The Christina
The Onassis Odyssey
The Christina:
The Onassis Odyssey
Compiled and written
by
January Jones
P. J. Publishing, Westlake Village, California
The Christina:
The Onassis Odyssey
January Jones
Published by:
P. J. Publishing
1285 Westwind Circle
Suite 101
Westlake Village, CA 91361
info@januaryjones.com
www.januaryjones.com
Copyright 2007 by January Jones
Printed in the United States of America
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any other information storage and retrieval system, without written permission from the author, except for the inclusion of brief quotation in a review.
e-book ISBN 978-0-9794498-1-9
In loving memory of
Captain Leif M. Jonassen, Sr.
And in honor of
Captain Leif M. Jonassen, Jr.
CONTENTS
Chapter One page 1
The Ship’s History
Chapter Two page 6
The Staff
Chapter Three page 17
Suites, Grand Salon,
Pool & Medical Fac.
Chapter Four page 22
The Food Service
Chapter Five page 26
Winston Churchill
Chapter Six page 33
Passenger Manifest
Chapter Seven page 39
Royal Guests
Chapter Eight page 42
Jackie's Cruises
Chapter Nine page 46
The Wedding Reception
Chapter Ten page 52
The Last Onassis Cruise
Chapter Eleven page 56
Refurbishment and Return to the Sea
Chapter One
The History
Aristotle Onassis often quoted Socrates by saying, "The unexamined life is not worth living." He also said, "They say I have no class. Fortunately, people with class are usually willing to overlook this flaw because I am very rich. You can't buy class, but you can buy tolerance for its absence." This is exactly what Aristotle Onassis did with his life when he purchased a dilapidated Canadian frigate of warlike mien with no pretensions to grandeur whatever. Onassis recreated this sorry ship as the Christina which became "the crystallization of Ari's charm."
Before we explore the Christina's enchanted existence as the ultimate luxury yacht of its time, we must first look at the life and character of her owner, Aristotle Onassis. This man identified strongly with the Greek mythological figure Odysseus. Although he was by no means a scholar, Aristotle was fascinated by the story of Odysseus. It was about his eternal journey in search of adventure and his eventual return to his native country and people.
Onassis always felt a similar destiny and he was very attracted to this ancient Greek hero. As he embraced life with unrestrained enthusiasm and gusto, Aristotle identified with his Greek hero, Odysseus, in many ways.
Aristotle Onassis knew how to exist above all will. There was nothing that could hold him back from what he believed to be his grand destiny whether it was in business or in his private life. His stellar performance in the business world was directly tied to this part of his character. He was willing to win at any price. As he went down the path of success with the determination always to succeed, he felt that he was omnipotent. He faced his enemies, rivals and detractors with a crescendo of power that over-whelmed most mere mortals.
He had a flair and charm about himself that was incredibly seductive. His vibrant personality enchanted both men and woman alike. He fascinated people with his combined enormous ego and then with his sweet vulnerability. He literally oozed charm and charisma as he made his way through the power centers of the rich and the famous. He could be at the same time one of the most vital men alive and then within seconds change to one of the most melancholy, sad souls to ever exist.
Sadly despite all of his great success in the business world, fate was not to allow him to reap personal happiness in his private life. The story by Odysseus that Aristotle loved the most was the one that depicted the punishment of the man who had challenged the omnipotence and authority of the lords. Similar to Prometheus who in life had attained the heights, Aristotle was most like the son precipitated on the ground in the legend of Icarus. Onassis sadly spent the last two years of his life without hope and fighting without any enthusiasm.
This was the man who resurrected a Canadian frigate with the intention of making this ship, the Christina, the center of his universe. In 1953, he was laying plans that, if successful, would make him the wealthiest and most powerful man in the world, at least that was his hope. But the money would lose much of its luster if he lacked a proper forum for its display. Consequently, he eagerly entered into the purchase of a new acquisition which would be come the crown jewel of his fleet.
There was another motivation behind this purchase by Aristotle Onassis and it was simply one fierce on going competition with his brother-in-law, Stavos Niarchos. They were to become life long rivals in every area of their business and personal lives. All really rich men had yachts and the richer the man the more splendid his vessel. If Niarchos had a grand ship that was grander. It was just a fact of life and it certainly made for interesting family gatherings.
The yacht that has become world famous known as the Christina had a very ordinary beginning as far as vessels go. It was formerly a war-surplus, 1,800-ton Royal Canadian frigate called the Stormont. It was purchased by Aristotle Onassis in 1953. An American racetrack owner made the Stormont available for only fifty thousand dollars. Ari eventually spent over four million dollars to have her gutted and converted into a pleasure craft. One writer subsequently called the ship, "a three-hundred-and-twenty-five-foot hull of dazzling indifference to the outside world." This refurbishment took place in Kie1, Germany under the direction of
Caesar Pinnau, a German professor of architecture. Pinnau had also designed Adolph Hitler's mountaintop hideaway near Berchtesgaden.
The specialists at Howerke-Hamburg labored under only one constraint, Mr. Onassis demanded perfection in all things concerning this ship. When he detected ripples where the rakish new bow joined the hull, he ordered it torn off and the work redone. Inspecting the ship one day with Kurt Reiter, he discovered knots in the wooden screening that covered the metal bulkheads. This screening that would disappear behind oak paneling, he ordered it replaced immediately. The Germans, who were used to Onassis' usual indifference to the construction of his tankers, found him to be exceedingly trying during this refurbishment.
Onassis acknowledged to Kurt Reiter that the ship was a rich man's toy but he took it very seriously. He was infuriated by any suggestion that Niarchos' graceful three-mast schooner, the Creole, was somehow more of a real yacht and, by extension, that his archrival was a real sailor.
The Christina looked like a fabulous villa, but in turbulent weather things could become rather dicey. She was sullen, sluggish and awkward enough to worry the most seasoned of sailors. Probably because he reasoned that the vibrations of a powerful motor would damage his objects d' art on board, Onassis decided to retain the Christina's original steam engines with the result that her top speed was only fourteen knots. According to Captain Kostas, the ship was capable of going 18 knots but he stated, "We rarely approached that speed because great vibrations resulted when we tried. Our maximum speed with guests aboard was fourteen knots."
Worse still, another deck was added, making the vessel proportionately too high for its length. So in rough weather, the ship is like a sailor without his sea legs. Before the renovation, Onassis was warned that adding the third deck, the hydroplane, and the crane would make the ship top-heavy and very risky to pilot in a storm. Consequently, the yacht's design included stabilizers that were extended to keep her steady in rough seas. It was completely refurbished three times in Germany before it met with Onassis' exacting specifications.
The ship was launched in Hamburg and named after his daughter, Christina, who was three years old at the time. This was the only ship in the Onassis fleet for which he felt such a deep affection that it transcended the balance sheet. Whenever Ari sought validation of his status in society, he could take comfort in the Christina. The international guests that would cruise on her gave Onassis an index of his own standing.
Shortly after the Christina's launching, Onassis heard that the West Gennan chancellor, Dr. Konrad Adenauer, was anxious to meet the man who had done so much to revive his country's shipping industry. Onassis met the chancellor at the Palais Schaumburg in Bonn and made an excellent impression. As a business acquisition, the Christina was one of the best investments that Onassis had ever made. It opened doors to him that had formerly been shut and raised his enterprises to a higher level.
When it finally was ready, the Christina sailed under a Liberian flag. The maiden voyage took place in June of 1954. The ship was sleek and streamline, pristinely white with a bright yellow funnel. The ship was 325 feet long with a water displacement of three thousand tons.
Aristotle Onassis often told his friends how as a young, penniless boy he had sailed in steerage class to Argentina. He had vowed then to better his circumstances and now his dreams had come true with the ownership of the magnificent Christina. It was the floating palace of his dreams. He had replaced the short, dark haired, penniless little boy who had walked off a refugee ship with a man who was to become a legend in his own time. He had amassed a fortune that was estimated at five hundred million to one billion dollars, owned homes and apartments on three continents, controlled a fleet of over one hundred ships and lived like a medieval king on his own private island, Skorpios, in the Ionian Sea. He courted and successfully had affairs with some of the most glamorous women in the world and owned a Casino in Monaco just for good measure.
Onassis frequently did business with the most influential men in the world and was on a first name basis with most heads of state. He wed the daughter of the wealthiest man in Greece, lived openly with a world famous opera singer and then eventually wed the widow
of the president of the United States.
Once asked the formula for success, Onassis replied: "work twenty hours a day, be willing to take risks, lend and ear to important gossip, and offer tempting bait to get what you want." He followed his own advice and proceeded to live accordingly as his fantasies became his realities.
The reality was that this ship was his kingdom at sea. The Christina became his country of choice. It was the ultimate residence for a man who had many residences but none that he loved as mush as the Christina. She was his obsession.
The Christina was where he lived, worked and played. Onassis often said that it was his preferred residence and he would fly into a fit of temper if a single brass knob were not properly polished.
The famous yacht was the cornerstone of Onassis' reputation for decadent wealth. It became a big part of the new jet style type of living in the early fifties and sixties. It was one of the largest, most opulent vessels in the world. It was the ultimate ship to sail the high sea. As the Lord and Master of this ship, Aristotle Onassis was the King of the World.
For Aristotle, the Onassis Odyssey had reached the heights. The Christina had become the symbol of all his dreams and aspirations. He had surpassed the dreams of mere mortals and he now lived with the gods when he was aboard his floating kingdom.
Chapter Two
The Staff
Aristotle Onassis often said that the Christina was his preferred residence. It was the one place in his entire universe where he felt completely in control. The ship was his home and the place where he felt the most comfortable. This feeling of serenity was due in large part to the crew of sixty that included officers, sailors and miscellaneous staff. They were there to serve him and his guests around the clock. The Christina was Aristotle’s country. It was a country ruled by a benevolent emperor who was served by a loyal and devoted crew and staff.
The staff seldom saw Aristotle during the daytime. He would be out of sight either sleeping or monitoring the movements of his ships throughout the world. Onassis controlled his empire from the two radiotelephones on board the Christina. Only after his work for the day was done would he emerge in the evening to play his guitar, and tell stories and preside over the entertainment on board the ship.
The primary crew on board the Christina consisted of Captain Kostas Anastasiades, the First Mate and Chief Engineer Sefanos Darousos along with many sailors and household staff. When Onassis rolled out the red carpet for celebrities such as Winston Churchill and Jackie Kennedy, the crew would include two hairdressers, three chefs, a Swedish masseuse and a small orchestra for dancing. There was nothing that was as good as Aristotle endeavored to impress and pamper the chosen few who were lucky enough to cruise with him on the Christina.
Whenever Aristotle Onassis came on board after a few days absence, the same ritual was always observed. Accompanied by the captain, first mate and the chief engineer, Onassis would make a very thorough tour of inspection. He was meticulous and expected the same from his crew. Since the lounge and his private cabin were always impeccable, he didn't even bother checking on them.
Instead Aristotle would pride himself on visiting the most unlikely and unexpected places. With his fingers or a white handkerchief, he would search for dust and there would be hell to pay if he found anything amiss. Sometimes, he would shout so loud and long that he would actually lose his voice for several days. His wife, Tina, once said. "That to Ari the Christina was not a fantastic plaything but a real passion. He is almost like a housewife fussing over it." This ship was his obsession even beyond passion.
One time when Onassis returned to his ship after a ten-day visit to Paris, there was hell to be paid by one unfortunate crewmember. Onassis decided he wanted to see the galleys, the engine room and the officer's cabins. Four of these cabins shared a single bathroom, which he also wanted to inspect. After carefully looking at everything, his glance fell upon a tiny spot on the carpet behind the bidet. It so happened that the drainpipe had been dripping very slowly for several days. The cabin boy in charge of cleaning the area had asked one of the handymen on board to fix it. Unfortunately the man forgot.
At this point, Onassis immediately summoned the cabin boy in question and said that judging by the deposit of salt, the leak must have been there for at least two weeks. Now because the cabin boy hadn't called anyone in to fix it, he was guilty of gross negligence. Onassis promptly gave the boy his notice, with orders to leave the ship the next morning.
There was negligence, all right, but the cabin boy wasn't the guilty party. Still, rather than inform on another crew member, the boy accepted his punishment of dismissal without a complaint.
The story didn't end there but what happened next was a typical example of how Onassis interacted with his employees. He was able to take his time and thoroughly reconsider what to most people would seem to be a fairly minor problem. He had an intuitive sense and was capable of changing his mind.
After dinner the same evening, Onassis went out on the main deck and began pacing back and forth. Finally he returned to the main lounge and sent for the boy he'd fired only a few hours earlier. This time he asked the young many why he hadn't reported the leak to anyone.
Still not wanting to betray the handyman, the boy said he'd simply forgotten. Now this was the worst crime you could commit in Onassis' opinion. "You forgot?" he said, repeating over and over, as he tended to do whenever he was really angry. "Do I ever forget to fulfill my responsibilities to you?"
Finally his anger subsided, and in a kind voice he told the young boy to go to bed and he would discuss the matter with him in the morning. Ten minutes later, the handyman was fired and sent on his way. No one had told him, but Onassis guessed the truth. Although it was a minor incident, it gives a remarkable insight into a most forgiving aspect of the man's character and personality.
Insights such as the previous one as to the workings of the crew and their relationships to Onassis comes to us from a former crew member, Christian Cafarkis who wrote a book, entitled The Fabulous Onassis, after he no longer worked on the Christina.
Although Onassis dismissed the book as pure fiction, it is worth noting that Mr. Cafarkis was not fired but rather left his employment with the Christina due to an early inheritance. After reading his account of life on the Christina, it appears that he had no other agenda but to tell a very interesting story. In fact, he is quite complimentary to Aristotle Onassis and all of his wives and various guests. It is a fairly objective view of the intimate nature of life aboard this incredible ship.
From this source, many interesting details of life aboard the Christina are revealed for posterity. For example, all male employees were required to be excellent dancers or at least know how to dance. Also as part of the hiring process, all men were asked if they liked women since homosexuals were not welcome aboard this ship. It also helped to be able to speak other languages besides Greek.
Upon being hired, a new crew member would quickly find out that many people referred to Aristotle Onassis as Barbas behind his back which in Greek means "uncle." It was a constant reminder that their boss was infinitely rich and powerful. If the Americans had their Uncle Sam, then the Greeks had their Uncle Onassis.
Once on board, the officers, sailors and staff had their various specialized jobs, but no one really had a single well-defined task. For example, even though a crew member might be hired to wait on tables he would still be expected to clean the dining room with a broom, mop and pail. Everyone was expected to do whatever needed to be done at any given time.
Everyone on the crew knew that they were expected to work above and beyond their regular assignments and yet they were willing to do so because they loved and respected Aristotle Onassis. He was a benevolent boss.
Many times he would say, it was no problem to help those who needed help. The hard part was to give them this help without insulting or demeaning them. Once when Onassis was about to untie his small Chris-Craft from beside the Christina, he noticed a boy holding the small boat for him. "Who are you and what are you doing here?" he yelled at the small boy. "No one can see you here. Don't you understand that it is dangerous for a boy like you to be here alone beside my ship?"
"The only thing I understand," the boy, whose name was Georgakis and who was fifteen years old replied, "is that I want to live, I need to work, and I need money." Mr. Onassis was deeply touched by Georgakis' earnestness and asked him what kind of job he thought he could do. "Any job you can find for me," the boy said. "Please take me on your boat."
After determining that the boy was telling the truth and had no family to take care of him, Onassis found him a job on the Christina. Several years later, Georgakis was employed at Olympic Airways, were he remained a deeply devoted and loyal employee until Mr. Onassis' death.
There were so many stories and examples of the kindness and concern shown to so many of the Onassis family employees. Such as the time the ship was anchored in Monte Carlo, Tina Onassis received a phone call from the woman who regularly supplied flowers for the Christina. The woman was in some sort of trouble and needed the three thousand dollars that was owed to her right away. Tina immediately gave the money to a crewman, in cash, to deliver to the florist immediately. He set off at noon, but still hadn't returned by five o'clock from an errand that only should have taken a half an hour.
The explanation was simple. While Onassis was on board worrying about what had happened to his crewman, the man was at the casino, losing all of the florist's money. Finally after he was flat broke, he returned and sadly confessed his crime.