MV Orestes
Ex Igoumenitsa Express, Sifnos Express, Sifnos, Atlas I, Cerdic Ferry
© David Ingham
Steel twin screw motor vessel built in 1961 at Ailsa Shipbuilding Co. Ltd, Troon, (Yard No 508) for Atlantic Steam Navigation Co. Ltd., London, England as a passenger and vehicle ferry.
Technical Data
- Length: 110.19 m (overall) 103.33 m (between perpendiculars)
Breadth: 16.79 m
Depth: 9.91 m
Draught: 3.893 m
Tonnage: 2563 – 2454 gross/1088 – 888 net/1529 – 1554t deadweight
Engines: 2 Vee Oil 4SA 16-cylinder Davey Paxman diesels
Power: 2471 kW/3360 bHP
Speed: 14.0 knots
Capacity: 35 passengers, (600 after rebuild),550 metres of cargo, 130 cars (after rebuild)
Call Sign: GHJB, SWSO, HP8568
IMO Number: 5067376
Official Number: 302665
Port of Registry: London/UK 🇬🇧, Piraeus/ Greece 🇬🇷, Panama 🇵🇦
Sister-Ship: Doric Ferry (509)
History
February 16th 1961: Launched.
November 1961: Delivered to Atlantic Steam Nav. Co., Ltd., London, England.
November 1961: Services Tilbury – Antwerp/ Rotterdam.
Courtesy of Simonwp (Left) Chris Howell (Right)
April 1962: Services Tilbury – Rotterdam.
© Robert J Smith
September 13th 1962: Services Felixstowe – Rotterdam.
© Bob Scott (Felixstowe)
1970: Chartered to Canadian National Railways, Canada for service Nova Scotia – Port Aux Basques.
1971: Chartered to Thorsen Car Ferries Ltd., Southampton, England for services Southampton – Le Havre.
November 18th 1971: Sale of Atlantic Steam Navigation to European Ferries Group, London (Townsend Thoresen).
January 8th 1978 – March 1978: Chartered to Sealink U.K. Ltd, England for services Stranraer – Larne.
© Wolfgang Fricke (Rotterdam, 01/08/1979)
1981: Laid up, for sale.
1981: Sold to Compania Armadora de Sudamerica, Panama (Registered to Barracuda Maritime Co. SA, Panama) and rename ATLAS I.
May 18th 1981: Left Barrow for Piraeus.
© Simonwp
1981: Libra Maritime services between Brindisi – Igoumenitsa.
1983: Services Trieste – Igoumenitsa.
1984: Services Piraeus – Izmir.
© Steffen Weirauch Collection (Izmir, 1984)
1987: Sold to Hellenic Coastal Lines C. Ventouris Sons Shipping Co., Piraeus and renamed SIFNOS.
1990: Rebuilt as a passenger ferry and renamed SIFNOS EXPRESS.
© A Scrimali (Nigel Thornton Collection)
1990: Services Rafina – Greek Islands.
1995: Sold to A.K. Ventouris, Pireus, Greece and renamed IGOUMENITSA EXPRESS.
© Frank Foerst (Brindisi, 08/07/1996)
1996: Owners went bankrupt.
October 1998: Sold to Orestes Seatrade Corp., Panama and renamed ORESTES.
May 1999: Chartered to Artemis Lines for services Bari – Albania.
January 2000: Laid up in Bari, Italy.
© Frank Heine (Bari, 27/07/2004)
© Frank Heine (Bari, 24/07/2005)
March 2007: Sold to Turkish breakers.
April 3rd 2007: Arrived Aliaga, Turkey.
© Selim San
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: Frank Foerst, Wolfgang Fricke, Franks Heine, David Ingham, Chris Howell, Selim San, Bob Scott, Simonwp, Robert J Smith and Andreas Wörteler for their assistance in producing this feature.
Article © Nigel Thornton and Ray Goodfellow (Dover Ferry Photos Group)
I have a mid-1960s colour photo of my sibs and I standing on the dock in front of what looks to be the MV Cerdic or MV Doric ferry. Is there any way to tell the difference from just seeing the mid-section? We lived in Antwerp at the time and would have been going to visit family in England.