Maritime Company of Lesvos
ferry companies of Greece
NEL Lines (Greek: Ναυτιλιακή Εταιρία Λέσβου, Naftiliaki Eteria Lesvou) was established in 1972, as a community-based company with shareholders from the island of Lesvos, Greece and the primary aim of acquiring a liner vessel for the Mytilene-Chios-Piraeus route. Over the years, the company expanded, serving many Aegean sea destinations.
Operating high-speed and conventional passenger-ferry boats, NEL sailed on intra-Cyladic itineraries connecting Syros and Lavrio with Eastern, Central and Western Cyclades, Lavrio with Psara and Mesta of Chios, Heraklion and Rethymno with Santorini and Thessaloniki and Volos with the Sporades archipelago.
With passenger-ferry boats NEL also sailed between Piraeus, Chios and Mitilini and connected the islands of Northern Aegean with Thessaloniki, Kavala and Lavrio.
In 2015 Nel Lines declared bankruptcy and ceased operations, citing the financial crises and losing subsidized routes rival to rival operators.
Former fleet
Sappho (1973-2002) scrapped as Santori in Alang, India in 2004
Arion (1975-1981) When the ship was in Haifa with 250 passengers on board, a bomb exploded on board. The ship was towed out and sunk outside the harbor in 1981. It was then towed and laid-up in Elefsina and later sold for scrap in Barcelona, Spain
Homerus (1977-1993) scrapped as Veesham IX in Alang, India in 2003.
Alcaeos (1981-2002) scrapped as Sochi Express in Aliaga, Turkey in 2004.
Odysseas Elytis (1982-1985) scrapped as Safa in Alang, India in 2005.
Begin with the source’s own compact description: “Maritime Company of Lesvos” is ferry companies of Greece. The dossier treats that line as a proposition to test through Maritime, Company and Lesvos, not as a finished interpretation.
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