CHRISSO

Motorboat

Location: Punta La Greca
Depth: 3-5 meters

Chrisso was a motorboat that belonged to Hero Shipping Co. Ltd in Cyprus, and was built in 1958 in Oldenburg.  The name was changed four times – the first name was Sorteklint, followed by Jacqueline, Coral Bay and Inalotte Blumenthal.  Tradition states that changing the name of a ship brings misfortune, and in this case it proved true. The Chrisso went aground on the night of December 31, 1974 between the island of Reulino and a sand bar, landing on the rocks of Punta La Greca, after it was ripped from its moorings during rough seas An eyewitness account states that the ship tried several times to recover the anchors and find shelter behind Tavolara, but all attempts were useless.  The crew escaped unharmed, and the ship avoided major damage as well.  The ship remained aground for a long time and was protected by a security guard.  It was later sold to another company that intended to recover it, but a fire destroyed the equipment on board.  The ship was eventually abandoned, and was ripped in two and nearly destroyed completely by rough seas.