Wreck of P/S Patris (Kea).
![Steamer Othon.(Patris)[:]](https://www.grafasdiving.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/atmoploiogo8onghi-165x110.jpg "Steamer Othon.(Patris)[:]")
![The lounge of stern area.[:]](https://www.grafasdiving.gr/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/dscg7211-165x110.jpg "The lounge of stern area.[:]")
The passenger paddle steamer PATRIS, owned by Hellenic Steamship Company, on a voyage from Piraeus to Syros, struck a mapped reef at Koundouros on Kea on the night of February 23, 1868, and eventually sank without loss of life. The collision was attributed to navigational errors by Captain N.G. Angelikara, but he was later acquitted by the naval court, and the authorities deemed the shipwreck an accident. Approximately 500 passengers and crew were on board.
Press Report of the Time: Newspaper ALITHIA, issue no. 586.
According to passenger accounts, the sea was not very rough when, around 10:30-11:00 PM, the cry we are lost was heard, and the steamer struck a rock, on which it remained. The numerous passengers, nearly 500, experienced general chaos and confusion. Shockingly, instead of assisting the distressed passengers, the ship’s crew took the lifeboats and fled to the shore. Fortunately, a small boat from the ship’s engineers served to help them.
History of the Ship
The paddle steamer was initially named OTHON, commissioned by King Otto in 1859 from the shipyards C. Lungley & Co, Deptford, on the River Thames, England. The ship was delivered in 1860. Along with OTHON, three more ships were ordered: another similar paddle steamer, AMALIA, and two smaller ones, BYZANTION and EPTANISOS. Following the deposition and exile of Otto in October 1862, the ship was renamed PATRIS and given to Hellenic Steamship Company, along with AMALIA, which was renamed EUNOMIA. A fire broke out on EUNOMIA’s boiler while in Hydra, resulting in 50 people being burned alive. Subsequently, it was renamed IRIS.
Ship’s Specifications
Tonnage: 641 GRT
Dimensions: 66.2 x 8.3 x 4.5 meters
Material: Steel
Engines: Compound paddle engines, 2 masts, barquentine rigging
Horsepower: 120 HP (RHP)
Shipyard: Lungley Charles & Co., Deptford (Thames)
Engine Manufacturer: Dudgeon J. & W., London
Raising of the Paddle Wheel
In 2007, an operation was organized to raise one of the two paddle wheels of the PATRIS. The Industrial Museum of Ermoupolis, the National Research Foundation, and the Ephorate of Underwater Antiquities collaborated on this endeavor. Simultaneously, the raising process was filmed for the documentary Patris – Lost in 1868, co-produced by ERT, the Art Production Office, and the Industrial Museum of Ermoupolis. After being raised, the wheel was temporarily placed in the Tarsanas of Ermoupolis until its final location was decided. On September 8, 2010, the PATRIS’s paddle wheel was transferred to its final location in the open-air area behind the Industrial Museum of Ermoupolis building complex and placed on a special base, where a specialized scientific team began its conservation. The wheel is an exceptional and rare example of shipbuilding art. The entire operation was funded by a grant from the G. M. Pateras family, and the final phase of the transfer was carried out by the Neorion of Syros, which provided special equipment and a ten-member team of skilled technicians.
Wheel Conservation
This represents a significant creation of 19th-century engineering, which was raised in 2007 and transported to the Industrial Museum of Ermoupolis. Since then, the Technical Culture Center – Industrial Museum of Ermoupolis, in collaboration with the Department of Conservation of Antiquities and Works of Art of TEI Athens, led by Professor Dr. Vasiliki Argyropoulou, and the School of Chemical Engineering of the National Technical University of Athens, led by Professor Dr. Georgios Batis, has completed a series of studies and research and proceeded with its optimal conservation. The wheel is a complex object given its size (3m diameter, 6m height, and weight of 14-16 tons) and its construction materials (steel and wood). The wheel was placed on a concrete base within the Museum’s perimeter, according to the study by Assistant Professor of NTUA Dr. Christos Zeris.
Description of the Wreck
The wreck of the paddle steamer PATRIS is broken into two sections on the western side of the Koundouros reef in Kea. The bow is completely detached from the rest of the ship, lying on the seabed at a 90-degree angle at an average depth of 34 meters. At the keel of the bow, divers can see deformations indicating the ship’s violent collision with the reef. The ship’s chains extend from the hawseholes to the Admiralty-pattern anchors. Divers can enter the bow, observing the ship’s metal framework and items reminiscent of a bygone era. The second section of the ship lies south, very close to the bow, at a maximum depth of 53 meters. Starting from the stern toward the break, divers will see the rudder turned to the right. There is no propeller as the ship was driven by two side paddle wheels. At the stern, four windows offer beautiful interior views. The ship’s wooden decking has deteriorated over the years. In the middle section, divers can see remains of the ship’s funnel and, beneath it, the boilers and other propulsion system components, such as the crankshaft and a significant amount of coal. Also visible are the eight davits from which the ship’s boats were launched. The right paddle wheel remains in place, offering excellent photo opportunities. The deepest part of the dive is at the break, where divers can find various broken objects and pieces of the ship. Inside, there are many items transporting one back to a different era, such as iron balls for the ship’s cannons, a spare anchor, broken glass, and various everyday utensils. One could say that diving to the PATRIS is a journey through time, and at the same time, the Koundouros reef is teeming with marine life, making decompression a pleasant experience.
Text: Panos Vletsas
Sources:
library.parliament.gr
www.ketepo.gr
wrecksite.eu
Thalassa Magazine