Going back to the truest sense of global ship delivery, Redwise was called upon once again to show the art of global ship delivery. The "specialty" vessel THEOLOGOS ELENI was bought by DAP of Chile and needed to be delivered to Punta Arenas. Considering their rich history, this voyage was mirroring the very first voyage of Redwise under sail with the steam tug MOB 222B, requiring a lot of good seamanship, improvisation and modifications.

The THEOLOGOS ELENI is a typical Greek ferry for short distance commuting. This meant no crew cabins or galley were available on board, with the vessel designed for sheltered waters and built to national legislation. When Redwise first talked to Owners, it was decided to inspect the vessel jointly with Owners representatives and classification society INSB to determine the feasibility. The vessel was not built to class rules nor SOLAS standards, but it was quickly established that she was soundly built. Naturally upgrades of: lifesaving, firefighting, loadline and practical/operational requirements were necessary. In consultation with flag state, INSB and underwriters' surveyors, the project was determined feasible, with respect for the weather to be the predominant factor during the voyage.

Following a 14 days period at the yard and a very thorough Port State Control inspection, passed with flying colours, the vessel commenced her voyage. On board was a typical Redwise delivery crew, consisting of six crewmembers of #TEAMREDWISE. Redwise permanently employs over 80 dedicated and specialized key seafaring personnel, specialized and trained for, amongst others, ship delivery.

First stop of the voyage became Malta for bunkers, followed by Cagliari to shelter for weather, or more specific, the sea state. After this interruption and picking up Owners spares while passing Gibraltar, next stop on the list was Cabo Verde on the way to the Brazilian coast. This voyage leg went quite uneventful, except that at Cabo Verde, usually a very accommodating port of call, was visited at the peak of the COVID-19 scare and the vessels last port of call was at... Italy. Luckily, Cagliari is at the Southern tip of Sardinia and far away from the epic centre in northern Italy. This was by no means considered by the port authorities and the vessel did a port call in a pit stop time even a Formula 1 racing team would be jealous of.

Next obstacle were the depressions passing in the South Atlantic Ocean, which were overcome by sound and solid seamanship, with due regard and appreciation for the forces of nature. Having patience prevailing over haste, waiting for the right weather window was the key element. Constantly monitoring the situation and awaiting the right moment, the crew and vessel were kept safe before dashing across to the Magellan Strait after nine days.

Upon arrival in Punta Arenas, COVID-19 was a dominant factor. Although the vessel had been at sea well over four weeks and none of the crew members showing any symptoms, repatriating them back to their loved ones proved to be a big challenge. The Chilean authorities, Dutch consul and EU repatriation flights should be thanked and complimented. Together with Redwise staff they put a lot of hard work into getting at least a part of the crew home safely, while working hard on getting the other back as well. It would be good if more nationalities were as sensible and pragmatic as the authorities in Chile.
So, if you ever see a Greek commuter ferry operating at the Southern tip of Chile, don't be too surprised. Redwise has delivered five of them safely under own power to Chile over the past 15 years. There will be Masters and sailors of large container vessels, bulk carriers and tankers who passed them on the way and probably have been amazed about it. By respecting the forces of nature, a wealth of experience (114 years of it) and good seamanship of a well-trained and experienced crew you can trust, you can go a long way from home.

Redwise would like to extent their appreciation to the principals of DAP. DAP is a very interesting company, operating airlines, charter, scheduled, lifeline services in the Antartic and throughout Chile over land, sea and through the air. You will find one of their aircraft in an amazing Penguin livery.