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MV Pointer (Ex Isartal) – Past and Present

IMO Number: 7026613

MV Kapetan Christos

ex Alastair, Fehim Bey, Zebbug, Pointer, Preseli, Antwerpen, Isartal

© Carsten Dettmer

© Carsten Dettmer (Naxos, 13/08/2019)

Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1970 at Krögerwerft G.m.b.H., Rendsburg, Germany (Yard No 1356) as a RoRo Cargo ship

Technical Data

  • Length: 96.81 m (overall), 88.02m (between perpendiculars)
  • Breadth: 15.83m (extreme), 15.80m (moulded)
  • Depth: 10.32m
  • Draught: 4.198m (maximum)
  • Tonnage: 999 – 1206 gross/402 – 561 net/1181 – 1200t deadweight
  • Engines: 2 Oil 4SA 9 cylinder Atlas – MAK 9ZU451AK diesels
  • Power: 2984 kW/4000 bHP
  • Speed: 13.5 knots (service), 16.0 knots (max)
  • Capacity: 12 passengers, 410 lane metres of freight
  • Call Sign: DKCD,GIJN, 9H2311, 9H2311, SVA7366
  • MMSI Number: 241495000
  • IMO Number: 7026613
  • Official Number: 363274 
  • Registry: Lubeck/Germany 🇩🇪, London/UK 🇬🇧, Valletta/Malta 🇲🇹, Giurgiulesti/Moldova 🇲🇩, Greece 🇬🇷
  • Sister-ship: Thule (359), Donautal (362), Neckartal (1355)


Current AIS Location


Please note that this specific vessels AIS position data may be over an hour old and that the vessels position will only be displayed when it is within range of the VesselFinder AIS system. The AIS transponder/ship position data featured on this page is intended for information purposes only and it is in no way related to the 'Safety of Navigation at Sea'. All the AIS ship position data featured within this article is provided by VesselFinder and we are therefore not responsible for its content or its accuracy.


History

July 17th 1970: Launched as  ISARTAL.

October 31st 1970: Delivered to Transanglia Schiffahrts. GmbH (J.A. Reinecke), Hamburg, Germany. Commenced service under various charter agreements.

November 30th 1973: Renamed ANTWERPEN.

1974: Registered to Rollonoff Shipping Co. Ltd., London, England. Renamed PRESELI.

Nigel Thornton Collection

🆕 Nigel Thornton Collection

April 24th 1974: Chartered to British Transport Commission. Operated between Fishguard – Rosslare.

November 6th 1974: Sold to P&O Ferries, England. Chartered to British Rail.

November 16th 1974  – December 17th 1974: Operated between Stranraer – Larne.

December 13th 1976: Registered to Belfast Steamship Co. Ltd, Belfast.

April 6th 1977: Completion of charter to British Rail.

June 9th 1977: Renamed POINTER. Commenced service between Ardrossan – Belfast.

© Simonwp

© Simonwp

1978: Registered to P&O Ferries.

Nigel Thornton Collection Nigel Thornton Collection  

Nigel Thornton Collection

December 31st 1984: Registered to Poets Fleet Management Ltd.

December 18th 1985: Sold to Sea Malta Co. Ltd., Valletta, Malta. Renamed ZEBBUG.

December 27th 1985: Left Rotterdam for Malta.

1986: Commenced service between Malta – Italy.

© Emmanuel.L.Stafrace © Emmanuel.L.Stafrace

© Emmanuel. L. Stafrace (Valletta, 23/02/1986)

© Gerolf Drebes

© Gerolf Drebes (Valletta, 26/11/2004)

October 2005: Reported that her owners were sold to Grimaldi, but the deal fell through.

December 12th 2005: Company went bankrupt and she was laid up in Valletta, Malta.

2006: Sold to Fergün Shipping Co, Ltd, Alaya, Turkey and renamed FEHIM BEY. Registered owner; Kucuk Shipping, Valletta, Malta.

2006: Services between Silifke – Girne.

August 2011 – October 2011: Services for the World Food Programme between Valletta – Benghazi – Misurata.

March 2012: Services in the Black Sea.

© Emmanuel.L.Stafrace

© Emmanuel. L. Stafrace (Valletta, 06/06/2012)

April 2013: Sold to Zammit Group, Valletta, Malta and renamed ALASTAIR. Registered owner; Alastair Shipp, Ltd, Giurgiulesti, Moldova.

April 2013: Chartered to MMSL for services between Valletta – Zuwara

© Emmanuel.L.Stafrace

© Emmanuel.L.Stafrace (Valletta, 11/04/2013)

August 2013: Sold to Novruz Shipping, Giurgiulesti, Moldova.

© Dennis Mortimer

© Dennis Mortimer (Drapetsona, 02/11/2016)

November 2016: Sold to Aigalis Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greece and renamed KAPETAN CHRISTOS.

© Dennis Mortimer

© Dennis Mortimer (Keratsini, Piraeus, 16/11/2016)

August 2019: “During manoeuvring operations… in the port of Serifos, Greece, the mobile part of the ramp collided with the port’s main pier lamp, causing damage to the base of the battery box and distortion to the lamp frame, although there was no damage to the ramp. The port of Serifos initially banned the ferry from leaving. After a certificate of inspection by the attending classification society was issued, the ferry was allowed to leave for Milos and Naxos port.

July 17th 2022: “The Port Authorities of Kea and Lavrio were informed that the ‘Kapetan Christos’ had run aground and suffered water ingress south of Keas, en route from Elefsina to Mykonos, with 20 passengers, 11 crew members and 22 vehicles on board. A passing ship and the tug “APOLLON” (IMO: 7431806), along with officers of the Coast Guard with a patrol vehicle attended the site. The APOLLON pulled the ship off, which then sailed under its own power to the port of Lavrio, where it safely disembarked the passengers and vehicles. The Central Port Authority of Lavrio prohibited the sailing of the vessel until the presentation of a class maintenance certificate by the classification society which is monitoring the ship.”.”

2023: Still operating in the Greek Islands.

© Stephen Brown

© Stephen Brown (Piraeus , 23/07/2023)

September 10th 2023: “With 12 crew members on board, ran aground due to a blackout in the sea area of Megara. The vessel was re-floated with tugs and moored in the port of Elefsina.”.

February 12th 2024: Left Eleusis and sailed to Neapoli for a short term charter as relief for the damaged AQUA JEWEL.

February 13th 2024: Services Neapolis to Kythira and Antikythira. 


All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions found. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Stephen Brown, Carsten Dettmer, Gerolf Drebes, Dennis Mortimer, Simonwp, Emmanuel. L. Stafrace and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

Special thanks go to Trevor Kidd

Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)

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