September 2008: Greece Faces Maritime Challenges Amid Economic Crisis

The miraculous fleet established by Greek shipowners since the early 20th century is fundamentally based on deeply rooted rules. One of the creators of these rules was John M. Carras, the founder of the Carras (Hellenic) fleet.

The creators of the Greek maritime trade miracle were the Greek shipowners. In 1916, these shipowners established the Union of Greek Shipowners (UGS) — Ένωσις Ελλήνων Εφοπλιστών to convey their common voice to the world. This union represented only Greek shipowners.

It is mandatory for the president of the Greek Chamber of Shipping - NEE to be a shipowner.

Candidates for the presidency of the Greek Chamber of Shipping - Ναυτικό Επιμελητήριο της Ελλάδος – can only be from among shipowners. To be the Chairman of the Board, one must either be a shipowner or an official senior executive/legal representative of an appropriate shipowning organization.

A serving Master Mariner, Broker, Ship Chandler, Ship Builder, etc., from other maritime sectors cannot be a candidate for the NEE Presidency unless they are a shipowner; for example, a captain serving at sea cannot be nominated for the presidency.

The Greek Chamber of Shipping essentially aims to represent ship-owning businesses as a public legal entity.

Over time, it has become an official professional organization encompassing all of Greek shipping. Seafarers, ship officers, and active captains can instead serve in maritime labor unions (such as the Panhellenic Seafarers Federation - PNO) or professional captain associations (such as the Panhellenic Association of Commercial Marine Captains - PEPEN), where they can hold presidency or be elected to the board.

While the structure of the Chamber of Shipping in Greece shows great similarities to that of Turkey, it has a more centralized and Piraeus-focused structure due to the enormous weight of the maritime sector in the country.

The Greek Chamber of Shipping (Hellenic Chamber of Shipping / abbreviated as NEE) was established in 1936 as a state institution with public legal personality, and its headquarters is located in Piraeus, considered the heart of Greek shipping.

While the İMEAK Chamber of Shipping in Turkey has numerous large and semi-autonomous branches along the coastlines, in Greece, almost all operations are conducted from the main center in Piraeus. The only exception is a limited number of regional branches, such as the Thessaloniki Branch, which covers the northern part of the country.

In terms of Corporate Compliance, if a former captain owns a shipowning company, serves as the General Manager/CEO, or is appointed as the main legal executive representing a member shipowning company, they can be elected to the Board of Directors of the Greek Chamber of Shipping. Once on the Board, the individual in question—regardless of whether they were previously a Master/Captain—can be nominated and elected for the presidency by other board members.

John (Ioannis) M. Carras from the "Tradition Bearers"

Greek shipowners with roots from the islands are referred to as “Tradition Bearers.” Most of them were from Chios Island. However, Greek entrepreneurs who became shipowners after being industrialists and involved in other fields are called “Non-Tradition Bearers.” John M. Carras was a Greek shipowner from the tradition who created miracles. His life is also featured in the pages of the “Greek Shipping Miracle.” Karras, known as the Golden Greek, or internationally as John M. Carras, was an iconic shipowner from the Aristotelis Onassis generation.

In Greece, which emerged from World War II with profound disasters, John (Ioannis) M. Carras is considered one of the leaders who established today’s impressive shipping industry. He passed away at the age of 93 on September 17, 2008, surrounded by friends at the Carras (Hellas) Headquarters in Piraeus. Following his death, Carras Hellas remained closed all day in his memory. He was the last representative of a generation known as the Golden Greeks. He was the father-in-law of George P. Livanos, a diplomatic shipowner of Greek shipping and a leading advocate for environmental protection.

Renowned maritime writer and a witness to the history and social life of Greek shipping, my colleague Nigel Lowry, the regional representative of Lloyd's List in Greece, wrote in a 1995 news article that the John M. Carras group ordered four Capesize bulk carriers from South Korea’s Halla Engineering and Heavy Industries shipyard at a cost of $170 million. This order was the second Capesize ship project for Halla’s new Samho Shipyard. The four vessels, with a deadweight tonnage of 167,000, were delivered in the last quarter of 1996 and registered under the Greek flag. The construction prices of these ships, which joined the Carras (Hellas) Ltd fleet, were $43 million each at that time.

John M. Carras was a legendary shipowner who preferred silence as much as Greek shipping and perhaps the world did. Before the economic crisis of 1980, he disposed of a large part of his fleet and chose to be one of the sleeping giants of Greek shipping for a while.

His company, Carras (Hellas) Ltd, was recognized as a fleet mainly consisting of Panamax type bulk carriers. He also achieved an excellent stage with Capesize bulk carriers. According to the end-of-1995 data, new ship orders from Greek shipowners exceeded $1.5 billion. This figure soon surpassed $100 billion.

Carras (Hellas), which had a significant number of bulk carrier construction orders in Far Eastern shipyards, also ordered six Capesize bulk carriers from the Odense Shipyard, owned by Denmark’s AP Moller Group. The Danish Odense Steel Shipyard Ltd. received an order for a series of Capesize bulk carriers with a capacity of 180,000 dwt starting in 2009, breaking the dominance of Far Eastern shipyards like Japan, South Korea, and China thanks to John Carras.

For most Greek shipowners, London has become a second homeland. With its prestigious history, John Carras began to be involved in shipping in 1938 with Carras Ltd, which he established in London with his father Michael Carras. Their actual rise began when they acquired one of the 100 Liberty type ships that the United States sold after World War II at a very low, even negligible price. They named this ship “Fotini.”

John M. Carras, who preferred to stay out of the public eye, was crowned with the Lloyd’s List Greek Shipping Awards Maritime Personality of the Year Award in the year he turned 92. He often named most of his ships with names starting with “Aqua..” such as Aquafaith, Aquaprima, Aquaglory, Aquacharm, and Aquavictory, which were bulk carriers. He only named one bulk carrier after himself.

There is no doubt that John M. Carras deserves to be counted among the legendary "Golden Greeks" who revolutionized shipping in the second half of the 20th century. However, he did not like this expression much. The dazzling connotations of this expression suited Onassis and Niarchos, but Carras was a conservative; a very private person, noted for his character stability, honest principles, and staying away from the public eye.

The Ioannis Carras, a cargo/passenger ship built in 1917, was one of the first ships they owned.

Like many prominent Greek shipping families, the Carras family hails from the village of Kardamyla on Chios Island. The family's shipping enterprises date back to the 19th century and the first sailing ship fleet.

Entering shipping at a young age, Carras established Carras Ltd with his father Michael J. Carras in London on the eve of World War II. During the war, like many Greek citizens, he moved to the United States but settled in California instead of New York, where most Greek shipowners of that time gathered. He lived near one of the Kaiser Shipyards, which built many Liberty type ships on the West Coast during the war. His company lost two steamships named Adelfotis and Ioannis Carras during the war. After World War II, Carras moved to New York and managed to purchase one of the 100 Liberty ships allocated to Greek shipowners. This was a general cargo ship named Frank J. Cuhel, built in 1944; he named it “Fotini” and registered it under the Greek flag.

In the following years, as the demand for transportation increased, the fleet expanded with more Liberty type ships and other cargo vessels. However, Carras was also one of the first Greek shipowners to focus on tankers. In 1951, he became the first Western shipowner to order a ship from a shipyard in Japan, which would later become a dominant force in the global shipbuilding industry. The ship in question was the 19,700-ton Tini, delivered by Hitachi Zosen in May 1952. This was followed by three sister tankers, and by 1958, Carras owned a fleet of 18 vessels, including 11 tankers.

By the early 1970s, Carras was operating one of the largest fleets in Greece, consisting of more than 30 cargo ships and tankers. Fundamentally, his approach to shipping remained stable throughout his career, but this approach became more nuanced when tougher times came to the shipping markets in the 1970s.

His policy focused on ordering brand new ships with the best features and paying for them from his own funds without ever using bank credit. Meanwhile, as other shipowners entered a race to build larger vessels and the problems arising from large tankers made headlines in the 1970s, his enthusiasm for tankers diminished.

Carras quickly withdrew from the tanker market and later focused on bulk carriers. In the later stages of his career, he concentrated almost entirely on series orders, typically focusing on Panamax and Capesize bulk carriers during favorable moments in the shipping market cycle. However, he was also a quiet supporter of his son-in-law George P. Livanos, who was married to one of his four daughters. Livanos’s own company, Ceres Shipping Enterprises, became the largest tanker owner in Greece in the 1980s and aimed to lead in the ethical and safe transportation of oil by sea.

Throughout his career, Carras invested in approximately 40 new ships, mostly built in Japan. In 1995, he signed his only contract with a South Korean shipyard, Halla Engineering & Heavy Industries, to take his first step into capesize bulk carriers. He ordered four vessels with a deadweight of 167,000 tons, and the contract value was approximately $176 million. Later, in 2003, he returned to Japan for a series of five capesize bulk carriers.

In a significant move as a shipowner at the age of 92, Carras (Hellas) became the first company to place a large order for bulk carriers from a shipyard in Europe after many years. The order for six brand new capesize vessels from the highly rated Odense shipyard in Denmark was seen as a symbolic act of support for disadvantaged shipbuilders in Europe.

However, John M. Carras did not live to see the delivery of the ships. He had been struggling with health issues for several years. According to those close to him, he was so dedicated to shipping that his health fluctuations seemed to match the rises and falls in the shipping market index. He passed away in September 2008, the same weekend that Lehman Brothers collapsed and shook the global financial markets. In the following days, capesize bulk carrier charter rates experienced their sharpest decline in history.

John M. Carras and his wife Athina...

John Carras, known for the happiness of his wife Athina and their four daughters, would also be proud of one of his sons-in-law, the iconic Greek shipowner and diplomat George P. Livanos.

The God of Greek Wines, Carras John M. Carras was renowned as the founder of Porto Carras Marina in France, as well as for being the creator of the country’s most famous Domaine Carras wines. Today, the rare LA branded wines produced from vineyards owned by Lucien Arkas in Turkey are also highly praised.

Domaine Porto Carras (often referred to as Domaine Carras) is one of the most historic and influential wine producers in contemporary Greece. Located on the western slopes of Mount Meliton in the Sithonia peninsula of Halkidiki, the facility represents Greece's largest continuous organic vineyard area, covering approximately 475 hectares. It was founded in 1965 by Greek shipowner Yannis (Yiannis) Carras. During a ship voyage near Mount Athos, Yiannis Carras, captivated by the untouched coastal geography of Sithonia, decided to transform the area into a world-class resort and vineyard. The architecture of the winery was designed by Walter Gropius, the founder of the Bauhaus movement, and construction was completed in 1970.

Bordeaux Connection and Émile Peynaud

Yannis Carras collaborated with the legendary head of enology at Bordeaux University, Prof. Émile Peynaud, to establish the vineyards. Peynaud laid the foundation for the modernization of the entire Greek wine industry by introducing modern winemaking techniques, controlled fermentation, and oak barrel aging. The unique microclimate and terroir of the facility led to the establishment of the Protected Designation of Origin (PDO) title for Meliton Hills (Plagies Melitona) in 1982. Limnio and Malagouzia are recognized for Domaine Carras’s revival of the ancient Greek red grape Limnio mentioned by Aristotle and for leading the rescue of Malagouzia, one of Greece's most famous white grape varieties.

The flagship red blend made from Cabernet Sauvignon, Cabernet Franc, Merlot, and Limnio grapes is named Château Porto Carras. This wine, aged for a long time in French oak barrels, is known for its structure, aging potential, and profile that combines Bordeaux and Mediterranean styles. Domaine Porto Carras (Limnio): A single varietal (monosepaj) red wine that highlights the red fruit, herbal aromas, and soft tannins of the historic Limnio grape. Melissanthi: A white blend made from Assyrtiko and Athiri (and historically Malagouzia) grapes. Magnus Baccata & Blanc de Blancs: A collection of popular entry and mid-range wines that blend local and international grape varieties.

Grand Porto Carras Marina

John Carras was an esteemed figure in the French high society. His marina was also located in southern France. Porto Carras Marina is situated on the Languedoc coast of southern France. It is a center of immense elegance, featuring two extremely luxurious hotels, villas in the marina complex, squash and tennis courts, a swimming pool, a theater, a conference center, a casino, restaurants, bars, and boutiques. While the Porto Carras Marina project was being realized, John M. Carras was already rolling up his sleeves for Domaine Carras wines in Northern Greece. In 1968, they set out to produce Greece's finest wine, leveraging the experiences of French ecologist Emile Peynaud. By the time they established vineyards on the 800 acres of land they purchased, it was 1972.

However, I must make this very important reminder; if a genetic record free from doubts could be uncovered anywhere in the world, the story of the Carras family from the village of Kardamyla at the northeastern tip of Chios Island must be very colorful.

Since 1750, Kardamyla has been known as the heart of Greek shipping, the homeland that has produced sailors, merchant sailors, banker sailors of every class, and its natives who have migrated around the world. This is why Chios Greek sailors are received with deeper respect. Livanos is another unforgettable name from Kardamyla.

A memory from June 1978 - Greek shipowner George Livanos with his wife Fotini.

Greek historian and writer Mike Monchos wrote: “If there is a place on earth where the genetic code of a successful shipowner still circulates strongly, it must be the village of Kardamyla at the northeastern tip of Chios Island in Greece.

Carved into rocky slopes, Kardamyla, situated between the Aegean's most turbulent waves and the finest citrus orchards, has been the cradle of all kinds of commercial sailors since the 1750s: captains, pirates, traders, mercenaries, shipowners, commercial bankers, independence fighters... All were at the service of the Ottomans, Catherine the Great, Napoleon, Italian or English venture capitalists, and finally, from 1821 onwards, themselves.”

As the son-in-law of John M. Carras, George P. Livanos

George P. Livanos married Fotini Carras, the daughter of John M. Carras, in 1956. Thus, George P. Livanos also respectfully preserved family traditions and dedicated his entire life to the successes of Greek and world shipping.

He was born in 1926 in New Orleans. He grew up on the ships of Captain Livanos. He was raised as a U.S. citizen and served in the U.S. Army, even during the Korean War. By marrying Fotini Carras, he established a kinship between the Livanos and Carras families. It is said that John M. Carras was greatly affected by George Livanos's death in Athens on June 1, 1997.

George P. Livanos belongs to the pantheon of the greatest Greek shipowners. He was the largest Greek shipowner in terms of fleet size at the end of the 1980s and throughout the 1990s; however, he had a visionary perspective on the role of the sector in society and the shape of ships and future services. He also left an indelible legacy for the image of the maritime and shipping sector. In a way, he belonged to a shipowning family of "Tradition Bearers." However, he was born in the U.S. and was a U.S. citizen. He received part of his education at the Athens College. However, for most of the early years of his life, home was the U.S. He served in the U.S. Army during World War II and later during the Korean War. He began to gain recognition as a shipowner a few years after the emergence of the "Golden Greeks" generation, such as Onassis, Niarchos, and C. M. Lemos. The world was already changing.

He achieved his first business successes by purchasing decommissioned Liberty ships after World War II, reactivating them, and eventually sending them to Japan to be sold as scrap. These recurring projects in the 1950s were quite profitable; the freight cost of transporting cargo from the U.S. to Japan covered the initial purchase and reactivation costs, leaving the scrap sale as pure profit. This story shows that Livanos, one of the most idealistic shipowners, could also exhibit a highly practical and hands-on approach.

In the 1960s, he took the helm of the shipping company Ceres Hellenic Shipping Enterprises, founded by his uncle Captain John G. P. Livanos in 1950 in New York.

Source: SeaNews Türkiye