F/B Erotokritos - Heraklion

F/B EROTOKRITOS

Photo © Maritime Way

Ship	Erotokritos (1991) ΕΡΟΤΩΚΡΙΤΟΣ	Building Spec.	1974 at Naikai Zosen Yards, Setoda, Japan, N°387
Call Sign	SVQH 2002-04 P3SS9 (2004à)	IMO Number	7394747
GRT	23.888	DWT	5.422
Dimensions	188,4 x 23,98 x 9,70	Engines	2 Mitsubishi MAN 14c, 20.285 kW
Speed	21,5 knots	Passengers	1.000
Beds	480 in 119 cabins	Cars	785
Lane Metres	1.550	Sister Ships	Lato
Registry port.	Heraklion then Limassol (2004à)	Flag	Greek then Cyprus (2004à)
Former Owners	Taiheiyo Ferry 1974-90 Strintzis Lines 1990-91 Minoan Lines 1991-99 Minoan Flying Dolphins 1999-02	Former Names	Ishikari 1974 – 91
New Owners		New Owners
Line	Brindisi – Igoumenitsa - Patras

Under the name “Ishikari” was lenghtened by 12,8 metres, as her sister “Dratsetsu”, now F/B “Lato” of ANEK. Now the sister are no longer identical: the “Erotokritos” is the most similar to the original appearance: the differences are a new mainmast and the position of lifeboats, which were raised. Probably the result of the conversion would have been far better if the ship had been named “Ionian Express” under Strintzis ownership, the company which originally acquired her; then her arrival in Minoan Fleet was the revolution on Adriatic ferries market: she was the first ship linking directly Ancona to Patras or Igoumenitsa, completed in 24 hours and the first ship offering camping aboard service. From 1997 she is on Venice Line, which was abandoned from October 2001, except for a little time on April replacing the “Prometheus”. For 2002 summer the “Erotokritos” was not scheduled anywhere, neither in Minoan Lines timetables nor in Hellas Ferries ones; soon after the Italian company My Way decided to charter her and to put the ship between Patras, Igoumenitsa, Bari and, surprisigly, the Italian port of Monfalcone, close to Trieste. First carrying only trucks, the service was extended also to passengers, but on 2003 summer, it seems due to works carried in Monfalcone port, the ferry was diverted to Brindisi, linking Southern Italy with Igoumenitsa and Patras. As far as I know, this is a very successful service, carried also for 2004 season. No one is speaking about a redeployment of the ship on Monfalcone line.

TAIHEIYO FERRY F/B Ishikari – Photo by courtesy of Murase

MINOAN LINES F/B Erotokritos – Photo from Kurt Warth’s collection

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