I COME BEARING EVEN MORE FERRY GIFTS!
This time the 3 "Katsuura" Class Ferries, "Katsuura", "Shirahama", and "Kishu", all built for the Short Lived "Shinki Ferry Co. Ltd." which only operated between 1972 and 1975, a Similar fate for MANY Early Japanese Ferry Operators that were founded in the 1970-1973 Ferry Boom Sadly...
Take note of the very weird Anchor Layout on the First two ships, it seems they were INTENDED to have "hidden" anchors like so many other ferries at that time but...for some reason they decided to instead mount them further up, I have no idea why as I (before I ever found photos of them in Japan) always figured those modifications were done during the Greek era, but not so!
Anyway, without Further a do!
We first have MS Katsuura as Built in 1972:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984951617793187870/Shipbucket_Katsuura_1972.png)
then in 1977 after 2 years of layup and a few months of rebuilding she was (alongside Shirahama) sold to Greek (registered in Cyprus) Ferry Operator "Grammi Ipiriou" or "Epirus Lines" and Renamde "Epirus 4":
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984921835722379274/Shipbucket_Epirus_4_1977.png)
In 1982 she was sold to Iranian Operators serving in Baluchistan and Renamed "IRAN-HORMUZ 1", where she served Until 2001 (note that I literally had only one single image as reference, so the details may not be perfect:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984922134520410142/Shipbucket_Iran-Hormuz_1_1983.png)
Next up is Shirahama, she had the Longest Service life out of all 3 and the most varied modifcations:
as Built in 1972 she was Almost ENTIRELY Identical to her sister, besides the nameplates:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984951751335608320/Shipbucket_Shirahama_1972.png)
as the same with her sister, she was then sold to Epirus Lines in 1977 and renamed "Epirus 5":
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984922592731365407/Shipbucket_Epirus_5_1977.png)
with Company Restructuring and sell offs she was then renamed "Chrissi Ammos III" in 1980:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984922869505089536/Shipbucket_Chrissi_Ammos_III_1980.png)
Between 1986 and 1987 she was APPARENTLY operated as "Accorn II" however there is no proof of this so its likely she was laid up, however in 1987 she was Purchased by the NOMICOS LINE who briefly operated her under the name of "Thira II":
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984923154982006804/Shipbucket_Thira_II_1987.png)
HOWEVER, she was quickly taken to Perama where she was lengthened to About 90 Meters and Renamed "Hellas Express", and Served until 1994 with Nomicos:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984925200061726750/Shipbucket_Hellas_Express_1988.png)
In 1994 she was sold to "Kerkyra Lines" whom renamed her "Agios Spiridon":
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984925332752719882/Shipbucket_Agios_Spiridon_1994.png)
in 2007 she was sold to Turko-Russian Owners whom renamed it "Lider Clipper", and after only a brief service between Sochi and Trabzon it was Laid up until 2011 when finally scrapped:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984925557521264690/Shipbucket_Lider_Clipper_2007.png)
Next up and Finally the Kishu, which had slightly different anchors and was built at a different yard, but was still nearly identical to its older fleetmates
As built in 1972:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984951856059023400/Shipbucket_Kishu_1972.png)
in 1976 it was Sold and Renamed "Salvia" to Nihon Car Ferry Co. after their "Futaba" sunk following a Collision:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984951939458560080/Shipbucket_Salvia_1976.png)
in 1982 after a few years of service it was sold to Korean owners as "Hanil Car Ferry No.1":
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984952021704642610/Shipbucket_Hanil_Car_Ferry_No.1_1982.png)
sadly in 1999 after a radical full rebuild in the Philippines under the new owners of "Trans Asia Shipping" (now renamed Asia South Korea) it sunk during a storm due to overloading and a design flaw with a side ramp:
![[ img ]](https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/874987379839107102/984926484504391691/Shipbucket_Asia_South_Korea_1999.png)
After this project I will either Finish up "Windu Karsa" of Indonesia, or possibly start the MANY MANY Awaji Ferries...or maybe Bahuga Pratama (ex Beppu), who knows lol
