F/B Patmos - Rhodes

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F/B PATMOS

Photo © George Kobeos, Piraeus #11773

Ship	Patmos (1991) ΠΑΤΜΟΣ	Building Spec.	Hashihama Zosensho, Imabari, Japan, 1972 – N° 311
Call Sign	SVVD	IMO Number	7225142
GRT	8.993	DWT	2.714
Dimensions	137,85 x 23,39 x 5,61	Engines	2 IHI – Pielstick 18PC2-V400, 14.033 kW
Speed	21,5 knots	Passengers	1.400
Beds	700	Cars	350
Lane Metres	990	Sister ships	Mahabbah
Registry Port	Rhodes	Flag	Greece
Former Names/Own.	Albatross – Ocean Ferry 1972-1976 Izu No 11 – Ocean Tokkyu Ferry 1976-01/1991 Aretousa – Minoan Lines 01/1991-03/1991
New Names/Owners	Patmos – Blue Star Ferries 07/2006-10/2006 Scrapped at Alang (India) in November 2006 as “Pat”
Line

This ship was originally named “Albatross”, being the second ferry of Japanese company Ocean Ferry after her sister “Cassiopeia”. Her original design presented two interesting features: a sky lounge, typical on North European ferries of the Sixties, and two funnels with a pylon structure, which were seen for the first time on the magnificient flagships of Italian Line, the “Raffaello” and the “Michelangelo”. The “Albatross” was deployed between Honshu and Shikoku islands, Japan, linking the ports of Chiba and Tokushima. In 1976 Ocean Ferry merged with Tokkyu Ferry, forming the Ocean Tokkyu Ferry company, in which this ship was incorporated after having been renamed “Izu No 11”; the route was altered by changing the port of call on Honshu island, calling to Tokyo instead of Chiba, and continuing after the call at Tokushima, also to Kokura, on Kyushu island. In 1991 the two sisters were put for sale, being bought by Minoan Lines, which was very active that time in Japan for “shopping”; the ferry was renamed “Aretousa”, but before the collection was resold to DANE, which granted for Minoan Lines an income of 100.000 Dollars and for this ship the new name of “Patmos”. She was refitted at Perama and restyled by Arminio Lozzi, which was working in the same time also few metres starboard of her, where NEL Lines was refitting the “Mytilene”. The final result was very interesting, even if the ferry lost her two distinctive features: the “sky lounge” was cut off, and the pylon-funnels were replaced by two traditional funnels, which had a very distinctive design. Being the first DANE ferry to have a name which wasn’t related to Rhodes, was the second “cruise-ferry” of the company, with well furnished interiors; I never had the chance to view them, but I’ve good reports about this ferry, and I’ve a distinctive memory of the pink light coming out from her lounge deck. Another distinctive feature of the ferry is that she hadn’t airplane-type seats, offering instead dormitory as economic class, a very appreciable thing considering the abuse of these seats on today’s ferries. Usually operating from Rhodes and Kos to Piraeus in the late afternoon departure, was also engaged on the new line from Rhodes and Kos to Thessaloniki; later the “Patmos” started also to serve sometimes the smaller islands on Piraeus service (Symi, Tilos, Nissyros, Astypalea) and Samos on the Thessaloniki line. In October 2000, after her arrest, was the first DANE ship resumed to service. Strong rumours were indicating the “Patmos” as the Swansea Cork Ferries’s ship for 2002 season but the anglo-irish company decided to purchase Patmos’s sister, the “Blue Aegean” to perform their services: a big pity, considering that it would have been very interesting to see these two sisters serving Rhodes under DANE colours; this was impossible, anyway, for both the notorious financial problems of the company, and the reluctance of Blue Star Ferries to sell its ships to potential competitors in Greece. From 2000 to the beginning of 2004 the “Patmos” sailed alternatively on early afternoon departure to Patmos, Leros, Kalymnos, Kos and Rhodes, and on late afternoon departure to Kos and Rhodes, as well as on Thessaloniki line. On Spring 2004 the ferry was laid up at Keratsini, both for financial difficulties of the company and for the need of mechanical reparations which weren’t allowed by the poor finances of Dane Sea Line; the “Patmos” never left Keratsini dock, being arrested and later sold at auction to Blue Star Ferries. The ferry was not repaired by Blue Star Ferries and was resold in October of the same year, 2006, to Indian buyers to be scrapped at Alang; when the “Pat” left Greece in November was still wearing Dane Sea Line livery, being this way the last ship to carry the colours of Rhodes-based company.

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