Shikoku Kaihatsu Ferry has sold its 9,900-gt ro-pax Orange 7 (built 1994) to Ventouris Ferries of Greece.
The Imabari-built ferry, which is currently in Japan, will be operated by Ventouris on a service linking Italy with Albania, well-placed Greek ferry sources say.
The 750-passenger vessel will first undergo a substantial rebuilding in Greece to adapt it Mediterranean-style ferry operations. TradeWinds understands that the ship will be registered in Cyprus.
While Japanese-built ferries are popular with Greek ferry operators, the purchase is an unusual move for Ventouris as the company has always shown a strong preference for European built ferries since it was first founded in 1978.
Ventouris is said to have turned to Japan for tonnage as there were no suitable European-built vessels available on the sales market. The company’s current fleet consists of four ro-pax ferries of between 12,000-gt and 23,800-gt.
The Orange 7 deal rounds up what has been an especially active year on the buying front for Greek-owned ferry companies. Several well-known operators including ANEK and the Arkoumanis-family controlled Galaxy Seaways buying Japanese-built ferries from operators in China.
Other ferry operators have resurrected existing Greek-owned ferries that were languishing in lay-up.
Shikoku Kaihatsu, which operates its ferry services under the name Orange Ferry, has replaced the Orange 7 with the second of two 15,000-gt ferries that were delivered by I-S Shipyard Co during the second half of this year.
The first newbuilding replaced the 9,900-gt Orange 8 (built 1999), which was sold in August to undisclosed South Korean interests and renamed New Star.
