Agios Nektarios Aiginas in Piraeus, 10 November 2013

Agios Nektarios Aiginas

IMO 8969343
Built 1999, Ergoship Savas Shipyard Eleusis, Greece
Tonnage 1 091 GT
Length 75,70 m
Width 14,40 m
Draught 3,00 m
1 000 passengers
120 cars
2 MWM diesels, combined 1 211 kW
2 propellers
Speed 18 knots

If the name of this ship is giving you difficulty, you are not the only one. The Agios Nektarios Aiginas is the last ship we're looking at from my photographs from Piraeus, before moving to other things.

This little Greek ferry was built in 1999 at the Ergoship yard at Piraeus, originally under the name Panagia Skiathou. An interesting detail is that one part of her predates the rest of the ship by over three decades: her dummy funnel is originally from the 1964-built Rederi AB Slite ferry Apollo. The Apollo had been rebuilt in 1993 (at which point she was the Ydra of Ventouris Ferries) with a larger superstructure, losing her dummy funnel. This was apparently retained for several years, until installed onboard the Panagia Skiathou. After delivery, the Panagia Skiathou was set on the Volos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Pili -route of her owners North Sporades & Evia Maritime.

In 2001 the ship was renamed Agios Nektarios Aiginas, but apparently remained on the same route for the same owners. In August 2008 she was sold to ANES Ferries and moved to the Piraeus-Aigina route without a change of name. She remains on the same service at the time of writing.

The photographs below show the Agios Nektarios Aiginas departing Piraeus on the evening of 10 November 2013, photographed from onboard the Rotterdam. Click on the images to see them in larger size.

The ship really does look like the funnel isn't the only thing recycled from the 1960s.

The Agios Nektarios Aiginas sailing outside the Piraeus breakwater, with the quartet from last week (plus GA Ferries JetFerry 1) in the background.

Further out of the port. In the background you can see various other ferries and cruise ship laid up at (what I think is) Keratsini harbour.

Unlike the Rotterdam, which was trundling along at a relatively slow speed, the Agios Nektarios Aiginas had a more intensive schedule to keep and thus she quickly passed us. Sailing in slightly different direction from us, she also quickly passed beyond the range of my camera.

Next time we finally see a ship in a port different from Piraeus and instead take a look at FlyingCat 5 at Volos, Greece.

Blue Star Patmos, Nissos Chios, Nissos Mykonos and Blue Star Delos at Piraeus, 10 November 2013

Today's subject: Ferry foursome!

Blue Star Delos

IMO 9565039
Built 2011, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd Okpo, South Korea
Tonnage 18 498 GT
Length 145,90 m
Width 23,20 m
Draught 5,90 m
2 400 passengers
116 berths
450 cars
600 lane metres
4 MAN-B&W diesels, combined 32 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thruster
Speed 26 knots

Blue Star Patmos

IMO 9565041
Built 2012, Daewoo Shipbuilding & Marine Engineering Co Ltd Okpo, South Korea
Tonnage 18 498 GT
Length 145,90 m
Width 23,20 m
Draught 5,90 m
2 400 passengers
116 berths
450 cars
600 lane metres
4 MAN-B&W diesels, combined 32 000 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thruster
Speed 26 knots

Nissos Chios

IMO 9215555
Built 2007, Elefsis Shipyards, Greece
Tonnage 7 864 GT
Length 136,70 m
Width 21,00 m
Draught 5,20 m
1 800 passengers
252 berths
418 cars
530 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 31 680 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thruster
Speed 27 knots

Nissos Mykonos

IMO 9208679
Built 2005, Hellenic Shipyards Scaramanga, Greece
Tonnage 7 882 GT
Length 136,70 m
Width 21,00 m
Draught 5,20 m
1 800 passengers
146 berths
420 cars
530 lane metres
4 Wärtsilä diesels, combined 31 680 kW
2 propellers
2 bow thruster
Speed 27 knots

So, two pairs of sister ships are the subject today.

The older pair, Nissos Mykonos and Nissos Chios, are owned by Hellenic Seaways and have a very complex history. Although completed in 2005 & 2007, respectively, the pair were ordered way back in 1999. The original orderer was Strintzis Lines, and apparently the original plan was to name them Superferry Mykonos and Superferry Chios. The constuction of the ships was a protracted affair, as they had been ordered from local Greek shipyards that had limited experience in building passenger ships. During construction Strintzis Lines introduced the name Blue Star Ferries, and as a result the projected names were changed into Blue Star Mykonos and Blue Star Chios. Originally the first ship was to be delivered in 2001, but this was delayed when the orderers decided that cabins should be added to the ships, which pushed back the delivery to spring 2002. This date came and went, and in summer of the same year the orderers abandoned the contract. By this time the first ship had only been completed up to deck 5. The pair laid abandoned until 2004, when Hellas Flying Dolphins purchased them. The ships were completed 2005 (Nissos Mykonos) and 2007 (Nissos Chios), respectively, at which point Hellas Flying Dolphins was a part of Hellenic Seaways. On delivery the ships were placed on various services from Piraeus to the Greek archipelago. Since April 2014 the Nissos Chios has been under charter to Balearia, used on domestic routes within Spain and on services from Spain to Morocco. The Nissos Mykonos remains in Greek service.

In comparison the history of the second pair is much more simple. The Blue Star Delos and Blue Star Patmos are Blue Star Ferries' latest newbuildings to date, and the last large new ferries ordered by a Greek ferry company before the currently ongoing economic crises. The former was delivered in October 2011 and placed on the Piraeus-Paros-Naxos-Ios-Thira -route, while the latter followed in June 2012 for the Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene -route.

The photographs below show the four ships tied up together at the port of Piraeus on 10 November 2013. Why they were there is a question I cannot answer. The fact that they are tied to each other could suggest they were laid up, as does the fact the same bunch were there (if I remember correctly) ten days later, when we returned to Piraeus. But I could also be wrong, and if anyone can shed further light on this matter, it would be much appriciated.

As always, click on the images to see them in larger size.

The Blue Star Ferries pair are particularly good-looking, I think. Well, they were designed by the Knud E. Hansen maritime architects, who often come up with rather splendid designs.

If anyone wants to get a big-resolution version of this image for a magazine cover, just email me. ;)

Next time: Agios Nektarios Aiginas

Louis Aura in Piraeus, 10 November 2013

This seems to be developing into a worrying trend, but once again I'd like to apologise for the recent lack of updates to this blog. Unfortunately the pace of updates will probably not change in the foreseeable future; in addition to my normal workload of writing articles for various maritime publications in both Finnish and English, I'm also currently working on not one but two books on maritime history. (The only reason I'm updating today is the fact that I'm down with a fever and don't trust my brain enough to write anything that would go to print).

But onwards to today's subject:

Louis Aura

IMO 6821080
Name history: Starward, Bolero, Orient Queen, Louis Aura
Built 1968, AG Weser Seebeckwerft, Bremerhaven, West Germany
Tonnage 15 781 GT
Length 160,13 m
Width 28,81 m
Draught 6,22 m
910 passengers
2 MAN diesels, combined 12 784 kW
2 propellers
1 bow thruster
Speed 21 knots

The history of the Louis Aura has already been covered in this previous entry, which includes photographs that are newer than the ones featured here.

As most readers will probably know, last autumn Louis Cruises unveiled their plan to rebrand their ships sailing in the Greek Isles (Louis Cristal, Louis Olympia and an upcoming third ship later unveiled to be the Explorer) as Celestyal Cruises. At the time it was reported that the cruises operated out of Cyprus by the Louis Aura would continue under the Louis Cruises brand, but most recent rumours indicate that these cruises will also be moved under the Celestyal Cruises umbrella. Which, should it prove true, will probably mean renaming the Louis Aura into Celestyal Aura or something similar.

The photographs below show the Louis Aura at the port of Piraeus on the afternoon of 10 November 2013, photographed from onboard the Rotterdam. Click on the individual images to see them in larger size.

At this point the ship had not yet been painted with the Louis Cruises hull markings evident in the photos of her poster here earlier. The ship looks much better like this.

Some Piraeus skyline for you.

Next time (when we get there...): a nice group photo of the Blue Star Patmos, Nissos Chios, Nissos Mykonos and Blue Star Delos at Piraeus.