F/B IONIAN VICTORY
Official Strintzis Lines postcard
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Ship
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Ionian Victory
(1984)
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Building
Spec.
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1968 at Uddevallavarvet AB yards, Uddevalla, Sweden
N° 280
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Call Sign
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IMO Number
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6800402
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GRT
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5.964
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DWT
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2.573
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Dimensions
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115,7 x 18,02 x
4,75
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Engines
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4 Pielstick, 8.210 kW
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Speed
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18 knots
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Passengers
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1.400
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Beds
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424
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Cars
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175
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Lane Metres
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255
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Sister
Ships
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Registry Port
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Limassol
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Flag
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Cyprus
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Former
Owners
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Swedish Railways 1968-77
Federal Arab Maritime 1978-84
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Former Names
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Drottningen 1968-77
Al Zahraa 1977-84
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New
Owners
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Afroessa Lines 1986-89
Arkadia Lines 1990-93
Shantou Shipping 1993à
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New
Names
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Paloma 1986-93
Jin Hu 1993à
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Line
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An old trainferry in service
between Trelleborg and the German ports of Travemunde (West Germany)
and Sassnitz ( East Germany).
From 1971 she changed her service several times, chartered to many
different operators: in 1971 was on Stockholm – Nadendal
line until 1973, when was chartered for two years to Birka
Line, first between Stockholm, Helsinki and Leningrad, then between the Swedish capital and Aland (Mariehamn). In 1974 was
for little time on her original service Trelleborg – Germany, in 1975 again chartered to Sessanlinjen and then to Silja
Line for the service Stockholm/Norrtalje – Mariehamn – Turku. Before of her purchase by
Federal Arab Maritime (1977)
was for other two years on charter to Stena
Line (Goteborg – Kiel) and PKP (Ystad – Swinoujscie). Renamed “Al
Zahraa” was used often as a cruiseship,
until her purchase by Strintzis Lines in January
1984. Being already in Mediterranean traffic, sailing from Egypt to Venice,
for Strintzis was employed between Italy and Greece
(Ancona – Corfu – Igoumenitsa – Patras) and registered in Limassol.
The service in the blue fleet was long only two years: in 1986 was replaced by
“Ionian Glory” and sold to “Afroessa Lines”, where
she reencountered another trainferry originally in service
between Sweden
and RDT, the “Sassnitz”. The two ships had also a
similar name: the first one “Paloma”, the second one
“Silver Paloma”. At that time the ship was also
refitted with a swimming pool and the increasement of
superstructure at stern. Connecting Piraeus with
Limassol and Haifa via
Tinos – Heraklion – Rhodes, the ship flied maltese flag until 1990, when Afroessa
Lines was purchased by Arkadia Lines and the ferry
was Greek-flagged. Only for a while on Greece
– Cyprus – Israel, was put on the new line Patras – Igoumenitsa – Corfu – Bari.
On winter 1992 was laid up waiting for an acquirent, finded only in June 1993, when she was purchased by the
Chinese company Shantou Shipping and named “Jin Hu”.
SWEDISH RAILWAYS F/B Drottningen
Photo by courtesy of Micke Asklander
FEDERAL ARAB MARITIME F/B Alzahraa
photo by courtesy of Micke Asklander
Photo
by courtesy of magazine EFOPLISTIS
AFROESSA LINES F/B Paloma
photo © Pieter Inpijn
ARKADIA LINES F/B Paloma
photo by courtesy of magazine EFOPLISTIS
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