Description: |
AGIOS SPYRIDON, one of the last traditional fishing vessels (‘τράτες’) of Cyprus, has been out of water for many years, on the beach next to the small harbor of Latsi, Polis Chrysochous. Built on Crete in 1950, it belongs to the type of boat termed Karavοskaro. Very commonly used as fishing trawlers, only a limited number of karavoskara exists in the Aegean, nowadays; AGIOS SPYRIDON is one of the few among them that are longer than 18-22m. Considering all these points, the vessel should be listed as a monument of nautical heritage, which needs to be protected. Nonetheless, since 2004 it has been left out of the water, unprotected and unmaintained. Some attempts made in 2006 for its restoration and protection were unsuccessful. As a result of prolonged negligence, it is now in a fragile condition and in 2017 the Municipality of Polis Chrysochous decided to have the ship destroyed.
The digital documentation of AGIOS SPYRIDON is a joint project between the University of Cyprus and the Cyprus Institute, as a last attempt to document this unique nautical monument before it is forever lost. |
