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Friday, January 21st, 2022   Our little blog is now back in action for the year 2022, let's see what has transpired the last few days in the Greek ferry scene:   - Without a doubt the most significant development which is expected in 2022 has to do with what will happen to ANEK Lines and whether the company will be absorbed by the Attica Group in one or the other shape or form. You may also recall that while for the last 3 months all sorts of people have been speculating in vain, we stuck to the facts over here. And while we're not any wiser as to what exactly will happen(everything you're reading is pure guesswork or wishful thinking), we now have the first real facts. And these are that the board of Piraeus Bank has approved the purchase from Alpha Bank of the loans the latter bank has given to ANEK at a significantly reduced rate presumably. In plain English this means that Piraeus Bank is becoming the biggest lender of ANEK Lines while at the same time they are the majority shareholder.    The next step will most probably be a severe haircut of the overdue loans of ANEK and some refinancing in order to provide ANEK with working capital. Piraeus Bank therefore will be able to deal the deck as they see fit. This could mean a possible absorption of ANEK into Attica and/or sale of the older fleet units and/or a reshuffling of tonnage within the Attica Group which also includes obviously Superfast Ferries, Blue Star Ferries, Hellenic Seaways and Africa Morocco Line. These are details which most probably are yet to be sorted out, the fact is that most probably we won't be seeing ANEK suffer the fate of so many other companies with their ships being seized by creditors in Piraeus.    - The Olympus is now officially under the hammer with a starting price at EUR 4 million, the auction to take place in late February although the owners are scrambling to prevent the auction. Sad end to what was from the beggining a difficult undertaking which was made worse by a wrong choice of ship plus unfortunate decisions when it came to the routeing of the ship. And unfortunately for them, the owners' pockets were not deep enough to sustain the venture.   -The elderly Dutch lady Nissos Aegina has a new, new bow which looks like that. I'm no naval architect but something tells me that any sea state above calm, one will not be feeling very good on that ship. Regardless, the fact is that her owner seems to have spent a fair amount of money on her so it's interesting to see how she will fare.   - The Aqua Star is scheduled to be dry-docked soon and rumour has it that in view of her activation in the Sporades islands area, she will be renamed Sporades. The name Aqua Star sounds pretty good to me, I think at some point Seajets need to standardise their naming.   - Speaking of Aqua ships, there's the old Aqua Myth still sailing around in the Arabian peninsula. She's now been moved to a port in Oman, allegedly due to the fact that her layup berth in Dubai needed to be vacated due to works over there. But I think this is where the good news stops. Her not sailing to Greece seems to indicate for most people, myself included, that she will never do so but rather will be eventually sold on to nearby breakers. At the same time, sources from Seajets are indicating that the jury is still out for her. Surely it won't be long before we know, one way or the other.   - I guess though that while there's still subsidized services to go around, there's always a hope for the Aqua Myth to sail back to Greece. And Seajets never seem to lose their touch when it comes to claiming these subsidized services. The latest news on that front is that for the Kasos and Karpathos route as well as for another couple of routes, the independent authority which examines these issues made a negative recommendation to the Minister for Seajets, given that their submitted paperwork did not fit the terms of the relevant tenders. But this is Seajets we're talking about so the Minister took it upon himself to completely disregard the negative recommendations and include Seajets in the tender process. I mean seriously? I think i can smell the stench of corruption, emanating from the corridors of the Ministry.   - Still more news about Seajets, the Rapidlink Jet was drydocked in tandem with the Champion Jet 1, a sign that after 2 years of lay up she might see service in Greece within 2022.   - Lots of discussion around Levante Ferries also this week, they now have 2 of their 4 ships in annual refit which means they need to reshuffle their schedules, abandoning the Patras - Sami(Kefalonia) - Ithaca route and focusing their services out of Kyllini to Zante(primarily) and Kefalonia as a second thought. This has left the local communities in both Kefalonia and Ithaca rather disgruntled about the level of service they're getting from this local monopoly. This was exacerbated by the fact that Levante chose to portray themselves as victims of external factors which dictated this situation. Only problem with that is this is the same situation for the last few years in a row now, so their credibility is rapidly abandoning them. Leaving the service to the islands aside, imagine the first sailing of the Kefalonia is at 0500hrs, which means the crew is up and working at least 45 minutes earlier. And she is on paper due to arrive in Kefalonia at 2235hrs every evening, meaning that by the time the ship unloads and the crew tidys things up, it will be 2330. at the earliest and provided the ship is on time So we're talking less than 5 hours rest with a single crew per 24 hours, I just do not know which legislation allows for that.   - Another ship in the news is Calmac's former Saturn which looks like she may be not sailing to West Africa after all. Her new owners Creta Cargo Lines, have a contract with a major oil company in order to supply the Greek archipelago of islands and some of these islands are so small that the job is being sub-contracted to landing craft type ships. So it could well be in the end she may take over just this duty. Here she is on drydock in some very recent photos.   - A quick look of the Golden Bridge on drydock, she has now been painted in full GNV colours and after she sorts out some engine issues that she seems to be temporarily facing, she awaits deployment in the GNV network.   Take care, Nikos, Piraeus.

Latest Update: January 19th, 2022     PIRAEUS MAIN PORT Achaeos| Winter lay up since 28.12.2021 Aegean Odyssey | Laid up due to the pandemic since 12.07.2020 Blue Star Naxos | Winter lay up since 04.01.2022 Champion Jet 2 | Winter lay up since 28.11.2021 Flyingcat 3 | Winter lay up since 19.09.2021 Flyingcat 4 | Winter lay up since 30.09.2021 Flyingcat 5 | Winter lay up since 02.12.2021 Hellenic Highspeed | Winter lay up since 05.10.2021 Highspeed 4 | Winter lay up since 12.09.2021 Phivos| Winter lay up since 28.12.2021 Posidon Hellas | Back in service Superexpress | Winter lay up since 01.11.2021 Tera Jet | Laid up due to the pandemic since 17.06.2020 Thunder | Winter lay up since 19.09.2021 Worldchampion Jet | Winter lay up since 14.10.2021   DRAPETSONA REPAIR DOCK (NEOS MOLOS DRAPETSONAS) Andreas Kalvos | Winter lay up since 16.01.2022 Agios Nektarios Aiginas | Winter lay up since 31.12.2021 Alexandra L | Laid up, since 09.06.2019 Aqua Solution | Laid up since 29.01.2018 Ekaterini P | Back in action Mare di Levante | Winter lay up since 17.01.2022 Olympus | Winter lay up since 30.08.2021 Smyrna | Under refit since 27.06.2019   PERAMA Antigoni | Under major refit Ayshe | Laid up, since 24.05.2019 Cat I | Under Refit since 12.07.2019 Dream Goddess | Arrived in Perama to be converted into a luxury yacht on 30.11.2020 Eleftherios Venizelos | Laid up since 26.04.2020 Elysium | Winter lay up since 23.10.2021 Express Skiathos | Winter lay up since 17.01.2022 Fast Ferries Andros | Winter lay up since 19.01.2022 Ionis | Winter lay up since 30.10.2021 Kalli P | Laid up since 06.05.2015 Kriti II | Winter lay up, since 16.10.2020 Mishi | Arrived in Greece on 04.12.2021, to be converted Nissos Aegina | Under conversion since 07.05.2021 for Leve Ferries Navtilvs | Under conversion since 26.06.2018 Psara Glory | Back in action Rigel II | Winter lay up since 12.01.2022 Seajet 2 | Winter lay up since 28.11.2021 Supercat Jet | Laid up due to the pandemic since 12.09.2019, renamed Supercat Jet and now flying the Cypriot flag Superfast I | Back in service Superfast XI | Under repairs following a fire in Patras port on 28.10.2021 Superspeed Jet | Laid up due to the pandemic since 27.07.2019 To Kallisto | Laid up since 23.08.2021 Theologos P | Back in service Zakynthos I | Idle, since 13.03.2018   SALAMINA (ALL DOCKS AND YARDS) Aeolos Kenteris I | Laid up since 05.09.2011 Aeolos Kenteris II | Laid up since 29.08.2011 Champion Jet 1 | Winter lay up since 31.10.2021, now on drydock Damianos | Under refit since 11.10.2015 European Star | Laid up since 17.08.2018 Giannis S (ex Hydra I) | Laid up since 17.07.2009 Ift (ex-Swift 1) | Engines haven been removed. Laid up since 01.11.2017 Iris I | Newly bought catamaran ferry, arrived on 13.12.2020 Orcadia | Arrived in Perama on 04.11.2021, now on drydock Panagia Agiasou | Laid up since 19.01.2018 Pearl II | Laid up due to the pandemic since 30.04.2019 Porfyroysa | Winter lay up since 11.01.2022 Power Jet | Winter lay up since 09.11.2021 Rapidlink Jet | Laid up since 30.11.2019, now on drydock RCGS Resolute | Laid up since 22.10.2020 Sea Star | Laid up since 06.05.2017 Sifnos Jet | Winter lay up since 18.09.2021 Speed Cat 1 | Laid up since 11.09.2016 St Damian | Winter lay up since 12.10.2021 Superrunner Jet | Winter lay up since 29.09.2021 Symi | Laid up following engine issues since 13.08.2021 Talos | Winter lay up since 27.10.2021 Taxiarchis | Laid up to be scrapped since 31.07.2018 Theofilos | Moved from Elefsina Bay anchorage since 07.03.2021   ELEFSINA / ELEFSIS BAY Arsinoi | Rusting away partly submerged, at Elefsina Bay anchorage since 02.06.2009 Horizon | Laid up to be scrapped at Elefsina Bay anchorage, since 18.08.2020 Majesty of the Oceans (Former Majesty of the Seas) | Laid up due to the pandemic since 01.02.2021 Mare I (former Marella Celebration) | Laid up to be scrapped, at Elefsina Bay anchorage since 11.07.2020 Ella, former Marella Dream | Laid up to be scrapped at Elefsina Bay anchorage, since 27.10.2020 Mediterranean Sky | Rusting away partly submerged since December 2003 Minerva | Laid up since 07.10.2017, to be converted into a private yacht Mytilene | Laid up, at Elefsina Bay anchorage since 03.07.2016 Penelope A | Laid up, at Elefsina Bay anchorage since 18.06.2014 Samos Spirit | Laid up since 05.03.2017   CHALKIDA (CHALKIS YARDS @ AVLIDA) Andros Jet | Winter lay up since 20.07.2020 Aqua Star | Winter lay up since 22.09.2021 Artemis I K | Laid up Caldera Vista | Winter lay up since 01.11.2021 Crown Iris | Laid up due to the pandemic since 29.11.2019 Gold Club (ex- Golden Iris) | Laid up since 23.11.2018 High Speed Jet | Laid up since 04.04.2009 HSC Cat (ex- Sea Speed Jet)| Laid up since 01.06.2014 Hydra Cat | Laid up since 2005 Greco Sea | Former Ilion, laid up since 11.03.2018 Mega Jet | Laid up, since 25.09.2019. Milos Round I | Laid up since 2007 Naxos Jet| Winter lay up since 16.09.2021 Ocean Majesty | Laid up due to the pandemic since 29.02.2020 Paros Jet | Winter lay up since 05.10.2021 Samos Flying Solphin I | Laid up since 2009 Spetses Cat | Laid up since 2005   LAVRION Celestyal Crystal | Winter lay up since 28.08.2021 Celestyal Olympia | Winter lay up since 30.08.2021 Marmari Express | Winter lay up since 31.12.2021 Saonisos | Laid up since 13.08.2020 The Zenith | Laid up due to the pandemic since 07.07.2020   RAFINA Superstar | Winter lay up since 10.10.2021   MARMARI Panorama | Winter lay up since 03.09.2021   AIGIO Aegean Majesty (ex- Veendam) | Laid up due to the pandemic since 15.10.2020 Aegean Myth (ex- Maasdam) | Laid up due to the pandemic since 08.09.2020   PATRAS Queen of the Oceans (ex- Oceana) | Laid up due to the pandemic since 17.07.2020   ZAKYNTHOS (ZANTE) Kefalonia | Resumed active duty   CORFU Dorieus | Winter lay up since 02.12.2021 Volendam | Laid up due to the pandemic Zaandam | Laid up due to the pandemic   HERAKLION Aegean Goddess (former Pacific Aria) | Laid up due to the pandemic since 06.11.2020, moved to Heraklion Santorini Palace | Winter lay up since 27.09.2021   RODOS (RHODES) Dodekanisos Express | Winter lay up since 01.11.2021 Panagia Skiadeni | Winter lay up since 10.11.2021 Symi II | Laid up due to the pandemic since 30.10.2019

Tom, I think the jury is still out.