F/B Sansovino - Venezia

f/b sansovino

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Igoumenitsa, 11/08/94 #34

Ship	Sansovino (1989)	Building Spec.	Fincantieri – Cantieri Navali Italiani, Ancona, Italy, 1989 – N° 5865
Call Sign	ICYO	IMO Number	8705709
GRT	10.977	DWT	2.300
Dimensions	122 x 19,4 x 5,31	Engines	2 Fiat-GMT 6c., 7.059 kW
Speed	15 knots (max 17 knots)	Passengers	1.100
Beds	348 in 158 cabins	Cars	276
Lane Metres	400	Sister Ships	Laurana Palladio
Registry Port	Venice	Flag	Italian
Former Names/Own.	Chartered to Siremar Sicilia Regionale Marittima* 2003* Chartered to Adria Ferries* 2004*
New Names/Own.	Sansovino – Siremar Sicilia Regionale Marittima 2004-07 Chartered to Tirrenia divisione Adriatica* 2004* Santa Maria I – G Lines 2007à
Line

Launched in 1989, soon entered in service between Ancona – Dubrovnik and Dubrovnik – Bari line, but also linking Ancona to Zadar and Split, and from these ports to Venice and Trieste, alternating her service with those of her sister “Palladio”. An urban legend tells that this family of ferries, composed by three sisters of which the “Sansovino” is the second, was built with the intention to be powered by a new experimental engine designed by Fiat – GMT, of which six units were already built, an engine which promised to be, according to the builder, very economic to run. The market anyway didn’t welcomed very well the project, and the Italian Government decided to help Fiat by ordering three ferries for Adriatica equipped by these engines. Anyway, it seems that the fuel consumption is not so ridiculous as the cruise-speed is. The “Sansovino” was deployed on Jugoslavia routes during her first period of service; she left Jugoslavia from October 1990 to March 1991, when she replaced the “Espresso Egitto” on Venice – Greece – Egypt line, and definitively in 1992, when Adriatica suspended Jugoslavian lines due to the civil war broken out in Balkans; was then deployed on the direct Brindisi – Patras link. Replaced in 1994 by the faster “Egitto Express”, was put on Brindisi - Corfu - Igoumenitsa route first, then, in 1996, was put on the new estabilished services from Ancona to Split in Croatia, Bar in Jugoslavia and Durres in Albania. On July 2003, due to the problems occurred to Si.Re.Mar.’s “Paolo Veronese”, was transferred to the Sicilian state-owned ferry line to connect Porto Empedocle, in southern Sicily, to Linosa and Lampedusa; however this ferry was not adequate to the ferry connection she was engaged in, and in December 2003 she remained at sea for three days trying to approach Lampedusa, being impossible due to the rough sea and the absence of lateral propellers on her. After the great troubles of that sailing it seems that the “Paolo Veronese” was repaired, so the ferry was transferred again to Ancona services, running in pair with the sister “Palladio” to Split and Durres. After the take-over of Adriatic services by Tirrenia Navigazione, the Ancona – Durres line was closed due to, according Tirrenia’s opinion, the losses on the route; subsequently Adria Ferries acquired the former “Egitto Express” to operate on this service and, then, demonstrating the high losses claimed by Tirrenia on that service, they chartered also the “Sansovino” which was spare on that moment, to answer the high-demand of services. Back from Adria Ferries’s charter, the ferry was finally transferred to Si.Re.Mar., intended for their Naples – Milazzo service, calling enroute to Salina, Lipari, Vulcano, Panarea and Stromboli islands, but, after being repainted at Ravenna in Siremar’s colours, the ferry was deployed on Ancona – Split line due to the big problems and refittings needed by Tirrenia vessels. Delivered to the Sycilian company at the end of May 2005, was assigned to the Porto Empedocle – Linosa – Lampedusa line, where she was operated also in 2003, however, after only 15 days of service she ran aground approaching Linosa island, damaging a propeller and an engine, and then sent to Messina for repairs. After a long lay-up, at the end of 2007 was sold to G Lines and deployed between Bari and Durres as their “Santa Maria I”.

Photo © Kurt Warth

Photo © Gunnar Menzer

Photo © Daniele Alletto, Linosa #35

Photo © Daniele Alletto, Porto Empedocle #36

SIREMAR F/B Sansovino – Photo © Maria Cristina Margheri, Ancona, 02/04/05 #1625

adriatica home