KOSTAS DIMAKIS – IMO 7524017
ex NAFSIKA / NORDICA – 1977-Built Veteran Greek Coastal Cargo Ship
KOSTAS DIMAKIS is a veteran Greek general cargo vessel built in Japan in 1977, still operating commercially around the Aegean almost half a century after delivery.
Built by Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair at Niigata, the ship originally entered service as:
NORDICA.
She later became:
NAFSIKA
before receiving her present name:
KOSTAS DIMAKIS
at the end of 2007.
The vessel is owned and managed by the Mytilene-based Dimakis Shipping Company and has become a characteristic survivor of Greece's small coastal cargo fleet.
At just 67 metres long, approximately 1,155 GT and 1,271 tonnes deadweight, KOSTAS DIMAKIS performs precisely the kind of regional bulk and general-cargo work for which very large modern cargo ships are unsuitable.
Remarkably, the ship remains genuinely active in 2026, trading between Greek ports including Chalkis, Yali, Mylaki, Lavrio and Andros.
Vessel Details
Current Name: KOSTAS DIMAKIS
Former Names: NAFSIKA, NORDICA
IMO: 7524017
MMSI: 239279500
Call Sign: SY8782
Type: General Cargo / Mini-Bulker
Flag: Greece
Home Port: Mytilene
Built: 1977
Builder: Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair, Niigata, Japan
Owner: Dimakis Shipping Co., Mytilene, Greece
Manager: Dimakis Shipping Co., Mytilene, Greece
Gross Tonnage: 1,155 GT
Deadweight: 1,271 t
Length Overall: approx. 67 m
Beam: approx. 12 m
Historical Published Draught: approx. 2.9 m
Current Loaded AIS Draught: up to approx. 4.8 m
Current Status: Active.
Built in Japan
KOSTAS DIMAKIS was constructed in:
1977
by:
Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair
at Niigata, Japan.
Japan produced large numbers of robust small and medium-sized cargo vessels during this period, many of which subsequently entered Mediterranean and Greek ownership.
Very few remain in active commercial service almost fifty years later.
Originally NORDICA
The vessel's earliest documented identity was:
NORDICA.
She retained this name until:
May 2005.
NORDICA → NAFSIKA
In:
2005
the vessel became:
NAFSIKA.
This identity lasted for approximately two and a half years.
NAFSIKA → KOSTAS DIMAKIS
In:
December 2007
the vessel adopted her current name:
KOSTAS DIMAKIS.
The main name sequence is therefore:
NORDICA → NAFSIKA → KOSTAS DIMAKIS.
By 2026 she has spent nearly:
19 years
under the KOSTAS DIMAKIS identity.
Dimakis Shipping
The vessel is closely associated with:
Dimakis Shipping
of:
Mytilene.
Current commercial databases identify the company as both:
registered owner
and:
ship manager.
This gives the vessel a particularly strong connection with Greece's traditional small coastal-cargo sector.
1,271 DWT – Not Merely 1,155 GT
The original short description correctly gives:
1,155 GT.
However, for a commercial cargo vessel the more meaningful cargo-capacity figure is:
1,271 DWT.
I would therefore show both figures prominently.
A Small Coastal Cargo Ship
KOSTAS DIMAKIS belongs to a vessel category that has become increasingly rare in European waters.
At only:
67 m length
and:
12 m beam,
she can serve ports and industrial terminals where much larger bulk carriers would be impractical.
Typical cargoes for vessels of this size can include:
minerals,
aggregates,
industrial products,
bagged cargo,
and other regional dry-bulk or general cargoes.
Greek Domestic Trading Pattern
Current AIS history demonstrates that the vessel remains heavily focused on:
Greek coastal trades.
Recent destinations have included:
Chalkis
Yali
Mylaki
Lavrio
and:
Andros.
This makes KOSTAS DIMAKIS a genuine working element of the domestic maritime-logistics network rather than a veteran ship retained only occasionally.
Yali
The frequent appearance of:
Yali
in the vessel's recent movements is particularly characteristic of small Greek bulk-shipping operations.
The Dodecanese island is closely associated with mineral extraction and bulk-cargo movements.
KOSTAS DIMAKIS's dimensions make her well suited to this sort of regional employment.
Piraeus and Perama
The ship also has a long Piraeus-area connection.
She has repeatedly visited:
Keratsini
Drapetsona
Elefsis
and:
Perama.
Documented photographs place her at Keratsini in:
2015
and:
2017,
and at:
Perama for annual maintenance in February 2024.
Annual Maintenance at Perama
The February 2024 appearance is particularly useful for the PiraeuShips archive.
KOSTAS DIMAKIS was photographed:
at Perama for annual maintenance.
This illustrates one reason such an old ship can remain active: continuous repair, survey and maintenance work within Greece's ship-repair industry.
Chalkida Bridge Incident – 2026
The vessel also attracted attention in:
August 2026.
On the evening of:
19 August 2026
KOSTAS DIMAKIS reportedly made contact with the structure of the:
Old Bridge of Chalkida
while passing through the narrow Euripus Strait.
According to vessel-incident reporting, the port authority subsequently ordered inspection of the bridge to determine whether any structural damage had occurred.
The vessel continued operating afterwards.
Still Trading After the Incident
The August incident clearly did not end the ship's career.
AIS records during:
September 2026
show KOSTAS DIMAKIS again underway between Greek ports.
More recent October tracking continued to show the vessel in the:
Aegean Sea.
49 Years Old
In 2026, KOSTAS DIMAKIS reached approximately:
49 years since construction.
For a small general cargo vessel operating in normal commercial service, this is an exceptional age.
Her continuing employment illustrates the durability of older Japanese-built coastal cargo vessels when maintained for specialised trades.
PiraeuShips in 2026
PiraeuShips published:
KOSTAS DIMAKIS – IMO 7524017
in:
March 2026.
The original record correctly identified:
1977 build
67 m length
1,155 GT
Niigata Shipbuilding
and:
Dimakis Shipping ownership and management.
The major additions now are:
the full name history,
the correct 1,271-DWT figure,
her current Greek coastal trading pattern,
and the documented 2026 Chalkida incident.
PiraeuShips Record
KOSTAS DIMAKIS was recorded by PiraeuShips during the continuing career of one of the oldest conventionally operated cargo vessels still working in Greek waters. Built by Niigata Shipbuilding & Repair in Japan in 1977 as NORDICA, the vessel later became NAFSIKA before adopting the KOSTAS DIMAKIS name in December 2007. Owned and managed by Dimakis Shipping of Mytilene, the 67-metre, 1,271-dwt ship continues regional Greek cargo trades involving Chalkis, Yali, Mylaki, Lavrio and other Aegean ports. Regular maintenance at Perama has helped sustain a commercial career now approaching half a century. Even after a reported contact with the Old Bridge of Chalkida in August 2026, the vessel returned to normal operation. KOSTAS DIMAKIS therefore represents an increasingly rare surviving example of the small Japanese-built coastal cargo ships that have served Greek island and industrial logistics for decades.
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