A blog about ships that arrive and depart from Piraeus,Greece
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Showing posts with label PASSENGER ONLY SHIPS. Show all posts
Showing posts with label PASSENGER ONLY SHIPS. Show all posts
Flying Dolphin Venus I - IMO 8132031 (now Paxos Island II )
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I – IMO 8132031
now PAXOS ISLAND II / ex PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN / FLYING DOLPHIN XIV
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I was the name carried from 2008 until 2026 by a classic Soviet-designed passenger hydrofoil built in Georgia in 1981.
The vessel began her Greek career as FLYING DOLPHIN XIV, later becoming PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN and then FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I.
After decades of service in the Sporades, Ionian Sea, Dodecanese and Saronic Gulf, a major change occurred in 2026.
The hydrofoil was sold by Aegean Flying Dolphins to:
Kerkyra Lines
and renamed:
PAXOS ISLAND II.
She is now fully active on the:
Corfu – Paxos
route, returning to the Ionian Sea more than twenty years after an earlier period of service there.
Vessel Details
Current Name: PAXOS ISLAND II
Former Names: FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I, PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN, FLYING DOLPHIN XIV
IMO: 8132031
MMSI: 237023300
Call Sign: SV6437
Type: Passenger Hydrofoil
Flag: Greece
Port of Registry: Piraeus
Built: 1981
Builder: Ordzhonikidze Works, Poti, Georgia – then Soviet Union
Current Operator: Kerkyra Lines
Gross Tonnage: 142 GT
Length Overall: 35.19 m
Beam: 6.00 m
Current Kerkyra Lines Passenger Capacity: 130
Vehicles: None
Operating Speed: approx. 30–32 knots
Current Route: Corfu – Paxos
Current Status: Active.
Built in Georgia
The vessel was constructed in:
1981
at:
Ordzhonikidze Works in Poti, Georgia,
then part of the Soviet Union.
She belongs to the famous Soviet-developed hydrofoil family that became closely associated with Greek high-speed passenger transport from the 1970s onward.
FLYING DOLPHIN XIV
The vessel entered Greek service as:
FLYING DOLPHIN XIV.
She operated for:
Ceres Flying Dolphins,
initially on routes involving:
Agios Konstantinos
Volos
Skiathos
Skopelos
and:
Alonissos.
Minoan Flying Dolphins and Hellenic Seaways
The hydrofoil later passed through the corporate structures of:
Minoan Flying Dolphins
Hellas Flying Dolphins
and:
Hellenic Seaways.
She continued primarily in Sporades passenger service during this period.
PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN
In:
2004
the vessel was sold and renamed:
PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN.
She then entered service on:
Corfu – Paxos.
This is important because her current 2026 employment effectively represents a return to a route she had already served more than two decades earlier.
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I
In:
2008
the hydrofoil was sold to:
Aegean Flying Dolphins
and renamed:
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I.
Her operations initially shifted toward:
Samos
Patmos
Lipsi
Leros
Kalymnos
and:
Kos.
Saronic Gulf
From:
2010
the vessel became strongly associated with:
Piraeus
and the:
Saronic Gulf.
Routes included:
Piraeus – Aegina – Agistri
and, in later periods:
Methana
and:
Poros.
Lay-Up and Return
At the end of the 2011 season, the vessel was withdrawn because of the age restrictions then applicable to hydrofoils.
She spent several years laid up at:
Perama.
After changes to the regulatory framework, the hydrofoil returned to service on several occasions from 2016 onward.
She eventually resumed more regular operation in:
2019.
PiraeuShips in 2019
PiraeuShips published the dedicated:
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I – IMO 8132031
entry in:
August 2019.
At the time the vessel was recorded as:
Greek flag
142 GT
35 m length
and:
6 m beam.
The article therefore preserves the hydrofoil during one of the vessel's later Saronic Gulf operating periods.
Final Aegean Flying Dolphins Years
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I continued to appear on Saronic Gulf services during:
2022
2023
and:
2024.
She was laid up again during:
2025.
Sold to Kerkyra Lines
In:
February 2026
the vessel was sold to:
Kerkyra Lines.
She was renamed:
PAXOS ISLAND II.
This brought to an end approximately:
18 years
under the FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I identity.
Back to Corfu and Paxos
Kerkyra Lines officially welcomed PAXOS ISLAND II to its fleet in:
June 2026.
The company placed the hydrofoil on:
Corfu – Paxos,
with a published crossing time of only:
55 minutes.
The company's current fleet page gives capacity for:
130 passengers.
Active in 2026
AIS records from September and October 2026 confirm regular operation between:
Gaios, Paxos
and:
Corfu.
Typical recorded speeds are around:
30–32 knots.
The 45-year-old hydrofoil is therefore still in genuine commercial passenger service.
First-Season Engine Incident
On:
9 June 2026
PAXOS ISLAND II experienced a loss of power in the port-side main engine while sailing from Corfu toward Paxos with 45 passengers.
The vessel safely returned to Corfu and the passengers were accommodated by alternative arrangements.
The incident did not end her operating season, and she subsequently returned to regular service.
A 45-Year Greek Hydrofoil Career
By 2026 the vessel has reached:
45 years since construction.
Her history now spans:
the Sporades,
the Ionian Sea,
the Dodecanese,
the Saronic Gulf,
and finally a return to Corfu and Paxos.
This makes IMO 8132031 one of the most historically interesting surviving hydrofoils still in regular Greek passenger service.
PiraeuShips Record
FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I was recorded by PiraeuShips during the later Saronic Gulf period of a Greek hydrofoil career extending back to 1981. Built at Poti in Georgia and originally operated as FLYING DOLPHIN XIV, the vessel later became PAXOS FLYING DOLPHIN before joining Aegean Flying Dolphins as FLYING DOLPHIN VENUS I in 2008. After years of service from Piraeus and several periods of lay-up and reactivation, the hydrofoil was sold to Kerkyra Lines in 2026 and renamed PAXOS ISLAND II. She now carries up to 130 passengers between Corfu and Paxos in approximately 55 minutes and remains fully active at 45 years of age. The PiraeuShips footage therefore preserves a former identity of a vessel that has now begun another remarkably appropriate chapter on a route she first served more than twenty years earlier.
Original video footage © PiraeuShips. All rights reserved.
Simi II - IMO 8900220
| IMO number | 8900220 |
|---|---|
| MMSI | 237015400 |
| Name of the ship | SIMI II |
| Former names | SIMI 2 (2010, Greece) KAI 2 (2009, Greece) SYMI II (2001) |
| Vessel type | RO-RO |
| Operating status | Active |
| Flag | Greece |
| Gross tonnage | 486 tons |
| Deadweight | 105 tons |
| Lenght | 36 m |
| Breadth | 12 m |
| Draft | 3 m |
| Year of build | 1990 |
| Builder | GLYNOS - ATHENS, GREECE |
| Home port | PIRAEUS |
| Owner | ANES - SYMI, GREECE |
| Manager | ANES - SYMI, GREECE |
Venus - IMO 8834809
| IMO number | 8834809 |
|---|---|
| MMSI | 237012900 |
| Name of the ship | VENUS |
| Former names | ALINA 1 (1992) FLOKS 1 (1990) |
| Vessel type | Passenger vessel |
| Year of build | 1990 |
| Operating status | Active |
| Gross tonnage | 208 tons |
| DWT | 65 tons |
| Flag | Greece |
| Builder | ILLICHIVSK SHIP REPAIRING YARD - ILLICHEVSK, UKRAINE |
Flying Dolphin Erato - IMO 8861448
| IMO number | 8861448 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | FLYING DOLPHIN ERATO |
| Type of ship | HYDROFOIL |
| MMSI | 237034100 |
| Gross tonnage | 162 tons |
| Year of build | 1991 |
| Builder | ORDZHONIKIDZE WORKS - POTI, GEORGIA |
| Former names | BLUE DELPHIN II until 2011 May DELPHINI XIV until 2005 Jan CAPTAIN DIMITRIS until 2003 Jan SANTORINI DOLPHIN until 2002 Oct DELFINI XXI until 1997 May |
Dodekanisos Express - IMO 9217254
| IMO number | 9217254 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | DODEKANISOS EXPRESS |
| Type of ship | RO-RO/PASSENGER SHIP |
| MMSI | 237176400 |
| Gross tonnage | 528 tons |
| DWT | 40 tons |
| Year of build | 2000 |
| Builder | BATSERVICES VERFT - MANDAL, NORWAY |
| Flag | GREECE |
| Home port | RHODES |
| Class society | LLOYD'S SHIPPING REGISTER |
| Manager & owner | DODEKANISOS SEAWAYS CONSORTIUM - RHODES, GREECE |
Flyingcat 6 - IMO 9164299
| IMO number | 9164299 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | FLYINGCAT 6 |
| Type of ship | PASSENGERS SHIP |
| MMSI | 237836700 |
| Gross tonnage | 492 tons |
| DWT | 45 tons |
| Year of build | 1997 |
| Builder | KVAERNER FJELLSTRAND - OMASTRAND, NORWAY |
| Flag | GREECE |
| Home port | ATHENS |
| Class society | GERMANISCHER LLOYD |
| Manager & owner | HELLENIC SEAWAYS - ATHENS, GREECE |
| Former names | HANSE JET II until 2004 Oct GANSE JET II until 2002 Jan 29 HANSE JET II until 2002 Jan 29 BALTIC JET until 2000 Jun |
Superspeed Jet 4 - IMO 9206748
AS SUPERSPEED JET 4
AS FLYING CAT 4
SUPERSPEED JET 4 is a Greek high-speed passenger catamaran operated by Seajets. The vessel is well known in Greek coastal shipping, having spent around a quarter of a century under the name FLYINGCAT 4 before joining the Seajets fleet and receiving her current identity in 2026. Built in the United Kingdom, she measures approximately 55 metres in length and is designed exclusively for passengers, with no vehicle deck. Seajets currently lists a capacity of 442 passengers and a maximum speed of 42 knots.
The vessel entered service as SUPERSPEED JET 4 from Piraeus in July 2026, operating a daily high-speed route to Paros, Naxos and Koufonisia. Her introduction marked a significant change in a vessel that had been strongly associated for decades with Hellenic Seaways and the Flyingcat brand. On the new service, SUPERSPEED JET 4 departs Piraeus in the morning and returns in the evening after completing the round trip through the Cyclades.
Her connection with Piraeus remains particularly strong. AIS records from the end of August 2026 show SUPERSPEED JET 4 continuing to perform regular Piraeus–Paros–Naxos–Koufonisia rotations, with the vessel returning to Piraeus each evening. On 31 August, for example, she arrived back at Piraeus from Paros at 19:18.
Vessel Details
Name: SUPERSPEED JET 4
Former Names: FLYINGCAT 4, SEA SPEED 1
IMO: 9206748
MMSI: 240317000
Call Sign: SX7749
Type: High-Speed Passenger Catamaran
Flag: Greece
Built: 1999
Country of Construction: United Kingdom
Builder: FBM Marine / Babcock Isle of Wight
Operator: Seajets
Length Overall: 55.07 m
Beam: approx. 13.00 m
Draught: approx. 2.5 m
Gross Tonnage: approx. 794 GT
Deadweight: approx. 100 t
Passenger Capacity: 442
Vehicle Capacity: None
Maximum Speed: approx. 42 knots
On-board Services: Café-bar, pet kennels, e-ticket facilities and Wi-Fi
History
The vessel began her career under the name SEA SPEED 1 before becoming FLYINGCAT 4, the identity under which she became widely known in Greece. For many years she operated with Hellenic Seaways on high-speed passenger routes in the Aegean and Saronic Gulf, regularly sailing from Piraeus.
In 2026 the catamaran entered a new phase of her career after joining Seajets and being renamed SUPERSPEED JET 4. She returned to Cycladic service from Piraeus in July, connecting the port with Paros, Naxos and Koufonisia. Despite being more than 25 years old, the vessel remains in intensive high-speed passenger operation and retains a maximum advertised speed of 42 knots.
PiraeuShips Record
SUPERSPEED JET 4 was recorded at Piraeus by PiraeuShips during her first season under her new Seajets identity in 2026. The recording has additional historical interest because the same vessel had previously been documented for many years as FLYINGCAT 4. Her transformation into SUPERSPEED JET 4 therefore represents a new chapter in the career of one of the most familiar high-speed passenger craft associated with Piraeus.
Original video footage © PiraeuShips. All rights reserved.
Flying Dolphin XIX - IMO 8623365
| IMO number | 8623365 |
|---|---|
| Name of the ship | FLYING DOLPHIN XIX |
| Type of ship | HYDROFOIL |
| MMSI | 237023800 |
| Gross tonnage | 162 tons |
| Year of build | 1983 |
| Builder | ORDZHONIKIDZE WORKS - POTI, GEORGIA |
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