F/B Milena - Piraeus

F/B MILENA

Photo © Gunnar Menzer

Ship	Milena (1988) ΜΙΛΕΝΑ	Building Spec.	1970 at Hayashikane yards, Shimonoseki, Japan, N° 1143
Call Sign	SYTB	IMO Number	7010781
GRT	9.856	DWT	1.683
Dimensions	117,46 x 20,6 x 4,41	Engines	4 Wartsila 8c, 9.832 kW
Speed	20 knots	Passengers	2.300
Beds	220 in 63 cabins	Cars	350
Lane Metres	490	Sister Ships	Daliana
Registry Port	Piraeus	Flag	Greek
Former Owners	Diamond Ferry Co. 1970-88	Former Names	Ferry Gold 1970-88
New Owners		New Names
Line	Laid up at Piraeus waiting to resume her summer service Italy – Greece.

One of the first ships acquired by G.A. Ferries, she spent her first 18 years of life between Kobe and Matsuyama in Japan along with her sister, now the “Daliana”. Rebuilt as a cruise-ferry in Greece, although little different from Daliana (the lower deck is more enclosed), after her conversion she gained more important funnels and a different repainting of the hull. Another important alteration of the ferry was the replacement of the original four 16-cylindres Kawasaki MAN with four more powerful 8-cylindres Wartsila, which allowed the ship to reach a top-speed of 20 knots instead of the previous 18. Mainly deployed on Piraeus – Paros – Naxos – Ikaria – Fourni – Samos line, was often employed also on Piraeus – Crete – Rhodes service; in her last years instead, was mainly employed in Northern Aegean seas: first on the long itinerary which connects Thessaloniki and Crete, once arriving overloaded in Thessaloniki; then connecting Piraeus to Ikaria, Samos and, from there, to Chios, Lesvos, Limnos and Alexandruopolis. Once arrived in Thrace’s main port, she sailed back on the line which connects the main islands on Turkish coast: Limnos, Lesvos, Chios, Samos, Kos and Rhodes. On 2004 summer “Milena” was performing a complicate itinerary which has Samos as main port, connecting that island once a week to Piraeus, Kavala (instead of Alexandruopolis), Volos and Sporades and twice to Ikaria, Chios, Mytilini and Limnos; at the beginning of the week she also serves Skiathos and Skopelos both from Volos and Agios Konstantinos. On 2005 she reached the retirement age, but Agoudimos decided to employ the ferry dedicated to his prettiest daughter (even if this is a personal opinion!) on an international route instead of sending her to the breakers; this summer she’ll be the only ferry linking directly Italy with the islands of Cephalonia and Zakinthos.

DIAMOND FERRY COMPANY F/B Ferry Gold

DIAMOND FERRY COMPANY F/B Ferry Gold – Photo by courtesy of Murase

The “Milena” old style, photo G.A. FERRIES

G.A. FERRIES HOME