In a first-ever “electronic” auction for the high-speed passenger ferry “Aiolos Kenteris” the vessel recieved zero bids on a minimum price set at €6.5 million euros.
A previous auction on December 6th was postponed on account of an injunction filed by the vessel’s owner, NEL shipping lines. In that auction, the minimum price of €4.5 million euros seems to have been the point of contention. Piraeus Bank is the expediting party in the auction. But experts claim the reason for the no bid auction was that the new price was set too high. Now, Piraeus Bank is expected to file a motion with the relevant court requesting that the minimum bid price be lowered in a future auction.
The Aeolos Kenteris is a Corsair-type ferry that was built at Alstom Leroux Naval’s yard at Saint-Nazaire (Loire-Atlantique) and completed at Lorient (Morbihan) in 2001. The vessel has an overall length of 140m and a length of 126m between the perpendiculars. It has a beam of 21.8m and a maximum draught of 3.62m. Its maximum deadweight of 1,300t makes it one of the largest monohulls in the fast ferry market (gross tonnage is 6,882t). It is designed to operate in a sea state corresponding to a significant wave height of 6m without any voluntary speed reduction (1).
The ship can accommodate up to 1,742 passengers and has five main lounges. There are also two business-class lounges on the upper deck with seating for 450 passengers.