In http://www.nautilia.gr/forum/showthr...943#post168943 I already commented on the subsidized route to Alexandroupolis and Kavalla before World War II, in the 1950s and 1960s. I mentioned that the line was served in the 1950s and 1960s by the black Typaldos ship Ionion (built in 1893 in Norway, 811 tons and 184 ft long, scrapped in 1962) until 1962.
Ionion1.jpg
My best source of information for this route, Lefteris P. of Wilmington, Delaware recalls the trip with Ionion. She was a nice ship but not as kalotaxido as Georgios F (more about her later). Passing Cavo d' Oro was a particular experience... He believes that after 1962 the ship serving the route was either Kolokotronis or Kanaris.
I will be talking about Ionion's history (with lots of pictures). She was a great Norwegian ship and she has been included in many sites. See http://www.ads.no/fleet_old.html
Also http://no.wikipedia.org/wiki/DS_%C2%ABDronningen%C2%BB
Here is a nice site with a picture of Ionion in the dry dock.
http://www.kefalonitis.com/plugins/p..._articleid=295
By the way the Web site http://androspoets.homestead.com/cycladeships.html is wrong about Ionion. It was not Japanese...
See also http://www.sjohistorie.no/skip/d/dronningen
D/S Dronningen
Kallesignal: JVPQ - LDGY
Flagg: Norsk
Reder: Arendals Dampskipsselskap A/S
Hjemmehavn: Arendal
Klasse: DNV1A1
Mål
Lengde: 186,6
Bredde: 27,0
Dyptgående: 20,1
Tonnasje
Brutto Tonage: 661
Netto Tonage: 400
Toppfart(knop): 12
Verft
Bygget ved: Fevigs Jernskibsbyggeri, Grimstad. Norge
Byggeår: 1894
Byggenummer: 12
Leveringsmåned: Januar
Motor
Motortype: Triple 3 cyl.
Motorstørrelse: NHK 133
Andre opplysninger
Rutefart Oslo - Bergen
Historikk:Haakon Larsson-Fedde,Farsund
D/S"Dronningen"
6/1894: A/S Arendals Dampskibsselskab,Arendal "DRONNINGEN"
11/1940: Det Helgelandske Dampskibsselskab,Sandnessjøen
10/1947: Ole T. Flakke,Kr.sund N.
1/1948: Haralambos Typaldos,Pireus "IONION"