MV Panagiotis

Coordinates: 37°51′34.57″N 20°37′29.5″E / 37.8596028°N 20.624861°E

Navagio (shipwreck) Bay
History
Name:	MV Saint Bedan
Owner:	M. J. & A. Gardner and Co. Ltd[1]
Port of registry:	Glasgow  United Kingdom [1]
Builder:	Scott & Sons, Bowling[1]
Yard number:	341[1]
Launched:	14 January 1937[1]
Fate:	Sold 1964[1]
Name:	MV Meropi[1]
Owner:	M. Gigilinis and S. Kakassinas[1]
Port of registry:	Thessaloniki, Greece[1]
Acquired:	1964[1]
Fate:	Sold 1966[1]
Name:	MV Charis[1]
Owner:	N. S. Kalfas[1]
Port of registry:	Greece[1]
Acquired:	1966[1]
Fate:	Sold 1975[1]
Name:	MV Panagiotis[1]
Owner:	P. Lisikatos & Company [1]
Port of registry:	Piraeus, Greece[1]
Acquired:	1975[1]
Fate:	Ran aground on Zakynthos, 1 October 1980[1]
Status:	Abandoned on beach[1]
General characteristics
Type:	Coaster[1]
Tonnage:	452 GRT[1]
Length:	163 ft (50 m)[1]
Beam:	25 ft 7 in (7.80 m)[1]
Draught:	11 ft 4 in (3.45 m)[1]
Installed power:	500 bhp[1]
Speed:	10 kn (19 km/h)[1]

The Panagiotis (Greek: Παναγιώτης) is a picturesque shipwreck lying in the white sands of an exposed cove on the coast of Zakynthos (Zante), which is among the southernmost of the Ionian Islands of Greece. Navagio ("Shipwreck"), the spot where she lies, is a tourist attraction on the north-western side of the island, with thousands of visitors each year.

She was built in Scotland in 1937 as Saint Bedan and wrecked in 1980. It's been falsely claimed that the ship was carrying contraband cigarettes and being chased by the Greek Navy.

History

The coaster Panagiotis was built in 1937 at Bowling on the River Clyde as Yard 341 by Scott & Sons, and fitted with a 500 bhp diesel engine made by British Auxiliaries Ltd. When built, she measured 163 feet in length and 26 feet in width. She had a draft of just over 11 feet, and a gross register tonnage of 452.

The Panagiotis changed hands and names since her construction.

• 1937 - Originally named the MV Saint Bedan, she was launched on Thursday, 14 January 1937 for J. & A. Gardner and Co. Ltd. of Glasgow.
• 1964 - She was sold to Greek owners, M. Gigilinis and S. Kakassinas of Thessaloniki and renamed Meropi.
• 1966 - She was sold to N. S. Kalfas and renamed Charis.
• 1975 - She was sold to P. Lisikatos & Company of Piraeus and renamed Panagiotis.
• 1980 - She ran aground on 1 October, on the island of Zakynthos, and was abandoned.^[1]

Wreck

The most commonly accepted story regarding the wreck of the Panagiotis maintains that she spent the later part of her life as a smuggling ship. In 1980 (during a time of record population lows on the island of Zakynthos), Panagiotis was making its way from Turkey with a freight of contraband cigarettes (for the Italian Mafia, as some versions of the story assert). The crew was suspected by authorities, and so the Panagiotis was pursued by the Greek Navy. But this story is false, as claimed by Charalambos Kompothekras - Kotsoros, the Captain of Motor Vessel "Panayiotis"; on his website.

Encountering stormy weather, the ship ran aground in a shallow cove on the west coast of Zakynthos, to the north of Porto Vromi, where the crew abandoned her to evade the pursuing Navy.

The wreck remains at the site which is now called "Navagio", Greek for "shipwreck."

References

1. Clyde-Built Database: Saint Bedan, clydebuiltships.co.uk. URL accessed March 4, 2012.

External links

• More Zakynthos photos by Manolis Kellis
• Zanteguru.com
• Short history of this shipwreck (Navagio in greek)