Eldia (Vessel)
Encyclopedia
The 473 feet 9,807 ton steel freighter Eldia was blown ashore in East Orleans, Massachusetts
on March 30, 1984. The ship, which was owned by the Greek
company Thenamarias Inc. and registered in Malta
, was refloated two months later by the salvage company Donjon Marine who received title to the ship as payment. A year later the ship was scrapped.
to pledge federal disaster relief. Running for the open sea without cargo or ballast, and therefore riding high on the waves, the Eldia was unable to match the strength of the storms. Her captain, Ernesto Garces, was also hampered by her lack of contemporary electronic technology for monitoring the weather, which had enabled other ships in the area to anticipate the problems that would come with the storm and take appropriate action; all he could do was monitor radio broadcasts. He attempted to bring the ship under control but was forced onto Nauset
Beach at around 4pm. Two hours later the ship was abandoned by its crew of 23, who were rescued by helicopter.
Due to the ease of access to the area New England
residents crowded to see the sight when the weather improved. One estimation is that approximately 150,000 did so. The town collected US$81,693 by charging $2 a day for visitors' car parking, and many businesses conducted a lot of additional trade during this curious period.
The wreck was drawn back off the beach on 17 May 1984, taken to a scrap-yard in Rhode Island
and then on to another at Staten Island
, where it was cut up in 1989.
Orleans, Massachusetts
Orleans is a town in Barnstable County, Massachusetts, United States. Barnstable County is coextensive with Cape Cod. The population was 5,890 at the 2010 census....
on March 30, 1984. The ship, which was owned by the Greek
Greece
Greece , officially the Hellenic Republic , and historically Hellas or the Republic of Greece in English, is a country in southeastern Europe....
company Thenamarias Inc. and registered in Malta
Malta
Malta , officially known as the Republic of Malta , is a Southern European country consisting of an archipelago situated in the centre of the Mediterranean, south of Sicily, east of Tunisia and north of Libya, with Gibraltar to the west and Alexandria to the east.Malta covers just over in...
, was refloated two months later by the salvage company Donjon Marine who received title to the ship as payment. A year later the ship was scrapped.
Circumstances of wreck
After delivery of its load of Colombian sugar in St. John, New Brunswick the Eldia was hit by a storm delivering 80 mile per hourwinds. This storm was part of a period of extreme weather which caused President Ronald ReaganReagan
Reagan is an Irish surname, most commonly associated with Ronald Reagan, the 40th President of the United States. Reagan may also refer to:-Surname:*Nancy Reagan , widow of Ronald Reagan and First Lady from 1981 to 1989...
to pledge federal disaster relief. Running for the open sea without cargo or ballast, and therefore riding high on the waves, the Eldia was unable to match the strength of the storms. Her captain, Ernesto Garces, was also hampered by her lack of contemporary electronic technology for monitoring the weather, which had enabled other ships in the area to anticipate the problems that would come with the storm and take appropriate action; all he could do was monitor radio broadcasts. He attempted to bring the ship under control but was forced onto Nauset
Nauset
The Nauset tribe, sometimes referred to as the Cape Cod Indians lived in what is present-day Cape Cod, Massachusetts, living east of Bass River and lands occupied by their closely related neighbours, the Wampanoag...
Beach at around 4pm. Two hours later the ship was abandoned by its crew of 23, who were rescued by helicopter.
Due to the ease of access to the area New England
New England
New England is a region in the northeastern corner of the United States consisting of the six states of Maine, New Hampshire, Vermont, Massachusetts, Rhode Island, and Connecticut...
residents crowded to see the sight when the weather improved. One estimation is that approximately 150,000 did so. The town collected US$81,693 by charging $2 a day for visitors' car parking, and many businesses conducted a lot of additional trade during this curious period.
The wreck was drawn back off the beach on 17 May 1984, taken to a scrap-yard in Rhode Island
Rhode Island
The state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
and then on to another at Staten Island
Staten Island
Staten Island is a borough of New York City, New York, United States, located in the southwest part of the city. Staten Island is separated from New Jersey by the Arthur Kill and the Kill Van Kull, and from the rest of New York by New York Bay...
, where it was cut up in 1989.