Ferrying in July 2018 - Part 8, Prince

18th July 2018, p.m.
At the beach near Brindisi

We had booked a local taxi for late afternoon to take us, reluctantly, to the new ferry terminal here at Brindisi. This evening we are to embark on the ship PRINCE; not the one we have sailed on last year, but the ship we knew originally as CESME back in 2007. She was built in 1974, and her gross tonnage is shown as 13,336.

Prince

Her new name

Stern view


She was in port, in her new colours for the Arkoumanis family, the European Seaways owners. She looked freshly painted and gleamed in the sunlight as we checked in. She was previously used as an accommodation ship (WIND AMBITION) and her use on this new service on 12th July from Greece had been delayed due to faulty fuel. As my friends said, with new fuel on board this much-travelled veteran did depart Igoumenitsa the previous evening, and our booked crossing actually became her first departure from Italy. We were happy to be the first passengers on board.

Wind Ambition name on a sign, with an interesting font


They also said she would be instantly recognisable to anyone who knew her as either Norway Line (or Color Line)'s VENUS or DFDS's KING OF SCANDINAVIA. We will be sailing overnight from here in Brindisi over to Igoumenitsa, the coastal port in north-western Greece. It is also across the water from the island of Corfu, with frequent ferries sailing between the two.

It was good to look around this little ship and admire the way the money has been spent to make the newly decorated insides of the ship look good, but there were many reminders of her previous name and use.

Buddha Bar

Buddha

Another part of the lounge

In another part of the lounge was this, what I called a definite 'trip hazard'


All was well until we realised that sailing time had come and gone and the reason was a lorry that was stuck on the stern ramp, half in and half out of the ship. She has the original narrow stern door and we thought that the ramp was in fact too short for the angle needed to get vehicles on to the car deck. It took over an hour to get the lorry on board - goodness knows how!

A life ring out on deck

The funnel

Builder's plate

On the forward deck

The bell

I turned round and this was the view

Beside me was this forward section

A few steps ahead brought this sunny view

Another view of the funnel

Along to the stern


Once we realised we were not going to sail for some time, we headed for a bar and hoped for something alcoholic; that proved to be a problem as the Barman apologised but said that drink supplies had been ordered but had not been put on board. Ah well, it will have to be fruit juice or cola again. Instead we headed for the self-serve restaurant and discovered there was pasta to eat, which didn't immediately look appealing.

We eventually sailed at 9.30 p.m. from Brindisi, heading for Igoumenitsa, here on PRINCE.

Ships seen in Bari: Rigel II, GNV Azzurra
Ships seen in Brindisi: Prince, Eurocargo Catania


To be continued...

Ferrying in July 2018 Part 7, Rigel II

Wednesday 18th July 2018
Last night we were indeed lulled to sleep on the RIGEL II but after that the ship made heavy weather of the sea and waves and I woke early feeling glad that the night was over. The bed was comfortable, the linen was lovely and the bathroom facilities fine, but I was glad to be up and able to go and see the Panorama Bar in daylight and get a coffee and croissant to start the day.

Part of the Panorama Bar in daylight

I liked this decoration


We are approaching Bari in Italy, and after arrival in hot sunshine again we disembarked and could photograph the ship. Then it was time to queue for Passport Control and leave the port security area.

Stern of Rigel II

Another view

The Visby name can just be seen under the current name


Once outside the fencing we could see that RIGEL II's sister ship GNV AZZURRA was entering the port, as she is on a similar route and timing. We walked round to the terminal where she was heading and could take photographs of her arrival.

Reminder of when trains ran into the port

GNV Azzurra arriving

2 sisters together again


As she turned and backed up it was interesting to compare the similar funnels but different hulls. GNV AZZURRA's forward loading bow doors were visible.

Look at those bow doors

Looking back at Rigel II


We bought cold drinks in the nearby little quayside cafe and enjoyed sitting outside in the shade to drink them; nearby was what I know as a 'stop me and buy one' ice-cream seller and I think he was inside the cool cafe buying something for himself. It was certainly very hot again today under this cloudless Italian sky.

A "Stop me and buy one" - a memory from my UK childhood



It was time to continue with today's schedule and get the free port bus to Bari Station and buy train tickets back to Brindisi. We are sailing from there this evening, but have the day at leisure first.

In Brindisi we took the bus from the train station to the airport,

Seen at the airport


and then took a taxi to a nearby beach we had discovered. It was the Lido Granchio Rosso, Brindisi Beach, which had cabins and amenities for families and others, with a very casual atmosphere. It is open daytime only, with an excellent cook in the back of the cafe, and a very satisfying menu and well-stocked ice-cream fridge. We were there for a good part of the day, enjoying the heat, sight and sound of the sea, and good food; I sat in the shade on my steamer chair, occasionally reading or resting my eyes, quite involuntarily as I recall.

Part of the beach - a strong wind prohibited swimming today


To be continued...

Ferrying in July 2018 Part 4 St. Damian

Monday 16th July - afternoon
We arrived in Bari just over an hour later and I had to alter my wristwatch to show Italian time, one hour behind Greek time. We took the train from the airport to the city's railway station and discovered that some of the longer-distance trains were delayed for all the usual Italian reasons. There was time for a meal in a favourite small restaurant near the station before heading back for a train down south to Brindisi, leaving at 6.29 p.m. This is where we are to embark on our next sailing, on board ST. DAMIAN. She is another vessel with an interesting history, and we are keen to catch up with her in her current guise.

After arriving in Brindisi we took a taxi to get to the terminal, but saw no sign of our ship. That began a rather tedious evening of waiting, watching, strolling around; Marine Traffic showed her as approaching but that was all. The outside temperature was down from the 38C of Piraeus to the tolerable 34C here in Brindisi, but we were all very pleased to see ST. DAMIAN arrive and berth. Of course she was behind the usual security fencing and well beyond easy sighting but at least she was there.

It was now dark and then suddenly someone had been told that we should start to queue and wait at the only security office to be seen in the fencing. We and lots of other passengers walked across the big car park and began our wait. It was all fairly orderly but vast numbers of people gradually joined the queue and it stretched as far as the eye could see. Many of us resorted to sitting on our baggage on the ground, and wonder about the workings and mindset of the local immigration officials here at the port of Brindisi. Passengers and traffic from the ship had left long ago; we knew the ship had to be prepared for the next passengers, but there was just no sign of anyone to keep us informed.

After over an hour of queuing a port official suddenly came out of the security office and began to check the passports of the first people in the queue. They were then told they could join the ship, way over in the distance. He was alone for some time and finally it was our turn to have our passports checked and be waved across to the ship. He was joined by another uniformed official so the queue was dealt with a little faster.

I see that my first photo of the ship as we walked across to her was taken at 11.15 p.m. and we had probably been in the first thirty passengers in the queue; I felt so sorry for those people still waiting far back in the lines.

St. Damian in Brindisi


We all had to show our passports again at the gangway, and again at the top of the gangway and I think again inside the ship at Reception before we could get keys to the cabin.

Near Reception

A real key


What a relief to get on board, leave bags and then be able to look around this little ship. I noted that my first impressions were that she is old but small (6,728 gross tons) and lovely.

One of my friends told me that:


"The St DAMIAN is one of nine sister ships, six of them for Viking Line and they were the ships which really transformed Viking Line into a force in the early 1970s. The other three were built for Mexican service where they enjoyed quite long lives as well. They really are quite smart little ferries and were memorialised in the 1980s by the book, 'The Papenburg Sisters' which, although it is somewhat biased towards the two which served UK-based operators for long periods, is an excellent overview of a famous class of ferry.

The ROSLAGEN is the ex-VIKING 3 of 1972 and was sold by Viking Line as early as 1976 when she went for more service on the northern Vasa-Umea route. By 1988 after a brief return to Viking Line and a trip to the English Channel she was sold to Eckero Line, became the ROSLAGEN and enjoyed almost 20 years which included various refits which largely made the ship look like she does today on board.

Agoudimos Lines took her on in late 2007 and, as the IONIAN SPIRIT she eventually inherited the Brindisi-Vlore route from the KAPETAN ALEXANDROS A (RIP). When Agoudimos went bust she languished in Brindisi for years. ( I remember that we last saw her in Brindisi in darkness on 22nd July 2016, as IONIAN SPIRIT.) So desperate are ferry companies for tonnage nowadays that even the most unlikely ships are being reactivated and put back into service so after four years of layup and at 44 years of age her current owners European Ferries bought her at auction and she was eventually resuscitated as the St DAMIAN, inheriting a Corsica Ferries yellow hull livery from the company's first ship the ex-CORSICA SERENA SECONDA (now MOBY NIKI).

The main changes on board since her Eckero days are the installation of reclining seats in parts of the open-plan central section which was previously general seating/spill over seating for the cafeteria, the slightly sad conversion of the forward smorgasbord restaurant into an additional bar and the conversion of the lower passenger deck with some cabins being put back in where the Duty Free shop had been extended. The rest of the shop is now home to large reclining seat lounges."


This is the ship we have finally embarked on and she was due to sail at 11.30 p.m. from Brindisi overnight to Vlore in Albania. That departure time has obviously been and gone, so we shall have to wait and see what happens next. What happens next included walking around the ship and taking a few photographs and noticing that in our cabin we could hear a conversation going on in the next cabin because there was a gap in the top of the cabin partition/wall separating us.

Forward Bar

Another view of the Forward Bar

Reclining seats

View down to the bow

Panorama Bar

Goodness, a lovely glass door handle

Along our alleyway


There seemed to be several parties of students on board, some sharing a cabin nearby, and there was much activity for some time. It didn't worry us. I think the air-conditioning or ventilation system on board didn't work in our cabin and we got round that little problem by propping the door open with a big thick blanket all night. I think we all got to sleep about 2.15 a.m., mostly from exhaustion. My friends were particularly happy to be on board this interesting little ship.

Ships seen in Brindisi: St. Damian, Red Star 1


To be continued....

Ferrying in July 2018 Part 3

Monday 16th July 2018 (the morning)
We woke early today, ready for EL VENIZELOS to arrive back in Piraeus at 7 a.m. There was time to remember that far more information about the ship's history, and many photographs of the ship in 2008, can be found at: http://www.hhvferry.com/elven.html I'm told that the El Ven has had a few more adventures since 2008, including her charter to GoInSardinia when ANEK cancelled the charter and sneaked her back to Piraeus. This was when we sailed on her to Chania four days after having had a cancelled booking on her in Sardinia.

The hot sun shone down on us as the ship berthed and we could see much activity in the busy harbour.

Hellenic Highspeed

Nissos Mykonos

I was standing near to the El Venizelos

Phivos leaving on one of her early trips to Aegena

Adamantios Korais, and look at what's coming from her funnels

Highspeed 4


As soon as we disembarked we hurried round to another part of the harbour. We have time at the moment for a quick trip across to Aegena (Egina) providing we can leave quickly.

Flying Dolphin Athina


It was decided to take the hydrofoil, for its speed, and so we had time to buy a cheese pie, coffee and orange juice to go, as we watched FLYING DOLPHIN ATHINA coming alongside. I know this craft was built in 1977 in Georgia, USSR, and can go at 28.8 knots once out of the harbour, but I and many others do find it really horrible to queue nearby because of the smell and sight of the engines, fuel, and exhausts. It's nearly as bad inside the hydrofoil, I think, but my coffee helped clear the throat. The saving grace was that all the arriving passengers soon got off and then we got on quickly, the doors were shut and we were away, soon racing fast across the calm water to the island of Aegena.

On board


My friends and others went to stand outside the stern doors, with permission. My attention must have been on my cheese pie or coffee, but I was told that we passed very close indeed to CELESTYAL CRYSTAL (ex-SILJA OPERA) which was just entering port. The MYKONOS PALACE had just returned, rather late, from her maiden round trip on Minoan Lines' new Piraeus-Chania route in competition with the EL VENIZELOS and was being prepared for some open day/press event with balloons etc.

Less than half an hour later we arrived at Aegina and quickly disembarked. At the end of the quay we could see our next ship: the lovely red-hulled PHIVOS of Nova Ferries. She sails frequently between Piraeus and Aegina, with an approximate journey time of an hour.

Phivos at Aegena


PHIVOS is a lovely little ship, one of four Spanish sisters who have been scattered to the four winds, one (her) in Greece, one in Cyprus, one in Benin and one sadly scrapped. She was built as PUNTA EUROPA in 1980 at 3,437 gross tons but since 2004 this fine looking little ship has been named PHIVOS and we always enjoy travelling on her. She seems to load vehicles and passengers quickly at both ports and as soon as we bought our tickets at the ticket booth at the end of her quay we made our way along to embark for our return journey to Piraeus. She seems to keep to her schedule.

One of her red funnels

Greek flag

Deck plan

I liked the blue curtains and blue lampshades in the lounge


As soon as we disembarked from her we could get on the free port bus to go round the harbour to where we had parked the hire car.

Festos Palace

Kriti II

Ionis

Mykonos Palace dressed overall


With bags in the boot it was time to head to the airport: El Venizelos by name!

Anemos, ex Moby Baby, seen from a road


A slight detour near the harbour gave us a view of ANEMOS, the ex-MOBY BABY, as we joined all the traffic also heading out on the motorway towards the airport. We had to buy fuel on the way but we were soon parked and returned the hire car; we had checked in en route and simply had to head for the Volotea airline bag drop. They saw the rucksacks and suggested we take them round to the Oversize luggage desk. We did that, they were happy, and we could then head for the boarding gate. By now we were in air-conditioned public spaces and this was wonderful - this morning in Piraeus it had been 38 C.

Eventually we were able to board the inevitable small bus to take us to the aircraft. Our plans are to fly from Athens to Bari in Italy, then get a train down to Brindisi, ready to embark on the good ship ST. DAMIAN this evening. We embarked on the Boeing 717-200 of Volotea Airline, and then had to sit and wait for clearance to leave.

Volotea Airline Boeing 717-200, from the passenger bus


We left about an hour late, not all of it waiting on the plane, and finally flew off to Bari.


Ships seen: El Venizelos, Celestyal Crystal, Horizon, Blue Star Paros, Blue Star Naxos, Blue Star Delos, Blue Star 2, Nissos Samos, Ionis, Highspeed 4, Adamantios Korais, Phivos, Nissos Mykonos, Flying Dolphin Athina, Apollon Hellas, Achaoes, Flying Dolphin XVIII, Flying Cat 1, Mykonos Palace dressed overall, with balloons, Kriti II, Anemos (ex Moby Baby), Aqua Solution, Zakinthos 1, Hellenic Highspeed


To be continued...