The first attempt to establish the Hellenic Maritime Museum was in the newly established Greek state in 1867. That year the master of the Navy Gerasimos Zochios, founder of the Navy Retirement Fund, suggested that the Fund takes the task of collecting and conserving objects related to the Greek maritime history. For reasons relating to serious historical adventures of the time the idea was not positively received at the time. However, the idea was to be implemented as a private initiative, 82 years later.