SS Varvassi

SS Varvassi

History
Fate:	Wrecked 5 January 1947
General characteristics
Type:	Steamship
Tonnage:	3,875 tons

SS Varvassi is a wrecked ship just off the Needles lighthouse, which is at the western end of the Isle of Wight. The Isle of Wight is off the South coast of the United Kingdom, near Southampton.

Varvassi was a 3,875-ton Greek merchant steamship that was wrecked on the Needles rocks in 1947. It was carrying a cargo of tangerines from Algiers to Southampton. The ship became wrecked after an engine failure in stormy weather, and drifted onto the rocks. When an attempt was made to haul the ship off the rocks, she flooded and sank. All 36 crew were rescued unharmed, as was the cargo of tangerines.

There are still remains of the wreck lying just below the surface. Some parts of the wreck can still be seen at very low tides. The wreck constitutes a hazard to small craft that attempt to sail too close to the lighthouse.