F/B Dimitroula - Piraeus

F/B DIMITROULA

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 05/08/05 #2287

Ship	Dimitroula (1997) ΔΗΜΗΤΡΟΥΛΑ	Building Spec.	1978 at Fincantieri, C. di Stabia, Italy, N° 4346
Call Sign	SXKS	IMO Number	7602156
GRT	11.779	DWT	1.910
Dimensions	131 x 20 x 5,6	Engines	2 GMT - Fiat, 12.922 kW
Speed	21 knots	Passengers	1.000
Beds	490	Cars	330
Lane Metres	400	Sister Ships	Al Salam Boccaccio 98 Al Salam Carducci 92 Al Salam Manzoni 94 Al Salam Pascoli 96 Al Salam Petrarca 90 (sank in 2002) Santa Catherine (scrapped in 2005) Zhong Yuan
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Owners	Tirrenia 1978-97	Former Names	Verga 1978-97
New Owners		New Names
Line	Piraeus – Syros – Paros – Naxos – Ikaria – Samos – Chios – Lesvos – Limnos - Kavala

An example of an Italian-built ship which has found her second life in Greece, was purchased by G.A. Ferries in 1997 to substitute the “Dimitra”, taken over by DANE. Was delivered to the Italian State-owned company Tirrenia in 1978 as the last ferry of “Poeti” class, formed by eight ferries. In fact, the ferry was not identical with the earlier six vessels, but, as the seventh vessel “Deledda” was younger, had more powerful 16-cylindres Fiat engines and lacked the “lido deck” with swimming-pool, which was fitted on the other six “Poeti” ferries. She was under Tirrenia marks for almost twenty years, serving many routes in the Thyrrenian sea, mainly linking Genoa with Olbia and Arbatax in Sardinia island; was then sold to G.A. Ferries in 1997. The ferry was delivered in Naples and a friend of mine told me many fun stories about Gerasimos Agoudimos; then, in Greece, she started a new service under the new Agoudimos colours, linking along with “El Greco” of Minoan Lines, Thessaloniki and Heraklion, although, differently from Minoan service, was linking many more islands (Skiathos, Skyros, Andros, Tinos, Mykonos, Syros, Paros, Naxos, Ios, Santorini) and once a week calling also at Piraeus. From the following year the Thessaloniki line was performed by “Daliana”, so this ferry was diverted to Dodecanese, both on Dodecanese islands line and the long run passing from Heraklion, Kassos and Karpathos, remaining on these lines until spring 2002, when she started the Piraeus – Chios – Mitilini line in “Fedra” ’s place. Despite good financial results on summer 2003 is mainly employed on Dodecanese services; instead, since summer 2004, her main service is to Cyclades, Ikaria, Samos and often also to Chios, Mytilene, Limnos and Kavala. Surely, considering her timetable, it would be very hard for her to stole some travellers to Nel Lines.

TIRRENIA F/B Verga – Photo © Davide Tognolini

Photo © Gunnar Menzer

Photo © Pieter Inpijn

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 08/08/2001

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 05/08/05 #2285

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 05/08/05 #2286

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