F/B COUNTESS m

Photo from MARLINES’s 1998 brochure

 

Ship

Countess M(1986)

Building Spec.

1968 at Bretagne yard, Nantes, France N° 16/109

Call Sign

 

IMO Number

6809678

GRT

10.093

DWT

2.439

Dimensions

134,63 x 21,24 x 4,83

Engines

2 De Bretagne -  Pielstick 7.413 kW

Speed

17 knots

Passengers

1.600

Beds

652

Cars

300

Lane Metres

435

Sister Ships

Millennium Express II

Registry Port

Valletta

Flag

Malta

Former Owners

P&O Normandy Ferries 1967-85

Former Names

Leopard 1968-85

New Owners

Five Stars Lines 2000

Megastars Lines 2001-04

Scrapped in India 2004

New names

Sidon 2000 Dimitra A 2000

Mega I 2001-02

Talya I 2002-04

Line

 

 

 

One of Marlines’s historical vessels, entered the fleet in 1987, linking Ancona and Patras via Igoumenitsa along with “Princess M”. Her refit was very interesting, both for the balcony at the forward end of superstructure and for the increased passenger accommodations at the stern, which can be underlined wieving also photos of her sister “Viscountess M / Charm M”, which is less altered from former appearance under P&O Normandy Ferries’s management. From 1993 served also Corfu on her way from Patras to Ancona, then in 1994 was put on Bari - Patras line with “Duchess M” and soon changed her service to Bari - Igoumenitsa - Corfu - Bari. In 1995 was back in Ancona services, linking the Doric port every Saturday to Patras, Heraklion and Kusadasi in Turkey. In 1996 re-opened an old Marlines link, the Piraeus - Heraklion - Rhodes - Limassol - Haifa line, departing from Greece on Thursday facing the “Nissos Kypros” of Salamis Lines. The service was not very successfull, so this ship was back in Adriatic on 1998 season on Bari - Igoumenitsa line remaining on this service until 1999, when she was laid up in Eleusis. Renamed “Sidon” in earlier 2000, was sold to Five Stars Lines and operated as “Dimitra A” from Brindisi to Igoumenitsa, along with her fleet mates “Poseidon” and “Brindisi” which runned also to Patras. Sold again in 2001 to Megastars Lines, was deployed BrindisiCesme service, renamed “Mega I” on her first year, and in 2002 again renamed “Talya I”, always on the same route for the same operator. Was expected back in service in 2003, but she didn’t moved from Eleusis, probably due to mechanical problems, then was sold for scrap in Alang on 2004 spring.

 

P&O NORMANDY FERRIES F/B Leopard - Photo from Pieter Inpijn’s collection

 

TOWNSEND THORESEN F/B Leopard - Photo by courtesy of Micke Asklander

 

The “Countess M” in her first years of services - Photo by courtesy of Daniele Miglio

 

Photo © Fleet File Rotterdam

 

FIVE STARS LINES F/B Dimitra A – Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Keratsini, 08/10/00

 

MEGASTARS LINES F/B Talya I – Photo © Nikos Thrylos, Piraeus, 05/05/04

 

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