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F/B AIGAION

Photo © George Giannakis #6148

Ship	Aigaion (1976) AIΓΑΙΩΝ	Building Spec.	Cockerill Ougree, Hoboken, Belgium, 1958 – N°794
Call Sign	SXEV	IMO Number	5025586
GRT	4.555	DWT	1.099
Dimensions	116,85 x 15,96 x 3,89	Engines	2 Sulzer 12MD-510, 7.061 kW
Speed	21 knots	Passengers	985
Beds	135	Cars	160
Garage		Sister Ships
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Artevelde – Regie voor Maritiem Transport (R.M.T.) 1958-76
New Names/Owners	Aigaion – Agapitos Express Ferries 10/1992-02/1996 Sank in 1996 as “Aigaion”
Line

One of the first Belgian car-ferries, was delivered in 1958 to Belgian State-owned R.M.T. from Hoboken-based Cockerill yards to serve Oostende – Dover route. From an external look she’s undoubtely Belgian: long sleek hull, tight and low draught, plus the relatively high speed of 21 knots, a top speed these years. The Dover – Oostende line lasted until 1974, sixteen years of service with two collisions, before being used as training ship at Antwerp and then laid up as spare ship until 1976, when she was sold to Agapitos Brothers. For the Greek company started linking Piraeus with Kos and Rhodes, calling enroute alternatively at Tinos, Mykonos, Paros, Naxos and Kalymnos; after only few months anyway she moved to Ikaria – Samos line, first calling at Syros, Tinos and Mykonos, then at Syros, Paros and Naxos, finally reducing her calls before Ikaria and Samos only to Paros port, where the ship grounded in 1983. In 1989 she was transferred to Piraeus – Paros – Naxos – Ios – Santorini line, the most lucrative Cyclades service, where she remained also after the takeover by Agapitos Express Ferries in 1992. Before being transferred to Agapitos Express Ferries, anyway, the “Aigaion” was involved in one of the most epic tales of Greek shipping. The ship was scheduled to leave Piraeus at 8.15 in the morning to Paros, Ios and Santorini, 45 minutes later than the newly-introduced “Daliana” of GA Ferries, which called also at Naxos on her way to Santorini and then from Santorini to Heraklion. The “Aigaion” usually called before the “Daliana” at Ios, but not that day: the “Daliana” managed to dock before the Belgian veteran, which was forced to wait until the “Daliana” had left for Santorini, as long as no more than a ferry could dock at once in Ios. It seems that the master of “Daliana” mocked up the captain of the “Aigaion”, which promised him to overtake the “Daliana”. This was fairly impossible, and when “Aigaion” entered the Santorini Caldera coming from Ios, the “Daliana” was exiting the Caldera sailing southbound to Heraklion, having already called at Santorini. Unexpectedly, the master of the “Aigaion” changed the track and pointed the South exit of the Caldera, instead of docking to Athinios port of Santorini, and, forcing the engines of the “Aigaion”, managed to pass the “Daliana” and, after having accomplished his “mission”, turned around and went back to Athinios with a large delay! Taken out of service in 1994, having reached the 35 years age limit, the company intended to convert her as a cruise-ship, being the age limit only over ferries; anyway during refit works the ferry caught fire and sank.

Photo Gallery

Dover

Brian Fisher

SEALINK R.M.T. – Artevelde (1970-1976)

Piraeus, 20/06/1983	Piraeus	Dalla collezione di
Tony Garner	Pavlos Protopapas	Chris Howell

AGAPITOS BROS – Aigaion (1976-1992)

Kostas Sotiriadis

AGAPITOS EXPRESS FERRIES – Aigaion (1992-1996)

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