One would have thought that the denouement of the age of sail would have brought the menace of the Thunderbolt Reef to a close. Instead, it was not to be. Perhaps as a belated swansong, on a calm winter’s afternoon on Monday 29th July 1985, yet another vessel would attempt to traverse the treacherous inner route between the rocky shore at Cape Recife and Thunderbolt Roof. With few exceptions, they would learn a sobering lesson about its dangers. In the case of the Kapodistrias, a Greek bulk carrier of 29,185 tons, it would not be an exception.
How was it possible that a modern vessel equipped with all the latest navigation equipment, could run aground on a calm morning?
Main picture: This was the last photo taken of the Kapodistrias wreck at Cape Recife. The next morning she was gone.
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