Greetings from Grenada proclaims the postcard. It is one of a number that feature the safe anchorage of St George's and a beautiful white Italian cruise liner, the ss Bianca C, which regularly visited Grenada on her way between Naples and Venezuela. You could never accuse the Grenadians of shifting their stock of tourist merchandise too aggressively. The Bianca C has not been seen afloat at St George's for more than 37 years, but she is a permanent resident. She has been sitting on the seabed a mile off Grand Anse beach since 22 October 1961. That quiet Sunday morning, the peace of St George's was shattered by the repeated and urgent sounding of a ship's siren. It came from the 600ft passenger vessel lying at anchor in the harbour. The ship was the Bianca C, and her distress was caused by a massive explosion, presumably in the main boilers, had wrecked the engine room, killing two crewmen before setting the whole vessel on fire. Not only that, but 600 people found themselves stranded unexpectedly and without their possessions. It was the generous locals who took them into their homes until they could be repatriated. Today you can see a statue with a plaque on the quay, donated by the Costa shipping line as a permanent thank you to the people of Grenada. The vessel burnt fiercely for several days. The paint on her massive hull bubbled and flaked, and the water around her began to boil. The port authorities became anxious that she would sink and become an unsurmountable obstruction in the harbour. Visiting British warship HMS Londonderry took the stricken vessel in tow. Her anchor chains were severed with explosives and she was dragged out into open water, but by this time the Bianca C was taking on water and had become exceedingly heavy. The tow parted and, issuing violent columns of steam, what was left of the magnificent liner slipped away into 50m of water. The Bianca C is now the biggest shipwreck in the Caribbean. She had never been a lucky ship. Built during World War Two, she was sunk by allied action before she had even completed sea-trials. After the war she was refloated, refitted and relaunched as La Marseilles. Operating in the heyday of cruise liners, she carried 700 passengers in three classes. In 1957 she came under new ownership and was renamed Arosa Sky. Two years later another owner, G Costa of Genoa, renamed her after his daughter, Bianca. The Bianca C sank upright on an even keel, and only her bronze propellers were subsequently salvaged.