DANE Sea Line was founded in 1980 as the popularly-owned shipping company based in Dodecanese Islands. The first two ships, an excellent finnish pair of sisters, were bought respectively in 1980 and 1982, being named “Kamiros” and “Ialyssos”. In 1985 a third ship joined the fleet, the ro-pax, “Lindos”, connecting Piraeus and Rhodes also to Cyprus. In 1989 and 1991 two more ferries reached Dane, the fabulous cruise-ferries “Rodos” e “Patmos”, which launched a new direct connection to Kos and Rhodes (not calling at Patmos, Leros and Kalymnos) cutting the crossing-time of six hours, plus of a new service Thessaloniki - Kos - Rhodes, stopping also in Samos. In 1995 the company purchased another ship together with G.A. Ferries, the “Ionian Sea”, which joined the fleet in 1997 named “Leros”. Then the company has a very bad period: strong rumours of a near financial bankruptcy due to bad operations by the former chairman led the stoke values to the bottom and the company was near to had a financial collapse; the ships were arrested by the Ministry (as the Ventouris Sea Lines ferries in 1996), arrest revoked only against “Ialyssos” and “Rodos” to collect money to pay debts. Moreover the “Leros” had a fire when in Piraeus, without casualties. The company was near to close when ANEK saved it; particulary the Crete-based company bought the 45% of stake in the local Dodecanese operator and chartered the “Candia” in 1999 and the “Preveli” in 2000 to replace the “Leros”. On 2001 season there was an important change in DANE’s fleet: the “Ialyssos” after 19 years of service left service cause the reached 35 years age limit and the “Diagoras” entered service on September 2001 from Japan. Remained with a three-ship service, often in winter periods the service is performed by only two ferries, because of the charter of “Diagoras” to Anek Lines for their Piraeus – Heraklion service, but this reduction in services brought back many financial difficulties to the Dodecanese-based company; since the first months of 2004 the older ferries “Patmos” and “Rodos” are laid up at Keratsini due to some mechanical problems, however Dane Sea Line lacks the funds to repair them; the service is performed only by the “Diagoras”. On August 2004 the Greek Seafarers Provision Fund has requested the arrest of the ferries and their sale in order to raise the contributions which weren’t paid by the company. Is this the end of Dane Sea Line after 25 years of services? I hope not, it would be a great loss among the Greek shipping market.

 

 

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