History
United Kingdom
NameMS Spero
OwnerEllerman Wilson Line
RouteKingston Upon Hull to Zeebruge, Gothenburg and London
BuilderCamell Laird Shipsbuilders, England
Yard number1322
Laid down1966
Launched5 May 1966
AcquiredAugust 1966
Maiden voyageAugust 1966
In serviceAugust 1966
Out of service1973
FateSold.
History
Greece
NameMS Sappho (Σαπφώ)
OwnerNEL Lines
RoutePiraeus to Chios and Mytilene
Acquired1973
Maiden voyage1973
In service1973
Out of serviceMarch 2002
FateSold.
General characteristics
NotesFirst NEL Lines ship

MS Spero, was a British ferry ship, which was part of Ellerman Wilson's fleet. She was built by Camell Laird Shipsbuilders in 1966. She was later sold on NEL Lines as the Sappho, and was the company's first ship. She was in use from 1973 up to 2001, when she was sold to Carra and Pontikos as the Santorini 3. She was eventually sold for scrap as the Santori.

History

The construction on the ship started in 1966. Her number was 1322 and was launched on May, while on August, she was routed between Hull-Gothenburg-London, connecting England with Sweden,[1] and later between Hull-Zeebruge and Hull-Gothenburg. On 26 April 1973 the newly founded Maritime Company of Lesvos, purchased the ship and renamed her "Sappho", after the poet with the same name. After she was purchased, she was routed between Piraeus-Chios-Mytilene, where she worked for nearly 30 years. Later, the route was expanded to Thessaloniki. On such a route, at 12:30 on 25 February 1999, her engine room caught on fire, while sailing near Karystos. As a result, she was towed to Piraeus the next day for repairs. No victims were reported.[2][3] In March 2002, when she reached the 35 year limit of age which was valid then, she was sold on the Greek Carra & Pontikos (Lacerta Shipping), for 1.500.000 USD, with a new name "Santorini 3, connecting Tanzania and Kenya.The route was found pathetic and finally, on December 2003, she was sold for scrap at Indian scrappers, as the "Santori" for her last trip.[4]

Receptions

During her days in Greece, she was very successful, having made 4,493 trips and carried 5,316,981 passengers. Even later, when new, more modern ships were launched on the line (such as the MS Mytilene), she was still used by passengers for their travels, as she was considered better at sea and with less vibration.[4]

References

  1. "Ένα νοσταλγικό ταξίδι με το Σαπφώ μέσα από 20 φωτογραφίες | Lesvosnews.net". www.lesvosnews.net (in Greek). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  2. Epochi, rizospastis gr | Synchroni (1999-02-27). "rizospastis.gr - Δύσκολες ώρες στο "ΣΑΠΦΩ"". ΡΙΖΟΣΠΑΣΤΗΣ. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  3. "Τέλος καλό,όλα καλά". ΤΑ ΝΕΑ (in Greek). 1999-02-27. Retrieved 2020-09-30.
  4. 1 2 Συντάκτης. "Κόπηκε σε παλιοσίδερα το "ΣΑΠΦΩ" | Chios News" (in Greek). Retrieved 2020-09-30.
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