According to our records, the first Pittas shipowner was Nikolaos F. Pittas

N. F. Pittas (1837 - 1913)

He was born in Chios Island of Greece in 1837. If our information is correct, the first vessel he fully owned was “YPAPANTI”, a 700 ton wooden, sail vessel that was built in Chios in 1873. He became the captain of the ship and his younger brothers and other relatives and friends joined him as crew. The vessel traded in the Mediterranean and Black Sea and the Captain himself always found its next employment from the destination port. He was at all times the Commercial, Technical and Financial Manager of the vessel. No office ashore existed as communications were so poor that people at the home island in Chios often had no news of their whereabouts for months.

Business was flourishing at the time and soon N. F. Pittas could afford the purchase of more ships. We have on record the “SOTIRAS” a 780 ton ship that was bought in 1876 and barque “CHIOS” the first 1000 ton ship which was built in Chios in 1878. A few other ships followed. Some were entrusted initially to brothers of N. F. Pittas and subsequent purchases to his sons.

BARQUE CHIOS

The attached is a photo taken of an embroidery depicting this vessel. The embroidery was hand-woven by Ypatia Pitta (daughter of N. F. Pittas) in 1889.