F/B Dame M - Limassol

F/B DAME m

Photo © Alessandro Bertolini

Ship	Dame M (1991)	Building Spec.	1972 at Kanda yards, Kure, Japan N°170
GRT	14.015	DWT	2.443
Dimensions	160,00 x 22,86 x 5,50	Engines	2 Mitsubishi – MAN, 13.091 kW
Speed	22 knots	Passengers	1.700
Beds	930	Cars	500
Lane Metres	750	Sister Ships	Felicia (Grace M) Ferry Pukwan
Registry Port	Limassol	Flag	Cipriota
Former Owners	Hankyu Ferry 1972-91	Former Names	Ferry Akashi 1972-91
New Owners	Salamis Lines 2000-05 (Co.Ma.Nav 2002/2003) Co.Ma.Nav. 2005à	New Names	Salamis Star 2000-05 Marrakech Express 2005à
Line

Probably the best of all the Marlines vessels, was purchased from Japanese operators in 1992 as well as her sister “Ferry Nagato”, also known as the mysterious “Grace M”, advertised every year to enter the Marlines fleet and never served this operator. The “Dame M” was exstensively refitted in Perama, being one of the best ferries sailing in Adriatic sea. My father travelled aboard her many times with Deluxe Cabin accommodation (the accommodation granted from Marlines to its agents)and always told me she was a real cruise ferry, better of many ships still in service. Moreover, the beautiful “Dame M” was the first Greek-Owned ship complying the SOLAS/IMO 1998 rules since 1995, a very remarkable fact also wiewing the problems occurred with almost all the Greek flagged ships in October 2000. In 1995 and 1996 years she served the Ancona Line together with “Crown M”. In 1995, particularly, her timetable was very hard to comply, departing from Ancona at 18.00 on Wednesdays and Saturdays and arriving at Patras the following day at 23.00 after the calling at Igoumenitsa and, once a week, also in Corfu. At the beginning of 1996 was chartered by Co. Tu. Nav., as well as summer 1997, 1998 and 1999, serving for Marlines only in winter on Bari line. Since December 1999 is owned by Salamis Lines; was employed on Piraeus – Cyprus – Israel line for two years then, after the discontinuation of the service due to political problems, was chartered to CO.MA.NAV. for their services leaving Sete in France and Genoa in Italy to Morocco, being laid up in Summer 2004. Was sold in April 2005 to Co.Ma.Nav., which renamed her as a movie of the well-known Italian artist Gabriele Salvatores, “Marrakech Express”.

The “Dame M” together with her sister before the refit; photo by courtesy of magazine EFOPLISTIS

The “Dame M” at Patras, 19/06/95, photo © Michele Lulurgas

Photo from Pieter Inpijn’s collection

The “Dame M” when chartered to Co.Tu.Nav., photo from Pieter Inpijn’s collection

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