F/B Ionian Spirit - Kingstown

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F/B IONIAN SPIRIT

Photo © Alessandro Orfanù, Brindisi, 02/08/11 #11720

Ship	Ionian Spirit (2007)	Building Spec.	Jos L. Meyer Werft, Papenburg, West Germany, 1972 – N° 565
Call Sign	J8B3748	IMO Number	7128887
GRT	6.748	DWT	1.118
Dimensions	109,3 x 17,2 x 4,6	Engines	2 Deutz SBV12M350, 5.885 kW
Speed	17 knots	Passengers	1.320
Beds		Cars	220
Lane Metres	390	Sister ships	Ajman 1 (scrapped in 2004) Apollo Boughaz Express O (scrapped in 2005) Fagr (scrapped in 2002) Jamaa II Puerto Vallarta Sinaloa Star (scrapped in 2008)
Registry Port	Kingstown	Flag	St. Vincent & Grenadines
Former Names/Own.	Viking 3 – Rederi AB Sally / Viking Line 1972-1976 Wasa Express – Vaasalainvat – Vasabåtarna 1976-1983 Viking 3 – Sally Line UK 1983-1984 Wasa Express – Vaasalainvat – Vasabåtarna 1984-1988 Roslagen – Eckerö Linjen 1988-1992 Chartered to GT-Link* 1992* Roslagen – Eestin Linjat 1992-1993 Roslagen – Eckerö Linjen 1988-1992
New Names/Owners
Line	Brindisi - Vlore

Only two ferries among the six of “Papenburger” class of ferries (excluding the three sisters built for Mexico) came to Greece, even of this design of ship could be particularly suitable for Greek waters; anyway also this ferry, which was the second bought by a Greek company, never served in domestic routes. The six ferries built for Viking Line consortium were sorted between Rederi AB Slite (two ferries, the first of the series and the fourth) and Rederi AB Sally (the remaining four vessels, of which this was the second delivered to the company and the third built); this was named as the “Viking 3”, continuing Sally’s way to include the “Viking” in their ship’s names. In the 70’s there were many ferry routes between Sweden, Aland Islands and Finland, and the “Viking 3” was deployed on Kapellskär – Marienhamn – Nadendal line, linking two suburbs of Stockholm and Turku, avoiding the sea crossing in the Archipelago and the main and busy ports of these cities; these routes, on which a great number of ferries were engaged on, doesn’t exist anymore today. Viking Line was a consortium operating on these lines and competing with the other consortium operating between Finland and Sweden, Silja Line, but there was also a fierce competition between the three members of Viking Line consortium, Rederi AB Sally, Rederi AB Slite and SF Line, a competition which led these operators to consistent orders for newer and bigger tonnage to be introduced on the main and most profitable services of the consortium. After the introduction of the four “Papenburgers” on Viking Line routes and the later three giant ferries delivered to Viking Line in 1980 (the “Viking Sally” and the sisters “Viking Saga” and “Viking Song”) Rederi AB Sally was clearly the dominant partner in the consortium, so the company concentrated itself to other business acquiring Commodore Cruise Line in 1980, Vaasalainvat / Vasabåtarna in 1982 and establishing itself Sally Line UK in 1981 and Sally Cruises in 1985. In 1976 anyway, the ferry was sold to Vaasalainvat – Vasabåtarna (the company name was expressed in both Finnish and Swedish language, and it was painted on the ferries in Swedish on port side and Finnish on starboard side), so when the company was bought by Redery AB Sally in 1982, the “Wasa Express” was back in Sally hands. In 1983 Rederi AB Sally decided to transfer the ferry to its Channel service Ramsgate – Dunkirk, where the ferry got back her original “Viking 3” name and the red livery of Viking Line, which was also the commercial name of the company, paired with “Sally” marks and a new logo on the funnel. This service lasted for two years, then the ferry returned in Bothnia gulf, linking again Vaasa and Umeå under Vaasalainvat – Vasabåtarna colours and “Wasa Express” name. In 1987 Rederi AB Sally was absorbed by EFFOA and Johnson Line, and just a year later the “Wasa Express” was sold to Eckerö Linjen, which renamed her “Roslagen”, as the Swedish coast situated north of Stockholm, and deployed on Eckerö – Grisslehamn line, linking the Western municipality of Åland (and of Finland) to Nörrtalje municipality, the most short sea crossing between Åland and Sweden. After a short charter to GT-Link, in 1992 the “Roslagen” entered the fleet of Eestin Linjat, a new company formed by Eckerö Linjen and Birka Line to operate the fast-growing Helsinki – Tallinn line, maintaining the same colour scheme of the parent company; in 1993, after the purchase of her sister “Apollo”, was sent back to Eckerö Linjen on Eckerö – Grisslehamn line, performer until August 2007. In her days as “Roslagen” had an impressive record of port inspections, always passed without deficiencies, demonstrating that even if a company follows a “low-cost” policy, the safety could not be neglected. On April 8^th, 2004, the “Roslagen” avoided a collision with two submarines, and this event also caused an enquiry of Finnish Government for a violation of its territorial waters, as long as Finland didn’t own submarines. In March 2007 rumours concerning her sale to a Greek company spreaded, and in August the buyer appeared to be A.N.M.E.Z. of Zakynthos, Greece, which planned to introduce her between the island and Kyllini to cover the freight traffic. The last sailing of the “Roslagen” was on August 19^th, 2007, when the “Papenburger class” era of ferries sailing between Sweden and Finland came to an end after 37 years, two months and seventeen days from the introduction of the “Apollo” for Rederi AB Slite; in the last days before her lay-up the ship hosted an exhibition about the nine “Papenburger” vessels with Micke Asklander as the exhibition designer and under the patronage of Eckerö Linjen, which operated three vessels of that class. About a month later, A.N.M.E.Z. quitted the purchase and the ferry remained laid-up at Berghamn until it was announced her sale to Agoudimos Lines, which renamed her “Ionian Spirit”. The ferry was refitted at Perama for her new Brindisi – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Paxi service, which started on July 10^th, 2008, after some days of detention at Igoumenitsa port. On December 2008, the ferry replaced the “Kapetan Alexandros A” on Brindisi – Vlore service, returning to Piraeus on December 18^th, due to a problem occurred to an engine; some months later she was back on Italy – Albania service, where is still deployed today; on March 2011 was one of the ferries involved in the evacuation of foreign workers from Libya after the beginning of Civil war. By chance, also the challenging ferry on the same line was chartered to Libya, leaving Vlore without ferry connections to Italy. Even if these charter services are very remunerative for the owners, Agoudimos Lines was in a deep crisis, which started to hit hard the company in 2012: on March 26^th, the ferry was arrested in Brindisi for unpaid bills claimed by the local Port Authority, but after few days the Court released her from the ban, waiting for the final judgement of the litigation; this happened on May 14^th, 2012, when the arrest was definitively lifted by the Court, stating that the Brindisi Port Authority didn’t had the right to proceed to this measure. The “Ionian Spirit” continued to sail between Brindisi and Vlore until September 29^th, when was again arrested by the request of Port Agent. The crew, which was unpaid since September 15^th, remained aboard to maintain the right to the wages, and on December on the same year they asked for help by exposing a banner saying “Crew need help”; they were also able to obtain the protective seizure of the ship at the beginning of January 2013, as a warranty to their unpaid wages. On the same time, the shipowner announced that he couldn’t provide anymore to the food provisions and the electricity supply. The crew was then assisted by the local Caritas and Brindisi Red Cross, and the Port Agent rented a generator for the electricity. Between April and September 2013 all the 24 members of the crew were able to leave the ship, having granted their rights on the wages, even if the company seemed also unable to pay them the expenses for getting back home, and the “Ionian Spirit” is still arrested in Brindisi, awaiting for her destiny.