F/B Platitera - Piraeus

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F/B PLATITERA

$Descrizione: C:\Users\Michele\Documents\Immagini\indice generale foto\Fast Ferries\Platitera - IMO 8822167 (2003)\FAST FERRIES FB Platitera 11_Personale 05Ge07.JPG$

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Corfu, 05/01/07 #5364

Ship	Platitera (2003) ΠΛΑΤΥΤΕΡΑ	Building Spec.	Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Shimonoseki, Japan, 1990 – N° 931
Call Sign	SVJB	IMO Number	8822167
GRT	2.320	DWT	949
Dimensions	83,5 x 15,22 x 3,91	Engines	2 Daihatsu 8DLM-32, 4.416 kW
Speed	15,3 knots	Passengers	967
Beds		Cars	180
Lane Metres	228	Sister Ships	Agia Theodora
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Chiezuru Maru – Awaji Ferry Boat 1990-99 Ferry Express – Highroad Shipping 1999-03
New Names/Own.	Maria Buono – Medmar 2007à
Line

As the Shimonoseki yard of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries usually launches fast and huge ro-paxes, is very hard to believe that the tiny “Chiezuru Maru” was built in the “Temple of Japanese shipbuilding industry”. But this is true. She was ordered by Awaji Ferry Boat of Kobe (where another yard of M.H.I. is based, that time engaged in building the “Victory” of Higashi Nihon Ferry), a company established in 1965 by the owner of Sanyo company to link Kobe with the nearby island of Awaji, where the shipowner Toshio Iue lived; as long as the ferry was sailing on a very short route, she had very limited passenger facilities; probably the passengers remained in their veichles during the crossing, because of the large openings both on main garage and on upper garage, which was able to carry only cars. After the building of the Akashi Kaikyo Ohashi bridge in 1998, which linked directly Kobe and Awaji, the company ceased its service and its ferries were renamed and reflagged to Honduras; this one was renamed “Ferry Express”, then was bought by Corfu Fast Ferries in October 2003, rebuilt at Ambelaki Shipyards of Salamina and entered service in February 2004. The fact that I can’t understand about this ferry, considering its former Japanese appearance, is how could she have sailed both in Pacific Ocean, Japanese Sea, Indian Ocean, which are the only way to get from Kobe to Piraeus Roads… Due to the liberalization to Corfu – Igoumenitsa ferry services occurred in early 2007, the company decided to reduce its Corfu – Igoumenitsa presence by selling this ferry to Naples-based Medmar, which renamed her as the “Maria Buono” for the lines to the islands of Naples Gulf.