwhelming season despite the very high expectations. Having gone from one ship in 2015 to six in 2019, many waited for them to even overtake operators such as Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways. However, all of its ships had technical issues. In particular, the SUPERSPEED and the SUPERCAT struggled with their engines in the early part of the season. As they were unable to perform their itineraries in time, Sifnos was dropped from the services of the SUPERCAT, as was Andros in the case of the SUPERSPEED. As the latter continued to experience several problems, it was decided that she would be switching her services with those of the GOLDEN EXPRESS. The latter had, by that time, been fully taken over by Golden Star Ferries following a dispute with Fast Ferries, and she was renamed SUPEREXPRESS . She was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Mykonos-Tinos-Andros-Rafina line, while the SUPERSPEED moved to the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line. Despite these changes, the ships continued to experience severe technical issues and delayed trips. Ultimately, the SUPERSPEED had a major engine failure in Naxos in late July, and it was announced that her season would end without having a ship replacing her. The SUPERCAT also had some canceled trips, while the SUPEREXPRESS also struggled to make her itineraries in time, despite being praised for her impressive amenities and for the overall quality of her interior design. Only the three original ships of Golden Star Ferries had a decent season, but even the SUPERFERRY and the SUPERFERRY II failed to cement the company's presence in Crete, as they had originally hoped. The CALDERA VISTA, previously known as the MASTER JET, seen leaving Santorini in order to head to Ios during the summer of 2019. This was her second season under her new name, and many have considered it to be her best summer in Greece in terms of performance. Indeed, she managed to maintain the dominance of Sea Jets on the Crete-Cyclades service, even going on to have more passengers than the SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines, which had been the best ship in the area since 2013. The SUPERCAT of Golden Star Ferries seen during her debut season under her owners, as she heads from Naxos to Ios in 2019. Brought by Golden Star Ferries in order to compete against the passenger-only catamarans of Sea Jets, she had a very inconsistent year, as she had many engine failures that prevented her from reaching her full potential as a high speed craft. A view of the WORLDCHAMPION JET, which was a main factor behind the successful season of Sea Jets in 2019. In her first summer under her new owner, she immediately made an impact on the Cyclades, and she was praised for her speed and her impressive indoor areas. She most notably features an original Formula 1 race-car manufactured by Minardi and driven by the now-retired Dutch driver Jos Verstappen during the 2003-2004 Formula 1 season onboard her atrium area. Golden Star Ferries and other companies were unable to compete against her due to her superior technical characteristics. The SUPEREXPRESS seen in the port of Piraeus at dawn during the summer of 2019. This was her first season under Golden Star Ferries, and she became the sixth ship and fourth high speed craft to operate for the company. Initially due to operate in Rafina, she was instead deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Mykonos-Tinos-Andros-Rafina line. Her first season was marred by engine troubles, but she was nevertheless praised for her impressive amenities and her refurbished indoor areas. The PAROS JET seen leaving the port of Rafina during the 2019 season. She had returned on a full-time basis on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line, where she had also operated during the 2017 season. In addition, she was the first high speed ferry of Sea Jets to operate in Rafina, back when she served the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2016. During the 2019 season, she operated alongside the NAXOS JET, while the TERA JET was moved to the Piraeus-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. A view of two competing ferries departing the port of Rafina at the same time during the summer of 2019. These were the SUPERFERRY and the AQUA BLUE, and both were due to head to Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, before heading towards different directions. The SUPERFERRY was operating on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion line, while the AQUA BLUE was spending her debut season on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line. She therefore became the third ship of Sea Jets to operate in Rafina, and the only conventional ferry of the company to do so. The SUPERFERRY was again operating alongside the SUPERFERRY II, while Golden Star Ferries continued to have three ships in Rafina, as the SUPERRUNNER was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line for the third summer in a row. Following a tumultuous 2019 season, Golden Star Ferries sought to have a redemption season in 2020, while Sea Jets continued to make new acquisitions and to enter new areas of service. This was seen when the AQUA JEWEL was introduced on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, while the AQUA BLUE was given the subsidy contract on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline on the Northeast Aegean Sea. However, the 2020 season proved to be a major disappointment for the Greek coastal service, as the tourist season was heavily impacted by the travel restrictions caused by the pandemic. As such, many ships did not operate, including the high speed craft of Golden Star Ferries. The latter only had the SUPERFERRY back on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line and the SUPERFERRY II on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros line. Therefore, the company completely abandoned its services to Crete. They hoped for a return to normal conditions in 2021, and were planning to have the SUPEREXPRESS operating from Rafina, while the SUPERRUNNER would be sent to the Heraklion-Santorini-Naxos-Mykonos line in order to once again compete against Sea Jets and Minoan Lines. Furthermore, the company considered operating the SUPERSPEED and the SUPERCAT together on the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos-Syros line, using the same operating pattern as the one used by Sea Jets with the SEA JET 2 and the SUPER JET. However, these plans were canceled as Golden Star Ferries ultimately decided to proceed with the sale of four of its ships to Sea Jets. As a result of this, they will be left with only two ships, namely the SUPERFERRY and the SUPEREXPRESS. The decision of Golden Star Ferries to sell two-thirds of its fleet to a rival operator was viewed as a shock for many people that follow the news of the Greek coastal service. At the same time, if we look at the way in which the two companies grew during the 2010s and the extent to which the desperately tried to outperform each other, such a move was perhaps due to happen. On paper, it is suggested that Sea Jets won the battle, as they are now ready to further expand their operation on the Cyclades, now that they have four more ships joining their fleet, including three high speed craft. In addition, they are acquiring a legendary ship, namely the SUPERFERRY II, which has been a major key to the success of all her previous owners ever since she arrived in Greece. To that end, she will be a fine addition to the company, which had notably started buying more conventional ferries in order to deploy on various lifelines and other prominent services (on another note, they are considering to buy a new ferry that would enter service on the Sporades). Moreover, the acquisition of these four vessels means that Sea Jets will no longer need to worry about the presence of Golden Star Ferries on the Piraeus-Cyclades service and on the Crete-Cyclades service, meaning that they will have more flexibility to perform their itineraries at feasible timetables without any serious competition. It remains to be seen, however, how the company will operate in Rafina, as Golden Star Ferries will keep its two remaining ferries there. So far, Sea Jets has not announced any planned itineraries on the Rafina-Cyclades service, and it will be interesting to see whether they will be deploying one of their four new ships there, against the company that used to own them. Moreover, consider that the competition from Rafina will remain prominent, as Fast Ferries continues to thrive with its three conventional ferries, and they are due to deploy the EKATERINI P on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Koufonisi line, which will be a new service for the ship following a two-year absence (she missed the 2019 season due to a serious engine failure, and she was only repaired during the 2020 season), while Hellenic Seaways plans to deploy the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 3 on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos line. From the perspective of Golden Star Ferries, one may suggest that ceding four of their ships means that they have signaled their intent to capitulate against their main rivals. There are even rumours suggesting that they aim to leave the Greek coastal service altogether, as the Stefanou brothers have been frustrated by the past few seasons and the alleged bias regarding the services of Sea Jets. I personally do not believe that this is the case, otherwise they would have also found a way to also get rid of the SUPERFERRY and of the SUPEREXPRESS. Considering the incredible amenities of both ships and the affordability of second-hand ferries under the current market conditions, they would not have hesitated to give away these vessels, yet they still plans on deploying them on the Cyclades for the 2021 season. On the contrary, I believe that they took the decision to sell their four vessels in order to free themselves from any financial liabilities that they had (as the company began to have financial issues in 2020), and their inexperience in operating high speed craft proved to be a major hurdle during the 2019 season, as most of the ships were under poor technical conditions. To be fair, even before they joined Golden Star Ferries, the three high speed craft that arrived between 2017 and 2019 all had a history of mechanical troubles. Indeed, the SUPERCAT had several engine failures back when she was operating on the Tallinn-Helsinki line under Linda Line, while the SUPERSPEED had an indifferent spell on the Tsushima Strait as the ULSAN DOLPHIN of of the South Korean company Ferry Ulsan, although she did have a rather good spell during her lone season on the Adriatic Sea as the KRILO ECLIPSE of Krilo Ferry. The SUPEREXPRESS, on the other hand, has had a very inconsistent career, as she encountered many engine failures during her spell with P&O Ferries, while she operated for three different companies in as many seasons prior to joining Golden Star Ferries. As such, one may suggest that the company did not make good choices, and they rather tried to get whichever high speed craft was available in order to desperately outperform Sea Jets on the Cyclades. However, the latter has been an established operator of high speed craft ever since they began operations in 2004, and, despite their flaws, they have continued to grow at an impressive pace over the past decade. As such, one may think that the competition was lost from the start, however Golden Star Ferries did encounter much success with the SUPERRUNNER, which was the only high speed craft of the company that performed very well and that was rarely affected by engine troubles. Therefore, it is rather odd for that specific ship to leave the company, unless the fee proposed by Sea Jets was deemed very satisfactory by Golden Star Ferries. Overall, the latter simply seems to be taking steps backwards in order to clear themselves of all liabilities (both financial and technical, as most of the high speed craft that they owned caused the company many problems during the summer of 2019) and to reassert their strategy on the Aegean Sea. That is, they will most likely only focus on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line where they have been a household name ever since beginning their operations there in 2011, and they will no longer have to make any desperate moves such as employing two ferries from Rafina to Crete, where they unable to outperform Sea Jets. Finally, they also have the chance to renew their fleet with the departure of the SUPERFERRY II, which, despite her status as an iconic ship of the Greek costal service, is nevertheless 47 years old, hence her maintenance costs will continue to increase as she becomes even older. Therefore, the company is able keep two ships that have incredible indoor areas, with the SUPERFERRY having been an established ship on the Cyclades since her introduction to service in 2016, while the SUPEREXPRESS can easily be one of the best high speed ferries of Greece if her engines are properly maintained. Even though they are losing two ships that played an important role for the company (the SUPERFERRY II and the SUPERRUNNER), Golden Star Ferries could potentially fully dedicate themselves to the Rafina-Cyclades service with two ships, and potentially seek to buy a new conventional ferry in the future, depending on the ferry market conditions. A view of the SUPERFERRY as she is seen leaving the port of Gavrion in Andros in order to head towards Tinos during the summer of 2020. As things stand, she will be the only conventional ferry of Golden Star Ferries, as the SUPERFERRY II is due to join Sea Jets. She will therefore continue to have a major role for her company on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the SUPEREXPRESS will join her in order to perform seasonal services on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. Based on the information that I have, the four ships are due to be delivered to Sea Jets at regular intervals over the next few months. Indeed, the SUPERRUNNER is due to be delivered in May in order to begin service for the company during the 2021 summer season. The SUPERSPEED and the SUPERCAT are planned for delivery at some point during August, while the SUPERFERRY II is due to be delivered after completing the summer season with Golden Star Ferries, meaning that this will probably happen at some point during the fall (between late October to early November). As part of her last season under Golden Star Ferries, the ship will serve the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros line, hence returning there for the first time since 2016. The SUPERFERRY will remain on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the SUPEREXPRESS will begin operations on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line, hence taking over the service left by the SUPERRUNNER. As the SUPERSPEED and the SUPERCAT are joining Sea Jets during the summer, that means that they will not be operating for the second season in a row. Therefore, they are most likely due to begin operations for Sea Jets in 2022, assuming that they have no technical deficiencies. It will be interesting to see where Sea Jets plans to deploy them, considering that they already have three established passenger-only high speed craft on the Cyclades. The SUPERFERRY II seen maneuvering in Andros during the summer of 2020. As it appears, this upcoming season will be her final one under Golden Star Ferries. She will therefore leave the company after 10 years, having been their first-ever ship and the reason behind their growth. I do hope that Sea Jets will continue to operate her on the Rafina-Cyclades service, where she has been such an acclaimed ship since 1993. The SUPEREXPRESS seen docked in Piraeus in 2020. After a challenging start to her career in Greece, she is now ready to have a more prominent role for Golden Star Ferries, as she is due to operate on their popular service on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Paros-Ios-Santorini line. She is therefore the official successor of the successful SUPERRUNNER, which will now be a part of the fleet of Sea Jets. If she has no technical issues, the SUPEREXPRESS can easily become a vital weapon for her company, as her size, passenger capacity and indoor areas give her many advantages compared to other Greek high speed craft. The TERA JET seen racing against the SUPERRUNNER in Paros during the 2018 season. After having been fierce rivals for two seasons, the two high speed ferries will now be fleetmates, as both of them are now under the ownership of Sea Jets. Who would have thought that this event would happen three years ago? The SUPERRUNNER seen in Piraeus during the summer of 2020, which eventually proved to be her final one under the livery of Golden Star Ferries. Indeed, she will now undergo all necessary preparations in order to begin service for her new owners. Sea Jets will be the third Greek company for which the ship will operate, after having served Aegean Speed Lines from 2009 to 2016, and Golden Star Ferries from 2017 to 2021. According to the rumours that have been circulating across Greek coastal service platforms, the SUPERRUNNER will likely be renamed SUPERRUNNER JET . She is also rumoured to be deployed outside of the Cyclades for the first time in her career, as it is suggested that she will enter a new subsidised service introduced by her company on the Sporades, on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line. She will therefore link Thessaloniki with the Sporades and Evoia. If such a move is to occur, then we will undoubtedly talk about Sea Jets becoming one of the two main protagonists of the Greek coastal service alongside Attica Group. Indeed, they have gone from a fleet of just three vessels in 2011 to a fleet of 20 ships just ten years later (with that number reaching 21 vessels once the SUPERFERRY II is delivered to the company later in the year). This includes 18 high speed craft and two conventional ferries (which will become three with the addition of the SUPERFERRY II). Following this transaction, the company now has the largest fleet in Greece, surpassing that of Hellenic Seaways. Moreover, it continues its expansion across the Aegean Sea, going beyond the Cyclades as it will now serve the Sporades (where it aims to establish itself with the rumoured purchase of a conventional ferry), in addition to serving the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Kythira-Antikythira lifeline. With three new high speed craft and one new conventional ferry, the company clearly has the ambition to further assert its dominance, and its large fleet size gives it the flexibility to operate all vessels respective to the demand and the passenger traffic numbers of each service they already operate it, or new ones that they plan on introducing in the future. In any case, this transaction has been one of the most defining moments of the Greek coastal service in recent years, and I am certain that its effects will last for quite some time, as I believe that the battle between Sea Jets and Golden Star Ferries is far from over. The former continues its remarkable growth, while the latter takes the time to redesign its strategy in order to have a stronger presence on the ever-growing Rafina-Cyclades service. It will be very interesting to see how things will evolve and how Sea Jets is going to utilise its four new ships, including two that have experienced mediocre results on the Aegean Sea. They do, however, acquire an excellent high speed ferry and a legendary ferry which, despite nearing half-a-century of service, remains a valuable asset for any company operating on the Cyclades. #superrunner #superferryii #superspeed #supercat #goldenstarferries #seajets #summer2021 #greece #aegean #cyclades #crete #rafina #andros #tinos #mykonos #paros #naxos #ios #santorini #heraklion #superferry #superexpress #superjet #seajet2 #megajet #masterjet #calderavista #terajet #championjet1 #championjet2 #seaspeedjet #parosjet #naxosjet #androsjet #sifnosjet #worldchampionjet #rapidlinkjet #aquajewel #aquablue #seajetsferries #theologosp #ekaterinip #fastferriesandros #fastferries #bluestardelos #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #highspeed5 #highspeed7 #hellenichighspeed #flyingcat3 #hellenicseaways #sale #inthenews

As my summer stay in Greece for the 2021 season was coming to an end, I decided to enjoy my last few available days by traveling around various parts of Greece in order to see and photograph more ships of the Greek coastal service. After having spent the afternoon of 3 September 2021 in Salamina, whereupon I traveled onboard the FANEROMENI of Panagia Faneromeni , I decided that next place that I would visit will be the port of Lavrion, on 6 September 2021, as I was expected to see several ships that day. This would be my second time heading there, the first time having been six years prior, back when I briefly stopped there on 2 July 2015 when I had visited family members in Cape Sounion. I eventually went there during the afternoon, as I was expecting to see four ships departing the port, as well as a total of seven ferries and one Ro-Ro carrier docked simultaneously. In spite of what was due to be a harsh afternoon in terms of weather conditions (with strong winds and high waves), I thought that seeing all these ships would be a fine addition to my Greek coastal service pictures collection, and that the departures of four ferries would be nice scenes to witness. Before showing you my pictures, I thought that it was a good idea to provide you with a quick overview of the port of Lavrion. Indeed, the latter is located on the Eastern coast of the region of Attica, right above Cape Sounion, and South of Porto Rafti and Rafina. It faces the small uninhabited island of Makronisos, while the islands of Kea and Kythnos are found a bit further towards the South, as part of the Cyclades Islands Archipelago. The port's position is quite advantageous, as it enables ships heading towards the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea to serve these areas without needing to sail along Souther coast of Attica, where Piraeus is located. As such, these ships do not need to pass by Cape Sounion in order to enter the open sea on the Aegean Sea. Therefore, the port is more convenient for service to the islands of Kea and Kythnos, as their distance from mainland Greece is far shorter through Lavrion than through Piraeus. To that end, the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line has proven to be a popular service on the Northern Cyclades. Additionally, Lavrion has also been used as the base port for many prominent lifelines of the Greek coastal service, including the inter-Cyclades services and lifelines on the Northeast Aegean Sea. In the case of the latter, this usually concerns the area's Western part, such as the Western coast of Chios (primarily the port of Mesta), Psara, Agios Efstratios and Limnos. One well-known lifeline currently based out of the port is the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line, while a former popular service was the Lavrion-Psara-Chios lifeline. Finally, Lavrion has also been used as a port for international services via the Aegean Sea, being currently connected with Cyprus and Israel, while having also seen services to Turkey in the past. All these factors have helped in making Lavrion one of the three major ports of the region of Attica, together with Piraeus and Rafina. Historically, Lavrion was only used as a port for the passenger connection of Kea and Southern Evoia with mainland Greece. The other islands of the Cyclades were primarily served by Piraeus and Rafina, the latter which began to experience a significant rise in prominence from the 1980s onwards. Lavrion remained a local port throughout most of the 1950s and 1960s. The first ferry to arrive there was the IOULIS KEAS of the now-defunct company Kastriani NE, which entered service on the Lavrion-Kea line in 1968. She was replaced in 1976 by the younger IOULIS KEAS II (later the AGIA KYRIAKI of Tsirikos Lines), which went on to serve the line until 1990. The port began to experience significant developments during the 1990s, as the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line began to be served by the then-newly-built MIRINA EXPRESS of Goutos Lines in 1991 (which was sold in 2008 to the Chilean company Naviera Austral and is currently the DONA CÂNDIDA of the Equatorial Guinean company Viteoca GESL). The expansion of the inter-Cyclades services under the now-defunct company Katapoliani (also known as Amorgos Ferries) also enhanced the port's role, and this carried on in the 2000s, as it also began to be the base for lifelines of the Northeast Aegean Sea operated by C-Link Ferries (a defunct company that was managed by Apostolos Ventouris from 2002 to 2007) and Saos Ferries. At the end of the decade, these lifelines, along with the inter-Cyclades services, started to be performed by NEL Lines, until the latter ceased operations in 2015. Since then, Hellenic Seaways and Sea Jets have become the main players on these lifelines, while the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line began to feature two ships from 2002 onwards, while also having a three-ship service between 2005 and 2008 and since 2020. In terms of international services, Lavrion was used frequently by the Greek-Cypriot company Salamis Lines during the 2000s, and it became a permanent part of their Ro-Ro carrier itineraries since 2010. Since then, at least one Ro-Ro carrier serves the Lavrion-Limassol-Haifa line for freight transportation, therefore connecting Greece with Cyprus and Israel. Moreover, there have also been several unsuccessful attempts of linking Lavrion with Turkey, with the most recent deployment being the introduction of a service on the Lavrion-Çeşme line during the 2019 season by the Turkish company Aegean Seaways. However, the latter only lasted two weeks and ended prematurely due to a lack of passenger and freight traffic. Nevertheless, the services to Cyprus and Israel have attracted significant success, and have further contributed to the port's development. Additionally, Lavrion has become a notable cruise terminal, serving as the home port of many ships of the Greek-Cypriot company Celestyal Cruises. Furthermore, the port has a small shipyard that is quite popular, and is also the base for several agencies chartering sailing ships and pleasure craft to tourists willing to sail on the Cyclades. Now that I have given you a full overview of the port of Lavrion, I can now share all pictures that I took during what was, as stated previously, my second-ever visit to the port. While I managed to head to the Southern pier in order to take better pictures of the ships departing the port, I unfortunately had to leave the area due to the strong winds, which forced me to return back towards the marina, from where I witnessed the remaining departures before heading back to the ferry terminal to take some final pictures of some notable ships. Without further ado, let's have a look at all the pictures below. I arrived in Lavrion by taking the KTEL bus linking the port with Athens. Upon my arrival, I spotted the conventional ferry ARTEMIS of Hellenic Seaways . She has been operating on the inter-Cyclades service based out of Lavrion since 2015, when she took over the service left by her predecessor, namely the AQUA JEWEL of NEL Lines (owned by Sea Jets since 2017) , which had ended her four-year stay there in 2014, following a major engine failure (followed by the demise of NEL Lines). This was therefore her seventh season on the inter-Cyclades lifeline, which she has spent on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Kimolos-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos line. She had also previously operated out of Lavrion between 2009 and 2012, during her first stint on the inter-Cyclades service, which she had spent under charter to ANEK Lines on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini-Thirassia-Anafi line. Besides these years, she has spent her career on the Saronic Gulf, from 1997 (the year during her construction in Greece was completed) to 2008, and during the 2014 season, while she also served the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades in 2013. She began her career on the Saronic Gulf as the GEORGIOS 2 for Akouriki Shipping Company, and in 1999 she joined the then-newly-established company Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002), and operated for them under the Saronikos Ferries division. In 2005, when her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways, she was renamed ARTEMIS. While heading towards the Southern pier in order to have a better view of all the ships that were docked in the ferry terminal, I got to see a notable ship, namely the Ro-Ro carrier AKRITAS of Salamis Lines. Built in 1982, she joined her current owners in 2019. Her usual service is on the Thessaloniki-Limassol-Haifa line, however, she was temporarily operating on the Lavrion-Limassol-Haifa line in order to replace her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the ALEXO, which at the time was undergoing what was initially believed to be her annual refit. Only a few days after my visit to Lavrion, the ALEXO was sold to the Turkish company Merfat Maritime, and she was renamed AMIRA MARFAT. Since joining the latter, she has not actually performed any services, as she was seen drifting in İzmir, Aliağa, and even Piraeus. As such, her fate is currently unknown. The AKRITAS, however, returned to her service on the Thessaloniki-Limassol-Haifa line, while the company's newest Ro-Ro carrier, namely the VASSILIOS, which had been acquired in 2021 (and had spent her debut summer on the Thessaloniki-Limassol-Haifa line as well), replaced the ex-ALEXO on the Lavrion-Limassol-Haifa line. Another view of the AKRITAS in Lavrion, during what was her third season under Salamis Lines. She was one of three sister ships built in Finland for the Finnish company Finncarriers, which was the Ro-Ro carrier division of the Finnish company Finnlines, which was collaborating at the time with their rivals, Effoa (previously Finska Ångfartygs Aktiebolaget, also known in the English world as the Finnish Steamship). Known as the ARCTURUS, the ship operated on the Baltic Sea and on the North Sea, linking Finland with The Netherlands and the United Kingdom. Effoa ceded all their shares in Finncarriers to Finnlines in 1989. Two years later, the ship was renamed AURORA, and she continued to serve the Baltic Sea and the North Sea. In 2001, Finncarriers merged with their parent company, and the ship therefore joined Finnlines. In 2004 she was sold to Scandlines and she was deployed on the Rostock-Helsinki line. In 2005 she started operating on the Rostock-Hanko line, while occasionally serving other German, Finnish, British and Dutch ports. In 2012 she was sold to the Swedish company SOL Continental Line, being renamed VIKINGLAND, and she continued to operate on the Rostock-Hanko line until 2016. In 2017 she was chartered to the Italian company Grimaldi Lines, and she was deployed on the Barcelona-Savona-Livorno line on the Mediterranean Sea. After a year in this service, she had brief charters under Tunisia Ferries (also known as Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation, or COTUNAV) and Stena Line in 2018, before joining Salamis Lines in 2019. While looking towards the exit of the port of Lavrion, I saw the conventional ferry SAONISOS of Saos Ferries . This ship was laid-up, as she never began performing her scheduled services on the inter-Cyclades lifeline due to paperwork issues. She was supposed to operate on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Karystos-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi lifeline, which is the second inter-Cyclades service (in addition to the one performed by the ARTEMIS), which was normally assigned to Sea Jets. Saos Ferries was granted the subsidy contract in order to operate there, but they never managed to deploy the SAONISOS. As a result of this, Sea Jets once again took over the service, which was performed by the high speed ferry CALDERA VISTA , which had also operated there in 2020. Next to the SAONISOS, I saw the cruise ship CELESTYAL OLYMPIA of Celestyal Cruises, which had completed her summer cruises and was now undergoing her annual refit in Lavrion. Built in 1982, she is the former SONG OF AMERICA of the American cruise giants Royal Caribbean International (1982-1999), before having stints as the SUNBIRD under the now-defunct British company Sun Cruises from 1999 to 2004, and then as the THOMSON DESTINY under the British cruise line Thomson Cruises (known as Marella Cruises since 2017) from 2004 to 2012. That same year, she joined the Greek-Cypriot company Louis Cruises and was renamed LOUIS OLYMPIA. In late 2014, the company was rebranded as Celestyal Cruises, and therefore the ship was renamed CELESTYAL OLYMPIA. Since joining her current owners, she has performed cruises mainly based on the Aegean Sea, while also stopping by Cyprus, Turkey and Israel. Another view of the SAONISOS, as she is now laid-up in Lavrion, from where she was supposed to be based as part of her introduction to service on the inter-Cyclades lifeline. As I began to head towards the Southern pier, I had a better view of the different ships that were docked in Lavrion. These included the AKRITAS, the MACEDON of Goutos Lines , the ARTEMIS, the AQUA STAR of Sea Jets and the AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets . A view of the MACEDON, which was docked next to the ARTEMIS. Built in 1972, she has been operating under Goutos Lines on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line since 2002. This makes her the longest-serving ship on the line, and also the ship that has had the longest tenure in Lavrion as of today. She is the sole ship of Goutos Lines, following the sale of the MIRINA EXPRESS to Naviera Austral in 2008. She had also previously operated for the company as the KYTHNOS between 1987 and 1992, whereupon she operated on the Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos line and on the Rafina-Kymi-Skyros-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line (1987-1989), and also on the Rafina-Kea-Skyros-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line (1989-1992), before her sale to Nomicos Lines. Another view of the AKRITAS, during her temporary stint on the Lavrion-Limassol-Haifa line. She has since resumed service on the Thessaloniki-Limassol-Haifa line. Another view of the bow of the AKRITAS, along with the MACEDON, the ARTEMIS, the AQUA STAR and the AQUA BLUE. Among the passenger ferries, all of them, with the exception of the ARTEMIS, were built during the 1970s. This makes the ships based out of Lavrion among the oldest ones in the Greek coastal service. Another view of the MACEDON and of the ARTEMIS in Lavrion. Both ships serve Kea and Kythnos, as the latter two islands are the first ones that are called by the ARTEMIS as part of her lengthy service on the inter-Cyclades lifeline. Both ships also used to be fleetmates, back when they operated under Minoan Flying Dolphins. Indeed, the MACEDON also served the latter, after Nomicos Lines was one of the companies that were taken over in 1999 as part of the Greek coastal service consolidation plan envisaged by the late Pantelis Sfinias. She initially operated under the Hellas Ferries division, before switching to the Sporades Ferries division in 2001. She operated on the Agios Konstantinos-Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, where she had also operated during her spell under Nomicos Lines. She remained there until 2002, when she returned to Gouts Lines. Another view of the ferries that were docked in Lavrion. These were the AKRITAS, the MARMARI EXPRESS of Karystia Lines , the MACEDON, the ARTEMIS, the AQUA STAR and the AQUA BLUE. A view of the AQUA STAR and of the AQUA BLUE, which operate for Sea Jets under the Sea Jets Ferries division. The former was spending her debut season in Greece, being deployed on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, which the latter was serving. However, the AQUA BLUE had experienced a major engine failure in July 2021, and this resulted in her being shut down for the rest of the season. In order to cover her abandoned service, Sea Jets initially deployed the high speed ferry SUPERRUNNER JET (which also happened to spend her first summer under the company, after four years under Golden Star Ferries), before deciding to purchase the AQUA STAR, which had been laid-up in Perama since 2019. The ship underwent a rapid conversion and began her service on the Northeast Aegean Sea in August 2021. However, her spell was not successful, as it was also marred by frequent engine troubles which resulted in several delays. The AQUA BLUE has since been repaired and has returned to her previous service, whereas the AQUA STAR is currently undergoing her annual drydock in Chalkida, as her company has interesting upcoming plans for her for the 2022 season. A view of the ARTEMIS, together with the AQUA STAR and the AQUA BLUE. Next to the two ships of Sea Jets, the ARTEMIS looks extremely tiny. The MARMARI EXPRESS, which also operates on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line, seen together with the MACEDON and the ARTEMIS. A view of the MARMARI EXPRESS alongside her longtime rival, the MACEDON, even though the their companies coordinate their services on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line, especially when the ships undergo their annual refits. Both ferries were built in Japan, and have also operated on the Rafina-Marmari line on the Petalioi Gulf in the past. Indeed, the MARMARI EXPRESS operated there during her first seasons in the Greek coastal service, before moving to the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line in 2005. The MACEDON operated there under Polemis Epirus Line between 1979 and 1983, back when she was known as the CHRYSSI AMMOS I. A better view of the laid-up SAONISOS, which has had a rather unfortunate path since arriving in Greece for Saos Ferries in 2007. Indeed, due the company's financial issues, she only began her conversion for them in 2013, after being laid-up in Drapetsona and in Elefsina for almost six years. Moreover, this conversion ended up lasting five years, and she began service only in 2018, hence 11 years after her maiden arrival in Greece. She was deployed on the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki line, where she spent two seasons before being the first out of the three ships of Saos Ferries to experience an engine failure in the middle of the summer of 2019. After her other two fleetmates also had to prematurely end their services, resulting in the infamous Samothraki coastal service fiasco, Saos Ferries was forced to withdraw from the line. Since then, two of its ships, the ferry STAVROS (the ex-SAOS II) and the small high speed boat ZEFYROS , are operating on the Dodecanese. The SAONISOS was also rumoured to join them there after undergoing a refit in Perama in 2020, before ultimately being granted the subsidy contract for the inter-Cyclades lifeline operated by Sea Jets. However, she failed to start in time, and the lifeline was reassigned to Sea Jets. A view of the unlucky SAONISOS, which has operated for just two seasons in the 15 years that she has spent in Greece. Most of the delays during her conversion and her entry to service has been due to financial and bureaucratic concerns, although the latter have been enforced to an unprecedented degree for a ferry in Greece, which makes one wonder about the way in which the company looks after the ship. Another view of the SAONISOS, as she is laid-up in Lavrion. Before being bought by Saos Ferries in 2007, she operated as a Ro-Ro carrier in Japan. Built in the latter country in 1994, she began service as the ROKKŌ EXPRESS for Kanku Cargo, being deployed on the Kobe-Takamatsu line. In 2000 she was sold to Higashi Nihonkai Ferry, a subsidiary of Higashi Nihon Ferry, and was renamed LIBERTY BELL. She began service on the Wakkanai-Rishiri-Rebun line, where she remained until her sale to Saos Ferries in 2007. Until the ship was renamed SAONISOS in 2013, she was known as the LIBERTY B. Another view of the five passenger ferries that were docked in Lavrion, namely the MARMARI EXRESS, the MACEDON, the ARTEMIS, the AQUA STAR and the AQUA BLUE. The MARMARI EXPRESS, the MACEDON and the ARTEMIS seen together in Lavrion. Another view of the SAONISOS near the exit of the port of Lavrion. Even during her short spell on the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki line, her service was not as successful as that of the ex-SAOS II. She did not undergo an extensive conversion, despite the latter lasting five years. The SAONISOS seen in Lavrion, with her future remaining uncertain. The AQUA BLUE seen docked in Lavrion, where she had been laid-up for more than a month after her engine failure prematurely ended her season. This had been her second year on the Lavrion-Chios Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, which she had taken over from the legendary EXPRESS PEGASUS of Hellenic Seaways , which was sold for scrap to Turkey two months ago, after spending a year laid-up in Perama after her accident in Kasos . The AQUA BLUE first began operations under Sea Jets in 2018, when she served the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Heraklion line. She then spent the 2019 season on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line, before moving to her current service in 2020. Another view of the AQUA BLUE in Lavrion, as she is seen docked next to her fleetmate, the AQUA STAR. Before joining Sea Jets, she had already experienced an eventful career on the Greek coastal service. Built in Japan in 1975, she was bought by ANEK Lines in 1990 and initially entered service in 1991 as the KYDON on the Adriatic Sea, following a year-long conversion in Perama. Four years later, she underwent a second conversion in Perama, during which she was renamed TALOS. In 1999 she was sold to LANE Lines (which was rebranded as LANE Sea Lines in 2006) and was renamed IERAPETRA L. She made her debut on the Aegean Sea, being deployed on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline. In 2003 she was inserted on the Piraeus-Milos-Santorini-Heraklion-Agios Nikolaos-Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes-Castellorizon lifeline, which she continued to serve until 2008. That year, she was also deployed on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos lifeline on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She returned to ANEK Lines in 2009, and continued to serve the Cyclades and the Dodecanese. In 2012 she had a successful spell on Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line, but was withdrawn the following year without any given explanation. In 2014 she returned to the Adriatic Sea, being inserted on the Bari-Durrës line. However, after that season ended, she suffered a major fire accident while heading back to Perama for her annual refit. Despite her condition and her old age, she was acquired by Sea Jets in 2016, was repaired and renamed AQUA BLUE, and returned to service in 2018. Another view of the SAONISOS as she is seen laid-up in Lavrion. She became the second ferry in the history of the company to remain laid-up there, with the first one having been the EXPRESS LIMNOS (previously the PANAGIA TINOU 2 of Ventouris Sea Lines, and then the EXPRESS ATHINA of Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins, Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways), which was laid-up between 2008 and 2011 as a result of the financial difficulties experienced by Saos Ferries at the time. Before her arrest, she had been operating on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala-Thessaloniki line upon entering service for the company in 2007. After remaining in Lavrion for three years, she was for scrap to Turkey in late 2011. Towards 16:25, I happened to witness the first departure of a ship from Lavrion. It was that of the conventional ferry IONIS of Triton Ferries , which I had curiously not spotted while walking around the port. The IONIS seen departing the port of Lavrion. Built in 1977 in Greece, she has been owned by Triton Ferries since late 2017. This was her second season on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line, which she joined in 2020. Her addition there meant that the line had three permanent ships (in addition to the ARTEMIS and the CALDERA VISTA including the two islands on their inter-Cyclades itineraries) for the first time since 2008. A view of the IONIS, which has been a historic ferry with a lengthy career on the Ionian Sea. She began her career under Ionian Lines in 1977, and she usually connected the port of Patras with the Ionian Sea Islands and occasionally with Brindisi in Italy. Ionian Lines shut down operations in 1984, due to financial problems, and the ship went on to join the state-owned company Hellenic Coastal Lines in 1985. She remained on the Ionian Sea, but her new owners also failed to remain financially stable, and she was withdrawn from service in 1989. That same year, she joined Seven Islands Lines (later known as Lefkaditis Lines), and spent two years on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca-Paxoi-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, before being laid-up in Elefsina in 1991. She was subsequently bought by Tyrogalas Ferries (based in Zakynthos) in 1993, and she was fully refurbished before returning to service as a day ferry on the Ionian Sea. She then spent the next 22 years on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, while also beginning to serve the Kyllini-Kefalonia line in 2001. In 2015, due to strong competition on the Ionian Sea, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line on the Saronic Gulf, with her company trading under the Ionis Ferries brandname. The following year, Tyrogalas Ferries ceased operations and sold the ship to Leve Ferries, which deployed her exclusively on the Piraeus-Aegina line. However, after only one season, the IONIS was laid-up due to disagreements between Leve Ferries and Tyrogalas Ferries. After being laid-up in Salamina for the entire 2017, she was then sold to Triton Ferries, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, where she remained until 2020, when she moved to the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line. The IONIS seen departing the port of Lavrion, during her fourth season under Triton Ferries, and during the forty-fifth year of her long and successful career. All this time, she has notably kept the same name, hence making her one of the few ferries to have spent their entire career under one name (excluding the ships that were built more recently of course). The IONIS seen in Lavrion, as she leaves the port in order to head to Kea. Due to having spent a large portion of her career in Zakynthos, she became a notable part of my childhood, as I traveled with her several times between Kyllini and Zakynthos during the 2000s. The last time that I traveled onboard her was on 6 June 2014, hence seven years and two months before this picture was taken, while sailing from Kyllini to Zakynthos during her final season on the Ionian Sea. Despite also seeing her on the Saronic Gulf, which I also visit every summer that I spend in Greece, for two seasons, I did not have the chance to travel with her from Piraeus to Aegina. She is the only ship that I have so far seen in both Zakynthos and Aegina ever since I started going to both islands as a child. She remains one of my all-time favourite ferries. The IONIS seen as she departs Lavrion, during her second season on the Cyclades. When she operated under Tyrogalas Ferries on the Ionian Sea, her company was part of the now-defunct Ionian Ferries joint venture, which also included Zante Ferries and ANEZ, although the latter frequently left it twice due to financial issues. The IONIS was one of the three ships to have served Tyrogalas Ferries, together with the PROTEUS (which operated for them from 1973 to 2006 before joining ANES Ferries, for whom she continues to operate on the Sporades) and the IONIAN STAR, which has been known as the MARE DI LEVANTE of Levante Ferries since 2016. The ship had already been sold to the latter during the 2015 season, after which Tyrogalas Ferries formally left the Ionian Sea and the Ionian Ferries joint venture was dissolved. Instead, between 2015 and 2018, Levante Ferries and Zante Ferries operated under the Ionian Group joint venture. The IONIS seen as she is about to exit the port of Lavrion in order to head to Kea. Her current owners, Triton Ferries, have been present in the Greek coastal service since 2008, when they deployed the ferry PORFYROUSA on the Neapolis Voion-Kythira-Antikythira line. This service remains extremely successful, as it ensures the daily connection of Kythira and Antikythira with mainland Greece. In 2017, the company decided to buy the IONIS, after the two islands had been left without a ferry connection with Piraeus, due to the engine failure suffered by the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines , which had been serving the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline since 2011 (and the main islands of the lifeline since 2009). This was a major blow to a company that had already been experiencing severe financial problems. Unable to repair the ship, the company left the lifeline abandoned for the entire summer, and was eventually stripped of its operating license. The IONIS therefore became the successor of the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS (which was sold for scrap in 2020, following three years of lay-up in Salamina) after a brief refit in Perama in late 2017. This further strengthened the presence of Triton Ferries in both Kythira and Antikythira, as it provided two ships linking both islands with mainland Greece. The IONIS spent two full seasons on the lifeline, until the latter was taken over by the AQUA JEWEL of Sea Jets in 2020, after which she moved to her current service on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line. The IONIS seen exiting the port of Lavrion in order to head to Kea. The IONIS seen as she exits the port of Lavrion. Even though she is now 45 years old, she remains an impressive ferry and she has shown no signs of slowing down, thanks to the fact that her company looks after her and maintains her in a very good condition. And, of course, seeing her always reminds me of my childhood summers in Zakynthos. The IONIS seen exiting the port of Lavrion, during what was her sixth season on the Aegean Sea, after having previously spent 38 years on the Ionian Sea (three of which were under lay-up). The IONIS is seen passing by the SAONISOS as she exits the port of Lavrion. One last view of the legendary IONIS, as she is now sailing towards Kea. After witnessing the departure of the IONIS, I had to return back to the ferry terminal of Lavrion due to the poor weather conditions in the Southern pier of the port. I therefore took another picture of the MARMARI EXPRESS alongside the MACEDON and the ARTEMIS. A view of the veteran ferry AQUA STAR. Built in 1975 in Italy, she first arrived in Greece in 2017, after having been acquired by the Greek company Portucalence Shipping, which was renamed Hellenic Med Ferries in 2018. The ship arrived in Drapetsona and was renamed AEOLOS. With the duration of her conversion taking longer than expected, she was sent to Turkey, where her refit was completed in 2018. Despite this, she did not enter service for Hellenic Med Ferries. Instead, she was chartered to Atlântico Line for service on the Azores Islands Archipelago in 2019. She was renamed AZORES EXPRESS and began preparations in Perama. However, she was not ready in the time requested by the charterer, and this prevented her from going to the Azores. Later in the summer she was sent to operate on the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki line in response to the coastal shipping crisis caused by Saos Ferries, whose three ships (including the SAONISOS) all suffered engine failures. However, the AZORES EXPRESS was never able to complete her first trip, due to being too large to enter the port of Kamariotissa in Samothraki, hence adding an additional episode to the island's fiasco. She subsequently returned to Perama, where she remained laid-up for the next two years, until she was sold to Sea Jets in 2021. She is undergoing a more extensive conversion in Chalkida, as she is due to enter service on the Sporades for the 2022 season. More specifically, she is due to operate on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, and she will reportedly be renamed SPORADES STAR . Another view of the AQUA STAR, during her first season in Greece and under Sea Jets. This was also her only season on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line. About 40 minutes after the departure of the IONIS, I saw the MARMARI EXPRESS leaving the port in order to also head to Kea and Kythnos. The MARMARI EXPRESS seen leaving the port of Lavrion, during what was her seventeenth straight season on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line. A view of the MARMARI EXPRESS as she leaves the port of Lavrion. Built in 1985 in Japan, she spent the first 14 years of her career there, as the NARUO for the Japanese company Koshien Kosoku Ferry, before her sale to Karystia Lines, which is owned by the Alifrangis family. She underwent a conversion in Perama and she was deployed on the Rafina-Marmari under her current name in 1999. After her company acquired a second ship, the ARTEMISIA (which was sold in 2011 to Dodekanisos Seaways, for whom she still operates today as the PANAGIA SKIADENI), she moved to the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line. The MARMARI EXPRESS as she heads towards the exit of the port of Lavrion. The MARMARI EXPRESS seen as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Lavrion, where she would go on to meet the SAONISOS, which was also built in Japan. The MARMARI EXPRESS seen once more, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Lavrion. As I was walking back towards the ferry terminal of the port of Lavrion, I unfortunately missed out the departure of the ARTEMIS. However, I did witness that of the MACEDON, which was the third ship (out of the ones that I saw) that was due to head to Kea and Kythnos. The MACEDON seen leaving the port of Lavrion, where she has been a permanent figure since 2002. She is now 50 years old, and one of the oldest ferries of the Greek coastal service. She only spent four years in Japan, as she first arrived in Greece in 1976, and she spent her first season on the Preveza-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line on the Adriatic Sea as the EPIRUS II for the Greek company Epirus Line. The following year, she was transferred to Polemis Epirus Line, was renamed CHYRSSI AMMOS I, and began service on the Aegean Sea, where she has since been remaining. The MACEDON seen departing Lavrion in order to head to Kea and Kythnos. Her 45 years on the Aegean Sea make her one of the most experienced ships serving the area, and one of the longest-serving ships of the Greek coastal service. The MACEDON seen leaving in Lavrion. It is noteworthy to state that, despite her extremely long career on the Aegean Sea, she never operated in the area's main port, namely Piraeus. Indeed, during her years under Polemis Epirus Line and during her first stint under Goutos Lines, she was based in Rafina. During her stints under Nomicos Lines and Minoan Flying Dolphins, she was based in Agios Konstantinos and in Volos, while her second spell under Goutos Lines has seen her based in Lavrion. The MACEDON seen as she leaves the port of Lavrion, during yet another successful season for her on the Cyclades. One final view of the MACEDON, as she makes her way towards the exit of the port of Lavrion. After returning to the ferry terminal of Lavrion, I got to take better pictures of the AQUA STAR, which was due to leave the port during the evening, in order to head to the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands and Kavala. A view of the funnel of the AQUA STAR, which features the well-known logo of Sea Jets. The latter shows waves (which represent the 'Sea' in the company's name) which are completed by an uptick resembling to a jet taking off (which represents the other part of the company's name, namely the 'Jets'). The AQUA STAR seen resting in Lavrion. Before her arrival in Greece, she had a very successful career across Europe. More specifically, she operated for the French companies Angleterre Alsace Lorraine Société Anonyme de Navigation and SNCF, under the umbrella of the British conglomerate Sealink on the Channel, as the SAINT ELOI (1975-1989) and as the CHANNEL ENTENTE (1989-1990), before being sold to the Isle of Mann Steam Packet Company in 1990. Under the latter, she operated as the KING ORRY on the Liverpool-Heysham-Douglas line on the Irish Sea until 1998. That same year, she was sold to the Italian company Moby Lines, for whom she began service on the Piombino-Elba line in 1999 as the MOBY LOVE 2. In 2002 she was renamed MOBY LOVE, and she remained on the Piombino-Elba line until 2017, when she was sold to Portucalence Shipping. Another view of the AQUA STAR, which became the third conventional ferry of Sea Jets, after the AQUA JEWEL and the AQUA BLUE. It will be interesting to see how she will perform on the Sporades, after a relatively mediocre first season on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She will become the first conventional ferry of the company to operate there, and the third ship to be deployed on the area. Indeed, Sea Jets entered the Sporades during the 2021 season, when the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Mantoudi line was assigned to them. Initially, the SUPERRUNNER JET was operating there, but, following the engine failure of the AQUA BLUE, she was forced to replace her on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line. Sea Jets instead sent the CHAMPION JET 1 on the Sporades for the rest of the 2021 season. Another view of the AQUA STAR in the port of Lavrion, before her evening departure. The AQUA BLUE seen docked in Lavrion, shortly before her engines were repaired and her eventual return to service. One last view of the AQUA BLUE in Lavrion, as I then left the port in order to return to Athens. This therefore marked the end of my afternoon stay in the port of Lavrion, whereupon i witnessed the departures of several ships that were heading to Kea and Kythnos. This was a very nice experience for me, as I got to see two new ships for the first time in my life, including a Ro-Ro carrier performing an international service. I also had the chance to see ferries that had different backgrounds and career paths in Greece, with the vast majority of them having been in the country for several decades. Moreover, I also got to see two ferries that were part of my childhood summer stays in Greece, namely the IONIS and the ARTEMIS, in their current roles on the Cyclades. Seeing all of them operating for different companies proved that there was a nice level of competition in the port, and they gave the latter a very colourful atmosphere. The port of Lavrion is quite developed, and its role has continued to increase as the years go by. Its location is very convenient from a shipping perspective, however its accessibility remains limited as it requires an hour of driving from Athens, while bus trips last longer. The general belief is that the anticipated construction of a railway line linking it with Athens will contribute to the port's exposure and accessibility, and this could potentially mean an increase in services to the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea. We should see what the future holds. But even today, the port serves its role very well, and a walk around it is really enjoyable. As such, my second-ever visit there proved to be very memorable for me. I will definitely head back there in the next summer season, as I will undoubtedly see many ferries in that nice port again. #lavrion #summer2021 #greece #cyclades #northeastaegeansea #aegean #artemis #hellenicseaways #akritas #salamislines #saonisos #saosferries #macedon #goutoslines #aquastar #aquablue #seajets #seajetsferries #marmariexpress #karystialines #ionis #tritonferries

Trip: 29 July 2017. From Sifnos to Piraeus, via Serifos, with the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines . The high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER III was built in 1999 in Italy for the British conglomerate Sea Containers, alongside three other sister ships, two of which also went on to operate in Greece later in their careers. These four ships are part of what is known as the MDV 1200-class. Being the third vessel delivered to the company, she was initially named SUPERSEACAT THREE and was deployed on the Liverpool-Dublin line on the Irish Sea under the SuperSeaCat brandname. In 2000 she was transferred to the Liverpool-Douglas line. In 2001 she operated on the Calais-Dover line on the Channel, while in 2002 she returned to the Liverpool-Dublin line. In 2003, she joined her sister ship, namely the SUPERSEACAT FOUR, on the Baltic Sea, after being chartered to Silja Line, but still operating under the SuperSeaCat subsidiary. She was deployed on the Tallinn-Helsinki line. In 2007 she collided with the TALLINK AUTOEXPRESS 2 of the Estonian company Tallink in Tallinn, but was repaired and returned to service immediately afterwards. With SuperSeaCat beginning to experience financial difficulties and eventually going out of business, she was sold to Greek company Aegean Speed Lines (which only owns high speed craft) in 2008, along with the SUPERSEACAT FOUR, and both ships were renamed SPEEDRUNNER III and SPEEDRUNNER IV , respectively. Aegean Speed Lines was a company founded through a collaboration between Sea Containers and the Greek shipowner Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis, whose family is from Sifnos. The company was founded in 2005, and its first ship was the Incat-built SPEEDRUNNER I (ex-HOVERSPEED GREAT BRITAIN for Hoverspeed and SeaCat, which were both subsidiaries of Sea Containers), which was deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Paros line. After two successful years, the company acquired another high speed ferry, the larger, faster SPEEDRUNNER II, which had been built in the same shipyard as the SPEEDRUNNER III and the SPEEDRUNNER IV three years earlier, and which had several similarities with the latter, as she is considered to be the ship preceding the MDV 1200-class. The company soon began to expand its services on the Cyclades, serving islands such as Syros, Mykonos, Naxos or Santorini. The SPEEDRUNNER I was sold in 2008 to Panagiotopoulos Shipping, and the company decided to replace her with the incoming SPEEDRUNNER III and SPEEDRUNNER IV for the following summer. After the completion of the 2008 season on the Baltic Sea, the two newly-acquired high speed craft went to Poland for conversion, arriving in Greece right before the start of the summer of 2009. That year, the SPEEDRUNNER III was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the SPEEDRUNNER IV was deployed on the company's main service, namely the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros line. After a good first season, the SPEEDRUNNER III was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos line in 2010. She continued on that same line in 2011, but suffered a major engine failure which caused her to miss many months of service. This, combined with the impact the Greek financial crisis had on her company, saw her laid-up for the entire 2012 season (as did her fleetmate, namely the SPEEDRUNNER II) in Elefsina, with her sister ship being the sole ship operating, on the restricted Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. She was repaired, however, and returned to service in 2013 instead of her sister ship, being deployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line, where she also stayed during the 2014 season. That year, the SPEEDRUNNER IV returned to service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line, though this service lasted one season only, as she was then redeployed on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line for the 2015 season. In the meantime, the SPEEDRUNNER II was sold to the Venezuelan company Naviera Paraguaná. The SPEEDRUNNER III, as a result was chartered to the Moroccan company Navline and was deployed on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line, with no significant success. In 2016 she was chartered to Levante Ferries, and operated, under the Ionian Group joint venture, on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, thus being the first high speed craft to operate on the line and on the Ionian Sea since 2001, when the late JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries lastly operated. Her charter ended after the 2016 summer season, and she returned to Aegean Speed Lines after the company sold the SPEEDRUNNER IV to Golden Star Ferries, which became the SUPERRUNNER and was deployed on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The SPEEDRUNNER III was deployed once again on the Western Cyclades in 2017, operating on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos line. Despite her constant shifts in deployment on the Cyclades, the SPEEDRUNNER III has been considered by many as a vital high speed craft for the area, and particularly for the Western Cyclades where she has been operating for three different summers (2013, 2014 and 2017). In each one of these summers, she has also been the ship that symbolically transported the well-known icon of Panagia Chrysopigi to its namesake monastery in Sifnos the day the patron Holy Virgin of the island celebrates, during an emotional and festive celebration. Moreover, she is credited with providing additional high speed service during the spring, summer, and fall, when the demand for passengers in these islands increases, and with the ferries of rival company Zante Ferries not being enough to supply all of them. Aegean Speed Lines has maintained a strong presence in the area ever since their debut season in 2005, with the Western Cyclades line being the only one the company has served each summer in its history (even during the 2011-2013 period when it was forced to abandon its other lines due to the problems caused by the Greek economic crisis). With the SPEEDRUNNER IV also having much success on the line while being owned by Aegean Speed Lines, Western Cyclades residents immediately went on to appreciate the sister ship SPEEDRUNNER III. 2017 marked her first return to the Aegean Sea after her charters in 2015 and 2016 respectively, and she returned to the Western Cyclades for the first time since 2014, though in that season the smaller islands of Kimolos, Folegandros and Sikinos were added as an extension to the already-existing Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The SPEEDRUNNER III in Piraeus, four days before my trip with her. So this is a general summary of the ship and her company. Now it is time for me to talk about the trip I had with her. Indeed, it marked my third trip on a high speed craft, the first one being on the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets on 12 July 2015 , and the second one being on 14 July 2017 (15 days before my trip with the SPEEDRUNNER III) with her sister ship, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED of Hellenic Seaways . It was also my first-ever trip with a ship owned by Aegean Speed Lines. Furthermore, she became the second out of the three sister ships of the MDV 1200-class that operate in Greece on which I would go on to travel with, the last one being the current SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries (and ex-SPEEDRUNNER IV). It was my third trip returning from a Cyclades island to Piraeus, and my first one when leaving the island of Sifnos. I had previously stayed for four days with my family on that island, having arrived on 26 July with the ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS of Zante Ferries . Upon arriving at the port of Kamares in Sifnos, I spotted the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS maneuvering and unloading passengers. A view of the great ADAMANTIOS KORAIS, on which I had traveled three days earlier. She began her service on the Western Cyclades the same year during which the SPEEDRUNNER III was deployed in Greece. Indeed, since 2009, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. The ADAMANTIOS KORAIS in Sifnos, loading vehicles. Five minutes after the arrival of the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS, at around 12:10, the SPEEDRUNNER III began to approach the port of Sifnos. The SPEEDRUNNER having arrived directly from Milos and now heading towards the port of Sifnos. The SPEEDRUNNER III heading towards the Eastern part of the port in order to maneuver safely and far from the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS. The SPEEDRUNNER III soon beginning to maneuver. The SPEEDRUNNER III, during her first summer back with Aegean Speed Lines and on the Western Cyclades since 2014. The SPEEDRUNNER III almost ready to maneuver. The SPEEDRUNNER III shortly before maneuvering. As the SPEEDRUNNER III approaches Sifnos, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS begins to depart the port. Both ships are not only competitors between them, they are the two most important ships on the Western Cyclades, and are both much-acclaimed by passengers for their services. The ADAMANTIOS KORAIS leaving Sifnos in order to head towards Milos. The SPEEDRUNNER III begins to maneuver. The SPEEDRUNNER III maneuvering while the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS leaves Sifnos. The SPEEDRUNNER III undergoing her quick maneuvering procedure. The SPEEDRUNNER III maneuvering in Sifnos. One of the two funnels of the SPEEDRUNNER III. It is painted in dark blue (one of her company's colours) and features the company's logo in white, which represents two horizontal waves heading upwards in the end. The SPEEDRUNNER III having maneuvered and beginning to dock in Sifnos. The stern of the SPEEDRUNNER III as she is ready to dock in Sifnos. In the meantime, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS has began to head towards Milos. We immediately embarked and found our respective seats. As it was the case with her sister ship, the HELLENIC HIGHSPEED, the SPEEDRUNNER III mainly features aircraft-style seats. A view of the Economy Class area, featuring only aircraft-style seats. The ship's onboard shop, called the Sea Drops Gift Shop. The stern area of the Economy Class area, also featuring aircraft-style seats. A view of the smaller Business Class area, located a deck above the Economy Class area, also featuring aircraft-style seats. The back of the Economy Class deck, with wider space and some lounges, followed by aircraft-style seats next to the windows. Several posters depicting the ship's destinations are located on her walls. This one shows the Chrysopigi monastery, which is one of the most important in Sifnos. The ship has a special connection with it, as, once a year, she transports the icon of Panagia Chrysopigi there, in the midst of huge and very traditional celebrations. The outdoor area of the ship, accessible to passengers, located in the stern. The Greek flag on the ship's stern. We had now began to leave Sifnos. Leaving the pier of the port of Kamares, as it is called in Sifnos. A view of the houses next to the port. Leaving the Sifnos strait. Only fifteen minutes later, Sifnos was very far from us, as we began to head towards Serifos. Unlike her sister ship, the SPEEDRUNNER III offers the chance to passengers to stay in the outdoor areas while the ship is traveling, which fortunately gave me the chance to spend the entire trip outdoors. After only fifty minutes, we were already in Serifos, in the port located in the town Livadi. A view of Serifos, where the SPEEDRUNNER III quickly maneuvered and began to unload some passengers and some vehicles. After five minutes of loading passengers and vehicles, we immediately left for our final destination: Piraeus. After an hour, we began to see the Attica coast. There I spotted the BLUE STAR PAROS of Blue Star Ferries , which had departed Piraeus. Built in 2002, the BLUE STAR PAROS is one of the best ferries in the Greek costal service. 2017 was her second season on the Dodecanese lifeline, where she began operating after the departure of her fleetmate, the DIAGORA S . In 2017, with the addition of Paros and Naxos to her itinerary, she was on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Astyapalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Castellorizon line. The BLUE STAR PAROS heading towards her namesake island, as part of her very long itinerary which was vital, for the second straight summer, to the residents of the Dodecanese Islands. Another view of the BLUE STAR PAROS. After an hour, we finally began to approach the port of Piraeus. As we started to enter the port, the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins (which, despite having a similar name with the owners of the SPEEDRUNNER III, does not have any connection with the latter) was seen arriving as well. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA approaching the port of Piraeus. Owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, she has been on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011. The cruise ship OCEANA of British company P&O Cruises, moored at the entrance of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA beginning to enter the port of Piraeus. While the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA began to enter the port of Piraeus, her Saronic Gulf rival, the FLYING DOLHIN XVIII of Hellenic Seaways began to exit, passing by the OCEANA. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII exiting the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA having lowered her speed upon entering Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII preparing to travel at full-speed towards the Saronic Gulf. In front of us was the well-known floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, a former Liberty ship present in Piraeus since 2008. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA following us from right behind. As soon as the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII left, two other ships were also heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The first one was the small passenger boat SALAMIS EXPRESS I of Salamis Express , which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The second ship was the high speed catamaran SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was deployed on the Western Cyclades, just like the SPEEDRUNNER III. For 2017, she was on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line. The SUPER JET beginning to depart Piraeus. The SALAMIS EXPRESS I and the SUPER JET leaving Piraeus together. Another view of the SALAMIS EXPRESS I and the SUPER JET leaving Piraeus together. The SUPER JET and the SALAMIS EXPRESS I heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen from right behind. The SUPER JET heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, during her second straight summer operating on the Western Cyclades. The SALAMIS EXPRESS I heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, in what was also her second straight season on her respective line (and sixth overall in her career, which began in 1997). The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA following us. The SUPER JET exiting Piraeus. A view of the cruise ship AEGEAN QUEEN of Turkish company Etstur. She was previously the ORIENT QUEEN and later the LOUIS AURA of Louis Hellenic Cruises (now Celestyal Cruises). Since 2016 she has been left out of her company's plans, but found a role in 2017 as she was chartered by Etstur for the summer season. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. In front of us, another ferry was departing. This time, it was the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries , which was heading towards the island of Aegina on the Saronic Gulf. The POSIDON HELLAS in the twentieth summer of her career, with all of them spent on the Saronic Gulf. The POSIDON HELLAS has been operating for 2way Ferries since 2015, after she was sold to them by Hellenic Seaways. The owner of 2way Ferries, Papaïoannidis, previously operated the ship from 1998 (the year her construction was finished) to 1999, when she was taken over by Hellenic Seaways' predecessors, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins. The POSIDON HELLAS heading towards the exit of the port of Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS leaving Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA heading towards her docking spot in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS leaving the port of Piraeus. She serves the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line. On the left side of our docking spot was the cruiseferry BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries . The BLUE STAR PATMOS was built in 2012 and has been operating on the Cyclades on a permanent basis since the 2015 summer season. I had traveled with her 19 days before our trip with the SPEEDRUNNER III, marking my first trip in Greece for the 2017 season . Another view of the POSIDON HELLAS. As well as of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. And another one of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, shortly before our maneuvering procedure and docking. The SPEEDRUNNER III maneuvered in her usual docking spot, at the E7 gate. This therefore marked the end of my trip with the ferry, as she stopped in Piraeus in order to rest, just a few hours before her second round trip to the Western Cyclades, which is performed in the afternoon and evening during the months of July and August. As I was able to be outside for the entire duration of the trip, I found my experience with the SPEEDRUNNER III very satisfying, with the ship being fast, efficient and comfortable while at sea. It was a very pleasant trip which concluded my stay in Sifnos, and the end of my visits to the Cyclades for that summer, as I would then go on to spend time at my two main islands: Zakynthos and Aegina. #speedrunneriii #aegeanspeedlines #summer2017 #greece #cyclades #sifnos #serifos #piraeus #adamantioskorais #zanteferries #bluestarparos #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #flyingdolphinxviii #hellenicseaways #salamisexpressi #salamisexpress #superjet #seajets #posidonhellas #2wayferries #tribute

Trip: 7-8 July 2015. From Piraeus to Santorini, via Syros, Paros, Naxos and Ios, with the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries . The cruiseferry BLUE STAR PATMOS was ordered in 2009 by the Greek company Blue Star Ferries, along with her sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR DELOS . They were due to be built in the Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Shipyard in South Korea, where the company had previously ordered three successful sister ships, namely the BLUE STAR ITHAKI, the BLUE STAR NAXOS and the BLUE STAR PAROS , between 2000 and 2002. The BLUE STAR DELOS was completed in 2011, and she began service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, while the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which was initially supposed to operate on the Dodecanese, was completed in 2012, and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea. There, she successfully competed against the ships of NEL Lines (eventually forcing the company to remove its services from their main service, which they had been serving since 1973) and against the NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways . In late 2014, following the sale of the BLUE STAR ITHAKI to the Canadian company Bay Ferries Limited, the BLUE STAR PATMOS was transferred to the company's services based on the Cyclades . After a few months of operations on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line left by her predecessor, she was then transferred to the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line. Blue Star Ferries later modified their service on the Cyclades, following the arrival of Superfast Ferries (the other member of Attica Group of which Blue Star Ferries is also a member) and their flagship, namely the SUPERFAST XII , on the Dodecanese. The BLUE STAR DELOS maintained her morning departure from Piraeus to Paros, Naxos and Santorini, while the BLUE STAR PATMOS would also operate on the same service during the afternoon and during the evening along with additional calls to Syros and Anafi. She was also deployed on the Lesser Cyclades along with the BLYE STAR NAXOS, operating in Paros, Naxos, Santorini and the islands of Donousa, Amorgos and Astypalaia. Her service was very successful, having made a successful shift from the Northeast Aegean Sea, with her previous service having been taken over by the larger BLUE STAR 1 . As of 2015, she is still the youngest cruiseferry in Greece. Furthermore, she notably received the 'Best Ferry in the World' award in 2013 by Shippax, which is one of the most prestigious accolades that can be given to a ferry . During the summer of 2015 my family decided to go on a trip to Santorini for five days. We had planned to leave Piraeus in the morning with the BLUE STAR DELOS, but a change in our schedule forced us to instead travel with her sister ship, namely the BLUE STAR PATMOS, during the evening. As such, we would be leaving Piraeus at 17:30 and in order to arrive in Santorini at 02:30 the following day, after first stopping by four other islands of the Cyclades, namely Syros, Paros, Naxos and Ios. This post is therefore my first-ever Tribute Post on this Blog. Such posts will cover in full detail a trip that I had with a particular ship (usually my first-ever trip with her or my first trip with her since the website was launched), her history and services, as well as the different ports that she would call during this trip. There are many more that will be written very soon, so stay tuned! The great BLUE STAR PATMOS in Piraeus, seen from the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins , four days before traveling with her for the first time. Apart from it being my third trip of the 2015 season, following the first two that I had on 3 July 2015 while going towards and heading back from Aegina in one day , this trip was historical for me as I was heading to Santorini and the Cyclades for the first time in my life. Indeed, it was my first-ever trip from Piraeus to the Cyclades, my first-ever trip leaving from Piraeus in order to go to an island that was not part of the Saronic Gulf, my first-ever trip with a cruiseferry on the Aegean Sea, my first-ever trip with a ferry owned by Blue Star Ferries, and my first-ever overnight trip on the Cyclades and on the Aegean Sea as a whole. Moreover, it was my first-ever trip with a ship of the Greek coastal service built in the 2010s. We arrived in Piraeus an hour before our planned departure at 17:30 on 7 July 2015. This gave me the chance to show the ship to my family. Even though it was the first time I ever boarded her, I had seen many pictures of her indoor areas in websites and forums dedicated to the Greek coastal service and the Greek Shipping magazine 'Efoplistis'. Therefore, I already knew what they would look like in real-life. The majestic bow of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, a few moments before I embarked onboard her. The font used for the word 'PATMOS' is similar to the one used by Blue Star Ferries on their ships that bear the name of an island, with the latter being written in italics. The ship has a total of 9 decks. Decks 1 to 5 are dedicated to the ship's garage and engine rooms, whereas Decks 6, 7 and 8 are dedicated to the passenger areas, and Deck 9 to the ship's bridge. Deck 6 is the one that greets passengers once they have reached the end of the escalators leading them from the garage to the passenger accommodation areas. There, one can note the reception desk which is primarily used for passengers that have booked cabins for the duration of the trip. The sign seen above the escalators leading from the garage to Deck 6. It displays the Aegean Sea, and features a message saying 'Thank you for sailing with us!' both in Greek and in English. At the bottom right corner, one can also see the company's name, logo, slogan and status as a member of Attica Group. The reception sign near the reception desk, written with gold letters. The 'Welcome' sign located right next to the reception desk. It is made out of yellow 3D-printed letters laying on the floor. The BLUE STAR DELOS also has them. Right behind the reception desk is the Economy Class Lounge area and bar. The lighting on the walls and the central column was designed by the lighting manufacturing company Artemide, and it notably changes colours every few seconds. A view of the Economy Class Lounge area column, with its lighting switching from turquoise to light green. The hall leading to the area where the passenger aircraft-style seats are located. The lighting on this wall was also designed by Artemide. Similarly to the column seen previously, the lighting on the wall also changes colours. At the end of the hall seen in this picture is the Business Class Lounge area, which is towards the front section of the ship. A view of the ship's arcade and computer zone. The very comfortable passenger aircraft-style seats, located on the port side of the ship. When heading back towards the stern section, one of the two hallways features the ship's onboard shop. It is operated by Hellenic Travel Shops, as it is the case with all ships owned by Blue Star Ferries. The ship's kid's corner area, which is decorated with advertisements from the telephone service company Vodafone, which is a longtime partner of Attica Group. Apologies for the poor quality of this picture. The other side of the Economy Class Lounge area, which has a circular wall featuring a goldfish under water. The BLUE STAR DELOS is known to have green frogs in her respective area. Another view of the Economy Class Lounge area, which features few chairs and tables centered around the circular wall. Next to them is an ATM machine, as well as a deckplan. The corner of the Economy Class Lounge area, located right next to the exit that leads to the stern outdoor deck. It features more tables and chairs in the style of a canteen, and the wall in the background is coloured in cyan blue, while also featuring a small yellow airplane, similar to those that operated in the first half of the 20th century. Another view of the 'canteen' section of the Economy Class Lounge area, later at night. The outdoor aft section sun deck area on Deck 6, which has several chairs and tables for passengers wishing to stay outside throughout the trip. The sun deck area also features a bar operated by Flocafé. It was closed at the time, and it only opened after the ship departed Piraeus. Like all outdoor bars operated seen on ships owned by Blue Star Ferries, this Flocafé bar serves coffee, soft drinks, juices and snacks. Another view of the outdoor sun deck area, which was soon filled with many passengers as the ship started to leave the port of Piraeus. I proceeded to walking over from Deck 6 to Deck 7, which also has an outdoor alley leading passengers from the aft section to the front section of the ferry. This is the port side alley. Next to it are two of the four main lifeboats of the ship. Deck 7 is known to feature many of the ship's cabins. She has much more than the BLUE STAR DELOS does, as the latter was built primarily as a day ferry. On the contrary, the BLUE STAR PATMOS was built in order to perform longer-distance services (initially on the Dodecanese, although she ultimately headed to the Northeast Aegean Sea during the first three seasons of her career), which would logically require overnight trips. The cabins were of course a major necessity when she was operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, which required overnight trips. Since the BLUE STAR PATMOS moved to the Cyclades, they have not been as prominent, although the fact that she serves most islands from Piraeus in the evening and during night time encourages several passengers to continue using them. The alley leading to the staircase which connects Deck 6 with Deck 7. It is built under the standard design found on most modern cruiseferries. After getting to meet the ship and her exceptional amenities, decorations and luxurious areas, it was time for us to begin the long trip to Santorini. We left the E7 gate, which is where the Blue Star Ferries ships that are deployed on the Cyclades dock in Piraeus. It was 17:30, and we departed for the first stop of the trip, namely Syros. Next to us was the historic ferry PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines . She was unfortunately laid-up, as her owners experienced severe financial difficulties which prevented them from paying the salaries of the ship's crew, which responded by permanently arresting the ferry. It was her first summer under that name, as she was previously known as the AGIOS GEORGIOS under Ventouris Sea Lines from 2004 to 2015. She had been operating on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line from 2005 to 2014. Next to the PANAGIA TINOU was another Greek coastal service veteran. Indeed, it was the KRITI I of ANEK Lines , which was spending her first season on the Piraeus-Chania line. Next to the KRITI I and the PANAGIA TINOU was a fleetmate of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, most specifically the BLUE HORIZON . Owned by Blue Star Ferries since the latter was established in 2000, she was spending her second consecutive season on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. In front of us was the high speed ferry SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines , which was resting in the port of Piraeus. Built in 1999 and owned by Aegean Speed Lines since late 2008, she spent the 2015 season on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. The previous year, she served the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line, after having been laid-up in the Elefsina Bay during the entire 2013 season. As we began departing the port, we started passing by the cruiseferry FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which also operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, whereupon she competes against the BLUE HORIZON. A view of the BLUE HORIZON, the KRITI I and the PANAGIA TINOU together in Piraeus. Next to the SPEEDRUNNER IV was the high speed ferry HIGHSPEED 6 of Hellenic Seaways , a few moments after she had just docked in Piraeus. She operates on the Piraeus-Ios-Santorini line, while also making evening trips on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos line twice a week. She has performed both services since 2013. The FESTOS PALACE seen docked in Piraeus, with the BLUE HORIZON spotted right behind her. By continuing to move towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I could now see the E8 gate, which is where ships serving the Saronic Gulf dock. There, I saw the great IONIS of Ionis Ferries , which was operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line for the first time in her career. Before that, under Tyrogalas Ferries (which has been operating as Ionis Ferries since 2015), she was an established ferry on the Ionian Sea, serving the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and the Kyllini-Kefalonia line with tremendous success from 1993 to 2015, before coming to the Saronic Gulf. Right next to her was the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which has been serving the Saronic Gulf since 2005. She also operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line, under the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which includes her company and 2way Ferries). Next to the two ferries, I got to see two catamarans owned by Hellenic Seaways, namely the FLYINGCAT 6 and the FLYINGCAT 1 . Both serve the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYINGCAT 1 is seen resting in Piraeus. Built in 1991, she has spent the entirety of her career on the Saronic Gulf, although she served different operators. These included Ceres Flying Dolphins (1991-1999) which introduced the 'Flyingcat' brandname, which was continued by the ship's subsequent operators Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (1999-2005), before they became known as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYINGCAT 1 is currently the high speed craft with the most experience in the Greek coastal service, if we exclude hydrofoils and inactive high speed craft. The FLYINGCAT 6 is a sister ship of the FLYINGCAT 1, although she was built six years after her. She has been in Greece since 2004, when she was bought alongside her sister ship, namely the FLYINGCAT 5 , by Hellas Flying Dolphins. They entered service on the Sporades in 2005, when their company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways. This is her second season on the Saronic Gulf, as she had also operated there in 2013. We were about to exit the port of Piraeus, whereupon we passed by two gigantic cruise ships resting in the port. One of them was the newly-built MEIN SCHIFF 3 of the German company TUI Cruises, which was performing her debut season on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea with Piraeus as her home port. The MEIN SCHIFF 3 seen docked, along with a small bunkering tanker is leaving Piraeus. The other gigantic cruise ship that I spotted was the CELEBRITY REFLECTION of the American company Celebrity Cruises. The company was previously owned by the Greek Chandris family, and it formerly traded as Chandris Lines. The CELEBRITY REFLECTION is the fifth and final ship of the Solstice-class that had been ordered by Celebrity Cruises between 2005 and 2007, and which were delivered between 2008 and 2012. As such, the CELEBRITY REFLECTION was built in 2012, just like the BLUE STAR PATMOS. As we were leaving Piraeus, I saw a tiny ship preparing to enter the port. It was the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels , which is a small passenger ship connecting Piraeus with Salamina in just 45 minutes. She has been operating under that capacity since she was built in 1997. While GEORGIOS BROUFAS is seen entering the port of Piraeus, we had just exited and we were now beginning to sail in the open sea. I stayed in the outdoor area for the entire trip, as it was the first time I would see the Cyclades with my own eyes. While traveling, we passed by the NORWEGIAN JADE of Norwegian Cruise Lines, which had also just left Piraeus. After two hours, we had sailed past the coast of Attica. I could then see the port of Lavrion from a very far distance, as well as the island of Makronisos. We then passed by the passage separating the islands of Kea and Kythnos. This therefore marked my first-ever appearance on the Cyclades. After having only seen it in pictures and in videos, I was now sailing in this wonderful area for the first time in my life. A lighthouse spotted in one remote cape in Kea. Passing by the island of Kea, which is served by passenger ferries operating from Lavrion and Kythnos, as well as Ro-Ro carriers and landing craft based in Elefsina. Near the strait separating Kea from Kythnos, I spotted the high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 2 of Sea Jets on her way towards Piraeus. Built in 1996, she was spending her debut summer in Greece after having been bought by Sea Jets in late 2014. She was previously the CONDOR EXPRESS of the French company Condor Ferries. This was a notable scene, as it was the first time that I ever saw this ship. The CHAMPION JET 2, in what was her first summer in Greece under Sea Jets. Having been bought in December 2014 alongside her sister ship, namely the CHAMPION JET 1 , she was deployed on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line in 2015. Her first season on the Cyclades was considered successful, and she notably contributed to the ever-continuing rise of Sea Jets across the Greek coastal service over the past three years. After an hour, sunset began. We had passed by Kea and we were a few minutes away from Syros. The sun having completely disappeared, with magnificent colours flying over the Cyclades. The island of Syros seen right in front of us. A first view of Hermoupolis, which is the capital of Syros, as well as of the Cyclades and of the South Aegean administrative region. Hermoupolis logically serves as the main port of the island of Syros, and it features the well-known Neorion Shipyard, which is amongst Europe's oldest active shipyards. I was disappointed to see the port during the evening, as it is more beautiful during the daylight, but I am sure that I will have the opportunity to do so another time. Another special moment was when, right after we had docked, local inhabitants entered the ship to serve us loukoumi and other traditional sweets from the island. The port of Hermoupolis in Syros, featuring the Neorion Shipyard and its well-known drydocks. One of the piers at the corner of the port, with Hermoupolis seen in the background. The famous Neorion Shipyard, which was closed at the time due to financial issues. The ship seen on the drydock remained there until August. Another view of the main Neorion Drydock. The port of Syros, seen featuring several traveling agencies, and the Cycladic-style houses in the background. After leaving Syros we went to eat at the ship's self-service restaurant area. There was a delicious steak, along with excellent pasta. Blue Star Ferries has a reputation for its good cuisine. After dinner, I went outside to watch the Cyclades at night. Due to the darkness, the only things I could see were distant yellow lights, meaning that we were close to the other islands. After two hours we arrived in Paros, reaching its well-known port, namely Paroikia. Lorries from Paros ready to take their containers from the ferry, as it is the tradition in Greece. The Church of Agios Nikolaos seen in Paroikia in Paros. After leaving Paros, we reached the island of Naxos within an hour, as the latter is located right next to the former. The port of Naxos is located in the main town of Naxos, known as the Chora. The latter name is used by several other islands, and in particular on the Cyclades, to refer to their main town. I also thought that it was a good idea to take a picture of the ultra-modern funnel of the BLUE STAR PATMOS, which is illuminated at night. Its design is very similar to the one that is seen in most Greek cruiseferries built from the late 1990s to the early 2010s. After leaving Naxos, we had two hours before reaching the port of Ios. The noise onboard the ship was pretty much non-existent, because many passengers had disembarked in the previous islands, while others were in their cabins. Also, the restaurant, the self-service, the shops and the arcade rooms were all closed. The silence was pretty relaxing, and I was happy to listen only to the sea and the ship's engines. The entrance to the bay of the port of Ios. Apologies for the poor quality of the picture. The port of Ios, also located in the island's Chora town. We arrived in Ios, through a bay that leads to a very small port. Only one ferry at the time can dock there due to capacity constraints, but since the BLUE STAR PATMOS was the only ferry during this time, we did not have any problem. But we were not alone. Indeed, I spotted the small high speed catamaran SUPER JET of Sea Jets , which was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. She would usually spend the night in Ios, then leave early the following morning to Santorini, before making her return towards the aforementioned islands and eventually reaching Rafina in the afternoon. The SUPER JET resting in Ios. She was spending her third consecutive season on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line. The SUPER JET seen resting in Ios. Built in 1995, she has been the first ship to have operated for Sea Jets, having joined the latter when it was established in 2004. Before that, she was known as the JET ONE of Aegean Jet Maritime from 2002 to 2004, and the latter company is considered to be the predecessor of Sea Jets. And before this stint, she also used to operate for Blue Star Ferries, having served under the now-defunct Blue Star Jets division as the SEA JET 1 from 2000 to 2002. There, she served along with her sister ship, namely the SEA JET 2 , which also went on to join Sea Jets in 2006. As such, it was nice to spot a ship previously owned by Blue Star Ferries while traveling onboard a ship owned by that very same company. After leaving Ios, we finally arrived in Santorini under just one hour. I saw some illuminated buildings in the mountains, and I realised that it was the famous village of Oia. We had made our way between Northern Santorini and the island of Thirassia. After a few minutes we had arrived in Thira (the main town of the island) at the port Athinios, as it is called in Santorini. It was 02:30, and we had spent exactly seven hours onboard the ship. The BLUE STAR PATMOS then left for Anafi. That's it! We made it! And Blue Star Ferries gave us a little souvenir, which was spotted at the back windshield of our car. As the trip came to an end, I clearly felt that my expectations had been met. Indeed, the BLUE STAR PATMOS is a fantastic ferry, which has a lot to offer to passengers for many more years, and she is a clear symbol of the modern fleet of the Greek coastal service. She moreover shows that great ships can be built despite the Greek financial crisis, which has adversely affected the Greek ferry industry. She operates at very high standards on a rather demanding service, and it was not a surprise to see her earn very positive feedback during her first season on the Cyclades, as it has also been the case for the BLUE STAR DELOS since the latter first began service there back in 2011. I look very much forward to traveling with her again in the future, either on the Cyclades or somewhere else on the Aegean Sea. There is no doubt that she will be successful in any place she goes to in Greece, and she will remain a major asset for her company for the years to come. #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #atticagroup #summer2015 #greece #cyclades #aegean #piraeus #syros #paros #naxos #ios #santorini #kea #bluehorizon #panagiatinou #ventourissealines #kritii #aneklines #speedrunneriv #aegeanspeedlines #festospalace #minoanlines #highspeed6 #flyingcat1 #flyingcat6 #hellenicseaways #ionis #ionisferries #phivos #novaferries #georgiosbroufas #broufasvessels #championjet2 #superjet #seajets #tribute

Trip: 28 July 2019. From Perama to Salamina, with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII of Panagia Glykofilousa NE . The impressive double-ended ferry GLYKOFILOUSA VIII was built in 2019 in Greece. She was delivered to the Greek company Panagia Glykofilousa NE, becoming the eighth ship to have been ordered by them. Besides being as modern and comfortable as her other two fleetmates, namely the GLYKOFILOUSA IV and the GLYKOFILOUSA V (both built in 2017), her design and her amenities are among the most unique in the Greek coastal service. She operates under the 'Think Green' campaign, which makes her one of the most environmentally-friendly ferries in Greece. She possesses automated engines consuming low amounts of sulphur, interior and exterior furnishing made out of wood coming from the Agion Oros area, and also features dozens of plants and trees in both indoor and outdoor areas. She began service on the Perama-Salamina line, immediately making an impact there thanks to her ecologic advantages. In order to explain to you how the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII was the eighth newbuilding of the company, as well as the seventh ship in the history of Panagia Glykofilousa NE to take the name 'GLYKOFILOUSA', I decided to introduce all the ferries the company has had since it was established in 2005. It has owned eight double-ended ferries, but only three of them operate for the company today. Panagia Glykofilousa NE is known for quickly selling their ferries to other companies (both Greek and foreign) just a few years after beginning to operate them. They however replace them immediately with newer ships. Thus, a cycle keeps repeating itself: Build, operate, sell, replace by another built ship, operate it, sell it, and so on. A similar policy is followed by companies like Tsokos Lines and Evia Ferries, to name a few. In order to avoid confusion and in order to provide you with a general overview of the fleet of Panagia Glykofilousa NE, here is an outline of all the ships that operate or that have operated for the company, and what their current status is as of March 2020: -The GLYKOFILOUSA (2005-2008): Built in 2005 as the first ship of the company, she operated on the Perama-Salamina line before being sold in 2008 to the Croatian company Jadrolinija. She has since been operating as the BOL on the Brestova-Porozina line. -The GLYKOFILOUSA II (2008-2015): Built in 2008 as the second ship of the company, she replaced the original GLYKOFILOUSA on the Perama-Salamina line, where she remained until 2015, when she was sold to the Russian company LLC Mortransservice. She was renamed MAJOR CHAPICHEV and she was deployed on the Kavkaz-Port Krym line. After the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge in 2018, she was sold to the Turkish company İstanbul Lines (also known as Negmar Denizcilik) in 2019. She is now operating on the Eskihisar-Gebze line as the AZIZIYE. -The GYKOFILOUSA III (2009-2014): Built in 2009 as a sister ship of the GLYKOFILOUSA II, she was inserted on the Perama-Salamina line. She was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2013, becoming the first ship in the history of the company to operate there. She returned to the Perama-Salamina line in 2014, but she was sold a few months later to the Russian company Aquamarine Developments. She was not renamed (but she was simply reflagged from Greece to Russia) and she operated on the Kavkaz-Port Krym line, connecting Russia with Ukraine through the Kerch Strait in the Crimean peninsula. After the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge in 2018, she was laid-up in Kerch in early 2019. She is rumoured to have been sold to the Croatian company Jadrolinija. -The FILOTHEOS (2011-2012): Built in 2011, she is so far the only ship in the history of the company to not have taken the 'GLYKOFILOUSA' name. She was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line, before being sold just a year later to the Greek company ANETH Ferries which is based in Thassos. She has since been operating on the Keramoti-Thassos line as the THASSOS II. -The GLYKOFILOUSA (2015-2016): The second ship to be named GLYKOFILOUSA (with no number next to her name), she was built in 2015 in order to replace the GLYKOFILOUSA II. She was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line, before being sold the following year to the Russian company LLC Mortransservice. She was renamed ELENA and she was deployed on the Kavkaz-Port Krym line. After the opening of the Kerch Strait Bridge in 2018, she was sold to the Mexican company Ultramar in 2019. She is now operating on the Cancún-Isla Mujeres line as the ULTRACARGA IV. - The GLYKOFILOUSA IV (2017-present): Built in 2017 in order to replace the GLYKOFILOUSA, she was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line. - The GLYKOFILOUSA V (2017-present): Built in 2017 as a sister ship of the GLYKOFILOUSA IV, she was also deployed on the Perama-Salamina line. -The GLYKOFILOUSA VIII (2019-present): Built in 2019 as the first ship of the 'Think Green' campaign, she was also deployed on the Perama-Salamina line. So here you go, you have all the information about each ferry in the history of Panagia Glykofilousa NE (for the time being). It is also noteworthy to state that all ferries currently operating for the company are part of the Agios Nikolaos Lines joint venture, for which they are assigned on the Perama-Salamina line as well as on the Rion-Antirrion line in the past. After having spent the first part of 28 July 2019 in Spetses, having headed there with the FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways and then returned to Piraeus with her fleetmate, namely the FLYINGCAT 6 , I was now planning to spend the late afternoon in Salamina in order to see and photograph various ships serving the island, with these primarily being the double-ended ferries that operate on the Perama-Salamina line. The latter happens to be the busiest service in the entire Greek coastal service, as, due to its small distance, it has one departure every five minutes at peak times during the day. It is also the line that has the most ships serving it, with more than 25 double-ended ferries and nine small passenger boats being deployed there. As you had also seen it during my trip with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels back on 3 July 2018, the section between Perama and Salamina is notable for featuring a handful of ships of the Greek coastal service. Therefore, I decided that this was a good opportunity to go and take many pictures in Salamina that day by traveling with the double-ended ferries that link the latter with Perama. With no small passenger ships operating directly from Piraeus as it was a Sunday, I headed from Piraeus to Perama by bus, and then headed to the latter's port. There I saw that the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII was the ship that was preparing to leave, and I decided to travel with her. As I did go to Salamina presumably by car back in 2000 (when I was just one year old), I do not remember whether I had traveled with a ferry operating on the Perama-Salamina line, although this could be a possibility. Therefore, my trip with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII was the first one with a ferry on the Perama-Salamina line that I happen to remember. It was also my first-ever trip with a ship of Panagia Glykofilousa NE, and my first-ever trip with an environmentally-friendly ship matching her standards. The GLYKOFILOUSA VIII docked in Perama, during her debut summer in Greece. The GLYKOFILOUSA VIII shortly before embarking onboard her. Her hull features the 'Think Green' campaign promoted by her company. As a result of her status as a 'green ferry', she had a different livery compared to that of the GLYKOFILOUSA IV and of the GLYKOFILOUSA V. Indeed, in contrast to the latter two's black and yellow design, she instead bore a light green and cyan livery. After boarding the ship, I could clearly see her wide open garage, which passes under her accommodation superstructure. She also has side ramps which allow the passengers to take the staircases that lead to the accommodation superstructure. Right above her garage area, one can see her name, written in Greek letters. The first deck of the accommodation superstructure. Just like most Greek-built open-type double-ended ferries, it has an indoor area that includes most of the ship's seats. The outdoor area also has some elevated wooden chairs and tables, which consist of a group of four seats located around one larger table. The middle deck of the accommodation superstructure, which has a wider outdoor area and the crew's cabins. But there was also a notable and innovative feature, namely that of multiple trees, bushes, plants and flowers decorating the entire outdoor area. Moreover, the wooden benches are said to have been made in the Agion Oros area. Another view of the ship's outdoor area, featuring numerous wooden benches and more plants surrounding them. A nice view of the ship's wooden benches, plants and flowers, making her look like she was a floating garden. Several bushes and flowers seen in the ship's outdoor area, right next to the reserve pile containing the ferry's life-rafts. The ship's garage seen from the first deck of the accommodation superstructure. The ship's garage seen from the middle deck of the accommodation superstructure, while also displaying her foremast (there is one at the other side of the ship, from which the ferry was loading passengers during that trip). After taking pictures of the ship's magnificent outdoor areas, it was now the time to have a quick look at her indoor area, located in the first deck of the accommodation superstructure. It featured a nice lounge area with several dark blue and olive green lounges. The indoor area also featured some plants, just like it was the case for the outdoor areas. Inside the lounge area, I also spotted an interesting poster hanging on the wall. It depicted the map of the world, with the continents made out of wood (presumably coming from the Agion Oros area), and the oceans and the seas being shown in a green artificial turf background. Next to the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, I spotted the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED of Golden Star Ferries , which was moored in Perama after her season was ended prematurely following a major engine failure that she suffered while docked in Naxos. The SUPERSPEED seen in Perama. She was bought by Golden Star Ferries in late 2017, becoming the company's second high speed craft and the first-ever passenger trimaran in the Greek coastal service. She was converted in Perama and in Salamina before entering service on the Sporades, namely on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line in 2018. The following year, she was deployed on the Cyclades, on the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos. However, her service there was not very successful and was marred by engine troubles, which ultimately ended her season earlier than scheduled. She is currently under repair in order to return to service for the 2020 season. The SUPERSPEED seen in Perama, following the completion of her second summer in Greece under Golden Star Ferries. The SUPERSPEED seen in Perama. She is one of the four high speed craft of Golden Star Ferries, with two of them being passenger-only ships, herself included. The other one is the small high speed catamaran SUPERCAT , which was acquired in 2018 and entered service in 2019 on the Piraeus-Milos-Folegandros-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line. The SUPERSPEED seen in Perama as the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII begins to leave the port. On the starboard side of the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, there were two other double-ended ferries operating on the Perama-Salamina line docked in Perama. One of them was the FANEROMENI of Panagia Faneromeni . The other one was the larger PROTOPOROS X of Tsokos Lines , which was built in 2017 and which has been operating on the Perama-Salamina line since then. The PROTOPOROS X and the FANEROMENI seen together in Perama. Coincidentally, both ships have operated for Tsokos Lines, as the FANEROMENI was the latter's first-ever ferry. Indeed, she was built in 2004 for them, as the PROTOPOROS, and was deployed initially on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf. She remained with them until 2010, when she was sold to Panagia Faneromeni. She has since been on the Perama-Salamina line (2010-2011, and since late 2014), while having also served the Megara-Salamina line from 2012 to 2014. One last view of the SUPERSPEED as the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII departs Perama at around 17:20. The PROTOPOROS X and the FANEROMENI seen docked in the port of Perama. Another view of the PROTOPOROS X, the FANEROMENI and the SUPERSPEED, all docked in Perama. The trip from Perama to Salamina is vey short, as it lasts just ten minutes. Salamina can already be seen as the ship departs Perama. From there, I saw the Ambelakia Shipyard, where the Ro-Pax ferry IONIAN SKY of Agoudimos Lines (and lastly operated by NEL Lines) had been laid-up since 2013. Built in 1974, the IONIAN SKY was finally sold for scrap to Turkey about two months ago , after having been laid-up since 2013, when she suffered a major engine failure while operating for NEL Lines. She operated in Japan from 1974 to 1998, before she was bought and converted in Perama by Strintzis Lines that same year. She was introduced on the Adriatic Sea as the IONIAN VICTORY, and she spent two seasons there under Strintzis Lines before the latter was acquired by Attica Group, resulting in the establishment of Blue Star Ferries, in 2000. The IONIAN VICTORY was transferred to the latter and she continued to operate on the Adriatic Sea as the BLUE SKY under the Blue Ferries, before she was sold to Agoudimos Lines in 2004. She was renamed IONIAN SKY and she was primarily deployed on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, except in 2008 when she was inserted on the Patras-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Bari line. Following her company's continuing economic difficulties in the early 2010s, her service was reduced, and she was arrested in Igoumenitsa in late 2012. She was then chartered to NEL Lines in 2013 for service on the Northeast Aegean Sea, but her spell under the troubled company was marred by engine failures, delays and canceled trips, and eventually her charter ended prematurely. She was laid-up in Salamina, as Agoudimos Lines had completely ceased operations. She remained there until heading for demolition in early 2020. The IONIAN SKY seen in Salamina, in what turned out to be her last summer in Greece, and my last-ever picture of the ship, as she was sold for scrap and left Salamina about two months ago. This concluded a 22-year-long career in Greece and a 46-year-long life overall. After passing by the IONIAN SKY, the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII was now heading for the port of Paloukia in Salamina, which is where the double-ended ferries and the small passenger ships dock. While sailing towards the latter, we passed by the SALAMINOMACHOS of Salaminomachos Lines , which was on her way towards Perama. The SALAMINOMACHOS seen heading from Salamina towards Perama. She was built in 2008, four years after the sale of her predecessor, which was a landing craft also named SALAMINOMACHOS. She has spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line, except in 2013 and since 2020, as in both occasions she was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line. Crossing the SALAMINOMACHOS as she heads towards Perama, during her sixth consecutive season operating on the Perama-Salamina line (and eleventh overall). It turned out to be her last one, as she was sent to operate on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2020. The SALAMINOMACHOS seen heading towards Perama, after having departed from Salamina. One last view of the SALAMINOMACHOS as she heads towards the port of Perama. A view of the Spanopoulos Drydock, alongside the Skaramangkas Drydock which is normally based in Elefsina, together in Ambelakia in Salamina. Next to the drydocks, one could see the infamous product tanker AGIA ZONI II of Fos Petroleum, which controversially sank on 10 September 2017 in the middle of the Saronic Gulf, causing a major oil spill in the area. She was refloated a month later and towed to Spanopoulos Shipyard, where she remains to date. The next double-ended ferry that I got to see was the DIMITRIOS P of Dimitrios P NE , which was also heading towards Perama after having left Salamina. The DIMITRIOS P heading towards Perama, in what was her twentieth consecutive summer on the Perama-Salamina line. Built in 2000, she was delivered shortly after her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the TELAMON . She is the fifth double-ended ferry built in the history of the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line so far. The DIMITRIOS P seen heading towards Perama. The veteran double-ended ferry on her way towards Perama. The DIMITRIOS P seen en route towards Perama. As the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII began to approach Salamina, the small port of Kamatero could be seen. There, I spotted the landing craft POSEIDONAS of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE , which was spending the entire summer of 2019 there. One last view of the DIMITRIOS P, on which I went on to travel for the first time just a few hours after my trip with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII . The POSEIDONAS seen laid-up in the small port of Kamatero in Salamina. Built in 2010, she operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf that summer as well as from 2012 to 2018, while she spent the 2011 season on the Rion-Antirrion line. After being replaced by her newly-built fleetmate, namely the ALKYON, she was taken out of service and she was reportedly sold overseas. This however did not happen, with the ship remaining in the small port of Kamatero in 2019. The POSEIDONAS docked in the port of Kamatero in Salamina. Around the same period of time as I had my trip with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, I learned that the ship had been sold for further service to the Saronic Ferries joint venture (which consists of Nova Ferries and 2way Ferries), and she is now being converted in Perama in order to begin service on the Saronic Gulf as the ANTIGONE . Another view of the POSEIDONAS, now known as the ANTIGONE, before she began her conversion under Saronic Ferries. As we began to approach the port of Paloukia in Salamina, I then spotted the fleetmate of the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, namely the GLYKOFILOUSA V , heading towards Perama. Built in 2017, hence two years before the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, the impressive GLYKOFILOUSA V became one of the largest and most modern double-ended ferries in Greece. She has been on the Perama-Salamina line since she was delivered to Panagia Glykofilousa NE. The GLYKOFILOUSA V on her way towards the port of Perama. The GLYKOFILOUSA V en route towards Perama. As I stated it earlier, her livery is completely different from that of the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, but almost the same as that of the GLYKOFILOUSA IV. The impressive port of Paloukia in Salamina, which features dozens of docked double-ended ferries. Another view of the port of Paloukia in Salamina, featuring several other double-ended ferries. I notably saw the SPYRIDON S of Sofras NE , which was built in 2016. She is now operating on the Rion-Antirrion line, having moved there in 2020. I then went on to see the ANNA MARIA of Gavanozis Shipping (on which I had traveled exactly a year and seven days before my trip with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, while heading from Oropos to Eretria via the South Evoian Gulf) and the PROKOPIOS M of Dimitrios P NE . Next to them was the double-ended ferry THEOLOGOS V II of Evia Ferries , which was built in late 2018, and she was therefore spending her first-ever summer on the Perama-Salamina line. The GLYKOFILOUSA V after having passed by her. She is seen heading towards Perama. One last view of the GLYKOFILOUSA V as she heads towards the port of Perama. At the North side corner of the port, I saw a trio of double-ended ferries, namely the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE , the GLYKOFILOUSA IV (the other fleetmate of the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII) and the APOSTOLOS M of Athinais Lines . A view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. Built in 2002, she began her career on the Rion-Antirrion line, where she remained until 2004. She then moved to the Perama-Salamina line, where she has been remaining since, except during the 2017 season, when she was sent to operate on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf. She then returned back to Perama-Salamina line. A view of the PROKOPIOS M, which is the third and youngest ship of Dimitrios P NE, as she was built in 2003. She has spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line, except in 2014 and since 2020, when she has been operating on the Rion-Antirrion line. The PROKOPIOS M seen in Salamina, as the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII is about to dock in the port of Paloukia, at around 17:30. This therefore marked the end of the short but eventful trip. The beautiful and impressive GLYKOFILOUSA VIII seen leaving Salamina for Perama thirty minutes after I had completed my trip with her. And this therefore marked the end of the very nice trip that I had with the newly-built GLYKOFILOUSA VIII. She is by far one of the most original double-ended ferries in Greece, as she has numerous amenities dedicated to the environment, thus making her one of the most eco-friendly ships in the Greek coastal service. She really appeared like if she was a floating garden, and her trip was very smooth and without a single vibration. I managed to see several ships operating on the Perama-Salamina line, as well as others that were docked in Salamina for other purposes. Overall, I was very satisfied to make my first trip on the line in recent memory with this wonderful and modern ferry. #glykofilousaviii #panagiaglykofilousane #agiosnikolaoslines #summer2019 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #perama #salamina #paloukia #ambelakia #shipyards #superspeed #goldenstarferries #faneromeni #panagiafaneromeni #protoporosx #tsokoslines #ioniansky #agoudimoslines #nellines #salaminomachos #salaminomachoslines #dimitriosp #prokopiosm #dimitriospne #poseidonas #farmakorisvilliotisne #glykofilousav #glykofilousaiv #spyridons #sofrasne #annamaria #gavanozisshipping #theologosvii #eviaferries #agioseleftheriosiv #feidiasne #apostolosm #athinaislines #tribute

Trip: 27 June 2021. From Milos to Kimolos, with the OSIA METHODIA of Kimolos Link . The landing craft OSIA METHODIA was built in 2019 in Greece, for the Greek company Kimolos Link. She was inserted on the Milos-Kimolos line on the Cyclades, where her company has been based since 2006. The Milos-Kimolos line is one of the many small local services found on the Cyclades, on which only a select number of small landing craft operate on a short-distance trip usually connecting a large island with a smaller and less populated one. Examples include the Paros-Antiparos line and the Santorini-Thirassia line. The Milos-Kimolos line is no exception, and hence daily ferry connections occur between the far larger and more touristic Milos with the more quiet and remote Kimolos. The landing craft however does not depart from the port of Adamantas in Milos, which is the island's main port. It instead leaves from the port of Apollonia, which is a beautiful coastal village located on the Northeastern part of Milos. The service was performed for many years with traditional small wooden boats, until a landing craft was first introduced in 1999. This was the veteran landing craft NISSOS KIMOLOS of Karamitsos Ferry Lines, which stayed there for five years before she left in 2004 in order to serve the Megara-Salamina line. She was replaced by the slightly larger landing craft LEFKAS of Antiparos NE, which had previously operated on the Ionian Sea under West Ferry from 1983 to 1996 before having a spell on the Paros-Antiparos line. The latter operated there for two years, before seeing her service being taken over by the far larger PANAGIA FANEROMENI, which had been bought by the newly-established Kimolos Link . This ship, built in 1993, had also previously been operating on the Paros-Antiparos line under Madalena I Shipping. Her entry to service was very successful, and she went on to have a 13-year-long spell before her company deemed that it was time to order a larger and more modern landing craft. To that end, the OSIA METHODIA was built and completed in 2019. Upon her introduction, the PANAGIA FANEROMENI was sold to the Guinea-Bissau-based company Consulmar Bissau and was renamed BIJAGÓS I. She has since been serving the Bissau-Enxudé-Bubaque line on the Bijagós Archipelago. With the history of both the vessel and her line described in depth, I can now speak about my trip with her. Indeed, this was my fourth trip for the 2021 summer season, which began in late June as I had completed my undergraduate studies at Warwick. As I was waiting to begin my Master's degree at City, University of London, I had three free months to stay in Greece, and it was the opportunity for me to perform several trips to different islands. Therefore, this year was undoubtedly my most productive in terms of traveling and photographing ships of the Greek coastal service, in fact I took almost 4,000 pictures of more than 170 different ships! The first days of my summer stay in Greece saw me in Milos and in Kimolos, to which I traveled with my brother and my two best friends from my university. Before reaching Milos, I went alongside my brother to Aegina on 21 June 2021 in order to collect various items from our house. We went there with the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries and returned with the APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries . Two days later, we headed from Piraeus to Milos with the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines , on which I had already traveled on 29 July 2017, while sailing from Sifnos to Piraeus . Unfortunately, all pictures that I took during all these trips were lost forever as I lost my camera in Milos. As I was unable to find a replacement camera in the island, I was forced to take pictures with my iPhone, and most of them were, unfortunately, of underwhelming quality. As such, many pictures in this post fail to match the usual standards of the pictures found in this website. After having spent four days in Milos, we then headed to Kimolos from the port of Apollonia, where we waited for the OSIA METHODIA. By traveling onboard her, it marked my first trip with a landing craft on the Cyclades since 27 July 2018 , when I had traveled with the AGIOS NIKOLAOS of Agia Marina I NE from Antiparos to Paros. It was also my first-ever trip to Kimolos and my first-ever trip between two islands of the Western Cyclades. The OSIA METHODIA seen arriving to the port of Apollonia in Milos, after having left Kimolos. The OSIA METHODIA seen as she is heading towards the picturesque port of Apollonia in Milos. This was already her third season on the Milos-Kimolos line. The OSIA METHODIA seen arriving in Apollonia in Milos. She is named after Osia Methodia (the equivalent of Saint Methodia), who was born in Kimolos and who became revered by its residents. For that reason, the well-known Ventouris family, which originates from Kimolos and operated four different companies between 1980 and 2017, had three ferries which were named after her. These were the AGIA METHODIA of AK Ventouris (now the TAXIARCHIS of NEL Lines ), along with the METHODIA (once the great KYKLADES of Agapitos Lines and later the EXPRESS DANAE of Agapitos Express Ferries and Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins) and the METHODIA II (formerly the KIMOLOS of Ventouris Ferries and Ventouris Sea Lines) of Ventours Lines, all of which had these names during the mid 1990s. The OSIA METHODIA seen in Apollonia in Milos. She became the fourth ferry to be deployed on the Milos-Kimolos line since 1999. The OSIA METHODIA seen as she is about to dock in the port of Apollonia in Milos. She became the successor of the PANAGIA FANEROMENI, which operated on the line for 13 years, which is the longest spell performed by a landing craft so far. The OSIA METHODIA was a worthy replacement due to her lager size and her larger garage, as well as having a wider accommodation superstructure. The OSIA METHODIA seen right before she docked in the port of Apollonia in Milos. The OSIA METHODIA now seen docking in the port of Apollonia in Milos. Just a few minutes after she had unloaded her passenger and vehicles, we were able to embark onboard her. A view of the accommodation superstructure of the ship, as seen from the alley which leads the passengers towards the staircases. Like all landing craft, the bridge is at the front section of the accommodation superstructure. The front section of the ship's garage, where passengers and cars enter and leave. The indoor lounge area of the OSIA METHODIA, which features modern navy blue lounges as well as a few sets of black tables. The passengers pay their tickets at the small pursuer's office found right next to this area. A view of the outdoor deck, located towards the stern section. It features multiples plastic white and blue chairs attached to the floor. Another view of the outdoor deck located in the stern section. There, one can notice the Greek flag that is proudly flying onboard the ship. Towards 14:30, the OSIA METHODIA started sailing from Apollonia in Milos in order to head to Kimolos. The trip lasts only 30 minutes, and is usually very calm as traffic to Kimolos is not as voluminous as that of other islands of the Cyclades. At around 15:00, and after 30 very enjoyable minutes along a comfortable trip, we reached the small port of Kimolos, which is in the coastal village of Psathi. There, we were greeted by the small passenger boat KAPETAN YIANGOS of Mathoudiakis Tours , which is known for performing one-day cruises around Milos and also stopping by Kimolos. The KAPETAN YIANGOS seen in Kimolos. Built in 1981 in Greece, she first operated as a tour boat in Poros on the Saronic Gulf, before joining Mathioudakis Tours in 1984. She has since been operating on her very popular service around Milos and Kimolos, thereby providing a memorable experience to many visitors of the two Western Cyclades islands. The veteran small passenger boat KAPETAN YIANGOS seen resting in Kimolos, where she usually spends the afternoon before serving the Western beaches of Milos and returning back to the port of Adamantas. The bow of the KAPETAN YIANGOS, which is one of many wooden passenger boats serving the Cyclades. Along with the OSIA METHODIA, she is one of the only two ships serving both Milos and Kimolos on a daily basis during the summer. The beautiful KAPETAN YIANGOS seen resting in Kimolos. The KAPETAN YIANGOS seen in Kimolos as we are preparing to dock right next to her. Upon disembarkation, I once again took a better picture of the KAPETAN YIANGOS. The writing on both sides of her hull, over the blue stripe, states 'Around Milos and Kimolos' in Greek. After our short trip was completed, I was able to take a picture of both the KAPETAN YIANGOS and the OSIA METHODIA together in the port of Kimolos. Another view of the KAPETAN YIANGOS and of the OSIA METHODIA together in Kimolos. One last view of the OSIA METHODIA in Kimolos, where we went on to stay until 1 July. As part of our return trip to Athens, we once again traveled onboard her in order to first go back to Milos, where we then once again embarked onboard the SPEEDRUNNER III which took us back to Piraeus. And this concludes my first Blog post covering the 2021 summer season. It was a short trip on a very local service on the Cyclades. Nevertheless, it was a nice experience and I was happy to travel onboard a relatively new vessel, which provides a crucial service all year round to the small island of Kimolos. My stay there was unique, and I truly enjoyed it with my brother and my two friends. The OSIA METHODIA performs her job very efficiently, and she is without a doubt a vessel that satisfies the requirements of the Milos-Kimolos line, and she serves as the much-appreciated bridge between Kimolos and the larger Milos on a daily basis, including during the winter season. She carries on the great work provided by Kimolos Link as well as the successful service previously covered by her predecessor, namely the PANAGIA FANEROMENI. #osiamethodia #kimoloslink #summer2021 #greece #cyclades #aegean #milos #kimolos #kapetanyiangos #mathioudakistours #tribute

Located at the heart of the Western Cyclades, right next to the well-known island of Milos, Kimolos is a small and wonderful island, which maintains a sense of tradition and which features calm yet picturesque villages that prove well why the Cyclades remain such a beautiful region attracting millions of tourists each year. The island is not as visited as its more popular neighbour, and hence it is an ideal place for those willing to spend a holiday without many other people around them. Besides its natural beauty, the island also has a notable tradition in shipping, as it has been the birthplace of many prominent shipowners of Greece, such as Georgios Logothetis of Libra Group or the late Iakovos Roussos. In the Greek coastal service, the island has strongly been associated with the famed Ventouris family, as its patriarch, the late Konstantinos Ventouris, originated from Kimolos. The family began to operate in 1975, and later saw the creation of four major companies which became prominent on both the Aegean Sea and the Adriatic Sea. These are Ventouris Ferries (1979 to present), Ventouris Sea Lines (1986-1997 and 2004-2017), AK Ventouris or later C-Link Ferries (1987-1990, 1992-1998 and 2002-2007), and Ventouris Lines (1992-1997). While the island, as mentioned, does not have the same number of tourists and residents as in Milos or Sifnos, it nevertheless relies on continuous ferry service that ensures a good connection with the rest of the Cyclades, as well as major ports in Attica such as Piraeus and Lavrion. Therefore, it is part of many important lifelines, such as that of the Western Cyclades as well as that of the inter-Cyclades which is based in Lavrion and Syros. It also maintains a regular connection throughout the whole year with Milos, with the landing craft OSIA METHODIA of lthe ocal company Kimolos Link serving the Milos-Kimolos line, which reaches the port of Apollonia in Milos. The service with Piraeus and Lavrion is also present throughout the whole duration of the year, while in the summer itineraries are further complemented with the deployment of high speed craft, as it has been the case of the two small catamarans SEA JET 2 and SUPER JET since 2020. Furthermore, a few tour boats also serve the island during the summer season, usually ships that perform daily cruises based in Milos. As I got to discover Kimolos for the first time in my life in June 2021, as part of a trip that I did with my brother and my two best friends from my university, I also had the opportunity to see a few of the ferries that serve the island, and therefore I did not miss the chance to photograph them. As stated in my previous post, I unfortunately lost my camera in Milos, hence I could only take pictures with my iPhone while awaiting to buy a new camera back in Athens. Here are the pictures that I took on 29 June 2021, while I was at the port of Kimolos, located in the village of Psathi. The first ship that I saw was the small passenger boat KAPETAN YIANGOS of Mathioudakis Tours . Built in 1981 in Greece, she first operated as a tour boat in Poros before being acquired by her current owners in 1984. She has seen performed daily cruises around the island of Milos while also stopping by Kimolos, usually during the afternoon. As I approached the port of Kimolos, I saw the landing craft OSIA METHODIA of Kimolos Link . Built in 2019 in Greece, she was deployed on the Milos-Kimolos line, therefore connecting Kimolos with the small port of Apollonia in Milos. The OSIA METHODIA seen resting in Kimolos. This was her third consecutive summer on the Milos-Kimolos line, and she was introduced in order to replace the company's previous landing craft, namely the PANAGIA FANEROMENI , which had been operating there since 2006. After 13 years, that ship was sold to the Guinea-Bissau-based company Consulmar Bissau, for whom she now operates as the BIJAGÓS I. A view of the OSIA METHODIA as she is docked in Kimolos. Just two days before taking this picture, I had traveled onboard her for the first time, while heading from Milos to Kimolos . I would travel with her again while making my way back to Milos on 1 July. The OSIA METHODIA seen in Kimolos. She is the fourth known landing craft to have been deployed on the Milos-Kimolos line. The first one was the NISSOS KIMOLOS of Karamitsos Ferry Lines (1999-2004), followed by the LEFKAS of Antiparos NE (2004-2006) and then by the PANAGIA FANEROMENI of Kimolos Link (2006-2019). The OSIA METHODIA seen maneuvering in Kimolos, as she was due to depart in order to head to Milos. Later on, as I was walking by the port, I saw the ferry DIONISIOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries leaving Kimolos. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen leaving Kimolos, in what was her fifth consecutive summer on the Western Cyclades. She was built in 1990 in Japan, where she spent the first 8 years of her career under the company Shikoku Chuo Ferry, as the ROYAL KAWANOE. After her company ceased operations in 1998, she was sold to Zante Ferries, for whom she began service in 1999 as the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line on the Ionian Sea. In 2001 she also began to operate on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She remained there for most of her career, apart from serving the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line during the 2013 season as well as during the 2015 season. In 2017, however, her company decided to transfer her to the Aegean Sea, in order to operate on the Western Cyclades. She underwent an extensive conversion in order to comply with the area's standards, especially regarding its weather conditions. She began service on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios line, where she stayed for two seasons before extending her itinerary in 2019, with that being on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen departing Kimolos. While her company is based in Zakynthos, it has been operating on the Aegean Sea since 2008, when its then-newly-acquired ferry ADAMANTIOS KORAIS (built in Japan in 1987 and converted following her purchase by Zante Ferries) began service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line in 2008. The following year, she was inserted on the Western Cyclades lifeline, thus beginning service on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line, where she became extremely successful. With the rise of Levante Ferries on the Ionian Sea, Zante Ferries decided to add a second vessel on the Western Cyclades in 2015. This ship was the ANDREAS KALVOS , which now operates for Levante Ferries since 2019 . She spent two seasons there, but she lacked the required passenger and vehicle capacity, hence the company decided to instead deploy the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS beginning in 2017. The DIONISIOS SOLOMOS seen as she leaves Kimolos. Since the 2020 season, she is now the only ship of Zante Ferries that serves the Western Cyclades, as the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS moved to the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea following the termination of the services provided by the company previously operating there, namely Saos Ferries. In fact, the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS is the only conventional ferry that now serves all these islands from Piraeus, with the remaining ships being high speed craft of Sea Jets and Aegean Speed Lines. This status as the only regular ferry connecting the Western Cyclades with Piraeus has certainly made her work much more demanding and exhausting for her crew (as she only stops for her annual refit that barely lasts a month), but has won her much acclaim and appreciation by the residents of all the islands. In particular, despite her relatively slow speed, the capacity provided by her garage as well as her passenger amenities have become extremely valuable, and she therefore ensures a comfortable trip for a large amount of passengers and vehicles, and most notably lorries. One last view of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS as she leaves the port of Kimolos. As she operated in Zakynthos from 1999 to 2016, she became an integral part of my childhood, as I saw her many times at the island's port, and I also traveled onboard her on multiple occasions during the 2000s. My last trip with her dates from 9 July 2013, when I sailed with her from Kyllini to Zakynthos, a few days before she was transferred to the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. I have not had the opportunity to sail with her on the Western Cyclades so far, but who knows what the future may hold. About 40 minutes after the departure of the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, I once again saw the OSIA METHODIA making her way back to Kimolos. The OSIA METHODIA seen heading towards the port of Kimolos, after having left the port of Apollonia in Milos. A nice view of the OSIA METHODIA as well as the whole port of Kimolos. I took this picture from the top of a hill watching over the village of Psathi. It shows the natural beauty of the island as well as the nice Cycladic buildings surrounding the small port. Another view of the OSIA METHODIA from the top of the hill watching over Psathi, which hosts the port of Kimolos. The OSIA METHODIA seen resting in Kimolos. One last view of the OSIA METHODIA as she prepares for another departure to Milos. A few minutes later, I happened to see another ferry arriving in Kimolos. This time, it was the ARTEMIS of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the subsidised inter-Cyclades lifeline, namely on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Kimolos-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos line. The ARTEMIS seen arriving in Kimolos. She has been operating on her current service since 2015, when she was assigned to fill the void left by NEL Lines, which had deployed two ferries on the inter-Cyclades service, as a result of their economic difficulties which saw all their vessels being arrested by their crews or by port authorities. The ARTEMIS took over the service that had been covered by the AQUA JEWEL (owned by Sea Jets since 2017) , and she has since remained an integral part of the Cyclades, serving as the lifeblood between almost all islands. The ARTEMIS seen maneuvering in Kimolos. She was built in 1997 in Greece, and she spent the first part of her career on the Saronic Gulf. She was initially known as the GEORGIOS 2 of Akouriki Shipping Company, and she was operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. She continued to serve that line even after her company was absorbed by Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002) following the 1999 season, and for whom she operated under the Saronikos Ferries division. After her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005, she was renamed ARTEMIS and she continued to serve the Saronic Gulf, on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros-Hydra-Spetses line (2005-2007) and the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line (2008). The ARTEMIS seen maneuvering in the port of Kimolos. While she has been permanently operating on the inter-Cyclades lifeline since 2015, she also happened to be there from 2009 to 2012. Indeed, during that time, she had been chartered to ANEK Lines, and she was operating on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Syros-Tinos-Andros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini-Thirassia-Anafi line. This was at a time during which there were three ferries operating on the inter-Cyclades service, with the other two being the AQUA JEWEL and the AQUA SPIRIT of NEL Lines (the latter ship continued this service for two seasons under Sea Jets before being sold to the Canadian company BC Ferries in 2017). This however stopped following the 2012 season, and the ship returned to Hellenic Seaways. She first operated on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades in 2013, before making a comeback to the Saronic Gulf in 2014, as she was inserted on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agisitri-Methana-Poros line. In 2015, as stated above, she returned to the Cyclades, where she has since provided a vital service to all islands in which she stops. The ARTEMIS seen undergoing her maneuvering procedure in Kimolos, a port that she has been serving since the 2015 summer season. The ship also stays throughout most of the year in active service, only taking a break for a month during the winter (and being usually replaced by one of her Hellenic Seaways fleetmates). Another view of the ARTEMIS as she undergoes her maneuvering procedure in Kimolos. She is now the only ferry of Hellenic Seaways that operates on the Cyclades on the permanent basis, although the ARIADNE , which returned to the company after three years under charter to Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione, did serve islands like Paros, Naxos and Santorini while performing her new operations on the Dodecanese. The other ship currently operating on the inter-Cyclades service is the high speed ferry CALDERA VISTA of Sea Jets , which took over from her fleetmate, namely the ANDROS JET , following the latter's severe engine failure in 2020. While the ARTEMIS covers the Western Cyclades, the CALDERA VISTA serves the Lesser Cyclades and the Eastern Cyclades, as she is deployed on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Karystos-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi lifeline. The ARTEMIS seen performing her maneuvering procedure in Kimolos. Just like it was the case for the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, the ARTEMIS was also a part of my childhood memories, during her time on the Saronic Gulf. Indeed, during the largest portion of the 2000s as well as 2014, I saw her many times in Piraeus and in Aegina, which is the other island in which I spend a large part of my summer holidays in Greece. I also traveled with her a few times, possibly when she was operating as the GEORGIOS 2 as well (although I cannot remember this with certainty as I was too young and could not remember the trips that I did up until I turned 7 years old). My last trip with her was in 2007, when I was heading from Aegina to Piraeus. One last view of the ARTEMIS as she prepares to dock in Kimolos. And this therefore marks the end of my shipspotting session in the port of Kimolos, in which I saw two local ships as well as two ferries which were part of my childhood in both Zakynthos and Aegina, and which have now gone to experience much success on the Cyclades since the mid 2010s. It is nice to see that small and quiet (yet uniquely beautiful) islands are connected in some way with the rest of Greece, even though I believe that this service should be enhanced and more ships should stop by this precious place. As also stated in the previous post, I left the island on 1 July with the OSIA METHODIA in order to head to Milos, before making my way back to Piraeus with the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines . This stay in both Milos and Kimolos was the perfect way to start a nice summer in Greece, as I then went on to travel multiple times across a wide group of islands and ports, all of which will be shown in subsequent posts. #ferries #summer2021 #greece #cyclades #aegean #kimolos #kapetanyiangos #osiamethodia #kimoloslink #dionisiossolomos #zanteferries #artemis #hellenicseaways

Trip: 14 August 2020. From Salamina to Perama, with the ARIS IV of Psomas Shipping . The double-ended ferry ARIS IV was ordered in 2019, by the Greek company Psomas Shipping. She was due to become the successor of the company's previous double-ended ferry, namely the ARIS III , which had been sold to the Italian company Delcomar earlier that year. The ARIS IV was completed in 2020 in Greece, and she was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line, operating also under the Agios Nikolaos Lines joint venture. The ARIS IV is, as her name suggests, the fourth ship in the history of Psomas Shipping. The latter was founded in 1967 by the Psomas family, and has been known to operate in Evoia and on the Perama-Salamina line. Their first ship was the landing craft ARIS, built in 1967 in Greece, which operated for 35 years on the Oropos-Eretria line until she was sold in 2002 to the Corfu-based company GM Shipping, for whom she still operates as the GRIGORIS M as a Ro-Ro carrier on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Paxoi-Ereikousa-Othonoi-Mathraki line on the Ionian Sea. After five years of inactivity, the company resumed operations in 2007, following the delivery of then-newly-built double-ended ferry ARIS II, which was deployed on the Oropos-Eretria line. Three years later, that ship was sold to the Croatian company Rapska Plovidba, for whom she operates today as the BARBAT on the Stinica-Mišnjak line. She was replaced by another newly-built double-ended ferry, namely the ARIS III, which began operations on Oropos-Eretria line in 2010. In 2015 and in 2016 that ship operated on the Perama-Salamina line, but she returned to the South Evoian Gulf in 2017. In early 2019 she was sold to the Italian company Delcomar, and she began service in 2020 as the I MADDALENA on the Palau-La Maddalena line on the Strait of Bonifacio. Her replacement, namely the ARIS IV, began service on the Perama-Salamina line (as stated previously), and she is also currently the youngest ferry in the Greek coastal service. After spending almost an entire day of taking pictures and traveling around Piraeus, Salamina and Megara, it was time for me to head back to Athens for the evening. Indeed, 14 August 2020 saw me taking pictures of many ships departing the port of Piraeus in the early morning , followed by a trip from the latter to Salamina with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS of Broufas Vessels . After seeing many ships in Salamina, I then went to the island's small port, Faneromeni, whereupon I traveled to Megara onboard the landing craft PANTANASSA of Pantanassa NE , before heading back to Salamina with the AIANTAS of Aiantas Ferries Company . Now that I was back in the port of Paloukia in Salamina, instead of taking the ship to Piraeus, I decided to travel to Perama in order to arrive quicker in Athens (as the trip to Piraeus would last 40 minutes). This was my first-ever trip with a ship of Psomas Shipping, and my third trip from Salamina to Perama with a double-ended ferry since 2019. It was also my first-ever trip with a ferry (and any ship in general) built in the 2020s. As you now know from the many posts that I have written, the Perama-Salamina line is certainly the busiest service of the Greek coastal service. While the distance is very short, it is fundamental to the connection of Salamina with mainland Greece and Athens, as it sees departures every five minutes from both ports at peak times. In 2020 there were more than 25 double-ended ferries operating on the line under two joint ventures. In addition, there were 7 small passenger boats serving the line as well. The ARIS IV seen in the port of Paloukia in Salamina, during her debut summer. A view of the newly-built ARIS IV prior to boarding her. She features a livery that is very similar to that of her predecessor, namely the ARIS III. I had seen the latter during the summer of 2018 (which was her last summer under Psomas Shipping), while she was operating on the South Evoian Gulf on the Oropos-Eretria line, during my trips with the ANNA MARIA of Gavanozis Shipping and with the PROTOPOROS XIII of Tsokos Lines . The ARIS IV seen just before I embarked onboard her. A view of the ARIS IV right upon embarkation. Like most double-ended ferries, she has a wide open garage, which passes under her accommodation superstructure. She also has side ramps which allow the passengers to take the staircases that lead to the accommodation superstructure. Right above the garage is her name, printed in Greek characters. A view of the garage entrance and exit. On the top is one of the ship's foremasts. As it is the case with most Greek double-ended ferries, the accommodation superstructure has three decks. The lower deck usually includes the ship's indoor passenger lounge area, the middle deck has an outdoor area and the crew cabins, while the upper deck has the bridge. Here is a view of the indoor lounge area, which is rather dark and simple, while featuring fern green lounges. Another view of the indoor lounge area. A view of the middle deck, which has an outdoor area that includes multiple rows of grey chairs facing the the foremast. A view of the the ship's foremast and of the opposite garage entrance and exit. A view of the ship's upper deck, which has the bridge. Its windows are all covered by a black stripe. Just before the departure of the ARIS IV, I saw the small passenger boat SALAMIS EXPRESS III of Salamis Express leaving Salamina in order to head towards Perama. Next to the ARIS IV was the double-ended ferry IOANNIS SOPHIA K, which is the flagship of Karnesis-Lalousis NE . The IOANNIS SOPHIA K seen in Salamina, during what was her second straight summer on the Perama-Salamina line. She had also operated there during the first two summers of her career, back in 2016 and in 2017, while in 2018 she was on the Rion-Antirrion line. At 15:40, the ARIS IV departed Salamina in order to head towards Perama. Here is another view of the IOANNIS SOPHIA K. On the starboard side, I spotted several ships that were docked in the port of Paloukia in Salamina, including the double-ended ferry STAVROS N of Nikolaïdis NE , and the small passenger boats GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels and ARTEMIS of Artemis SNE . Another view of the IOANNIS SOPHIA K in Salamina. On the port side was another double-ended ferry, namely the DIMITRIOS S of Sofras NE . Built in 2011, she was spending her third summer in a row on the Perama-Salamina line. Moreover, this was her sixth summer on the line, as she had also operated there from 2011 to 2013. The DIMITRIOS S docked in Salamina. She is one of the two double-ended ferries currently owned by Sofras NE, with the other one being the SPYRIDON S . She is one of the few Salamina-based double-ended ferries to have operated on multiple other services besides the Perama-Salamina line. Indeed, she has operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf in 2014 and in 2016, as well as on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2015 and in 2017. During the latter year, she was operating there alongside the SPYRIDON S. The DIMITRIOS S seen docked in the port of Paloukia in Salamina. She was built in the same year as her former fleetmate, namely the MARIA ELENI (which was for a time the largest ferry on the Perama-Salamina line), which was sold in 2015 to the Russian company Tourinvest Services Ltd, for whom she began service as the MARIA on the Kerch Strait. However, since 2019 she has been laid-up in Kerch. The DIMITRIOS S seen resting in Salamina. Another view of the DIMITRIOS S. The DIMITRIOS S was seen right next to the APOSTOLOS M and the THEOMITOR of Athinais Lines , and the EMPEDOKLIS of Aianteiaki NE . A view of the STAVROS N. Built in 2017, she has been operating on the Perama-Salamina line since then. A view of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, the ARTEMIS and the TZORTZIA of Speed Service Waterways . The latter serves the Perama-Salamina line, while the former two were operating on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The TZORTZIA seen docked in Salamina. Built in 2008 in Greece, this was her second season under her current owners and her current name. Before that, she had spent 10 years as the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS of Kotsomoiris-Karvela Shipping before being sold in late 2018 to Speed Service Waterways. Even while operating for her former owners, she has always been on the Perama-Salamina line. The SALAMIS EXPRESS III seen heading towards Perama. Built in 2001 in Greece, she has spent her entire career so far on the Perama-Salamina line. A view of the double-ended ferries as seen from the starboard side of the ARIS IV. These included the GLYKOFILOUSA IV of Panagia Glykofilousa NE , the ATHINA P of Athinais Lines , the IOANNIS THIRESIA of Theotokos NE , the ORION III of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE , and the IOANNIS SOPHIA K. Dozens of double-ended ferries seen resting in Salamina. While we had now left the port of Paloukia in Salamina, we happened to cross the double-ended ferry AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE , which had left from Perama. Crossing the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV as she heads towards Salamina. She was built in 2002 for Feidias NE, and she began service on the Rion-Antirrion line, hence becoming one of the first double-ended ferries to operate on that specific line. She stayed there until 2004, and she was then transferred to the Perama-Salamina line, where she has since been remaining, with the exception of the 2017 season when she operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf. I then saw another ship heading towards Salamina, namely the small passenger ship ELENA F of Elena F Shipping , which was arriving from Piraeus. The ELENA F seen heading towards Salamina. Built in 1998, she has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line, with the exception of the 2013 season, when she served the Glyfa-Skiathos line on the Sporades. The ELENA F on her way towards Salamina. Besides her successful service on the Piraeus-Salamina line, she has also distinguished herself by making very successful small cruises to islands of the Saronic Gulf such as Aegina, Agistri and Poros, during the summer of 2012 and since the summer of 2014. The ELENA F seen heading towards Salamina. She is owned by the Filiagkos family, which has been operating ships to Salamina since 1967. The family notably had a double-ended ferry, the AGGELIS F , which served the Perama-Salamina line in 2019, and on which I had actually traveled a year and 11 days before taking this picture . However, the ship was sold in 2020 to the Kuwaiti company Ikarus United Marine Services . The ELENA F seen as she is sailing en route to Salamina. Another view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV as she is seen heading towards Salamina. In front of me, I saw the SALAMIS EXPRESS III heading towards Perama, whereas the PANAGIA of Panagia Thalassini NE was sailing towards the opposite direction. The PANAGIA seen heading towards Salamina. Built in 1996 in Greece, she is the ship with the most experience on the Perama-Salamina line, having served it for the past 24 years. The PANAGIA seen heading towards Salamina, a port that she has been serving for almost a quarter-century. The PANAGIA seen en route towards Salamina. The PANAGIA seen sailing towards Salamina. While the ARIS IV was approaching the port of Perama, the double-ended ferry MATOULA K of Salaminia Ferries-K Star was seen heading towards Salamina. The MATOULA K having left Perama. The MATOULA K having left Perama. She was built in 2006, and she has spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line, except during the summers of 2013 and 2018, when she was on the Rion-Antirrion line. The MATOULA K seen heading towards Salamina, during her second consecutive summer on the Perama-Salamina line. Crossing the much-appreciated MATOULA K while she heads to Salamina. The MATOULA K seen as we are about to pass by her. Another view of the MATOULA K. While the ARIS IV was approaching the port of Perama, I spotted three other double-ended ferries, namely the GLYKOFILOUSA V of Panagia Glykofilousa NE , the THEOTOKOS of Theotokos NE and the PROTOPOROS X of Tsokos Lines . A view of the GLYKOFILOUSA V in Perama. She was built in 2017 (just like the GLYKOFILOUSA IV, which is her sister ship), and she has so far spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line. One last view of the MATOULA K, as she sails towards Salamina. The GLYKOFILOUSA V and the THEOTOKOS seen together in Perama. A view of the THEOTOKOS, which I went on to see for the first time in my life. She is the younger fleetmate of the IOANNIS THIRESIA, as she was built a year after her (in 2003). She was spending her second summer in a row on the Perama-Salamina line, as she had operated on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2018. A view of the PROTOPOROS X, which has also been built in 2017 (just like the GLYKOFILOUSA V), and she has also so far spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line. The GLYKOFILOUSA V seen during her fourth consecutive summer on the Perama-Salamina line. The THEOTOKOS docked in Perama. Besides the summers of 2014 and 2018, she has spent all years of her career on the Perama-Salamina line. The THEOTOKOS docked in Perama. This summer, she was operating for the first time under the new livery of Theotokos NE, which consisted of two yellow stripes added on top of the lower deck and the upper deck of her accommodation superstructure. The THEOTOKOS seen next to the much larger PROTOPOROS X. A view of the PROTOPOROS X in Perama. I had traveled onboard her while sailing from Salamina to Perama on 3 August 2019, hence exactly a year and 11 days before this picture was taken . At around 15:55, the ARIS IV began to dock next to the THEOTOKOS. The THEOTOKOS seen as the ARIS IV is about to dock right next to her. As the ARIS IV docked in Perama, my trip was over, as was this unique day which saw me taking more than 700 pictures in almost eight hours. I chose the best way to finish it, by traveling with the brand new and comfortable ARIS IV, which proudly represents the fourth generation of Psomas Shipping in the Greek coastal service. Her trip was very nice and calm, and I saw several familiar faces which serve the Perama-Salamina line. I was very pleased to have spent such a long and impressive day, during which I witnessed countless departures, explored new ports and ships for the first time, while also spotting several ships that I had not seen in years. Overall, this day, 14 August 2020, will hardly be forgotten. However, my Greek coastal service experience for the 2020 summer season was far from over, as I went on to do so many other trips and take numerous other pictures. More about that will be covered in the upcoming posts, which will begin to appear in 2021, so stay tuned! #arisiv #psomasshipping #agiosnikolaoslines #summer2020 #greece #saronicgulf #salamina #paloukia #perama #salamisexpressiii #salamisexpress #ioannissophiak #karnesislalousisne #stavrosn #nikolaïdisne #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #artemis #artemissne #dimitrioss #sofrasne #apostolosm #theomitor #athinap #athinaislines #empedoklis #aianteiakine #tzortzia #speedservicewaterways #glykofilousaiv #glykofilousav #panagiaglykofilousane #ioannisthiresia #theotokos #theotokosne #orioniii #farmakorisvilliotisne #agioseleftheriosiv #feidiasne #elenaf #elenafshipping #panagia #panagiathalassinine #matoulak #salaminiaferrieskstar #protoporosx #tsokoslines #tribute

Trip: 3 July 2018. From Piraeus to Salamina, with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels . The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II was built in Greece in 1998 for her namesake owner, Broufas Vessels, for service on the Piraeus-Salamina line (serving the ports of Kamatero and Paloukia). She was the second ship to be delivered to her owner, as the latter had also deployed her sister ship and fleetmate, namely the GEORGIOS BROUFAS , in 1997. Both ships have since been essential contributors to the regular connection between Piraeus and the Saronic Gulf island, which is the one located the closest to Athens. In the summer, she makes a few crossings between Megalo Pefko (which is near Megara, located in the Elefsina Bay) and Salamina, although in this case she serves the port of Faneromeni on the Megara Gulf. The little GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen arriving in Piraeus, shortly before performing my trip with her. More than two-and-a-half years after writing a blog post which was dedicated to the ships that connect Piraeus with Salamina , I finally found myself performing a trip with one of them. Indeed, while I was having an internship in Piraeus, I had a day off during the week and I decided to take advantage of it by traveling to Salamina for the afternoon. A trip from Piraeus to Salamina might sound like a quick ride without any highlights, but it is actually, from a shipping enthusiast's point of view, a dreamlike journey. In fact, one can see dozens on ships as we head from the main port of Piraeus to Drapetsona, Keratsini, Perama, all of which include various repair zones and the laid-up ships that can be seen in the area. Finally, while almost reaching Salamina and the port of Paloukia, several double-ended ferries operating on the Perama-Salamina line and small passenger ships also operating on that same line can be spotted. In other words, this trip is the true definition of paradise for shipping enthusiasts like me. From a personal point of view, this trip marked my second-ever visit to the island of Salamina. The first one had been done 18 years prior, back in 2000, just a few days before my sister was born. Therefore, as I was just 17 months old back then, I do not have much memories about my first time in this historic Greek island. Whether I went there by boat from Piraeus back then is uncertain, but this trip on 3 July 2018 was the first one that I would remember. It was certainly my first trip with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II and with a ship owned by Broufas Vessels. I arrived in Piraeus just a few minutes before 14:00. There, I spotted several ships, including the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Chania line. In the E8 gate, where my departure point was located, I saw several other ships, with one of them being the catamaran FLYINGCAT 3 of Hellenic Seaways , which operates on the Saronic Gulf, serving the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Next to the FLYINGCAT 3, I spotted two other Hellenic Seaways high speed craft operating on the Saronic Gulf. These were the sister ships hydrofoils FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII and FLYING DOLPHIN XVII . Both were built in 1984 for Ceres Flying Dolphins. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII was inserted on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf, which is were she has spent her entire career so far. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII was instead deployed on the Sporades, and she remained there until 2005, when she joined her sister ship on the Saronic Gulf. The veteran hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII seen resting in Piraeus. And her sister ship, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, seen right behind her. The FLYINGCAT 3 awaiting to load passengers. The 2018 season was her third season operating on the Saronic Gulf on a full-time basis. She had also operated in 2015 on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line, providing extra service in addition to her operations on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Koufonisi line where she was mainly based that summer. Next to the high speed craft, I could spot yet another ship operating on the Saronic Gulf, namely the ferry PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The FLYINGCAT 3 seen again in Piraeus. 2018 marked 20 years since her entry to service. Within these two decades, she has operated for Goutos Lines (1998-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins (1999-2005) and the latter's successor, namely Hellenic Seaways (since 2005). The FLYINGCAT 3 having loaded most of her passengers. The great PHIVOS of Nova Ferries. Four days after my trip with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, I would end up traveling with her, as I spent a weekend in Aegina with my brother and two other friends. Another view of the PHIVOS. This was her fourteenth summer in Greece, with all of them spent on the Saronic Gulf under Nova Ferries. In all these years, no other ship in the region has matched her in terms of comfort, speed and overall service efficiency. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII seen again in Piraeus. While looking towards the port's exit, I noticed three other ships, two of which were headed for docking at the E8 gate. These were the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX of Hellenic Seaways , the ferry POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries and the ferry NISSOS RODOS of Hellenic Seaways . The POSIDON HLLAS also used to operate for Hellenic Seaways, before her sale to her current owners in 2015. The POSIDON HELLAS seen approaching the E8 gate in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which is the third hydrofoil of Hellenic Seaways, seen approaching the E8 gate as well. A view of the POSIDON HELLAS, which was built in the same year as the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. She has also spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf, having operated under Poseidon Consortium Shipping (1998-1999), Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins under the Saronikos Ferries division (1999-2005), Hellenic Seaways (2005-2015) and 2way Ferries (since 2015). The latter is owned by the Papaïoannidis family, which also owned her under her Poseidon Consortium Shipping tenure. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which has also spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. She is the youngest hydrofoil operating in the Greek coastal service. The POSIDON HELLAS ready to maneuver in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX preparing to dock as well. Two Hellenic Seaways fleetmates, namely the FLYINGCAT 3 and the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, seen together in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS maneuvering in Piraeus. Four Hellenic Seaways high speed craft seen together in Piraeus, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, the FLYINGCAT 3 and the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX preparing to dock in Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The impressive POSIDON HELLAS preparing to dock in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX docking in Piraeus. Another view of the FLYINGCAT 3. The POSIDON HELLAS docking in Piraeus, while the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, onboard which I was planning to do my trip, is also seen approaching the port. The POSIDON HELLAS docking next to the PHIVOS. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II also heading towards the E8 gate. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II preparing to maneuver in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II quickly maneuvering in Piraeus. Besides her original appearance, she also notably has a bulbous bow, as does her sister ship. No other small passenger ships serving Salamina have one. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II maneuvering in Piraeus. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II having finished her maneuvering procedure and now heading towards the dock of Piraeus. The POSIDON HELLAS docking in Piraeus. It was finally time to board the ship. This is what her indoor area looks like, and it is located on the first of the two decks the ship has. The lower deck features the indoor lounge area, while the upper deck features the bridge and the outdoor seats where passengers can stay throughout the trip. The upper deck, which features a sun deck at the stern section of the ship. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen again, while docking in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII resting in Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen yet again. The two hydrofoils FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII and FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen together in Piraeus, while the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II prepares to leave the port. The FLYINGCAT 3 resting in Piraeus. Formerly a Cyclades-based catamaran, she has now been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2016, while she had also performed a few trips on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses line in 2015. We have now departed Piraeus. Here is the POSIDON HELLAS, which had successfully docked next to us. Four high speed craft owned by Hellenic Seaways seen in Piraeus. These were the FLYING DOLPHIN XVIII, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the FLYINGCAT 3. The PHIVOS and the POSIDON HELLAS. Since 2014, they turned their former rivalry into a partnership, as their owners joined the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The Saronic Gulf veteran PHIVOS resting in Piraeus. As we began to leave the E8 gate, I then spotted the ferry KRITI II of ANEK Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The PHIVOS and the POSIDON HELLAS seen together in Piraeus. The BLUE GALAXY resting in Piraeus. She has been operating on the Piraeus-Chania line since 2015. The KRITI II and the BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus. Formerly fleetmates (as the BLUE GALAXY was previously owned by ANEK Lines, from 1999 to 2015) and both built in Japan, they operate under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture. As soon as she had docked, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX departed Piraeus in order to head towards Aegina. In front of the BLUE GALAXY and the KRITI II, I was able to see one of their fiercest competitors, namely the FESTOS PALACE of Minoan Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line. The impressive FESTOS PALACE, which was operating for the eighteenth straight summer on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. That summer however marked her first one on the Piraeus-Milos-Heraklion line, as the beautiful Cyclades island was added to her itinerary by Minoan Lines prior to the 2018 season. I then passed by the NISSOS RODOS. Considering how small the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II is, I was forced to see the gigantic ferry while looking upwards. The NISSOS RODOS seen in Piraeus. The 2018 season marked her first operating solely on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Before that, if charters overseas are excluded, she has had experience on the Corinth-Venice line on the Adriatic Sea (under two different stints), on the Piraeus-Paros-Kos-Rhodes line (on the Cyclades and the Dodecanese) and on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, where she also made stops in several Cyclades islands (namely Syros and Mykonos, or Paros and Naxos) and in Patmos. Besides the NSISOS RODOS, I was thrilled to see a well-known ferry for the first time in more than three years. Indeed it was the fantastic DIAGORAS of Blue Star Ferries , which had returned to Greece following two years with Africa Morocco Link (a subsidiary of Attica Group) on the Gibraltar Strait. Previously operating on the Dodecanese lifeline, she entered service in 2018 on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Patmos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala lifeline, thereby replacing the NISSOS RODOS. The DIAGORAS, a ship that very few people thought they would be seeing operating in Greece for the second time in her career, spotted in Piraeus. Against all odds, she made it back to the Greek coastal service and she had a good first season on her new duties, which she shared with Hellenic Seaways, which was acquired by Attica Group in early 2018. Another view of the NISSOS RODOS. She arrived in Greece in 2005. Before that, she was owned by the Japanese company Taiheiy ō Ferry. Her sister ship, namely the KITAKAMI, was still operating for the latter as of 2018, but due to a newly-built ferry replacing her, she has been sold for scrap at only 30 years old (due to being two years younger than the NISSOS RODOS, which will likely continue to operate for many more years). A view of the DIAGORAS and the NISSOS RODOS. Both ships were built in Japan, both ships' names are related to the island of Rhodes (as Diagoras was a well-known Ancient Rhodian athlete), both had past experience on the Dodecanese and both now operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The DIAGORAS actually took over the lifeline on which the NISSOS RODOS was operating from 2015 to 2017. Between both ships, the floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, which one of the only three surviving Liberty ships in the world, can be seen. As we start exiting the port, I saw another ship with experience on the Northeast Aegean Sea and the Dodecanese, and also with a stint overseas before making a comeback to Greek waters, just like both the NISSOS RODOS and the DIAGORAS did. This time, the description corresponded to that of the NISSOS CHIOS, also owned by Hellenic Seaways . The DIAGORAS seen resting in Piraeus, in her first summer back in Greece. The NISSOS CHIOS seen resting in Piraeus as well. Just like the DIAGORAS, she also returned to Greece in 2018 after previously operating on the Western Mediterranean Sea. Indeed, between the summers of 2014 and 2017, she had been chartered to the Spanish company Baleària, and her service under the latter was a massive success. But, fortunately, she is now back to the country where she was built and where she successfully began her career, and this is none other than Greece. Another view of the DIAGORAS. Before joining Blue Star Ferries for the first time in 2006, she had operated from 2001 to 2004 under thew now-defunct company DANE Sea Line. She was then laid-up in Piraeus from 2004 to 2006, following her company's demise and her subsequent acquisition by Blue Star Ferries. The NISSOS CHIOS in Piraeus. I had previously seen her on 17 June 2018, when I did my trip with the SUPERRUNNER of Golden Star Ferries as she was seen leaving Naxos. The NISSOS CHIOS seen in Piraeus. Before her charter to Baleària, she operated for Hellenic Seaways mainly on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. In 2018, she initially was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line, replacing the very successful service covered by her fleetmate, namely the NISSOS SAMOS , the previous summer. However, after Hellenic Seaways was taken over by Attica Group, the latter controversially terminated this service and deployed the NISSOS CHIOS on the Dodecanese lifeline (instead of the returning DIAGORAS which operated there for many years in the past). Her service for 2018 was spent on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leipsoi-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes-Karpathos-Castellorizon line. Additionally, every Saturday she operated on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, which had been a very familiar service for her in the past. The NISSOS CHIOS resting in Piraeus, in what was an extremely busy summer for her and for her crew. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, a fleetmate of the NISSOS CHIOS, seen exiting Piraeus alongside the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX beginning to activate her engines at full-speed as she prepares to exit Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX now at full-speed at she exits Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX having left Piraeus and now heading towards Aegina. While the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX was heading towards the Saronic Gulf and the wider Aegean Sea, the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II in the meantime began to head towards Salamina, which can only be accessed by the small passageway leading ships near the island of Psyttaleia, and the suburban neighborhoods of Drapetsona, Keratsini and Perama. Drapetsona can be spotted as soon as a ship heads West of the Piraeus exit pier. There, a large pier features various ships of all types, with some undergoing a refit while other remaining out of service. One of these ships was one that I knew quite well, as it was the ZAKYNTHOS I of Kefalonian Lines . She suffered an engine failure prior to the summer 2018 season, which was never repaired and she missed the whole season (being replaced by the company's new acquisition, namely the ALEXANDRA L ). Her future is now even further in doubt, as recent news stated that Kefalonian Lines ceased operations on the Ionian Sea and sold their flagship , namely the NISSOS KEFALONIA , to rivals Levante Ferries. The fates of the ZAKYNTHOS I and of the ALEXANDRA L are now uncertain. Kefalonian Lines stated that they plan to operate outside of the Ionian Sea, although this seems like a really long shot. Next to her was the high speed ferry PAROS JET of Sea Jets . Unlike the ZAKYNTHOS I, she was not permanently laid-up, instead she was just waiting to cover the service left by one her fleetmates in case she would suffer an engine failure. Generally, the PAROS JET was a relief ship used by Sea Jets in all their areas of operations. She was also deployed on the Sporades and on the Piraeus-Chania line when ships owned by other companies and operating on these areas also went on to experience technical issues. In the meantime, the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII had also left Piraeus and was also heading towards Aegina. Next to the PAROS JET, I spotted the ferry PRINCE, a ship which had been recently acquired by European Seaways (or A-Ships Management), a company owned by the Arkoumanis family and which has been present on the Adriatic Sea since 1990. The ship was formerly known as the WIND AMBITION of C-Bed Floating Hotels, and she has had several spells in Northern Europe (and she also served on the Adriatic Sea as the ÇEŞME under the Turkish company Marmara Lines from 2002 to 2010). She was undergoing the last stages of her preparation for entry to service in Drapetsona, before sailing a few days after my trip to Igoumenitsa, where she spent her debut season under A-Ships Management on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line. Right next to Drapetsona is the port and neighborhood of Keratsini, which features the containership terminal of Piraeus. It is now administered by the Chinese company COSCO, which has made several significant investments for the development and modernisation of the port and of the region. Next to the containership terminal is the Ro-Ro carrier terminal, used by pure car and truck carriers (or PCTCs), which are ships transporting masses of vehicles from their countries of production to consumer markets, such as Greece. Here, we can see a PCTC owned by the Italian giants Grimaldi Lines (left) and one owned by the Greek company Neptune Lines, both of which are among the leading companies on that shipping sector. At the opposite of Drapetsona and Keratsini, the ships pass by the small island of Psyttaleia. Even though it is uninhabited, it hosts the largest sewage treatment plant in Europe, and it is accessed daily by employees working there. And as I was passing by Psyttaleia, it was impossible for me to avoid seeing and photographing the well-known landing craft operating on the island, namely the PSYTTALEIA II of Psyttaleia Shipping . The PSYTTALEIA II was built in 1999 and has spent her entire career on the Drapetsona-Psyttaleia line. That summer marked her twentieth on the line. She transports employees and necessary vehicles from Drapetsona to Psyttaleia on a daily basis, thus making her an essential ship for the island's operations. The PSYTTALEIA II now seen resting in her namesake island. Another view of the PSYTTALEIA II seen in Psyttaleia. The impressive containership terminal in Keratsini. After passing by Psyttaleia, I spotted the fleetmate of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, which was traveling in the opposite direction. It was her sister ship, namely the GEORGIOS BROUFAS . The GEORGIOS BROUFAS seen heading from Salamina to Piraeus. She was built in 1997, hence a year before the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. Like the latter, she has operated on the Piraeus-Salamina line for all her career, although there was only one exception. Indeed, in 2016, she was deployed on the Cyclades, operating on the Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros line in order to improve the overall connection of the latter two islands with the rest of the Aegean Sea. However, this service lasted only one season, and the ship returned to her usual service on the Piraeus-Salamina line before the 2017 season, and she has remained there ever since. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS, the well-known sister ship of the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II, seen heading towards Piraeus. The elegant GEORGIOS BROUFAS on her way to Piraeus. After a few minutes, we were approaching Perama, a neighborhood known for its various shipyards and which also hosts several ships that remain laid-up for a considerable amount of time. The first shipyard that I saw, the Psarros Shipyard, featured a number of yachts as well as a familiar ship, namely the one-day cruise ship ANNA MARU of Hydraïki Cruises . Built in 1993 in Greece, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 1994 and for Hydraïki Cruises since 2003. She performed successful cruises under the latter on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Aegina line from 2003 to 2009, and I therefore remember her berthing in Aegina several times during my childhood. After the 2010 summer season where she was operating on the Sporades, she has been deemed to surplus requirements by her company, and she was laid-up in Elefsina in 2011 and then in Perama (at the Psarros Shipyard) from 2012 to 2016. She returned to service in 2016 on the Floisbos-Hydra-Poros-Aegina line in order to replace her fleetmate, namely the PLATYTERA TON OURANON , which was undergoing her own refit, before being laid-up again in 2017 after the latter was inserted back to service. However, in late 2018, the ANNA MARU returned to the Floisbos-Hydra-Poros-Aegina line, again replacing the PLATYTERA TON OURANON, and will likely spend the 2019 summer season there. A bit more further to the left, I spotted the Tsangarinos Shipyard, where several ships are laid-up. One of them was the EUROPEAN EXPRESS of the now-defunct company NEL Lines , which has been laid-up there since 2016 (and inactive since late 2014). The impressive EUROPEAN EXPRESS, now completely rusty and abandoned. She is currently being prepared to sail to Turkey in order to be scrapped, with her departure due in 3-5 days. She has already been renamed EXPRESS, which will be the name she will bear while heading to the scrapyards. Built in 1974 in Japan, she was bought by the Greek-Cypriot company Access Ferries in 1999 and was extensively converted in Perama, beginning service on the Piraeus-Limassol-Haifa line in 2000. After an unassuming spell there, she spent most of the 2000s being chartered to various companies, notably operating on the Western Mediterranean Sea and also on the Caribbean Sea. After a two-year-long lay-up in Elefsina from 2008 to 2010, she was transferred to NEL Lines and she operated on various lines on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Although she did experience some success, NEL Lines began to suffer from severe economic difficulties due to unexpected and non-understandable business decisions (such as chartering several ships for limited use and operating on lines where competitors were already established), which eventually led to both the company and the ship's downfall. Another view of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS, alongside another ferry which was laid-up in Perama since 2016. It was the CARIBBEAN GALAXY of the Dominican company Atlantic Blue Seaways. This ship was also built in Japan, and she had an extremely successful spell in Greece, as she was previously the legendary DAEDALUS of Minoan Lines, operating from 1989 to 2005 initially on the Adriatic Sea and later on the Aegean Sea (having a notable service on the line which connected Thessaloniki with the Sporades, the Cyclades and Heraklion). After spending the next 11 years on the Adriatic Sea under the Italian company Adria Ferries, she was sold in 2016 to Atlantic Blue Seaways, and she was planned to operate on the Caribbean Sea. However, her company never began operations and she was eventually laid-up in Perama, until departing the latter for Turkey last month. She is currently being scrapped. Hence, this picture showed two ferries in the last summer that they spent alive, as they both have recently been sold for scrap after spending more than two years under lay-up in Perama. Next up was the Kanellos Shipyard in Perama, where I saw the double-ended ferry PROTOPOROS XII of Tsokos Lines being under construction. She was undergoing the final stages of her preparation prior to her launching ceremony. She was completed in early August 2018 and she began operations on the Perama-Salamina line. However, just a few days after she began service, she was sold to the Tanzanian company Zan Fast Ferries. She recently left Perama in order to head to her new area of operations, having been renamed SEA STAR I. She is due to operate on the Dar Es Salaam-Zanzibar line. Perama has three floating drydocks, which are owned and managed by the Piraeus Port Authority (OLP). Here, this picture shows the second one out of the three, named PIRAEUS II and featuring a yacht. Th PIRAEUS II Drydock is known as the Small Perama Drydock as it is the smallest one out of the three. Another view of the Tsangarinos Shipyard, where I saw another laid-up ship, namely the high speed craft KALLI P of Idomeneas Lines . This ship previously had spells in Greece as the PANAGIA THALASSINI of C-Link Ferries (2004-2007) and of NEL Lines (2007-2012). She was chartered by the latter to the Moroccan company Inter Shipping in 2012 and operated on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait, but by 2013 she was laid-up in Tangier Med due to both NEL Lines and Inter Shipping experiencing financial issues. She was then rumoured to make a comeback to Greece as she was bought by Panagiotopoulos Shipping (which was rebranded as Idomeneas Lines) in 2015. Despite being renamed and converted for service on the Heraklion-Santorini line, she never began operations due to the outstanding debts carried by the doomed NEL Lines. Hence, the ship has remained in that spot for the past three-four years. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS in Perama. This is certainly my last ever picture of this ship. A Farewell Tribute Post will appear on the Blog as soon as she heads to Turkey for scrap. It will feature her service history in much more detail . We were now approaching Salamina. There, the Ambelakia peninsula can be seen ahead. There, one can spot another large amount of laid-up ships. Another familiar face that I got to see was the ferry VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines , which has been laid-up there since 2017. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Salamina. Having been in Greece since 1994 (when she was bought by LANE Sea Lines), she had tremendously successful spells on the Lasithi-Kasos-Karpathos lifeline, on the Alexandroupolis-Northeast Aegean Sea-Dodecanese lifeline and lastly but most importantly on the Peloponnese-Kythira-Antikythira lifeline, where she was operating from 2009 to 2017. That year, just before the summer season began, she suffered a severe engine failure which was never repaired. As a result, the lifeline was not served by any ship and LANE Sea Lines saw their subsidy licensed issued by the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy being revoked by the latter. The ship has since been replaced by the IONIS of Triton Ferries . She has seen remained in Salamina, and her future does not seem that hopeful. The VITSENTZOS KORNAROS seen in Salamina, awaiting her fate. The third major Perama drydock. It is the newly-built PIRAEUS III, which was delivered to OLP in early 2018. Much bigger than the previous two, she is known as the Main Perama Drydock. A ship seen in the Ocean Freedom Shipyard, namely the double-ended ferry OCEANOS I of the Italian company Bluferries. She was built in Greece, having been ordered by the Sicily-based company. She was later renamed TRINACRIA, and she is due to begin service on the Villa San Giovanni-Messina line on the Messina Strait in the next few days. I subsequently began to see the well-known double-ended ferries that operate on the Perama-Salamina line. Despite it being one of the shortest services in terms of distance in the Greek coastal service, it is by far the busiest in terms of ships operating (more than 25 in 2018!) and in terms of departure times (one ferry every five minutes from both ports). The first ship that I saw was the THEOCHARIS MARIA L of Karnesis-Lalousis NE , which was heading towards Salamina. The THEOCHARIS MARIA L heading from Perama to Salamina. She was ordered by her company in late 2016, and her construction was finished in 2017 in Greece. So far, she has spent both her first seasons of service on the Perama-Salamina line. Another view of the PIRAEUS III floating drydock. Next to her is the PIRAEUS I Drydock, formerly known as the Main Perama Drydock. Since the arrival of the new and larger PIRAEUS III Drydock, she is known as the Medium Perama Drydock. Another view of the THEOCHARIS MARIA L. She has one sister ship, namely the IOANNIS SOPHIA K , which is also owned by Karnesis-Lalousis NE. Built in 2016, she spent her two first seasons on the Perama-Salamina line as well. During the 2018 season, she was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line. The Perama-Salamina line mainly has ferries operating, but it also has small passenger boats which make the crossing at a much faster speed. The first ship operating on the line that I spotted was the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS of Kotsomoiris-Karvela Shipping . The ferry terminal in Perama, from which the ships depart for Salamina. There, I saw the ALEXANDROS M of Boufis Shipping Company , the ATHINA P of Athinais Lines and the FANEROMENI of Panagia Faneromeni . The THEOCHARIS MARIA L seen again heading towards Salamina. The ALEXANDROS M (owned by Boufis Shipping Company, which is based in Spetses) and the ATHINA P seen resting in Perama. The THEOCHARIS MARIA L seen yet again, as she heads to Salamina. An infamous ship seen laid-up at the Spanopoulos Shipyard, next to Ambelakia in Salamina. Indeed, it was the small product tanker AGIA ZONI II of Fos Petroleum, which controversially sank on 10 September 2017 in the middle of the Saronic Gulf, thus causing a major oil spill in the area. She was refloated a month later and towed to Spanopoulos Shipyard, where she remains to date. Not really an exciting photo, but still historically important. Next to the Perama ferry terminal, I spotted another ship, namely the high speed catamaran SUPERCAT of Golden Star Ferries . She was bought by the Andros-based company in early 2018, having previously operated as the KAROLIN of the Estonian company Linda Line on the Tallinn-Helsinki line on the Finnish Gulf. She was being prepared in order to enter service in 2019 on the Cyclades. Next to the SUPERCAT, I saw the small port where the passenger boats that serve the Perama-Salamina line berth while being in Perama. There, I saw the THERMAÏKOS I of Salamina Waterways resting there. Soon after the 2018 summer season ended, she was sold to Thessaloniki Waterways (which was later renamed Poseidon Waterways), and she is now known as the POSEIDON . The small passenger ship AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS seen heading towards Salamina. I then saw the double-ended ferry AIAKOS of Evangelos NE heading towards Perama. The AIAKOS heading from Salamina to Perama. Built in 2002 in Greece, she has so far spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line. The AIAKOS was being followed by the small passenger boat BOB SFOUGKARAKIS of Kavouris Shipping Company , which was also heading towards Perama. The AIAKOS en route towards Perama. The BOB SFOUGKARAKIS is also seen heading towards the same direction. From 2008 to 2015, she was operating on the Piraeus-Salamina line, before moving to the Perama-Salamina line in 2016. The BOB SFOUGKARAKIS seen heading towards Perama. As we kept approaching Salamina, I then saw another double-ended ferry, namely the STAVROS N of Nikolaïdis NE , which was also heading towards Perama. The STAVROS N was built in 2017, whereupon she replaced the ferries AGIOS LAVRENTIOS II and MICHAIL N, which had been sold to companies in Chile and Turkey, respectively. The STAVROS N heading towards Perama. She has so far spent her first two seasons on the Perama-Salamina line. The THEOCHARIS MARIA L approaching the port of Paloukia in Salamina. The impressive port of Paloukia in Salamina, which features dozens of double-ended ferries serving the Perama-Salamina line. The STAVROS N seen heading towards Perama. Another view of the port of Paloukia in Salamina. It is the base of more than 25 double-ended ferries. It is without a doubt the port that fits the most ships in the Greek coastal service, behind Piraeus. Another view of the STAVROS N, as she heads towards the port of Perama. After 38 minutes of traveling, we stopped in Kamatero, a small port in Salamina located between Ambelakia and Paloukia. Only a few passengers left the ship, and within ten seconds we began to head towards the final destination, namely Paloukia, which is only two minutes away from Kamatero by boat. The FANEROMENI seen heading towards Salamina, while the STAVROS N goes in the opposite direction. The FANEROMENI and the STAVROS N seen between Salamina and Perama. The FANEROMENI seen on her way to Salamina. Before beginning to operate for Panagia Faneromeni, she was on the Oropos-Eretria line on the South Evoian Gulf, having been the first-ever ship built and owned by Tsokos Lines, which was a newly-established company at the time. She was therefore the original PROTOPOROS. Since 2004, 12 ships have been built for the company, with two more under construction and to be delivered during the 2019 season. I then spotted one of the most impressive ships operating on the Perama-Salamina line, namely the GLYKOFILOUSA IV of Panagia Glykofilousa NE , built just a year before my trip with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. The GLYKOFILOUSA IV seen in Salamina alongside the veteran double-ended ferry PROKOPIOS M of Dimitrios P NE . The GLYKOFILOUSA IV seen resting in Salamina. The FANEROMENI seen approaching Salamina. The PROKOPIOS M, built in 2003 in Greece, seen resting in Salamina as well. As we began to approach the port of Paloukia in Salamina, I kept on seeing several ships for the first time in my life. Another one that followed was the IOANNIS THIRESIA of Theotokos NE . Besides the IOANNIS THIRESIA, there was also the THEOCHARIS MARIA L which had just docked in Salamina, alongside the DIMITRIOS S of Sofras NE . The PROKOPIOS M seen in Salamina. As the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II began to maneuver in the passenger boat pier (located between the two piers where the double-ended ferries dock), I saw yet another small passenger ship. This time, it was the ARTEMIS of Artemis SNE , which was back in service on the Perama-Salamina line after three years of lay-up. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS seen resting in Salamina as well. Another view of the IOANNIS THIRESIA in the port of Paloukia in Salamina. The DIMITRIOS S and the THEOCHARIS MARIA L seen together in Salamina. The impressive port of Paloukia in Salamina, yet again featuring several double-ended ferries. Right next to the passenger boat pier, I saw the double-ended ferry THEOMITOR, also owned by Athinais Lines . Despite having a different livery than the ATHINA P and the company's other ferry, namely the APOSTOLOS M , all ships operate for the same owner. The THEOMITOR seen resting in Salamina. At 14:40, we finally docked in Salamina. We were right next to the ARTEMIS. And on the other side of the pier, I saw a familiar face, more specifically the ELENA F of Elena F Shipping , which also operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line, alongside both the GEORGIOS BROUFAS and the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen leaving Salamina 15 minutes after our arrival. And hence the ship on which I just had a fantastic trip was leaving Salamina, heading back to Piraeus. And so this marks the end of my trip with the small GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels. It was truly a unique journey, as I got to see so many ships in just under an hour, ranging from the standard ferries and high speed craft in Piraeus to the laid-up ferries in Perama and in Salamina, up to the well-known double-ended ferries serving the Perama-Salamina line. I went to the island for the first time in 18 years and I got to see areas such as Drapetsona, Keratsini and Perama (alongside various shipyards) for the first time in my life. It was really one of the most memorable trips I have ever done. Now I know how to take advantage of my free time during my summer stay in Greece: just take the boat from Piraeus to Salamina and back. For a shipping enthusiast like me, I will never be disappointed as I would be seeing dozens of ships throughout the journey. #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #summer2018 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #piraeus #salamina #kamatero #paloukia #drapetsona #psyttaleia #keratsini #perama #ambelakia #shipyards #bluegalaxy #diagoras #bluestarferries #flyingcat3 #flyingdolphinxviii #flyingdolphinxvii #flyingdolphinxxix #nissosrodos #nissoschios #hellenicseaways #phivos #novaferries #posidonhellas #2wayferries #kritiii #aneklines #festospalace #daedalus #minoanlines #zakynthosi #kefalonianlines #parosjet #seajets #prince #ashipsmanagement #psyttaleiaii #psyttaleiashipping #georgiosbroufas #annamaru #hydraïkicruises #europeanexpress #nellines #kallip #idomeneaslines #vitsentzoskornaros #lanesealines #theocharismarial #karnesislalousisne #agioseleftherios #kotsomoiriskarvelashipping #alexandrosm #boufisshippingcompany #athinap #theomitor #athinaislines #faneromeni #panagiafaneromeni #supercat #goldenstarferries #thermaïkosi #salaminawaterways #aiakos #evangelosne #bobsfougkarakis #kavourisshippingcompany #stavrosn #nikolaïdisne #glykofilousaiv #panagiaglykofilousane #prokopiosm #dimitriospne #ioannisthiresia #theotokosne #dimitrioss #sofrasne #artemis #artemissne #elenaf #elenafshipping #tribute

Towards the end of my summer stay in Greece for the 2020 season, I headed to Aegina for one last time in order to leave some summer items in my house, and to do a final clean-up ahead of the winter season. In the past, I had done trips from Piraeus to Aegina and back with my mother and my maternal grandmother mother, as it was the case on 3 July 2015 , on 19July 2016 , on 21 July 2017 , and on 1 August 2018 . In all these trips, it was towards the start of the summer, as we would go there in order to store in our Aegina house whatever we do not need for the vacation (such as oversized bags, warm clothes) and in order to take whatever is necessary for the beaches (volleyballs, rackets, towels, which stay in our Aegina house all year long). This time, however, I was alone, as most of my family had left Greece. Despite it being towards the end of the summer, I still had the opportunity to see and photograph many ships in both Piraeus and Aegina, and I was able to enjoy the island for the final time in 2020. I traveled onboard the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries from Piraeus to Aegina, and headed back from Aegina to Piraeus with the ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries . This post is dedicated to the two trips I made that day, more specifically from Piraeus to Aegina and back. This post is not a tribute post to either ship, as I had already done one for each of them, with these being in May 2018 for the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS , and in November 2016 for the ACHEOS . I did take photos of both ships' passenger areas, but they are the same as the ones from the previous years, so I will not update them in this post. The pictures below will describe you the experience of the two trips I made to and from the second nearest island from Piraeus, namely Aegina, thanks to the two veteran Saronic Gulf ferries which provided a memorable day for me. I arrived in Piraeus towards noon. There, I saw the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS having just arrived in Piraeus from Aegina, and about to being her maneuvering procedure. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen arriving in Piraeus. This was her twentieth season on the Saronic Gulf, with all of them spent on the Piraeus-Aegina line. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS about to start her maneuvering procedure. She has been owned by ANES Ferries since 2007. Despite the latter traditionally operating on the Dodecanese, they kept the ferry on the Saronic Gulf, where she has remained a consistent presence despite strong competition from Nova Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and later 2way Ferries. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus. She was built in 1999 in Greece, and she spent the first two seasons of her career on the Sporades, as the PANAGIA SKIATHOU for the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, serving the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Pyli line. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen maneuvering in Piraeus. When she moved to the Saronic Gulf, she remained under the ownership of the Northern Sporades and Evoia Shipping Company, until she was sold to ANES Ferries in 2007. A view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS as she is seen maneuvering in Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS having completed her maneuvering procedure, and now preparing to dock in Piraeus. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS about to dock in the port of Piraeus. As soon as I embarked onboard the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, I spotted two high speed craft operating on the Saronic Gulf. These were the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins and the high speed catamaran FLYINGCAT 6 of Hellenic Seaways . On the port side of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS, I also saw two hydrofoils owned by Hellenic Seaways, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX and the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX . A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, which operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. This was her first summer of operations since 2012, after she was repaired following an eight-year-long lay-up after she had run aground in the small islet of Metopi (located between Aegina and Agistri). While initially being declared a constructive total loss, she was reactivated and renovated, and thus she returned to service in 2020. A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX, which is the youngest active hydrofoil in the Greek coastal service. She has spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf, ever since she began operations in 1993. A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA and of the FLYINGCAT 6. A view of three different hydrofoils serving the Saronic Gulf, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX and the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX docked in the port of Piraeus. She was the first ship of Hellenic Seaways to acquire the new livery that was introduced on all of the company's high speed craft. Indeed, following the end of the partnership between Hellenic Seaways and Cosmote, the company did not seek a new advertising deal and instead chose to feature its colours onboard all the high speed craft. The FLYINGCAT 6 docked in Piraeus. She has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2018. She had also operated there in 2013, in 2015 and in 2016. Before this season, she operated on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line, while in 2020 she started serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX and the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX docked in Piraeus, while the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS leaves the port in order to head towards Aegina. On the starboard side of the ship, I spotted another high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways, namely the HIGHSPEED 4 . While we were heading away from the E8 gate, I also spotted the SUPEREXPRESS of Golden Star Ferries . I then proceeded to seeing the KRITI II of ANEK Lines , which operates on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The HIGHSPEED 4 spotted in Piraeus. She was also seen featuring the new livery that was introduced on all the high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways in 2020. Behind the KRITI II was the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries . Since joining the latter in 2015, she has been operating on Piraeus-Chania line. The KRITI II and the BLUE GALAXY seen together in Piraeus. Both ships used to be fleetmates, back when the BLUE GALAXY operated for ANEK Lines as the LEFKA ORI on the Adriatic Sea, from 2000 to 2012. The KRITI II has also served on the Adriatic Sea in the past, as she was on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line from 1997 to 2000, on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line in 2001 (operating alongside the LEFKA ORI back then), and on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line in 2012 and in 2013. The KRITI II and the BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus. The KRITI II was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Venice line in 2012, in order to actually replace the LEFKA ORI (which was operating on the line from 2005 to 2011, after having previously been on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Trieste line from 2000 to 2004). Indeed, the latter had been chartered to the South Korean company Jeju Cruise Line as a result of the impact of the Greek financial crisis on ANEK Lines. However, her spell there proved to be a failure, as she never sailed for the company, which had major financial problems. As such, the ship returned to Greece in late 2013, and she began a small conversion in Perama which lasted until 2015, when she joined Blue Star Ferries. The BLUE GALAXY seen in Piraeus, in what was her sixth consecutive summer under Blue Star Ferries. I then saw the FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways , which had just ended her summer season on the Saronic Gulf and was now beginning her winter lay-up. For the second straight season, she operated on the Piraeus-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. As the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was leaving Piraeus, I was able to capture the three Hellenic Seaways high speed craft serving the Saronic Gulf which I had just shown you, namely the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX, the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX and the FLYINGCAT 6. I then saw the FLYINGCAT 4 alongside the HIGHSPEED 4. The KRITI II and the BLUE GALAXY seen together in Piraeus. Despite no longer being fleetmates, both ships cooperate under the ANEK-Attica Group joint venture, which has been active since 2011 and covers both operators' services in Crete and on the Adriatic Sea. We then began to pass by the cruiseferry KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines . The KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus. Built in 2000, she began operations on the Piraeus-Heraklion line for 20 years, until she was transferred to the Italian giants Grimaldi Lines in late 2020 (just over two months after this picture was taken), as part of the fleet reshuffle that was undertaken by Minoan Lines . The SUPEREXPRESS was seen alongside the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets . Next to them was the high speed trimaran SUPERSPEED of Golden Star Ferries . She has been owned by the latter since late 2017. She began service in 2018 on the Thessaloniki-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades, before moving to the Cyclades in 2019. There, she operated on the Rafina-Syros-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line, before her season was cut short following a major engine failure that she suffered in Naxos. The CHAMPION JET 1 seen in the port of Piraeus. She has been owned by Sea Jets since 2015. This was her first year back in Greece following her charter to the Spanish company Naviera Armas during the 2019 season. The SUPEREXPRESS seen during her second season under Golden Star Ferries. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus, in what was her last season under Minoan Lines. Upon joining Grimaldi Lines, she was renamed CRUISE BONARIA, thus taking the name previously held by her younger sister ship and fleetmate, namely the ex-OLYMPIA PALACE of Minoan Lines. The latter operated for Minoan Lines from 2001 to 2012 on the Adriatic Sea, before she was chartered to the Italian company Tirrenia Di Navigazione for six years as the BONARIA. Once the charter ended in 2018, she was transferred to Grimaldi Lines and she was renamed CRUISE BONARIA. Since late 2020, she rejoined Minoan Lines, and she has taken her predecessor's former name and service. Indeed, she is the new KNOSSOS PALACE that sails on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The SUPEREXPRESS, the CHAMPION JET 1 and the SUPERSPEED seen together in Piraeus. We then passed by the NISSOS RODOS of Hellenic Seaways , which serves the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line on the Northeast Aegean Sea since 2018. In front of the NISSOS RODOS was the KYDON PALACE of Minoan Lines . Formerly known as the FESTOS PALACE, she was spending the first season of her career under her new name, and on the Piraeus-Chania line. Facing her was yet another high speed craft of Golden Star Ferries, namely the SUPERRUNNER . Towards the exit of the port of Piraeus, I noticed the EKATERINI P of Fast Ferries . Next to the EKATERINI P was the BLUE STAR 1, which is the flagship of Blue Star Ferries . Another view of the KYDON PALACE in Piraeus. Built in 2001, she spent her entire career as the FESTOS PALACE on the Piraeus-Heraklion line, while also making calls in Milos in 2018 and in 2019. Following the aforementioned fleet reshuffle of Minoan Lines, she switched her itinerary with that of the MYKONOS PALACE (ex-EUROPA PALACE from 2002 to 2012), with the latter becoming the new FESTOS PALACE . The BLUE STAR 1 and the EKATERINI P seen together in Piraeus. The BLUE STAR 1 spotted in Piraeus. For the 2020 season, which was 20 years following her introduction to service, she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Santorini-Samos-Kos-Rhodes line. The BLUE STAR 1 seen alongside the EKATERINI P in Piraeus. A view of the SUPERRUNNER, the KYDON PALACE, and the NISSOS RODOS. Between the latter two ships is the floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY. A few minutes after having exited the port of Piraeus, I saw the POSIDON HELLAS of 2way Ferries heading in the opposite direction. A few moments later, I saw another ship of 2way Ferries, namely the APOLLON HELLAS . She was also heading towards Piraeus, after having left Aegina. After more than an hour, the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS began to approach the port of Aegina. There, I spotted the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries and the ACHAEOS of 2way Ferries , with the latter having left the port. The ACHAEOS seen having left the port of Aegina. This was her seventh consecutive season on the Saronic Gulf, and eighth season overall. Indeed, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line in 2006, right after her construction was finished. She then moved to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea, where she remained until making her comeback to the Saronic Gulf in 2014. Crossing the ACHAEOS near Aegina, as she is seen sailing towards Piraeus. The ACHAEOS seen leaving Aegina in order to return to Piraeus. She was the first ship on which I traveled during the 2020 season, as I headed from Piraeus to Aegina on 7 August of that year . The ACHAEOS seen heading back to Piraeus, after having left Aegina. Since her return to the Saronic Gulf in 2014, she has been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line. The double-ended ferry ACHAEOS seen leaving Aegina for Piraeus. Another view of the ACHAEOS, which is now en route towards the port of Piraeus. After seeing the ACHAEOS leaving the port of Aegina, I could now take more pictures of the PHIVOS, which was seen resting. The PHIVOS seen docked in the port of Aegina. She has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2005. She was bought alongside her sister ship, the ATHINA (which operated from 2005 to 2006 on the Saronic Gulf), in 2004 by the then-newly-established company Nova Ferries. After being converted for a year, she began service on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros-Hydra line. From 2007 to 2013 she solely operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line, thus performing the exact same service as the one the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS has been on since 2001. Following the establishment of the Saronic Ferries joint venture in 2014, the PHIVOS has since been operating on the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. The PHIVOS seen docked in the port of Aegina. Built in 1980 in Spain, she is the oldest ferry serving the Saronic Gulf from Piraeus. Despite her age, she is considered to be the fastest and the most comfortable ship to serve the area. The PHIVOS seen resting in the port of Aegina. A more detailed post regarding the ship, her history and her amenities was written in June 2016, during the trip that I had with her on 7 August 2015 from Aegina to Piraeus . As the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was docking, I also saw the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX leaving the port of Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen departing the port of Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX seen leaving the port of Aegina. The PHIVOS seen ahead of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. The PHIVOS seen docked in Aegina, as the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS prepares to moor right next to her. The FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX preparing to activate her engines at full-speed in order to leave Aegina. Another view of the PHIVOS in Aegina. She is the only ship of Nova Ferries to have served the company in all the years of its existence. She has had two fleetmates at different moments, but none of them have operated for Nova Ferries for more than two years. The first one was her sister ship, namely the ATHINA, which was sold in 2006 to the Portuguese company Transmaçor after just one year in Greece. The second one was the Greek-built PHEDRA (the ex-THASSOS VIII of ANETH Ferries), which operated on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina-Agistri line from 2009 to late 2010. She was then sold to the Egyptian-Jordanian company Arab Bridge Maritime, which offered to purchase her at a very high fee at the time. She still operates for them today as the AYLAH, on the Gulf of Aqaba. The beloved PHIVOS seen in the port of Aegina. Another view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XXIX as she is seen leaving the port of Aegina. The PHIVOS seen while the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS undergoes her maneuvering procedure. While the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS was docking in Aegina, I also spotted the small wooden passenger boat NERAÏDA of Sea Bond leaving the port. She operates from Aegina to the small island of Moni, which, despite being uninhabited, has some nice beaches that are worthy of visiting. The NERAÏDA seen leaving Aegina in order to head towards Moni. She has been connecting the two islands since 2016. A view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS right after I had disembarked. Behind her is the PHIVOS. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen alongside the PHIVOS in Aegina. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS and the PHIVOS seen together in Aegina. This marked the end of the first trip that I did that day. Just before 17:00, I had returned to the port of Aegina in order to head back to Piraeus. I had finished my work in our house, and I was now ready for the second part of my one-day trip. Here was the ACHAEOS waiting for me to embark onboard her. The ACHAEOS docked in Aegina, right before her departure for Piraeus. As the ACHAEOS began to leave Aegina, the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA was arriving from Piraeus. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen arriving in Aegina. Built in 1991 and owned by Aegean Flying Dolphins since 2010, she has been serving the Piraeaus-Aegina-Agistri line since 2011. She thus serves the exact same line as the ACHAEOS. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen arriving in Aegina. In her debut season under Aegean Flying Dolphins, she was on the Piraeus-Hydra-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. In 2011, after most of her older fleetmates had to be retired due to reaching the limit of 30 years of service (which was abolished in 2014), she moved to her current service The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA seen arriving in Aegina. The FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA preparing to dock in Aegina. Just a few minutes after the ACHAEOS started to sail towards Piraeus, she was caught-up by the FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA, which had also left the port of Aegina. Halfway through the trip, I spotted the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS heading towards her namesake island. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen heading towards Aegina. Just a few hours earlier, I had been onboard her in order to make the exact same trip. Crossing the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS on her way to Aegina. She is the second youngest ferry to operate on the Saronic Gulf out of Piraeus. The youngest one is the ACHAEOS, which was built seven years after the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. The AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen sailing towards Aegina, during her twentieth season on the Saronic Gulf. The beautiful and reliable AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS seen heading towards Aegina, after having left from Piraeus. One last view of the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS. Just a few moments later, the PHIVOS was also seen heading towards Aegina. The PHIVOS seen heading towards Aegina. The impressive PHIVOS seen heading towards Aegina. She began service on the Saronic Gulf just a year before the ACHAEOS was built. A view of the PHIVOS as she is sailing towards Aegina. The PHIVOS, also known affectionately as 'The Red Jet of the Saronic Gulf', seen heading to Aegina. Crossing the PHIVOS on the Saronic Gulf, as she heads towards the port of Aegina. The PHIVOS on her way towards Aegina. A beautiful view of the PHIVOS, with Aegina in the background. A final view of the PHIVOS, as she is seen sailing towards Aegina. The next ship that I went on to see was the POSIDON HELLAS, which was also heading towards Aegina. The POSIDON HELLAS about to cross her fleetmate, the ACHAEOS. She is deployed on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Methana-Poros line, thus serving all the ports covered by the Saronic Ferries joint venture. The POSIDON HELLAS on her way towards Aegina. Built in 1998 in Greece, she has spent her entire career on the Saronic Gulf. She spent her first two seasons under the ownership of Poseidon Consortium Shipping, in which the Papaïoannidis family (the current owners of 2way Ferries) was involved. In 1999 she joined Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002), and she operated under the Saronikos Ferries division. Her company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. After serving under the latter for a decade, she was bought by 2way Ferries in 2015, and she was therefore back under the ownership of the Papaïoannidis family. The POSIDON HELLAS seen sailing towards Aegina, during what was her sixth season under 2way Ferries. Crossing the POSIDON HELLAS on the Saronic Gulf. Her acquisition by 2way Ferries was largely credited to the successful reintroduction of the ACHAEOS on the Saronic Gulf in 2014. By the 2017 season, the company had now three ferries serving the area under its ownership. The POSIDON HELLAS on her way towards the port of Aegina. One final view of the POSIDON HELLAS, which was making her way towards Aegina. As the ACHAEOS began to approach the port of Piraeus, the FLYING DOLPHIN XIX had just exited the port. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX having exited the port of Piraeus, and beginning to sail at full-speed on the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN XIX seen sailing towards Aegina. Upon entering the port of Piraeus, I again spotted the BLUE STAR 1. The BLUE STAR 1 seen right next to the entrance of the port of Piraeus. I then saw the SUPERRUNNER and the KYDON PALACE in Piraeus. The KYDON PALACE seen in Piraeus, during her first season on the Piraeus-Chania line. The BLUE STAR 1 seen in Piraeus. Unfortunately, this year, she will not be operating in Greece, as she has been chartered to Irish Ferries for service on the Pembroke Dock-Rosslare line on the Irish Sea. This will mean that she will be heading to Northern Europe for the first time since 2008, as she had also spent a year on the Zeebrugge-Rosyth line, back when this service was operated by Attica Group. Irish Ferries has been keen on expanding its services beyond the Irish Sea, and therefore they sought the BLUE STAR 1, which is due to operate there for at least a year. While this certainly arranges her owner and her charterer, shipping enthusiasts like myself will definitely miss her on the Aegean Sea this year. The BLUE STAR 1 was seen alongside the EKATERINI P. The EKATERINI P seen in Piraeus. She was still undergoing repair work following the engine failure that she suffered in 2019. She is due to return to service in 2021. The SUPERRUNNER seen docked in Piraeus. She is the former SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines, for whom she operated from 2009 to 2016. Another view of the KYDON PALACE in Piraeus. We then passed by the NISSOS RODOS, which was still resting ahead of her departure for Chios and Mytilene. I then saw the KNOSSOS PALACE once again. The HIGHSPEED 4 was also seen docked in Piraeus. The HIGHSPEED 4 was seen in Piraeus alongside the FLYINGCAT 4. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen in Piraeus, during her final season under Minoan Lines. I then again got to see the SUPEREXPRESS, the CHAMPION JET 1 and the SUPERSPEED. The KRITI II seen once again. In the last few months, she has been replaced on the Piraeus-Heraklion line by her fleetmate and sister ship, namely the KRITI I . The KRITI II seen alongside the BLUE GALAXY. Another view of the KRITI II and of the BLUE GALAXY together in the port of Piraeus. As the ACHAEOS began to head towards her docking spot, I saw two high speed craft of Hellenic Seaways serving the Saronic Gulf, namely the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII and the high speed cataraman FLYINGCAT 5 . The FLYINGCAT 5 seen resting in Piraeus. This was her first season on the Saronic Gulf since 2017, and her first while serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. Overall, it was her third season on the area, as she had also operated there back in 2014. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII seen resting in Piraeus, as the ACHAEOS docked right next to her. This marked the end of my one-day trip to Aegina, as I had now returned to Piraeus. It looked like a usual trip from Piraeus to Aegina and back, as I mostly saw ferries that are usually spotted in both ports (and in between). Despite this, I was still happy to see all these ships yet another time, especially as I was in my last days in Greece for the 2020 summer season. I was happy to travel onboard the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS and the ACHAEOS, as both ships are ferries that I know very well and that I really appreciate for their continuous service on the Saronic Gulf. I will never get tired of traveling onboard them, that is certain. #saronicgulf #summer2020 #greece #aegean #piraeus #aegina #agiosnektariosaeginas #anesferries #flyingdolphinathina #aegeanflyingdolphins #flyingcat6 #flyingdolphinxix #flyingdolphinxxix #highspeed4 #flyingcat4 #nissosrodos #flyingdolphinxvii #flyingcat5 #hellenicseaways #superexpress #superspeed #superrunner #goldenstarferries #kritiii #aneklines #bluegalaxy #bluestar1 #bluestarferries #knossospalace #kydonpalace #minoanlines #championjet1 #seajets #ekaterinip #fastferries #posidonhellas #apollonhellas #achaeos #2wayferries #saronicferries #phivos #novaferries #neraida #seabond

The BARI seen docked in the port of Zakynthos in 2015, during her first season in which she connected the islands of the Ionian Sea with Italy. Exactly one month after the RIGEL I of Ventouris Ferries departed the port of Aegion in order to perform her final trip as a result of her being sold for demolition, for which a Tribute Post was written , I find myself writing a new one for one of her fleetmates. Indeed, the ferry BARI of Ventouris Ferries , which had been serving the company for the past 11 years on the Adriatic Sea, has also ended her career due to having been sold for scrap. She left the port of Durrës in Albania on 5 October 2021, having been renamed ALTAIR, in order to head to the infamous scrapyard of Chittagong (or Chattogram) in Bangladesh. This therefore marked the end of this ferry's 41-year-long career, which was deemed a major success and was marked by several changes in ownership and areas of operations. Altogether, the BARI operated on the Channel, on the Irish Sea and on the North Channel for the first half of her career, before moving to the Mediterranean Sea in order to first serve the Balearic Sea under two different Spanish companies. In 2010, she was initially sold for scrap and was supposed to head to Alang in India, but she miraculously avoided heading to the scrapyards, as she was bought by the Greek company Ventouris Ferries while she was performing what was thought to be, at the time, her final trip. This last-minute acquisition eventually extended her life by 11 years, as the vessel successfully operated on the Adriatic Sea, initially on the Bari-Durrës line (alongside the RIGEL I), before connecting Greece with Italy beginning in 2015, as she was deployed on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. This service turned out to be a major success, to such an extent that she was joined by the RIGEL I in 2017. She continued to perform this service until the end of the 2019 season. At the time, Ventouris Ferries had invested on a larger and more modern ferry, namely the RIGEL VII, which eventually replaced the BARI in 2020. The latter was due to operate on a new service on the Bari-Sarandë line, but demand was low and the services were canceled. She only performed a few trips on the Bari-Durrës line in late 2020. In 2021, with passenger traffic on the Adriatic Sea diminishing altogether, scrap prices being at very good levels, and with Ventouris Ferries preferring to operate the three ships that they had acquired during the second half of the 2010s, the two longest-serving members of the fleet, the RIGEL I and the BARI, were no longer deemed necessary for service They were therefore sold for scrap, and this time the BARI was unable to escape the demolition yards, just as she had done so in 2010. Just like the RIGEL I, the BARI also managed to have a relatively good career and did not experience a miserable end, which would have been spending many years under lay-up or suffering from a major accident that would have forced her to end her services prematurely. Instead, she kept on sailing even at the age of 40, and it was only the arrival of a newer and larger vessel and higher scrap prices that forced her into retirement. She turned out to be a very useful for Ventouris Ferries, as she had a fair amount of passenger amenities and cabins, and her garage in particular was large enough to satisfy the freight demand of the Adriatic Sea. This had also been the case at the start of her career, when she was built in order to enhance freight traffic on the popular Calais-Dover line on the Channel. She was part of the very successful Saint-class of British conglomerate Sealink (later Sealink British Ferries), which was composed of four ferries that went on to have very productive careers on the Channel and on the Irish Sea, as well as on the Mediterranean Sea. Over the years, she also underwent significant refurbishments, during which she acquired more areas dedicated to the passengers, and hence her overall passenger capacity further increased. When she left the Channel for good in 1998, she joined Spanish company Umafisa, which spent a large sum of money in order to convert her into a night ferry, so that she could serve the Barcelona-Ibiza line. This refit proved to be vital, as it enabled her to operate several services on the Mediterranean Sea, including during her spell under Ventouris Ferries. Ultimately, her advanced age and the company's focus on larger vessels were the main factors that led to the end of her services, but she nevertheless had a very honourable run. One could imagine whether she could have been saved once more, especially when considering that she is only the first vessel of the Saint-class to be sold for scrap, as her three sister ships continue to be active despite being over 40 years old. Just like all Ship Farewell Tribute posts that I have done in the past , this Blog post covers the entire history of the BARI, from her career on the Channel under Sealink and later Stena Line (as well as her brief time under the P&O Stena Line brandname), to her spell in Spain under Umafisa and later Baleària, and finally her services under Ventouris Ferries on the Adriatic Sea. I only got to see her twice in my life. The first time was during the summer of 2015, when I happened to be in the port of Zakynthos at the same time during which she was moored, in what was her first season on the Ionian Sea. The second time was in 2018, while she was docked in the port of Igoumenitsa, in which I had stopped by while heading from Patras to Ancona on 25-26 August 2018 with the OLYMPIC CHAMPION of ANEK Lines . At least I was able to see her while she was still active and sailing, unlike other cases such as the EUROPEAN EXPRESS of NEL Lines or the IONIAN SKY of Agoudimos Lines . The ship that went on to become the BARI was ordered in 1978 as the ST ANSELM, being part of a quartet that was due to be delivered to the British conglomerate Sealink in 1980 and in 1981. Sealink was the brandname of the train/ferry operator British Railways. The British state-owned company operated services from Great Britain to the Channel Islands, and was also widely known for connecting the United Kingdom with Ireland, France, Belgium and The Netherlands. It served as a consortium operating all ferry services ran by the Channel train and transportation companies of various countries, such as British Railways, the French company SNCF (which owned the late EPTANISOS and DELOS of Strintzis Lines, or the future EXPRESS SANTORINI of Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways), the French company Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation (which owned the SAINT ELOI, which became the AQUA STAR of Sea Jets in 2021), the Belgian company Regie voor Maritiem Transport, also known as RMT (which owned the late AIGAION of Agapitos Lines, the late GEORGIOS EXPRESS of Ventouris Ferries, Ventouris Sea Lines and Agios Georgios Ferries; the late BARI EXPRESS of Ventouris Ferries; the late PANAGIA TINOU 2 of Ventouris Sea Lines, later the EXPRESS ATHINA of Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways, or even the future SUPERFERRY II of Strintzis Lines, Blue Star Ferries and Golden Star Ferries ), and the Dutch Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (which owned the original PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Ferries, which later joined AK Ventouris and Ventouris Sea Lines). In addition, the company had the famous H-class under the management of British Railways and SNCF, a trio of vessels that became the legendary Apollon Trio in Greece, and in particular on the Cyclades. These were the HENGIST, which became the original ROMILDA of GA Ferries APOLLON EXPRESS 2 of Ventouris Sea Lines, then the PANAGIA EKATONTAPYLIANI of Agapitos Lines (and later Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins), before ending her career again under Ventouris Sea Lines, as the AGIOS GEORGIOS and then as the new PANAGIA TINOU , being sold for scrap in 2017 ; the HORSA, which became the legendary PENELOPE A of Agoudimos Lines on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line; and finally the SENLAC, which became the iconic APOLLON EXPRESS/APOLLON EXPRESS 1 of Ventouris Sea Lines, and later the EXPRESS APOLLON Agapitos Express Ferries, Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways. And I can write about dozens of other ships as well. Altogether, the Sealink conglomerate rapidly became one of the dominant ferry companies of Northern Europe, and operated successful services on the Channel, on the Irish Sea and on the North Channel. The deployment of all the aforementioned vessels (and along with many others) during the 1960s and 1970s further cemented its presence, and their passenger services were much-acclaimed. They operated a diverse fleet, from conventional ferries to night ferries, as well as Ro-Ro carriers and hovercraft, the latter operating under the Seaspeed brandname. They did not, however, come without strong competition. Indeed, during the 1970s, a company that went on to also become a dominant force on the Channel (as well as on the North Sea) was the British operator Townsend Thoresen (whose roots trace back to the European Ferries Group), which also had ferries that went on to have prominent careers in Greece. While the latter did not have ferries that provided high-standard passenger amenities, they nevertheless had the upper edge in terms of vehicle capacity, with many ferries being primarily dedicated to freight transportation. With the pending arrival of Townsend Thoresen's new vessels in 1980, namely those of the Spirit-class, which provided larger garages that could easily cover the largest part of the freight market share of the Channel, Sealink decided to respond by ordering freight-dedicated vessels as well, with these being the ferries of the Saint-class. Two vessels were projected for the Calais-Dover line, whereas the other two were due to be deployed on the Irish Sea and on the North Channel. The ST ANSELM was the second ship of the quartet to be completed, following her successful construction in the famous Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast in Northern Ireland. The same shipyard was known for having built several iconic ocean liners and cruise ships during the early part of the 20th century, including the Olympic-class of White Star Line which included the RMS TITANIC, the RMS BRITANNIC and the RMS OLYMPIC. The ST ANSELM, named after the eponymous Saint who was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1093 to 1109, was delivered to Sealink in October 1980. She carried the British flag and was registered in London. She began service only a few months after her sister ship, the GALLOWAY PRINCESS, which had started operations on the Stranraer-Larne line on the North Channel. The ST ANSELM was expected to cover the increasing freight demand on the Calais-Dover line, alongside with her sister ship, the ST CHRISTOPHER, which was delivered in 1981. Sealink had expected that passenger traffic would continue to be mainly covered by the hovercraft of Seaspeed, hence the two ferries of the Saint-class initially featured little passenger capacity, having the possibility to only carry 600 passengers. However, while the construction of the ships progressed, these estimations were revealed to be incorrect, hence their accommodation superstructure was upgraded to a wider extent, meaning that the ships could carry 1,000 passengers. But as the ferries began their service, this soon proved to be insufficient, hence they underwent several refits throughout the 1980s in order to increase their passenger capacity. The ST ANSELM and the ST CHRISTOPHER rapidly proved to be valuable vessels, as they had a large garage that enabled them to carry about 310 vehicles. They also had twin drive-through freight decks, which made the loading process much more efficient. This was the major problem faced by the company's two ferries that were serving the Calais-Dover line. Indeed, these were the EARL SIWARD (formerly the DOVER) and the EARL LEOFRIC, both built in 1965, which had limited vehicle capacity and relied on steam engines. With the deployment of larger ferries by Townsend Thoresen, these ships were deemed inefficient and unable to match the competition. The only ferry on the Calais-Dover line that provided relatively satisfactory results was the CHARTRES, delivered in 1974, which later became the legendary EXPRESS SANTORINI in Greece. With this taken into consideration, Sealink deployed the ST ANSELM on the Calais-Dover line in 1980, while the ST CHRISTOPHER followed in 1981. In addition, they deployed the newly-built CÔTE D'AZUR (later the SEAFRANCE RENOIR of defunct French company SeaFrance), which had been ordered by SNCF, for service in 1981. They further deployed the SNCF-owned CHANTILLY (later the OLYMPIA of Agapitos Lines from 1987 to 1990), which had been built in 1966 and had previously served the Boulogne-Dover line. With the introduction of these four vessels, the EARL SIWARD was sold to Cypriot company Sol Lines, for whom she sailed from 1982 to 1986 as the SOL EXPRESS. The EARL LEOFRIC was sold for scrap in 1981, even though she was only 15 years old. The CHARTRES would move to the Dieppe-Newhaven line in 1982. The introduction of the ST ANSELM on the Calais-Dover line proved to be a major success for Sealink, as they managed to provide excellent services, particularly for the freight transportation on the Channel. She was therefore considered to be the flagship of the company, and she proved to be a very good competitor against the ferries of Townsend Thoresen. Most notably, she and the ST CHRISTOPHER engaged in a fierce battle for freight transportation against the ships of the Spirit-class, namely the SPIRIT OF FREE ENTERPRISE (which went on to become the ANTHI MARINA of GA Ferries from 2003 until she was sold for scrap in 2012), the PRIDE OF FREE ENTERPRISE and the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE. The service of the two vessels of Sealink were marketed by the company as the 'Flagship Service', as a response to the 'Blue Ribband Service' marketing campaign promoted by Townsend Thoresen for its Spirit-class. While the two sister ships of the Saint-class established themselves on the Calais-Dover line, Sealink also had much success from the deployment of the GALLOWAY PRINCESS on the Stranraer-Larne line. In 1981, the last ship of the quarter, the ST DAVID, was delivered to Sealink and was deployed on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea. All four ships became very popular in the United Kingdom, and ferry enthusiasts on the Channel and on the Irish Sea continue to remember them fondly. As a result, Sealink maintained a strong reputation for providing ships of good quality that would ensure reliable service. The ST ANSELM seen during her launching ceremony in late 1979, while being under construction at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast in Northern Ireland. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . An impressive picture of all four ships of the Saint-class in 1980, while they are undergoing their construction at the Harland & Wolff Shipyard: (From left to right) the GALLOWAY PRINCESS, the ST CHRISTOPHER, the ST ANSELM and the ST DAVID. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . The ST ANSELM seen in Dover in 1980, while performing berthing trials. She had just been delivered to Sealink and was undergoing the final preparations in order to begin service on the Calais-Dover line on the Channel. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . The ST ANSELM seen sailing on the Channel in late 1980, shortly after she officially began her career under Sealink on the Calais-Dover line. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The ST ANSELM seen arriving in the port of Dover in 1981. She is seen carrying the iconic dark blue livery of Sealink, along with the famous double-arrow logo of British Railways (known as British Rail since 1965). At the start of her career, she was considered to be the most efficient ferry on the Channel, and she responded to the increasing freight demand to great success. Picture taken by Jim Ashby and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . A view of the ST ANSELM as she is seen leaving the port of Dover in 1981. Here, one can see her original appearance, with her stern lacking the passenger accommodation that went on to be added only three years after she had started her career. Picture taken by Jim Ashby and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . A view of one of the three sister ships of the ST ANSELM, namely the ST CHRISTOPHER. She was the third out of the four ships to be delivered to Sealink. She was built in 1981 and was deployed alongside the ST ANSELM on the Calais-Dover line. Both ships underwent a major refit in 1983 in Belfast, during which their stern was upgraded. Sealink became privatised in 1984, and the vessel started operating under the new Sealink British Ferries brandname. She was significantly damaged during the Great Storm of 1987, while she was sailing away from Dover, but she was repaired immediately afterwards. In late 1990, Sealink British Ferries was taken over by the Swedish giants Stena Line, which resulted in a new company trading as Sealink Stena Line (later renamed Stena Sealink Line in 1992). The ST CHRISTOPHER was renamed STENA ANTRIM in 1991, and was deployed on the Stranraer-Larne line on the North Channel. In 1996, Stena Line erased the Sealink brandname and all ships were placed under the core Stena Line livery. That same year, the STENA ANTRIM returned to the Channel, being deployed on the Dieppe-Newhaven line. She stayed there for two years, at the same time as Stena Line and P&O Ferries merged their Channel services and began trading as P&O Stena Line in 1998. She however did not join this new company, as she was sold to Moroccan company Limadet and was renamed IBN BATOUTA. She was inserted on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait. Limadet joined the Moroccan state-owned company COMANAV, being part of the COMANAV Group. In 2008 she fully joined COMANAV, which had been renamed COMANAV Ferry. She continued to operate on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line until 2012, when her owners ceased operations due to financial issues. She was laid-up in Algeciras, and remained there for three years, until she was reportedly sold to Italian-Albanian company Red Star Ferries in 2015. She arrived in Durrës and was due to operate on the Adriatic Sea, but she ended-up remaining laid-up in the Albanian port until 2018, when her company was rebranded as European Ferries. She headed to Tuzla in Turkey for a conversion during that year, after which she headed to Salamina in Greece. She was renamed EUROPEAN STAR in 2019, and was due to finally enter service on the Brindisi-Vlöre line, but she spent the whole summer under lay-up in Brindisi. She then headed for lay-up in Salamina, where she is awaiting her fate. Picture taken by Frank Heine and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . A view of the second sister ship of the ST ANSELM, namely the GALLOWAY PRINCESS. Built in 1980, she is the lead ship of the Saint-class, although she was the only ship of the class that did not bear the name of a Saint. She was deployed on the Stranraer-Larne line on the North Channel. Sealink became privatised in 1984, and the vessel started operating under the new Sealink British Ferries brandname. The GALLOWAY PRINCESS was refurbished in 1989 in Bremerhaven, while in 1990 she joined the newly-formed Sealink Stena Line (later renamed Stena Sealink Line in 1992), being renamed STENA GALLOWAY in 1991. After a further refit in Belfast in 1992, she was introduced on the Irish Sea, being deployed on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line. In 1993 she returned to the Stranraer-Larne line, while in 1995 she was inserted on the Stranraer-Belfast line. In 1996, Stena Line erased the Sealink brandname and all ships were placed under the core Stena Line livery. She remained under the latter until 2002, when she was sold to the Moroccan company International Maritime Transport Corporation, also known as IMTC. She was renamed LE RIF and was deployed on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait, where her sister ship, the ex-ST CHRISTOPHER, had been operating since 1998 as the IBN BATOUTA of Limadet. She remained there until IMTC went bankrupt in 2013, after which she was laid-up in Tangier Med. She was sold at auction to Moroccan company Detroit World Logistics Maritime in 2016 and initially headed to the Spanish port of Málaga for a refit. She remained there until 2017, when she went to Naples. Her company wanted to reintroduce her on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line, but, despite undergoing an extensive refit, the ship did not begin operations as it was planned in 2018. She instead joined fellow Moroccan company Africa Morocco Link, which is partly-owned by Attica Group (which manages Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways) in 2019, being renamed MOROCCO SUN. She made her return to the Algeciras-Tangier Med on the Gibraltar Strait, where she continues to operate today. Picture taken by Nigel Thornton and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . A view of the ST DAVID, which was the last ship of the Saint-class that was delivered to Sealink. She was built in 1981, and was deployed on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea. Sealink became privatised in 1984, and the vessel started operating under the new Sealink British Ferries brandname. The following year, the ST DAVID was deployed on the Ostend-Dover line on the Channel, while in 1986 she joined the GALLOWAY PRINCE on the Stranraer-Larne line on the North Channel. She was refurbished in 1989 in Bremerhaven, while in 1990 she joined the newly-formed Sealink Stena Line (later renamed Stena Sealink Line in 1992), being renamed STENA CALEDONIA in 1991. She was refurbished in Belfast in 1992, and continued to operate on the Stranraer-Larne line until 1995, when she moved to the Stranraer-Belfast line alongside the STENA GALLOWAY. In 1996, Stena Line erased the Sealink brandname and all ships were placed under the core Stena Line livery. She continued to serve the Stranraer-Belfast line for the next 15 years, until she was withdrawn in 2011. She was sold in 2012 to the Indonesian company ASDP Indonesia Ferry and was renamed PORT LINK. She was deployed on the Merak-Bakauheni line on the Sunda Strait, where she continues to operate today. Picture taken by Nicolas Levy and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . While the services of the ST ANSELM proved to be very successful, Sealink found itself facing an ever-increasing number of passengers aiming to travel by sea on the Channel. As a result of this, the passenger capacity of both the ST ANSELM and the ST CHRISTOPHER proved, once again, to be insufficient. Therefore, in 1983, both ships headed to the Harland & Wolff Shipyard in Belfast, where they had been built, in order to undergo a major refit. Both ships saw their sterns upgraded, with the accommodation superstructure extended to the aft area. The addition of this aft extension enabled the ships to have an additional passenger lounge area, an onboard duty-free supermarket store, and an outdoor passenger deck. They subsequently returned to the Calais-Dover line right before that start of the 1983 summer season, with an upgraded passenger capacity, having gone from 1,000 to 1,400. A view of the ST ANSELM while she undergoes her first conversion in Belfast in 1983. Her stern was fully upgraded, while her aft area was further extended in order to accommodate more passengers onboard. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . A view of the upper deck of the ST ANSELM, known as the Boat Deck, as it is being remodeled during the ship's conversion in Belfast. The new area enabled an increase in the ship's passenger capacity. Picture taken by Andrew Orr and published on www.hhvferry.com . The ST ANSELM seen leaving Dover during the summer of 1983, just after having completed her major refit in Belfast. As you can see, the vessel's stern was completely remodeled, and the ship could now transport more passengers, in addition to her impressive freight capacity. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . During the early part of the 1980s, Sealink continued to provide excellent services on the Calais-Dover line, with the ST ANSELM and the ST CHRISTOPHER playing a key role in the success of freight transportation on the line, despite fierce competition from Townsend Thoresen. Sealink further enhanced its presence in 1984, by deploying the newly-built SNCF-owned ferry CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES (today the POETA LÓPEZ ANGLADA of Spanish company Baleària), whose technical specifications were much similar to those of the CÔTE D'AZUR, as an additional ship on the Calais-Dover line. That same year, however, Sealink was privatised, following its sale from the British Government to the British conglomerate Sea Containers. The latter also became the owner of the company Hoverspeed, which had been established in 1981 as a result of the merger between Seaspeed and their rivals Hoverlloyd. The company therefore became known as Sealink British Ferries, and their ferries changed their liveries, abandoning the dark blue hull for an all-white hull. The ST ANSELM was refitted in 1985, and in that period received the new Sealink British Ferries livery. She continued to serve the Calais-Dover line, together with the ST CHRISTOPHER, the CÔTE D'AZUR, the CHAMPS ÉLYSÉES and the CHANTILLY, although the latter was moved to the Dieppe-Newhaven line in 1986. Their services continued to be very successful, and the ST ANSELM remained the proud flagship of the company, despite the ownership change. Competition against Townsend Thoresen continued to be very strong, and the latter managed to earn a larger part of the market share for the services between Belgium and the United Kingdom, as Regie voor Maritiem Transport decided to have their ferries operate under the European Ferries-based company. Sealink also encountered further competition in the service linking The Netherlands with the United Kingdom, with prominent competitors such as Townsend Thoresen and North Sea Ferries. Nevertheless, the link between France and the United Kingdom remained under Sealink's dominance, with SNCF and Angleterre-Lorraine-Alsace Société Anonyme de Navigation. The services of the former company on the Dieppe-Newhaven line were rebranded as Sealink Dieppe Ferries. The ST ANSELM seen on the Channel during the summer of 1985, which marked her first one under the new livery of Sealink British Ferries. Her funnels no longer to bore the famous double arrow logo of British Rail. Nevertheless, she continued to perform the same services that she had been offering prior to the company's privatisation in 1984. Picture taken by Roy Thornton and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The late 1980s were not a successful period for the Channel ferry services. Indeed, the market was heavily affected by the disaster of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE in 1987. The ferry sank moments after having left the port of Zeebrugge, which resulted in the tragic deaths of 193 passengers and crew members. In addition to this, the highly-anticipated completion of the Channel Tunnel contributed to the decrease of popularity of the ferry operations in the area. Furthermore, Sealink British Ferries faced a new dangerous competitor, namely P&O European Ferries, Townsend Thoresen’s successor following the takeover of the former company's services on the Channel in 1987 by P&O, shortly after the tragedy of the HERALD OF FREE ENTERPRISE. The newly-established company quickly sought to enhance its presence on the Calais-Dover line, and, to that end, introduced two newbuildings which heavily favoured freight service, namely the PRIDE OF CALAIS and the PRIDE OF DOVER. Being also much faster than the ferries of the Saint-class, they were therefore preferred to the more classic ferries of Sealink. Due to the introduction of these impressive new ferries, Sealink British Ferries sought to upgrade its fleet. The ST ANSELM was sent for a major refit in Bremerhaven in Germany in 1988, during which all her indoor areas and her garage were refurbished. Her sister ships also underwent a similar refit between 1988 and 1989. Despite this refit, the ST ANSELM and the ST CHRISTOPHER could not match the freight success of the two new P&O European Ferries vessels. Only the Ro-Ro carrier NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS, built in 1987 for SNCF, was able to provide good competition against these two vessels. In order to respond to the increasing competition and the pending order of three newly-built Ro-Ro carriers by P&O European Ferries between 1990 and 1992, Sealink British Ferries decided to buy two Ro-Pax ferries, the sister ships TZAREVETZ and TRAPEZITZA of the Bulgarian company So Mejdunaroden Automobile Transport, also known as Medlink. Both 1980-built ships were purchased due to their impressive garage, which Sealink hoped would attract hauliers and logistics companies operating on the Channel. They were renamed FIESTA and CHANNEL SEAWAY, respectively, with the latter beginning service in 1989 on the Calais-Dover line. The ST ANSELM seen arriving in Calais in 1988, at a time during which she was operating against tougher competitors on the Channel. Picture taken by Brian Fisher and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The ST ANSELM seen departing the port of Dover in 1989, in what would turn out to be her final season on the Calais-Dover line under Sealink British Ferries. Picture taken by Ken Larwood and publihsed on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The arrival of the FIESTA and of the CHANNEL SEAWAY was a key moment for the company, which eventually sought to enhance their freight transportation abilities by converting them into conventional passenger ferries. As a result, both ships were converted in Bremerhaven, and saw their accommodation superstructures being entirely remodeled. They acquired passenger areas and sponsons that enabled them to sail with better stability on the rough seas of the Channel. They began service as passenger ferries in 1990, with the FIESTA having been renamed FANTASIA (later becoming the first ALKMINI A of GA Ferries, operating for the company on the Adriatic Sea from 2003 to 2004, when she was sold to the Polish company Polferries, for whom she continues to sail today as the WAWEL) and the CHANNEL SEAWAY having become the new FIESTA (later becoming the SEAFRANCE CÉZANNE of SeaFrance). With their deployment, the ST ANSELM was withdrawn from the Calais-Dover line, after having operated there for the first 10 years of her career. The ST CHRISTOPHER remained on the service, as the company still required one of the vessels of the Saint-class to provide freight service alongside the NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS (which later became the SEAFRANCE NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS in 1996). The ST ANSELM was instead deployed on the Boulogne-Folkestone line during the 1990 season, operating alongside the HENGIST (which had been operating there since 1972) and replacing the HORSA which moved to the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line on the Irish Sea. She only stayed there for one season, however, as traffic on the line was in decline since the late 1980s. The ST ANSELM seen departing the port of Folkestone in 1990, during her lone season on the Boulogne-Folkestone line. Picture taken by Jim Ashby and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . In late 1990, Sealink British Ferries experienced an unexpected defining moment in their history, as they underwent a new change in ownership. Indeed, after a hostile takeover bid, Sea Containers decided to sell the company to the Swedish giants Stena Line, thus creating a new company called Sealink Stena Line. This resulted in all Sealink ferries receiving the 'STENA' prefix in their respective names. Moreover, the entire ferry network of Sealink underwent an extensive reshuffling programme. Stena Line notably decided to introduce two new ships on the Calais-Dover line in 1991. These were the newly-built Ro-Pax ferry STENA CHALLENGER (today the LEIF ERICSON of the Canadian company Marine Atlantic) and the 1986-built STENA INVICTA, formerly the PEDER PAARS of the Danish state-owned company DSB Rederi, which was the predecessor of Scandlines. That ship is currently the COLOR VIKING of the Norwegian company Color Line. With these new ferries, alongside the FIESTA and the FANTASIA which were renamed STENA FIESTA and STENA FANTASIA, respectively, the older vessels of the Saint-class were definitely removed from the Channel (for now), and the company sought to deploy them on the Irish Sea and on the North Channel. To that end, the ST ANSELM and the ST CHRISTOPHER were renamed STENA CAMBRIA and STENA ANTRIM, respectively. The former's new name indicated that she would be deployed on the Irish Sea, as she was named after Cambria, an alternative name used for Wales, which borders the aforementioned sea. After undergoing a refit and temporarily serving the Folkestone-Boulogne line in early 1991 (as she was replacing the HENGIST while she was undergoing her annual refit in order to enter service as the STENA HENGIST under Sealink Stena Line), she was introduced on the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line, hence connecting Great Britain with Ireland via the Irish Sea. She therefore replaced the same ship that she had replaced one year prior on the Boulogne-Folkestone line, namely the HORSA (which was renamed STENA HORSA), which was brought back to the latter service. Upon arriving on the Irish Sea, the STENA CAMBRIA was partnered with the STENA HIBERNIA, a ferry built in 1977 and formerly the ST COLUMBA under Sealink, and which later became the EXPRESS APHRODITE of Agapitos Express Ferries, and then of Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways, and which is also due to end her career in the next days as she is sailing to Gadani in Pakistan for demolition, after having spent the final 14 years of her career on the Red Sea as the MASARRAH of the Egyptian-Saudi Arabian company Namma Lines. The STENA CAMBRIA seen arriving in the port of Dún Laoghaire in Ireland in 1991, during her first season under Sealink Stena Line and under her new name. Picture taken by the Sealink Heritage group and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . While the STENA CAMBRIA provided good service during her debut season under Sealink Stena Line, she encountered a few technical issues during the 1992 season, and she therefore missed a few days of service while undergoing repairs in Birkenhead, with her operations being taken over by her sister ship, namely the GALLOWAY PRINCESS, which had been renamed STENA GALLOWAY. When she was repaired, she took over her sister ship's service on the North Channel, being deployed on the Stranraer-Larne line. After the summer of 1992 ended, Sealink Stena Line had accumulated negative criticism over the switch that had been done with the sister ships, as the STENA GALLOWAY was not fit to dock in Holyhead, which resulted in her experiencing several delays. As a result of this, the STENA CAMBRIA returned to the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line, whereas the STENA GALLOWAY headed back to the Stranraer-Larne line, operating alongside the STENA ANTRIM and the STENA CALEDONIA (the ex-ST DAVID). The STENA CAMBRIA seen during the summer of 1992 in the port of Larne in Northern Ireland, during her brief spell on the Stranraer-Larne line. Picture taken by Aubrey Dale and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . In late 1992, Sealink Stena Line officially changed their name to Stena Sealink Line, which therefore meant that all the vessels operating under the latter would see their liveries changed in order to display the new brandname. The STENA CAMBRIA continued to serve the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line, together with the STENA HIBERNIA. The STENA CAMBRIA seen arriving in the port of Holyhead in 1994, in what was her fourth summer under the new ownership of Sealink by Stena Line, and her second one under the Stena Sealink Line brandname. Picture taken by Bernd Crause and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The STENA CAMBRIA seen as she arrives in Dún Laoghaire in 1994. Picture taken by Justin Merrigan and published on www.shipspotting.com . While the services of the STENA CAMBRIA were receiving favourable feedback and the company was performing well as a whole, SNCF decided, in July 1995 to end its pooling agreement that had been signed alongside Stena Line regarding the continued use of the Sealink brandname. Because of this, SNCF became the last company to be part of the former conglomerate, deciding to instead establish a new company named SeaFrance beginning in 1996. The move meant that the new company would operate on the Calais-Dover line as an independent entity, taking over four ships that had previously served under Stena Sealink Line and Sealink Dieppe Ferries/SNCF (under the Sealink livery). These were the STENA FELICIA, which became the SEAFRANCE CÉZANNE; the CÔTE D'AZUR, which became the SEAFRANCE RENOIR; the STENA LONDONER (previously the VERSAILLES of Sealink Dieppe Ferries), which became the SEAFRANCE MONET; and the NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS, which became the SEAFRANCE NORD-PAS-DE-CALAIS. With this new company established, Stena Line decided to fully abandon the Sealink banner in 1996, and all ships were transferred to the main company, whereupon they received the core livery that was used by the ferries operating for the latter on the Baltic Sea and on the North Sea. Because of the departure of four of its vessels from the Calais-Dover line due their transfer to SeaFrance, Stena Line sought to fill this void by adding two of its own vessels on the line for the 1996 season. The selected ferries were the STENA CAMBRIA and the recently-renamed STENA EMPEREUR (which had been built for Stena Line as the STENA JUTLANDICA in 1983, and later became the second ALKMINI A of GA Ferries in 2005, although she never sailed for them). The STENA CAMBRIA had been expected to depart the Irish Sea, as Stena Line was about to take delivery of the revolutionary new high speed ferry that it had ordered for the Holyhead-Dún Laoghaire line. Indeed, this was the STENA EXPLORER, which was part of the Stena HSS (high speed service) brandname, which ultimately proved to be a failure in the long run, with all ships having since been decomissioned. With this fleet reshuffle, the STENA CAMBRIA returned to Calais-Dover line for the first time since 1990. Her return proved to be quite challenging, as SeaFrance rapidly overtook Stena Line as the second company on the line in terms of passenger traffic, while P&O European Ferries continued to be the busiest operator with its five ships. The STENA CAMBRIA seen leaving the port of Calais in 1996, during her first season under the full ownership of Stena Line, and during her first season on the Calais-Dover line since 1990. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The STENA CAMBRIA seen entering the port of Dover in 1996. She was now carrying the well-known livery of Stena Line, which had previously only been used by the company's fleet on the Baltic Sea and on the North Sea. Picture taken by David Ingham and published on www.shipspotting.com . The STENA CAMBRIA seen sailing on the Channel in 1996, during her first season under the core Stena Line brandname. Picture taken by Brian Fisher and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . After two relatively difficult seasons on the Calais-Dover line, during which she was outperformed by many of her former fleetmates, the STENA CAMBRIA soon found another area of service ahead of the 1998 season. This happened when Stena Line, in order to uphold the strong competition against SeaFrance and SeaCat (the brandname used by the high speed ferries of Hoverspeed), inquired P&O European Ferries regarding the possibility of a merger of their services on the Channel. The latter agreed, and this resulted in the creation of a new company called P&O Stena Line based in Dover. They were due to perform services on the Calais-Dover line, on the Dieppe-Newhaven line and on the Zeebrugge-Dover line with a total of nine ferries, three Ro-Ro carriers and one high speed ferry. The ships that remained on the Calais-Dover line were the PRIDE OF BRUGES (the ex-PRIDE OF FREE ENTERPRISE of Townsend Thoresen, which was renamed P&OSL PICARDY), the PRIDE OF KENT (the ex-SPIRIT OF FREE ENTERPRISE of Townsend Thoresen, which was renamed P&OSL KENT, later becoming the ANTHI MARINA of GA Ferries in 2003), the PRIDE OF DOVER (which was renamed P&OSL DOVER), the PRIDE OF CALAIS (which was renamed P&OSL CALAIS), the PRIDE OF BURGUNDY (which was renamed P&OSL BURGUNDY), the Ro-Ro carrier EUROPEAN SEAWAY, the STENA FANTASIA (which was renamed P&OSL CANTERBURY, later joining GA Ferries as the ALKMINI A in 2003), and the STENA EMPEREUR (which was renamed P&OSL PROVENCE, later becoming the second ALKMINI A of GA Ferries in 2005). The ships that remained on the Zeebrugge-Dover line were the Ro-Ro carrier EUROPEAN PATHWAY (which was converted into the ferry PRIDE OF CANTERBURY in 2003, being subsequently deployed on the Calais-Dover line) and the Ro-Ro carrier EUROPEAN HIGHWAY (which was converted into the ferry PRIDE OF KENT in 2003, being subsequently deployed on the Calais-Dover line). The Dieppe-Newhaven line was due to be served by the STENA ANTRIM (which had been deployed on this service in 1996) and by the high speed ferry STENA LYNX III of Stena Line, which was renamed ELITE (she is currently the RAPIDLINK JET of Sea Jets, due to enter service at some point in the near future). However, the STENA ANTRIM was sold to the Moroccan company Limabet, hence the STENA CAMBRIA was assigned to replace her. In addition to the aforementioned fleet changes, P&O Stena Line also deployed the recently-acquired ferry STENA ROYAL (previously the PRINS FILIP of Regie voor Maritiem Transport, later rebranded as Oostende Lines), which was renamed P&OSL AQUITAINE and was deployed on the Zeebrugge-Dover line (she then headed to the Calais-Dover line and continued to be there as of 2021, as the CALAIS SEAWAYS of DFDS Seaways). The STENA INVICTA remained unused and was laid-up until 2000, when she was sold to Color Line. With the new company ready to compete against SeaFrance and SeaCat, the STENA CAMBRIA (the only ship not to be renamed and to receive the 'P&OSL' prefix) spent the new 1998 season alongside the ELITE on a service that was constantly seeing a decline in passenger traffic, as opposed to the much more successful Calais-Dover line. The STENA CAMBRIA seen in the French port of Dieppe in 1998, during her first summer under the P&O Stena Line corporation, following the merger of two companies that were competing against each other on the Channel during the 1990s. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The STENA CAMBRIA seen arriving in the British port of Newhaven in 1998, during her first season on the Dieppe-Newhaven line. This was also her first year under P&O Stena Line, being the only ship of the newly-established company which kept her name intact. Picture taken by Dr Allan Ryszka-Onions and published on www.shipspotting.com . After only one season under P&O Stena Line, the STENA CAMBRIA soon found herself left off the company's plans. Indeed, in 1999, her owners terminated their service on the Dieppe-Newhaven line. The ELITE rejoined Stena Line as the STENA LYNX III on the Irish Sea, while the STENA CAMBRIA was listed for sale and was sent for lay-up in Zeebrugge. She did not stay there for a long time, however, as she was immediately sold to the Spanish company Umafisa. The latter was founded in 1985, its name being the acronym for Unión Maritima de Formentera e Ibiza Sociedad Anónima, or 'Maritime Union of Formentera and Ibiza Anonymous Company'. It was launched as a company that would establish a ferry connection between the Balearic islands of Ibiza and Formentera. It was led by Abel Matutes, a well-known Spanish businessman who operated the shipping group Pitra, and who also went on to become the Spanish Minister of Foreign Affairs. The company began service on the Ibiza-Formentera line with the small newly-built sister ships ESPALMADOR and IBIZA. During the 1990s, as the ferry market on the Balearic Sea and on the Alboran Sea was experiencing a considerable boom, the company sought to connect Ibiza with mainland Spain. They proceeded to buy the Greek ferry MYRTOS of Nea Pnoi Shipping, which had been the well-known ARGOSTOLI of Ionian Lines (1977-1990) and then of Seven Islands Lines (1990-1992), having had a productive career on the Ionian Sea. Upon her arrival in Spain, she was renamed ISLA DE IBIZA and was assigned to operate on the Dénia-Ibiza line under the Pitra brandname. The services on the Balearic Islands continued to be performed under fierce competition, most notably the giants Trasmediterránea, Iscomar, local company Trasmapi, the Argentinian company Buquebus (under its Western Mediterranean Sea division), Isnasa and its subsidiary Flebasa Lines. However, in 1998, the latter two companies experienced severe financial difficulties, which eventually led to its collapse. This in turn resulted in longtime Isnasa manager Adolfo Utor creating the new company Baleària, which became one of the dominant forces of the Spanish ferry market from the 2000s onwards. With the demise of the two companies, Umafisa believed that it was a good opportunity to further invest in the traffic between mainland Spain and Ibiza. They first bought the ferry CIUDAD DE ZARAGOZA from Trasmediterránea in order to have her supplement the ISLA DE IBIZA. The ship was renamed ISLA DE TAGOMAGO and was deployed on the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma line during the summer of 1999, under the Pitra brandname. But investments did not stop there. Indeed, Umafisa also aimed to have a ship based in Barcelona, which was the main hub of the Balearic Sea. After searching for a ferry that would be performing this service, they decided to buy the STENA CAMBRIA from P&O Stena Line in 1999. After 19 years operating in the United Kingdom, including 13 of them on the Channel, the STENA CAMBRIA left these seas forever, as she began the second part of her career on the Mediterranean Sea. She arrived in Gijón in order to undergo yet another conversion, which would enable her to comply with the sailing requirements of the new seas on which she was going to operate. Having been a day ferry throughout her entire spell under her previous owners, she required several upgrades in terms of passenger accommodation, as she would be conducting trips during the night, at longer lengths than those that she had been serving on the Channel and on the Irish Sea. Altogether, she underwent her first major refit since the time during which she was still sailing under Sealink British Ferries, as Stena Line never sought to upgrade her during the 1990s. Her stern was further extended, while the aft section was further refitted, with the former onboard supermarket store being replaced by the addition of several passenger cabins. Her lounge areas were upgraded in order to add more luminosity and overall appeal to passengers, while she also saw a new restaurant and a self-service area. During the conversion, she was renamed ISLA DE BOTAFOC. She was therefore named after the small islet of Botafoc, which is located right next to the port of Ibiza and features a well-known lighthouse that serves as a guide for ships entering and leaving the port of the famous Balearic island. The ship also bore the Spanish flag, and was registered in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. In November 1999, after completing her conversion in Gijón, the ISLA DE BOTAFOC was introduced on the Barcelona-Ibiza line on the Balearic Sea. She therefore became the first ship of Umafisa to serve the port of Barcelona. Her service rapidly proved to be successful, and she was praised for her refit which corresponded to the standards of the line that she was serving. She also became the company's flagship, taking over the title from the ISLA DE IBIZA. However, the company ended the year on a bad note, as the ISLA DE TAGOMAGO ran aground in Dénia on 12 December 1999. She was declared a constructive total loss and was sold for scrap in 2000. To replace her, Umafisa chartered the ferry PUNTA EUROPA of the defunct Isnasa, which had been laid-up since 1998 after having completed her charter under fellow Spanish company Euroferrys. The PUNTA EUROPA was deployed on the Dénia-Ibiza line under the Pitra brandname, together with the ISLA DE IBIZA. She operated until 2001, and would then go on to become the PHIVOS of Nova Ferries , having been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2005. Following her departure, Umafisa did not replace her and only kept the ISLA DE IBIZA on the Dénia-Ibza line. The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen docked in the port of Barcelona during the summer of 2000, which marked her first full season in Spain under Umafisa. Picture taken by Rob De Visser and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen resting in the port of Barcelona during the summer of 2001, just two years after having been sold by P&O Stena Line to Umafisa. Picture taken by Manuel Moreno and published on www.merchantships.info . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen in the port of Ibiza during the summer of 2001. She was now the proud flagship of Umafisa and of the Pitra shipping group of Abel Matutes. The company painted a flag of the European Union on the front ramp. She would go on to keep it even during her spell under Ventouris Ferries. Picture taken by Manuel Moreno and published on www.merchantships.info . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen docked in the port of Barcelona during the summer of 2003. That year, her livery was slightly updated, with the addition of a blue stripe behind the name of her company which was printed on both sides of her hull. Picture taken by Brent Hanson and published on www.shipspotting.com . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen resting in Barcelona in 2003. This would turn out to be her final year under Umafisa. Picture taken by Benoît Donne and published on www.shipspotting.com . While the ISLA DE BOTAFOC provided satisfactory service and was appreciated by the residents of Ibiza, she soon had to face strong competition from the rapidly-emerging Baleària. The latter had notably introduced a successful high speed ferry service on the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma line, where ships such as the FEDERICO GARCÍA LORCA and the AL-SABINI (later the ship that was supposed to be the MYKONOS JET of Sea Jets, however this never happened as she sank while being towed during her voyage to Greece in 2016) easily outperformed the slower ISLA DE IBIZA. Iscomar also further strengthened its presence on the Balearic Sea, deploying the CARMEN DEL MAR (previously the FLORIA of the Finnish company Silja Line, and also the ex-VILLA DE AGAETE of Trasmediterránea) on the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma line in 2002, as well as the newly-acquired MERCEDES DEL MAR (previously the IONIAN BRIDGE of Strintzis Lines from 1997 to 2000 and then the BLUE BRIDGE of Blue Star Ferries from 2000 to 2004, having operated on the Adriatic Sea) on the Barcelona-Palma line. Trasmediterránea also operated high speed ferries on the Barcelona-Palma line, including the MILENIUM, which later became the HIGHSPEED 6 of Hellenic Seaways from 2010 to 2017. With the rising competition, Baleària decided to take over Umafisa and the Pitra group of Abel Matutes in late 2003. The latter agreed to give his assets to the Spanish giant, while also becoming the major shareholder of the company, after having also made an initial investment in Trasmediterránea following the latter's privatisation. While the IBIZA was sold to the Mexican company Baja Ferries, the remaining three of ships of Umafisa-Pitra, the ISLA DE BOTAFOC, the ISLA DE IBIZA and the ESPALMADOR all joined Baleària and kept the names used by their former operators. By acquiring these three ships, the company increased its market share on the Balearic Sea. It further grew only a few months later, as it acquired the Spanish operations of Buquebus, hence expanding their services on the Gibraltar Strait and on the Alboran Sea, on which they had started to operate in 2003. Upon joining Baleària, the ISLA DE BOTAFOC extended her service and was deployed on the Barcelona-Ibiza-Menorca line in 2004. The ISLA DE IBIZA was deployed on the Alcúdia-Menorca line, but was then sold in 2004 to the Greek company C-Link Ferries. She therefore returned to Greece, being introduced on the inter-Cyclades lifeline as the PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA. She was acquired by NEL Lines in 2007, and remained on the Cyclades until she was withdrawn from service in 2008, and she was sold for scrap to Turkey in 2010. The ESPALMADOR also left Baleària after only two years, being sold in 2005 to the Greek company Archipelagos Sea Lines. After only spending one season as the KYRIAKI I on the Chios-Çeşme line in 2006, she headed to Cameroon, where she still operates as the THANASIS of Achouka. The ISLA DE BOTAFOC provided good service during her first season under Baleària. In 2005, however, she experienced a few technical issues, which required her to be repaired in Gandia for two months, before eventually returning to service just as the summer season began. In 2006, she acquired a partner, as the company chartered the Greek-built ferry SONIA X (originally the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS/SONIA of the Italian operator TTT Lines) during that summer, however the ship left Baleària as she was sold in 2007 to the Canadian company BC Ferries, for whom she still sails today as the NORTHERN ADVENTURE. The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen departing from Menorca in 2004, during her first summer under Baleària, who took over her ownership after Umafisa agreed to merge with the company. Picture taken by Matt Murtland and published on www.hhvferry.com . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC after having just entered the port of Barcelona, during the summer of 2006. Picture taken by Carlos Moreno Trobat and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC, which had now become one of the most experienced members of the fleet of Baleària, seen arriving in Barcelona during the summer of 2006. Picture taken by Frank Heine and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen docked in Barcelona in 2008. That year, she acquired the new livery of Baleària, whereupon her stern was painted in viridian green, which is the main colour of the company. Picture published on www.marinetraffic.com . The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen approaching the port of Barcelona in 2008, during her fifth season under the colours of Baleària. Picture taken by Søren Lund Hviid and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . While the ISLA DE BOTAFOC continued to operate on the Balearic Sea by providing reliable service, her company continued to thrive and to expand its fleet. Its acquisition of more high speed craft on the Gibraltar Strait further cemented its presence there, and the company continued to generate much revenue from these operations. Operations on other services on the Balearic Sea, such as the Barcelona-Palma line and the Valencia-Palma line, were also deemed successful, as the company had deployed several Ro-Pax ferries there. One of these included the newly-built ferry BORJA in 2007, which operated for the company until 2010 and also had a spell on the Adriatic Sea under a Greek company, namely as the ASTERION of ANEK Lines from 2016 to 2018. Having made many profits and now aiming to modernise its fleet, Baleària ordered four newbuildings from the Astilleros Hijos de J. Barreras Shipyard in Vigo. These new cruiseferries would be deployed in 2009 and in 2010, would be the largest and fastest ships of the company (excluding its high speed craft), and would provide new state-of-the-art features and passenger amenities that had never been seen before in Spanish waters. In addition, they were much more environmentally-friendly, with their carbon emissions being much lower than those of the older vessels. The first ship to be delivered was the MARTÍN I SOLER in 2009. She was deployed on the Barcelona-Ibiza-Menorca line, hence the ISLA DE BOTAFOC was removed from this service. She was instead deployed on the Dénia-Ibiza-Palma line, where she replaced the BAHIA DE MÁLAGA (a sister ship of the current PHIVOS of Nova Ferries) which was sold to the Turkish company Kada Denizcilik. She stayed there for one summer, which would eventually turn out to be her final one in Spain. Indeed, in 2010, the company received the third out of the four newbuildings that it had ordered, namely the SF ALHUCEMAS (known as the BAHAMA MAMA since 2015), which was deployed on the Barcelona-Palma-Ibiza-Dénia line. This new ferry therefore replaced the ISLA DE BOTAFOC, which was listed for sale and remained under lay-up in Dénia in early 2010. Being now 30 years old, the ship could have attracted other ferry companies based on the Mediterranean Sea, but she was instead sold for scrap to a demolition company based in the coastal city of Alang in India. She therefore became the first ship of the Saint-class to be sold for demolition, as well as the first-ever ferry sold for scrap by Baleària. In preparation of what was believed to be, at the time, her final trip, she was renamed WINNER 9 and was registered in Basseterre, hence flying the flag of St Kitts and Nevis. She left Spain for the last time in April 2010. The ISLA DE BOTAFOC seen laid-up in Dénia in early 2010, having been deemed to surplus requirements by Baleària. This picture was taken shortly before her sale for demolition, after which she was renamed WINNER 9. Picture taken by Manuel Hernández Lafuente and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The WINNER 9 seen in Dénia, shortly before leaving Spain for good in order to head to India for demolition. Picture taken by José T and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . While the WINNER 9 was sailing towards the Eastern Mediterranean Sea in order to then transit the Suez Canal so that she could make her way towards the Indian Ocean, it was soon revealed that she was now deviating from her course and heading towards Igoumenitsa. Indeed, even though she was supposed to head for scrap, she had been bought by the Greek company Ventouris Ferries for further service. She therefore escaped the demolition yards at the very last minute, and hence saw her life being unexpectedly extended. This was due to her new company believing that she had technical specifications and passenger amenities that were deemed suitable for the Adriatic Sea, on which they were operating. Moreover, the ship was 30 years old, therefore she could still offer a few more years of service for a company whose youngest ship at the time was 34 years old. For all these reasons, the WINNER 9 became the new acquisition of Ventouris Ferries, which was planning to introduce her on the Bari-Durrës line just in time for the start of the 2010 summer season. Ventouris Ferries has been an important Greek ferry company, having had a strong presence on both the Adriatic Sea and the Aegean Sea for more than four decades. Its roots go back to 1975, when a ferry company was founded by the Kimolos-native Konstantinos Ventouris, a well-known self-made shipowner who established himself by operating cargo vessels before deciding to enter the Greek coastal service. Along with his four sons, he bought the small passenger ship AGIOS GEORGIOS, which began service in 1976 on the Western Cyclades. The ship immediately made a great impact and gave the company significant exposure across the Aegean Sea. In 1978, the family bought the ferry KONINGIN WILHELMINA of Stoomvaart Maatschappij Zeeland (which had been operating under the Sealink conglomerate), which was initially renamed CAPETAN KONSTANTINOS, and was introduced on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 1980. She was then renamed PANAGIA TINOU in 1981, and went on to have a legendary spell on the aforementioned line. The success of the vessel led the Ventouris family in making significant new acquisitions in the early 1980s. Indeed, in 1980, the company, which had began trading as Ventouris Ferries, bought the ex-FREE ENTERPRISE I of Townsend Thoresen (which had been a major ferry on the Calais-Dover line during the 1960s and the 1970s), converted her in Perama and introduced her in 1980 on the Western Cyclades as the KIMOLOS. The latter also went on to become largely successful, and therefore the company bought the ferry ROI BAUDOUIN of Regie voor Maritiem Transport in 1983. Initially renamed GEORGIOS B, this ship was converted in Perama and entered service on the Cyclades as the legendary GEORGIOS EXPRESS, considered by many to be the greatest ship in the history of the Greek coastal service (though the PANAGIA TINOU is also a major candidate regarding that debate). In 1984, they also began operating on the Adriatic Sea, having bought two ships that were previously operated by Sealink. These were the PATRA EXPRESS (the ex-ST GEORGE which operated on the Hoek van Holland-Harwich line) and the BARI EXPRESS (the ex-PRINCESSE ASTRID of Regie voor Maritiem Transport, and the sister ship of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS). Both ships were successfully introduced on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. However, in 1986 the Ventouris family split into two groups following disagreements between the four Ventouris brothers as their father retired from the coastal service sector. The two oldest sons formed the two subsequent companies: the new company Ventouris Sea Lines was founded by Evangelos Ventouris (along with his younger brother Antonis), while Ventouris Ferries continued under Georgios Ventouris (along with his younger brother Apostolos). The result of this was the transfer of the GEORGIOS EXPRESS and of the KIMOLOS to Ventouris Sea Lines, while Ventouris Ferries would continue to operate solely on the Adriatic Sea with the PATRA EXPRESS and the BARI EXPRESS (although the company later resumed service on the Cyclades, by deploying the BARI EXPRESS on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line in 1988) as well as the newly-acquired ATHENS EXPRESS (later renamed ATHENS in 2003). Just a year later, the Ventouris family experienced a further split, as Apostolos Ventouris went on to found the company AK Ventouris, and took over the ownership of the PANAGIA TINOU. Antonis Ventouris also operated the smaller company Ventouris Lines on the Saronic Gulf beginning in 1992. By 1995, Ventouris Sea Lines and Ventouris Lines had stopped operations due to financial issues, while AK Ventouris ceased operations in 1990 and then again in 1992, before being reformed as C-Link Ferries (based on the Aegean Sea) from 2002 to 2007 (at some point they also owned the former Baleària fleetmate of the WINNER 9, namely the ISLA DE IBIZA, as the PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA). While his brothers experienced abrupt ends to their services, Georgios Ventouris and his company prevailed, operating several successful ships that went on to have legendary spells on the Adriatic Sea as well as on the Aegean Sea. The company established a solid base in Bari, becoming very popular amongst Italian travelers and hauliers. Their presence there during the 1980s was key in the port's development, and in fact several passengers preferred to call there rather than in Brindisi, which had been the main Southern Italian port that was connected with Greece. As a result of this, they had several ships operating on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line and on the shorter Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. During the 1990s, the company remained one of the strongest operators on the Adriatic Sea, and they were particularly praised for the freight operations that they offered, most notably through two of their greatest ships: the legendary Ro-Pax ferry VENUS (the ex-DANA GLORIA of DFDS Seaways and later the GEDSER/GEDSER LINK of the German company GT-Link, which was bought in 1989 and replaced the PATRA EXPRESS-which was sold in 1990-and was later named SIREN in 2004), as well as her iconic sister ship, the Ro-Pax ferry POLARIS (previously the DANA FUTURA of DFDS Seaways and then the SKÅNE LINK of the Swedish company Nordö-Link, and acquired by Ventouris Ferries in 1991). The company however started to face strong competition in the late 1990s, when Superfast Ferries (which had started operations on the Adriatic Sea in 1995) introduced its first pair of newbuildings, namely the original SUPERFAST I and SUPERFAST II (both built in 1995) on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line in 1998. They therefore ceased the operations from Patras and solely focused on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. They also ceased operations on the Aegean Sea in 1999, after ceding their domestic services to the newly-established company Minoan Flying Dolphins (which was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, and has been known as Hellenic Seaways since 2005). Aiming to find another area on which they could generate additional revenue without much competition, they began a service linking Italy with Albania via the Adriatic Sea. For this, they bought the ferry EPTANISOS of Strintzis Lines (previously the VALENCAY of SNCF under Sealink) and deployed her as the POLLUX on the Bari-Durrës line in 2000. The service proved to be very successful, and the POLLUX remained there until 2003, when she was sold for scrap and was replaced by the ATHENS EXPRESS, which was renamed ATHENS. In 2001, this service had been further enhanced, as the company chartered the ferry IONIS of rival operator European Seaways (now A-Ships Management), which had a lengthy spell on the Adriatic Sea (she is also a different ship to the well-known IONIS of Triton Ferries , which currently operates on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line). The IONIS (which later became the HORIZON under European Seaways, and operated for them until late 2015) remained with Ventouris Ferries until 2009. A third ship, the cruiseferry RIGEL (which was renamed RIGEL I in 2013), was bought by the company in 2007 and was deployed on the line as well. At the time of the acquisition of the WINNER 9, Ventouris Ferries was operating a fleet of four vessels. Indeed, they had the POLARIS and the veteran Ro-Pax ferry SEATRADE (the ex-STENA SEATRADER of Stena Line, therefore at some point a former fleetmate of the WINNER 9) on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line, while the ATHENS and the RIGEL were on the Bari-Durrës line. The SIREN (which had been deployed on the Bari-Durrës line in 2009) had been sold for scrap in early 2010, just a few weeks before the arrival of the WINNER 9. The latter was bought by the company, which was slowly beginning to encounter financial pressure, which required the sale of the older tonnage. Seeing that the WINNER 9 was heading for scrap, they decided to buy her in order to replace the 41-year-old ATHENS, which in turn was sold to the same ship-breaking company and headed to India as the WINNER 11. She therefore concluded a great career under Ventouris Ferries, which had lasted 24 years and had helped cement her company's presence on the Adriatic Sea. As for the WINNER 9, she finally arrived in Igoumenitsa, being planned for service on the Bari-Durrës line. She was renamed BARI, hence taking the name of the Italian port in which her company had been operating successfully since the 1980s. She was also flagged in Cyprus and was registered in Limassol. After undergoing a quick overhaul in Igoumenitsa, she then headed to Perama, where she had a more extensive refit and also headed for drydock. She was completed in time for the 2010 summer season, and was introduced on the Bari-Durrës line alongside the RIGEL. The BARI seen in Igoumenitsa, shortly after arriving in Greece for the first time in 2010. She was seen undergoing her first overhaul, during which her Baleària livery was being replaced by that of her new owners, Ventouris Ferries. Picture taken by Frans Truyens and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The BARI seen undergoing the final stages of her refit in Drapetsona in 2010, shortly after having gone for drydock in Perama. She was now fully painted in the colours of Ventouris Ferries, and was due to become their new ship on the Bari-Durrës line. Picture taken by Georgios Koutsoukis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The BARI seen departing the port of Bari in 2010, during her first summer under Ventouris Ferries. On the right end of the picture, one can see the aft section of the APOLLON of European Seaways, which was formerly the SENLAC, a previous fleetmate of the BARI during her time under Sealink. This time, however, she was a competitor on the Adriatic Sea. She would head for scrap only a few weeks after this picture was taken, hence completing a legendary career on the Channel and in Greece. Picture taken by Trevor Jones and published on www.doverferryphotosforum.co.uk . The deployment of the BARI proved to be a successful move for the company, as the ship provided the freight capacity that she had been known for since her Sealink days, and this satisfied the demand for lorry transportation between Italy and Albania. While she did not have the same comfortable passenger areas nor the same amount of passenger cabins that the RIGEL did, she still was much-appreciated by the regular passengers of the line. She also sailed at a speed of 18 knots, which was deemed satisfactory by her owners. Despite her good operations, Ventouris Ferries nevertheless had to further reduce their fleet, due to the effects of the Greek financial crisis on the Adriatic Sea ferry market and due to their ships failing to comply with the new SOLAS criteria. As a result of this, the POLARIS and the SEATRADE were sold for scrap in 2011, thereby closing the the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. The latter was taken over by NEL Lines, which introduced the Ro-Ro carriers AQUA HERCULES and OLYMPUS, but the results were disappointing and both ships departed the fleet in late 2012. With these changes, the company now only had two ferries remaining, namely the RIGEL and the BARI. Therefore, Ventouris Ferries entered the 2012 season with much uncertainty, as many traditional Greek companies serving the Adriatic Sea progressively began to disappear. Moreover, the competition on the Bari-Durrës line remained very strong, as it featured Adria Ferries (with two ships), ANEK Lines which deployed the legendary LATO on the line, as well as a new company called Albanian Ferries (also with two ships). Despite these challenges, the RIGEL and the BARI had a very good season during that year, and they therefore ensured the survival of Ventouris Ferries. They continued to serve as the successful duo of the company in 2013, as well as in 2014. The BARI seen resting in her namesake port in 2012, in what was her third season under the ownership of Ventouris Ferries. Picture taken by Domenic Cbari and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The BARI seen arriving in the port of Bari, after having departed from Durrës, during the 2014 season, which turned out to be her final one on the line. Picture taken by Vassilis Charalampidis and published on www.ferry-site.dk . Ahead of the 2015 season, Ventouris Ferries was once again a profitable company, and had managed to beat off competition very effectively against Adria Ferries, while companies like Albanian Ferries ceased operations in late 2014, and ANEK Lines did not return following the summer of 2014. However, the Italian company Grandi Navi Veloci planned to make their entry on the Bari-Durrës line with the refitted RHAPSODY (previously the NAPOLÉON BONAPARTE of the French company SNCM, which was reformed as Corsica Linea in 2016). With the growing demand and the anticipated new competition, Ventouris Ferries bought the large cruiseferry SCANDINAVIA of Polferries (previously the FELICITY of Sealink British Ferries and then the STENA FELICITY of Sealink Stena Line/Stena Sealink Line/Stena Line), which was due to begin service on the Bari-Durrës line as the RIGEL II during the summer of 2015. She was therefore reunited with the BARI, after the two ships had previously been fleetmates under the aforementioned companies. Upon her introduction on the Bari-Durrës line, she became the new partner of the RIGEL I. The BARI was instead deployed on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line, thereby marking the return of Ventouris Ferries on the ferry link between Greece and Bari for the first time since 2011 (even though they had performed a similar service in 2013 by chartering the EUROPEAN EXPRESS of NEL Lines ). With this new service, the BARI operated in Greece and on the Ionian Sea for the first time. She notably competed against the BRIDGE of European Seaways (which was previously the MERCEDES DEL MAR of Iscomar, hence a competitor of the BARI during her time as the ISLA DE BOTAFOC in Spain) and against the RED STAR 1 of Red Star Ferries (which later acquired her sister ship, namely the IBN BATOUTA, or the ex-ST CHRISTOPHER). The BARI was the most successful ship performing the connection between the Ionian Islands and Italy during that year, and Ventouris Ferries was extremely pleased with her performance. This ensured that she would continue to serve this line on a seasonal basis, while returning to the Bari-Durrës line during the winter season. The BARI seen in Zakynthos during the summer of 2015, in what was her first season connecting Greece and the Ionian Islands with Italy. This was the first time that I saw her, and this is my first-ever picture of the famed ferry. The BARI seen docked in the port Zakynthos, prior to her departure for Kefalonia, during the summer of 2015. This was her sixth year under Ventouris Ferries, and her first season on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. The BARI seen as she is resting in the port of Zakynthos in 2015. She went on to have a very successful season on her new service, and it sealed the company's return on the Greece-Italy connection via the Adriatic Sea. One last view of the BARI in the port of Zakynthos, during the summer of 2015. The BARI was not the only ship of the company to have yielded profitable returns to Ventouris Ferries. Indeed, the RIGEL I and the RIGEL II also had a very successful 2015 season, as they also did during the 2016 season. With the company still very much satisfied with the performance of its vessels, it proceeded to buy another ferry for the Bari-Durrës line, namely the veteran cruiseferry REGINA DELLA PACE of the Croatian company Blue Line International, which was renamed RIGEL III. She began service on the Bari-Durrës line in 2017. The RIGEL I went on to join the BARI on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line for the 2017 season, which was now being operated by two ferries. Both ships had a remarkable season, and once again provided much revenue to the company, which further reasserted its presence on the Adriatic Sea after many years in the shadow of larger competitors. They also continued to be present on the line during the two seasons that followed. The BARI seen docked in the port of Igoumenitsa during the summer of 2018, which was her fourth consecutive one on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. The BARI seen resting in Igoumenitsa in 2018, during yet another successful summer on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. The BARI seen in the port of Igoumenitsa during the evening, towards the end of the high season in 2018. The BARI seen docked in Igoumenitsa in 2018. This had been the second year during which she performed her service together with the RIGEL I. The BARI seen in the port of Igoumenitsa in 2018, shortly before her departure to Corfu. The BARI seen in Igoumenitsa during the summer of 2018. This would turn out to be my last-ever picture of the ship, as I did not see her again in the next three years that followed, prior to her departure for Bangladesh, where she is due to be scrapped. The successful service provided by the RIGEL I-BARI duo continued during 2018, as well as 2019. At the same time, the RIGEL II and the RIGEL III were also doing a very good job on the Bari-Durrës line, despite fierce competition from Grandi Navi Veloci, which had been deploying the GNV AZZURRA, the sister ship of the RIGEL II, on the Bari-Durrës line since 2017. With enough earnings at their disposal, Ventouris Ferries sought to purchase a new vessel that would be more efficient in the long term, as its fleet was once again aging. This was the ferry ORANGE 7 of the Japanese company Shikoku Kaihatsu Ferry, which arrived in the summer of 2019 as the RIGEL VII (hence skipping over the numbers between III and VII). She was introduced on the Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line in 2020, whereupon she replaced the BARI. The latter was due to perform services on the new Bari-Sarandë line, but these were canceled due to low numbers of tickets sold. As a result, the ship was laid-up in Durrës, only serving the Bari-Durrës line once again in late 2020. The RIGEL VII became the new partner of the RIGEL I on the Adriatic Sea, although the latter's service was restricted to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line, as passenger traffic towards Kefalonia and Zakynthos had diminished. The BARI seen laid-up in Durrës in 2020, after her service on the Adriatic Sea was taken over by the RIGEL VII. She was due to operate on the Bari-Sarandë line, but these plans were canceled as passenger traffic on the Adriatic Sea began to diminish. Picture taken by Edi Gjata and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The 2020 season was deemed a disappointment for many companies on the Adriatic Sea, including Ventouris Ferries. As passenger and vehicle numbers began to shrink, five vessels were no longer deemed necessary by the company. As a result of this, they decided to operate the newer ships that they had bought (namely the RIGEL II, the RIGEL III and the RIGEL VII), whereas the BARI and the RIGEL I remained laid-up in Durrës and Aegion, respectively, for the whole 2021 season. The RIGEL I was not added back to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line due to the RIGEL VII being preferred over her, as she was younger, larger, faster and had a better vehicle capacity. After spending a second consecutive summer under lay-up in Durrës, the BARI eventually became the victim of the growing demolition market, as scrap prices were at very good levels. With this in mind, and with her services no longer required, Ventouris Ferries decided to send the ship for demolition, just like they had done so with the RIGEL I only a few weeks prior. After having dodged the end of her career 11 years ago, this time her departure for the scrapyards cannot be avoided, and she therefore concludes a 41-year-long career, of which the final 11 years were spent of the Adriatic Sea, while her last two years saw her being inactive during the summer. She departs the fleet of Ventouris Ferries as the ship with the second longest tenure amongst the active fleet, having joined them in 2010, while the RIGEL/RIGEL I had been serving the company since 2007. She also becomes the first ship of the Saint-class to be sold for scrap, as her three other sister ships continue to be active. However, the EUROPEAN STAR (the ex-ST CHRISTOPHER) has still not operated on any service since 2012, despite undergoing several refits under her current owners, who have tried to deploy her on the Adriatic Sea, where the BARI had operated successfully during the 2010s. Ahead of her departure to Bangladesh, the BARI was renamed ALTAIR, and was once again registered in Basseterre, just as she had been when she performed her first and aborted final trip as the WINNER 9, prior to being bought by Ventouris Ferries. With the her departure and that of the RIGEL I (which left for India as the ROGER), Ventouris Ferries will carry on with a fleet of three vessels, unless they consider purchasing a new one with the money that they will earn from the sales of the RIGEL I and of the BARI. On 5 October 2021, the BARI (as the ALTAIR), once the beloved ST ANSELM of the Channel, and which went through all the ownership changes that brought an end to Sealink, before experiencing success on the Irish Sea and again on the Channel as the STENA CAMBRIA, and later the loyal ISLA DE BOTAFOC of Umafisa and Baleària prior to having a highly-performant spell on the Adriatic Sea, departed Durrës in order to make her final trip. One without passengers nor vehicles that would be loaded onboard her extremely useful twin drive-through freight decks. One whose sole purpose is to meet her end, as many other ferries and ships have experienced theirs throughout history. She completes a career that spanned over four decades, and which won her much popularity and appreciation in the United Kingdom, France, Ireland, Spain, Italy, Albania and Greece. While it is always sad for me to see a ship of the Greek coastal service departing for scrap, I can at least say that the BARI, just like her longtime fleetmate, the RIGEL I, at least managed to have a relatively good career path, without much trouble and with few moments during which she was inactive for a long period. It must also be stated that she is probably one of the very few ships that were granted a life extension despite having initially been sold for scrap and actually performing their final trip to the demolition yards. She also had a much better end that many other Greek ferries, many of which see their final years being only under lay-up due to their companies' failures. Instead, the BARI operated under a very healthy company which has proved to be a good survivor for more than 40 years, despite the hefty changes brought by strong competitors and financial crises which impacted the Adriatic Sea. Not only that, she was also a very successful ship on the Channel, being the flagship of the iconic Sealink at the start of her career, and she was always part of her company's plans, even after they were taken over by Sea Containers. Stena Line also recognised the ship's potential, and successfully deployed her on the Irish Sea, before bringing her back to the Channel. It was only the closure of the Dieppe-Newhaven line in 1999 that forced her company to sell her, and she went on to have a very good stint in Spain. Her operations under Baleària proved to be key in the company's subsequent development and fleet renewal, and today they are considered to be the most successful ferry company in Spain. Finally, she also had a good run with Ventouris Ferries, initially ensuring the company's survival by performing well on the Bari-Durrës line, and then being the ship that permanently reactivated the company's operations on the Greece-Italy connection via the Adriatic Sea. Her success there convinced the company that it was a good time to invest in a younger and more impressive ferry, namely the RIGEL VII, which has rapidly become the company's major weapon on the Adriatic Sea, therefore carrying on the success brought by the BARI. Altogether, just like the RIGEL I, she proved to be a valuable asset for a historical Greek ferry company even during her final years. And, ultimately, unlike other ships that make their final journey under tow and in miserable conditions, she left on her own, thereby concluding her successful career with pride. Her legacy remains through her three sister ships, which continue to remain active and to sail for relatively successful companies in other parts of the world. While I was not able to travel with the BARI, I still fondly remember the time that I saw her in Zakynthos during the summer of 2015, and also when I saw her in the port of Igoumenitsa, during an evening in August 2018. These two times that I saw the ferry enabled me to witness history, as this ship really played a major role in the development of the ferry market on the Channel, on the Irish Sea and on the Balearic Sea. And she completed her run by successfully bringing her company back to where it belonged, as one of the best ferry operators of the Adriatic Sea. Therefore, BARI, I would like to thank you for your contribution to the Greek coastal service. #bari #ventourisferries #ionian #adriatic #greece #farewell #scrap #extratribute

Trip: 3 August 2019. From Perama to Salamina, with the AGGELIS F of Filiagkos NE . The double-ended ferry AGGELIS F was ordered in late 2017 by the Salamina-based company Filiagkos NE. She was completed in 2019 in Greece and she was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line. She operates under the Agios Nikolaos Lines joint venture. She became the first-ever double-ended ferry to be deployed for the Filiagkos family, which also owns the small passenger boat ELENA F , a ship that operates under Elena F Shipping on the Piraeus-Salamina line since she was built for that company in 1998. The Filiagkos family has been operating in Salamina since 1967, the year during which they initially deployed the then-newly-built sister ships (which were part of the numerous 'Koulouriotika' sister ships that were built in the 1960s and 1970s) ELENI F and DIMITRIOS F on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The former operated for Elena F Shipping until 1981, when she was sold to Panou Shipping for service as the MOSCHOS EXPRESS on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri line on the Saronic Gulf, where she remained for 20 years until being sold to Mitsoulis Cruises in 2001. She still operates for them, as the IONIAN DOLPHIN , as she performs daily cruises on the Syvota-Antipaxoi-Paxoi-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea. As for the DIMITRIOS F, she operated on the Piraeus-Salamina line until 1998, when she was replaced by the then-newly-built ELENA F, which was a much larger, modern and faster ship. The DIMITRIOS F was retired, and she was withdrawn from all registries in 2002. This is therefore a quick historical overview of the ship and her company, which has been a regular presence in Salamina for more than five decades. It is also noteworthy to state that the family is not related to the Filiagkos family that trades as Thassos Link. Indeed, the latter previously owned double-ended ferries on the Perama-Salamina line during the 2000s and early 2010s, but has been operating in Thassos since 2014. It currently owns the landing craft AGIOS ATHANASIOS and NIKITIS, and has also chartered the double-ended ferry PANAGIA KOIMISIS of Galaga Shipping Company for the 2020 season. Less than a week after traveling to Salamina in order to see the various passenger ships that serve the island, I decided to have a look at them again on 3 August 2019, just for my own pleasure and in order to take more pictures to add to the website. As you have seen it previously, I had traveled from Perama to Salamina on 28 July 2019 with the newly-built GLYKOFILOUSA VIII of Panagia Glykofilousa NE , and headed back to Perama with the veteran double-ended ferry DIMITRIOS P of Dimitrios P NE just a few hours later. After having gone to Rafina in the early morning of 3 August with my father in order to witness the various ships departing the latter for the Cyclades and the Northeast Aegean Sea , I then had all the afternoon free in order to head to Salamina. As the passenger boats operating from Piraeus had already stopped their services for the day, I thus headed to Perama in order to take one of the many ferries that serve the Perama-Salamina line. There, I saw the AGGELIS F waiting for me, as she was the ship that was due to depart for Salamina right upon my arrival in the port of Perama. The AGGELIS F seen docked in Perama, shortly before I embarked onboard her. Unlike the ELENA F which has a white and light blue livery, she instead carries a distinctive red livery, similar to that of Tsokos Lines. Next to the AGGELIS F was the small passenger boat PANAGIA of Panagia Thalassini NE , which is one of the many small passenger ships that also operate on the Perama-Salamina line. After boarding the ship, I could clearly see her wide open garage, which passes under her accommodation superstructure. She also has side ramps which allow the passengers to take the staircases that lead to the accommodation superstructure. Right above her garage area, one can see her name, written in Greek letters in a red stripe. A view of the ship's accommodation superstructure, as well as one of the staircases that lead to it. The first deck of the accommodation superstructure features an indoor lounge area, which features many modern lounges aligned in parallels. Next to the windows, one can see some individual seats as well. Her ceiling also has a stripe featuring lights under a very nice shade of purple. This indoor lounge area is clearly far more modern than the ones found in other double-ended ferries, something that is justified by the fact that this was the ship's first-ever summer of service. Right above the first deck of the accommodation superstructure were two additional decks. The second deck features an outdoor area for passengers as well as the crew's cabins, while the third and final deck consists of the ship's bridge. All decks are separated by red stripes. The outdoor area found in the second deck of the accommodation superstructure. Just like it is the case with most Greek double-ended ferries, it features multiple seats available for passengers during the trip. In the case of the AGGELIS F, there were many white chairs, as well as some life-rafts. Another view of the seats and the life-rafts located in the outdoor area of the second deck of the ship's accommodation superstructure. Next to the seats was also the ship's primary lifeboat, which was attached to a red lifting crane. The front section of the ship's garage was already completely full of cars and motorcycles. It clearly shows why the Perama-Salamina line is one of the Greek coastal service's busiest lines, as there are departures from both ports every five minutes during the peak hours of the summer season. As I began to look towards Salamina, I spotted a familiar face. Indeed, it was the veteran water tanker AEGINA II of Hydrousa Maritime Company, which was on her way towards Aspropyrgos, in order to receive her usual water supply so that she could bring it to Aegina. Unfortunately, earlier this year, following the construction of a water pipeline linking Athens with Aegina, the ship, which therefore no longer had a role as a water tanker, was sold for scrap to Turkey, These news were very sad for me, as it was a ship that marked my childhood since she would always be docked in the port of Aegina during the evening, when I would usually go to spot the various ships arriving in and leaving the island. A view of the PANAGIA, which has so far spent her entire career on the Perama-Salamina line. She was built in 1996, and is actually the oldest small passenger ship operating on the line, along with the SALAMIS EXPRESS I of Salamis Express , which was also built in 1996. Another view of the PANAGIA in the port of Perama. While she is tied with the SALAMIS EXPRESS I as the oldest small passenger ship operating on the Perama-Salamina line, she is actually the one which has been operating there for the longest period of time, as she has continuously been operating on the line since 1996. The SALAMIS EXPRESS I, on the other hand, has also operated on the Piraeus-Salamina line from 1996 to 2000, and then during the summer seasons of 2016, 2017 and 2018. Next to the AGGELIS F was the double-ended ferry SPYRIDON S of Sofras NE . She was built in 2016 and was spending her second consecutive summer on the Perama-Salamina line, and third overall. In 2017 she was operating on the Rion-Antirrion line, a service on which she returned this year. Another view of the SPYRIDON S, which is one of the two ships owned by Sofras NE, the other one being the DIMITRIOS S . While the AGGELIS F departed the port of Perama at 14:30, I also got to spot the double-ended ferry THEOLOGOS V II of Evia Ferries , which was docked right next to the SPYRIDON S. The THEOLOGOS V II seen in Perama. Built in late 2018, she was spending the first summer of her career on the Perama-Salamina line, just like the AGGELIS F. The THEOLOGOS V II and the SPYRIDON S seen resting together in Perama. As the AGGELIS F began to head towards Salamina, I got to spot the other aforementioned veteran small passenger ship of the Perama-Salamina line. Indeed, it was the SALAMIS EXPRESS I of Salamis Express . The SALAMIS EXPRESS I seen heading towards Perama. The 2019 season was her first full summer back on the Perama-Salamina line since 2015. During the summers of 2016, 2017 and a part of 2018, she instead operated on the Piraeus-Salamina line, having taken over the service which had previously been covered by the small passenger boat BOB SFOUGKARAKIS of Kavouris Shipping Company , which is now also operating on the Perama-Salamina line. The SALAMIS EXPRESS I seen heading towards the port of Perama, from which the AGGELIS F had just departed. One last view of the SALAMIS EXPRESS I as she is seen heading towards the port of Perama. Shortly after seeing the SALAMIS EXPRESS I, I saw the double-ended ferry KONSTANTINOS K of Salaminia Ferries-K Star also heading from Salamina to Perama. The KONSTANTINOS K seen heading towards Perama, after having departed Salamina. She was built in 2009, hence ten years before the AGGELIS F. She has since been an integral member of the group of double-ended ferries operating on the Perama-Salamina line, which she has served for all but two years of her career so far. Indeed, she operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line on the North Evoian Gulf in 2015, while she was then inserted on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2016. She returned to the Perama-Salamina line in 2017, and has since been remaining there. The beautiful KONSTANTINOS K seen heading from Salamina to Perama. Passing by the KONSTANTINOS K as she is seen sailing towards Perama. Another view of the KONSTANTINOS K while she is seen en route towards Perama. As the ship began approaching the port of Paloukia in Salamina, I spotted the Salamina Naval Base, which is the largest naval base of the Hellenic Navy. Many frigates, fast boats and submarines can be spotted there. On the port side of the ship was the small Salaminian town of Kamatero, which features the well-known Church of Koimisis tis Theotokou, whose name stands for the Assumption of Mary into Heaven. The next ship that followed the KONSTANTINOS K was a double-ended ferry that used to have the name KONSTANTINOS as well. Indeed, it was the ALEXANDROS M of Boufis Shipping Company . The ALEXANDROS M seen heading towards Perama. Built in 2000, she was initially known as the KONSTANTINOS of now-defunct company Konstantinos ANE. She operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2000 to 2002 and then from 2004 to 2010, with the 2003 season seeing her operating on the Rion-Antirrion line. After the completion of the 2010 season, Konstantinos ANE experienced financial difficulties and had to cease operations. As a result, the ship was sold to Boufis Shipping Company (based in Spetses) in 2011 and was renamed ALEXANDROS M, becoming the second ship in the history of the company to bear that name. Despite her current owners being based in Spetses, the ship continued to operate on the Perama-Salamina line, and actually only operates on the company's traditional service, the Kosta-Spetses line, whenever her fleetmate, the landing craft KATERINA STAR which serves the line, undergoes her annual refit. She also spent the 2016 season on the Rion-Antirrion line, before heading back to the Perama-Salamina line the following year. The ALEXANDROS M on her way towards Perama. By photographing her, I had now taken pictures of all the ships owned by Boufis Shipping Company as of 2019. Indeed, just six days before seeing the ALEXANDROS M, I headed to Spetses during the morning of 28 July 2019, and there I managed take pictures of the KATERINA STAR, as well as of the small passenger ships SPETSES EXPRESS I and SPETSES EXPRESS II . The ALEXANDROS M seen sailing towards Perama. This was her eighteenth overall season on the Perama-Salamina line, where she has spent the bulk of her career. The sole exceptions were in 2003 and in 2016, when she operated on the Rion-Antirrion line. Passing by the ALEXANDROS M as she heads towards Perama. One last view of the ALEXANDROS M. As the AGGELIS F passed by the port of Kamatero in Salamina, I got to see the landing craft POSEIDONAS of Farmakoris-Villiotis NE. Built in 2010, she operated on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line during that same year, and from 2012 to 2018, while in 2011 she operated on the Rion-Antirrion line. After being replaced by her newly-built fleetmate, the ALKYON, on the Arkitsa-Aidipsos line for the 2019 season, she was sent for lay-up in Salamina. However, she is due to return to service soon, as she is currently being converted in Perama following her purchase by the Saronic Ferries joint venture, for whom she is due to operate on the Saronic Gulf as the ANTIGONE. Shortly after passing by the POSEIDONAS (now known as the ANTIGONE), I saw the small passenger boat ARTEMIS of Artemis SNE heading towards Perama as well. The ARTEMIS having just departed Salamina for Perama. She was built in 2003 and has operated on the Perama-Salamina line throughout her entire career, except between 2015 and 2018, a period during which she was laid-up in Salamina at all. A sale to Thessaloniki Waterbus for service on the Thermaic Gulf did not materialise in 2017, and the ship instead returned to service under Artemis SNE in 2018, following a three-year-long lay-up in Salamina. Right behind her, I could see the double-ended ferry IOANNIS SOPHIA K of Karnesis-Lalousis NE departing Salamina. The ARTEMIS seen heading towards Perama. The IOANNIS SOPHIA K seen following the ARTEMIS after having departed the port of Paloukia in Salamina. She is the flagship of Karnesis-Lalousis NE, having been built for them in 2016. She was deployed on the Perama-Salamina line that year, and was joined by her sister ship, the THEOCHARIS MARIA L , in 2017. She was deployed on the Rion-Antirrion line in 2018, before returning to the Perama-Salamina line the following year. Another view of the impressive Salamina Naval Base. The IOANNIS SOPHIA K leaving Salamina for Perama, during her first season on the Perama-Salamina line since 2017. The IOANNIS SOPHIA K now heading towards Perama. One last view of the IOANNIS SOPHIA K as she heads towards the port of Perama. At around 14:45, the port of Paloukia in Salamina could clearly be seen, featuring dozens of double-ended ferries operating on the Perama-Salamina line. Among the countless number of double-ended ferries, I could spot the THEOMITOR of Athinais Lines , the newly-built PROTOPOROS XI of Tsokos Lines , the STAVROS N of Nikolaïdis NE , the SALAMINOMACHOS of Salaminomachos Lines , the PROTOPOROS X of Tsokos Lines and the GEORGIOS of Georgios Lines . On the other side of the pier were four other double-ended ferries, namely the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV of Feidias NE , the sister ships GLYKOFILOUSA V and the GLYKOFILOUSA IV of Panagia Glykofilousa NE and the TELAMON of Dimitrios P NE . The AGGELIS F was preparing to dock next to the GEORGIOS, which was resting in Salamina alongside several other double-ended ferries. The GEORGIOS seen resting in Salamina. Built in 2009 for Georgios Lines, she operated on the Perama-Salamina line from 2009 to 2011, in 2013, from 2016 to 2017, and in 2019. In 2012, from 2014 to 2015, in 2018 and since 2020 she has been operating on the Rion-Antirrion line. Not far from them was the ANNA MARIA of Gavanozis Shipping , which was operating on the Perama-Salamina line in 2019. I had previously traveled with her on 21 July 2018, while heading from Oropos to Eretria via the South Evoian Gulf . Next to the ANNA MARIA was the small passenger boat GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels , which operates on the Piraeus-Salamina line. The AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV seen resting in Salamina. The GEORGIOS seen resting in Salamina as well. The GEORGIOS seen in Salamina, during her first summer on the Perama-Salamina line since 2017. She then headed back to the Rion-Antirrion line, where she currently operates. The GEORGIOS BROUFAS II seen resting in Salamina. Built in 1998, she has so far spent her entire career on the Piraeus-Salamina line. I traveled with her for the first time in my life exactly one year and one month before taking this picture, back in 3 July 2018, when I headed with her from Piraeus to Salamina and back. One last view of the GEORGIOS as the AGGELIS F prepares to dock in Salamina. As well as one final view of the AGIOS ELEFTHERIOS IV. The AGGELIS F docked in Salamina and immediately began to unload all the passengers and the vehicles that had traveled onboard her during that trip. And this therefore marked the end of the very nice trip that I had with the newly-built AGGELIS F. Just like it was the case with the GLYKOFILOUSA VIII, it was a very pleasant trip onboard a very modern ship, which featured very comfortable amenities for passengers. She clearly displays the tradition of the Filiagkos family as well as their will to adapt to the current demand and to operate newer and more efficient ships. Furthermore, just like the week before this trip, I managed to see several ships operating on the Perama-Salamina line, as well as others that were docked in Salamina for other purposes. Overall, I was very satisfied to make yet another trip on this very busy line with yet another nice and modern ferry. #aggelisf #filiagkosne #agiosnikolaoslines #summer2019 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #perama #salamina #paloukia #panagia #panagiathalassinine #spyridons #sofrasne #theologosvii #eviaferries #salamisexpressi #salamisexpress #konstantinosk #salaminiaferrieskstar #alexandrosm #boufisshippingcompany #poseidonas #farmakorisvilliotisne #artemis #artemisne #ioannissophiak #karnesislalousisne #theomitor #athinaislines #protoporosxi #protoporosx #tsokoslines #stavrosn #nikolaïdisne #salaminomachos #salaminomachoslines #georgios #georgioslines #agioseleftheriosiv #feidiasne #glykofilousav #glykofilousaiv #panagiaglykofilousane #telamon #dimitriospne #annamaria #gavanozisshipping #georgiosbroufasii #broufasvessels #tribute

Trips: 27 July 2018. From Paros to Antiparos, with the AGIOI ANARGYROI of Agia Marina I NE , and then from Antiparos to Paros, with the AGIOS NIKOLAOS of Agia Marina I NE . The landing craft AGIOI ANARGYROI was built in 2018 in Greece, just a few months after her fleetmate and sister ship, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS. She was deployed under Agia Marina I NE on the Paros-Antiparos line. The landing craft AGIOS NIKOLAOS was also ordered in 2018 by Agia Marina I NE, as the AGIOS NIKOLAOS II, in order to replace their ship, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, built in 2017 and sold to the British Virgin Islands-based company Solaris Shiptrade Company. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS II was renamed AGIOS NIKOLAOS during her construction, and was completed in Greece in 2018. She was subsequently deployed on the Paros-Antiparos line, just a few months before the AGIOI ANARGYROI. Both ships are part of the quartet currently operating on this very short but very important line in the middle of the Cyclades. Indeed, Antiparos is a small island located next to Paros. Its name is the combination of the word 'anti', which means 'opposite' in Greek, and Paros, thus defining it as 'the island opposite of Paros' in English. It has become quite touristic in recent years, due to its traditional lifestyle, beautiful beaches, nice restaurants, and overall landscape. It has more notably been a favourite place amongst camping tourists. Thus, the island is among the points of interest of tourists visiting Paros, and is essential for Greeks who wish to have a calm and isolated summer. Despite its emerging status, the island can only be connected with it more popular neighbour. Indeed, large ferries operating around the Cyclades cannot call at the island as its port is extremely small, shallow and is located near a narrow strait dividing Paros and Antiparos. Therefore, it is physically impossible for ferries from major companies to dock there. The only ships that are able to do so are landing craft (due to their smaller draught compared to larger ferries) and small passenger boats. These ships only operate local trips, operating on the Paros-Antiparos line. Fortunately, there are many trips per day during the summer, with departures from each island taking place every 10 minutes from the early morning to the beginning of the evening. With four landing craft, the trips can be done without any issues. These ships do not leave from Paros' main port located in Paroikia, but from a small village called Pounta. It is located in Southwestern Paros, and is right at the opposite of the port of Antiparos, with the trip between both ports lasting barely five minutes. Small passenger boats such as the HELLAS of Antiparos Speedline NE and the ANTIPAROS STAR of Agia Marina I NE do connect Antiparos with Paroikia, with the trip lasting around 20 minutes. With all the information regarding Antiparos and its ferry network now provided to you, I can now speak to you about my two trips on 27 July 2018, as my family and myself spent a day there. We had stayed in Paros from 26 July to 29 July of that summer, and had decided to explore the nearby island as well. Hence, we headed from the house where we were staying (located near Paroikia) to Pounta, as we had our car with us. Towards noon, we arrived there and travelled with the landing craft AGIOI ANARGYROI. After spending half of the day in Antiparos, we returned to Paros with her fleetmate and sister ship, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS. Hence, as the two trips are short and as I did not take many pictures, this post is a Tribute Post to both Agia Marina I NE ships. For the first time in my life, I traveled with a ship on her first-ever day of service. Indeed, 27 July 2018 was the first day of service of the AGIOI ANARGYROI, which had just been built in Perama throughout the first half of the year 2018. Thus, besides traveling with a landing craft to Antiparos for the first time in my life, I also got to travel on a ship during her maiden voyage. It was really an unforgettable moment. No matter what the career of that small landing craft will look like in the next years, I will always remember that I traveled onboard her on her first-ever trip. Moreover, it was my first trip onboard a landing craft, since 16 July 2014, when I had traveled from Zakynthos to Kefalonia and back with the VASOS K of Ionian Sea Ferries , which still operates there to date. The AGIOI ANARGYROI seen in the port of Pounta, on her first-ever day of service. As it is the tradition in shipping, she was decorated with several maritime flags in order to celebrate her entry to service. Antiparos is seen right behind her. The port is extremely narrow, with limited space for vehicles to conduct their maneuvering procedures when boarding the ships. Shortly after boarding the AGIOI ANARGYROI, I immediately went to her accommodation superstructure, located at the stern section (as it is the case with all passenger landing craft). Here is a view of her garage extension, featuring the decorative flags she bore that day as part of her entry to service on the Paros-Antiparos line. The ship's small indoor lounge area, featuring quite modern benches with dark grey mattresses and a TV screen. In terms of decoration, the area was plain and white, with no additional details whatsoever. The ship's outdoor area had a small sun deck, which had various benches and pump reserves. A more extended view of the sun deck (seen as we were arriving in Antiparos), featuring several aligned grey benches. Just enough for a short but pleasant trip. The ship did have some poster on her walls. These included the table of the MARPOL Annex V regulations (which are the legal regulations about how ships and their crews should manage waste and disposal at sea), which is required onboard all commercial ships. Underneath this table, a small poster indicates passengers not to use the ship's ladder, both in Greek and in English. The ship seen from the passenger port side alley leading from the garage to the upper deck of the accommodation superstructure. It shows the latter, with its classic bridge and open stern section. As we were beginning to leave Paros and the port of Pounta, I spotted one of the AGIOI ANARGYROI's rivals: the landing craft AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU of Madalena I Shipping , which had just arrived in Paros. The AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU seen as we depart Paros. She was built in 2006, having been ordered by Madalena I Shipping in order to replace their ship operating on the Paros-Antiparos line at the time, which was the PANAGIA FANEROMENI . After the arrival of the AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU, that ship was sold to Kimolos Link, and has since been operating on the Milos-Kimolos line. The AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU seen resting Paros. She is the ship with the most experience on the line, out of the four ferries and the small passenger boats currently operating there. As we were beginning to head towards Antiparos, I saw the fleetmate of the AGIOI ANARGYROI, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, resting in the island's port. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS seen ready to depart Antiparos. She was the second ship of the company to be named after the seamen's patron Saint. The first one was her former fleetmate, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, which was built in 2017 and only spent one season on the line before being sold to the British Virgin Islands-based company Solaris Shiptrade Company. She currently operates there as the AEGEAN SEAL, on the Road Town-Beef Island-Salt Island line. Thus, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, which was being built at the time as the AGIOS NIKOLAOS II, was renamed after her and entered service in her place. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS seen departing Antiparos. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS having finished her departure maneuvering procedure and beginning to head towards Paros. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS passing by her sister ship and fleetmate, as she heads towards the port of Pounta in Paros. Crossing the AGIOS NIKOLAOS as she heads towards Paros. Due to the line's short distance, the landing craft do not necessarily need to be that large, compared to other lines across Greece. The AGIOS NIKOLAOS seen heading towards Paros, after having left Antiparos. A view of the port of Antiparos, which has dozens of white houses built under the well-known Cycladic architectural style. There, we were greeted by the fourth landing craft of the line: the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II of Antiparos Shipping , which was resting at that time of the day. The Chora of Antiparos seen right next to the port. The beautiful Cycladic-style Holy Church of Agia Marina, after which the AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU is named, is seen in the middle of the town. While we were approaching Antiparos, I took a closer look to the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II. Unlike the other landing craft which have spent their entire careers on the Paros-Antiparos line so far (although, to be fair, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS and the AGIOI ANARGYROI were introduced only last year), she had spells on other small-distance ferry services in Greece. Indeed, she initially began her career in 1996 as the FANEROMENI POROU of VR Ferries (whereupon she become the first ship in the history of the company) and operated on the Saronic Gulf, namely on the Galatas Troizinias-Poros line. She remained there until 2006, when she was sold to NE Elafonisou. She was renamed PANAGIA KOIMISIS II and she was deployed on the Pounta-Elafonisos line on the Lakonian Gulf (threby connecting the village of Pounta-located on the Peloponnese and which has the same name as the small port of Paros served by the Antiparos landing craft-with the small island of Elafonisos, located next to the Lakonia peninsula on the Peloponnese). After two years there, she was sold in 2008 to Antiparos Shipping, underwent a major conversion in Perama as she was considerably lengthened, and entered service on the Paros-Antiparos line, where she has since been remaining. She is therefore the oldest ship on the line, as well as the biggest one in terms of length. After a short trip, the AGIOI ANARGYROI had finished her maiden voyage from Paros to Antiparos. Here she is seen unloading all remaining passengers and vehicles. The small port of Antiparos, showing the AGIA MARINA ANTIPAROU (which had just arrived from Paros) and the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II, the two 'veterans' of the line. They are now both competing against the newly-built landing craft of Agia Marina I NE. After arriving in Antiparos, we headed towards the well-known beach of Agios Nikolaos, which is located on the Western part of the island (at the opposite of the Chora, which is in the Eastern part of Antiparos and right at the opposite of Paros). While arriving at the beach, I spotted an unusual presence: it was the high speed ferry SANTORINI PALACE of Minoan Lines , which was seen heading towards Paros, but passing near the Western part of Antiparos in order to head towards Paroikia. Formerly the HIGHSPEED 5 (2005-2016) and the HIGHSPEED 7 (2016-2018) of Hellenic Seaways, she was sold just before the summer of 2018 to Minoan Lines, as part of the deal that saw Hellenic Seaways being sold to Attica Group. Despite her changing her owner and her name, she remained on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Paros-Mykonos line, where she has been operating successfully since 2013. A few hours after seeing the SANTORINI PALACE and having already been relaxing on the Agios Nikolaos beach, I noticed another ferry heading towards Paros by passing near the Western Antiparos coast. Also heading to Paros while arriving from Ios, it was the SUPERFERRY of Golden Star Ferries . Owned by Golden Star Ferries since 2015, she began operating on the Cyclades during the summer of 2016. In 2018, she was deployed, alongside her fleetmate, the SUPERFERRY II , on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Ios-Santorini-Heraklion line, competing against Sea Jets and the SANTORINI PALACE. I managed to experience a large portion of that trip, as I traveled with her from Rafina to Ios on 14 June 2018 (a month and 13 days before taking this picture). After a few hours at the beach, we headed towards a nearby tavern. There I saw a passenger boat, whose existence and presence on the Greek coastal service is largely unknown. Indeed, it is perhaps the most 'local' ship of Antiparos. It is the small tour boat SARGOS II of Captain Sargos Antiparos , which operates on the Antiparos-Despotiko line. She does cruises around Antiparos and reaches the small islet of Despotiko, located next to the West coast of Antiparos. This island has some nice isolated beaches and some amazing marine caves, accessible only via small boats. Built in 2012, the SARGOS II makes daily cruises alongside her elder fleetmate, the wooden boat SARGOS I, which has been operating there since 2002. After eating at the tavern, and, having spent almost all the day at Antiparos, it was time for us to head back to Paros. There, we were greeted by the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, which was the ship that eventually took us back to the port of Pounta. Here is a view of her garage (similar to the one of the AGIOI ANARGYROI), and her bridge located on her accommodation superstructure which is in her stern section. The alley on the ship's port side, taking passengers from the garage to the staircase that leads to the accommodation superstructure. The indoor lounge area of the AGIOS NIKOLAOS. Although it is built under the same structure as the AGIOI ANARGYROI, the mattresses are white (in contrast to the AGIOI ANARGYROI's darker grey mattresses). Two posters seen hanging on the ship's walls in the indoor lounge area. The poster below is an advertising sing from the Marine Club of Antiparos which promotes sailing lessons in the islands throughout the summer. The one above is more interesting, as it is the ship's builder's certificate. It displays her company's name (at the top, in dark blue Greek letters), her name, registry and year of built (in red Greek letters), and the builder's name (Shipinvestigation Company), address and contact details at the bottom. The ship's tiny reception desk, which is rarely being used due to the short duration of the trips between Paros and Antiparos. The outdoor sun deck area of the AGIOS NIKOLAOS, which is very similar to the one of her sister ship. The outdoor sun deck area, also featuring aligned grey benches. The PANAGIA KOIMISIS II seen shortly before our departure. That summer was her eleventh consecutive on the Paros-Antiparos line. The Greek flag seen flying proudly on the ship's stern. As it was late in the evening, the sun was beginning to set over the beautiful island of Antiparos. Here is the Holy Church of Agia Marina, seen right below the beautiful sun. As the AGIOS NIKOLAOS began to leave the port of Antiparos (thus beginning a maneuvering procedure in order to have her ramp facing towards Paros), I saw her fleetmate, the AGIOI ANARGYROI, resting in her new home, after having completed her first-ever day of service. A nice view of the strait separating Antiparos from Paros, featuring various yachts and sailing catamarans. The AGIOI ANARGYROI, the ship on which I had traveled a few hours earlier, seen resting in Antiparos. Another view of the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II in Antiparos. One of her former fleetmates under NE Elafonisou, namely the PANAGIA KOIMISIS , still sails under that name under Galaga Shipping Company on the Megara-Salamina line. A double-ended ferry, she operated for NE Elafonisou from 2005 (the year during which she was built) to 2009 before being sold to her current owners. From 2011 to 2014, she was also chartered to the Abu Dhabi Port Council, operating on the Abu Dhabi-Sir Bani Yas line in the United Arab Emirates. She returned to Greece in late 2014. A last view of the AGIOI ANARGYROI in Antiparos, at sunset, at the end of the first-ever day in service in her career. She still has the maritime flags connected from her mast to the garage ramp. She is the second ship in the history of the company to be named AGIOI ANARGYROI. The first one still sails in Greece to date. It is the current AGIANNAKIS of NE Elafonisou (coincidentally, the former owners of the PANAGIA KOIMISIS II), which is on the Pounta-Elafonisos line. She operated for Agia Marina I NE on the Paros-Antiparos line from 1986 (the year in which she was built) to 2008, and was the first-ever landing craft in the company's history. She was due to be sold to Maldivian company World Maldived 1 Limited, having been renamed LIMITNESS ONE, in 2008. However, the sale did not materialise and she remained laid-up until 2010, when she was sold to and refitted by her current owners. The island of Antiparos seen during sunset, as we began heading towards Paros. Just five minutes after leaving Antiparos, we were already back in Paros, in the port of Pounta. Here, the AGIOS NIKOLAOS is seen unloading passengers and vehicles. Thus, this concludes that very wonderful day spent in Antiparos, which is surely one of the most underrated islands of the Cyclades. I had two very nice trips with two newly-built landing craft, which traveled without any issues on a short but busy line. I hope they both stay on the line for many years to come, alongside all other ships serving the island. Having built three ships in just two summers, Agia Marina I NE has experienced a considerable fleet renewal. To add to this, they had built the high speed passenger boat ANTIPAROS STAR in 2015, while they will soon be deploying another newly-built high speed passenger boat, the EXPRESS PANORMITIS , which will enter service during the summer of 2019. #agioianargyroi #agiosnikolaos #agiamarinaine #summer2018 #greece #cyclades #aegean #paros #antiparos #agiamarinaantiparou #madalenaishipping #panagiakoimisisii #antiparosshipping #santorinipalace #minoanlines #superferry #goldenstarferries #sargosii #captainsargosantiparos #tribute #backtobacktrips

Trip: 30 July 2017. From Kyllini to Zakynthos, with the MARE DI LEVANTE of Levante Ferries . The conventional ferry MARE DI LEVANTE was built in 1984 in Japan. She began her career as the NIIHAMA 2 for the Japanese company Shikoku Chuo Ferry (which later also had the ferry ROYAL KAWANOE, which also went on to have a career in Greece as the DIONISOS SOLOMOS of Zante Ferries ), on the Osaka-Kobe-Kawanoe-Niihama line. In 1994 she was sold to the South Korean company Kukjae Express and she was renamed KUKJAE EXPRESS FERRY 2. She was deployed on the Mokpo-Jeju line on the Jeju Strait. In 1999 she was sold to the South Korean company Sea World Express Ferry Company and she was renamed SEA WORLD EXPRESS FERRY, while remaining on the Mokpo-Jeju line. In 2003 she was bought by the Greek company Tyrogalas Ferries based in Zakynthos, and she was renamed IONIAN STAR. That company had been founded in 1973 (30 years before the purchase of the ship), and had been operating the conventional ferry PROTEUS (now owned by ANES Ferries and operating on the Sporades) since that very same year, as well as the smaller ferry IONIS since 1993. After having acquired the latter ship, she became part of the Zakynthos-based Ionian Ferries joint venture, which was formed with Zante Ferries and later with ANEZ. Tyrogalas Ferries owned the PROTEUS until 2006 when she was sold to ANES Ferries, and the IONIS until 2016, when she was acquired by Leve Ferries, which deployed her on the Saronic Gulf (where the ship had also operated during her final season under Tyrogalas Ferries in 2015). The IONIAN STAR underwent a major conversion initially in South Korea and later in Greece (in Perama), with a replaced bow, new stabilisers and many new passenger amenities. She entered service on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line in late 2003. She also operated occasionally on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line during the summer. After 12 successful years with Tyrogalas Ferries, the ship was sold to Levante Ferries, a new company in the area that quickly attracted passengers thanks to its new impressive ferry, namely the FIOR DI LEVANTE . Initially operating independently from Ionian Ferries, this company managed to move two Ionian Sea ships out of the area: the IONIS was transferred to the Saronic Gulf, and the ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries was deployed on the Western Cyclades for the 2015 season. By purchasing the IONIAN STAR, the company eventually managed to remove Tyrogalas Ferries from its own main area of operations, as they subsequently did not have any ships on the Ionian Sea, and only had the IONIS on the Saronic Gulf, where the latter operated before being sold to Leve Ferries in 2016, and thus marking the end of the company. The sale of the IONIAN STAR therefore also marked the end of the Ionian Ferries joint venture and the beginning of the new Ionian Group joint venture, which was formed by Levante Ferries with two ships and Zante Ferries with one ship (initially the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS). After a short stint on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line from the fall of 2015 to the winter of 2016, the IONIAN STAR underwent a minor conversion in 2016 in Perama, during which she was renamed MARE DI LEVANTE. She subsequently resumed service on both the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and the Kyllini-Kefalonia line, where she has since been operating. Under both names and owners that she has worked for, the MARE DI LEVANTE has been one of the most successful ferries on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, as well as on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. She was undoubtedly the best ferry in the area prior to the arrival of the FIOR DI LEVANTE, and has been appreciated for her constant and regular service, being able to operate over the entire year with few days off service in order to undergo her annual refit. The minor conversion she had under Levante Ferries during the spring of 2016 made her even more comfortable and improved her passenger amenities. So this is a general overview of the ship's history and importance within the Ionian Sea. Regarding my experience with her, she is the ship on which I have traveled the most while going from Kyllini to Zakynthos and vice versa. Indeed, since her arrival as the IONIAN STAR in 2003, I remember using her several times during my childhood. In recent years, I certainly remember having traveled onboard her in 2010, 2012, 2013 and 2014, with the latter three years always being trips from Zakynthos to Kyllini. Hence, my trip with her in 2017 was my first one with her in three years, and also, symbolically, my first trip onboard her under her new name and owners. My trip was held on 30 July 2017, just a day after making my return from Sifnos to Piraeus with the SPEEDRUNNER III of Aegean Speed Lines (which had been, during the 2016 season, a fleetmate of the MARE DI LEVANTE, as she had been chartered for the summer by Levante Ferries to serve the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line). I left with my family at noon in order to go to Zakynthos, one of the two islands I go to every summer for my family vacation. After being on the road from Athens to Kyllini for three hours, we finally reached the latter, where the MARE DI LEVANTE was waiting for us. The MARE DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini. You can also see the FIOR DI LEVANTE maneuvering on the right. We immediately embarked onboard. Here is a view of the upper deck garage, completely full as it was the beginning of the very high season (late July to mid August). The welcome sign next to the passenger entrance in the garage, featuring the company's script logo. The lower passenger accommodation superstructure deck features a passenger lounge area, a small bar and several seats regrouped around tables. The passenger lounge area of the ship, which was recently refitted following the ship's minor conversion in 2016. In the middle section of the ship one can find aircraft-style seats, alongside TV screens hanging on the walls. The front section of the lounge area, full of passengers. Another view of the forward section of the lounge area. The front section of the lounge area, with the well-known front section windows of the ship in the background. The staircase leading to the upper deck, showing posters of sailing boats and of Zakynthos beaches. The ship's deckplan. It is notable to see that the funnel on the drawing still features the logo of her former owners Tyrogalas Ferries, while, on the upper right side of the paper, her former name, the IONIAN STAR, is still visible. The starboard side outdoor alley of the ship leading to the bow section. Another view of the starboard side alley. The upper outdoor deck, featuring several seats, as well as a small accommodation block. Its wooden door now displays the logo of her new owners, Levante Ferries. This deck has the ship's public restrooms, whose doors are decorated with pictures of sailing boats. The stern section of the outdoor area of the ship, which features her funnels, the restrooms and, at the back, the exterior sun deck. The forward section of the outdoor area, featuring the bridge and the crew cabins. The ship's foremast, which has been painted in black since her sale to Levante Ferries. Prior to that, while being owned by Tyrogalas Ferries, it was painted dark blue, as it was the case with the company's other former ferries, the PROTEUS and the IONIS. Next to the MARE DI LEVANTE was her former rival and current fleetmate, the FIOR DI LEVANTE, which was departing for Kefalonia. The FIOR DI LEVANTE departing Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen departing Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE leaving Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen leaving the port Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE leaving Kyllini and beginning to head towards Kefalonia. The FIOR DI LEVANTE leaving Kyllini. I would go on to travel with her on 7 August 2017, in my return trip from Zakynthos to Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE in her third straight season on the Ionian Sea and in Greece as a whole. The amazing FIOR DI LEVANTE heading towards Kefalonia. As the FIOR DI LEVANTE began to head towards Kefalonia, I spotted another ship heading this time towards Kyllini. Indeed, it was the ZAKYNTHOS I of rival operator Kefalonian Lines , which was returning from her namesake island, Zakynthos. The ZAKYNTHOS I seen heading to Kyllini. She was previously a partner of the MARE DI LEVANTE (back when she was known as the IONIAN STAR) when she operated for her owners ANEZ, back when they were part of the now-defunct Ionian Ferries joint venture, from 1993 to 2006 and from 2012 to to 2013. The ZAKYNTHOS I has been chartered to Kefalonian Lines by ANEZ since 2014. 2017 hence marked her fourth straight summer operating for the Kefalonia-based company. The ZAKYNTHOS I heading towards Kyllini. The ZAKYNTHOS I seen heading towards Kyllini. The ZAKYNTHOS I heading towards the port of Kyllini. The ZAKYNTHOS I approaching the port of Kyllini. Another view of the ZAKYNTHOS I approaching the port of Kyllini. A view of the ship's stern from the upper deck. As we started to approach the island of Zakynthos, I spotted another ferry heading from the latter to Kyllini. This time it was the ANDREAS KALVOS of Zante Ferries . The ANDREAS KALVOS en route from Zakynthos to Kyllini. That summer marked her first one back on the Ionian Sea, after having spent the 2015 and 2016 seasons on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos line alongside the company's other ship operating on the Aegean Sea, namely the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS . After spending two seasons on the Western Cyclades with mixed reviews, the ANDREAS KALVOS returned to the Ionian Sea, where she had previously been operating from 2003 to 2014. Her service on the Western Cyclades was taken over by the recently-converted DIONISIOS SOLOMOS, which was deployed on the Aegean Sea for the first time in her Greek coastal service career, which began in 1999. The ANDREAS KALVOS also spent her first summer on the Ionian Sea since her own conversion, which took place in 2015. The ANDREAS KALVOS heading from Zakynthos to Kyllini. The ANDREAS KALVOS seen heading from Zakynthos to Kyllini. The ANDREAS KALVOS having just passed by us. Another view of the ANDREAS KALVOS. After an hour, we began to approach the port of Zakynthos, with the small passenger boat port being the first to greet us. There I was able to spot the ships DIMOSTHENIS and DIMOSTHENIS K , both owned by Top Cruiser. A view of the DIMOSTHENIS, which has spent her entire career in Zakynthos since being built in 1999. She operates around the island and also stops in the small island Marathonisi. Next to the two ships of Top Cruiser was the small ship ANNOULA II of TUI Zakynthos , which also performs trips around Zakynthos and stops in Marathonisi. A view of the DIMOSTHENIS K, which is five years older than her fleetmate, the DIMOSTHENIS. On the right side of the port's entrance, I could see other passenger boats. Indeed, these were the wooden pirate-themed passenger boat MENIA MARIA I and the DELFINI , both owned by Voutirakos Cruises. The MENIA MARIA I and the DELFINI seen together in Zakynthos. The DELFINI resting in Zakynthos. The small passenger ship SPARTACUS, owned by Cruisemar, seen returning to Zakynthos The DIMOSTHENIS and the DIMOSTHENIS K seen together in the port of Zakynthos. The DIMOSTHENIS K resting in Zakynthos. And another view of the DIMOSTHENIS, as we began to maneuver in Zakynthos. And this was the end of the trip, my first one with the MARE DI LEVANTE under her current name and owners. The ship certainly became even better following her small conversion, and is set to provide her efficient and reliable service in Zakynthos and Kefalonia for years to come. #maredilevante #levanteferries #ioniangroup #summer2017 #greece #ionian #kyllini #zakynthos #tyrogalasferries #fiordilevante #zakynthosi #kefalonianlines #andreaskalvos #zanteferries #dimosthenis #dimosthenisk #topcruiser #annoulaii #tuizakynthos #meniamariai #delfini #voutirakoscruises #tribute

The MYTILENE seen docked in the port of Piraeus during the summer of 2013, which proved to be her penultimate active season in the Greek coastal service, as she would eventually remain laid-up for 7 years following an engine failure and her company's demise in 2015. Three days ago, yet another legendary veteran ferry of the Greek coastal service saw her long and illustrious career come to an end. Indeed, the iconic MYTILENE of NEL Lines arrived in the Turkish coastal city of Aliağa in order to be scrapped. This comes after she had left the anchorage in Elefsina in which she had remained languishing since 2016, waiting for a miracle to happen which would see her return to service. However, even the more optimistic observers unavoidably had to accept that a ship which had failed to perform a single trip since 2015 after experiencing a major failure in Samos, and whose company had no hopes for financial salvation following years of turmoil, could eventually be reactivated under a volatile Greek ferry market. Ultimately, on 24 May 2022, the MYTILENE, having been renamed LENE and sailing under the Togolese flag, left Greece for the last time, sailing under tow to Aliağa just a few days after her longtime fleetmate, the THEOFILOS, had done so. Both ships had ceased to operate just a few months before NEL Lines ceased operations altogether, and they were unable to escape the fate that awaits most ships that spend several years under lay-up. The MYTILENE thus completed a career that lasted almost five decades, as she headed for scrap 49 years after she was built, with 32 of them spent in Greece, and out of which two were spent for her conversion following her acquisition by NEL Lines in 1990, and the final seven were under lay-up, first in Samos and then in Elefsina. However, the 23 years during which she operated were enough to establish her as one of the best ferries to have ever operated in Greece, and she is widely regarded as the best ship that ever operated for the once glorious NEL Lines, as well as one of the best ships to have operated on the Northeast Aegean Sea (which is where she spent her entire career under NEL Lines). More specifically, her career is associated with her hugely successful spell on her company's flagship service, namely the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line (with several extensions to Limnos and Thessaloniki), where she operated uninterruptedly for 20 years. Known as 'The Queen of the Northeast Aegean Sea', the ship always stood out for her excellent service, her reliable operations and great speed (especially when she started her career in Greece during the 1990s), and she continued to remain in a very good condition even as she became older and NEL Lines began its decline during the late 2000s. Even as the company began to experience its financial problems, the ship continued to be highly regarded by passengers, and she had a successful stint on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in her final years of operations before a major engine failure in early 2015 saw her withdrawn, and, ultimately, laid-up until a few days ago. Had she never had that engine failure, or had it occurred under an owner who had the funds to repair her, perhaps she could have still continued her operations, at least for a few more years. The MYTILENE initially operated in Japan (which is also the country where she was built), starting her career in 1973 as the VEGA of the the Japanese company Higashi Nihon Ferry. Together with her sister ship, the VIRGO (which was built in 1974 and then went on to become the legendary RODANTHI of the now-defunct company GA Ferries), she operated on the Sendai-Tomakomai line, hence linking the island of Honshu with that of Hokkaido through the North Pacific Ocean and the Tsugaru Strait. She performed her service there with great success, and remained there for 16 years, after she was replaced by the ferry VARUNA (which is now the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries ). She was subsequently bought in 1990 by NEL Lines, which was seeking to improve its services on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line and to replace one of its oldest ships, namely the great HOMERUS. She therefore became one of the many former Japanese ferries that went on to have a second career in Greece, while also being the first one to be bought by NEL Lines. Her conversion in order to adapt to the standards of the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line would prove to be lengthy and challenging, and she ultimately entered service two years later after being remodeled into a modern cruiseferry in Perama. Her introduction was a major success, and she became the new flagship of NEL Lines. She formed a spectacular tandem with the iconic SAPPHO, which is the first ship that was ever bought by NEL Lines, back in 1973. Operating successfully on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line (along with extensions to Limnos and Thessaloniki), the MYTILENE was a major factor behind the success of NEL Lines during the 1990s, and she was a reference point for all passengers traveling on the Northeast Aegean Sea. She was joined by the larger THEOFILOS in 1995, and the two ships further enhanced the great services of NEL Lines for many years. However, despite their success, several poor decisions taken by the company, including the failed services of their newly-built high speed ferries, the poor maintenance undertaken on some of its ships, failed acquisitions and sales of various vessels, as well as disappointing results from their expansion plans on the Cyclades, saw them lose their momentum from the mid 2000s onwards. Furthermore, the increasing competition from Hellenic Seaways and later ANEK Lines on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line stagnated the company's development and made them vulnerable on their own flagship service. Despite a desperate attempt to enhance their services across the Aegean Sea and also on the Adriatic Sea in 2010 and in 2011 (by buying and chartering different ships of all kinds), the financial issues, fueled by the Greek financial crisis and poor management decisions, as well as increasing competition from the aforementioned companies and Blue Star Ferries, eventually damaged the company. Despite the MYTILENE being successfully deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in 2013, soon all the ships of the company began to experience technical troubles and had to be withdrawn one by one. Those assigned on subsidised lifelines were eventually removed by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy from late 2014 onwards, and, without sufficient revenue, the last ships operating were arrested by their unpaid crews. The MYTILENE eventually ended her services in 2015 after suffering an engine failure in Samos. She remained there for an entire year, with her crew unpaid and abandoned by its employers, and their struggle was well-documented across the Greek media. She was finally towed in 2016 to Elefsina, where she remained until a few days ago, when she headed for demolition, thus following the same fate as her sister ship, which had gone to the same scrapyard ten years prior, back in 2012. Despite her tumultuous and undeserving end and her long lay-up, the MYTILENE remained a beloved ferry of the Greek coastal service, and she was a favourite of the passengers traveling to Chios and Lesbos. She played a pivotal role in ensuring the regular connection of these two large islands of the Northeast Aegean Sea with Piraeus, and this was largely thanks to her impressive speed and her excellent amenities onboard. These included her large amount of passenger cabins, her impeccable indoor lounge areas and onboard restaurants, and she also featured some nice exterior deck areas, with the most notable ones being the font-side balconies located above her bow. She was also the first ship of the Northeast Aegean Sea to feature escalators, a disco bar and passenger cabins located above the garage decks. Even after losing her status as the flagship of NEL Lines following the arrival of the THEOFILOS in 1995, she remained the favourite ship of the company, and she actually went on to have a more consistent and distinguished career than the latter. Indeed, while the THEOFILOS saw the quality of her services declining from the mid 2000s due to poor maintenance and one major accident in 2008, the MYTILENE remained consistent and well-maintained. Furthermore, she continued to operate far batter than the three high speed ferries that were introduced by NEL Lines from 2000 to 2001, namely the AEOLOS KENTERIS, the AEOLOS EXPRESS and the AEOLOS EXPRESS II (which were respectively renamed AEOLOS KENTERIS I and AEOLOS KENTERIS II in 2007). Furthermore, during the calamitous years of the company in the early 2010s, she was one of the few ships that continued to operate efficiently for the most part, despite her being one of the oldest ships of NEL Lines. Only her engine failure in Samos stopped her from operating, even though I believe that she would have nonetheless been arrested by her crew later on, as it happened with her remaining active fleetmates. This is yet another Ship Farewell Tribute post dedicated to a ship covered in this website , whose entire history will be explained and analysed in depth. She is notably another ship operated by NEL Lines for which I am writing such post, following that of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS in 2019 and that of the IONIAN SKY in 2020 . Another thing that I must mention is that this post only focuses on the MYTILENE, and not on the THEOFILOS which headed for demolition a few weeks ago. Indeed, I had taken a picture of that ship back when she was still operating in 2012, but I never published it as it is one of the many pictures that I lost following my computer crash in 2014. That was not the case for the MYTILENE, as I had luckily posted two pictures that I had taken of her upon seeing her in Piraeus in the summer of 2013 and in the summer of 2014 on Marine Traffic. These are my only two pictures of the legendary ferry, and I am happy that I managed to keep them. I do remember the ship during my childhood, seeing her in Piraeus under her original white-painted hull livery and later on when it was changed to dark blue. Unfortunately, as I have never been to the Northeast Aegean Sea, I did not have the chance to travel with her, therefore my only interactions with her consisted of seeing her docked in the E2 gate in Piraeus, and then ocasionally seeing her languished in Elefsina when I would be driving in the coastal road passing by the town (although I never had the chance to take a picture of her during that time). Nevertheless, I am happy to have memories of the ship, whose legacy will live on forever, and especially in the two islands that she served so loyally for more than two decades. The MYTILENE was built in Japan in 1973, having been one of two sister ships ordered by the Japanese company Highashi Nihon Ferry (which stands for 'Eastern Japan Ferry' in Japanese) in 1972 as part of their plans to improve the ferry connection of the islands of Honshu and Hokkaido. The two ships were built in the Naikai Zosen Setoda Shipbuilding Yard in Setoda in the Hiroshima Prefecture, as the VEGA and the VIRGO, respectively. Higashi Nihon Ferry was a company established in 1965, and was dedicated to the connection of the aforementioned islands via the Tsugaru Strait, initially through the Ōma-Hakodate line, followed by the Aomori-Hakodate line, the Aomori-Muroran line and the Minmaya-Fukushima Town line in the 1960s. The successful consolidation of all these services on the Tsugaru Strait quickly made the company the largest ferry operator in Japan at the time. With the success of these services, the company quickly expanded to other ports in the area, and launched the Ōma-Muroran line, the Noeji-Hakodate line and the Ōma-Toi line in 1971. These seven services were collectively referred to as the 'Rainbow Line', which was a reference to the seven rainbow colours and the livery of the company's ships, which featured red, yellow and orange stripes similar to the design of a rainbow across their hulls. In addition to its fame in Japan, the company also became known to Greek ferry enthusiasts, as many ships operated by them were subsequently acquired by Greek ferry companies in the 1990s and in the 2000s. Besides the VEGA which later became the MYTILENE of NEL Lines and the VIRGO which became the RODANTHI of GA Ferries, other ferries included the VENUS (built in 1975) which became the iconic KEFALONIA of Strintzis Lines/Blue Star Ferries/Strintzis Ferries and is currently owned by Levante Ferries ; the first VARUNA (built in 1975 and acquired by Higashi Nihon Ferry in 1982) which became the legendary LATO of ANEK Lines, operating for them from 1989 to 2016; the sister ships VISVA and VENA (built in 1987), which joined Zante Ferries in 2007 and became the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS and the ODYSSEAS ELYTIS , respectively (with the former still operating for the company while the latter never entered service for them and remained laid-up in Zakynthos for five years before being sold to the Indonesian company PT Munic Line in 2013); the second VARUNA (also built in 1987) which became the SUPERFERRY HELLAS of Strintzis Lines and has been known as the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries since 2000; the sister ships HERMES (built in 1990) and HERCULES (built in 1992), which joined ANEK Lines in 1998 and in 1999 as the SOPHOCLES V and the LEFKA ORI, respectively, and later became known as the KYDON (from 2015 to 2017) and the BLUE GALAXY of Blue Star Ferries since 2015, respectively; and the Ro-Ro carrier LIBERTY BELL (built in 1994) which was bought in 2007 by Saos Ferries and began service in 2018 as the SAONISOS . In addition, Higashi Nihon Ferry also operated a sister company named Higashi Nihonkai Ferry, which notably owned the NEW HIYAMA, which has been operating as the KERKYRA EXPRESS of Kerkyra Lines since 2015. As the aforementioned 'Rainbow Line' cemented the status of the company as one of the best in Japan, the company sought to further improve the connection of Hokkaido with the main island of Honshu, and thus planned to introduce new service on the Sendai-Tomakomai line, after seeing success and the potential of the port of Tomakomai, which is the largest city of the Iburi Subprefecture, which would be linked with Sendai, which is the largest city of the Tohōku region and of the Miyagi Prefecture. At the time the company ordered the VEGA and the VIRGO, newly-built ferries had just started to operate on the longer Nagoya-Sendai-Tomokomai line, including two sister ships of the company Taiheiyō Enkai Ferry, the ARKAS and the ALBIREO, built in 1972 and 1973, respectively, and later the famous cruiseferries IONIAN GALAXY and IONIAN ISLAND of Strintzis Lines, respectively. To that end, Highashi Nihon Ferry joined the area with the completion of the construction of the VEGA in December 1973, followed by that of the VIRGO in April 1974. The two ships were named after the Vega star (part of the Lyra constellation) and the the Virgo constellation, respectively, marking the start of the company's trend of naming their ships after stars and constellations (a similar pattern used by the Greek company Ventouris Ferries, amongst others). They were both registered in Tomakomai and flew the Japanese flag. They began service on the Sendai-Tomakomai line under the Shin Higashi Nihon Ferry division, and their service was known as the 'Star Line', as opposed to the 'Rainbow Line' covering the shorter services on the Tsugaru Strait. A view of the VEGA shortly after she began her career under Shin Highashi Nihon Ferry in 1973. She notably carried the 'Star Line' livery, which consisted of a red and a yellow line forming a 'V' shape across her accommodation superstructure (in reference to the first letter of her name), with a black star painted in the middle. Picture found from a brochure of Higashi Nihon Ferry and published on www.arxipelagos.gr . The introduction of the VEGA and of the VIRGO was very successful. Both vessels provided excellent amenities onboard and were praised for their speed, which enabled them to perform the service in just 17 hours, which was considered revolutionary at the time. Moreover, they featured several passenger cabins and spacious indoor lounge areas, and had large garages that could feature as many as 75 lorries. The VEGA had a length overall of 136.70 metres, a beam of 22.41 metres and a draft of 5.56 metres. She was equipped with 2 Nippon Kokan-Pielstick 16PC2–5V–400 main engines with 14,121 kW of power, which enabled her to reach a conventional speed of 21.50 knots. During her spell in Japan, she could carry 847 passengers in 283 cabins, and 260 cars. Overall, her technical characteristics, which were exactly the same as those of her sister ship, made her a valuable ship for a service which continued to experience a rise in passenger demand. To that end, the competitors of Higashi Nihon Ferry, namely Taiheiyō Enkai Ferry, added two more newly-built ferries to supplement the services of the ARKAS and of the ALBIREO on the Nagoya-Sendai-Tomakomai line. Indeed, they deployed the ISHIKARI and the DAISETSU in 1974 and in 1975, respectively. The former would later become the famous EROTOKRITOS of Minoan Lines and Maritime Way and then the EROTOKRITOS T of Endeavor Lines, while the latter would go on to join Higashi Nihon Ferry in 1982 as the VARUNA on the Ōarai-Muroran line before being sold in 1987 to ANEK Lines, for whom she became the LATO. Despite operating against four ships, the ferries of Higashi Nihon Ferry continued to operate for the rest of the 1970s and the first half of the 1980s with great success. By 1977, the Shin Higashi Nihon Ferry division was discontinued and the two ships sailed under the core operations of Higashi Nihon Ferry. Another advertisement brochure depicting the various sections and decks of the VEGA, including pictures of her indoor areas and of her bridge, galley, foremast, life-rafts and bow thrusters. Picture published on www.nautilia.gr . The VEGA seen on the Tsugaru Strait in 1976, at the start of her long career. Picture taken by Ken Murayama and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . Another aerial view of the VEGA in an advertisement brochure of Higashi Nihon Ferry, as she is seen sailing along the Tsugaru Strait. Picture published on www.arxipelagos.gr . A view of the sister ship of the VEGA, namely the VIRGO, which also went on to have a great career in Greece as the RODANTHI of GA Ferries. She was built in 1974 in Japan, and, together with the VEGA, operated for Higashi Nihon Ferry under the Shin Higashi Nihon Ferry division on the Sendai-Tomakomai line. The division ceased to exist in 1977, when the two ships operated under the standard services of Higashi Nihon Ferry. The VIRGO underwent a conversion in 1984, during which her aft section was upgraded with more indoor areas and outdoor decks, while her garage was refitted in order to accommodate more vehicles, and her aft-section starboard side ramp was removed. She was laid-up in 1988 and was sold the following to the Greek company GA Ferries in 1989. She was converted in Perama for two years and was introduced as the modern cruiseferry RODANTHI on the Piraeus-Paros-Santorini-Heraklion-Karpathos-Rhodes line in 1991. Her entry to service on the Aegean Sea was a massive success, and she was praised for being one of the most luxurious and comfortable ferries at the time. In 1993 she moved to the Adriatic Sea, being deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Ancona line. Despite her potential, she was unable to hold her own against competitors in the region, and she left the service following the 1994 season. She spent the first part of the summer of 1995 under charter to the Tunisian company Tunisia Ferries (also known as Compagnie Tunisienne de Navgiation) on the Genoa-Marseille-Tunis line, before returning to the Aegean Sea for GA Ferries and being deployed on the Piraeus-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese. In 1996 she served the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line with much success, while in 1997 she was inserted on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Astypalaia-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes line. She would remain in this service for the next decade, and she helped establish her company as one of the major operators on the Dodecanese until the arrival of Blue Star Ferries in 2004. In 2005 the ship served the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Nisyros-Tilos-Symi-Rhodes line. In 2008 she collided with the AEOLOS KENTERIS II of NEL Lines (the future owners of the VEGA) in Piraeus, but she was repaired and resumed service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line for the summer season. In 2009 she operated on the Piraeus-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Santorini-Anafi line, and was one of the last ships of the company that was still operating when GA Ferries ceased operations after the 2009 season. She remained laid-up in Piraeus for two years, after which she moved to Elefsina in 2011, before being sold for scrap to Turkey in 2012. Picture published on www.nautilia.gr . As the 1980s progressed, the VEGA and the VIRGO continued to provide very good service and to contribute to healthy economic results for the company. Nevertheless, the demand of passenger and vehicle service on the Sendai-Tomakomai line continued to grow, and soon the two ferries did not have the required capacity to satisfy the increasing traffic numbers. To that end, the VIRGO and the VEGA underwent a refit in 1984, during which their passenger capacity more than doubled, with the addition of several new passenger areas along their aft section. The ships continued to operate on the Sendai-Tomakomai line along with the ferries of Taiheiyō Enkai Ferry, which had been renamed Taiheiyō Ferry in 1982. The VEGA seen in Sendai during the late 1980s, now carrying the regular livery of Higashi Nihon Ferry (the three yellow, orange and red stripes forming an uptick shape along the ship's upgraded accommodation superstructure, with the company's dolphin logo located underneath her funnels). Picture found on the 'Efoplistis' magazine and published on www.shipfriends.gr . By 1988, the services provided by the two sister ships proved to be insufficient in the midst of soaring passenger demand. As a result, the need to deploy larger cruiseferries was a necessity for both companies serving the ports of Sendai and Tomakomai. Taiheiyō Ferry had already planned to upgrade its operations on the Nagoya-Sendai-Tomakomai line by 1986, having ordered two larger sister ships with massive garages and more passenger cabins. The first ship was the KISO, which was built in 1987 and was introduced on the Nagoya-Sendai-Tomakomai line and replaced the ARKAS, which was sold to Strintzis Lines and was renamed IONIAN GALAXY. The KISO would also go on to have a career in Greece, as she is the current NISSOS RODOS of Hellenic Seaways , which acquired her in 2005. The second ship, the KITAKAMI, eventually entered service in 1989 and replaced the ALBIREO, which was also sold to Strintzis Lines and became the legendary IONIAN ISLAND. Having seen the introduction of the KISO and awaiting the arrival of the KITAKAMI, Higashi Nihon Ferry decided to bring a brand new large vessel of their own fleet on the Sendai-Tomakomai line. Indeed, in 1989, the second VARUNA (built in 1987 and today the BLUE HORIZON of Blue Star Ferries), which had spent her first two seasons on the Ōarai-Muroran, headed to the Sendai-Tomakomai line. Her previous service was taken over by her newly-built sister ship, the VICTORY (later the VICTORY under the Italian company Grimaldi Lines and then the CARIBBEAN FANTASY of American Cruise Ferries-the predecessors of Ferries Del Caribe-until she suffered a major fire in 2016 which led to her eventual demolition in 2017), whose construction was completed in 1989. As the VARUNA was larger and faster than the VIRGO and the VEGA, both ships were withdrawn from service in 1989. The VIRGO was sold to GA Ferries and became the RODANTHI, while the VEGA had to wait for a year until finding a new buyer. Ultimately, she would go on to follow her sister ship in Greece, as it was announced in 1990 that she had been bought by NEL Lines. Higashi Nihon Ferry would continue to operate until 2008, after which its ships were acquired by Dōnan Jidōsha Ferry, with the two companies then proceeding to form the newly-established company Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry in 2009. NEL Lines, the company for which the VEGA would go on to spend the remainder of her operational career was established in 1972 in Mytilene, the largest city of the island of Lesbos and the capital of the region of the North Aegean. Its name is the acronym of 'Naftiliaki Etaireia Lesbou', which stands for 'Maritime Company of Lesbos' in English. It was formed by the local communities of the islands of Chios and Lesbos, in order to ensure a daily and reliable ferry connection with Piraeus and the rest of Greece. This was after the successful establishment of ANEK Lines, which was a company that regrouped various shareholders based in Chania who were aiming to have a safe and regular connection of Crete with Piraeus through the Piraeus-Chania line, from 1967 onwards. With the formation of the Heraklion-based company Minoan Lines in 1972 as well, the residents of Chios and Lesbos sought to acquire their own vessel in order to have her serve the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. After securing the required funds, they proceeded to buying their first ship, namely the ferry SPERO of the British company Ellerman's Wilson Line. The ship was converted in Perama, was renamed SAPPHO, and entered service during the summer of 1973 on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Her introduction was an instant success, and she quickly became the most popular ship of the Northeast Aegean Sea, performing much more effectively than the ships that were previously operating there, namely those of Kavounides Lines and Efthymiadis Lines. Thanks to strong lobbying by the main shareholders of the company, the ship was embraced by the residents of Chios and Lesbos and eventually NEL Lines consolidated a near-monopoly on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line and remained largely unopposed there for the next 30 years. Thanks to the successful services of the SAPPHO, NEL Lines quickly saw to expand its fleet and areas of operations, just as ANEK Lines and Minoan Lines had done so. To that end, in 1975, the company purchased the ferry NILI of the Israeli company Weston Shipping Company. She was renamed ARION and was inserted on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Thessaloniki line, and alternatively (after returning to Piraeus from the Northeast Aegean Sea) on the Piraeus-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes-Limassol-Haifa line. This new service enabled the connection of the Northeast Aegean Sea with the Dodecanese, Cyprus and Israel via Piraeus and the Southern Aegean Sea. Dubbed an all-luxurious cruise on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, the services of the ARION were also deemed a major success. NEL Lines had now managed to secure the connection of the two largest islands of the Northeast Aegean Sea with not only the rest of Greece, but also establish an upgraded connection of Greece with two other countries through its ferry. Building on from this success, the company further enhanced its services in 1977 by bringing in the train ferry TRELLEBORG of the ferry division of the then-Swedish-state-owned railway company Statens Järnvägar. The ship was converted into a cruiseferry and was renamed HOMERUS. She was also deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala-Thessaloniki line along with the SAPPHO and the ARION. She became the fastest ferry to serve the area at the time, and was also the first one to link Mytilene with Piraeus in just 10 hours. The company continued to grow impressively, even as it faced its first serious threat in 1979, when entrepreneurs from Chios decided to form their own company, namely NE Chiou, which deployed the ferry NISSOS CHIOS (previously the KAPELLA of the Finnish company Viking Line) on the Rafina-Chios line. While there were concerns that this would affect NEL Lines and its services to Chios, the company prevailed, even as the NISSOS CHIOS moved to the Piraeus-Chios-Psara line in 1983. NEL Lines was then affected by a tragic accident, when on 20 December 1981, the ARION was bombarded in a terrorist attack in Haifa, which resulted in the ship being severely damaged by a fire and being declared a constructive total loss. She was never repaired and was scrapped in Spain in 1984. Despite these setbacks, the company carried on with the addition of two new ships. These were the ALCAEOS (previously the MARELLA, also of Viking Line), which entered service in 1981 as a third ship on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, and the ODYSSEAS ELYTIS (previously the MEDITERRANEAN SUN of Karagiorgis Lines), which was bought in 1982 and was deployed on the Piraeus-Rhodes-Limassol line until 1985, when she was sold to a subsidiary of the Danish company DFDS called SeaEscape. The former played a vital role in supplementing the services of the HOMERUS and of the SAPPHO, while the latter did not operate as successfully as her predecessor, the ARION. Nonetheless, the company kept performing very well. Later on, in 1984, the ALCAEOS moved to the Dodecanese and operated on the Piraeus-Ikaria-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line, where she competed very effectively against the ships of DANE Sea Line. The company then further expanded its fleet and operations on the Northeast Aegean Sea in 1989, when the Ro-Pax ferry GOLFO PARADISO of the Italian company Compagnia Sarda Di Navigazione Maritima (later known as Lloyd Sardegna) was acquired. She was renamed AGIOS RAFAEL and was also deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line and being primarily dedicated to freight services. As the 1990s began, NEL Lines had become an established company on the Aegean Sea with four very reliable ferries. They once again encountered a notable threat from 1990 to 1991, when Nomicos Lines deployed the conventional ferry HELLAS EXPRESS on the Rafina-Chios-Mytilene-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line. Despite the latter being a faster ferry, she was unable to break the dominance of NEL Lines on the Northeast Aegean Sea, and she was therefore withdrawn from the area in late 1991 (she would then go on to serve as the AGIOS SPYRIDON under Kerkyra Lines). As such, NEL Lines remained a major force in the Greek coastal service. However, during that same period, several major Greek ferry companies had started to invest into larger, more modern, more comfortable and faster cruiseferries, especially on the Cyclades, Crete and the Dodecanese. Companies such as Minoan Lines, ANEK Lines, GA Ferries, Strintzis Lines, Agapitos Lines and Arkadia Lines introduced several impressive new ships that redefined the traveling experience on the Aegean Sea. In order not to stay behind this trend (even though none of these companies served Chios and Mytilene), NEL Lines also decided to buy a new large ferry that would upgrade passenger service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Moreover, the HOMERUS would have to be retired in 1993, as she would be reaching 35 years of service since the year in which was built, and the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy had imposed a mandatory retirement for vessels reaching that age. To that end, the company sought to find a worthy successor, and this went on to be the VEGA. Having seen the successful introduction of the RODANTHI under GA Ferries (who actually considered buying the VEGA in order to reunite her with her sister ship, but this ultimately never occurred), NEL Lines concluded that she was the ideal ship to invest in. She was bought for $9.40 million and was renamed MYTILENE, after the eponymous city in Lesbos and where her company was headquartered. Unlike the other ships of the company (with the exception of the HOMERUS), she was not registered in Mytilene, but in Chios, so as to satisfy the company directors that were based from that island. The MYTILENE arrived in Piraeus in November 1990, and then headed to Perama for her anticipated conversion and refit in order to be upgraded to the standards of the Aegean Sea. The MYTILENE seen after having just arrived in Piraeus for the first time, in November 1990. When she arrived in Greece, she was still carrying the livery of Higashi Nihon Ferry and her overall appearance was exactly the same as that of her career in Japan. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . Another view of the MYTILENE in the port of Piraeus in November 1990, shortly after her first arrival in Greece. She is docked in the E12 gate, next to the cruise terminal that is the closest to the current Terminal A 'Miaoulis'. She still features the livery of Higashi Nihon Ferry, and it is interesting to note that, underneath her name (written in Greek), the word "Hellas" (meaning 'Greece') is written instead of her eventual port of registry, namely Chios. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The conversion of the MYTILENE lasted many months, as NEL Lines implemented many changes to the ship's structure and overall appearance, so that they would ensure that she would be the ideal vessel for the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. She was based in the Perama Ship Repair Zone, and her conversion was under the management and the supervision of Dimitrios Petrogonas, while the interior design was based on the works of the Italian ship designer Arminio Lozzi, who was known for having created much of the interior designs of the cruise ships of the once-glorious Greek cruise line Epirotiki Cruises (later known as Royal Olympic Cruises). With the aim of adding more passenger amenities, the ship saw her upper garage deck being remodeled in order to add new passenger cabins. In addition, her aft section was further upgraded, with the new indoor areas being added across an extended accommodation superstructure that was right on top of the former upper garage deck. The ship went on to acquire new indoor lounge areas, two new restaurants (one self-service restaurant and one à-la-carte restaurant), a disco bar, three bar areas, as well as a hospital room and a brand new reception hall. During her conversion, her bridge was severely destroyed by a fire, and this therefore led to the shipyard rebuilding it from scratch. This ultimately did not result in significant delays to the conversion altogether, as the work being done on the ship's indoor areas remained significant. Furthermore, the ship's outdoor areas also changed considerably, with several sun deck areas being added above the ship's stern and across most of her aft section. Her forward section was also upgraded, with the notable addition of balconies right above her bow. These made the ship more appealing aesthetically, and therefore the MYTILENE looked completely different to the ship that used to be the VEGA, and she was in fact now looking completely different to the RODANTHI, her sister ship. Furthermore, the ship was equipped with escalators located next to the passenger entrance (a feature that was extremely rare at the time in the Greek coastal service) Overall, the conversion was undertaken for a total cost of $8.80 million, and she saw her passenger capacity increasing to 1,735, along with the addition of 197 cabins together with 565 new beds. Her vehicle capacity was reduced, however, as the sacrificed upper garage deck meant that she could now carry just 265 cars, or 50 cars along with 60 lorries. NEL Lines also decided to keep the ship's starboard-side ramp located in the front section, thinking it would ease the loading and unloading of vehicles in all three main ports where she would be docking. The MYTILENE seen in Perama in 1991, while she undergoes her conversion in order to enter service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Her stern has been fully remodeled with the addition of several sun deck areas. Picture taken by Georgios Choriatellis and published on www.facebook.com . In July 1992, after almost two years of conversion in Perama, the MYTILENE was ready for service in Greece. Under the command of Cpt Ioannis Tsesmelis, she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, thus succeeding the HOMERUS on the flagship service of NEL Lines. She also became the new flagship of the company, and she made an instant impact on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Despite hitting the pier of the port of Chios just one week after her entry to service, she did not have any damage and continued her services. She was later placed under the command of the legendary Cpt Zafeiris Vagias. Her impeccable indoor areas and her large number of passenger cabins made her one of the most luxurious and most comfortable ships of the Greek coastal service, and her speed (which sometimes reached 22 knots) made her an extremely reliable and beloved ferry on the line on which she was operating. She rapidly became a reference point for Chios and Mytilene, and was the favourite ship of many passengers traveling to and from these islands. Her entry to service helped propel NEL Lines into one of the most successful ferry operators in Greece, as their profits more than doubled and their reputation as a passenger-friendly company was confirmed. Even those that did not travel to the Northeast Aegean Sea and who saw the MYTILENE in Piraeus were extremely impressed with her appearance, a trait that would remain even as she neared the end of her career. She formed a spectacular duo with the SAPPHO, in spite of the latter experiencing a decline in her technical abilities (despite her machinery being renovated in 1991) as she neared two decades of service with NEL Lines. While the SAPPHO had been dubbed  'The Queen of the Aegean Sea' during the 1970s and the 1980s, the MYTILENE herself was known as  'The Queen of the Northeast Aegean Sea', being compared to an actual cruise ship by the residents of Chios and Mytilene. Together with the reliable performances of the ever-loyal-serving ALCAEOS and those of the AGIOS RAFAEL (which notably operated on a direct service on the Piraeus-Mytilene line), NEL Lines was thriving. They attempted to make a break on the Adriatic Sea with the HOMERUS (as international services did not require a mandatory retirement for ferries at 35 years old), which was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Bari line. However, the service was not successful and the ship was sold in 1993 to the Greek-Cypriot company Salamis Lines, for whom she operated as the NISSOS KYPROS until she was sold for scrap in 2003. The MYTILENE, having been entirely remodeled and renovated, seen docked in her namesake port during the 1992 season, which was her first one in Greece and under NEL Lines. She immediately became the best ship to operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea, and her onboard amenities and speed made her the favourite ship of the passengers traveling on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Picture taken by Rijn De Ruiter and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen in Piraeus during her debut season in 1992. Picture taken by Georgios Choriatellis and published on www.facebook.com . The MYTILENE seen as she sails to Piraeus along the coast of Attica in 1993. This iconic picture would feature in several advertisement brochures and magazines of NEL Lines, as well as on many postcards. Picture published on www.simplonpc.co.uk . The spectacular services of the MYTILENE saw the ship being chosen as the best ship of the Greek coastal service in 1993 and in 1994, as voted by the Greek shipping-themed magazine 'Efoplistis' which had just started publications. She continued to be the jewel of the Northeast Aegean Sea, to the point that she began to overshadow the beloved SAPPHO. With the Greek coastal service continuing to experience a major boom with many new ferries and operators performing multiple island connections across the Aegean Sea, NEL Lines sought to further build-on from its success with the MYTILENE by making key decisions, both operationally and structurally. Under the leadership of Ioannis Antoniou, the company decided to further improve its services on the Northeast Aegean Sea in 1994 by deploying the ALCAEOS on a lifeline based from Rafina, namely the Rafina-Patmos-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala-Thessaloniki line (while also performing a trip on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line once a week). This proved to be a major success, and the ship managed to push the NISSOS CHIOS out of the area, resulting in the collapse of NE Chiou and the ship being laid-up until she was sold for scrap in 2006. In 1995, the company made further moves, by notably making an initial public offering and being listed in the Athens Stock Exchange (hence following the trend of major Greek companies, such as Minoan Lines and the newly-established company Superfast Ferries). Moreover, the company proceeded to buying a larger ship for the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, in order to add capacity to an ever-increasing demand for passenger and freight service on the Northeast Aegean Sea, for which the garages of the SAPPHO and of the MYTILENE were not large enough. This new ship was the cruiseferry POLLUX of Ventouris Ferries (previously the NILS HOLGERSSON of the German company TT-Line GmbH and then the ABEL TASMAN of the Australian company TT-Line Company Pty Ltd), which was renamed THEOFILOS and became the new flagship of NEL Lines. She was inserted on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene along with the MYTILENE and the SAPPHO, which continued to operate on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line and on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line, respectively. Despite having a rocky start due to colliding with the main pier of the port of Chios (hence experiencing an accident similar to that of the MYTILENE during her own debut season), the THEOFILOS further cemented the dominance of NEL Lines together with the MYTILENE. They would go on to remain the main duo of the company on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line for the next 13 years, and they are largely viewed as one of the greatest duos in the history of the Greek coastal service. The company expanded further into the Northeast Aegean Sea, by deploying the AGIOS RAFAEL on the Piraeus-Syros-Psara-Chios-Mytilene-Volos line, hence connecting Volos with many islands for the first time. The ship would then also serve Rafina along with the ALCAEOS in 1996, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Rafina-Syros-Psara-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Volos line. The THEOFILOS further complemented the MYTILENE on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line, and NEL Lines remained the unbreakable powerhouse of the Northeast Aegean Sea for the remainder of the decade. A historic picture featuring four ships of NEL Lines being docked together in the port of Mytilene in 1996. These are (from left to right) the THEOFILOS, the MYTILENE, the ALCAEOS and the SAPPHO. This incredible picture is the pure illustration of how great NEL Lines used to be as a company, especially during the 1990s, at a time during which it was linking the islands of the Northeast Aegean Sea with the rest of Greece under numerous itineraries. Picture taken by Nikos Matas and published on www.lesvosnews.net . The MYTILENE seen docked in Piraeus during the summer of 1996. She had by now been an established ship on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the Greek coastal service altogether. Picture published on www.arxiplegalos.gr . The MYTILENE seen docked in Mytilene, while the THEOFILOS is seen having entered the port, during the 1998 season. Picture published on www.ellinikiaktoploia.net . With the continuous success of its ships and in particular of the MYTILENE, NEL Lines remained a dominant company on the Northeast Aegean Sea, and maintained a monopoly on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. New developments from 1997 included the addition of Alexandroupolis on the lifeline served by the ALCAEOS from Rafina, as well as occasional services linking the Northeast Aegean Sea with the Dodecanese along the Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Patmos-Leros-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line from 1997 to 1999. That year, NEL Lines decided to further expand its fleet by planning to add four new ships. The first of them was the RO-Pax ferry EUROMANTIQUE of the Swedish company Euroway, which had been laid-up since 1998 after an unsuccessful charter to the Spanish company Isnasa. That ship, which also had a brief spell under the Greek company AK Ventouris as the AGIA METHODIA on the Patras-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea from 1994 to 1995, arrived in Perama in 1999 and was renamed TAXIARCHIS . She was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Chios-Mytilene line, and she therefore complemented the services of the three ships that operated there, namely the MYTILENE, the THEOFILOS and the SAPPHO. Her entry to service proved to be very successful as well, and she was largely praised for providing additional vehicle capacity as well as a fair amount of passengers, as opposed to the smaller AGIOS RAFAEL which began to be outdated and no longer able to respond to the ever-growing passenger and freight demand. As a result, the ship would end her career under NEL Lines following the 2000 season, and she was sold the following year to the Fijian company Consort Shipping, for whom she operated as the SPIRIT OF FIJI ISLANDS on the Koro Sea until she sank in 2013. The other three ships would turn out to be the most impressive ones to have served under NEL Lines. However, they were also the ones that marked the start of the company's decline, and ultimately its demise. Indeed, these were three high speed ferries that were due to be built in France and due to be delivered between 2000 and 2001. They were advertised as the fastest ships to operate in Greece, and they were expected to propel NEL Lines to the top of the Greek ferry market, even as the latter saw radical changes occurring from 1998 to 2000. Indeed, at that time, the company Minoan Flying Dolphins was formed, and it absorbed almost all the companies that were operating on the Cyclades, on the Saronic Gulf and on the Sporades. The company also considered taking over shares of NEL Lines, but this never happened and the latter kept all its fleet and services on the Northeast Aegean Sea. They also acquired a 70% stake of the Greek company Med Link Ferries which was operating on the Adriatic Sea, while ANEK Lines itself eventually purchased a few shares previously owned by NEL Lines, and the latter proceeded to performing the order of the three new high speed ferries. The first one to be deployed was the AEOLOS EXPRESS, which began service in 2000 on the Piraeus-Rafina-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Chios-Mytilene line. The following year, the AEOLOS KENTERIS was delivered to the company. She was the largest high speed ferry in the world, as well as the fastest high speed craft in the Greek coastal service (at least that was as she was being marketed), and she was inserted on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line along with the conventional ferries of NEL Lines, performing the leg from Piraeus to Mytilene in barely less than five hours. She also became the new flagship of the company, although she would later lose this title back to the THEOFILOS a few years later. The last ship of the trio, the AEOLOS EXPRESS II, was also delivered in 2001 after several delays and technical issues, and was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line (while also performing a few services on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line as well). Despite their potential, the three high speed craft never managed to deliver and to make profits for the company. While they did manage to transport several passengers, their results were mixed. The AEOLOS KENTERIS was too large and too fast for the Northeast Aegean Sea, and she was notably criticised for generating large waves in the beaches of Chios and Lesbos, as well as further coasts such as those in Chalkidiki. This led to numerous complaints and accidents, and this damaged the company's reputation. NEL Lines was also too inexperienced regarding the technical management of high speed craft (having also believed that bunker prices would remain low despite the ships' high bunker consumption and that they would be able to operate with a single crew), as opposed to Minoan Flying Dolphins (which became Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002) which had established a strong brandname with its 'Highspeed' vessels on the Cyclades. As a result, the AEOLOS EXPRESS and the AEOLOS EXPRESS II were not able to match the success of their competitors on the Cyclades, where NEL Lines was also an unestablished operator due to having previously focused on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the Dodecanese. They also encountered numerous technical problems, which the company initially blamed the shipyard in which they were built for, but even after properly maintaining them, problems persisted. The company was also affected by the 2000 stock market crash in Athens, and therefore its growth was hampered, especially after it had previously raised new share capital. Despite these first setbacks, NEL Lines continued to provide excellent services through the MYTILENE, the THEOFILOS and the TAXIARCHIS. Later on, in 2001, the company saw the first serious competition in many years arriving on their flagship service. Indeed, Minoan Flying Dolphins deployed the cruiseferry FEDRA (previously owned by Minoan Lines and also, coincidentally, the sister ship of the THEOFILOS) on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. However, the ship was unable to perform better than those of NEL Lines and she was withdrawn after just one season. In spite of these volatile events, the MYTILENE remained vital to the company, and was still the favourite ship of the residents of Chios and of Mytilene. The MYTILENE seen resting in the port of Piraeus in 2000. During a time filled with many ups and downs for NEL Lines, the ship remained very reliable and effective, and continued to be known as ' The Queen of the Northeast Aegean Sea'. Picture taken by Peter Inpijn and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen after having just entered the port of Piraeus, following the completion of one of usual trips on the Northeast Aegean Sea, during the summer of 2001. Picture taken by Georgios Choriatellis and published on www.shipspotting.com . As the Greek coastal service continued to witness various developments marked by the delivery of several newly-built ferries (most notably for companies likes Minoan Lines, Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries which had been established in 2000 as the successor of Strintzis Lines, ANEK Lines and NEL Lines) as well as the retirement of several veteran ships (in particular following the tragic sinking of the EXPRESS SAMINA on 26 September 2000) , NEL Lines tried to keep a steady profile with its ships. The TAXIARCHIS had been deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala-Thessaloniki line as an additional ship. The AEOLOS EXPRESS was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Samos line in 2001, but she again failed to operate successfully. This was also the case for the other two high speed ferries, even as the AEOLOS KENTERIS then made an unsuccessful entry on the Piraeus-Kalymnos-Kos-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese in 2002, after which she returned to the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line in 2003, where she continued to cause problems in local beaches of the Northeast Aegean Sea. In addition, NEL Lines proceeded to selling its two longest-serving ships in 2002. Indeed, the SAPPHO, which had been operating for the company ever since it had started operations, was sold to Karras-Pontikos Lines and operated as the SANTORINI 3 in Tanzania until she was sold for scrap in 2004. Along with her, the ALCAEOS was sold as well, namely to the Turkish company Sariaroğlu Shipping & Trading, for whom she operated as the SOCHI EXPRESS on the Trabzon-Sochi line on the Black Sea until she was sold for scrap in 2004 as well. Wither her departure, NEL Lines stopped connecting Rafina with the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands and for some time ceased to focus on the lifelines of the Northeast Aegean Sea, which were instead served by the ships of Saos Ferries. The SAPPHO, on the other hand, had already shown signs of fatigue in her last years under NEL Lines, as her advanced age and numerous technical problems combined with her outdated speed saw her leaving the company at 36 years old. To that end, the renewed fleet of NEL Lines consisted of the three conventional ferries operating on the flagship service of the company (namely the MYTILENE, the THEOFILOS and the TAXIARCHIS) and of the three troublesome high speed ferries. Due to their technical issues and their inability to make profits for the company, the AEOLOS EXPRESS and the AEOLOS EXPRESS II did not operate during the 2005 season and during the 2006 season. In 2005, ANEK Lines ceased its involvement with NEL Lines, and its shares were taken over by a holding company named Edgewater Holdings. For the 2006 season, the lineup remained the same, with the TAXIARCHIS serving the Piraeus-Mykonos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos line. Additionally, the AEOLOS KENTERIS saw her engines being fully refitted and she was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Santorini line, where she had a decent season, but not enough to overtake the high speed ferries of Hellenic Seaways, which was the successor of Hellas Flying Dolphins. The latter also sought to deploy, after many years of delays, a ship in the territory of NEL Lines. This was the newly-built NISSOS MYKONOS (known as the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries since 2020) , which entered service in 2005 on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. This new ship was extremely modern, comfortable and had significant passenger capacity. Her innovative design and amenities made her perhaps the most impressive new introduction on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line since the MYTILENE herself back in 1992. Moreover, Saos Ferries also made a major entry into the area, deploying the ferry SAMOTHRAKI on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line for two seasons, after having also started to operate the Ro-Ro carrier PANAGIA KRIMNIOTISSA (previously the STAR TRAILER of Express Sea Trailers and Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins) on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line since 2003. Overall, these years would ultimately destabilise the company and its guaranteed success on the Aegean Sea was beginning to be seriously challenged, primarily due to strong competitors and the disappointing performances of its high speed ferries. Despite this, the MYTILENE continued to be the best-performing ship of NEL Lines, with very few problems overall. The MYTILENE seen resting in Piraeus in 2003. By that time, the ship had just turned 30 and was now considered a veteran ferry of the Greek coastal service. Despite this, she still performed her services at very high standards. Picture taken by Ted Blank and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The MYTILENE seen in her usual docking spot in the E2 gate in Piraeus, where she was loading passengers and vehicles in order to head to Chios and Mytilene during the 2004 season. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen in Piraeus in late 2004, as she saw her livery being modified. Indeed, NEL Lines had signed an advertising deal with the home appliances and telecommunications company LG, which resulted in the latter featuring on the ship's hull, as well as that of the THEOFILOS. This deal was made after the three high speed ferries of NEL Lines (namely the AEOLOS KENTERIS, the AEOLOS EXPRESS and the AEOLOS EXPRESS II) had spent the summers of 2003 and 2004 advertising fellow telecommunications companies TIM and Telestet, respectively. These deals echoed those undertaken by Hellas Flying Dolphins/Hellenic Seaways with Vodafone from 2005 to 2013. Picture taken by Michael Van Bosch and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen in Piraeus, with the full livery of the LG advertisement signs on her hull during the 2005 season. Unlike the three high speed ferries whose hulls were repainted in blue, the ship kept her traditional white livery, along with the famed trireme logo of NEL Lines. Picture taken by Marius Esman and published on www.shipspotting.com . Another view of the MYTILENE in Piraeus during the 2005 season, as she was being sponsored by LG. Picture taken by Andreas Wörteler and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . The MYTILENE seen leaving the port of Mytilene during the summer of 2006. That year, after the sponsorship deal with LG had ended, the ship sailed with a simple all-white livery without the NEL Lines insignia being written on both sides of her hull. They were eventually added back in early 2007. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The MYTILENE seen in Piraeus in 2007, carrying the NEL Lines insignia of both sides of her hull once again. This was now her sixteenth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. Picture taken by Kostas Loudaros and published on www.marinetraffic.com . Following two very turbulent seasons in 2006 and in 2007, NEL Lines came in 2007 with the hopes of an overall turnaround. However, that year also proved to be very volatile, with a few expansions as well as some fleet departures. In terms of expansion, the company proceeded to acquiring the company C-Link Ferries (previously known as AK Ventouris, who once owned the TAXIARCHIS) which was under the management of Apostolos Ventouris. This resulted in NEL Lines acquiring four new ships, namely the conventional ferries PANAGIA TINOU (previously the LEMNOS of Nomicos Lines and then of Minoan Flying Dolphins/Hellas Flying Dolphins) and PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA (formerly the ARGOSTOLI of NEKI and then of Ionian Lines and Seven Islands Lines, as well as the MYRTOS of Nea Pnoi Shipping), and two high speed ferries that were sister ships, namely the PANAGIA THALASSINI and the PANAGIA PAROU. The two conventional ferries were operating on the subsidised inter-Cyclades services based from Lavrion and Syros, while the two high speed craft had previously operated on the Cyclades. The PANAGIA THALASSINI had spent the 2006 season on the Lavrion-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line, while the PANAGIA PAROU was on the Lavrion-Paros-Naxos-Amorgos line. The four ships joined NEL Lines, and the two conventional ferries remained on their inter-Cyclades services, namely the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Syros-Tinos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Sikinos-Folegandros-Kimolos-Milos-Sifnos-Serifos lifeline served by the PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA and the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi lifeline served by the PANAGIA TINOU. The PANAGIA THALASSINI was introduced on a new service on the Lavrion-Kythnos-Paros-Naxos-Amorgos line during the 2007 season. The AEOLOS EXPRESS II was reactivated after two years and was inserted on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line after having been renamed AEOLOS KENTERIS II. That year therefore saw NEL Lines attempting to further assert its presence on the Cyclades, and therefore investing beyond the Northeast Aegean Sea. They also tried their luck in Crete for the first time, as they reactivated the AEOLOS EXPRESS (which had been renamed AEOLOS KENTERIS I) with upgraded engines, so that she could operate on the Piraeus-Rethymnon line, which was left vacated by ANEK Lines. However, these new additions were also coupled with several fleet departures. Indeed, in order to generate more funds, the company sold the PANAGIA PAROU together with the problematic AEOLOS KENTERIS to the Egyptian company Namma Lines, and the ships were renamed RED SEA II and RED SEA I, respectively. They headed for service on the Safaga-Jeddah line on the Red Sea. They were also joined there by the TAXIARCHIS, which was chartered for the duration of the summer of 2007. Therefore, the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line was left with only two ships, namely the THEOFILOS and the MYTILENE. The latter remained very effective, especially under the command of the excellent Cpt Diamantis Papageorgiou. However, the competition there continued to increase. Indeed, despite the departure of the SAMOTHRAKI of Saos Ferries from the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line (after which she headed to the Thessaloniki-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos line ) , Hellenic Seaways began to attract more passengers onboard the NISSOS MYKONOS. The company then further enhanced its services on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line by having the sister ship of the NISSOS MYKONOS, the NISSOS CHIOS (known as the BLUE STAR CHIOS of Blue Star Ferries since 2020) , delivered to them in 2007. As she had more passenger cabins than the NISSOS MYKONOS, she replaced the latter and quickly made an impact on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Both sister ships also earned the prestigious 'Ship of the Year' award given by Llody's List Greek Shipping Awards for 2006 and 2007, respectively. Hellenic Seaways itself won the 'Passenger Lines of the Year' award in the 2007 event, mainly due to its success on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. As such, NEL Lines saw their previously-uncontested dominance on the Northeast Aegean Sea being now seriously challenged. Things were not made better by the fact that the THEOFILOS had started to display several technical issues beginning in 2005, as a result of poor maintenance and rushed refits, with NEL Lines paying little attention to her declining machinery. As a result, the ship started to experience numerous delays and engine troubles, something that she would go on to suffer for the rest of her career and which would result in heavy criticism by regular travelers on the Northeast Aegean Sea. In spite of all these setbacks and the troubled situation of NEL Lines, the MYTILENE continued to thrive, even as she was nearing 35 years of service. The mandatory retirement for reaching that age limit had been removed since 2006, hence this meant that the ship was able to continue her operations beyond 2008. The MYTILENE seen having entered the port of Piraeus during the summer of 2007, which was quite a challenging one for NEL Lines. Picture taken by Aleksi Lindström and published on www.shispotting.com . The MYTILENE seen departing the port of Piraeus during the summer of 2007. Picture taken by Jukka Koskimies and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen sailing off the coast of Attica in early 2008, just a few months after she received the new livery of NEL Lines. Indeed, all the ships had their hulls painted in dark blue throughout 2007. As a result, NEL Lines abandoned the all-white livery previously seen on its ships, even though the high speed craft of the company had already been painted in dark blue since 2003. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . After a very challenging 2007 season, NEL Lines hoped for a more prosperous 2008. Yet again, the company experienced yet another turbulent year. While the TAXIARCHIS returned to the company, the PANAGIA THALASSINI was withdrawn and remained in Perama and then in Lavrion for the entire 2008 season, amidst rumours that she would also be heading to Namma Lines, although this never happened. The AEOLOS KENTERIS I left the Piraeus-Rethymnon line after just one season and was deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line. The year was, however, marked by two notable accidents which heavily affected the operations of NEL Lines. The first one was the collision of the AEOLOS KENTERIS II with the RODANTHI of GA Ferries (and, of course, the sister ship of the MYTILENE) in Piraeus in April 2008, which resulted in the bow of the high speed craft being severely damaged. She was reactivated but then left for the Red Sea, under charter to Namma Lines. But the most severe accident was that of the THEOFILOS two months later. Indeed, the cruiseferry was heading from Piraeus to Chios when she ran aground in the island of Oinousses late at night while carrying 475 passengers and 97 crew members. The hull on her port side was significantly damaged, with a large slash causing water to infiltrate some of her water tight compartments, and this resulted in the ship developing a 2.50 degree list. She was ultimately savaged in time and was towed to Elefsina. Her damage saw her missing the rest of the season and remaining in Salamina until repairs began in Perama. She only returned to service in May 2009, with the repairs having cost the company an estimated €5 million. Being left without one of their main ferries, NEL Lines only had the MYTILENE and the TAXIARCHIS on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Hellenic Seaways took much advantage of the loss and the NISSOS CHIOS was able to consolidate her dominance on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Things became worse after ANEK Lines also decided to enter on the Northeast Aegean Sea in order to fill the void left by the THEOFILOS, doing so by deploying the veteran ferry LISSOS on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line. The ship proved to be very successful, and therefore the dominance of NEL Lines was now over, as it now faced two very serious competitors. The MYTILENE seen docked in Piraeus during the summer of 2008, one that was even more challenging as she did not operate alongside her usual partner, namely the THEOFILOS. Picture taken by Dennis Mortimer and published on www.marinetraffic.com . A very special picture showing two sister ships built in Japan and operating for different companies in Greece. Most importantly, both ships went on to have spectacular careers in the Greek coastal service, and they are regarded as two of the best ferries to have ever operated on the Aegean Sea. The MYTILENE, previously known as the VEGA in Japan, seen leaving the port of Piraeus in 2008, while the RODANTHI, previously the VIRGO, seen arriving in the port. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . For the 2009 season, NEL Lines continued to face many uncertainties, especially as the competition continued to threaten them. In a dire need of securing more revenue as shareholders began to become dissatisfied with the limited amount of capital, the company sought to reassert its dominance on the Northeast Aegean Sea by taking over several subsidised lifelines that were abandoned by Saos Ferries at the end of the 2008 season, following their financial issues. The TAXIARCHIS was deployed on the Lavrion-Psara-Mytilene-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line, while the repaired THEOFILOS was deployed on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line. The PANAGIA THALASSINI was reactivated and was deployed on the Sporades and the Northeast Aegean Sea, serving the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Limnos-Agios Efstratios-Psara-Chios line. The AEOLOS KENTERIS I and the AEOLOS KENTERIS II had replaced the PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA and the PANAGIA TINOU on their respective inter-Cyclades lifeline services, which resulted in both conventional ferries being retired. The PANAGIA TINOU was sold in 2009 to the Turkish company Trabzon Shipping and was renamed TRABZON, while the PANAGIA HOZOVIOTISSA remained under lay-up until she was sold for scrap to Turkey in 2010. The MYTILENE remained alone on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line, competing against the NISSOS CHIOS and the LISSOS, as well as the Ro-Ro carrier ALEXANDRA T of Tsirikos Lines (previously the SATURNUS of Ventouris Ferries) which was withdrawn later in the season. Overall, NEL Lines performed well in 2009, but the competitors won further ground on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line as the company was left with just one ship. The company also remained under financial uncertainty, but then surprisingly announced the return of the AEOLOS KENTERIS and of the PANAGIA PAROU after purchasing them back from Namma Lines, where the two ships had largely underperformed. There were therefore several rumours regarding where the two high speed craft would be deployed in 2010. At the same time, the Greek financial crisis also started to have a large effect on the ferry sector, and many companies would soon cease most if not all their operations. One of them GA Ferries, which ceased to operate altogether after the summer of 2009 ended. All of its ships were laid-up in Piraeus and in Elefsina and later headed for scrap, including the RODANTHI which headed to Aliağa in 2012. The MYTILENE seen exiting the port of Piraeus during the 2009 season. This was the first season during which she did not have a partner on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line, but she nevertheless performed very well that year. Picture taken by Manos Petrakos and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The MYTILENE docked in Piraeus during the summer of 2009. Picture taken by Georgios Koutsoukis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se . Ahead of the 2010 season, NEL Lines experienced a dramatic and unexpected change in their strategy. Indeed, despite its various economic, technical and operational problems that hampered them for the entirety of the 2000s, the company proceeded to perform an impressive fleet expansion by buying and chartering numerous passenger ships and Ro-Ro carriers. These included   the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines (which was renamed AQUA MARIA) , the AQUA JEWEL of Alpha Ferries , the EUROPEAN EXPRESS of Access Ferries , the Ro-Ro carriers of Adriatic Lines RO-PAX 1 (which was renamed AQUA HERCULES) and RO-PAX 2 (which was renamed OLYMPUS) and the Ro-Ro carrier MYKONOS of Mykonos ANE (now the TALOS of Creta Cargo Lines) . They also went on to charter the high speed craft of My Ferries that were being prepared for the summer season, the MYCAT I (which was renamed ALKIONI) and the MYCAT II (which was renamed CYCLADES EXPRESS, and is now the NAXOS JET of Sea Jets ), two Ro-Ro carriers built in Japan (the COLOSSUS and the IPPOTIS). With all these new acquisitions, they proceeded to expand their services on the Aegean Sea as well as on the Adriatic Sea. The AQUA JEWEL was inserted on the inter-Cyclades lifeline previously served by the AEOLOS KENTERIS I, which spent the 2010 season on charter to the French company SNCM (which has been known as Corsica Linea since 2016) as the NGV LIAMONE II. The MYKONOS, the COLOSSUS and the IPPOTIS were introduced under the new NEL Lines Cargo division. The MYKONOS was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Samos line, while the COLOSSUS and the IPPOTIS operated on the Cyclades and on the Dodecanese, on the Piraeus-Kos-Rhodes line and on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ikaria-Samos-Kos-Rhodes line, respectively. The AQUA HERCULES and the OLYMPUS remained on the Adriatic Sea and served the Corinth-Ancona line and the Trieste-Durrës line, respectively (they would then both head to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line in 2011). The AQUA MARIA was converted in late 2010 and entered service on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala, where she replaced the TAXIARCHIS, which moved to the Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line and joined the THEOFILOS on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline. The PANAGIA THALASSINI won the subsidy contract for the Lavrion-Chios-Psara line, and therefore the company had another lifeline to serve on the Northeast Aegean Sea. It also made a full entry on the Sporades, where the ALKIONI was deployed on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line. The PANAGIA PAROU was also due to operate there, but she instead headed to the Adriatic Sea and operated on the Bari-Durrës line. The CYCLADES EXPRESS was deployed on the Heraklion-Santorini line for just a few days in August before being withdrawn. But perhaps the most noteworthy deployment was that of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS, which joined the MYTILENE on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. This was done in order for NEL Lines to reassert itself on its flagship service and to improve their performance against the NISSOS CHIOS and the LISSOS. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS and the MYTILENE, despite being 36 years old 37 years old, respectively, performed extremely well together. While they were unable to match the services of the NISSOS CHIOS, they did impose some damage to ANEK Lines, which withdrew the LISSOS after the season ended and sold her for scrap in 2011. The year was considered satisfactory overall for NEL Lines, but some of their services on the Adriatic Sea and on the Dodecanese, as well as on the Heraklion-Santorini line, were not successful. Moreover, the THEOFILOS in particular had another poor season marked by engine failures and delayed trips, and therefore many locals complained further. Additionally, the company was still left with some unemployable ships, most notably the AEOLOS KENTERIS which had not performed any trips since her return from the Red Sea. The MYTILENE seen as she leaves the port of Mytilene during the summer of 2010. Picture taken by Georgios Choriatellis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The MYTILENE seen docked in her namesake port in 2010, during another very effective summer season during which she was part of a great duo along with the EUROPEAN EXPRESS. Picture taken by Georgios Solomos and published on www.marintetraffic.com . The surprising moves and overall expansion performed by NEL Lines during the 2010 season carried on in 2011, albeit to a lesser extent. While the lineup on the Northeast Aegean Sea remained mostly the same, the company further dedicated itself to the Cyclades and the Sporades. The Heraklion-Santorini line performed by the CYCLADES EXPRESS was abandoned, but the company made a major move by acquiring the ferry MR SHOPPY ONE of the Swedish company Mr Shoppy (a ship built in Greece in 2001 and which was previously the AGIOS ANDREAS II of Agios Andreas Shipping and then the ANDREAS II of Kefalonia Lines before her sale to Sweden in 2007). The ship was renamed AQUA SPIRIT and replaced the AEOLOS KENTERIS II on the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos-Andros-Tinos-Syros-Paros-Naxos-Donousa-Amorgos-Koufonisi-Schoinousa-Irakleia-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Thirassia-Santorini-Anafi lifeline. The high speed ferry was sent for lay-up in Salamina, where she has remained ever since. The company further enhanced its presence on the Sporades by deploying the PANAGIA PAROU on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line, while the ALKIONI was once again on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos-Thessaloniki line. The AEOLOS KENTERIS I, which had completed her charter under SNCM and reverted back to her previous name, was also sent to the Adriatic Sea, performing services on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line during the high season only. The AEOLOS KENTERIS was also finally reactivated and performed very few trips on the Adriatic Sea as well, on the Bari-Durrës line in place of the PANAGIA PAROU. The company also attempted to operate on the connection of Mytilene with Turkey, which was materialised after the purchase of the landing craft KONSTANTINOS G of Costal Lines, which was serving the Mytilene-Dikili line. She was refitted and resumed her service there. The 2011 season was deemed successful overall, despite continuous technical issues for some ships like the THEOFILOS (which missed the entire 2011 season due to more engine troubles) and the TAXIARCHIS. While the fleet expansion was well received by passengers, it was met with skepticism by some, as it seemed incomprehensible for a company that was mainly based on government-subsidised lifelines to buy and charter so many ferries at once, including some that had been inactive for as many as two years. Eventually, these acquisitions caused a huge debt for the company, from which they never recovered and which ended-up sealing their demise just four years later. Indeed, by 2012, just two years after expanding their fleet, NEL Lines had already confirmed that it had reached a ceiling, as several of the ships they chartered left after only one or two seasons. The CYCLADES EXPRESS and the ALKIONI were sent for lay-up in 2010 and 2012 respectively, the departures of the IPPOTIS and of the COLOSSUS ended the company's presence on the Dodecanese after only two years (they were then scrapped in 2014 and in 2013, respectively), the AQUA HERCULES and the OLYMPUS had an unsuccessful spell on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line and were sold to the Emirati company SAMC (and spent the next years laid-up in Port Saïd, with the OLYMPUS heading for scrap in 2017), the PANAGIA THALASSINI and the PANAGIA PAROU ended their respective services on the Sporades and on the Northeast Aegean Sea in order to be chartered to Inter Shipping on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait (a charter that lasted just a season and which turned out to be a failure, as both owners and charterers ended-up suffering from economic problems). The Lavrion-Chios-Psara line served by the PANAGIA THALASSINI was taken over by the AQUA MARIA, whose service on the Lavrion-Psara-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala was assigned to the TAXIARCHIS. The AEOLOS KENTERIS, the AEOLOS KENTERIS I and the AEOLOS KENTERIS II were laid-up in Salamina after the 2011 season ended. With the impact of the Greek financial crisis and the high fuel costs, together with their history of technical issues and unsuccessful services, the three ships were never reactivated again by the company, despite some attempts to do so in 2012 and in 2013. But their unprofitability made all these scenarios impossible, especially as NEL Lines would go on to lose their ground on the Northeast Aegean Sea. Indeed, even though ANEK Lines had stopped services in the region after the 2010 season, the company faced a new and far more serious threat similar to that of Hellenic Seaways when they brought the NISSOS MYKONOS and then the NISSOS CHIOS on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. This was the introduction of the newly-built BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries , which was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene to compete against NEL Lines and Hellenic Seaways. This impressive new ferry quickly made an impact, and now NEL Lines found themselves having veteran ferries competing against two very modern and faster cruiseferries. They tried to improve the situation by having three ships serving Chios and Mytilene from Piraeus. To that end, the repaired THEOFILOS was brought back to its flagship service, operating on the Piraeus-Ikaria-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala-Thessaloniki line. The MYTILENE also began operating in Ikaria and in Samos for the first time (mainly due to the fact that there were uncertainties regarding the deployment of the NISSOS MYKONOS on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line, where she had been based since 2007), as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Ikaria-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line to complement the services of the THEOFILOS. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS served Chios and Mytilene directly from Piraeus as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. Despite their efforts, the BLUE STAR PATMOS and the NISSOS CHIOS proved to be far superior than the three ships of NEL Lines, whose ages ranged from 37 years old to 39 years old. Moreover, the services of the THEOFILOS once again came under scrutiny and she had another major engine failure in October 2012, which caused to miss many days of service. Altogether, the decline of the company was now inevitable, and it could only rely on the subsidies given by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy and on the ships that did not have technical issues, most notably the MYTILENE. The MYTILENE seen docked in Limnos during the 2011 season, which was once again very successful for the ship in spite of her company's problems. This was notably her twentieth consecutive season on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Thessaloniki line, with her spell being the second longest-ever after that of the SAPPHO, which operated there for 29 years. Picture taken by Andreas Michailidis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The MYTILENE seen departing the port of Chios during the summer of 2012. While Greece and NEL Lines were facing an extremely difficult period, she continued to perform at very high standards, just like she had done when she first started her career on the Northeast Aegean Sea back in 1992. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . At the conclusion of the 2012 summer season, the problems of NEL Lines had become evident and there were concerns regarding the company's profitability, despite the subsidies given for the lifelines on the Northeast Aegean Sea and on the inter-Cyclades services. The media also started reporting that many crew members had failed to be paid on time, and that the company could no longer afford significant maintenance activities, particularly for its older ferries. NEL Lines also found themselves with numerous ships under lay-up, with some being later confiscated due to debts owed to the ports in which they were docked. At the same time, the MYTILENE moved to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in order to replace the IERAPETRA L of ANEK Lines (today the AQUA BLUE of Sea Jets) , which had spent the 2012 season there but was withdrawn from service by her company. There were rumours that the MYTILENE would be deployed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line on the Cyclades in 2013, and the company actually requested a license for this service, but this ultimately never happened. The MYTILENE seen in Perama in late 2012, after having completed her annual refit. She was now leaving in order to head to Piraeus so as to start her new operations on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . The year 2013, during which the MYTILENE turned 40, proved to be a disastrous one for NEL Lines. Indeed, just as January began, the company was dealt with a huge blow. This came after the two ships operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, the THEOFILOS and the EUROPEAN EXPRESS, were shockingly arrested by their crews, and this marked the first time that the company did not have a ship operating on its flagship line, which it had been serving continuously for 40 years. While there were attempts to solve the situation and reactivate the ships, frequent passengers on the Northeast Aegean Sea had started to lose their patience with the company's unreliability, and were now more keen to travel with the NISSOS CHIOS and the BLUE STAR PATMOS. Many lorry drivers also became dissatisfied with NEL Lines, instead preferring to use the Ro-Ro carrier PELAGITIS of Ainaftis , which had started operations on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line in 2010. The MYTILENE was not added back to the line that she had been serving for 20 years, as Ikaria, Fournoi and Samos would be left with no ferry connection to and from Piraeus, as the IERAPETRA L was withdrawn from service and the NISSOS MYKONOS was laid-up for the winter. As the year progrssed, the company had had found itself under an unprecedented turmoil. The THEOFILOS, due to return on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, was still laid-up, the charter of the MYKONOS ended, the KONSTANTINOS G was abruptly withdrawn from her service on the Mytilene-Dikili line and never returned to operate for NEL Lines (being instead sold to the Equatorial Guinean company Somagec the following year), the AQUA JEWEL suffered an engine failure which kept her laid-up in Lavrion for three months (and thus causing issues regarding the inter-Cycaldes services), the AQUA MARIA was forced to leave the Lavrion-Psara-Chios line several times in order to cover the service left by her engine-plagued fleetmates. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS had been sent on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line, while waiting for the THEOFILOS to arrive. However, she herself was due to depart that line ahead of the summer as she had been chartered to Ventouris Ferries for service on the Adriatic Sea, on the Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. The TAXIARCHIS had a very troublesome year marked by numerous engine failures, as it was also the case for the EUROPEAN EXPRESS. NEL Lines did try to save the situation on the Northeast Aegean Sea by chartering the Ro-Pax ferry IONIAN SKY of the similarly-financially-troubled Agoudimos Lines . They were due to deploy her on the Piraeus-Lavrion-Psara-Chios-Mytilene line, but she instead went to the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line instead of the THEOFILOS. But her spell there was also very troublesome, as she also went on to have numerous technical issues, delayed and canceled trips, and her season and charter ended prematurely after she had a major engine failure in Mytilene. She was towed to Salamina and remained laid-up there, without ever being reactivated. While the majority of the fleet of NEL Lines had a disastrous season, only the MYTILENE and the AQUA SPIRIT performed well. The former in particular was praised by the residents of Ikaria and Samos. She operated for 13 months with no interruption, which was quite impressive considering her age and the poor situation of her company. She competed effectively against the NISSOS MYKONOS (even though the latter missed a large portion of the season due to a fire incident in June 2013), but the latter had a much better season, which was considered to be her most successful at the time. Nonetheless, the MYTILENE was much-appreciated even as the year was ending and the need for a proper maintenance became more apparent. My first-ever picture of the MYTILENE, as she is seen docked in the E2 gate in Piraeus during the summer of 2013, which marked her first season on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. While I had seen the ship a few times during the 2000s in Piraeus, I never had the chance to take a picture of her until 2013. Fortunately, as I had uploaded this picture on Marine Traffic that year, it was one of the few that I could still access following my computer crash in late 2014. Therefore, I am fortunate to have kept a picture of this legendary ferry, otherwise I would have been inconsolable if all my pictures of the MYTILENE had all disappeared. That unfortunately was not the case with the THEOFILOS, whose only picture that I had taken back in 2012 has disappeared forever. The MYTILENE seen leaving Piraeus for Syros in 2013. Picture taken by Georgios Mertis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The MYTILENE seen entering the port of Piraeus during the evening in late 2013. Even though she was now 40 years old, the ship still looked sublime and both her indoor and outdoor areas continued to be very impressive. Picture taken by Georgios Mertis and published on www.shipspotting.com . Many hoped that the summer of 2014 would be a summer of redemption for NEL Lines. However, these wishes soon turned into nightmares. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS again experienced several engine failures and delays, thus leaving many passengers livid and unsatisfied. The AQUA MARIA was sent for lay-up without any apparent reason (with her service on the Lavrion-Chios-Psara line not being taken over by another ship even though it was a subsidised service), the TAXIARCHIS and the THEOFILOS (which had returned to the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line in late 2013) also had technical problems, as did the AQUA JEWEL which suffered a new engine failure which definitively ended her NEL Lines career. Even the AQUA SPIRIT (by then the least troublesome ship of the company in terms of technical problems) started to occasionally experience engine troubles. The MYTILENE missed the first half of 2014 as she underwent her refit, and she remained docked in Drapetsona while there were rumours suggesting that her crew was unpaid for many months, and that they ceased all work onboard the ship until they received their salaries. She ultimately resumed service on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line, which had been covered by the EUROPEAN EXPRESS. The troubles faced by the latter were significant, but not worse than the THEOFILOS, which was having a terrible spell on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline. To that end, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was sent to operate there just as the summer began, and the THEOFILOS was laid-up in Drapetsona, never to sail again for NEL Lines and in general for the rest of her career. The stint of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS on the Northeast Aegean Sea was beyond disastrous. Indeed, a lack of maintenance and the problems faced by the crew caused multiple delays that were even worse than the ones faced by the THEOFILOS. As a result, tourism in Ikaria, Samos, Chios, Lesbos and especially Limnos suffered due to the lack of efficient coastal service connection. Towards the end of the summer season, NEL Lines decided to switch the itineraries of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS and of the MYTILENE, in order to ensure a better connection of the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS as a result returned to the Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line, while the MYTILENE spent the last few days of August on the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line. She initially started well and finally trips on the lifeline began to operate smoothly. However, the ship then had an engine failure herself, by which time the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy finally had enough with NEL Lines and stripped them of their operating license and subsidy allowance for service on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline. The services were subsequently taken over by Hellenic Seaways, which connected all islands with Piraeus with larger, younger and more efficient ferries such as the ARIADNE (which had started full-time service on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line in 2014), the NISSOS MYKONOS  and later the NISSOS RODOS . Blue Star Ferries also operated the Piraeus-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line in 2015 with the BLUE STAR 1 . The MYTILENE seen departing the port of Piraeus in 2014, which was her second season on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. Picture taken by Vangelis Tzerefos and published on www.marinetraffic.com . My second and final picture of the MYTILENE, as she is seen docked in Piraeus in 2014. This was her final active year in Greece and under NEL Lines, as she would stop to operate a few months after this picture was taken following an engine failure and the collapse of NEL Lines. As a result, this picture is very meaningful, as it marked my final interaction with the ship while she was still operating. Even as that year was disastrous for NEL Lines, the ship still remained in a fair condition, and her crew did all it could in order to keep her that way, despite her age, her lack of maintenance and the fact that she had been surpassed by younger competitors. The MYTILENE seen leaving the port of Mytilene in 2014, during her brief spell on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, where she was forced to replace the EUROPEAN EXPRESS which was having a very poor spell there. She was the last ship of NEL Lines to operate on this lifeline, as the company was expelled from there by the Greek Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . With NEL Lines gone from the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria lifeline, the MYTILENE was inactive for a few weeks, until she made her return to the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line after the EUROPEAN EXPRESS continued to experience numerous engine problems. The latter was sent for lay-up in Drapetsona next to the THEOFILOS and, just like her fleetmate, never returned to service again. With all these ships being laid-up, NEL Lines now only had three ferries operating, namely the MYTILENE on the aforementioned service in Ikaria and in Samos, the AQUA SPIRIT on her inter-Cyclades lifeline, and the TAXIARCHIS on the Lavrion-Psara-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line. The financial woes of the company grew worse as the end of the year approached, its reputation had been severely damaged on the Northeast Aegean Sea, and therefore passengers preferred traveling on the trustworthy and reliable ships of Hellenic Seaways and Blue Star Ferries. It was only a matter of time for the company to stop operating altogether. Despite these setbacks, the MYTILENE and her other two fleetmates continued to operate, and did the best they could despite the difficult conditions of the company. The MYTILENE seen in Piraeus during an evening in late 2014. She is about to load passengers and vehicles in order to head to the five islands that she was serving in the last trips of her career. Picture taken by Sakis Antoniou and published on www.marinetraffic.com . The MYTILENE seen departing the port of Piraeus during the evening in November 2014, during the last weeks of her active career. While she continued to operate extremely well, little did she know that she would be performing her final trips due to her company's negligence and poor financial condition. Picture taken by Roy Batty and published on www.shipspotting.com . The MYTILENE seen docked in Piraeus in 2015, just a few days before she stopped sailing. Picture taken by Dimitris Mentakis and published on www.shipspotting.com . While the MYTILENE was still operating as 2015 began, she unexpectedly ended her services (and her career as a whole) in February of that year, when her main engine broke down while she was docked in Samos, in the port of Karlovasi. The remaining trip was canceled, and the ship eventually remained stuck in the island, as NEL Lines could not afford to tow her back to Piraeus, let alone repair her. Hopes for a short stay in Samos quickly vanished, and the ship was now fully abandoned by the company which had invested significantly in her just 25 years prior. Furthermore, her crew remained unpaid for many months, and she was subsequently arrested while remaining with a broken engine in Samos. As the months progressed, the ship no longer had available fuel for heating and lighting, and this left the crew under very miserable conditions, as they could also not access food provisions. NEL Lines fully neglected these unfortunate people and did not provide them any help, nor their salaries. As a result, their arduous conditions in Samos were significantly covered by the media, which notably showed the signs that they put on the ship's stern, whereupon they stated that they were hungry and penniless. At some point, they were only able to receive food and water from the army base that was located near the port! These were horrible moments for these people, and it was a shame that they were associated with a ship which had previously operated with so much success and practically no trouble for more than two decades, even when her company was no longer dedicated and among the top ones in Greece. The MYTILENE seen laid-up in the port of Karlovasi in Samos, where she ceased operating due to a major engine failure and the subsequent arrest performed by her demoralised crew in 2015. Picture taken by Panagiotis Marinakis and published on www.marinetraffic.com . A view of the stern of the MYTILENE during her lay-up in Samos, with the crew having added three notable signs which were then displayed across all media in Greece. The one on the left side of her garage and on the port side states, in Greek, 'We are hostages of the State and of shipowners'. The one in the middle over the garage and right underneath the ship's name states 'We are hungry', while the one above says 'We will fight until the end'. These were very sad scenes unworthy of a ferry company in Greece. Picture published on www.nautilia.gr . While the MYTILENE remained laid-up in Samos, NEL Lines still had two more ships under operation, but even they could not avoid the impending end. Indeed, a few months later, the TAXIARCHIS and the AQUA SPIRIT stopped service multiple times due to their crews remaining unpaid for months as well. The company still did not have the funds to solve the issue, and as a result both ships were arrested permanently in Lavrion and caused huge problems to the lines that they were serving. Eventually, NEL Lines was also ousted from the last two lifelines on which they operating. These were also taken over by Hellenic Seaways. This as a result marked the official end of the operations of NEL Lines, just before the start of the summer of 2015. The company's ships were all laid-up and were never reactivated for the once-glorious Lesbos-based maritime power, which had vanished after 42 years of operations in the Greek coastal service. However, its last 15 years had severely damaged the company's reputation, and therefore very few people lamented its closure. This was also due to the quick and effective transition that Hellenic Seaways performed in its operations on the Northeast Aegean Sea, as all its ships operated extremely well and therefore frequent passengers traveling in the area quickly forgot the troubles brought over by NEL Lines. The service of the MYTILENE in Ikaria and in Samos was covered by the NISSOS MYKONOS (which continues to serve these islands as part of her long itinerary along the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, as the BLUE STAR MYCONOS of Blue Star Ferries) and the NISSOS RODOS, which was replaced in 2018 by the DIAGORAS of Blue Star Ferries . The Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, formerly the uninvadable territory of NEL Lines and the flagship service of the company on which the MYTILENE operated for 20 years, has been served since 2018 by the NISSOS RODOS and the NISSOS SAMOS, also of Hellenic Seaways . These two Japanese-built ferries are among the largest ferries of the Aegean Sea, and both serve the two islands with much success, hence carrying on the legacy left by the former flagship of NEL Lines. After spending more than a year under lay-up in Samos, the MYTILENE finally left the island under tow, in order to head to the Elefsina Bay. While her crew received their long-awaited salaries under the protection of the Navy Retirement Fund and the Panhellenic Seamen's Federation, the ship still carried enormous debts and the company could still not afford to repair her broken engine. To that end, she simply left Samos in order to continue her lay-up in the Elefsina Bay. She was placed alongside another historic ferry which was forced into lay-up due to her own company's financial issues. Indeed, this was the legendary PENELOPE A of Agoudimos Lines, one of the greatest ships to have ever operated on the Rafina-Andros-Tinos-Mykonos line, which had been sent for lay-up in the Elefsina Bay in 2014, a few months after having been arrested in Rafina following her company's closure. The two iconic ferries, once among the most acclaimed ships of the Greek coastal service for more than two decades, were now docked together while awaiting their fates, with the prospects of a return to service seeming like a miracles as the years went by. The MYTILENE seen laid-up in the Elefsina Bay next to the PENELOPE A in late 2016. This is where the ship would go on to remain for the next six years. Once the acclaimed ship of the Northeast Aegean Sea, the MYTILENE was now a mere shadow of the incredible ferry that she used to be, having been neglected by the same company which had previously invested huge amounts in order to provide passengers heading to Chios, Mytilene, Limnos and Thessaloniki with an unforgettable experience onboard. Picture published on www.shipfriends.gr . With NEL Lines no longer active, their ships went on to await their eventual fates. Some were luckier, whereas others are still laid-up, while others like the MYTILENE spent several years of misery before finally giving in to the torch-breakers. The MYKONOS had joined Creta Cargo Lines in 2014 and was renamed TALOS , the AQUA JEWEL temporarily rejoined Alpha Ferries and returned to service in 2017 after having been bought by Sea Jets. The latter had also bought the AQUA SPIRIT and the CYCLADES EXPRESS in early 2016, and reactivated them for service on the Cyclades. The AQUA MARIA was bought by Aqua Ferries, was again renamed MYRTIDIOTISSA and entered service on the Sporades in 2016 (later becoming the ALEXANDRA L of the now-inactive Kefalonian Lines  in 2018). The PANAGIA THALASSINI returned to Greece after having been bought by Idomeneas Lines (owned by the Panagiotopoulos family) and being renamed KALLI P , but never re-entered service due to debts owed by NEL Lines. The PANAGIA PAROU remained laid-up in Algeciras until sinking inside the port in 2017, eventually being refloated and sold for scrap to Turkey in 2018. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS remained laid-up in Perama after having shifted there from Drapetsona in 2016, and was ultimately sold for scrap to Turkey in 2019 . She was followed a year later by the IONIAN SKY, which had remained laid-up in Salamina since her withdrawal from service at the end of the 2013 season . The high speed ferry ALKIONI remained laid-up in Salamina for eight years until she began preparations for a return to service under a new owner, ultimately performing a vast refit in order to enter service on the Sporades once again, as the CAT I of Magic Sea Ferries (she is due to be deployed on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line next year). The AEOLOS KENTERIS I and AEOLOS KENTERIS II have remained in Salamina for years and are progressively becoming more assimilated to the scrapyards despite their young age, while the AEOLOS KENTERIS headed to Augusta in Italy in order to start a service under charter to a Maltese company on the Augusta-Valletta line, but financial and continued technical issues faced by the ship resulted in her seizure by the Augusta Port Authority, and she has remained laid-up and now partly submerged in the Sicilian port. The TAXIARCHIS was laid-up in Lavrion from 2015 to 2018 and is now also in Salamina awaiting her fate, having also been partly submerged in recent years. The THEOFILOS had a troublesome time in Drapetsona and was finally towed to the Elefsina Bay in 2017, remaining permanently laid-up there and not far from her fleetmate and long-time partner, namely the MYTILENE. She then moved to Salamina in 2021, being docked next to the TAXIARCHIS, after the Elefsina Port Authority successfully called for her removal from the area. All ferries were placed on auction, but the attempts to have them sold and removed from the Piraeus area failed for the most part, with only the older conventional ferries heading for scrap. Over the next six years, I would frequently spot the MYTILENE from afar while driving on the coastline of Elefsina while heading to and from the Peloponnese. Whenever I had the occasion to see the ship, I would usually look at her with much regret, as she no longer was the great ferry that was beloved by Greek coastal service enthusiasts, and I would usually longer how long she will be staying there before she would eventually head for demolition. The last time that I saw the ship was on 8 September 2021, while I was heading back to Athens from Rion and Patras where I had spent the day looking at various ships that were operating there. As I could only spot her from afar, I was not able to take a picture of her, therefore the only ones that I had of the ship were during her final two operational seasons in 2013 and in 2014. In May 2022, after more than seven years of lay-up, it was reported that the MYTILENE had been sold for scrap. She was renamed LENE and was reflagged to Togo, being registered in Lomé. She therefore followed the same practices that were undertaken on the THEOFILOS, which was renamed and reflagged in a similar fashion, having her name shortened to ILOS and flying the Togolese flag. The ferry left Salamina on 13 May 2022, heading to Turkey after 47 years of service, of which 27 had been under the ownership of NEL Lines. Just more than two weeks later, the MYTILENE, now known as the LENE, left the Elefsina Bay under tow for the first time in six years. She was performing her first trip in as many years, but also the last of her career, which lasted 49 years, of which 32 were spent in Greece. She happened to leave 30 years after she first began operations under NEL Lines, after having spent two years under conversion in Perama. The ship is now in Alia ğa in Turkey, having been beached a few metres away from her former fleetmate, and will now belong to history. The day that she left Greece for the last time was filled with tributes, as many remembered the ship and her iconic career, and kept fond memories of her despite her decline after her engine failure back in 2015. While reactions to the departure of the THEOFILOS were mixed due to the ship's frequent troubles from 2004 onwards, those for the MYTILENE were much more positive and emotional. Notably, a few inhabitants of Lesbos went to see her while she was being towed to Aliağa and was passing by the island for the last time. They reminisced the thousands of trips that the ship had done while heading to and from Mytilene, which she served loyally and with great success for 20 years, even during the declining performance of NEL Lines. The latter therefore lost its greatest-ever ship (and also the longest-serving ship in the company's history, having been owned by them for 32 years even though she did not sail for the final 7 years), and the only ships that are lefts as remnants of the company (even though it has remained inactive since 2015) are the AEOLOS KENTERIS I, the AEOLOS KENTERIS II and the TAXIARCHIS in Greece, as well as the AEOLOS KENTERIS which is languishing and partly-submerged in Augusta. While it is almost certain that the 46-year-old TAXIARCHIS will likely follow the MYTILENE and the THEOFILOS to the scrapyards, some may still hope for a reactivation of the three high speed craft, as they are only between 21 and 22 years old, respectively. However, their long history of technical issues and their lengthy lay-ups which have now lasted for more than a decade, will probably fail to attract any interested investor. Indeed, the fact that even Sea Jets, which has been known to purchase high speed craft that had previously spent many years of lay-up in both Greece and overseas, has not even considered acquiring them, shows that there are many hurdles along the way which make their reactivation worthless. As such, they are also very likely to head to the scrapyards too, and therefore this would mark the end of the three problematic ships that are generally viewed as one of the major causes of the decline and the eventual demise of NEL Lines. While one would believe that technological progress at the time would result in the Northeast Aegean Sea being linked with high speed craft, ultimately the area simply required ships like the MYTILENE in order to ensure a healthy and effective connection with the rest of Greece. In a career that lasted for almost five decades, the MYTILENE became one of the most successful ships to have ever operated in Greece, and she is widely seen as the best ship to have ever operated for NEL Lines, as well as one of the greatest ferries to have operated on the Northeast Aegean Sea. After a very successful career in Japan, she arrived in Greece with much fanfare as a worthy successor of the HOMERUS, and she delivered to her company with great success for more than 20 years. Even as she became older and NEL Lines began its downhill path, the ship never disappointed anyone and she continued to compete effectively against much modern ferries that were brought by Hellenic Seaways and Blue Star Ferries, although she would later prove to be unable to match the services of these vessels. Nevertheless, she became a beloved ship on the Northeast Aegean Sea to the same extent as the SAPPHO, with whom she operated successfully for 10 years, although most believe that she surpassed her elder former fleetmate due to her more impressive areas and her faster speed. She also remained the preferred ship over the THEOFILOS (despite the latter replacing her as the flagship of NEL Lines) as well as over the faster high speed craft that joined the company in the early 2000s. She will be remembered for her very comfortable service and her impressive onboard amenities, most notably her beautiful indoor lounge areas, her nice passenger cabins, her onboard restaurants and most notably her outdoor deck areas and balconies, which gave passengers the opportunity to enjoy a beautiful trip on the Aegean Sea. Her speed was also noteworthy and remained consistent for the most part, until her advanced age and improper maintenance in the early 2010s slowed her down. Overall, her longevity and the great captains that commanded her made her a legend of the Greek coastal service, just like her sister ship, namely the iconic RODANTHI. As such, the two ships are considered to be one of the best pairs of sister ships to have ever operated in Greece, as they both propelled their respective companies to great success and dominance on the Aegean Sea, and were among the most impressive ships of the early 1990s. However, one may suggest, that, in the case of the MYTILENE, NEL Lines became the victims of her success. Indeed, having seen how valuable the ship was, they sought to further enhance their presence on the Aegean Sea, but this resulted in mostly poor investments (most notably the three high speed craft) and deployments in areas where other companies had been established for many years and could not be disposed of. As such, the turbulent years of the company during the 2000s caused economic problems, and they were ironically displaced from their own service in which they had been operating practically unopposed for 40 years by the same companies that they had tried to outperform on the Cyclades, the Sporades, the Dodecanese or the Adriatic Sea. Even while they made a desperate attempt to improve their fleet and expand their operations in 2010 and in 2011, the problems persisted, and all the ships were progressively laid-up, including the MYTILENE after her engine failure in Samos in 2015. Some wonder whether she could still be sailing today had she been sold in the 2010s to a more serious company that would have looked after her more carefully, especially when considering the fact that many ferries built in the 1970s continue to operate in Greece despite reaching or nearing 50 years of service. Altogether, I believe that the ship leaves Greece at a proper moment, having suffered for many years and being left completely abandoned for a long time. Her last seven years clearly do not represent her career, as she will always be remembered for her incredibly successful trips on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, and she is a symbol of the Northeast Aegean Sea. I was fortunate to see her many times in Piraeus while she was still enjoying happier days, although I never had the opportunity to travel with her due to having never been on the Northeast Aegean Sea. But I will still keep many memories of the ship, as will the thousands of passengers that traveled with her frequently to Chios and Lesbos, where her status as a legend will never change. She brought them many great moments, and helped them stay linked with the rest of Greece despite their remoteness. Therefore, from the bottom of my heart, MYTILENE, I would like to thank you for your unique, acclaimed and dignified contribution to the Greek coastal service. You will be very missed, that is certain. #mytilene #nellines #aegean #northeastaegean #piraeus #greece #farewell #scrap #legend #extratribute

Trip: 15 August 2021. From Zakynthos to Kyllini, with the ANDREAS KALVOS of Levante Ferries. The ferry ANDREAS KALVOS was built in 1985 in Japan as the Ro-Ro carrier ESAN MORU No. 5 of the Japanese company Dōnan Jidōsha Ferry (known as Tsugaru Kaikyō Ferry since 2009), for whom she was deployed on the Aomori-Hakodate line on the Tsugaru Strait. She remained there for the first 15 years of her career, until she was sold to the Cypriot company Vourakis Shipping in 2000. She was renamed TONIA, and in 2001 she operated as a Ro-Ro carrier on the Piraeus-Limassol line. In 2002 she was bought by Zante Ferries, a Greek company based in Zakynthos and at the time a member of the Ionian Ferries joint venture, which also included Tyrogalas Ferries and ANEZ. The TONIA underwent a major conversion in Perama, whereupon she became a passenger ferry, and she was renamed ANDREAS KALVOS. Her conversion saw her receiving an entirely new passenger deck above her lower garage deck (in the place of the former upper outdoor garage deck) with many indoor lounge areas and an outdoor sun deck, as well as a fully remodeled stern. She finally started service on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line on the Ionian Sea in 2003. She also spent some time on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line from late 2012 to early 2013, after Strintzis Ferries, the company operating there, ceased operations, before returning to her previous usual service. In 2015 she underwent a major conversion once again, in Keratsini, whereupon she received sponsons and her stern was slightly modified. She was later transferred to the Aegean Sea, as she was deployed on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Kimolos-Milos line, hence joining her fleetmate, the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS, on the Western Cyclades. She stayed there for two years, until 2017, when she returned to the Ionian Sea, after it was decided that the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS would take over her service on the Cyclades. She resumed service on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line, this time under the Ionian Group joint venture, which included Zante Ferries and Levante Ferries. The latter had started operations on the Ionian Sea in late 2014, bringing in the spectacular ferry FIOR DI LEVANTE. The latter has so much success, that the company went on to buy the IONIAN STAR of Tyrogalas Ferries in 2015 (which became the MARE DI LEVANTE in 2016), and drove the latter company out of the Ionian Sea. After effectively competing against Kefalonian Lines, Levante Ferries became the dominant player on the Ionian Sea, to such an extent that they prevented the ANDREAS KALVOS from being sold to Kefalonian Lines in 2018. Instead, the ship joined Levante Ferries in 2019, only a few months after the company had bought the NISSOS KEFALONIA from Kefalonian Lines. Both ships began service in 2019, with the NISSOS KEFALONIA being renamed KEFALONIA and being deployed on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia, whereas the ANDREAS KALVOS (which was not renamed) was deployed on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, this time on a full-time basis. With these moves, Levante Ferries became the only company that served the Ionian Sea from Kyllini and from Patras, while Zante Ferries is now only operating on the Aegean Sea, with the DIONISIOS SOLOMOS serving the Western Cyclades lifeline, and the ADAMANTIOS KORAIS operates on the Alexandroupolis-Samothraki-Limnos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea since 2020. During that same year, the ANDREAS KALVOS returned to the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and to the Kyllini-Kefalonia line, while the KEFALONIA was moved to the service in Patras. Having served the Greek coastal service as a ferry for almost two decades, the ANDREAS KALVOS has become an important ship on the Ionian Sea, where she has been permanently deployed since 2002, with the exception being the two years that she operated on the Western Cyclades. Even though she is now 36 years old and far away from her early days as a new Ro-Ro carrier, the ship has provided good service and has remained a loyal ship on the Ionian Sea. Her usefulness has proven to her owners that she should continue to operate, as she underwent three major conversions since arriving in Greece. She helped cement the presence of Zante Ferries on the Ionian Sea for many years, and Levante Ferries also saw much potential in her, hence they upgraded her indoor areas to a large extent back in 2019. While she was deemed a bit too slow and too small to serve the demanding Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line during the summer, her presence on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line is more than sufficient. The summer fo 2021 marked her second consecutive season of operating to both islands of the Ionian Sea from Kyllini, together with the FIOR DI LEVANTE and the MARE DI LEVANTE. After having stayed in Aegina between for the first five days of August 2021, I then headed to Zakynthos with my family for a few days. This was a very meaningful period for us, as it had been the first time since 2019 that we got to visit the island, after unfortunately not having the opportunity to do so in 2020. On a much sadder note, this was the first time that we headed to Zakynthos without my beloved grandmother, or Granny as I always called her, as she sadly passed away in July 2021. She has been an integral part of my life and always supported me (as well as the rest of the family) in everything we did, and she showed love, care and affection to a level that I have not seen in any other individual that I have met so far. Moreover, she made me fall in love with the island of Zakynthos, as the moments that we got to spend together there each summer were amongst the most precious ones that I would experience this year. While it was hard to be in the island that she loved so much without her, the fact that we went there was the best way to honour her and to continue to enjoy the island's beauties and traditions the same way that we did with her. As such, this Blog post is dedicated to her, as she also always shared my passion for shipping, and especially those operating in Zakynthos. We had arrived in Zakynthos from Kyllini on 6 August 2021, having traveled onboard the MARE DI LEVANTE, for which a Tribute Post has already been written. On 15 August 2021, we started to make our way back to Athens in order to then go to Aegina for the remainder of the summer. Our return trip from Zakynthos to Kyllini was with the ANDREAS KALVOS. By traveling with her, this marked the first time that I traveled with the ship under the livery of Levante Ferries, and it was also my second-ever trip with her. Indeed, the first one had been from Kyllini to Zakynthos on 2 July 2012, hence more than nine years prior. By embarking onboard the ANDREAS KALVOS, it also meant that I had now traveled with all four current vessels of Levante Ferries, as I have also traveled with the FIOR DI LEVANTE from 2015 to 2017, as well as with the KEFALONIA during her debut season under her current owners. A view of the ANDREAS KALVOS in Zakynthos, shortly before embarking onboard her for the second time in my life. It would mark my first trip with her after nine years. The ANDREAS KALVOS seen in the port of Zakynthos, during her third season under Levante Ferries. This summer marked the first time that I saw the ship under the livery of Levante Ferries, as she was operating on the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line in 2019, and I was unfortunately not able to visit Zakynthos during the summer of 2020. Before I embarked onboard the ANDREAS KALVOS, I spotted the pier from which the small passenger boats of Zakynthos (with the exception of those owned by Voutirakos Cruises) depart the island in order to perform their daily cruises and excursions around the island and in Marathonisi. There, I saw two ships of Top Cruiser, the DIMOSTHENIS and the DIMOSTHENIS K, as well as the MY WAY of My Tours, which was built in 2020 and was the newest ship to be introduced on cruises around Zakynthos. The DIMOSTHENIS K, which has been sailing around Zakynthos and Marathonisi since 1994, is seen together with the newly-built MY WAY. Next to them is the abandoned passenger boat PANAGIA ATHONITISSA of Actipis Cruises, which has been languishing in Zakynthos since 2009. A bit further down, I also had the chance to see the two ships of Seven Islands Cruises that operate around Zakynthos and in Marathonisi. These are the IKAROS PALACE and the IONIAN SUN. The IKAROS PALACE seen in Zakynthos together with her fleetmate, the IONIAN SUN. The IKAROS PALACE has performed this service since 2007, while from 1999 to 2006 she operated on the Kefalonia-Ithaca-Skorpios-Meganisi-Lefkada line on the Ionian Sea. The IONIAN SUN was spending her fourth season under Seven Islands Cruises, having joined them in 2018. Before that, she was the VASSILIOS A of Akliros Cruises, for whom she performed daily cruises on the Saronic Gulf from 1990 (the year during which she was built) to 2017. While looking towards the Western pier of the port of Zakynthos, one can see the ships of Voutirakos Cruises. In this case, I saw the MENIA MARIA I and the DELFINI. Both ships have served the company on the Ionian Sea for many years, and they have been praised for their daily cruises around Zakynthos and Marathonisi. A view of one of the two funnels of the ANDREAS KALVOS. After having carried the logo of Zante Ferries for 16 years, the ship's funnel now featured that of Levante Ferries. A view of the passenger staircase leading to Deck 5, which is also known as the Saloon Deck. This is because it is the only deck that features the ship's indoor areas, as well as the outdoor balcony located right underneath her bridge. There is also an outdoor areas in Deck 6, located towards the aft section of the ship. The walls around the staircase feature waves and lyres which are hanged for decoration. They were added when the ship entered service for Zante Ferries back in 2003. Levante Ferries did not remove them, although they added a poster stating 'Happy to welcome you aboard our ships again' in both Greek and English, together with the company's logo. This is the sign that passenger see upon disembarking from the ship. A view of the central indoor lounge area found on Deck 5. It features multiple dark blue chairs located around several small wooden tables. Another view of the central indoor lounge area, which also features a small bar towards the ship's starboard side. Towards a corner on the starboard side of the central indoor lounge area on Deck 5, a wall featured a nice picture of the Blue Caves of Zakynthos, which are located at the Northern tip of the island and are known to have some of the most precious waters of the Ionian Sea. A view of the Safety Plan of the ANDREAS KALVOS, which depicts the emergency exits and the location of all available life jackets in each deck. Heading towards the stern section of Deck 5, one may find several aircraft-style seats. These were fully renovated in early 2020, when more aircraft-style seats were added in order to better accommodate passengers on the Patras-Kefalonia--Ithaca line. Another view of the new aircraft-style seats of the ANDREAS KALVOS, which were added in early 2020. Despite this addition, the passenger capacity continued to be underwhelming for the Patras-Kefalonia-Ithaca line, therefore the KEFALONIA moved to there during the summer. For the short trip on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line, these seats are more than sufficient. The central part of the stern section, which features more aircraft-style seats which are seen in rows of four, surrounded by small black barrier columns. Another view of the aircraft-style seats, which are located in the stern section of Deck 5. The walls here are decorated with a nautical chart of the Ionian Sea. A view of the stern section of Deck 5, with the ship's well-known aft windows. The chairs and tables that used to be there were also replaced by aircraft-style seats. Another view of the aft windows, as well as the aircraft-style seats located next to them. After having a look at the indoor area of Deck 5, I proceeded to the front section outdoor area of the ship, where one can find the front section balcony that gives a full view of the ship's surroundings. There, I could see the ship's mooring equipment, and the flag of Levante Ferries being flown right above her bow. Another view of the front section balcony of the ANDREAS KAVLOS, with the town of Zakynthos seen in the background. A view of the starboard side alley that leads to the front section bow of the ANDREAS KALVOS. It features a few seats that face the sea, as well as a small staircase that leads back to the indoor lounge area of the ship. I then proceeded to Deck 6, which has an outdoor sun deck area that has more chairs and tables for passengers. Another view of the outdoor sun deck in Deck 6, which was also renovated in 2020, during the ship's refit in Drapetsona and in Chalkida. A further view of the outdoor sun deck, which also started to feature a few white benches attached to the floor. While walking further down Deck 6, I almost reached the stern section, which did not have any passenger amenities. A view of the mizzenmast of the ANDREAS KALVOS, which has been fully painted in black since the ship joined Levante Ferries in 2019. After I had finished exploring the ship's indoor and outdoor areas, I spotted the small high speed boat SPYROS V of Voutirakos Cruises departing the port of Zakynthos. She was built in 2021, and was therefore spending the first summer of career. Like all her fleetmates, she performs one-day cruises around Zakynthos and Marathonisi. The SPRYOS V seen departing the port of Zakynthos in the morning. She is one of the three small high speed boats that were built for Voutirakos Cruises in Greece. The SPYROS V seen as she leaves the port of Zakynthos in order to start her cruises. She was the youngest ship operating in Zakynthos during that season, as she began service a year after the MY WAY. The SPYROS V seen leaving and heading towards the exit of the port of Zakynthos. One last view of the SPYROS V, just before she exited the port of Zakynthos. Moments after the SPYROS V had left the port of Zakynthos, it was now the turn of the small high speed boat ATHANASIOS V of Voutirakos Cruises to leave the port. She is seen here ready to pass by her two fleetmates, the MENIA MARIA I and the DELFINI. The ATHANASIOS V seen leaving the port of Zakynthos. She was the second ship of her kind to be delivered to Voutirakos Cruises, having been built in Greece in 2016. She joined the company two years after her sister ship, the STAVROULA V. The MENIA MARIA I and the DELFINI seeing the ATHANASIOS V leaving the port of Zakynthos in order to begin her daily cruise around the island. The ATHANASIOS V seen leaving the port of Zakynthos, during her sixth summer operating on the Ionian Sea under Voutirakos Cruises. The ATHANASIOS V seen as she leaves the port of Zakynthos. Another view of the ATHANASIOS V, as she heads towards the exit of the port of Zakynthos. The small and modern ATHANASIOS V seen as she leaves Zakynthos. The ATHANASIOS V seen exiting the port of Zakynthos. Another view of the IKAROS PALACE alongside the IONIAN SUN. The DIMOSTHENIS K and the MY WAY seen alongside the PANAGIA ATHONITISSA and two other abandoned and partly-submerged small passenger ships. The DIMOSTHENIS K, the MY WAY and the PANAGIA ATHONITISSA seen together in the port of Zakynthos. At around 08:00, the ANDREAS KALVOS departed the port of Zakynthos in order to begin her trip to Kyllini. Here is another view of the DIMOSTHENIS, alongside the DIMOSTHENIS K, the MY WAY and the abandoned passenger ships of Zakynthos. The IKAROS PALCE can also be party seen at the right corner of this picture. The MENIA MARIA I seen alongside the DELFINI in Zakynthos. I notably traveled with the latter during the summer 2009, whereupon I sailed around Zakynthos and also headed to Marathonisi. Another view of the DELINI in Zakynthos. She is the flagship of Voutirakos Cruises. She was built in 2001 in Greece, with the basis of her hull being taken from her predecessor, also named DELFINI, which was a small passenger ship that operated for Voutirakos Cruises from 1990 to 2001. The DIMOSTHENIS, the DIMOSTHENIS K and the MY WAY seen together in Zakynthos. Another view of the DIMOSTHENIS and of the DIMOSTHENIS K, which have spent their entire careers under Top Cruiser. As I left the port of Zakynthos, I took one final picture of the Church of Agios Dionisios, who is the patron Saint of the island. This church has been an integral part of my childhood and of my summer stays in Zakynthos, and it is one of the most distinguishable landmarks of the island. About 30 minutes after having left the port of Zakynthos, I spotted one of the fleetmates of the ANDREAS KALVOS, namely the MARE DI LEVANTE. She was seen heading to Zakynthos, after having left Kyllini. Crossing the MARE DI LEVANTE on the Ionian Sea, as she is seen heading to Zakynthos. She was built in 1984 in Japan, hence a year before the ANDREAS KALVOS. Like the latter, she also first operated in Japan for the first years of her career, before moving to Greece during the 2000s. Both ships began their services on the Ionian Sea in 2003, as this was the year during which the MARE DI LEVANTE was introduced on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line as the IONIAN STAR of Tyrogalas Ferries. She operated for the latter company until 2015, when she was sold to Levante Ferries. She was renamed MARE DI LEVANTE in 2016. The MARE DI LEVANTE seen sailing on the Ionian Sea, during her seventh summer under Levante Ferries, and during her sixth season under her current name. The MARE DI LEVANTE seen on the Ionian Sea, where she has established herself just like the ANDREAS KALVOS did. Previously, both ships operated together through the Ionian Ferries joint venture, from 2003 to 2015 as well as under the Ionian Group joint venture from 2017 (when the ANDREAS KALVOS returned to the Ionian Sea) to 2019. Since then, both ships have been fleetmates. A view of the MARE DI LEVANTE, on which I had the chance to travel during the 2021 season, after having sailed with her from Kyllini to Zakynthos on 6 August 2021. I have traveled with her several times as a result of heading to Zakynthos during the summer. Indeed, I traveled with her several times back when she was known as the IONIAN STAR during the 2000s, as well once in 2012, in 2013 and in 2014 (with all these trips being from Zakynthos to Kyllini). I traveled with her under her current name and livery for the first time on 30 July 2017, while going from Kyllini to Zakynthos. Since then, I traveled twice with her in 2018, once in 2019, and once more in 2021. The successful MARE DI LEVANTE see as she heads towards the port of Zakynthos. She became the third and final ship to join Tyrogalas Ferries, having joined them in 2003 as the IONIAN STAR. The company had started operations on the Ionian Sea with the ferry PROTEUS, which was sold to ANES Ferries in 2006 and still operates for the latter company on the Sporades. The company acquired the Ionian Sea veteran ferry IONIS in 1993, and operated her on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and on the Kyllini-Kefalonia line until 2015, when she moved to the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line on the Saronic Gulf. The ship was sold a year later to Leve Ferries, and she therefore marked the end of Tyrogalas Ferries, as the IONIAN STAR had been sold to Levante Ferries only a few months prior. The IONIS continues to operate today, having joined Triton Ferries in 2017 and currently serving the Lavrion-Kea-Kythnos line on the Cyclades since 2020. The MARE DI LEVANTE seen sailing on the Ionian Sea, en route to Zakynthos. She is the second oldest ship of Levante Ferries, after the KEFALONIA which was built in 1975. One last view of the MARE DI LEVANTE, as she sails to Zakynthos while we make our way to the port of Kyllini. At around 09:10, the ANDREAS KALVOS had finally reached the port of Kyllini. There, another one of her fleetmates, namely the FIOR DI LEVANTE, was seen waiting for us to dock. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini. She was due to depart the port in order to head to Kefalonia. Alongside the ANDREAS KALVOS and the MARE DI LEVANTE, she serves both the Kyllini-Zakynthos line and the Kyllini-Kefalonia. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen docked in Kyllini. She was built in 1998 in South Korea, and she was bought by Levante Ferries in 2012. She was completely rebuilt and converted in China, and after two years, she became a completely new ship. Her indoor areas and her passenger amenities are among the most impressive in Greece. She began service on the Kyllini-Zakynthos line in late 2014, and she immediately made an impact, becoming the best ferry of the Ionian Sea and asserting the market position of Levante Ferries in the area. She became such a success, that eventually all companies based in Kyllini eventually withdrew from the area, and therefore Levante Ferries established a monopoly there. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen resting in Kyllini. Ever since beginning her services on the Ionian Sea, she has been the flagship of Levante Ferries. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini, during her seventh season under Levante Ferries. After having a successful first summer during the 2015 season, her company bought the IONIAN STAR from Tyrogalas Ferries, and this led to the end of the Ionian Ferries joint venture, which was replaced by the Ionian Group joint venture that included Levante Ferries and Zante Ferries. As a result of this, the FIOR DI LEVANTE also began serving the Kyllini-Kefalonia line. During the 2016 season and the 2017 season, she also performed occasional trips on the Kyllini-Kefalonia-Ithaca line. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen as she is docked in Kyllini, while awaiting to leave the port in order to head to Kefalonia. Despite initially competing against Zante Ferries, she did not really face the ANDREAS KALVOS, as the latter had ended her service on the Ionian Sea after the 2014 season and then underwent her second conversion in Keratsini before moving to the Western Cyclades during the 2015 season. After she returned to the Ionian Sea in 2017, it was under the Ionian Group joint venture, therefore the two ships were collaborating with one another. They eventually became fleetmates when the ANDREAS KALVOS joined Levante Ferries in 2019. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen docked in the port of Kyllini. Her success on the Ionian Sea did not go unnoticed by shipping enthusiasts around the world, and she eventually was awarded the prestigious title of 'The Best Ferry in the World' in 2015 by Shippax. The impressive FIOR DI LEVANTE seen resting in Kyllini. A view of the FIOR DI LEVANTE, which is truly a gem for the Ionian Sea and for the Greek coastal service altogether. A view of the FIOR DI LEVANTE in Kyllini, while the ANDREAS KALVOS performs her maneuvering procedure. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini, where she has established herself as the best ship of the Ionian Sea. I traveled with her for the first time on 24 July 2015, while heading from Zakynthos to Kyllini. I also had a memorable onboard her on 26 July 2016, while heading from Zakynthos to Kyllini and then back, before again traveling with her two days later. The last time that I sailed onboard her so far was on 7 August 2017, from Zakynthos to Kyllini. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini. Many major Greek ferry companies would certainly envy her incredible amenities, and she would certainly be a major success if she ever was deployed on the Aegean Sea. But even then, I believe that her true home is on the Ionian Sea. The ANDREAS KALVOS was performing her maneuvering procedure in order to dock next to the FIOR DI LEVANTE in Kyllini. The beautiful FIOR DI LEVANTE seen docked in the port of Kyllini. Another view of the FIOR DI LEVANTE, while she is resting in Kyllini shortly before departing the port in order to head to Kefalonia. The FIOR DI LEVANTE seen in Kyllini. Before joining Levante Ferries, she was the TREASURE ISLAND of the South Korean company Dong Yang Shipping Company, which was renamed Dong Yang Express Ferry Company in 2005. In 2000 the ship was renamed HYUNDAI SEOLBONG, a name that she kept until her sale to Levante Ferries in 2012. During her spell in South Korea, she served the Busan-Jeju line. One last view of the FIOR DI LEVANTE in Kyllini. After about 75 minutes, the trip with the ANDREAS KALVOS had ended, as she finally docked in the port of Kyllini. Here is a view of her stern, which further displays her side sponsons, which she acquired back in 2015. Next to her port side entrance ramp, one may also see a sign displaying the logo of Lloyd's List Greek Shipping Awards, which specifies that Levante Ferries won the 'Passenger Line of the Year' award for 2019 (the year during which the ANDREAS KALVOS joined the company). This award was yet another major accolade that further implied that Levante Ferries was now one of the best Greek ferry operators. One final view of the ANDREAS KALVOS in Kyllini, as we now begin to head back to Athens. And this therefore marks the end of this post. Overall, the trip was very enjoyable, and I was pleased to be back onboard the ANDREAS KALVOS after more than nine years. She was clearly a different ship compared to the last time that I had traveled with her, as her indoor areas were fully refurbished, in addition to her stern being slightly remodeled along with the ship also having acquired sponsons. These changes have undoubtedly made her more appealing to passengers, and she can sail more comfortably even under adverse weather conditions. A unique feature of the ship is her front section balcony, which offers passengers a beautiful view across the Ionian Sea. Overall, it was nice to sail onboard this ferry, which has been a key component of the Ionian Sea for almost two decades. In addition, I was happy to see Zakynthos again after two years, and also having the chance to see the ships that serve this precious island yet again. While there is no longer any competition due to the success of Levante Ferries, the company's ships continue to provide excellent service, and will certainly continue to do so for the years that will follow. #andreaskalvos #levanteferries #summer2021 #greece #ionian #zakynthos #kyllini #dimosthenis #dimosthenisk #topcruiser #myway #mytours #ikarospalace #ioniansun #sevenislandscruises #meniamariai #delfini #spyrosv #athanasiosv #voutirakoscruises #maredilevante #fiordilevante #tribute This Blog Post is dedicated to my beloved grandmother, Ariadni-Maria Vraila, or Granny as I called her, who sadly left us in July 2021. Apart from giving me so many precious memories and beautiful moments, she made me love with the island of Zakynthos, which is where I first started to follow the ships of the Greek coastal service. I maintain fond memories from the island, and all the summers that I had the chance to spend there with her and with the rest of my family remain deeply engraved in my heart. While it was hard to spend the summer of 2021 in Zakynthos without her, her memory lives on, and I will continue to visit the island for the rest of my life, always sailing on the Ionian Sea that she loved so deeply.

Trip: 21 August 2021. From Aegina to Palaia Epidavros, with the AGISTRI EXPRESS I of Agistriotiki NE. The small passenger boat AGISTRI EXPRESS I was built in Greece in 2000 for the Agistri-based company Agistriotiki NE. She has spent her entire career on the Aegina-Agistri line, connecting the two Saronic Gulf islands daily during the year. When she began her service in 2000, she replaced the small passenger ship MANARAS EXPRESS of Panou Shipping, which was sold to the Kos-based company Diakanastasis Cruises. She is one of the two small passenger ships connecting Aegina with a smaller island of the Saronic Gulf, with the other one being the small wooden passenger boat NERAÏDA of Sea Bond, which serves the Aegina-Moni line during the summer. Overall, the small ship is, despite her size, a very important presence in both islands. Indeed, she solely operates during the morning and the early afternoon, usually transporting the residents of Agistri who work in Aegina. Moreover, she is a vital ship when it comes to transporting sick or injured people from Agistri to Aegina, where medical facilities are accessible. Despite both islands having a strong connection with Piraeus and between themselves through the ferries of 2way Ferries and the high speed craft of both Hellenic Seaways and Aegean Flying Dolphins, Agistriotiki NE remains a popular company in both Aegina and Agistri, as it fulfills its simple role with much success and throughout most of the year. She also performs excursion trips to other ports of the Saronic Gulf, such as Methana and Poros, including during the winter, when schools in Aegina and Agistri organise field trips there. She has also performed evening trips from Aegina and Agistri to Palaia Epidavros, in order to transport passengers planning to watch a play in the historical Ancient Theatre of Epidavros, which was built in the 4th century BC and continues to host theatrical performances. To that end, the AGISTRI EXPRESS I leaves Aegina (or Agistri) during the evening, heads to the coastal town of Palaia Epidavros on the Saronic Gulf, from which passengers then head to the Ancient Theatre by bus. After the theatrical performances end, the passengers head back to Palaia Epidavros, after which the AGISTRI EXPRESS I brings them back to Aegina. I was fortunate to be a passenger onboard such trips on the evening of 21 August 2021, as I headed, together with my family, from Aegina to Epidavros in order to watch a theatrical performance of the Ancient Greek play 'Prometheus Bound' of Aeschylus. To that end, I got to travel with the AGISTRI EXPRESS I for the first time in my life, despite having frequently seen her in Aegina several times when I would head to the island during the summer. This marked my third-ever trip on the Saronic Gulf with a ship other than a ferry or a high speed craft, after having sailed with the small one-day cruise ship PLATYTERA TON OURANON of Hydraïki Cruises (also known as Athens One Day Cruise), on which I traveled back on 9 September 2017, and also with the SEBECO II of Alko Ferries, on which I had traveled while heading from Piraeus to Agistri on 27 July 2019. I would perform two trips with the ship, with the second one being during the night, after the theatrical performance ended towards midnight. The AGISTRI EXPRESS I seen docked in the port of Aegina, where she was waiting for passengers planning to head to the Ancient Theatre of Epidavros to embark onboard her. A view of the AGISTRI EXPRESS I in Aegina, during her twenty-second season on the Aegina-Agistri line, where she has become a much-appreciated local ship. A bit further down, in the main pier of the port of Aegina, I saw the PLATYTERA TON OURANON of Hydraïki Cruises, which was performing yet another cruise on the Saronic Gulf. She was built in 1999 in Greece, and has been owned by her current company since 2007. She performs daily cruises on the Floisbos-Hydra-Poros-Aegina line, hence giving many tourists the opportunity to see three islands of the Saronic Gulf in just one day. A frontal view of the AGISTRI EXPRESS I, where one can see her small bridge. Passengers were allowed to sit over the ship's bow, which is something that I went on to do in both trips, including the one that we did during the night. Another view of the PLATYTERA TON OURANON, which also happened to have a ferry docked right next to her. Indeed, I could spot the landing craft ELENI of Kerkyra Seaways, which was serving the Piraeus-Aegina line during the 2021 season. She replaced the AGIOS NEKTARIOS AEGINAS of ANES Ferries, which unexpectedly headed to the Sporades in order to take over the service left by her fleetmate, the SYMI, which experienced a severe engine failure. The ELENI and the PLATYTERA TON OURANON seen together in the port of Aegina, right at the start of the evening. We proceeded to embark onboard the AGISTRI EXPRESS I. There, I saw the ship's small wooden reception desk, which notably featured a small globe. A view of the indoor lounge area of the AGISTRI EXPRESS I, which features several rows of dark blue aircraft-style seats. Right in front of the bridge, one can see a banner with the ship's name, and a text in Greek stating '2000-2021. 21 years of serving our island [Agistri]. We thank you for your support'. The ship's life jackets can be seen on the top of the ceiling. Right next to the door leading to the outdoor area over the ship's bow, I noticed a portrait of the late founder of Agistriotiki NE, who was the main visionary of the company aimed at deploying a ship on the local Aegina-Agistri line in 2000. A sign right next to the portrait states, in Greek, 'Our gratitude to the late architect of the deployment of the AGISTRI EXPRESS I. March 2000'. At about 18:00, the AGISTRI EXPRESS I began to leave Aegina in order to head towards Palaia Epidavros. I once again had the chance to see the PLATYTERA TON OURANON, prior to her return trip to Floisbos. She performs this service under the Platinum Cruises joint venture, which includes her company and Evermore Cruises, which owns the legendary passenger ship MYKINAI, nowadays the one-day cruise ship COSMOS. A better view of the ELENI, during her lone season on the Piraeus-Aegina line on the Saronic Gulf. She was built in 1993 in Greece, as the ELENE B of Elene B Shipping, and operated on the Rion-Antirrion line. She was sold to the Corfu-based company Gerontakis Shipping in 2005, and she was renamed ELENI. She moved to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line on the Ionian Sea in 2007. She joined Kerkyra Seaways in 2020, while in 2021, the year during which she completed a major refit in Salamina, she operated on the Piraeus-Aegina line. After the summer season ended, she returned to the Igoumenitsa-Corfu line. Another view of the ELENI, shortly after the AGISTRI EXPRESS I exited the port of Aegina. I traveled with the ship on three different occasions, the first of which was on 21 July 2021, exactly one month before my trip with the AGISTRI EXPRESS I, while heading from Aegina to Piraeus. As we were now sailing on the Saronic Gulf, I also happened to see the conventional ferry APOLLON HELLAS of 2way Ferries from a further distance. Built in 1990 in Greece, she has been operating on the Saronic Gulf since 2017. She has also been present there from 1990 to 1995, and also from 1999 to 2013. Since her return in 2017 (after three seasons on the Sporades), she has been serving the Piraeus-Aegina-Methana-Poros line. Only a few seconds after seeing the APOLLON HELLAS, I spotted the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways approaching the port of Aegina as well. The FLYNG DOLPHIN XVII seen heading to Aegina at full-speed. She was built in 1984 in Georgia, which was at the time part of the Soviet Union, and was introduced on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line on the Saronic Gulf under the Greek company Ceres Flying Dolphins. The latter was taken over by Minoan Flying Dolphins in 1999, with all hydrofoils joining the new company. The latter was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins in 2002, before being rebranded as Hellenic Seaways in 2005. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII is one the three hydrofoils that continue to operate for the company. A view of the FLYING DOLPHIN XVII as she approaches the port of Aegina. I have traveled with her four times so far, including on 19 July 2021, while heading from Piraeus to Aegina. One last view of the veteran hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII, while she makes her towards the port of Aegina. After a few minutes, we were now seeing the island of Agistri from a closer view. We would pass by the North side of the island, from where we could see the small port of Megalochori (also known as Mylos), which is the port of Agistri that is served by the hydrofoils of Hellenic Seaways and Aegean Flying Dolphins. The AGISTRI EXPRESS I also docks in the port, together with the main port of Skala, which is served by the ferries of the Saronic Gulf. Another view of the island of Agistri, which has grown in popularity over the past two decades. It is a frequent destination for people willing to do a one-day excursion from Aegina. A better view of the port of Megalochori in Agistri. Towards 19:10, after over 70 minutes of sailing over the Saronic Gulf, we had finally reached the port of Palaia Epidavros. There, I had the chance to see the Church of Agios Nikolaos, which looks down towards the sea. Palaia Epidavros nowadays rarely has passenger ships connecting it with the rest of Greece, due to most towns and villages on the Argolid Peninsula being accessible from Athens by road. The port used to be served by hydrofoils of Ceres Flying Dolphins during the 1980s and the 1990s, being usually linked with Methana, Poros and Aegina. A view of the two lighthouses located in the middle of the small bay that is right surrounded by the town of Palaia Epidavros. It is mandatory for passenger ships to pass between them, and to reduce their speed in order to avoid disrupting the small yachts and sailboats that anchor near the port. This therefore marked the end of my trip with the AGISTRI EXPRESS I. After watching the performance of 'Prometheus Bound', we headed back to the port of Palaia Epidavros towards midnight, and the AGISTRI EXPRESS I left for Aegina towards 01:00. Here is a picture of her right before embarking onboard her once again in order to make our way back to Aegina at night. The return trip was extremely memorable, as we were sailing at night over the Saronic Gulf, with my uncle and me being among the few passengers that stayed in the outdoor area, over the ship's bow, throughout the entire return trip. This therefore concludes my Tribute Post. I was very pleased to finally travel onboard the AGISTRI EXPRESS I, which was a ship that I saw multiple times while spending my summer vacation in Aegina. Despite her small size compared to other vessels operating on the Saronic Gulf, she is very suitable for small local trips to Agistri as well as Palaia Epidavros. Her versatility has helped her become a much-appreciated ship in the region, and she therefore enables many people based in Aegina to explore other ports across the Saronic Gulf, including the opportunity to watch a theatrical performance in one of the most historical archaeological sites of Greece. These two unusual trips were very memorable for me, as I finally had the chance to explore new sections of the Saronic Gulf, while traveling onboard a nice traditional vessel, which is the unsung hero of the island of Agistri. #agistriexpressi #agistriotikine #summer2021 #greece #saronicgulf #aegean #aegina #palaiaepidavros #agistri #platyteratonouranon #hydraikicruises #athensonedaycruise #eleni #kerkyraseaways #apollonhellas #2wayferries #flyingdolphinxvii #hellenicseaways #tribute

The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen in Perama on 3 July 2018. This is where she was permanently laid-up for the last three years of her working life. I had already stated on my previous post, written just a week ago, that the veteran conventional ferry EUROPEAN EXPRESS of NEL Lines was being prepared to sail to the Aliağa scrapyard in Turkey, after a career that lasted 45 years, though the last five of them were spent under lay-up in the Piraeus vicinity ports. And in fact, on 27 January 2019, the ship sailed for the last time ever, being towed under the name EXPRESS and under the Togolese flag to Turkey. This ended an eventful career for this old ferry, which had gone through various misfortunes mainly caused by economic problems faced by her owners, numerous short-lived charters and limited stints on various lines she operated within these 45 years. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS was a classic Japanese-built ferry which became one of the many that went on to spend the second part of their career from the 'Land of the Rising Sun' to the Greek coastal service. Despite her huge potential thanks to her speed (being the fastest ferry in the world at the time during which she was built), her large garage and her comfortable indoor lounge areas and cabins, the ship did not experience the success that she deserved. And this was mainly due to the fact that she fell under the wrong hands in the wrong moments, as she was initially operating for the disorganised Access Ferries on the declining connection of Piraeus with Cyprus and Israel in the early 2000s, and then had a rather turbulent spell with the once-glorious NEL Lines at the time of their demise in the mid 2010s. Between her spells under Access Ferries and NEL Lines, she was only able to operate under short-lived charters with various companies, especially on the Western Mediterranean Sea, but also on the Caribbean Sea. Although she did experience some success on certain lines, economic problems faced by her various owners could not help her achieve her full potential, and the collapse of NEL Lines eventually led to her own demise. Despite her problems and numerous misadventures, the ship is still remembered by many Greek coastal service enthusiasts for her impressive appearance, speed (only during her heydays) and for her successful stint on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line from 2010 to 2012. Back then, she had just been introduced by NEL Lines and her deployment on the company's core line was a temporary success, as she was the fastest ship on the line, and she managed to win the passengers' trust, eventually kicking competitors ANEK Lines out of the line. Hence, her departure to the scrapyards was able to make people remember some of the shining moments of her career, and not only the dark ones she experienced, especially during her final years, when she was laid-up in Drapetsona from 2014 to 2016 and in Perama from 2016 to 2019. Just like my Farewell Post on the JET FERRY 1 of GA Ferries dating from January 2016 and my Farewell Post on the AGIOS GEORGIOS/PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines dating from March 2017, this post covers the ferry's entire career from start to finish, including the start of her operations in Japan and the charters she had after arriving in Europe for the first time. Personally, I was never able to see and photograph the ship during the period when she was still active. Instead, I saw her for the first and only time on 3 July 2018, while performing a trip from Piraeus to Salamina with the GEORGIOS BROUFAS II of Broufas Vessels. She had been laid-up in Perama for two years, and I knew that she would be gone anytime soon. Despite seeing her at her worst state, I was still impressed by her appearance. Imagine my reaction if I had seen her eight years earlier, when she first began operating for NEL Lines. This post will hence help the readers see what the ship's true career was, and not only base it on the three pictures I took of her while she was laid-up. The ship that went on to become the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was one of the two cruiseferries ordered in 1973 by the Japanese company Nippon Car Ferry. She was completed in early 1974 at Nippon Kokan Shipyards, which are located in the Japanese city of Shimizu. She entered service as the TAKACHIHO MARU, alongside her sister ship, the MIMITSU MARU, which was completed during the same period, but in the Naikai Zōsen Yards in Onomichi (both ships were built in separate shipyards in order to both be completed in time for the 1974 season). She was initially carrying the Japanese flag while being registered in Tokyo. She was named after the town of Takachiho, located in the Miyazaki Prefecture (later in her career she would go on to call the latter's capital city's port). Both ships were deployed on the Kawasaki-Hyūga line, hence connecting the suburbs of Tokyo (part of the Kanagawa Prefecture) located on the island of Honshu with the Southern island of Kyushu, where Hyūga is located (within the Miyazaki Prefecture). The trip was extremely long due to the distance separating the two ports, and lasted two days at the time the two ships were operating. Their service was nevertheless efficient, as they were able to provide the passenger demand for cabins and indoor amenities. But the most important and impressive feature she had was the fact that she was, at the time during which she began her career, the fastest cruiseferry in Japan and in the world, being capable of reaching a maximum speed of 27 knots! This was perceived as a real innovation back in 1974. As a result, a faster connection of the two ports made her a favourite amongst the Japanese passengers at the time. The only incident experienced by the TAKACHIHO MARU was in 1982, when she collided with on the Uraga Channel with the reefer SANWA FONTAINE, but both ships suffered very little damage. The TAKACHIHO MARU seen in a postcard during the early years of her career. This is one of the rare pictures of the ship during her stint with her first owners, Nippon Car Ferry. Postcard taken by Ken Murayama and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. The best picture that I could find of the MIMITSU MARU, the sister ship of the TAKACHIHO MARU, while she was sailing for Nippon Car Ferry. She is seen in Kawasaki in 1985. She was built in 1974 and she began service alongside her sister ship on the Kawasaki-Hyūga line. In 1983, a fire erupted onboard the ship's sauna, but it was rapidly extinguished by the crew without causing any casualties. In 1989 she collided with the cargo vessel FAVAO in Cape Shionomisaki, which significantly damaged her hull and required several weeks of repairs. After Nippon Car Ferry was taken over by Seacom Ferry in 1990, the MIMITSU MARU joined the latter in 1992. At the end of that same year, the ship was deployed on the Osaka-Miyazaki line, where she remained until 1997. She was then sold to the Philippine company Negros Navigation and was renamed MARY QUEEN OF PEACE. She was deployed on the Manila-Cagayan de Oro line. In 2004 she stopped passenger operations and was converted into a floating hotel in Boracay. As her company began to experience financial issues, the ship remained abandoned in Boracay until she was sold for scrap in 2008, whereupon she was demolished in India as the DA FA. Picture published on www.funamushi.jp. The TAKACHIHO MARU seen undergoing an annual refit in Hiroshima during her stint under Nippon Car Ferry. Picture published on https://blogs.yahoo.co.jp. After spending 16 years with Nippon Car Ferry, the TAKACHIHO MARU was taken over by the Japanese company Seacom Ferry in 1990. Her new company kept her on the Kawasaki-Hyūga line. She was now competing against her sister ship and former fleetmate, the MIMITSU MARU. The service continued to be successful despite the strong competition. In 1992, Seacom Ferry was renamed Marine Express as part of a rebranding strategy undertaken by the company, during which all of its ships were painted with a new livery featuring dark red hulls. The company also acquired the MIMITSU MARU, thus reuniting her with her sister ship. At the same time, Marine Express was also ordering two larger and faster ferries to be deployed on the Kawasaki-Hyūga line. These were the PACIFIC EXPRESS (now the BAJA STAR of the Mexican company Baja Ferries, since late 2018) and the PHOENIX EXPRESS (which later became the MEGA EXPRESS FIVE of the French-Italian company Corsica Ferries-Sardinia Ferries, being sold to them in 2006), built in 1992 and 1993 respectively. The latter effectively replaced the TAKACHIHO MARU that year, and the ship was sent to the Osaka-Miyazaki line. There, she reunited with her sister ship, which had also been deployed on the line a year earlier. Marine Express also notably owned another Japanese-built ferry which went on to operate in Greece, namely the ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways, which was known as the FERRY HIMUKA. She operated for Marine Express from 2004 to 2005, and then under their subsequent name, Miyazaki Car Ferry, from 2005 to 2006, on the Hannan-Hyūga-Miyazaki line The TAKACHIHO MARU seen operating off the Japanese coast in the early 1990s. Picture taken by Spyridon Roussos and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. The TAKACHIHO MARU in Osaka in 1994. Picture published on www.idyllicocean.com. Three years after changing her itinerary for the first time in her career, the TAKACHIHO MARU was again forced to operate on another service due to the arrival of the newly-built ships ordered by Marine Express for the Osaka-Miyazaki line. Indeed, with the completion of the MIYAZAKI EXPRESS and the OSAKA EXPRESS (known as the KOBE EXPRESS since 2014) in 1996 and 1997 respectively, the then-22-year-old TAKACHIHO MARU moved to the Kobe-Hyūga line, again connecting the islands of Honshu and Kyushu. She had also returned to Hyūga for the first time in 6 years. Her sister ship, the MIMITSU MARU, was withdrawn from the Osaka-Miyazaki line in 1997, and was sold to the Philippine company Negros Navigation. She left Japan as the MARY QUEEN OF PEACE and operated for her new owners until 2008, when she was sold for scrap at the age of 34. The TAKACHIHO MARU in Kobe in 1997. Picture taken by Takayuki Murata and published on www.idyllicocean.com. After three summer seasons on the Kobe-Hyūga line, Marine Express decided to permanently close the service. Therefore, the TAKACHIHO MARU ended her service in late 1998 and was put up for sale. Just a year later, her owners found a new buyer: the Greek-Cypriot company Access Ferries. This company was owned by the Valsamis family and had started operations on the Adriatic Sea in 1996. Indeed, they first operated the newly-built high speed ferry CAPTAIN GEORGE (which had ben built in The Netherlands) on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Brindisi line, making her the first-ever high speed ferry to operate in Greece. While owning this ship, they operated as Catamaran Ferry Lines. Despite connecting all ports in just three hours (which remains the fastest-ever crossing on the Adriatic Sea), the service turned out to be a massive failure, and the company sold the ship to Minoan Lines in 1997, whereupon she was renamed HIGHSPEED 1. Two years later, this ship was transferred to Minoan Flying Dolphins (later Hellas Flying Dolphins and now known as Hellenic Seaways), marking the start of the popular 'Highspeed' brandname on the Cyclades. Having been left without a ship for two years, Catamaran Ferry Lines was rebranded as Access Ferries in 1999, and returned to the Adriatic Sea by deploying the German-built HERMES (built in 1967 and formerly the NILS HOLGERSSON and the ex-OLIVER TWIST of the German company TT-Line GmbH, as well as the ex-EUROPEAN PRIDE of the Greek company European Seaways) on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Brindisi line. After a respectable first season, the company went on to buy two new ships: the TAKACHIHO MARU and the MEMED ABASHIDZE of the Georgian company Gesco Line (built in 1967, formerly the DRAGON of Normandy Ferries/P&O Ferries and the IONIC FERRY of Townsend Thoresen and P&O European Ferries, as well as the VISCOUNTESS M and the CHARM M of the defunct Greek Adriatic Sea-based company Marlines), intending to operate them on the Eastern Mediterranean Sea. The TAKACHIHO MARU therefore left Kobe for the last time, leaving Japan in order to begin her new career in Europe. Before the long trip, she was temporarily renamed HO MARU (which was simply a quick shortening of her name prior to the new one that she would be getting under her new owners). She arrived in Perama in late 1999, and immediately began conversion, alongside the newly-acquired MEMED ABASHIDZE. The HO MARU seen in her first-ever picture in Greece, shortly after having arrived from Japan. The picture shows her at the time during which she was undergoing the first stage of her long conversion, which consisted in adding extra decks next to the stern, as well as more outdoor areas. Furthermore, the areas around her bow were remodeled. Her Marine Express livery and funnel were still present at the time. Picture taken in 2000 by Panteleimon Lelekis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. The HO MARU now seen undergoing a full conversion in Perama, with her entire hull and superstructure being rubbed over. Moreover, her newly-built stern has been completed, and her indoor areas were fully renovated, as they were changed from their Japanese features to the ones that better suited the European passengers' standards. Picture taken in 2000 by Panteleimon Lelekis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. After almost six months of conversion in Perama, the ship was finally ready to enter service for Access Ferries, having been completely renovated and her indoor areas being completely different from the ones she had during her early career in Japan. She was reflagged to Cyprus and was registered in Limassol. She was renamed MILLENNIUM EXPRESS, while the MEMED ABASHIDZE was renamed MILLENNIUM EXPRESS II. Both ships' names came as part of the change from the 2nd to the 3rd Millennium which occurred in 2000, the year during which they entered service for Access Ferries. The MILLENNIUM EXPRESS seen in Perama, after her conversion was finally finished. She can be seen with the livery and the funnel of Access Ferries. Picture taken in 2000 by Panteleimon Lelekis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. Just before the start of the 2000 season, it was announced that the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS II would be deployed on the Brindisi-Igoumenitsa-Çeşme line (connecting Italy with Greece and Turkey), while the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS was to be deployed on the Piraeus-Limassol-Haifa line, hence connecting Greece with Cyprus and Israel. The decision to operate the ship on the line was interesting, as this service was widely popular during the 1980s and early 1990s, but was undergoing a decline since the late 1990s as air transport became more popular for passengers and the continued geopolitical issues in the area scared shipping companies away. Therefore, there were few passengers eager to perform a 40-hour-long trip when they could cover the same distance within a couple of hours by plane. The deployment of the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS proved to be average. Indeed, that was mainly due to the fact that the line proved to be too long for passengers (despite the ship's speed), due to the disorganisation of Access Ferries (many trips were canceled abruptly or had several delays, and there was a significant lack of communication of the crew with the shore office) and due to the strong competition that the ferry had to face against the Greek-Cypriot company Poseidon Lines and their ship, the SEA HARMONY II (also a former Japanese ferry) and the Greek-Cypriot company Salamis Lines and their ships (the SALAMIS STAR, the NISSOS KYPROS and the Ro-Ro carrier NOSTOS), all of which were already established on the line. Therefore, the ship's stint on the line lasted just one summer. She was then sent on charter to Tunisia Ferries (also known as Compagnie Tunisienne de Navigation) for the fall period of 2000, being deployed on the Marseille-Tunis line. This was the first of the many charters that the ship would go on to experience for the rest of the 2000s decade, as Access Ferries began to experience economic issues. The MILLENNIUM EXPRESS seen in Marseille during her short charter to Tunisia Ferries. Picture taken in 2000 by Pedro Muñoz and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. Besides the mixed results of the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS, Access Ferries also had a disappointing summer season on the Adriatic Sea with the HERMES and on the Brindisi-Igoumenitsa-Çeşme line with the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS II. As a result, the company began to face severe losses and continuous pressure from other competitors, who had faster and younger ships operating between Greece and Italy (such as Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Minoan Lines and ANEK Lines). Valsamis eventually decided to invest in a completely different area: the Caribbean Sea. And he decided to do this by sending the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS on charter to the local company Ferries del Caribe. Alongside the latter, he also went on to charter the Northern European veteran ferry ADMIRAL OF SCANDINAVIA of DFDS Seaways, renaming her CARIBBEAN EXPRESS and also chartering her to Ferries Del Caribe in 2002. The MILLENNIUM EXPRESS sailed to the Caribbean Sea in 2001, beginning operations for her new charterers on the Santo Domingo-Mayagüez line, hence connecting the Dominican Republic with Puerto Rico. She was also reflagged and registered to Panama. It is noteworthy to state that Ferries Del Caribe is the company for which the ferry KYDON of ANEK Lines currently operates, having been chartered on a long-term contract since 2017. After two seasons on the Caribbean Sea (one of which was shared alongside the CARIBBEAN EXPRESS), the charter of the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS ended. She was immediately inserted back to service for Access Ferries on the Brindisi-Çeşme line for the 2003 summer season. Indeed, the line had remained unoccupied after the 2002 season, as the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS II suffered from significant damages caused by a fire incident, which forced her company to sell her for scrap in 2003. The services of the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS on the Adriatic Sea and on the Aegean Sea were again seen as mediocre, due to the lack of preparations prior to her new employment, just after having returned from the Caribbean Sea. She was subsequently laid-up in Keratsini, and her owners, now under a complete decline (the CARIBBEAN EXPRESS finished her charter in 2003 and the HERMES was also sold for scrap) began to seek a new charterer. Access Ferries never deployed a ferry again following this season. The MILLENNIUM EXPRESS seen in Keratsini in 2003, following the completion of her summer season on the Brindisi-Çeşme line. She was still carrying the livery that she bore during her charter to Ferries del Caribe. Picture taken by Georgios Grekos and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. Prior to the summer of 2004, it was announced that the MILLENNIUM EXPRESS would be chartered to the Algerian company CNAN, which also traded under the name Maghreb Lines. She made her return to the Western Mediterranean Sea, and began operations on the Barcelona-Oran-Marseille line, thereby connecting Algeria with Spain and France. Her service proved to be quite successful, and she remained with the company for two additional seasons. The MILLENNIUM EXPRESS seen arriving in Marseille in 2006, which was her last summer under CNAN. Picture taken by Julien Imbert and published on www.shipspotting.com. Following the 2006 season, she sailed to Hamburg for a major upgrade, notably in order to upgrade her main engines. She stayed there for several months, and she was renamed EUROPEAN EXPRESS, which is the name she bore for the rest of her career. Shortly before the summer of 2007 began, she was chartered to another Algerian company, namely Algérie Ferries. She entered service for them on the Marseille-Oran line, which were two ports that she had previously served under CNAN. The latter chose to charter the legendary ferry LATO of ANEK Lines during the 2007 season, in order to perform the services formerly operated by the EUROPEAN EXPRESS. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen in Hamburg in 2007, just after having been renamed. Her CNAN insignia are in the process of being erased in order to be replaced by those of Algérie Ferries. Picture taken by Frank Jensen and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen arriving in Marseille while operating for Algérie Ferries. Her charter lasted just one season. Picture taken in 2007 by Julien Imbert and published on www.shipspotting.com. After the end of her charter under Algérie Ferries, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was laid-up for the winter in the Spanish port of Alicante. Soon afterwards, it was announced that she would be operating again on the Western Mediterranean Sea, being chartered to the Moroccan company COMANAV (also known as Compagnie Marocaine de Navigation). Therefore, after having previously served a company from Tunisia and two companies from Algeria, she was now being leased by a Moroccan company. This makes her the first and only ferry in history to have operated for companies coming from these three Maghrebin countries. She also became the only one to sail for the main companies of each country (although COMANAV has ceased operations since 2012). After a short refit, she returned to service, being deployed on the Melilla-Sète-Nador line, hence connecting, this time, Morocco with France and Spain. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen heading between Sète and Nador during the 2008 season, her first and only with COMANAV and the last one that she spent on the Western Mediterranean Sea. Picture taken by Carlos Trobat Morena and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. After an uneventful season with COMANAV, she returned to her owners, who however had been gone for a long time and therefore had no plans of reactivating the ship. As a result, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS returned to Greece in order to be laid-up. She headed directly for the Elefsina Bay and was laid-up there for almost a year. In 2009, she was sent for further lay-up to Drapetsona. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen laid-up in the Elefsina Bay during the summer of 2009, while she awaits her fate. Picture taken by Georgios Givisis and published on www.shipfriends.gr. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS subsequently laid-up in Drapetsona in 2009, while waiting for a new opportunity to appear so that she could return to service. Picture taken by Sebastiaan Toufekoulas and published on www.shipspotting.com. While she waited for her fate for more than a year, there were many rumours concerning her future. The most usual was that she would be soon heading to the scrapyards due to her advanced age and her failure in finding a permanent operator ever since she arrived in Greece. But there seemed to be a few companies that were interested in her services, both from Greece and from overseas. Ultimately, it was revealed in early 2010 that she would be joining the well-known Lesbos-based company NEL Lines (NEL stands for Naftiliaki Etaireia Lesbou, which means 'Shipping Company of Lesbos' in Greek) in order to operate on the Northeast Aegean Sea. The news were received with excitement by Greek shipping enthusiasts, as the ship was due to be a fine addition to her new company, which had found itself under a sudden rapid fleet expansion. Indeed, besides operating their established fleet with the veteran ferries THEOFILOS, MYTILENE and TAXIARCHIS and with many high speed craft (the AEOLOS KENTERIS, the AEOLOS KENTERIS I, the AEOLOS KENTERIS II, the PANAGIA THALASSINI and the PANAGIA PAROU), NEL Lines surprised the Greek coastal service world by taking over various ships owned by inactive companies such as the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines (which was renamed AQUA MARIA), the AQUA JEWEL of Alpha Ferries, the Ro-Ro carriers of Adriatic Lines RO-PAX 1 (which was renamed AQUA HERCULES) and RO-PAX 2 (which was renamed OLYMPUS) and the Ro-Ro carrier MYKONOS of Mykonos ANE (now the TALOS of Creta Cargo Lines). They also went on to charter the high speed craft of My Ferries that were being prepared for the summer season, namely the MYCAT I (which was renamed ALKIONI) and the MYCAT II (which was renamed CYCLADES EXPRESS, and is now the NAXOS JET of Sea Jets). They also chartered two Ro-Ro carriers built in Japan (one of which became the COLOSSUS, while the other one was renamed IPPOTIS). In 2011 they also added the ferry MR SHOPPY ONE that was previously operating for the Swedish company Mr. Shoppy and renamed her AQUA SPIRIT, and also bought the laid-up landing craft KONSTANTINOS G owned by Costar Lines, and reactivated on her previous service, on the Mytilene-Dikili line (connecting Lesbos with Turkey). Hence, the company found itself with a fully expanded fleet, and with numerous new areas to operate in. Previously, their only services were based on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line (with some occasional extensions to Limnos, Kavala or Thessaloniki), the Northeast Aegean Sea lifelines and the inter-Cyclades lifelines, where the AEOLOS KENTERIS I and the AEOLOS KENTERIS II were being deployed (before being respectively replaced by the AQUA JEWEL in 2010 and then by the AQUA SPIRIT in 2011). With the new additions, they could now operate on the Sporades, on the Heraklion-Santorini line, on the Adriatic Sea and the Dodecanese (with the Ro-Ro carriers). This rise was well received by passengers, but met with skepticism by some, as it seemed incomprehensible for a company that was mainly based on government-subsidised lifelines and under an unstable financial condition (especially during the mid 2000s) to buy and charter so many ferries at once, including some that had been inactive for as many as two years (including the EUROPEAN EXPRESS). Eventually, these acquisitions caused a huge debt for the company, from which they never recovered and which ended up sealing their demise just five years later. Nevertheless, during what was considered to be a bright period for the company, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS began her refit in order to return to service once again. She was one of the first newly-acquired ships to begin preparation and conversion under the standards of NEL Lines. Her accommodation superstructure and main indoor areas were extensively refitted, as were her main engines in order for her to reach a maximum speed of 22 knots. She was reflagged to Cyprus and was registered to Limassol once again, which was an uncommon move for a NEL Lines ship. She hence became the first ship of NEL Lines to fly the Cypriot flag. After her conversion was finished in Perama, she was officially deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, which was the company's main line. She teamed up with the MYTILENE (which was spending her eighteenth straight summer on the line and has been acclaimed as one of the best ferries to have ever operated there) in order to compete against the two other ships that were serving the line. The first one was the then-3-year-old NISSOS CHIOS of Hellenic Seaways, which had already made a huge impact on the line due to her modern and speedy service, which was beginning to threaten the dominance of NEL Lines. The second one was the then-38-year-old historic ferry LISSOS of ANEK Lines, which had been deployed on the line in 2008, after the THEOFILOS ran aground in Oinousses and was severely damaged. Both Hellenic Seaways and ANEK Lines benefitted from the absence of the THEOFILOS and therefore managed to gain larger market shares on the demanding line, which had been dominated by NEL Lines for almost four decades. In July 2010, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS finally started operating on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Despite her being 36 years old at the time, she became an instant success on the line. While not as modern and as comfortable as the NISSOS CHIOS, she quickly became an asset for her company, thanks to her speed and her renovated indoor areas, which pleased passengers. She also had rare delays and constant speed throughout her trips. Hence, she finally showed the Greek coastal service that she was a useful ferry when being well-maintained (something that unfortunately was no longer the case in her subsequent NEL Lines career) and that she was a great asset, despite her advanced age. Alongside the equally-successful MYTILENE and the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline services of the THEOFILOS, NEL Lines was able to maintain a strong competition against ANEK Lines. Eventually, it was said that the success of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS led to the subsequent withdrawal of the LISSOS from the line after the season ended, with ANEK Lines selling the ship for scrap in early 2011. During her stint on the line, she was nicknamed 'O Evropaios', the Greek translation for 'The European'. The newly-refurbished EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen in Piraeus in 2010, in her first day of service for NEL Lines. Picture taken by Georgios Koutsoukis and published on www.faktaomfartyg.se. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen entering the port of Piraeus during her debut season under NEL Lines in 2010. Picture taken by Eeerik Laine and published on www.shipspotting.com. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen loading passengers in the E3 gate in Piraeus, from which ferries heading to the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands usually depart, during the 2010 season. Picture taken by John Wilson and published on www.shipspotting.com. After a successful first summer on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, the ship continued her service throughout the winter, and was back on the line for the summer of 2011 as well. She had another very satisfying season. However, in October 2011, she suffered an unfortunate accident as she collided with the VITSENTZOS KORNAROS of LANE Sea Lines in Piraeus, while the latter was returning to the port. Difficult weather conditions caused by intense winds made the LANE Sea Lines ship lose control and hit the NEL Lines ship with her bow, striking a part of the latter's hull. Both ships were however quickly repaired and returned to their respective services. In 2012, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line, being teamed-up with the recently-refurbished THEOFILOS which had undergone a minor conversion in Perama. The MYTILENE had been sent to operate on the Piraeus-Ikaria-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line. All three ships continued to operate on the main service of NEL Lines during the summer. However, a new threat emerged, namely the arrival of the newly-built BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries. Indeed, the latter, built in 2012 in South Korea, was an extremely fast and modern cruiseferry that was deployed on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line. Alongside the continuous presence of the NISSOS CHIOS (despite her missing a part of the season due to a collision with the pier of the port of Tinos), NEL Lines found themselves against two very modern ships that were clearly several levels above their aging ships. In the meantime, the company had already shown signs of instability, as several of the ships that they had chartered left after only one or two seasons. Indeed, the CYCLADES EXPRESS and the ALKIONI were sent for lay-up in 2010 and 2012 respectively, the departures of the IPPOTIS and of the COLOSSUS ended the company's presence on the Dodecanese after only two years, the AQUA HERCULES and the OLYMPUS had an unsuccessful spell on the Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line and were sold to the Emirati company SAMC (and spent the next years laid-up in Port Saïd, with the OLYMPUS heading for scrap in 2017), the PANAGIA THALASSINI and the PANAGIA PAROU ended their respective services on the Sporades and on the Northeast Aegean Sea in order to be chartered to Inter Shipping on the Algeciras-Tangier Med line on the Gibraltar Strait (a charter that lasted just a season and which turned out to be a disaster, as both owners and charterers ended up suffering from economic problems), and the AEOLOS KENTERIS, the AEOLOS KENTERIS I and the AEOLOS KENTERIS II were laid-up in Salamina, having been taken out of the company's plans due to the latter's poor financial situation. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen arriving in Chios in 2012, in what was her last summer connecting the island with Piraeus. Picture taken by Andreas Michopoulos and published on www.shipspotting.com. All these problems, combined with the decrease of the passenger demand in the early 2010s due to the Greek government debt crisis, led to NEL Lines becoming vulnerable against Blue Star Ferries and Hellenic Seaways. In early 2013, both the EUROPEAN EXPRESS and the THEOFILOS were arrested by their respective crews. This further damaged the reputation of NEL Lines and clearly showed signs of their economic downfall. As a result of this, they were forced to withdraw from the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line, therefore abandoning the line for the first time in their history, after having been present for 40 years and being the main company serving it during that period. They were intending to reactivate it during the summer of 2013 with another ship acquired on charter, namely the IONIAN SKY of Agoudimos Lines, but this eventually did not happen. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS was laid-up in Piraeus, before undergoing her annual refit in Perama in March of the same year. While there were rumours about her being inserted on the Dodecanese, she was eventually deployed on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline, serving the Thessaloniki-Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line for the spring season. Her spell there was very irregular, as she suffered from several engine failures which were due to a lack of proper maintenance by the company. This marked the start of a disastrous coastal shipping period for the residents of the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands, as the EUROPEAN EXPRESS and her fleetmates (especially the TAXIARCHIS and later the THEOFILOS when she was reactivated) suffered many engine failures and experienced numerous delays and canceled trips. The company did little to improve the situation, and by the time the summer had started, it had found itself under turmoil. The THEOFILOS was still laid-up, the charter of the MYKONOS ended, the KONSTANTINOS G was abruptly withdrawn from her service and never returned to operate for NEL Lines (being instead sold to the Equatorial Guinean company Somagec the following year), the AQUA JEWEL suffered an engine failure which kept her laid-up in Lavrion for three months (and thus causing issues regarding the inter-Cycaldes services), the AQUA MARIA was forced to leave the Lavrion-Psara-Chios line several times in order to cover the service left by her engine-plagued fleetmates. It was a difficult situation, with problems that were ultimately never solved. Shortly before the summer season, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS found a temporary refuge by being chartered to Ventouris Ferries in order to operate on the seasonal Zakynthos-Kefalonia-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line. She entered service by cooperating with the IONIS of European Seaways (later the HORIZON, now scrapped since 2019) and was deployed on the Adriatic Sea for the first time in ten years, having last served the Brindisi-Çeşme line when she was still owned by Access Ferries. Her service on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline was taken over by the IONIAN SKY, which went on to have a disastrous season full of engine failures and delayed trips. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS seen arriving in Igoumenitsa in 2013, during her lone season under charter to Ventouris Ferries on the Adriatic Sea and on the Ionian Sea. Picture taken by Marios Ferentinos and published on www.marinetraffic.com. A beautiful aerial view of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS in Igoumenitsa in 2013, clearly showing her Japanese look as well as the sun decks she acquired following her conversion in 2000. During the charter to Ventouris Ferries (a strong presence on the Adriatic Sea since 1986), the NEL Lines insignia on her hull were removed (and were never added again), but the ship kept the trireme-the well-known logo of NEL Lines-in her funnel. Picture taken by Marios Ferentinos and published on www.marinetraffic.com. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS had a very successful season on her new line, and was widely praised by passengers for her reliable service and her larger capacity which made the trip more convenient for them. She only had one engine problem which was quickly fixed. After her charter ended, she rejoined NEL Lines, and was once again deployed on the Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line after the multiple problems experienced by the IONIAN SKY, which was sent for lay-up in Salamina (where she has continued to remain ever since). After the THEOFILOS returned to service later that year, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was sent to the Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line in order to replace the MYTILENE, which went to Drapetsona for her annual refit. As soon as she rejoined NEL Lines, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS again started to have technical problems. She ended the year as the ship with the most engine failures in the entire Greek coastal service, along with the TAXIARCHIS. Therefore, despite her successful summer, she had a very bad stint on the Northeast Aegean Sea, but that was primarily due to the continuous problems faced by her company. Many hoped that the summer of 2014 would be a summer of redemption for NEL Lines. However, these wishes soon turned into nightmares. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS again experienced several engine failures and delays, thus leaving many passengers livid and unsatisfied. The AQUA MARIA was sent for lay-up without any apparent reason, the TAXIARCHIS and the THEOFILOS also had technical problems, as did the AQUA JEWEL which suffered a new engine failure which definitively ended her NEL Lines career. Even the AQUA SPIRIT (by then the least troublesome ship of the company in terms of technical problems) started to occasionally experience engine troubles. The MYTILENE was not ready in time for the summer season because of her crew claiming to have been unpaid for many months. Eventually she returned to service in June, and this moved the EUROPEAN EXPRESS back to the Kavala-Limnos-Mytilene-Chios-Samos-Ikaria line. She replaced the troublesome THEOFILOS, which was laid-up in Drapetsona and abruptly ended her NEL Lines career, having never returned to service since. An interesting picture in Chios during the summer of 2014. It shows the EUROPEAN EXPRESS alongside the ARIADNE of Hellenic Seaways. The latter was spending her first full season on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line (where the EUROPEAN EXPRESS had previously operated from 2010 to 2012), while the former operated on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline for the first time during the summer season. This summer was her worst one throughout her NEL Lines spell, and ultimately the last of her career, as she was then laid-up permanently. Both ships were built in Japan, and both served Marine Express at some point during their careers, although not at the same time. The ARIADNE operated for them between 2004 and 2006 (the year during which she was sold to Hellenic Seaways), while the EUROPEAN EXPRESS had operated for them between 1990 and 1999. Picture taken by Nikos Chiotis and published on www.shipspotting.com. The stint of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS on the Northeast Aegean Sea was beyond disastrous. Indeed, a lack of maintenance and the problems faced by the crew caused multiple delays that were even worse than the ones faced by the THEOFILOS. As a result, tourism in Ikaria, Samos, Chios, Lesbos and especially Limnos suffered due to the lack of efficient coastal service connection. Towards the end of the summer season, NEL Lines decided to switch the itineraries of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS and of the MYTILENE, in order to ensure a better connection of the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS as a result returned to the Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line. After the MYTILENE also had an engine failure, the Ministry of Shipping and Insular Policy finally had enough with NEL Lines and stripped them of their operating license and subsidy allowance for service on the Northeast Aegean Sea lifeline. The services were subsequently taken over by Hellenic Seaways, which connected all islands with Piraeus with larger, younger and more efficient ferries such as the ARIADNE, the NISSOS MYKONOS and later the NISSOS RODOS. Blue Star Ferries also entered the Piraeus-Samos-Chios-Mytilene-Limnos-Kavala line in 2015 with the BLUE STAR 1. With NEL Lines not allowed to operate on the lifeline, they were only left with the services on the Piraeus-Syros-Ikaria-Fournoi-Samos line, the inter-Cyclades service of the AQUA SPIRIT and the Lavrion-Psara-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline served by the TAXIARCHIS. After the EUROPEAN EXPRESS had another engine failure in November 2014, she was finally withdrawn from service and was replaced by the MYTILENE. She was sent for lay-up in Drapetsona alongside the THEOFILOS and the AQUA MARIA. She never returned to service again. During the winter of 2014-2015, she had several minor collisions with the THEOFILOS, and was generally dangerous during stormy weather, as she had fragile knots which allowed her to move even while being moored and hit nearby ships. Beginning in 2016, the cellars of her stern ramp began to break at various times, which made the door land in the water and caused many fears of flooding within the ship's garage. Th EUROPEAN EXPRESS experiencing difficulties with her stern ramp due to the damage of her cellars in Drapetsona in 2016. Despite the threats she posed, she remained there for two years, without any authorities pressing for her removal from the port. Picture taken in by Dennis Mortimer and published on www.shipspotting.com. Without the EUROPEAN EXPRESS, NEL Lines was eager to continue operating despite being left with only three active ferries (while the others were laid-up and/or confiscated by the Piraeus Port Authority) and a fully weakened economic situation. Unfortunately, not only did things not improve, but instead worsened even further. The MYTILENE suffered a huge engine failure in Samos in early 2015, and left the crew abandoned and unpaid on the island for an entire year. A few months later, the TAXIARCHIS and the AQUA SPIRIT stopped service multiple times due to their crews remaining unpaid for months as well. The company still did not have the funds to solve the issue, and as a result both ships were arrested permanently and caused huge problems to the lines that they were serving. Eventually, NEL Lines was also kicked out from the Agios Efstratios lifeline and from the inter-Cyclades service, which were also taken over by Hellenic Seaways (a portion of the inter-Cyclades lifeline being also taken over by Sea Jets). This as a result marked the official end of the operations of NEL Lines, just before the start of the summer of 2015. The company's ships were all laid-up and were never reactivated for the once-glorious Lesbos-based maritime power. With NEL Lines no longer active, their ships went on to await their eventual fates. Some were luckier, whereas others are still laid-up, while others like the EUROPEAN EXPRESS spent several years of misery before finally giving in to the torch-breakers. The MYKONOS had joined Creta Cargo Lines in 2014 and was renamed TALOS, the AQUA JEWEL temporarily rejoined Alpha Ferries and returned to service in 2017 after having been bought by Sea Jets. The latter also bought the AQUA SPIRIT and the CYCLADES EXPRESS in early 2016, and reactivatied them for service on the Cyclades. The AQUA MARIA was bought by Aqua Ferries, was again renamed MYRTIDIOTISSA and entered service on the Sporades in 2016 (later becoming the ALEXANDRA L of the now-inactive Kefalonian Lines in 2018). The PANAGIA THALASSINI returned to Greece after having been bought by Idomeneas Lines (owned by the Panagiotopoulos family) and being renamed KALLI P, but never re-entered service due to debts owed by NEL Lines. The PANAGIA PAROU remained laid-up in Algeciras until sinking inside the port in 2017, eventually being refloated and sold for scrap to Turkey in 2018. The IONIAN SKY and the high speed craft ALKIONI, AEOLOS KENTERIS I and AEOLOS KENTERIS II have remained in Salamina for years and are progressively becoming more assimilated to the scrapyards despite their young age (with the exception of the IONIAN SKY which is 45 years old). The TAXIARCHIS was laid-up in Lavrion from 2015 to 2018 and is now also in Salamina awaiting her fate. The THEOFILOS had a troublesome time in Drapetsona and was finally towed to the Elefsina Bay in 2017, remaining permanently laid-up there. The MYTILENE has also been there since 2016, after having spent an entire year laid-up in Samos. All ferries have been placed on auction, but all attempts to have them sold and removed from the Piraeus area have failed so far. The EUROPEAN EXPRESS ended her stay in Drapetsona in 2016, and was towed to Perama in order to continue her lay-up. This is where I saw her for the first and only time in my life, as stated previously. My first-ever picture of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS laid-up and abandoned in Perama, during the summer of 2018. The once-proud Japanese cruiseferry EUROPEAN EXPRESS laid-up in Perama, awaiting the end during the summer of 2018, which was the last one she ever experienced. And this was the last picture I ever took of the EUROPEAN EXPRESS. Notice her cracked bow due to the collisions she had with the THEOFILOS while both ships were laid-up in Drapetsona. I knew there was going to be a possibility that I would never see the ship again, so I symbolically waved at her as if I had known that she would be leaving for good a few months after I had seen her. And my thoughts eventually turned out to be a reality, as the EUROPEAN EXPRESS now belongs to history. In early 2019, after yet another auction held by the Piraeus Port Authority, she was finally sold for scrap, and left on 27 January 2019 for Aliağa in Turkey. It was her first trip in five years, but the last one she would ever perform in the 45 years of her career, with the last 9 having been under the historic NEL Lines. A trip with no passengers nor vehicles, a trip without any purpose other than to meet the scrapyards for the first time. She sailed under the simple name EXPRESS (which was part of her two names since 2000) and left Greece for the last time. She is now being demolished, but her history and legacy will still live on. Her former NEL Lines fleetmates are still left laid-up in Salamina and in Elefsina. Some of them have been laid-up for four years, others for five and some for eight. There is little hope they will return to service (especially the older ferries such as the THEOFILOS, the MYTILENE and the TAXIARCHIS), and I foresee that they will follow the EUROPEAN EXPRESS to Turkey in the near-future. Even though she had many attributes, including being the fastest ferry in the world at the time of her entry to service in 1974, the EUROPEAN EXPRESS was never able to become one of the best ships of the Greek coastal service, despite her flawless career in Japan. But as this post analysed it, it was clearly because of a lack of organisation by both owners she had while operating in Greece, and due to their economic decline at the time during which they acquired the ship. Hence, with a lack of maintenance and support from her companies, she was easily left behind her competitors. It is also noteworthy to state that she was already 25 years old at the time she first arrived in Europe, during an era in which many companies were deploying newly-built cruiseferries. But she did have some bright moments, notably during her first two seasons under NEL Lines on the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene line (2010 and 2011) and also when she operated on the Ionian Sea and on the Adriatic Sea under Ventouris Ferries in 2013. Furthermore, her long career saw her travel around many parts of the world, having operated in Japan, Greece, Cyprus, Israel, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Italy, Turkey, Tunisia, France, Algeria, Morocco and Spain. She covered most of the Mediterranean Sea, served three Maghrebin countries, had an experience on the Caribbean Sea and in the Middle East, all the while serving the Northeast Aegean Sea Islands. Despite her turbulent end, marked by below-par services in 2013-2014 due to many engine failures and the incidents she had while being laid-up in Drapetsona, she will be remembered by many due to her impressive appearance inspired from her homeland, Japan, and for her fast service when she was sailing during her peak years. She has at least found peace after several difficult years, and many will keep remembering her for her potential and for all the elements that I listed above. Therefore, EUROPEAN EXPRESS, I would like to thank you for your contribution to the Greek coastal service. #europeanexpress #nellines #ventourisferries #millenniumexpress #accessferries #valsamis #aegean #ionian #adriatic #northeastaegeansea #piraeus #greece #farewell #scrap #extratribute

Trip: 12 July 2015. From Santorini to Piraeus, via Ios, Folegandros, Milos and Sifnos, with the CHAMPION JET 1 of Sea Jets. The high speed ferry CHAMPION JET 1, a wave-piercing catamaran, was built in Australia in 1997, as the INCAT 044. After a period of advertisement by her builder, who sent her initially to Portland in the United Kingdom and later to Aarhus in Denmark, she was taken over by the French company Condor Ferries. She began her career on the Channel, operating as the CONDOR VITESSE on Poole-Guernsey-Jersey line, until 1999, when she was chartered to the New Zealand-based company Interislander, operating on the Wellington-Picton line. She returned to Condor Ferries the following year, and she was deployed on the Cherbourg-Poole line, under a partnership that was made between her company and Brittany Ferries. This lasted until 2011, when she was deployed on the St Malo-Jersey-Guernsey-Poole-Weymouth line. Along with her sister ship, the CONDOR EXPRESS, and later with another Incat-built ship, the CONDOR RAPIDE, she became a beloved ship amongst Channel residents, and in particular those in Guernsey and Jersey. Their speed and their reliability were constantly praised, and were key to their company's dominance in the high speed sector. In 2014, Condor Ferries announced that they would replace two of their three high speed craft with a new and super modern high speed ferry: the CONDOR LIBERATION. Though she was built in 2010 in Australia, she never sailed as she did not manage to find an operator, until Condor Ferries came to bring her to the Channel. The CONDOR LIBERATION was completed in 2015, and she replaced the aging CONDOR EXPRESS and CONDOR VITESSE, which were immediately sold to Greek company Sea Jets. The sale of the two ships was met with disappointment by the Guernsey and Jersey residents, and this briefly affected Condor Ferries' reputation. That path later became worse, as the CONDOR LIBERATION has experienced many technical problems and has been criticised for her unconventional service. Sea Jets is a high speed craft-based company founded in 2002 by the shipowner Marios Iliopoulos. The company initially had the sister ships SEA JET 2 and SUPER JET, before acquiring their first high speed ferry, the MEGA JET, in 2008. The company was among the small operators that operated on the Cyclades and in Crete, with the islands being connected from both Piraeus and Rafina. Initially not as known as bigger companies like Hellenic Seaways, Minoan Lines, ANEK Lines, Blue Star Ferries or NEL Lines, the company saw a huge rise in the early 2010s. Indeed, Sea Jets acquired the MASTER JET in 2011, and then deployed the giant high speed ferry TERA JET in 2014 on the Heraklion-Santorini line, which turned out to be a very successful move. Similar successes from the SUPER JET on Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line and from the MASTER JET on the Piraeus-Tinos-Mykonos-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line made the company even more present on the Cyclades, and later also acquired the sister ship of the MASTER JET, the ex-ÉMERAUDE FRANCE of Émeraude Ferries (which had been laid-up in Tilbury since 2007), and renamed her SEA SPEED JET. In 2015, with the company continuing to grow, the purchase of the CONDOR VITESSE and of the CONDOR EXPRESS was announced, with their pending arrival generating excitement from the Aegean Sea residents. Furthermore, Sea Jets acquired the high speed ferry CORSICA EXPRESS SECONDA, which became the PAROS JET, which became the fifth purchase of the company in just two years. Hence, with these pending arrivals, 2015 was a summer full of expectations for Sea Jets, with most of the focus centered on the new sister ships bought from the Channel. The two Condor Ferries high speed craft, the CONDOR VITESSE and the CONDOR EXPRESS, then aged 18 and 19, departed Falmouth for Greece. The former arrived in Piraeus in March and was renamed CHAMPION JET 1, while the latter arrived in May under the name CHAMPION JET 2. Following a conversion in Elefsina and in Chalkida, the CHAMPION JET 1 entered service in May, operating on the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line for a few days as a cover for the Sea Jets flagship TERA JET, which was having a few delays while undergoing her refit. She then went to her originally-planned line in June: the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line. Though she began well, she suffered a major engine failure which was not fully repaired and which made her operate at lower speed rates, thus producing many delays. When her sister ship, the CHAMPION JET 2, was ready for service in July, it was decided that the latter will be deployed on the Piraeus-Mykonos-Naxos-Santorini line, therefore switching her originally-planned Western Cyclades service with her sister ship, the CHAMPION JET 1. The high speed craft as a result went to the Piraeus-Sifnos-Milos-Folegandros-Ios-Santorini line, where she remained until August, when she returned to the Heraklion-Santorini-Ios-Naxos-Mykonos line as the TERA JET was chartered for the transportation of Syrian refugees in Piraeus and the Northeast Aegean Sea. She completed her season there, before she was laid-up in Piraeus in order to undergo her winter refit. The high speed craft CHAMPION JET 1 in Piraeus, awaiting a departure to Sifnos. This picture was taken nine days before my trip with her. Despite her speed and her operations, the ship's first season on the Aegean Sea was not very successful, a contrary to her previous success on the Channel. Because of her engine failure, she sailed at very low speed rates, which were sometimes the half of those of other high speed craft such as her sister ship, the TERA JET, the HIGHSPEED 4, the HIGHSPEED 6 and the FLYINGCAT 4 of Hellenic Seaways. Her delays did not please passengers, and she was also involved in a collision with the hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA of Aegean Flying Dolphins while the two were docking in Piraeus, causing the latter to miss 10 days of service at the heart of the high season. When the most recent acquisition of Sea Jets, the PAROS JET, entered service on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Koufonisi-Amorgos line in August, the MASTER JET, which was operating there at the time, even got to replace the CHAMPION JET 1 on the Western Cyclades, and the latter was temporarily laid-up in Elefsina, before returning to Crete after the beginning of the TERA JET's charter. The CHAMPION JET 1 in Piraeus in late July. But now, let's talk about the trip and my personal experience. The reason why my family and myself took this ship was because we needed to take the earliest ship departing from Santorini in order to arrive in Piraeus early enough to then go to Kyllini in order to board the final ship that was going to Zakynthos for the day. The earliest departure was at 08:00 with a high speed craft, the CHAMPION JET 2, as we booked the tickets before the switch with the CHAMPION JET 1 occurred. Upon learning about this switch, I notified my parents about the CHAMPION JET 1's speed problems, which could delay our arrival to Piraeus. However, we decided to stick with the ship and go to Zakynthos the next day. We arrived in the port of Athinios in Santorini barely in time in order to board the ship. The ship's garage was empty, so it was easy to park. This moment marked the first time I ever boarded a high speed craft that was not a hydrofoil, the first time I ever boarded a high speed ferry in the Greek coastal service, and the first-ever return from the Cyclades to Piraeus, while also going to see (only while docking) the islands of the Western Cyclades for the first time. It also marked the first time I ever took a ship owned by a Greek company in the Greek coastal service which did not carry the Greek flag (the ship flies a Cypriot flag as she is registered in Limassol, like most Sea Jets ships). We found seats on the Economy Class, located in the first of two passenger decks. However, I went outside to spend the trip in order to see the Cyclades and other ships. I went to the highest point possible on the second deck, located on the ship's stern and right behind the bridge and the crew cabins. During the moment of the departure, the CHAMPION JET 1's fleetmate, the passenger catamaran SUPER JET, was also loading in Santorini and was preparing her departure to Ios. She was operating on the Rafina-Tinos-Mykonos-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Santorini line for the third summer in a row. She usually spends her nights in Ios, before leaving it early the following morning in order to arrive in Santorini. The port of Athinios in Santorini, seen upon our departure. After only 45 minutes, we arrived in Ios. However, the ship's slow speed was proven as the SUPER JET, which had left 20 minutes after the CHAMPION JET 1, managed to reach the island before the latter. The reason behind the CHAMPION JET 1's slow speed was due to her difficulty of reaching a potential accelerated speed immediately after departing a port. Therefore, minutes are added, thus explaining the delays. The SUPER JET loading passengers in Ios. The SUPER JET departing Ios immediately afterwards. During her maneuvering procedure, she almost hit the hull of the CHAMPION JET 1, but the captain was good enough to avoid any potential accident. The SUPER JET leaving Ios, with her next destination being Naxos. She was the first ship in the history of Sea Jets, as she joined them in 2004. Before that, she had operated as the SEA JET 1 for Strintzis Lines (1995-2000) and Blue Star Ferries under the Blue Star Jets division (2000-2002), and then as the JET ONE of Aegean Jet Maritime (2002-2004). The SUPER JET leaving Ios. She is the high speed craft with the most experience in the Greek coastal service (excluding hydrofoils), after the FLYINGCAT 1 of Hellenic Seaways. The SUPER JET seen leaving Ios. One last view of the SUPER JET in Ios. We left Ios a few minutes after the SUPER JET, since there were more cars and passengers that boarded the ship. After a few minutes, we reached the two Easternmost islands of the Western Cyclades: Sikinos and Folegandros. We passed by the first one and then went around the second one in order to reach its port, which is located in the Northern part of the island. Though the service seemed quick, I heard from other Greek passengers that normally high speed craft make that crossing twice as quickly as the CHAMPION JET 1! The beautiful island of Folegandros. The tiny pier of the port. Just like Ios, it can hardly fit more than one ship. The reason why the pier's size is like this is due to the fact that the island used to belong to itineraries of coastal service lifelines, which meant that the island was sometimes unreachable. Ever since it was incorporated into daily crossings, the pier has still not been expanded. Passengers and cars awaiting to board the ship. The ship's maneuvering procedure in Folegandros was particularly slow. However, she loaded the passengers quickly enough to depart only 10 minutes after docking. After that, I spent two long hours in the ship's exterior stern deck, awaiting the arrival to Milos. The ship seemed as if she was operating like a conventional ferry rather than as a high speed craft, due to her poor speed. It took her approximately an hour to go around Milos and enter the bay of the island's main port, Adamantas. The exterior deck of the CHAMPION JET 1, with Kimolos in the background. While going around Milos, I saw a local ferry: the landing craft PANAGIA FANEROMENI of Kimolos Link, which operates on the Milos-Kimolos line. The port from which she departs in Milos is located in the Southeast part of the island, and is called Apollonia. Houses near the bay of Adamantas. Another view of the bay of Adamantas. While going around the bay of Adamantas, another high speed craft was leaving Milos. It was the SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines, which operates on her company's main service on the Cyclades, which is the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line. It is the main line because it is there that the company spends the largest part of the season, and also because its CEO, Leonidas Dimitriadis-Evgenidis, is from Sifnos. The speedy SPEEDRUNNER IV leaving Milos, en route to Sifnos, Serifos and Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER IV leaving Milos. In her first season on the Western Cyclades since 2012, her service managed to be more successful than those of the CHAMPION JET 1 and of the MASTER JET. The SPEEDRUNNER IV heading towards Sifnos. The previous summer saw her operating on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos line, before she returned to the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos line in 2015. She has been owned by Aegean Speed Lines since 2009. The village of Adamantas, which is the capital and the port city of Milos. The port of Adamantas seen from the exterior deck of the CHAMPION JET 1. Next to the ferries' pier was the traditional sailing boat GALILEO of Variety Cruises, which operates around the Aegean Sea. An interesting banner seen next to the port. The sign comes from a ticket agency and represents Hellas Ferries, the main division of the entire Minoan Flying Dolphins organisation (which was later renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins, in 2002), which is the ancestor of Hellenic Seaways. The company was almost a monopoly on the Cyclades, and the lone operator on the Western Cyclades (besides GA Ferries), during their existence which lasted from 1999 to 2005. The ships operating in Milos throughout that period were the legendary EXPRESS MILOS (better known to passengers as the MILOS EXPRESS, which was the name she used during her stay on the Western Cyclades with the company Lindos Lines from 1989 to 1999), the EXPRESS PEGASUS, which also went by the name of EXPRESS DIONISOS from 1999 to 2002, the EXPRESS APOLLON (in 2003 only) and the EXPRESS APHRODITE (after the 2004 season). The latter three ferries also operated for Hellenic Seaways, although the EXPRESS APHRODITE was sold to the Egyptian-Saudi Arabian company Namma Lines in 2007, while the EXPRESS APOLLON was sold to European Seaways during the same year and finished her career with them as the APOLLON, before heading for scrap in 2010. The EXPRESS PEGASUS is still owned by Hellenic Seaways, and now operates on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, having been deployed there since the summer of 2015. We spent another short time in the dock, and we then left for Sifnos. The departure from the Adamantas Bay was longer than the arrival, and we spent the next two hours in the sea, before ultimately reaching Sifnos. The beautiful village and port of Kamares in Sifnos. The small and beautiful port of Sifnos. Sifnos, another beautiful island I hope to visit in the future. Inside the ship, I got to see an original asset added by Sea Jets: Ancient Cyclades statuettes displayed on glass windows. They thus symbolised the company's traditional presence on the Cyclades. Some traditional Cyclades pottery work. The famous Ancient Cyclades statuettes seen in the shelves of the Economy Class section. After two more hours, we were approaching the Attica region, and I saw Lavrion from a far distance. We were soon arriving in Piraeus. Behind the ship, I saw a small green silhouette which was constantly becoming bigger and bigger as it approached us. It turned out to be the HIGHSPEED 6 of Hellenic Seaways. This ship operates on the Piraeus-Ios-Santorini line. An interesting fact to point out: she left Piraeus at 07:00 (an hour before the departure of the CHAMPION JET 1 from Santorini), arrived in Santorini at 12:00 (when the CHAMPION JET 1 was still trying to enter Milos), and now had managed to get past the Sea Jets ship on the way back to Piraeus. It seems to me that Hellenic Seaways was this summer's winner in the high speed craft sector on the Aegean Sea. The HIGHSPEED 6 ready to pass by the CHAMPION JET 1. Both ships were built in the same shipbuilding yard (Incat) and both spent the beginning of their careers in Western Europe before being sold to their respective Greek companies. The HIGHSPEED 6 belongs to the upgraded class of that of the CHAMPION JET 1. Indeed, the latter belongs to the Incat 86m WPC-class, while the former is part of the Incat 96m WPC-class. She is 10 metres longer than her Sea Jets rival, and has a larger passenger and vehicle capacity. The HIGHSPEED 6 on her way towards Piraeus. It was her third season in a row on the Piraeus-Ios-Santorini line, while it was also her third consecutive season performing evening trips on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos line as well. Before that, she had spent two seasons (2011 and 2012) on the Piraeus-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos-Ios-Santorini line. And before that spell, she had spent the 2010 season (her debut season under Hellenic Seaways) on the Piraeus-Serifos-Sifnos-Kimolos-Milos-Ios-Santorini line, which was an itinerary similar to the one I had with the CHAMPION JET 1. The HIGHSPEED 6 in what was her sixth overall season with Hellenic Seaways. The HIGHSPEED 6 having passed by the CHAMPION JET 1 while reaching the port of Piraeus. A view from the stern, as we begin to approach Piraeus. We arrived near the Piraeus Roads. There, I saw the first ship leaving the port: my namesake ship, the ALEXANDROS of my WAYS. This ship operates on the Piraeus-Northern Aegina line, serving the ports of Souvala and Agia Marina. Upon entering the port, the laid-up JET FERRY 1of GA Ferries was welcoming us next to the entrance. This high speed ferry was finally removed from the port in late 2015, and she was sold for scrap in early 2016. The interesting fact is that she was only two years older than the similarly-named CHAMPION JET 1, though the latter came to Greece 16 years after the former. The JET FERRY 1 of the now-defunct company GA Ferries. After going through the E1 gate, I saw a ship undergoing drydocking operations. It was Fast Ferries' most recent acquisition, the FAST FERRIES ANDROS (formerly the EPTANISOS of Strintzis Ferries) which was undergoing her final preparations before being deployed on her company's new line: the Rafina-Syros-Tinos-Mykonos line. An oil supply tanker of Aegean Maritime Petroleum, the AEGEAN ORION, leaving Piraeus. The floating museum HELLAS LIBERTY, one of the rare preserved Liberty ships around the world. The hydrofoil FLYING DOLPHIN XVII of Hellenic Seaways was seen leaving Piraeus for the islands of the Saronic Gulf. The FLYING DOLPHIN XVII leaving Piraeus. She operates on the Piraeus-Aegina-Agistri-Poros-Hydra-Ermioni-Spetses-Porto Cheli line. The FAST FERRIES ANDROS seen the Main Vassiliadis Drydock. Her funnel features the initial of the last name of the owner of Fast Ferries, Theologos Panagiotakis. On the cruise terminal was the modern cruise ship AZAMARA JOURNEY, owned by Azamara Club Cruises, an American company which is a subsidiary of giants Royal Caribbean Cruises. The KNOSSOS PALACE of Minoan Lines, awaiting her departure for Heraklion. The HIGHSPEED 6 having already docked in Piraeus. Another surprising moment. The SPEEDRUNNER IV of Aegean Speed Lines, which I had previously seen Milos, was leaving Piraeus for her afternoon schedule to the Western Cyclades. This meant that despite leaving Milos 30 minutes before the CHAMPION JET 1 and going to one more island than the latter (Serifos), she had managed to return to Piraeus and to leave at the moment the CHAMPION JET 1 arrived back in the Athens port. So there too, Aegean Speed Lines was the winner. Behind her is the BLUE STAR PATMOS of Blue Star Ferries, which was the ferry I took from Piraeus to Santorini on 7-8 July 2015. A view of Piraeus from where the CHAMPION JET 1 was standing: (From left to right) The KNOSSOS PALACE, the bow of the KRITI II of ANEK Lines, the SPEEDRUNNER IV departing the port, the BLUE STAR PATMOS and the HIGHSPEED 6. The SPEEDRUNNER IV seen departing the port of Piraeus.. The SPEEDRUNNER IV seen leaving Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER IV and the KNOSSOS PALACE seen together in Piraeus. The SPEEDRUNNER IV preparing to exit the port of Piraeus. The KNOSSOS PALACE and the KRITI II of ANEK Lines seen together in Piraeus. Both ships operate on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The impressive KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. She has been the flagship of Minoan Lines since she entered service for them in 2000. All her career has so far been spent on the Piraeus-Heraklion line. The KRITI II, which has been on the Piraeus-Heraklion line since the 2015 season. She had also served on that same line from 2002 until right before the start of the 2011 summer season. The laid-up PANAGIA TINOU of Ventouris Sea Lines, awaiting her fate. The HIGHSPEED 6 now resting in Piraeus. The KNOSSOS PALACE seen resting in Piraeus. The CHAMPION JET 1 underwent her maneuvering procedure in the departure gate of all Sea Jets ships operating from Piraeus, the E9 gate. We left the ship at exactly 16:00, which was four hours behind the scheduled timetable of the ship. Though the trip was a disappointment due to the long time it took for the ship to arrive in Piraeus, it was still a pleasant experience, as I managed to see the Western Cyclades for the first time, as well as to travel with a high speed ferry for the first time in my life. I am sure that this year the CHAMPION JET 1, now fully-refurbished, will have a great season, which is full of expectations for her company. #championjet1 #seajets #summer2015 #greece #cyclades #aegean #piraeus #santorini #ios #folegandros #milos #sifnos #kimolos #superjet #panagiafaneromeni #kimoloslink #speedrunneriv #aegeanspeedlines #highspeed6 #flyingdolphinxvii #hellenicseaways #alexandros #myways #jetferry1 #gaferries #fastferriesandros #fastferries #knossospalace #minoanlines #kritiii #aneklines #bluestarpatmos #bluestarferries #panagiatinou #ventourissealines #tribute