On July 26, 2025, the day of the great fire in Kythira, the fire in Mylopotamos blocked every escape route from the mainland, as no order had been given in time to evacuate the village. At that moment, the sea became the only route to safety. Those trapped headed towards the Limniona cove. The captain Spyros Kasimatis set his boat Glass Bottom at the disposal of those trapped and rescued dozens of people in extremely dangerous conditions. Everyone came out unharmed. The same could not be said for the boat.
The next day was also difficult for the captain. The damage to the ship proved to be extensive and much more serious than initially estimated. As the captain himself revealed, the documented repair costs had already reached €81,499.20, based on invoices and supporting documents. These figures were not kept as general references. Spyros Kasimatis chose to publish them in detail, listing each expense, «for the sake of accuracy,» as he noted. At the same time, technical reports on the remaining work raise the total cost estimate to approximately 115,000 euros.
Faced with this burden, it was not the institutions that took the lead, as one would expect from a responsible and just state, but society itself. A small group of volunteers took the initiative to support the captain, and within a few days, the following were activated: over 1,000 people, who contributed financially through a crowdfunding campaign. The goal of 75,000 euros achieved, with 70,000 euros be directed towards repairs, with the remainder going towards the platform's legal withholding. The contribution of the insurance company «Ydrogios» was also significant, as it substantially reinforced the effort.
At this stage, however, a serious issue arose. According to what he himself had revealed in his statements to the media and on social media, Initially, the AADE informed him that the donation amounts are treated for tax purposes as donations to a natural person., which meant gift tax liability at a rate of up to 40%. In simple terms, there was a possibility that a large part of the social contribution would be lost in tax withholding, even though it was money given to repair damage caused by a rescue operation in an emergency situation.
This possibility sparked intense debate, accompanied by whispers and malicious rumors about the amounts involved and how they were being managed. A few days ago, Spyros Kasimatis responded not with confrontation, but with transparency, publishing all the supporting documents and clarifying that they do not include loss of income or business losses, but only the cost of repairing the boat.
The case was finally closed when, after the uproar caused by the possible withholding of tax, the AADE responded officially to Spyros Kasimatis, clarifying that, due to the declaration of a state of emergency in Kythira, the donations he received for the restoration of the damage are fully exempt from tax and any reporting obligations. This institutional response settled all outstanding issues and definitively rejected the possibility of taxing solidarity.
However, the case did not end there. There was another positive development. In a second phase, and after institutional contacts, the SYN-UNION, the Social Contribution Company of Greek Shipowners. Recognizing the nature of the case and the fact that the expenses had not been finalized, it proceeded to donation of €31,000, exclusively for the restoration of the boat. Spyros Kasimatis himself publicly thanked SYN-ENOSIS, emphasizing that this intervention came at a critical moment, when the financial burden remained unresolved.
In the end, what remains is not the amounts or the documents, but the essence. People were saved, a society rose to the occasion when others hid or declared themselves incompetent, and transparency served as the clearest answer to everything. For Captain Spyros Kasimatis, this story ends in a simple and fair way: all's well that ends well. And there are many lessons for all of us.
The text of the post
2025 is slowly coming to an end, and it's the perfect time to take stock, as they say in my village. We've said some things before, and we may say them again, but that's okay, it's for the best. So, about Glass Bottom.
The repairs, as those closest to me know and the rest of you will now learn, exceeded the initial cost estimate and we still have a way to go...
As promised, I am providing the data (invoices, etc.) to date to prove the truth of my words. If you don't feel like reading through everything, the total cost of repairs after the fires is, to date, €81,499.20.
The campaign on gogetfunding, with the contribution of all of you and, ultimately, my insurance company «Ydrogios» with its generous offer, reached its target of €75,000, of which €70,000 was used to the fullest (€5,000 was the platform's legal deduction). The good news regarding the taxation of the amount by the state is that, in the end, there was no tax because the island was declared fire-stricken, so any donation related to this is exempt. However, as we said, the expenses do not stop there. That is why I will now share some personal insights from this journey with you.
In the fall, the production company behind the game show The Wall contacted me, moved by our story, and suggested we participate in the show. We said yes, we went, we got dressed up, created the loudest cheering section (Ms. Eleni, I will always be your fan), had our favorite players (Marie and George, I will be indebted to you for at least a year), and left as winners and losers. Unexpected because we fought but didn't manage to win anything, but victorious because love prevailed. Love for our island and the love we have for each other. And I consider that alone to be a victory. I would also like to thank Christos Ferentinos because I couldn't imagine better free advertising for our island than having the word Kythira heard!
And something else that few people knew about. A few days after the campaign was made public, the prime minister contacted me to congratulate me on the rescue. We discussed where the money was at that point and what could be done about it, since there was no provision for my particular case. In fact, sometime in the fall, I was contacted by the Greek Shipowners« Social Contribution Company »Syn-Enosis,’ or Shipowners' Union for short. Their intention was to contribute to the repairs of the boat because, as I told you, we are not finished yet. Based on the quotes I have gathered for the remaining parts and installations, the total cost is expected to reach €115,000. The Shipowners' Association responded immediately and made a donation of €31,000 for this purpose. I would therefore like to publicly thank the Prime Minister and his office for their interest and for the communication we have had throughout this period. Above all, however, I would like to publicly thank the Shipowners' Association both for their contribution to our cause and for their significant contribution to Kythira over the years.
And I am talking exclusively about the cost of repairing the damage because I want to make it clear that I have never been concerned with the blow suffered by the business. In light of what happened, I did not care and I do not care, no matter how much some people try to slander me. And those of you who know me know that I don't enjoy being specific about something like this, but unfortunately, it is necessary. So, to all my homeless fellow citizens who found refuge in the boat's engines and know better than anyone what was going on in there, I have to tell you that now that I have become famous and wealthy, I can negotiate with the best surgeon in the country for a massive discount on gallbladder removal. Your neighbor's goat sends you warm greetings and wonders how some people can bear their lives.
But now, let's talk about the good stuff. Like we said, time to take stock. If someone had told me at the end of July how my life would turn out over the next few months, I would have told them to go see a doctor. I was bummed out, trying to find my courage, I was hesitant and negative, trying to focus on the happy fact that everyone was safe and sound and weigh up what I had to deal with. A friendly piece of advice here: listen to the people who selflessly want only the best for you.
So, in recent months, I have been fortunate to feel nothing but gratitude. And that is all I want to hold on to. Gratitude to each and every one of you who contributed to the campaign that you all built. For the Portokalia and Fratsion associations separately, both for their contribution to this effort and for the moral uplift they brought to our region. To everyone who showed me a love I didn't know I needed.
Difficult days will come again, perhaps even more difficult than those we have already experienced, but this gift from the last few months gives me enormous hope. So I hold it as the most precious gift in my heart. Thank you for this, and I promise to continue living my life always trying to repay the kindness.
Happy holidays and Happy New Year to everyone!
Captain Spyros
