Shipwreck MASTROPETROS,ex.SOULA H,ex.VALLE DE OROZCO

On July 2nd 2016, the team of Antonis Grafas dived in the wreck of the cargo ship Mastropetros located near the islets Gavronisia at the south side of Gavrio (located north-west of the island of Andros).
Mastropetros was constructed as VALLE DE OROZCO at the shipyard of Tomas Ruiz de Velasco at Bilbao of Spain with construction number 98. The ship was launched on September 7th 1967 and it was completed in April 1968. The concessionaire company was Vasco-Madrileña de Navegación, based in Bilbao, to whom the ship belonged until 1981.

The main technical characteristics of the ship were the below:
Type of ship: Cargo
International Official Code: SX 2813
Registration: Piraeus 10250
Gross Tonnage: 2.203
Net Tonnage: 1.253
Displacement (DWT): 3.890
Length: 87,7m
Width: 13m
Propulsion: Internal combustion engine
Power: 2.700 BHP
Propellers: 1
Indicative speed: 13 knots

In 1981, the ship was bought by the Cypriot maritime company ERINOS Navigation Company Limited, based in Limassol, and it was renamed to SOULA H. In 1994, it was sold to the Greek maritime company Petros, based in Piraeus, and it was renamed to Mastropetros. On July 13th 1999, Mastropetros departed in full cargo of 3.700 tons of plaster soil from Altsi in Sitia, Crete to Volos. During the trip and while the weather conditions were very bad, there was a problem with the engine, so the ship anchored on 14.07.1999 at 17.20pm near the port of Gavrio, at the north-west side of Andros and more specifically at the area between the islets Gavronisia and Kourouni. In the afternoon of the same day and during the procedures of anchoring and furthermore of repairing the engine problem, Mastropetros crashed into the near reef Vouvi having as a result the water inflow and the abandoning of ship as it was possible to sink. At 14.00pm on 21.7.1999, Mastropetros sank at that area where is located until today.

The implied axis of the wreck has a north-west direction of approximately 270 degrees. The wreck has a maximum depth of 26m and its bow has undergone huge damages. The part of the stern of the wreck is located at the right side in the sea bottom. The propeller and the stern super structure are in a good situation while the rest part is broken down and big parts of it are evident in the sea bottom across the wreck.
DG