Motor ship · lost 1974 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom
Captayannis
A long insurance dispute between the parties involved is the reason the Captayannis was never salvaged, even though much of her hull stands clear of the water in a shallow part of the Clyde. The Greek-registered motor ship, built in Denmark as the Norden, had brought sugar from Lourenco Marques and lay at anchor off the Tail of the Bank when a severe gale set her dragging.
Before her engines could take her clear she was driven across the anchor chain of the BP tanker British Light, which tore open her port side. Flooding brought a list and a total loss of power, and she grounded on a sandbank between Greenock and Helensburgh; her crew, the captain among them, were taken off without injury.
She rests on her port side, substantially intact, her starboard flank rising above the surface and heavily marked by seabirds.
- Type
- Motor ship
- Lost
- 1974
- Depth
- 9 m
- Location
- Firth of Clyde, United KingdomFirth of Clyde
Deeper than 14 of the 185 wrecks on the map with a recorded depth.
History and LossLost 1974 · Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom.
On 28 January 1974 winds of over 60mph struck the anchorage while she waited to discharge at Greenock. As she dragged her anchor, Captain Theodorakis Ionnis ordered her engines started to make for shelter in the Gareloch, but she was blown across the cable of the 36,754-ton British Light, newly arrived from Elderslie Dry Dock.
Her pumps could not keep pace with the flooding, and small boats came to assist as she grounded; all twenty-five aboard were taken off.
Lost 1974.
Condition of the WreckIntact.
Intactness
She rests on her port side on mud, her starboard flank three or four metres clear of the surface whatever the tide. Her hull and superstructure are whole and most of her large deck fittings are still aboard; no salvage was ever attempted.
Notable Features
- Anchor
- Cargo remains
Sea-Surface Temperature by Month
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Surface temp | 8° | 7° | 6.9° | 8.1° | 9.9° | 12.1° | 13.9° | 14.6° | 13.8° | 12.4° | 11.1° | 9.5° |
Additional Details9 further fields held for this wreck and not shown above.
- Propulsion
- Diesel
- Loss date
- 1974
- Latitude
- 55.9760° N
- Longitude
- 4.7416° W
- Water body
- Firth of Clyde
- War grave
- Not recorded
- Protected
- No
- Permit required
- No
- Condition
- Intact
Sources and VerificationEvery fact on this page traces to a published source.
- Historic Environment Scotland (Canmore, NRHE)inspire.hes.scot · Official record6 facts
- UK Hydrographic Officedatahub.admiralty.co.uk · Official record3 facts
- NOAA / NASA JPL MUR SST v4.1coastwatch.pfeg.noaa.gov · Institution or archive1 fact
- Scottish Shipwrecksscottishshipwrecks.com · Secondary source8 facts
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Historic Environment Scotland.
- Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. © Crown copyright and database right.
- JPL MUR MEaSUREs Project. GHRSST Level 4 MUR Global Foundation Sea Surface Temperature Analysis (v4.1). PO.DAAC. https://doi.org/10.5067/GHGMR-4FJ04
A further 5 fields were derived from the wreck’s recorded position rather than taken from a source.
Licences and credits for the open data used on this site are on the Attribution page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Captayannis?
Captayannis is the wreck of a motor ship, off Firth of Clyde, United Kingdom, at 9 metres. Captayannis was lost in 1974.
How deep is the Captayannis?
Captayannis lies at approximately 9 metres, Firth of Clyde.
How did the Captayannis sink?
The cause of the loss of Captayannis is not recorded in the sources held; the loss is dated 1974.