MV Athens Express

ex Leto, Prinses Joshephine Charlotte (II), Car Ferry

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © David Ingham

Steel twin screw motor vessel, built by Cockerill’s of  Hoboken (Yard No 731) in 1949 for the Belgian Marine Administration’s Ostend service as their first purpose-built car ferry. Engined by Sulzer Bros.,Winterhur. 

Technical Data

• Length on deck: 113.05m (373 ft) (overall)/ (357 ft) (between perpendiculars)
• Breadth of hull: 15.97m (53.6 ft) (extreme)
• Draught: 3.78m (28 ft) (moulded)
• Tonnage: 2,572 gross/1,197 net/819 deadweight
• Engines: Two 10-cylinder Sulzer two-stroke single acting diesels.
• Power: 5,670kW
• Speed: 22 knots
• Capacity: 700 passengers, 110 cars
• Call Sign: ORAA (1952 – 1976)
• IMO Number: 5285356
• Registry: Oostende/Belgium 🇧🇪, Panama 🇵🇦, Piraeus/Greece 🇬🇷

History

October 1948: Named CAR FERRY when launched.

Car Ferry – Nigel Thornton Collection (both)

June 1949: Delivered to Belgian Marine Administration, Oostende, Belgium.

June 3rd 1949: Maiden voyage from Ostend – Dover

June 17th 1949: Commenced service between Ostend – Dover.

Car Ferry – 🆕 Courtesy of Frederik Janssens 

June 29th 1952: Damaged slightly in collision with Townsend’s HALLADALE in Dover Harbour.

July 13th 1952: In a second collision with another ship, this time with the ocean going tug ROUMANIA. Entering harbour from Ostend that day, the Belgian boat was caught by high winds and forced beam -to-beam into the tug, with resultant damage to the Channel packet’s port side.

1952: Renamed PRINSES JOSEPHINE CHARLOTTE.

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – 🆕 Courtesy of Karel Goutsmit

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © A G Jones (both)

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © Fotoflite

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) 

1969 (Winter): Services between Ostend – Harwich.

November 1970: Belgian Marine joined the Sealink consortium. Trading as Sealink

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © David Ingham (both)

November 1st 1971: Belgian Marine became the Belgian Maritime Transport Authority – Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT).

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © Ubain Ureel (Dover 1971)

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – Nigel Thornton Collection (both)

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) 

1973: Collided with the breakwater in Dover only causing minor damage

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © A G Jones

March 15th 1974: She made her last sailing as a normal ferry and was then laid-up in reserve.

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – © John Hendy

March 15th 1975: No further use being found for her, she was laid-up for sale.

Prinses Josephine Charlotte (II) – Courtesy of John Stedman (Ostend, 1975)

March 8th 1976: Sold to Blanca Compania Naviera S.A., of Panama. Renamed LETO.

1977: Sold to G.Kousouniadis, Piraeus, Greece and renamed ATHENS EXPRESS, running between Greece – Cyprus and Syria with some domestic Greek routes.

Athens Express – Nigel Thornton Collection

October 24th 1977: She reportedly(?) collided with the Greek cruise ship ANTILIARKOS PEZOPOULOS (?) outside Kos.

June 1984: She was laid-up at Eleusis Bay where she was eventually scrapped.

Athens Express – Nigel Thornton Collection (both)

All information is believed to be correct and no responsibility is accepted for any errors or omissions. All items included in this article are subject to © copyright. We would like to take this opportunity of thanking: Karel Goutsmit, John Hendy, Ted Ingham, Frederik Janssens, A G Jones, John Stedman, Urbain Ureel and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.

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