Shipwreck: CAPTAIN LEONIDUS
Skip Gillham, Vineland, Ontario, CanadaThe hull of the former Panamanian freighter CAPTAIN LEONIDIS has been aground in the Messier Channel off the coast of Chile since April 7, 1968. The vessel was enroute from Santos, Brazil, to Valparaiso, Chile, via the Strait of Magellan, when it stranded at 48.46 south by 74.27 west. Efforts to release the ship were not successful.
This vessel was already 31 years old when it lost its way. It had been built by Deutsche S. & M. at Bremerhaven, Germany, in 1937 and initially sailed as MOLDAr. The 449 ft, 4 inch long by 55 ft, 10 inch wide vessel was equipped with a pair of oil engines and could carry 8,425 tons of cargo.
MOLDA survived the dangers of World War II and operated in the postwar era under Norwegian registry. The name was changed to MOLDA COUNTY in 1959 but back to MOLDA again in 1961. It was sold to August Kjerland & Co. in 1963 and remained under the flag of Norway as FANA.
To this time the ship had operated on saltwater routes but it came to the Great Lakes on three occasions in 1964. FANA passed upbound through the Seaway in late April, as well as July and September before resuming a career as an ocean trader. The vessel is shown upbound in the Welland Canal in a photo by Alfred Sagon-King.
FANA was sold to Astronuevo Cia Nav. S.A. in 1966 and reregistered in Panama as CAPTAIN LEONIDIS. It came back to the Great Lakes in July and September of 1966 for the last of the inland voyages and is shown under the final name in a photo courtesy of Shipsearch Marine.
CAPTAIN LEONIDIS was probably nearing the end of active service when it ran aground off Chile. Now, almost forty years later, the hull remains securely in place. Rust has had its way with the steel hull and the funnel has now tipped forward. The ship is shown on November 17, 2005, in a photo by Hubert Hall and holes in the hull suggest it may have been used for target practice by the Chilean Navy.
Figure 1. The CAPTAIN LEONIDIS.
Figure 2. FANA was the third name given to the ship eventually called CAPTAIN LEONIDIS.
Figure 3. CAPTAIN LEONIDIS, aground in the Messier Channel, Southern Chile, November 17, 2005.