Shipwreck M/V Marcus

Built in Bremen (Germany) in 1956, this 2699 ton (3100 gross) general cargo vessel was fitted with Man diesel engines. She was a German registered vessel and sailed under several names, including ‘Naguilan’, ‘Nordhaff’ and ‘Atlas’ until 1971, when after an extensive fire, she was declared a total constructive loss. She was then sold to Greek interests and again went through several changes in ownership and name changes. The vessel finally took on the name ‘Marcus’ in 1978.

The Loss of the Marcus
The vessel left Italy after taking on a cargo of granite floor tiles. After passing through the Suez Canal bound for Jeddah, she ran aground during a storm in May 1978. The official report stated that the vessel had encountered difficulty in steering.
Stephan Jablonski, an engineer on board, had finished his shift and was in bed: “I was awakened in the early hours by a tremendous noise of screeching metal, utter panic and crew running everywhere. We had run aground on a reef. For the next 6 hours we tried to prevent water from flooding the ship. The engine room was in 6ft of water and she was settling by the stern. We abandoned the ship and were taken on board a passing cargo ship bound for Suez”.

Sources: Internet