F/B Aptera - Chania

F/B APTERA

Photo © Michele Lulurgas, Piraeus, 11/10/03

Ship	Aptera (1987) ΑΠΤΕΡΑ	Building spec.	1973 at Hayashikane Yards, Shimonoseki, Japan N° 1168
GRT	12.286	DWT	2.986
Dimensions	140,87 x 22,38 x 5,51	Engines	2 Mitsubishi MAN 18c, 14.710 kW
Speed	22 knots	Passengers	1.550
Beds	634; 176 cabins	Cars	500
Lane meters		Sister ships	Daedalus Sea Trailer St. Ezekiel Moreno
Registry port.	Chania	Flag	Greek
Former Owners	Meimon Taiyo Ferry 1973-78 Kyushu Kyuko Ferry 1978-85	Former Names	Pegasus 1973-83 Osaka 1983-84 Pegasus 1984-85 Chania 1985-87
New Owners		New Names
Line	Piraeus - Rethimnon

She was launched in 1973, being part of four sister ships. She was deployed between Osaka and Kanda for Taiyo ferry until 1978, when she was bought by Kyushu Kyuko Ferry for the Tokyo – Kanda service, which was stopped in 1984. One of the biggest ANEK ships, extensively rebuilt before of entering Greek service; the ferry was anyway refitted throughout her Greek life: initially her stern was not rebuilt as the present enclosed and boxy form as long as, when she came from Japan, was renamed “Chania” and only later “Aptera”. Always used on Piraeus - Crete routes, mainly on Piraeus - Chania link, from 1997 is on Piraeus - Heraklion route together with F/B Rethimnon. Apart of her short service in Autumn 2000 on Piraeus – South Peloponnese – Kasteli line replacing the “Mirtidiotissa”, the “Aptera” left Heraklion Line only in 2002, being in service to Rethimnon together with “Prevelis”. Never an example of beauty, since the addition of lateral sponsons, her appearance worsened much more! She’s a year younger than the “Lissos”, the older vessel of the fleet, and very close to the end of her Piraeus – Crete service, which should be in 2008. Even if the ferry should have four years ahead it seems that ANEK, which was in the past one of the most efficient companies among the maintenance of its ferries, has forgot the “Aptera”: I heard from someone which had travelled aboard this ferry in very recent times on Rethymnon – Piraeus line, that she’s in a very poor condition and even in the cabin corridors there is a bad smell of oil. We could say that actually her condition is very far from the one of her sister, the “Daedalus” of Minoan Lines, which is still indicated as one of the best ferries in Greece. These ferries had also two more sisters built at Hayashikane yard: one of them, the “Sea Trailer” came to Greece to serve the Korinth/Patras – Marghera (Venice) line for Express Sea Trailers and then for Hellas Ferries, before her sale for scrap which occurred at the end of 2003; the other sister is now sailing under the very catholic name of “St. Ezekiel Moreno” for the very catholic company of Negros Navigation, in the very catholic seas of Philippines.

F/B Pegasus ? Postcard from Pieter Inpijn’s collection.

KYUSHU KYUKO FERRY F/B Pegasus – Photo by courtesy of Murase, Japan, 1980

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