Videos of an incident between a luxury charter yacht and a tourist boat are making the rounds on social media and in the Greek media while officials said the incident is under investigation. The reports indicate the two vessels came within feet of a collision with the tourist boat heavily loaded with 480 passengers on a day trip.
Greek authorities looking at the videos said the tourist vessel, the Nidri Star 1 (233 gross tons) clearly has the right of way. The yacht failed to follow the “rules of the road,” while the tourist boat’s captain seemed to continue on course failing to take earlier precautions. A last-minute maneuver and stopping the vessel permitted the yacht to sneak past cutting off the vessel while passengers screamed and took videos.
The Nidri Star 1 carries up to 500 passengers on a day cruise in the Ionian Sea. After a morning swimming break and then a stop at Fiscardo (Kefalonia), the largest island in the Ionian Pelagos, the vessel was underway for Ithaca. The ship is 111 feet (34 meters) in length with an operating speed of 9 to 10 knots. Pictures on the company’s website show it is often heavily loaded with passengers.
The yacht which is being identified as the Bleu de Nimes, a 237-foot (72.25-meter) long luxury vessel for 28 passengers plus crew. The 1,600 gross ton vessel was built in 1980 for the British Navy and converted in 2020 to a luxury yacht operating in the charter market. Charter sites list the vessel with a value of $62 million.
Nidri Star 1 image from the company website
Observers are speculating that there was alcohol involved as some of the people aboard the yacht seemed unaware of the situation. The vessel kept going on course.
After the incident, the captain of the tourist boat notified the local authorities, and the yacht was stopped at the port of Argostoli later in the day. The Port Authority at Fiskardo is investigating.
The incident comes as the PEPEN, the organization for commercial captains, released its annual report calling for more investment and supervision of Greek ports and shipping. The group complained of lax controls over yachts which they said were permitted to stop or anchor at harbor entrances making it difficult for commercial shipping to maneuver. They also cited a lack of facilities, deteriorating port infrastructure, and other issues saying the government needs to invest in Greece’s maritime infrastructure.
