Previous Owners of the “Faneromeni”
Naturally I was curious about the previous owners of the “Faneromeni.” If possible, I intended to meet all of them.
To this end, I traveled with the caïque (after her restoration was complete) to various islands in Greece in order to look for them.
I also had the thought that her former owners would be interested to see their old caïque once again, now restored.
1.Fanouris Vasileiou
2.Vasilis Vallas
3.Ioannis Kondylas
4.Flytzanis
5.Manolis Pourgiezis & Kamitsis
6.Yiannis Kakouris
1.Fanouris Vasileiou Fanouris Vasileiou was “Faneromeni’s” first owner. It was he who had commissioned her construction to the then famous shipwright George Mytilineos in the island of Skiathos.
Fanouris, from the village of Ayios Yiannis on Mount Pelion, named his new caïque “Faneromeni”. I did not succeed in my attempt to meet him. I did, however, meet his daughter.
2.Vasilis Vallas “Faneromeni’s” second owner was Vasilis Vallas from the island of Kalymnos. He is a proper gentleman and devoted to his family. He is a dedicated family man and very neat. I respect him deeply.
Vasilis Vallas owned the caïque for the longest period, for ten years at least, longer than any other of her former owners.
It was he who replaced, in 1972, her old 30 hp Kanakis engine with a new 112 hp Kelvin engine.
3.Ioannis Kondylas
Ioannis Kondylas from the island of Fourni (near Ikaria) was the third owner. I went to Fourni especially to meet this old salt and caïque captain. “Faneromeni” was one many caïques passing through his hands over many years.
I have since maintained contact with Ioannis, and we have met several times in Athens.
4. Flytzanis. A man named Flytzanis owned the caïque after Ioannis Kondylas.
Unfortunately I have not been able to meet him or gather information about him. The only fact I know is that he, too, lived on the island of Fourni.
5.Manolis Pourgiezis & Kamitsis
on the “Faneromeni” during my visit to Fourni.
Elidaki, islands of Fourni, June 1990.
(Archive of Nikos E. Riginos)
Manolis Pourgiezis and a partner by the name of Kamitsis, also from the islands of Fourni, were “Faneromeni’s” fifth owners. I met Manolis Pourgiezis on Fourni, and he brought along his grandchildren to see “Faneromeni”.
Pourgiezis was so impressed by the boat’s good condition after all these years that he repeatedly asked me if I was sure that this was the boat he once owned so long ago.
To convince him that it was the same caïque, I showed him a repair in the left bow done after an accident while he was her skipper. This was the incontrovertible proof that dispelled all his doubts.
Following this, his grandchildren said to him: “Papou (Grandpa), we did not imagine that you were so foolish to have owned such a beautiful caïque and then to have sold her”.
6. Yiannis Kakouris
March 1987.
(Archive of Nikos E. Riginos)
Yiannis Kakouris was the sixth owner from whom I bought the caïque in March of 1987.
Captain Yiannis is another old salt and very good family man. His father and all his relatives are sea people. They have owned many caïques, most of them the perama style.
Yiannis had a career in the merchant marine, but when I met him he was conducting day-trips from the island of Poros, his native island. He had bought “Faneromeni” planning to convert her into a day-tripper. But after he already owned her, he realized that “Faneromeni” was too small for his plans in the tourist trade. And so he sold her to me. Afterwards he bought another much larger and very beautiful perama from the island of Alonisos that was being used as a cargo ship. He converted her into a day-tripper, but kept her name Two Bothers. She is still active today in the tourist trade.
I have met all of captain Yiannis’ family, and since that time we have been very friendly.