The historic Hellenic Navy destroyer “Velos”, which now operates as a floating museum and had been docked at the waterfront in Thessaloniki since 2019, was on Sunday towed to the facilities of the Thessaloniki Port Authority after sustaining damage to its stern in the bad weather on Saturday.
The ship was taken to the commercial section of the port, where cruise ships and passenger ferries dock, so that there can be a further inspection of the damage and decisions made on what to do next.
An operation has been underway since Sunday morning to seal a breach in the stern of the historic Hellenic Navy destroyer “Velos”, which sustained damage while docked at Thessaloniki’s Nea Paralia waterfront on Saturday due to strong winds blowing in the area. A tugboat has been keeping the ship in place since Saturday evening, while a diver was sent down to determine the extent of the damage.
The ship has been docked at the same location since September 2019 and operates as a museum.
In addition to the damage to the “Velos”, the strong winds ripped off the dome at the Basketball Airdome Skg in Thermi and knocked over the canopy of a fuel station, without causing injuries.
Strong winds continued to blow in Thessaloniki on Sunday, felling trees and branches.
The ship was damaged when strong winds gusts and high waves combined to slam the boat’s stern onto the base of the promenade. The ship had been similarly damaged, though not enough so as to affect its stability and durability, during bad weather in March.
Built in Boston, USA and launched on June 3, 1942 as the USS “Charrette” DD 581, it served in the Hellenic Navy for 32 years, as well as fighting in World War II and in the US naval operations in the Pacific. It was refurbished and given to the then Greek Royal Navy in 1958 and withdrawn from active duty in 1991, while it was designated a Museum of Antidictatorial Struggle in 1994. It is one of four remaining ships of its type that still exist and had received more than 250,000 visitors while docked in Thessaloniki.
