F/B Kapetan Alexandros

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F/B KAPETAN ALEXANDROS

Photo © Jim Mc Faul, Naxos, 08/08/90 #10996

Ship	Kapetan Alexandros (1989) ΚΑΠΕΤΑΝ ΑΛΕΞΑΝΔΡΩΣ	Building Spec.	Ailsa Shipbuilding Company, Troon, United Kingdom, 1962 – N° 509
Call Sign		IMO Number	5092888
GRT	4.909	DWT	1.554
Dimensions	110,19 x 16,79 x 3,99	Engines	2 Davey – Paxman, 2.471 kW; later 2 Sulzer 12ASV25/30-VR, 4.340 kW
Speed	16 knots	Passengers	1.200
Beds	222 in 64 cabins	Cars	130
Lane Metres	315	Sister ships	Orestes (Scrapped in 2007)
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Doric Ferry – Atlantic Steam Navigation (A.S.N.) 1962-1971 Doric Ferry – Townsend Thoresen 11/1971-06/1981 Atlas II – Libra Maritime 06/1981-1988 Alekos – Agoudimos Lines 1988-1989
New Names/Owners	Kapetan Alexandros A – Agoudimos Lines 1994-07/2009 Scrapped at Aliaga on July 2009 as “Alexandros”
Line

The shipping world is so vast that it’s no easy to award a record, but surely we can define the “Doric Ferry” and her older sister as one of the very-first ro/ro ferries. She was delivered to Atlantic Steam Navigation a year later than her sister “Cerdic Ferry” and, despite the name of the company, started linking Preston, in Northern England, with Larne, near Belfast, in Northern Ireland. Two months later was moved to another line, again outside Atlantic, linking Tilbury, East of London, on River Thames with Antwerpen, in the Flemish part of Belgium, crossing River Schelde in Dutch territorial waters. Six years later, in 1968, was back on her original service between Preston and Larne, and in 1971 she wore Townsend Thoresen’s colours, when A.S.N. was bought by European Ferries, a branch of the Anglo-Norwegian group. In 1974 switches her Great Britain port from Preston to Cairnryan, near Stanraer, in Scotland, and remains on that route until June 1981, when she was sold to Libra Maritime of Greece, being renamed “Atlas II” and deployed on both Adriatic and Aegean routes of the company, starting from Igoumenitsa to Brindisi or Trieste, or from Piraeus to Izmir, Turkey, and Cyclades. In 1988 was bought by Dimitris Agoudimos, which renames her “Alekos”; after a hull repainting, becoming blue from the origina Libra Maritime grey, was confirmed on her former Libra Maritime service, sailing from Rafina to Syros, Paros and Naxos. Anyway, in 1989, the ship would have a very much considerable refit, becoming a passenger-ferry with the extension of her superstructure to stern and the fitting of new cabins and public spaces. This work was carried on when the “Alekos” was 28 years old, only seven years before the once-time 35 year-old limit for the ferries serving Greek domestic routes; a very strange decision, considering that some ferries rebuilt the same year, like the “Ionian Island” or the “Daedalus” were some ten years younger than this one. Perhaps Mr Agoudimos had understood how strong was that Scottish steel. Her first service as passenger ferry was from Rafina to Syros, Paros and Naxos, occasionally calling also at Tinos; later the “Kapetan Alexandros” was moved to serve Andros, Tinos and Mykonos, with a weekly trip continuing to Syros, Paros, Naxos, Heraklia, Schinoussa, Koufonissia and Amorgos. The original engines were replaced by two new Sulzer, even if I don’t know when the work was carried exactly; I suppose the new engines were installed during the conversion work, but there are many stories about her slowness during Rafina service around ferry forums, claiming she needed till four hours to get Gavrion from Rafina. The most funny tale, anyway, involves one of the most known captains working on Rafina line, which was the master of “Kapetan Alexandros” that period: the ferry left Rafina for Gavrion, and after two hours of crossing was nearby Karistos, when Rafina Port Authority called the ferry, ordering the master to go back in port due to a bomb hoax. The answer was “The time we need to get back to Rafina, the bomb would have exploded eight times!!! What will be, will be!”. It’s obvious to say that the bomb wasn’t on board, as long as our ferry completed her sailing and continued to exist for about twenty years. After three years of sailings out of Rafina, the company bought a bigger ship for that line, and the “Kapetan Alexandros” was relocated to Adriatic services, leaving from Patras to Igoumenitsa, Corfu and Brindisi. In 1993 was flagged out of Greek registry, so was renamed as “Kapetan Alexandros A” and started sailing under Maltese flag. In 2009, after 47 years of service, was finally sold for scrap.

Doric Ferry

A.S.N. Ro/Ro Doric Ferry

A.S.N. Ro/Ro Doric Ferry – Photo © Jim Mc Faul, River Ribble (Preston), 01/06/69 #10994

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