F/B Ierapetra L. - Agios Nikolaos

F/B IERAPETRA L.

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 06/11/06 #4800

Ship	Ierapetra L. (1999) ΙΕΡΑΠΕΤΡΑ Λ.	Building Spec.	Kanda Zosen, Kure, Japan, 1975 – N° 137
Call Sign	SZIY	IMO Number	7429669
GRT	12.891	DWT	2.317
Dimensions	137 x 22 x 5,59	Engines	2 IHI – Pielstick 16PC2 – 5V400, 15.298 kW
Speed	21 knots	Passengers	1.300
Beds	357	Cars	400
Lane Metres	820	Sister Ships
Registry Port	Agios Nikolaos	Flag	Greek
Former Names/Own.	Green Arch – Hiroshima Green Funnel 1975-82 Okudogo No 8 – Kansai Kisen 1982-91 Kidon – Anek Lines 1991 Kydon – Anek Lines 1991-94 Talos – Anek Lines 1995-99
New Names/Owners
Line	Piraeus – Rethymnon; Piraeus – Chania for Anek Lines

Launched at Kanda yards in 1975, was one of the first Japanese ro/pax, coming after the “Ferry Hankyu” and contemporary of the “seven sisters” built by Naikai Zosen. She starts sailing under Hiroshima Green Ferry colours, bought by Kansai Kisen some years later and finally coming to Greece in 1991 for Anek Lines. Under the ownership of the Chania-based company the ferry changed three names: first “Kidon”, then “Kydon”, finally “Talos”, being almost entirely employed on Italy – Greece lines, and being appreciated on that service because of her good cargo capacity. In 1999 she became redundant after the arrival of the new “Sophocles V.”, so ANEK used her to buy the 50% of Lane Lines shares by transferring her property to the company of Lasithi. After the ch’ange of ownership, she had a very busy life, both for the services changed, for the different liveries shown during the years, both for the tales and what happened to her. Deployed on the classic LANE service Piraeus – Milos – Agios Nikolaos – Sitia, she often called at Kassos, Karpathos, Chalki and Rhodes ports on weekends; later the services performed reached also Kastelorizo and included the Rhodes – North Aegean line. Her first livery was the simpliest possibile: some white paint on yellow-blue stripes of ANEK, white paint above the “K” and a blue “L” paited before “ANE”; the name painted at bow was unusually in Greek characters. These repaintings, carried in a very short time, led to a mistake which was never corrected throughout the life of the vessel: from the port side the EU flag was painted over (probably with the “L” of LANE), but the flag remained unchanged on starboard side. A very strange thing, if we consider that usually in parliaments the “left hand” is more European-friendly that the “right hand”!!!! Apart of the joke, in 2000 many mistakes of the livery were corrected: the name at bow became written in Latin characters and in a more usual position; the “Lane Lines” mark on the sides became of the corporative dark-green, even if still in ANEK fonts. The livery was even more uniformed to the one of “Visentzos Kornaros” by painting the blue “go faster” stripe typical of P&O ferries, which was never painted away from the “Visentzos Kornaros”, a stripe who becomes distintive of the Cretan company. On October 9^th, 2005, the ferry grounded near Rhodes, being towed away by tugs only three days later and disembarking the passengers by lifeboats. On October 9^th, 2005, the ferry grounded near Rhodes, remaining there for three days before the salvage; the passengers were disembarked by lifeboats. In 2006 we found two more particolar facts: being Lane Lines often available to charter the vessel, they chartered the “Ierapetra L.” to the football team AEK Athens to ferry its supporters from Rafina to Heraklion, where the team played the final of Greece National Cup against Olympiakos Piraeus. After the defeat of AEK, the supporters vandalized the ferry during the return trip to Rafina, causing heavy damages to public rooms and robbing at ship’s bars. After these episodes of barbarism, the ferry was refurbished and redeployed in service, but was chartered back on July 16^th, 2006, by the French Government to evacuate French Nationals from Beirut, Lebanon, after the broke-out of Hezbollah war. After three sailings between Beirut and Larnaca, Cyprus, she was back to Greece, where she was repainted in a brand-new livery; later she sailed in the place of “Prevelis” for some times on Piraeus – Rethymnon line, then back on her usual service Piraeus – Milos – Santorini – Agios Nikolaos – Sitia – Kassos – Diafani – Karpathos – Chalki – Rhodes. On the Friday evening sailing the ferry switch the call from Agios Nikolaos to Heraklion, probably because of the high level of traffic to the Cretan main town. From 2007 the ferry will sail under LANE colours also from Rhodes to Kos, Kalymnos, Samos and Thessaloniki, a line that, after the disruption of DANE services, changes often operator.