F/B
POSEIDON EXPRESS 
Photo © Alessandro Bertolini
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Ship
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Poseidon
Express (1989)
ΠΟΣΕΙΔΩΝ
ΕΞΠΡΕΣ
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Building
Spec.
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1974 at Pietra Ligure, Italy; finished at Alsthom, Leroux, France
N° 13
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Call Sign
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IMO Number
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7227073
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GRT
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7.824
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DWT
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1.866
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Dimensions
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135,3 x 20,71
x 5,9
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Engines
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2 Atlantique
- Pielstick, 20.005 kW
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Speed
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23,6 knots
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Passengers
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1.300
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Beds
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255
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Cars
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280
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Lane
Metres
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220
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Sister
Ships
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Registry Port
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Piraeus
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Flag
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Greek
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Former
Owners
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CGTM 1974-76
SNCM 1976-89
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Former
Names
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Provence 1974-89
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New
Owners
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Scrapped in Turkey 2001
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New
Names
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Bel Air 1997-01
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Line
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After 15 years of service for the state-owned French
companies CGTM and SNCM, the “Provence”
arrives in Greece in
1989, acquired by Arkadia Lines for the line Piraeus
- Paros - Naxos - Ios - Santorini. As
built the intention was to refit her as a cruise ferry and flagship of the
fleet, intention reached perfectly with the refit due in Perama in 1990: two
lifeboats each side were removed: one substituted by life rafts, the other by
the great stern superstructure. She was the best of all the ships employed on
that line, contrasted only in 1996 by the coming of “Ariadne” at the beginning
of April. This interesting match, however, stopped only twenty days after: on
20th April of this year the ship, after gaining the permission to enter in
Paros harbour, struck a reef to avoid the “Naias Express” and began to be
flooded; all cargo and passengers were discharged , but the ship capsized the
following day in front of the quay. The ship was then refloated and towed to Eleusis,
an operation which ended only the 8th of July. As far as I saw when I looked at
her condition in Paros, she seemed to be not very damaged and I thought she
could come back to service after repairs, considering that she was only 22
years old at that time; however she was laid up at Eleusis without being
repaired and was sold in Turkey for scrap with the name “Bel Air” on 2001.
COMPAGNIE GENERALE
TRANSMEDITERRANEENNE F/B Provence photo from Xavier Maillard’s collection.
SNCM M/N Provence
Photo from Xavier Maillard’s collection
Photo Arkadia Lines
The “Poseidon Express” during refloating operations at Paros, 27/06/96, photo © Michele Lulurgas
The “Poseidon Express” during refloating operations at Paros, 28/06/96, photo © Michele Lulurgas