The Panagiotis is a shipwreck lying in the white sands of an exposed cove on the coast of Zakynthos, which is among the southernmost of the Ionian Islands of Greece. Navagio, 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.
History
The coasterPanagiotis was built in 1937 at Bowling on the River Clyde in Yard 341 by Scott & Sons, and fitted with a 532 bhp diesel engine made by British Auxiliaries Ltd. When built, she measured 157 feet in length and 26 feet in width. She had a draft of 14 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 - Sold to Greek owners, M. Gigilinis and S. Kakassinas of Thessaloniki and renamed Meropi.
1966 - Sold to N. S. Kalfas and renamed Charis.
1975 - Sold to P. Lisikatos & Company of Piraeus and renamed Panagiotis.
1980 - Beached on the island of Zakynthos, 2 October 1980, and abandoned.
Wreck
A popular but erroneous story regarding the wreck of the Panagiotis maintains that she spent the later part of her life as a smuggling ship. In 1980, Panagiotis was making its way from Turkey with a freight of contraband cigarettes. The crew was suspected by authorities, and so the Panagiotis was pursued by the Greek Navy. 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. In fact, the ship was taking a legitimate cargo from Argostoli to Durrës in Albania, when the crew were forced to beach her in the cove during a storm on 2 October 1980. When part of the cargo and valuable equipment on the ship was looted, the captain, Charalambos Kompothekras–Kotsoros, alerted the authorities, and 29 locals were convicted of plundering the wreck. Kompothekras–Kotsoros was never charged with any offence The wreck remains at the site which is now called "Navagio", Greek for "shipwreck."
