Achilleus

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john sefton
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Joined: Sun Mar 22, 2009 1:59 pm

Achilleus

Post by john sefton » Wed Mar 09, 2011 11:10 pm

ACHILLEUS Built 1952 at the yard of C N di Tarantom, Trantom, for the New Epirotiki SS Nay. Co. Greece, named KOLOKOTRONIS.
Renamed ACHILLEUS in 1971 by same owner. Yard No 139. 1700Brt. L82m. Dr4.6m. Speed l4kn. Sold 1973 to Geo. Koussouniades Inc. Greece, not renamed. As ORION sold at auction 5 Feb 1992 to the mortgage owner ETBA Bank of Greece. Was scheduled to be auctioned again in Dec 1992.

(A Palmhof. WP Jul 94)

Greece SG784
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aukepalmhof
Posts: 7791
Joined: Thu Apr 02, 2009 1:28 am

Re: Achilleus passenger-cargo vessel 1953

Post by aukepalmhof » Mon Nov 06, 2023 8:25 pm

Built as a passenger-cargo vessel under yard no 1475 by Ansaldo S.p.A. Leghorn, Italy as war compensation from Italy to the Greek Government.
23 May 1952 launched as the ACHILLEUS.
Tonnage 5509 grt, 1574 dwt, dim. 126.9 x 16.82 x 5.73m.
Powered by two Ansaldo Stab steam turbines 8,000 hp, speed 17 knots. 1979 replaced by two 9-cyl. Nordberg diesels, 4,840 kW, speed 17 knots.
Accommodation for 300 passengers.
May 1953 completed, IMO no 50011889.

May 1953 transferred to Thiraiki Petros M. Nomikos, Piraeus, Greece, not renamed.
Used in the liner service Piraeus-Brindisi-Venice, and Piraeus-Alexandra-Port Said-Beirut-Limassol-Alexandria-Piraeus.
1958 Sold to Olympic Cruises SA (Onassis). Not renamed.
1953 The company changed its name to Dorian Cruises. Not renamed.
1967 The ship was taken over by the Greek State because of financial problems by Dorian Cruises..
1986 Sold at an auction to Kavoounides Shipping Co, Piraeus, Greek, renamed ORION.
After she was sold converted in a cruise vessel.
The ACHILLEUS and the sister ship AGAMEMNON of Nomikos Lines/Olympic Cruises appear in the 1960s film "Rendezvous in Venice" on the way from Piraeus to Venice. You can see shots of the decks, wheelhouse, bow and some views of Piraeus and Venice.
The ORION remained in service for Mediterranean cruises for twelve years until, in 1980, due to the shipping company's financial problems, she was taken over by the Hellenic Industrial Development Bank and laid up in Eleusis .
1995 Sold to Thomas Cruises, Piraeus, Greece, renamed the THOMAS II. Converted to a floating restaurant.
July 1996 arrested in Paleo Faliron
1997 Registered for Thomas Shipping Co., Piraeus, Greece (Epirotiki), renamed OLYMPIA I
The ship spent the next fifteen years as a floating restaurant before being purchased by Epirotiki Lines and used also as a floating restaurant under the name OLYMPIA1 in the port of Piraeus. After two years as a stationary restaurant ship, the OLYMPIA 1was sold to Royal Olympic Cruises in 1997 and used for day cruises before it was docked again in Eleusis in 1998, where she was laid up.
October 2005 towed to Ambelaki, India after she was sold to the Export Trading Corp Ltd.
After seven years of lay-up, the ship was sold to Alang , India , for scrapping in October 2005 . On January 11, 2006, the ship left Eleusis Bay under the ferry name SUN to embark on its final voyage to India. 
However, a fire broke out on the command bridge of the ship off Port Said, and the ships was not allowed to pass the Suez Canal, The SUN was, then laid up in Port Said. Instead of being sold to India, the damaged SUN wwas sold to Aliağa, Turkey, in September 2006, where it arrived for demolition on November 1, 2006, where it was scrapped by Dortel GS, Aliga, Turkey.
Source: www.miramarshipindex.nz/ship/5001889 Fakta om Fartyg and Wikipedia.  
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