Νικόλαος Λ. [Charles Chappell, S. Nicola, Nikolaos, Nikolaos L.]

[Nicholas Peppas]

What a strange ship! Built as the Royal Navy trawler Charles Chappell in 1917, this ship came to Greece somehow in the 1920s. Miramar is not correct to say she was transformed into a passenger ship in the 1930s.

IDNo: 5604125 Year: 1917
Name: CHARLES CHAPPELL Launch Date: 19.6.17
Type: Trawler (FV) Date of completion: 13.7.17
Flag: GBR Keel:
Tons: 276 Link: 1581
DWT: Yard No: 342
Length overall: 40.8 Ship Design:
LPP: 38.3 Country of build: GBR
Beam: 7.2 Builder: Bow McLachlan
Material of build: Location of yard: Paisley
Number of screws/Mchy/ Speed(kn): 1T-10.5
Subsequent History: [1935 cv to passenger ship, 356gt] - 22 S.NICOLA - 23 NICOLAOS - 35 NICOLAOS L. - 41 11V2
Disposal Data:lost 24.9.41

In fact, the ship belonged to the Lykoudis Coastal Shipping Company as early as 1925 using the name Nikolaos. Its original tonnage was 276 tons (with a length of 38.3 m and a dismal speed of 10.5 knots) but I assume (or home) she was modified when she became a passenger ship.

By 1924 she had been sold to the I. K. Lykouris Shipping Co (Elliniki Atmoploia Lykouri) and renamed Nikolaos L. Indeed on October 16, 1924 she was listed as doing a route from Thessaloniki to Piraeus.
19241016 Nikolaos.jpg

On May 5, 1925 she was back to her well known schedule stopping also in Kyparissi, Yerakas, Monemvasia, Neapolis, all the way down to Antikythera (!) but also Gytheion, Areopolis, Kalamai, Koroni and Methoni!
19250505 Nikolaos.jpg

I am also including the schedule from November 25, 1925 that includes a number of small Coastal Shipping Companies that have been forgotten now…
19251125 small companies.jpg

And finally, here is a schedule from February 16, 1927.
19270216 Nikolaos.jpg

Nikolaos L was requisitioned on Oct 31 1940. She was bombed on 4/25/1941

Nikoalos L 1935.jpg