F/B Ouranos - Limassol

F/B OURANOS

Photo © Dominik Wagner, Igoumenitsa, 04/04/04

Ship	Ouranos (1999)	Building Spec.	1967 at Flender Werft, Lubeck, Germany N° 559
Call Sign		IMO Number	6704402
GRT	11.621	DWT	3.076
Dimensions	138 x 21,5 x 5,50	Engines	4 Pielstick 12 cyl., 18.390 kW
Speed	24 knots	Passengers	1.200
Beds	556 in 193 cabins	Cars	280
Lane Metres	456	Sister Ships	Sardinia Nova
Registry Port	Limassol	Flag	Cyprus
Former Owners	Tor Line 1967-75 Minoan Lines 1975-99	Former Names	Tor Hollandia 1967-75 Ariadne 1975-99
New Owners		New Names
Line	Brindisi - Corfu - Igoumenitsa

Launched on 12/11/1967, was delivered to Tor Line the 12th April 1967, starting the service Goteborg - Amsterdam - Immingham - Goteborg two days later, introducing, together with her sister, the concept of fast crossing on North Sea lines. In 1975 Tor Line introduces two new sisters on this service, so is planned to put the “Tor Hollandia” on Red Sea, between Jeddah and Suez, although there are strong voices of a purchase intention by Minoan Lines. These voices were concretized and in November of the same year the “Ariadne” was put between Piraeus and Iraklion together with “Minos”, the first Minoan Lines ship. She remained on that line until 1986, when she was put on a new international service between Patras and Brindisi. In 1989 a new line: Ancona - Corfu - Cephalonia - Piraeus - Paros - Samos - Kusadasi, which was important because re-estabilished a link between Ancona and Piraeus via Corinth Canal. In 1991 was renovated, being a true cruise-ferry: the superstructure was extended to the stern and two lifeboats, one each side, were removed and replaced by liferafts; a little swimming-pool was added, the passenger capacity raised from 992 to the present figure of 1.200, the bed capacity passed from 472 to 556, the funnels were repainted with Minoan’s red and green colours and the logo was placed on them instead of the dummy funnel, the car capacity was a little decreased, from 300 to 280. On 1993 was put between Ancona, Corfu, Igoumenitsa and Patras together with “Daedalus”, “Fedra” and “El Greco”. On that line also in 1994 and 1995, from 1996 was put on the new line Piraeus - Paros - Naxos - Ios - Santorini, diverting once a week also to Syros and Sikinos and linking once a week Piraeus to Amorgos and Astypalea via Paros and Naxos. On winter 1997 is chartered to the Libyan company General National Maritime, linking Tripoli to Valletta. In 1999 was sold to Fragline, for the service Brindisi - Corfu - Igoumenitsa named “Ouranos”. Perhaps she is much better than the previous “Ouranos”, although she is two year older: this is a problem which doesn’t affect the ships not Greek-flagged on international services, especially this one, which belongs to a very serious company, which carries on the ferry a punctual and strict maintainance.

TOR LINE F/B Tor Hollandia – Photo by courtesy of Micke Asklander

MINOAN LINES F/B Ariadne – Photo from Pieter Inpijn’s collection

MINOAN LINES F/B Ariadne – Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Ancona, 30/06/94

MINOAN LINES F/B Ariadne – Photo © Per Jensen

Photo from FRAGLINE WEBSITE

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