" Gino Scardigli "
" Eljo "
PHOTOS and DRAW
HISTORY of the SHIPWRECK
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The technical dive team O.D.T.T., in collaboration with relitti.it and Antignano D.C., has identified a wreck that lies off Livorno's coast saying the last word about the various "legends" that regarding the nature of the ship and his cargo.
Maurizio Pelosini and Alessandro Spallazzi have conduced the ground searches to go back to the name of ship and start the identification procedure and the storical recostruction.
Special thanks for Mr. Camalich, the son of the shipowner, for the valuable information, for the responsible of the cargo that wants to reamin anonymous, for Stefano and Antignano D.C. for surface and logistical support.
Photos of "Eljo" in one of the first navigation
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N. ..°; ...... |
E. ..°; ...... |
special thanks
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name
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GINO SCARDIGLI
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date of sunk
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1 october 1966
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| site |
6 miles from Livorno's coast |
reason
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moving of the cargo |
type of ship
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cargo ship |
engines
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1 dsl 4T 8 cil. (MAN-Augsburg) |
| speed |
10 knt |
armament
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nothing |
dimension
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50,70 x 8,33 x h. 3,39 mt.
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| gross tonnage |
493 ton. |
depth
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58/67 mt. |
difficulty of dive
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tecnichal/meduim |
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The wreck lies on the whole rake on the left around 80 degrees, intact in his length toward about south-east/north-west. The anchor of right is always in the hawse hole, on the bridge, toward the stern, we can see the wharp, the first piece of the prow crane, the first hold with two caterpillars tracks into, the second hold with tree caterpillars tracks and, before the deckhouse, a partial dismantle structure with a hole of the second crane that is near the ship on the bottom.
The deckhouse is complete in inferior side and have two porthole with glass in front. The stern is circular, along the right topside, towards the prow, we can see some porthole and, at about the half of the ship towards the bottom, a break caused by a caterpillar, we think at the moment of the impact with the bottom.
A fishing net is entangling toward the stern partially around the smoke stack and goes up with the floats.
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- 1949 Launched with the name "ELJO" in Holland by order of Family Nille, Amsterdam (NL) at the biulder De Haan & Oerlemans.
- 1963 Bayed by Livorno 's owner Rino Camalich, renamed "GINO SCARDIGLI" and e destined to the merchant traffic in Mediterranean .
- 1966 (1° october) In the night of 30 September 1966 , sailed from Porto Empedocle, with 580 tons. of salt mine and 30 tons. o f various goods (among witch some caterpillar for civil use), the ship was near the Gorgona Island from 10 miles off Livorno and sailed in a force 4 sea under a thick rain in direction of Savona. It was the 4:15 a.m. when the bo atswain registered an unexpected heeling to left side of the ship, he raise the alarm and call on the deck all the man of the crew. The captain ordered to change the course to Livorno 's port and called immediately helper with the radio. The port authority of Livorno sender two tugs to helper the ship and her crew. It's about the 6:00 a.m., after about two hours of agony, the engine of the “Scardigli” stopped neutralizing the extreme attempt to reach the "Meloria's shallow" to run aground the ship. The order of the captain to abandon the ship arrives in time to save the eight men of the crew while the Scardigli knocked over sunk.
Today it is there yet, inclined on the left side, precious habitat for more sea organisms.
(Historical reconstruction based on vintage newspaper)
(Technical-ship date by Giorgio Spazzapan) |
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