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F/B NERAIDA II

Photo © Evangelos S. Tzardis, Piraeus, 1989 #30870

 

 

 

When the Simantonis family bought this ship on May 1989, the NERAIDA II had already lived a very interesting career under several owners, sailing on routes over two continents and having crossed two times the Atlantic Ocean. Being the first roll on/roll off car ferry of Viking Line, she was built in 1964 for Rederi AB Slite, one of the three companies which have founded the consortium, named APOLLO after the mythological God of Ancient Greece, after few months under Rederi AB Slite’s livery, she took the Viking Line livery, which she carried for almost three years. Soon became too small for her service, which was very successful, the APOLLO was sold to Canadian interests in September of 1967, renamed MANIC and crossed the Atlantic for the first time, operating local services in Quebec waters under Canadian flag. She came to Greece in 1978, bought by the rapidly-expanding Strintzis Lines, which intended to open a new service from Kyllini, Western Peloponnese, to Poros, Cephalonia Island, but she operated also spells between Patras and Argostoli, the main town of Cephalonia, and between Rafina and Cyclades in Aegean Sea.

 

When Strintzis Lines had renewed its domestic fleet by the introduction of bigger tonnages, the AINOS became redundant, so an agreement for the sale with Sigma Ferries was signed and the ferry was took over by her new owner in May 1989, renamed NERAIDA II, and, for the first time in her career, had her hull painted in white, a very common livery, but never carried before Sigma Ferries, having displayed the red colour for Rederi AB Slite, Viking Line and La Traverse Nord Sud, and blue colour for Canadian National and Strintzis Lines.

 

This is the only significant alteration the NERAIDA II got from her previous career, being the external stairs at stern for the embarkation of foot passengers added by Strintzis Lines; the ferry started then serving an interesting route from Piraeus to Aegina, Methana, Poros, Hydra, Spetses and Porto Heli; this route doesn’t exist anymore today, being the most far destinations from Piraeus being served by passenger-only catamarans.

 

The Sigma Ferries venture came to an end in March 1990, when the ferry was sold to Ventouris Ferries, which renamed her as the YDRA, operating out of Piraeus to the same destinations she reached as the NERAIDA II. After three years, she was sold to another member of Ventouris family, Antonios Ventouris, which started her new company, named Ventouris Lines, to serve Argosaronikos islands.

 

In 1996, Ventouris Lines collapsed due to financial difficulties and the AGIOS NEKTARIOS, the name given to the ship after her purchase by Ventouris Lines, was laid up in Piraeus and later in Neo Ikonio, where the ship sank in shallow waters during a storm in December 2003. Was then refloated and scrapped in place the following year.

 

 

PHOTO GALLERY

 

 

REDERI AB SLITE – Apollo (1964-1965)

 

 

 

VIKING LINE – Apollo (1965-1967)

 

 

 

LA TRAVERSE NORD SUD – Manic (1967-1970)

 

 

 

CANADIAN NATIONAL – Manic (1970-1978)

 

 

 

STRINTZIS LINES / IONIAN FERRIES CONSORTIUM – Ainos (1980-1986)

 

 

 

SI STRINTZIS LINES – Ainos (1980; 1986-1989)

 

 

 

SIGMA FERRIES – Neraida II (1989-1990)

 

 

 

VENTOURIS FERRIES – Ydra (1990-1993)

 

 

 

VENTOURIS LINES – Agios Nektarios (1990-1993)

 

 

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