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F/B METHODIA II

Photo © Carsten Dettmer, Piraeus, 01/07/1996 #13389

 

 

 

First ship of Townsend Bros Ferries, the FREE ENTERPRISE was renamed FREE ENTERPRISE I after three years when the British company expanded its fleet with a second ship; then, in 1968, the company changed its name to Townsend Thoresen after the acquisition of  Thoresen Car Ferries, with the FREE ENTERPRISE I still sailing on the main Dover – Calais service with sporadic sailings also on Irish Sea. Bought by Ventouris family in 1980, was renamed KIMOLOS after their home island and deployed on Greek Domestic services; in 1987, after the break-up of the original company, the KIMOLOS was transferred to Ventouris Sea Lines, still serving the same domestic lines. In 1993, still under Ventouris Sea Lines’s ownership, was renamed ERGINA, and was later renamed VENTOURIS, even if I haven’t any notice of services under that name.

 

Bought by Antonios Ventouris in 1995, was renamed METHODIA II and deployed on the Argosaronic services of Ventouris Lines, being the biggest ferry ever in service to Argosaronic islands, a record which is still unbeaten today.

 

Unfortunately, the choice of deploying three classic and comfortable ferries against the competitors, which were mainly operating landing craft-type ferries, wasn’t enough remunerative to the company, which ran in deep financial troubles and arrested all its ferries. After being laid up in 1996, was bought in January 1997 and renamed KALLISTI; being her career as passenger ferry over due to age restriction over ferries in Greek domestic service, was employed as a day-cruise vessel operating from Heraklion to Santorini and also out of Rhodes; I’ve found also notices of a winter service from Lavrion to Tinos and Mykonos, even if I haven’t heard never about it, bearing in mind that she had passed the age limit for Greek domestic services. In 2005 was again sold and renamed OKEANIS, to operate daily cruises out of Zakynthos, sailing alternatively to Katakolon, Ithaki, Cephalonia and Lefkada. After two years in Ionian sea, was intended to operate minicruises from Crete in 2007, but this didn’t happen, and the OKEANIS remained laid up at Elefsina until her last trip, in June 2013, when she was sold for scrap at Aliaga.

 

PHOTO GALLERY

 

 

TOWNSEND BROS FERRIES – Free Enterprise (1962-1965)

 

 

 

TOWNSEND BROS FERRIES – Free Enterprise I (1965-197x)

 

                                  

 

TOWNSEND THORESEN – Free Enterprise I (197x-1980)

 

 

 

VENTOURIS FERRIES – Kimolos (198x-1987)

 

 

 

VENTOURIS SEA LINES – Kimolos (1987-1993)

 

 

VENTOURIS SEA LINES – Ergina (1993-1994)

 

 

 

VENTOURIS LINES – Methodia II (1995-1997)

 

 

 

SINDERELLA N.E. – Kallisti (1997-2005)

 

 

 

IONIAN ISLANDS DAY CRUISES – Okeanis (2005-2007)

 

 

 

IONIAN ISLANDS DAY CRUISES – Okeanis (2007-2013)

 

 

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