FERRYING IN JULY 2018

Part 1

One Friday in July 2018 I realised it was time to pack the rucksack and set off for Luton Airport, one that is new to me. Luton is in the English county of Bedfordshire, and the airport is about 40 miles northwest of London.

Saturday 14th July 2018
An early flight brought me and one of my travelling companions to Athens airport in Greece, after a three hour flight. Another friend soon arrived and an air-conditioned hire car collected. We were now on Greek time, which is two hours ahead of British Summer Time. We have been enjoying (or not) a long heat wave in much of the UK for many weeks now but the even higher temperatures outside the port of Pireaus were still a shock, at 38 C.

A drive around various viewpoints at Elefsina on Elefsis Bay and Drapetsona gave us some distant views of other ships at rest.

Dion on the seafront at Elefsina

Alexandra has definitely finished with engines

Mytilini & Penelope A in Elefsis Bay over the other side

Majesty nearby

Zakynthos of Kefalonian Lines


After driving to Elefsis to see what could be seen from there, we headed to Perama.

Mykonos Palace being prepared for use

Ionian Sky over the water


Our first ship of the trip was from the little port of Perama, sailing over to the island of Salamis on the passenger and car carrying ALEXANDROS K.

Inside Alexandros K


The views from the island hills above Salamis port were lovely, although we could see various familiar ships below us waiting for repair or a different future. Some had obviously not been given the chance, and just sank where they were.

Round the bay

Vitsentzos Kornaros

Vitsentzos Kornaros and Ionian Sky from higher up the hill

Unexpected view of Golden Moon, ex Rasa Sayang, ex De Grasse, ex Bergensfjord of 1956

Car deck on Konstantinoz


Back in the port area of Salamis we drove on to the KONSTANTINOZ for our sail back to Perama on the mainland.

During this return trip to Perama I took a last photograph, showing some interesting things over on the Salamis Island side where we had been driving round earlier.

Okeanos I, see Note 1. below
Agia Zoni II, see Note 2. below


Then it was time to drive back to Piraeus and head for our overnight hotel along the coast. Parking proved easy near the Skopios Sea Side Hotel and we were soon checked in and prepared to go out for dinner. The recommended Pharos restaurant meal was worth walking to, before heading back to our hotel. Tomorrow morning we plan to enjoy an early breakfast before heading into the Great Harbour for our 10 a.m. sailing.

Ships seen:

From the plane by my observant travelling companion: European Express, Vitsentzos Kornaros (Lane Sea Lines), Mykonos Palace, Ionian Sky,

At Elefsis: Penelope A, Mytilini, (Thomson) Majesty seen over the other side of the bay; Dion, Alexandra near us on the little beach at Elefsina

At Perama/Salamis: Okeanos 1 (see note 1. below), Anna Maru, Alkyon 1, Swift, Elli T, Lisa I (ex-Spathoek, ex Schleswig-Holstein) in Salamis, Kalli P, 2 x newbuild double-ended ferries, tug Christos XXXIII, Panagia Agiasou (retrieved from her grounding earlier this year), Aeolos Kenteris I, Aeolos Kenteris II, Agia Zoni II (see note 2. below)

Note 1.
Picture P1120934 shows on the left of the picture, in dry dock, the brand new, Greek built car ferry for Italian Railways (FS/Bluferries), the Okeanos 1, which is destined for use on the Straits of Messina when finally delivered.

Note 2.
Picture P1120934 also shows a listing ship to the left of the big red crane. This is Agia Zoni II, a small tanker which I'm told sank last September (2017) causing huge amounts of pollution. See:

http://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2017/09/13/tanker-oil-spill-piraeus-athens/

https://medium.com/athenslivegr/a-small-tanker-a-huge-disaster-and-a-nationwide-issue-32f34f4098d0

Her recovery was quite interesting:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Er4t8sgn77s


At Drapetsona: Alkyon, Anemos, Aqua Solution, Zakynthos 1 (Kefalonian Lines)

Golden Moon, ex Rasa Sayang, ex De Grasse, ex Bergensfjord (built 1956), which sank near Perama on 17th August 1980

At Piraeus: Paros Jet, Phivos, Knossos Palace, Nissos Rodos (arriving), Blue Star 1 or 2, Andreas Kalvos (arriving), Champion Jet 1


To be continued....

AEGEAN ODYSSEY 17th June 2018

Way back in 1973, a shipyard in Romania built a ro-ro cargo ship for Zim Israel Navigation of Haifa that was named NARCIS. In 1985 she was acquired by Dolphin Hellas Shipping and was renamed ALKYON. (I am reliably informed that this translates as 'seagull'.) She was refitted at Perama in Greece and in 1988 was back with Dolphin Hellas and renamed AEGEAN DOLPHIN. In 1989 she was renamed DOLPHIN , and then in 1990 she was again named AEGEAN DOLPHIN. In 1991 she was renamed AEGEAN 1 for one cruise with Discovery Cruises, was then chartered for Renaissance Cruises, and in 1998 she commenced cruising for Golden Star Ferries. Still with me? We're nearly up to date.

William Mayes' "Cruise Ships Fourth Edition" also tells me that following a dispute with Louis Cruise Lines, the ship was then laid up in 2006. In 2008 she was acquired by Gerry Herrod and given a major refurbishment in Greece before entering service as the AEGEAN ODYSSEY. She sails for Voyages to Antiquity.

I have wanted to sail on this little ship for some time, but she usually offers a minimum of fourteen- night trips; these are usually from ports outside the UK. Earlier this year though I noticed that she was offering a six-night holiday which would include five nights on the ship. I booked with Voyages to Antiquity for the holiday and then had to be patient. I would join the ship in Bordeaux, France, have a couple of included excursions, and then embark on AEGEAN ODYSSSEY the next day. All went to plan, and was a thoroughly enjoyable experience.

Sunday 17th June 2018
My alarm woke me early and at 6.15 a.m. I was checking in my small suitcase with an airline bag drop machine at London Gatwick airport. The holiday had started, with an included flight from Gatwick to Bordeaux in France. I am so used to booking my own flights to join ferries or cruise ships with just a rucksack, that it was quite a novelty to receive a flight ticket, which included a suitcase to go in the hold. I realise I had paid for it as part of the holiday cost, but still...

I had time for breakfast with a friend who was joining the cruise and soon it was time to head for the boarding gate and the flight. It seems that the French air traffic controllers are on strike today and many flights from Gatwick have had to be cancelled. We were lucky. The flight eventually left at 8.45 and we flew south over the English Channel, with just a few ships to be seen before the cloud cover became dense below us.



Bordeaux on the map

We landed in Bordeaux, put our watches forward one hour, and were greeted by our Guide Caroline. A coach took us to a city centre hotel very near the River Garonne to check in for the night, unpack and get lunch before meeting for an afternoon tour. The central city area is recognised by UNESCO as a World Heritage site. This week 14th/18th June, the city was celebrating the Bordeaux Wine Festival, devoted to wines from Bordeaux and the Nouvelle Aquitaine region; the Tall Ships were in port as guests of honour, and the sun was shining down on probably thousands of people enjoying the festivities on this Left Bank, with many opportunities for wine tasting.

Sails amongst the wine tasting on the riverside

River craft along the Left Bank

Belem, a 3 masted French barque, launched in 1896,and one of the Tall Ships


In the far distance downstream we could see the famous Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge, opened in March 2013, whose middle span can be raised when necessary to allow tall vessels to enter or leave the Bordeaux city centre riverside here on the River Garonne.

Jacques Chaban-Delmas Bridge, Bordeaux


Our tour took us over the famous bridge to the Right Bank where we could look across the river at the tall ships and the city skyline, and then back over an ancient bridge to the Left Bank of the city.

On the Right Bank

View across the river

View from the coach as we crossed an old bridge


The coach then dropped us off for a walk to the cathedral.

City Gate

Royal Entrance to the Cathedral

Brass Plate nearby

Cathedral


There was a Service taking place to celebrate the appointment of new Deacons so we were not allowed far inside, but it was a beautiful building with good acoustics inside. The bell tower was a separate building, and we enjoyed walking around the whole public area.

I was amazed to spot this glass door handle - a familiar sight with their jewel colours, on so many old ferries

The shop - Dead Sea Salt Beauty Salon


Other group passengers wanted to return to the hotel but a few of us chose to stay in the city near the Opera House for an hour's break and would be collected later on; we could then sit outside a cafe and enjoy a drink in this delightful city square.

Back at the hotel we changed and walked along the quayside to Le Brasserie Bordelais restaurant for an excellent dinner. Tomorrow morning we have a rather special tour to the wine village of St. Emilion before being taken to the good ship AEGEAN ODYSSEY to embark for our trip.


Ships seen: many of the Tall Ships and other vessels in port for the Regatta, including Belem, and a Russian Tall Ship that I think I visited with other OLS (Ocean Liner Society) members way back in June 2004 in Liverpool, for a maritime festival.

To be continued...