F/B Grecia - Valletta

F/B GRECIA

Ship	Grecia (1999)	Building Spec.	Cantiere Navale Luigi Orlando, Leghorn, Italy, 1973 – N° 138
Call Sign	9HPL6	IMO Number	7224514
GRT	7.873	DWT	2.283
Dimensions	125,51 x 18,52 x 5,21	Engines	2 Fiat – GMT 14c, 10.298 kW
Speed	21 knots	Passengers	800
Beds	432	Cars	280
Lane Metres	396	Sister Ships	Express Pegasus Riviera del Conero Venezia
Registry Port	Valletta	Flag	Malta
Former Names/Own.	Espresso Livorno – Trans Tirreno Express 1973-80 Chartered to Adriatica Navigazione* 1976-80* Espresso Grecia – Adriatica Navigazione 1980-99
New Names/Own.
Line	Trieste – Durres – Bari in partnership with Agemar

Launched in 1973 by Orlando yards of Leghorn, can be considered a sort of “forerunner” of modern ro-pax ferries. The “Espresso Livorno” started her career sailing for Trans Tirreno Express between Livorno and Olbia for Trans Tirreno Express; in 1976 was chartered to Adriatica for their services sailing from Venice. Definitively bought by Adriatica in 1980, was renamed “Espresso Grecia” and abandoned the services from Venice to be redeployed on the shorter crossings from Brindisi to Greece, remaining on these services until 1992; was then moved to Albania services, mainly from Trieste, but sailing also from Ancona. At the end of Nineties Adriatica started to cut dramatically their services, and the first vessel who was sold according this policy was this one: the buyer was a Greek company, Halkydon Shipping, who shortened the name to “Grecia”. Considering the nationality of the buyer and the name of the ferry it was very hard to expect that she would have been remained on Trieste – Durres line, but this happened, being the commercial services sold by Agemar, the former Adriatica Port Agent in Trieste, which understood that the line is profitable, instead of what affirmed by Adriatica board at the sale of “Espresso Grecia”. To demonstrate that Adriatica was far wrong, the line is successful since 1999 and since October 2006 Halkydon Shipping is offering also passenger services from Bari. Usually the timetable provides three sailings a-week from and to Trieste, and four from and to Bari.

TRANS TIRRENO EXPRESS F/B Espresso Livorno – Launching ceremony at Luigi Orlando yards, Leghorn, Photo from Commis’s collection #5989

ADRIATICA NAVIGAZIONE F/B Espresso Livorno – Photo from Commis’s collection, Venice, Giudecca canal #6300

ADRIATICA NAVIGAZIONE F/B Espresso Grecia – Photo from Commis’s collection #6299

Photo © Erald Spahiu, Durres #6949

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