F/B Ionian Victory

F/B IONIAN VICTORY

Photo by courtesy of EFOPLISTIS magazine

Ship	Ionian Victory (1998)	Building Spec.	1974 at Hayashikane, Shimonoseki, Japan, N° 1177
Call Sign	SVGF	IMO Number	7377567
GRT	19.539	DWT	4.213
Dimensions	163,98 x 23,98 x 6,4	Engines	2 Mitsubishi - MAN, 20.595 kW
Speed	22,2 knots	Passengers	1.100
Beds	347 in 107 cabins	Cars	600
Lane Metres	1.455	Sister ships
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Owners	Nippon Enkai Ferry 1974-91 Blue Highway Line 1991-98	Former Names	Sapporo Maru 1974-91 Sun Flower Sapporo 1991-98
New Owners	Blue Star Ferries 2000-03 Agoudimos Lines 2004à	New Names	Blue Sky 2000-03 Ionian Sky 2004à
Line

Was acquired from Japan, where she linked Tokyo with Sendai on Hokkaido island, by Strintzis Lines in 1998, then deployed on links from Venice and Ancona to Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras, even if, in spite of her running-mates, she sailed from Ancona to Patras at 23.00 instead of 12.00 and from Patras to Ancona on 13.00 instead of 22.00. On 1999 season was also on the new direct link Ancona – Patras, until 2000, when she was transferred to Blue Star Ferries, the new brand name of Strintzis Lines, and put on Venice – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Patras line. Not well suited, in my opinion, for a so long crossing (she lacked a swimming pool, aircraft-type seats, had a little number of beds and so on), carried on that service until November 2003, when she replaced the “Blue Bridge” on her annual refit linking Brindisi to Corfu and Igoumenitsa; on that period Agoudimos Lines purchased her and decided to maintain the ship on that line, performing the same timetable of her when she was under Blue Star Ferries’s ownership (departures from Italy in the morning and from Igoumenitsa at 23.30). She seems to have a great deal on Brindisi line.

BLUE HIGHWAY LINE F/B Sun Flower Sapporo - Photo from Daniele Miglio’s collection

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Patras, 18/08/98

BLUE STAR FERRIES F/B Blue Sky - Photo © Pieter Inpijn

STRINTZIS LINES HOME