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Athina B

Photo:Athina B shipwreck on Brighton beach

Athina B shipwreck on Brighton beach

From a private collection

Photo:Anchor of Athina B

Anchor of Athina B

From a private collection

Run aground in 1980

The Athina B, a Greek cargo ship, ran aground on the beach just east of the Palace Pier, in front of the Aquarium on January 21 1980. She'd set out for Shoreham from the Azores on December 11 1979 loaded with 3,000 tons of pumice.

Shoreham lifeboat to the rescue
On arrival at Shoreham, heavy seas and force 7/8 winds prevented her entering the harbour. As the weather deteriorated, she drifted eastwards. The Shoreham lifeboat rescued the captain's family and half the crew in the morning, and the ship survived the pounding of mounting seas during the day.

Scrapped at the Medway
At 9.15pm the captain and remaining crew were rescued, after which the boat ran aground on the beach. She was declared a write-off and remained on the beach for a month before being re-floated and towed away to a Medway scrapyard, near Rainham.

A commemoration
The shipwreck of the Athina B is commemorated by its anchor, which is on the seafront near Palace Pier.

This page was added on 22/03/2006.

Comments:

I've always believed the shipwreck to be a sign of the arrival of my brother into this world. His first cries in Southlands hospital (nearer to where the Athina should have ended up) were in tune with the ships grounding on Brighton beach. If it was meant as a warning, I think we should have paid more attention.
By Vicky Miles (14/02/2004)
While sorting through black and white negatives to put to CDs, I found the pictures I took of this ship. My sister and I travelled down just to have a look. I still can't believe it was that long ago.
By Brian Juby (04/01/2005)
Does anyone know anyone who WASN'T there when the Athina B mounted Brighton Beach? Everybody I know made the trip to see her. I recently found a photo my Dad took of me (aged 5) and my brother (still in a buggy) alongside the amazing sight.
By Aaron Berry (07/03/2005)
Correction - I was 4!
By Aaron Berry (07/03/2005)
Yes, my brother was there. He was about 13 in a checked brown coat.
By Bridget (14/03/2006)
I remember the Athina B. I was eight years old when it happened. I saw the vessel on the beach with my family too. I find this topic so interesting, but there's not many web sites about it. I find the same about the raising of the Mary Rose. That is also an interesting topic, but the Mary Rose Trust lack the websites. Anyway, back to the Athina B, I'd love to find out more information about that ship before she was grounded on Brighton beach. I'd also love to find out what happened to her after she entered the scrapyard. Was she stripped for scrap or does she still exist as a part of history? Where is Rainham where the scrapyard is near? This topic is so interesting.
By Darren Fuge (19/06/2006)

I remember going on a school trip to see the wreck. I still have a small amount of the pumice stone cargo in a jar somewhere at home.

By Alastair Ogden (25/10/2006)

I took my two daughters and two nephews plus Oscar our dog down to the seafront to be astonished by such a sight. It was a fascinating but cold day out for all of us!

By Margaret Perryman (29/10/2006)

I too made a trip down to see the ship on the beach, as it was the picture one just had to have. I vaguely recall mention in the press at the time that she had been condemned before commencing the voyage and was refused entry to harbour due to her condition and the risk of her sinking. Anyone know anything about that?

By Tony Bryant (17/06/2007)

What an eye-opener that was. I've just been converting some old negatives and found half a dozen or so dramatic images of the wreck with waves crashing over it. The storm alone took my breath away!

By Chris Melville-Brown (04/04/2008)

I remember the time my family and I went to see the Athina B. I find this topic so interesting. I read the Athina B was towed to a ship scrap yard in Rainham, Kent a month later. I saw an estuary at Google Map that shows other ship wrecks but of course, the Athina B was broken-up years before. I read two sides of the story about how the Athina B got grounded on the Brighton beach. One was, the Athina B had engine failure and the coastguard got the crew off and the Athina B was left drifing and got washed-up on the beach during the time. The other side of the story is, one foggy night when the crew were heading for Shoreham harbour, they saw lights and thought they were arriving at Shoreham Harbour and they thought the lights were part of the harbour, instead the lights were from the Palace pier and the crew steered the Athina B up on the beach by accident. Some people have said this happened in 1979 but most of the time it's said it happened in 1980. I believe the story about engine failure because the Athina B did have to have repairs in France just before making her way to England.

By Darren Fuge (19/08/2008)

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