F/B Preveli - Rethimnon

F/B PREVELI

Photo © George Giannakis, Piraeus, 18/11/95 #6176

Ship	Preveli (1994) ΠΡΕΒΕΛH	Building Spec.	Imabari Zosen, Imabari, Japan, 1980 – N° 396
Call Sign	SYDL	IMO Number	8020927
GRT	15.354	DWT	5.300
Dimensions	142,47 x 23,50 x 5,52	Engines	2 Ishikawajima-Pielstick 12PC2 – 5V 11.750 kW
Speed	18,5 knots (20 max)	Passengers	1.500
Beds	650	Cars	450
Lane Metres	650	Sister Ships
Registry Port	Rethimnon	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Ferry Orange No 2 – Shikoku Kaihatsu Ferry 1980-94
New Names/Own.	Prevelis – Anek Lines 2000à
Line

Delivered on December 1980, the “Ferry Orange” was part of a four-vessel service linking the two busiest Japanese ports, Osaka and Tokyo. Was built by Rethimniaky N.E. in 1994, aiming to offer a daily service between Piraeus and Rethimnon. Named “Preveli” after the well known Preveli Monastery, near to the river Preveli on Crete island, which was headquarter of the first Greek School (1831) and centre of many revolutionary events during the 1866 Revolution against the Turkish occupation. The ferry which arrives at Rethimnon in 1994 was clearly a freighter; anyway she departed for Perama, where she was converted in the last true Greek cruise-ferry, under the project of Arminio Lozzi, an Italian architect not known as De Jorio is, but very appreciated in Greece, where he designed various rebuildings of cruise-ships during 80’s and 90’s. When I speak of the last Greek cruise-ferry I mean a ferry with all the upper garage converted to cabins: in fact all the subsequent Japanese ferries (unfortunately few ones) which came to Greece maintained their upper garage in order to retain a big freight capacity, sometimes also cutting the passenger accommodations and facilities; anyway the “Kriti I and II”, “Ionian Victory”, “Superferry Hellas”, “Sophocles V.”, “Lefka Ori”, “Ionian King” and “Ionian Queen” were very different from the ferries we were used to know. Finally deployed between Piraeus and Rethimnon, was very appreciated, due to her internal spaces and her on board services. Her career in Cretan Ferries colours goes on till 2000, when she was repainted in ANEK colours, the new owners of the Rethimnon-based company.