Serifos: sailboat with broken mast and five aboard

The Serifos Port Authority raised the alarm on Wednesday afternoon, 5 August, after receiving notification of a sailboat in difficulty. Five foreign nationals were aboard the vessel, which ran into trouble after its mast broke. The incident occurred in the sea area off Cape Angouri, northeast of Serifos, in a spot exposed to the winds prevailing in the area at the time.

According to information released, those aboard included one Polish national and three German nationals. The nationality of the fifth person on board was not clarified. The damage concerned the vessel’s mast, an element that directly limits a sailboat’s ability to manoeuvre and hold course, particularly when strong winds are blowing in open water.

A Coast Guard patrol boat and a fishing boat that sailed from Syros rushed to the scene to provide assistance. The sailboat eventually anchored safely in Livadi Bay on Serifos. As reported, all those aboard were in good health, while no marine pollution was observed either in the area of the incident or at the point of final anchorage.

The Serifos Port Authority is conducting the preliminary inquiry into the incident and has prohibited the vessel from departing. The prohibition will remain in effect until the damage is repaired and a certificate of seaworthiness is presented by the classification society. This is standard procedure in such cases, ensuring a vessel does not return to sea before it is certified fit to travel safely.

Mast damage under strong meltemi conditions is among the most common causes of assistance calls to Cyclades port authorities in August. The area receives a large number of recreational vessels during this period, while distances between islands mean a boat with reduced manoeuvring capacity can quickly find itself in difficulty. For small islands like Serifos, response speed also depends on the availability of other vessels in the area.

The fact that a fishing boat from Syros took part in the operation illustrates the contribution private vessels make in such cases. It has not been disclosed how long the operation lasted overall, nor the exact extent of the damage to the sailboat. No information has been released either on whether the vessel was headed to a specific destination when the damage occurred.

The preliminary inquiry by the Serifos Port Authority is ongoing and its findings have not been disclosed. The vessel remains detained at Livadi until repairs are completed and the required certificate is presented. No timeline has been announced for repairing the damage, as this depends on the availability of parts and a workshop — an issue that can take time on the smaller Cycladic islands.