F/B Silver Paloma

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F/B SILVER PALOMA

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Igoumenitsa, 01/07/94 #214

Ship	Silver Paloma (1990)	Building Spec.	VEB Schiffswerft Neptun, Rostock, East Germany, 1959 – N° 965
Call Sign		IMO Number	5314444
GRT	9.940	DWT	1.850
Dimensions	137,52 x 18,39 x 5,7	Engines	4 Halberstadt 9 cyl., 7.060 kW
Speed	18 knots	Passengers	1.400
Beds	428 in 101 cabins	Cars	240
Lane Metres	525	Sister ships
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greece
Former Names/Own.	Sassnitz – Deutsche Reichsbahn 06/1959-09/1986 Silver Paloma – Afroessa Lines 09/1986-1990
New Names/Owners	Megistanas – Arkadia Lines 06/1995-06/2000 Scrapped at Alang (India) as “Megi” in August 2000
Line

Was owned by the Eastern Republic of Germany’s railways, employed between Sassnitz and Trelleborg. The beginning of her career was not so easy: built only with Eastern European components, with a machinery designed for cargo vessels and very slow for a ferry, was also equipped with fixed pitch propellers, which caused her some contacts with the quay when reversing in port. Moreover, the East German officers were not confident with a so big vessel that time, so a group of Swedish officers from Swedish Railways ferry company was employed with them for a period. In 1962 was sent to Copenhagen yard, where variable pitch propellers were fitted in order to improve the manoeuvrability. In 1973 was a month on Stockholm - Nadendal (Naantali) line, then from 1978 every summer connected Sassnitz with Bornholm’s island main port, Rønne. Was acquired by Afroessa Line in 1986, bearing the name “Silver Paloma”. Her refit was very important: the ship, originally a train-ferry, loses her four rail lines, the passenger capacity passed from 1.017 to 1.400, of which 428 were berthed, as the “Sassnitz” hadn’t berth accommodation, two lifeboats each side were removed for building up the new stern solarium, good looking and equipped with swimming pool; the funnels were lifted, but, for my opinion, Afroessa Lines lost the occasion to cut one of the two funnels, better if it were the front one. From her redelivery to 1990 was on Piraeus - Rhodes - Limassol - Haifa Line, diverting to Heraklion on summer months; that year, Afroessa Lines was incorporated in Arkadia Lines, and the “Silver Paloma” changed her livery to the Arkadia one, maintaining the original name and continuing her usual service. In these years my uncle worked aboard that ship as waiter; it’s interesting that then he was employed on the “Nissos Kypros” of Salamis Lines, on the same service, which was the original fleet mate of “Sassnitz” in Eastern German service as “Trelleborg”. In 1994 Arkadia left this market to Poseidon Lines and Salamis Lines, putting the ferry on Igoumenitsa - Bari line substituting the younger “Paloma”. Was still in service with her classic name and Greek flag in 1994, despite of her 37 years of age; in 1995 was renamed “Megistanas” and reflagged to Malta, still for the same owner and service. From 1997 was laid up in eleusis, left only in 2000 for the last voyage to India, destination a scrapping yard, at the very respectable age of 41.

DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN F/B Sassnitz - Photo by courtesy of Micke Asklander

DEUTSCHE REICHSBAHN F/B Sassnitz - Photo © Richard Peter, licensed to Wikimedia Commons

AFROESSA LINES F/B Silver Paloma – Photo © Pavlos Protopapas, Piraeus #3774

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