EXPRESS PEGASUS (ΕΞΠΡΕΣ ΠΗΓΑΣΟΣ)

-Hellenic Seaways (2005-2021)

Built in 1977, scrapped in 2021 (age 44). Was registered in Piraeus. 

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The legendary ferry EXPRESS PEGASUS was one of the most beloved ships of the Aegean Sea for almost 30 years. She was built in 1977 in Italy, as the ESPRESSO VENEZIA for the Italian company Adriatica Di Navigazione. She was however chartered to the fellow state-owned sister company Tirrenia Di Navigazione, for whom she began service on the Genoa-Porto Torres line on the Tyrrhenian Sea. In 1979 she was deployed on the Genoa-Cagliari line, where she stayed until 1987. That same year she was deployed on the Naples-Cagliari line, where she spent two years of service. In 1989 she returned to Adriatica Di Navigazione, and was deployed on the Patras-Brindisi line on the Adriatic Sea. After just one season there, she was definitely sold to Tirrenia Di Navigazione, being renamed ESPRESSO MALTA and being inserted on the Catania-Valletta line, thus connecting Sicily with Malta. She was laid-up in Palermo in 1992, and remained there until she was bought by the Greek company Ventouris Ferries in 1994. She was renamed PEGASUS and was deployed on the Patras-Igoumenitsa-Corfu-Bari line on the Adriatic Sea. In 1996 her company transferred her to the Aegean Sea, whereupon she was inserted on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line on the Western Cyclades. She ran aground in the islet of Patroklos later in that same year, but was repaired in Piraeus and resumed service. Her stint on the Western Cyclades was widely acclaimed, and she continued to perform brillIantly for her company until 1999, when she was sold to Minoan Flying Dolphins. She was renamed EXPRESS DIONISOS, and remained in service on the Piraeus-Kythnos-Serifos-Sifnos-Milos-Kimolos-Folegandros-Sikinos-Ios-Santorini line under the Hellas Ferries division. In 2001 her stern was refitted in Perama, while in 2002 she was renamed EXPRESS PEGASUS, as Minoan Flying Dolphins was renamed Hellas Flying Dolphins. In 2005, the company was rebranded as Hellenic Seaways, while the ship was deployed on the Piraeus-Syros-Mykonos-Ikaria-Samos line on the Northeast Aegean Sea, where she remained until 2007. In 2008 she was inserted on the Piraeus-Gytheion-Kalamata-Kythira-Antikythira-Kissamos lifeline, thus covering the service that was abandoned due to the technical and economic difficulties faced by the incumbent ship, the MYRTIDIOTISSA of ANEN Lines (now the ALEXANDRA L of Kefalonian Lines). In 2009 she was deemed to surplus requirements by Hellenic Seaways following a major engine failure, and was laid-up in Drapetsona, but she was reactivated the following year, as she was deployed as a day ferry on the Agios Konstantinos-Skiathos-Skopelos-Alonissos line on the Sporades in 2010. She stayed there until the end of the 2014 season. In 2015 she was deployed on the Lavrion-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline on the Northeast Aegean Sea, thus taking over the service previously operated by NEL Lines, which had been facing financial troubles and was not performing the scheduled itineraries. In 2016 she also began to serve Chios, thus she was on the Lavrion-Chios-Agios Efstratios-Limnos-Kavala lifeline. In 2020 she was inserted on the Siteia-Kasos-Karpathos-Chalki-Rhodes line on the Dodecanese. However, towards the end of the summer season, she ran aground in the islet of Armathia near Kasos, which resulted in her hull being cracked. She was not repaired, being instead sent for lay-up in Perama. After remaining there for a year, she was sold for scrap in 2021, arriving in Turkey under the name PEGASUS X. This therefore marked the end of an illustrious 44-year-long career, including 27 immensely successful years in Greek waters.

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PHOTOS (2021):