F/B Rodos - Rhodes

F/B RODOS

Photo © Gunnar Menzer

Ship	Rodos (1989)	Building Spec.	1973 at Nipponkai H.I. yards, Japan N° 164
GRT	10.298	DWT	2.825
Dimensions	131,98 x 22,7 x 5,51	Engines	2 IHI – Pielstick, 7.413 kW
Speed	19,5 knots	Passengers	1.400
Beds	528 in 165 cabins	Cars	400
Lane Metres		Sister Ships
Registry Port	Rhodes	Flag	Greek
Former Owners	Pacific Ocean Ferry 1973-80 Kansai Kisen 1980-84 Meimon Taiyo Ferry 1984-89	Former Names	Argo 1973-80 Ferry Kogane Maru 1980-84 Pegasus 1984-89
New Owners		New Names
Line	Piraeus - Patmos - Leros - Kalymnos - Kos – Nissiros – Tilos – Symi - Rhodes Piraeus – Katapola – Astypalea – Kalymnos - Kos - Rhodes

One of the best ships managed by DANE, acquired in 1989 for the Piraeus - Kos - Rhodes direct line. On her Japanese years she sailed on various services, between Nagoya and Ohita, Osaka and Beppu and Osaka – Shin Moji on her last spell of service as “Pegasus”. Extensively refitted in Greece as the “cruise-ferry” standard, is still however recognisable as the Japanese “Pegasus”. I travelled aboard her on September 1993 from Rhodes to Piraeus: I think that the only ship which can “fight” against her is the “Rodanthi” of G.A. Ferries. In the last years was often employed on the Piraeus - Patmos - Leros - Kalymnos - Kos - Rhodes line, leaving the direct link to “Ialyssos”, “Candia” (during her charter of 1999) and to the wonderful “Preveli” (also chartered from ANEK), service which probably will continue after the arrival from Japan of the “New Tosa”, which became the 2001 “Lindos” and subsequently the “Diagoras”. On 23/01/2001, also because of strong winds, she got into some fishing boats’s ropes leaving Kalymnos port, sinking nine fishing boats, anyway without any major consequence, although probably the sank fishing boats owners don’t have my same opinion! Since the first months of 2004 is laid up at Keratsini due to mechanical problems: Dane Sea Line lacks the funds to repair the ferry and the Greek Seafarers Provisional Fund has requested her arrest and sale in order to collect the contributions which weren’t paid by the company. I fear that her future doesn’t look bright…

MEIMON TAIYO FERRY F/B Pegasus photo from Pieter Inpijn’s collection

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