IMO Number - 6510851

Registry - Oostende, Belgium (1965 - 1983), Piraeus

Length on deck - 117.84m (386.7 ft) (overall)

110.62m (362.9 ft) (between perpendiculars)

Breadth of hull - 15.98m (52.4 ft) (extreme)

Depth - 5.31m (17.4 ft) (moulded)

Draught - 4.00m (12.4 ft) (maximum)

Tonnage - 3,241 gross (1965), 3,023 (1972)

1,762 net, 1,318 (1983)

477 deadweight, 809 (1983)

Engines - Two 12-cylinder Sulzer two-stroke single acting diesels

Power - 7,061 kW

Speed - 21 knots

Capacity - 850 passengers, 160 cars (1965)

1,700 passengers, 190 cars (1972)

Call Sign - ORAD (1965 - 1983), SWAT (July 1983 -)

February 13^th 1965: Launched.

June 1965: Delivered to Belgian Marine Administration, Oostende, Belgium.

June 13^th 1965: Commenced service between Ostend - Dover.

May 29^th 1968: Inaugural arrival at Parkeston Quay thereafter seasonal sailings only to the port.

September 10^th 1973: Final sailing to Harwich.

November 1970: Belgian Marine joined the Sealink consortium. Trading as Sealink

November 1^st 1971: Belgian Marine became the Belgian Maritime Transport Authority - Regie voor Maritiem Transport (RMT).

December 1972 - April 14^th 1973: Had her passenger accommodation rebuilt at Schiedam, Holland.

April 1973: Resumed Dover - Ostend.

July 1982: Laid up in Ostend.

August 1982 - October 15^th 1982: Chartered to Sealink UK Ltd, and operated between Dover - Calais.

November 1982: Operated between Folkestone - Boulogne.

December 1982: Laid up in Ostend.

April 15^th 1983: Sold to Ventouris Group, Piraeus, Greece.

June 1983: Renamed GEORGIOS B, left Ostend for Piraeus.

July 1983: Renamed GEORGIOS EXPRESS.

August 1983: Rebuilt in Piraeus.

1989: Commenced service between Piraeus - Santorini.

October 1995: Owing to financial problems for her owners she was laid up in Piraeus.

2000: Commenced service for Aghios Georgios Ferries.

© Antonis Lazarus

2000: Laid up.

July 2003: Sold for breaking in Greece.

11th March 2008: Having been laid up in Greece for 7 years it is reported that the vessel has been re-sold for scrapping in India.

An SOS appeal has been launched to try and save the Roi Baudouin and return her to Ostend, Belgium for preservation as a museum ship.

"THIS IS A MAJOR DISTRESS CALL FOR
THE C/F "ROI BAUDOUIN"/"GEORGIOS EXPRESS"
This magnificent ship of 1965 built at the Cockeril Yards of Belgium is now literally facing the worst fate for any ship : the breakyards of India. The estimated date of her departure from Greece for India is at the 4th of April 2008 the latest. Please, help us save the "ROI BAUDOUIN" to be converted into a floating Naval Museum.

For the time being the only information available is the name and address of her former shipowner who preserved her for the last 7 years laid up before taking the decision to sell her for scrap at the 11th of March 2008 NOT KNOWING that some other countries might be interested in having her back.

Please contact him urgently as he is the only one who can give you more information regarding the brokers who bought the "ROI BAUDOUIN" for scrap, so that you may come in touch with them and delay or prevent them from sending her to India before it's too late.
SAVE THE "ROI BAUDOUIN" / "GEORGIOS EXPRESS" - the last one left of the 1960's Dover - Ostenders.

This is a matter of utmost urgency as this ship of unique structure and stunning beauty is literally running out of time ; the final count-down has already started for her, unless something is done real fast ! It was merely by pure luck that we found out on time what is going on about her, even now, while she is still here and we pray you to do anything possible with your power to save her ! After her departure from Greece we shall lose all trace of her

Breathlessly yours
the friends of the "ROI BAUDOUIN"
in Greece"