Greece in November: laid up ships in Piraeus, Drapetsona, Keratsini & Perama

In September each year the Greek tourist season draws rapidly to a close and with it the many ferry services that service both Adriatic routes and the Aegean islands are rationalised for the winter when the year-round traffic of locals and goods can be accommodated on many fewer vessels.

As the weather worsens, almost the entire high-speed domestic fleet is laid up but, except for periods of refit, relatively few conventional ships are withdrawn from domestic service. The Adriatic fleets meanwhile almost all come home for stays of varying lengths, as do ships which have spent the summer on charter to foreign operators (e.g. ANEK’s Ariadne and El Venizelos, Hellenic Seaways’ Express Santorini and Hellenic Wind). Although some ships are this year spending their winter lay-ups in farther flung corners of Greece (such as Agoudimos’ Penelope (Igoumenitsa) and the Express Pegasus and Hellenic Wind (the port of Souda near Chania)) the vast majority of ships make their way to the traditional overhaul and layup berths of Drapetsona, Keratsini and Perama, not far from the port of Piraeus, the hub of the Greek ferry network. Ships in longer-term layup (i.e. measured in years not months or weeks) tend to gravitate to Elefsis Bay where they can be seen clinging to each other in a sort of deathly embrace – for many of them the future remains bleak. Our trip to Greece in November also found many vessels, especially high-speed ferries and cruise ships, within the Great Port of Piraeus itself, often at or near the berths they would use during the peak of the season, but clearly laid up for the duration.

Presented here are a selection of photographs from this visit of ship laid up in and around Piraeus. The picture at the top shows activity at the refit berths of Perama on 20 November. From left to right:
Thomson Spirit;
Princess T (Endeavor Lines – expected to finally enter service in 2011);
Lissos (ANEK – just ended service to the North Aegean);
Erotokritos T (awaiting final voyage having been sold for scrap);
Tulip (ex-Saronic Star, Celtic Mist, Klaypeda);
El Venizelos (summer charter to Tunisia Ferries complete she had just completed refit cover for ANEK’s Cretan fleet);
Nissos Rodos (Hellenic Seaways – under repair having collided with the pier in Piraeus, she shortly afterwards resumed her normal services to Rhodes);
Aegean Heaven (charter to Acciona Trasmed ended, she has received the funnel colours of her owners, the Kostas Agapitos-owned Aegean Cargo who are closely linked with ANEK Cargo);
Macedonia (SAOS Ferries – the ex-Ferry Amami has lain incomplete since work on her conversion was halted in 2008);
Panagia Parou (NEL Lines, ex-NGV Asco; she spent six weeks on charter in the Adriatic to European Seaways this summer);
Archagelos (ex- Fichtelberg, another Aegean Cargo ship);
Aeolos Kenteris (NEL Lines – so pleased were NEL with their association with Greek’s most famous drugs-test missing athlete that there have been a further two high speed craft named ‘Aeolos Kenteris’ but this is the original).

Piraeus – the Great Port

Drapetsona & Keratsini

Perama