MS Iosif K

History
Greece
Name	Norwegian Challenger (1979–1982) Jolly Bruno (1982–1993) Merchant Brilliant (1993–2008) Zoya (2008–2015) Bekaa Dream (2015–2020) Iosif K (2020–Present)
Owner	Steineger & Wik 1979 – 1982 Medorient Shipping Line Inc. 1982 – 1993 Merchant Ferries 1993 – 2002 Cenargo International Plc. 2002 – 2004 Brilliant Shipping Ltd. 2004 – 2020 Creta Cargo Lines 2020 – onwards
Operator	Norient Line 1980 – 1981 OT Africal Line 1981 – 1982 Ignazio Messina 1982 – 1993 Merchant Ferries 1993 – 2002 Norse Merchant Ferries 2002 – 2005 Cobelfret 2005 Norse Merchant Ferries 2005 – 2006 Norfolk Line 2006 – 2007 Scandlines 2007 – 2008 Norfolk Line 2007 - 2008 Seatruck Ferries 2008 – 2008 P&O Irish Sea 2008 – 2008 Isle of Man Steam Packet Company 2008 – 2012 Williston Impex Co 2012 – 2015 Avantis Maritime Co-Mai 2015 – 2018 Bekaa Dream Shipping Offshore 2018 – 2020 Creta Cargo Lines 2020 – present
Port of registry	1979–1982: Oslo, Norway 1982–1993: Italy 1993–2004: Nassau, Bahamas 2004–2008: Montego Bay, Jamaica 2008–2014: Belize City, Belize 2014–2015: Lomé, Togo 2015–2018: Malakal Harbour Palau 2018–2019: Beirut, Lebanon 2019–2020: Panama Panama 2020 onwards: Piraeus, Greece
Builder	Vaagen Verft A/S, Kyrksæterøra, Norway
Yard number	43
Laid down	1 May 1978
Launched	1 April 1979
Completed	1 July 1979
Identification	Call sign: SVCV2 IMO number: 7724265 MMSI number: 241694000
Status	In service
General characteristics
Tonnage	9,368 GT
Length	133.07 m (436 ft 7 in)
Beam	21.65 m (71 ft 0 in)
Draught	5.03 m (16 ft 6 in)
Ice class	ICE C
Installed power	2 × Krupp 12M453AK 12-cylinder diesel engines, 6,620 kilowatts (8,880 hp)
Speed	17 knots (31 km/h)
Capacity	12 passengers, 1,272 m (4,173 ft) freight lanes, 80 trailers, 524 TEU.
Crew	18

The MS Iosif K is a ferry owned by Creta Cargo Lines.

History

The ship was launched as Norwegian Challenger in 1978, originally owned by Steineger & Wik. She was chartered by Norient Line from 1980 to 1981 and then by OT Africa Line from 1981 to 1982. She was sold to Medorient Shipping Lines and renamed Jolly Bruno in 1982 and chartered to Ignazio Messina until 1993, when she was sold to Merchant Ferries. In 2002 she was sold to Cenargo International PLC and chartered to Norse Merchant Ferries. In 2004 she was sold to Brilliant Shipping Ltd, remaining on charter with Norse Merchant Ferries until 2005, when she was on short term charter to Cobelfret Ferries, resuming service with Norse Merchant Ferries later in the year until 2006, when she was chartered to Norfolk Line

Merchant Brilliant in Dublin

On 14 December 2006, Merchant Brilliant was placed under arrest in Dublin after the International Transport Workers Federation (ITF) obtained a warrant at the High Court, claiming that the Russian and Latvian crew were owed tens of thousands of Euros in unpaid wages. An inspector from the ITF met with representatives of the owner in Dublin on 19 December 2006 to discuss the case. The company agreed to pay the back wages, and the High Court lifted its order preventing the ship from leaving port. The owners then refused crew members permission to go ashore unless the money paid was returned. Eight crew members left the ship. A further dispute about the payment of arrears owed to the crew broke out in February 2007. The ship was moored off Heysham, having sailed from Belfast. The crew were promised payment if they sailed back to Belfast, but eleven of the eighteen crew decided to leave. Norfolk Line had taken the ship off charter on arrival at Heysham as the ship was not being operated in accordance with the charter agreement. The Harbour Master ordered Iosif K to leave port to make way for incoming ships. The stand-off lasted for four days before the dispute was settled. Those crew wishing to leave were flown home and a new Russian crew flown in to operate her. A total of US$137,000 was paid to the crew in back pay. She was chartered by Scandlines in 2007 and then by Norfolk Line again in 2008. In January 2008 she was chartered by Seatruck Ferries for use on the Heysham - Warrenpoint route. Later that year she was chartered to P&O Irish Sea and the Isle of Man Steam Packet Company. On Decembder 2019 Bekaa Dream arrived at Piraeus, Greece and laid up in Drapetsona. In February 2020 Bekaa Dream bought from the Greek company Creta Cargo Lines and named it Iosif K.