Maria Bacolitsa

Maria Bacolitsa's first name was Barbara, and it was built by Sir James Laing&Sons Ltd., in Deptford, for Tore Ulff A/B of Stockholm, Sweden. The keel was laid as yard number 833. The ship was launched on May 4, 1962, and completed in October 1962. The ship's hull was specially strengthened for the carriage of heavy loads. The maiden voyave of Barbara was to Baton Rouge, Louisiana, from where it headed to Amsterdam, Netherlands. The ship made four trips in 1966, and another four in 1967.

The ship was sold in 1968 to Skeppsredare Anders Smith of Gothenburg, Sweden, and renamed Barkand.

The vessel was sold again in 1969 to Cia Naviera Rimaran S.A. of Piraeus, Greece, and its name was changed into Marianna.

Finally, it was sold in 1980 to Maria Bacolitsa Shipping Corporation, Piraeus, Greece, and renamed Maria Bacolitsa.

Carrying a cargo of 22000 tons of pig iron from Vitoria, Brazil, to Constanta, Romania, Maria Bacolitsa passed through the Bosphorus strait at 07:28 on March 1, 1980, bound into the Black Sea, advising that its estimated time of arrival will be 23:00 local time that day. At 21:00, the ship contacted via VHF another vessel that was in Constanta roads, requesting information about weather condition. Later, at 22:04, the ship sent out an S.O.S., while of the coast of Romania, without giving its position. There was no further contact, and no trace of the vessel or its 26 (by other sources 30) souls on board was immediately found.

Only on May 2, 1980, a Navy diver located the wreck, sunk in about 40 meters of water, about 7 miles off Olimp. No survivors were ever found.

The ship lies on sand at a depth of 43 meters (the wreck itself begins at 25 meters), heeling 40-45 degrees¹⁾. The bow section is intact, but between bow and stern there is significant damage, which can be observed on sonar scans. The aft part of the vessel, including the command castle, is separated from the bow and lies at about 450 meters from it.