F/B
PALOMA
Photo by courtesy of magazine EFOPLISTIS
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Ship
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Paloma (1986)
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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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7.708
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DWT
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3.261
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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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Pireo
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Flag
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Greca
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Former
Owners
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Swedish Railways 1968-77
Federal Arab Maritime 1978-84
Strintzis Lines 1984-86
Afroessa Lines 1986-89
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Former Names
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Drottningen 1968-77
Al Zahraa 1977-84
Ionian Victory 1984-86
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New
Owners
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Shantou Shipping 1993à
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New
Names
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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. Although she was employed between Italy and Greece
(Ancona – Corfu
– Igoumenitsa – Patras) the ship was registered in Limassol. The service in the
blue fleet was long only two years: in 1986 was replaced by “Ionian Sun” 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 Al Zahraa – Photo by courtesy of Micke
Asklander
STRINTZIS LINES F/B Ionian Victory – Photo by courtesy of magazine
EFOPLISTIS
STRINTZIS LINES F/B Ionian Victory – Official Strintzis Lines postcard
AFROESSA LINES F/B Paloma – Photo © Pieter Inpijn