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F/B NAIAS EXPRESS

Photo © Tony Garner, Syros, 15/09/1997 #13464

Ship	Naias Express (1994) ΝΑΙΑΣ ΕΞΠΡΕΣ	Building Spec.	Cantieri Navali Breda, Venice, Italy, 1971 – N° 272
Call Sign	SVRO	IMO Number	7038379
GRT	3.909	DWT	1.067
Dimensions	115,54 x 17,38 x 4	Engines	2 Crossley – Pielstick 16PC2V, 9.885 kW
Speed	19,5 knots	Passengers	1.600
Beds	140 in 41 cabins	Cars	52
Lane Metres		Sister ships
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Ailsa Princess – Sealink British Railways 06/1971-07/1984 Ailsa Princess – Sealink British Ferries 07/1984-05/1985 Earl Harold – Sealink British Ferries 05/1985-12/1989 Chartered to B+I Line 04/1989-10/1989 Dimitra – G.A. Ferries 12/1989-11/1994
New Names/Owners	Express Adonis – Minoan Flying Dolphins / Hellas Ferries 11/1999-12/2001 Express Adonis – Hellas Flying Dolphins / Hellas Ferries 12/2001-12/2004 Express Adonis – Hellenic Seaways 01/2005-01/2006 New Caribbean Princess – American Interests 01/2006-05/2010 Scrapped at Alang (India) on May 2010 as “New Cambay Prince”
Line

The ferry was delivered in 1971 to Sealink British Rail as their “Ailsa Princess”; the aspect which immediately matches the attention is the builder, Breda yardsa of Venice, Italy, instead French or British yards, which were the main ferry suppliers for the British State-Owned company. After thirteen years of service, was bought by Seacontainers, as long as her fleet mates, forming the new Sealink British Ferries and being renamed “Earl Harold”; under that name was also chartered to B+I Line in 1989, just before her sale to G.A. Ferries, which brought her to Greece as the “Dimitra”. The ferry was put on sales market in 1995, and a buyer was found in Agapitos Lines, which intended to expand themselves after the divorce with Agapitos Express Ferries, which gained from this divorce the lucrative Piraeus – Paros – Naxos – Ios – Santorini line. The company asked and gained the permission to operate the ferry on this route, starting in 1995 and leaving Piraeus on early morning. Agapitos Lines continued its growth on “Paronaxia” line by adding other tonnage, the “Super Naias”, in 1996, but the “Naias Express” was taken out from this line at the end of 1996, being replaced by the “Panagia Ekatontapiliani” and rerouted to Piraeus – Syros – Tinos – Mykonos – Paros – Naxos – Heraklia – Schinoussa – Koufonissia line. The “Naias Express” was then sold to Minoan Flying Dolphins group on 2000, wearing Hellas Ferries’s livery for six years, including 2005 season, when she was laid up awaiting a buyer at Piraeus without being repainted in the new colours of the company, which changed its name to Hellenic Seaways. Was finally sold abroad at the end of 2005 and renamed “New Caribbean Princess”, but she left Piraeus after refit works only on July 2006. Was scrapped in 2010.

Photo Gallery

From Pieter Inpijn’s

collection

BRITISH RAILWAYS – Ailsa Princess (1971-197?)

From Pieter Inpijn’s	18/05/1980
collection	Tony Garner

SEALINK BRITISH RAILWAYS – Ailsa Princess (197?-198?)

From Peter Asklander’s	Ardrossan, May 1985
collection	Brian Fisher

SEALINK BRITISH FERRIES – Earl Harold (1985-1989)

From Micke Asklander’s	From Pieter Inpijn’s
collection	collection

B&I LINE – Earl Harold (1989)

Naxos, 1992	From Pieter Inpijn’s
Rijn N. de Ruiter	collection

G.A. FERRIES – Dimitra (1989-1995)

	Piraeus	16/09/1995	Piraeus, 1996	Mykonos, 26/09/1999
Gunnar Menzer	Pieter Inpijn	George Giannakis	Emilio Barenghi	Tony Garner

AGAPITOS LINES – Naias Express (1995-2000)

2000	Keratsini, 08/10/2000
Emilio Barenghi	Michele Lulurgas

MINOAN FLYING DOLPHINS / HELLAS FERRIES – Express Adonis (2000-2001)

Piraeus, 02/08/2004	Piraeus, 06/08/2005
Sebastiaan Toufekoulas	Michele Lulurgas

HELLAS FLYING DOLPHINS / HELLAS FERRIES – Express Adonis (2002-2006)

Drapetsona, 19/06/2006	Drapetsona, 19/06/2006
Aleksi Lindström	Aleksi Lindström

New Caribbean Princess (2006-2010)

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