Eldia (Vessel)

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Contents 1 Maltese Freighter Eldia 2 Information 3 Timeline 4 Other Notable Shipwrecks in this area 5 External links 6 References

[edit] Maltese Freighter Eldia

The 473' 9,807 ton steel freighter Eldia was blown ashore in East Orleans, Massachusetts March 30, 1984. The ship was refloated 2 months later by the salvage company Donjon Marine who received title to the ship as payment. A year later the ship was scrapped¹.

After delivery of its load of Columbian sugar in St. John, New Brunswick² the Eldia was hit by a storm delivering 80mph winds. Running for the open sea the cargoless Eldia was unable to match the strength of the storms waves, wind and will. The 37 year old captain Ernesto Garces attempted to bring the ship under control but was forced onto the beach late in the day.

The entire crew was rescued while the ship came to rest on what is today the popular Cape Cod Nauset Beach. Due to the ease of access to the area New England residents rushed to see the sight.

[edit] Information

The Orleans public library maintains a collection of Eldia related memorabilia including photos, accounts and official records. Eldia's, a local coffee shop in Orleans, closed in 2006. The owners had a collection of Eldia images, newspaper articles, and personal accounts in 2 albums in the store. The current location of these collections is unknown. The owners have moved on to Florida.

[edit] Timeline

[edit] Other Notable Shipwrecks in this area

[edit] External links

Eldia on Wreckhunter
Larry Fowlers Eldia Website
Donjon Salvage
Eldia's Owner at the time of grounding
Location of Grounding (google maps)
Cape Code Times Article
Air Station Cape Cod
YouTube video of images
Time Article

[edit] References

1. http://www.geocities.com/eldia1984/index.html 2. http://www.geocities.com/eldia1984/john_leaning.html