AKRON (NORSE LION) was the first of 6 sistervessels delivered from Uddevallavarvet. The other was CONSTANCE (Sw,1972),RONASTAR (No,1972), VARANGFJELL (Br,1973), POLYCRUSADER (No,1972)and finally ABBEY (Br,1979). VARANGFJELL was owned by Townsend Car Ferries, Dover, but was chartered to Norwegian Olsen & Ugelstad for 12 years (therefor a Norwegian name). British ABBEY was built and ran trials for Rolf Wigands Rederi in Bergen as ANDWI, but due to financial problems with the Norwegian owner, she was sold just before delivery to Britain

Hello Acrop

Thanks for your comments, it is nice to see somebody is interested in old seamans stories.
for your question
I sailed from 1986 until 1998 for Metrofin, in this time the company had mainly 10 to 12 owned vessels 5 under Liberia Flag and the rest under Greek flag. The liberian flag vessels in this time was the Akron ex Norse Lion, Theodore A ex Tweed Bridge, Alfios ex Celtic Yana, Gortys ex Jasaka and the Suezmax Tanker Solva ex Wind Endeavour. I sailed with the 4 first named vessels. The History for this vessels you will find all in the website www.swiss-ships.ch. The Greek flagged vessels was the Loussios (Sister of Akron), Helen, Christitsia,Arkas, Dimitris A and Akrop. We did not have german contracts we sailed with swiss contracts which I doubt was more expensive as greek contracts. just for your understanding that means that as an electrician I got as salary only half of the salary as my friend. He sailed for Hamburg Süd on Liberia contract. Even our contacts was always 9 to 11 months, no vacation money. Sounds not so good but in this time things been different. It was good to have a job, and second Metrofin was a real good company. For me the best time in my sailing life. I never regret to have sailed for this company and under this conditions - but also time was different. Today I am sailing as a C/E it is still good much better social conditions 3 months on, 3 months off fully paid, but not possible to compare to old times. By the way the owners of Metrofin they really took care about her vessels, often they checked the conditions of the vessel in person, never seen before and not afterwards.
Best regards
Andreas

Andreas, I notice you have been Electrician on board.. http://www.swiss-ships.ch/schiffe-ausland/metrofin/akron_D5FV/fr_akron_D5FV.htm

The ship subsequently sold on to late Capt Eleftherios Veniamis' Golden Union, Piraeus.

Very interesting Andreas. It is also very rare, if not a unique case, of a Greek owner manning his ships with German or Swiss officers! Today both Angelopoulos brothers have all Greek flag fleets with Greek officers. May I ask were you aware if German contracts were much more expensive than Greek contracts?

Hello Pieter, hello Acrop

I sailed on her for 4 Contracts,9 to 11 months. Good vessel, build for 52 crew when sailed for Harrison Clyde. I still have the one old crew list in mind, which was still in the control room present when I sailed on her. In my time we been 24 to 26 crewmembers depend on workload. Officers from Germany, Croatia Switzerland, Poland and Crew form Philipines. I learned aload on this vessel, Crew been also great. I joined her first in July 1986 in Rotterdam sailed to Baltimore for one cargo of coal for discahrge in Rotterdam again. Later we had some long contract (2 years) and sailing was mostly between ARA Range but also hamburg and New Orleans with Grain Products. After 89 the vessel was sailing worldwide Iron Ore from Brasil to Bahrain Coal from South Africa to Europe, Iron Ore from Brasil to Italy and so on and so on. Good time on a real good vessel

best regads
Andreas

A great ship owned by Angelopoulos family (Metrofin, Zurich). Metrofin ceased to operate early '00 and the two brothers of Panagiotis Angelopoulow, namely Theodore and Constantinos set up their own shipping companies. Metrstar for Theodore and Arcadia Shipmanagement/Aegean Bulk for Constantinos.