A blog about ships that arrive and depart from Piraeus,Greece
IMO number 9366756
Name of the ship LYBOUSSAKIS ATLAS
Former names SL OZOURI
SMIT OZOURI (2015)
Vessel type Tug boat
Operating status Active
Flag GREECE
Gross tonnage 322 tons
Length 35 m
Breadth 8 m
Engine type Caterpillar
Engine model 3516B
Engine power 2950 KW
Year of build 2006
Builder DAMEN SHIPYARD GALATI - GALATI, ROMANIA
| IMO number | 9142772 |
|---|---|
| MMSI | 241434000 |
| Name of the ship | LYBOUSSAKIS MINOAS |
| Former names | HELAITAN 52 (2015) HELAITAN (2010) |
| Vessel type | Tug boat |
| Operating status | Active |
| Flag | Greece |
| Gross tonnage | 438 tons |
| Length | 33 m |
| Breadth | 10 m |
| Year of build | 1996 |
| Builder | JAYA SHIPBUILDING & ENGINEERING PTE LTD - SINGAPORE |
LYBOUSSAKIS CHIOS is a Greek ASD harbour and salvage tug operated by Lyboussakis Salvage & Towage and today forming part of the wider MEDTUGS network. Built in the United Kingdom at the end of the 1980s, the tug spent the first three decades of her career as WILLOWGARTH before being acquired by Greek interests in 2019 and transferred to Piraeus. Lyboussakis currently describes her as a multipurpose ASD tug with 3,400 bhp, firefighting capability and around 50 tonnes bollard pull.
The vessel was constructed by Richards Shipbuilders at Lowestoft, United Kingdom, and was photographed there in July 1989 shortly before handover. She measures approximately 31.6 metres in length and 9.54 metres in beam, with a gross tonnage of 392 GT. During her British career she operated principally around UK ports before eventually passing to Svitzer ownership.
Name: LYBOUSSAKIS CHIOS
Former Name: WILLOWGARTH
IMO: 8811546
Current MMSI: 241691000
Former Greek MMSI: 240213400
Call Sign: SVA9238
Type: ASD Harbour / Salvage Tug
Flag: Greece
Home Port: Piraeus
Built: 1989*
Builder: Richards Shipbuilders / Richards Drydock & Engineering, Lowestoft, United Kingdom
Owner / Operator: Lyboussakis Salvage & Towage
Length Overall: approx. 31.6 m
Beam: 9.54 m
Draught: approx. 4.2 m
Gross Tonnage: 392 GT
Deadweight: approx. 222 t
Power: approx. 3,400 bhp
Propulsion: ASD – Azimuth Stern Drive
Bollard Pull: approx. 48–50 t
Firefighting: FiFi 1/2
Operating Status: Active
The tug entered service as WILLOWGARTH in 1989. Early in her career she was operated by Cory Towage, while by 2000 she was working under Wijsmuller interests. In 2005 she became part of the Svitzer Marine fleet and continued operating in the United Kingdom. Photographic records show her working in ports including Liverpool and Larne during this period.
In July 2019, Lyboussakis Salvage & Towage acquired WILLOWGARTH from Svitzer. Contemporary Greek reporting stated that the tug was then at Swansea and was due to be towed to Greece by DIAVLOS FORCE. After arrival she was renamed LYBOUSSAKIS CHIOS and registered at Piraeus.
Since joining the Greek fleet, LYBOUSSAKIS CHIOS has been employed in harbour towage, offshore work, salvage support and firefighting duties. Lyboussakis markets the tug as a multipurpose ASD unit suitable for both harbour and offshore assignments, while MEDTUGS lists her with 3,400 bhp, 48 tonnes bollard pull and FiFi 1/2 capability.
The tug remains active in 2026. Recent AIS records show her operating from Katakolo, while earlier tracking records also document calls at Piraeus and Skaramangas.
The connection with Piraeus is direct: after her purchase in 2019 the tug was renamed for Lyboussakis and based at Piraeus, where she has since worked as part of the local towage and salvage fleet. She was photographed at Piraeus in April 2021, while the original PiraeuShips entry also records her under the new Greek identity.
LYBOUSSAKIS CHIOS was recorded at Piraeus by PiraeuShips after her acquisition from Svitzer and transformation from the British tug WILLOWGARTH into a Greek-flagged member of the Lyboussakis fleet. The recording preserves the beginning of a new chapter in the career of a tug that had already completed approximately thirty years of service before arriving in Greece.
Original video footage © PiraeuShips. All rights reserved.
| IMO number | 6281917 |
|---|---|
| MMSI | 237041800 |
| Name of the ship | IASON |
| Former names | KARAPIPERIS 1 (1996) LOUCAS MATSAS (1991) PONTAILLAC (1988) |
| Vessel type | Tug boat |
| Operating status | Active |
| Flag | Greece |
| Gross tonnage | 183 tons |
| Lenght | 27 m |
| Breadth | 7 m |
| Year of build | 1956 |
| Builder | ATELIERS & CHANTIERS LA ROCHELLE PALLICE - LA ROCHELLE PALLICE, FRANCE |
| IMO number | 8312007 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | LEON |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | |
| Gross tonnage | 365 tons |
| DWT | 89 tons |
| Year of build | 1983 |
| Builder | HANASAKI SHIPBUILDING & ENGINEERING - YOKOSUKA, JAPAN |
| Flag | GREECE. |
| Home port | PIRAEUS |
| Manager | LYBOUSSAKIS. |
| Owner | LYBOUSSAKIS |
| Former names |
SVITZER MORAG
LADY MORAG until 2008 Apr
KESTREL until 1991 Aug KUROSHIO until 1991 Feb |
| IMO number | 5017565 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | LEON |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | 237088700 |
| Gross tonnage | 290 tons |
| Year of build | 1960 |
| Builder | DUNSTON RICHARD HESSLE - HESSLE, U.K. |
| Last known flag | GREECE |
| Former names | ANGLEGARTH until 1979 |
| IMO number | 6713087 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | ATLAS |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | 239611000 |
| Gross tonnage | 283 tons |
| Year of build | 1967 |
| Builder | BEVERLEY SHIPBUILDING & ENGINEERING - BEVERLEY, U.K. |
| Last known flag | GREECE |
| Former names | LADY THERESA until 1974 YORKSHIREMAN until 1967 Jun |
| IMO number | 8417869 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | HECTOR |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | 240998000 |
| Gross tonnage | 281 tons |
| DWT | 300 tons |
| Year of build | 1985 |
| Builder | CANTIERE NAVALE TOMMASI - ANCONA, ITALY |
| Class society | REGISTRO ITALIANO NAVALE |
| Former names | TITO NERI SETTIMO until 2009 |
| IMO number | 6714536 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | TAXIARCHIS |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | 239642000 |
| Gross tonnage | 281 tons |
| Year of build | 1967 |
| Builder | ATELIERS FRANCAIS DE L´OUEST - NANTES SAINT NAZAIRE, FRANCE |
| Last known flag | GREECE |
| Former names | TAXIARCHIS KARAPIPERIS 9 until 1991 Dec TAXIARCHIS until 1984 ABEILLE NO.16 until 1967 |
| IMO number | 7431806 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | APOLLON |
| Type of ship | TUG |
| MMSI | 241049000 |
| Gross tonnage | 354 tons |
| DWT | 100 tons |
| Year of build | 1976 |
| Builder | AZIMUT BENETTI - VIAREGGIO, ITALY |
| Flag | GREECE |
| Home port | ATHENS |
| Class society | REGISTRO ITALIANO NAVALE |
| Manager & owner | LYBOUSSAKIS APOLLON SHIPPING - ATHENS, GREECE |
| Former names | TITO NERI SECONDO until 2011 Aug |