1994

 

NorTH Adriatic

 

On 1994 Anek Lines still was the only operator sailing from the Northern part of Adriatic Sea; the ferry employed on that service was still the flagship “El. Venizelos”, sailing from Trieste twice a-week on Summer, on Wednesday at 12:30 to Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras and on Saturday at 13.30 to Ancona and the Greek ports.

 

 

 

ANCONA

 

The main starring at Ancona for 1994 was Strintzis Lines, which grove again after some years. This was possible chartering a ferry from the Italian state-owned Viamare, the “Via Ligure”, which became the “Ionian Star”, even if on the first advertisings the ferry was announced as “Ionian Star II”, recalling the hystorical ferry of the company. The original ro/ro, with some superstructure at bow and a weather-deck for trailers, was totally enclosed till the stern, with passenger spaces extended to the stern and some little pleasures, even if nothing if we match this ferry with other Strintzis vessels. The second ro-pax of Ancona history, strangely, was full-chartered from the Italians, which still had the majority of crew and flew their flag at stern, with Palermo as homeport. The ro-pax of the blue company, offering also camping on-board, left Ancona every Tuedsay at 13.00 and Friday at 21.00, coming back from Patras on Wednesday at 23.50 and Sunday at 13.00, being laid up one night at Ancona. Also on the timetable of the other vessels we find new facts: the “Ionian Galaxy” and the “Ionian Island” inverted their noon sailings from Greece to Ancona, leaving Ancona respectively on Wednesday and Monday at 13.00, Saturday and Thursday at 21.00, from Greece the evenings of Monday, Thursday, Tuesday and Saturday. Anek Lines had three ships serving the Doric Port, even if they were capable of only four sailings each-week. The main ferry on Ancona line was the “Lato”, leaving Ancona on Monday at 21.00 and on Friday at 15.00, and Patras on Wednesday and Saturday evenings; the “El. Venizelos” was on its sailing of Saturday evening at 23.30, never linking Greece and Ancona on high-season, then the last ferry was the “Kydon”, making only a round trip leaving Patras on Friday night and Ancona on Sunday noon. Minoan Lines confirmed on its Ancona – Patras service the daily sailings with “Ariadne”, “El Greco”, “Daedalus” and “Fedra”, calling also at Corfu and Igoumenitsa; the “Erotokritos” had its two round-trips Ancona – Patras, adding this year an Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Ancona line, then the “Festos” was still on Italy – Turkey line, calling also at Cephalonia and calling at Cesme in Turkey instead of Kusadasi. Marlines for 1994 made a timetable for two vessels, the “Dame M” and the “Crown M”, the first one on the Ancona – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Patras line, the second one on Ancona – Igoumenitsa – Patras – Heraklion line. As Marlines often did, anyway, the timetable was only an opinion and the most usual ferries calling at Ancona were the “Baroness M” and the “Viscountess M”. After the disappearance on international services, the fifth Ancona operator became Horizon Sea Lines, chartering the “Carlo R.” for the Ancona – Patras – Kusadasi line, with one additional weekly sailing to Igoumenitsa.

 

 

 

BARI

 

On 1994 we fiod again six Ventouris Ferries vessels operating out of Bari, even if those sailing to Patras were only three and not anymore four. The “Saturnus” was still engaged on the more direct link, while the “Polaris” and the “Venus” were on the sailing usually calling also at Corfu and Igoumenitsa. The “Athens Express”, after the call at Igoumenitsa, sailed southbound to Cephalonia, but not to Patras, sailing immediately back to Igoumenitsa, Corfu and Bari. The couple of ferries on Bari – Corfu – Igoumenitsa was very interesting: the ro-pax “Vega” and a new ship, the “Pollux”. Being sister of Minoan Lines’s “Fedra”, is widely out of classic Ventouris’s schemes of a ferry, with 910 beds and a traditional garage. In my opinion she could have been better on Patras line, even if slower than the other ferries engaged on that service. The invasion at Bari anyway goes on with two new operators. The first one was Anek Lines, which started its Bari service with two ferries which originally were near sisters, the “Kriti” and the “Kydon”; the first one leaves Bari every Monday, Wednesday and Saturday, Patras every Tuesday, Friday and Sunday, the second one, being employed also on Ancona, sailed from Patras on Monday and Wednesday, coming back from Bari on Tuesday and Thursday. The other newcomer at Bari was Marlines, which switches its second Italian operations from Brindisi to this port, situated 100 km Northbound. The programs were to deploy the “Duchess M” and the “Baroness M” on Bari – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Patras line, switching the “Baroness M” on July to the twice-weekly service from Bari to Igoumenitsa, Patras and Cesme in Turkey, being replaced by “Countess M”. In fact, anyway, the ferries on the Patras service were the “Duchess M” and the “Crown M”, the “Countess M” was engaged on a service to Corfu and Igoumenitsa, and it’s not very clear if the ferry who sailed to Cesme was the “Viscountess M” or the “Dame M”. Arkadia Lines continued serving Bari with “Silver Paloma”, and “Dimitrios Express” even if Patras was cut off their services, and also Poseidon Lines with “Sea Wave” and “Sea Serenade”.

 

 

 

BRINDISI – Otranto

 

For 1994 season HML still operated six ships, “Apollonia II”, “Lydia”, “Egnatia”, “Corinthia”, “Media II” and “Poseidonia”, calling also with these  two latest ferries at Zakinthos Island. Adriatica also confirmed its usual services to Greece, with some changes in the ferries: the “Laurana” remained on the main service, the “Sansovino” replaced the “Palladio” on Brindisi – Corfu – Igoumenitsa, then the “Egitto Express” was deployed on the direct link Brindisi – Patras, due to her higher cruise - speed. Another Ventouris anyway started serving Brindisi: we’re talking of A.K. Ventouris, an operator which had freight traffic as its main target, operating the vessels “Anna V” and “Arion” on Brindisi – Igoumenitsa – Cephalonia – Patras line. Another newcomer on Brindisi scene was Strintzis Lines, which deployed the veteran “Ionian Sun” on a service which became very successful in the years: a “low cost service” which left Brindisi daily at 10.00, arriving at Corfu at 17.00 and at Igoumenitsa at 18.15, sailing back from Igoumenitsa at 23.30, calling at Corfu at 01.00 and arriving again at 07.00 in Brindisi. Fragline operated on the same line, omitting the call at Patras, with “Eolos” and “Ouranos, and the other operators sailing to Igoumenitsa and Patras were Mediterranean Lines, with “Raffaello” and “Valentino”, and Med Link Lines, which operated a second ship along the “Afrodite II”, the “Poseidon”, an original sister of ANEK’s “Lissos”.

 

Le foto in questa pagina sono gentile concessione di Matteo Fasce, Pieter Inpijn, Fleet File Rotterdam, Kurth Warth, Emilio Barenghi, Michele Lulurgas, Stefanos Antoniadis,  oltre a cartoline e fotografie ufficiali.

 

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