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Clyde Wrecks

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"AKKA"

AnenaemonBuilt Sweden 1942 5049 Gt. 442' x 56' x 25' The "AKKA" sunk in 1956 after hitting the Gantock rocks. She is the largest diveable wreck in the Clyde and is dive suitable for all levels. She lies in about 30m of water at her bow and about 40m at her stern. The deck slopes from 16m to 24m, bow to stern and is a very interesting dive, not only due to her size but for the fact that almost all of her is covered in masses of orange and white anemone and dead mans fingers. She is still a very intact wreck and divers can swim with ease along the outside companion ways.

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"GREENOCK"

Built Renfrew 1876 461 Gt. 181' x 38' x 14' The "GREENOCK" sunk in 1902 after a collision with another steamer, a common occurrence at the turn of the century. She was built as a bucket dredge to keep the port of Greenock clear. She now sits in 30m of water- the most interesting part of her are the buckets, which lie in 28m of water. In July 1996 we were chartered by the Royal Navy to shot the wreck to allow the detonation of 2 mines that were placed alongside of the wreck during World War 2 as part of the Clyde defences. Life has returned to the wreck - shoals of pollack live in abundance.

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"WALLACHIA"

Dead Mans FingerBuilt Southampton 1883 1077 NT 259' x 36' x 18' The "WALLACHIA" was sunk like many before her by a collision with another vessel. She was carrying a valuable cargo, which included whisky, gin, beer and acids, when she went down. Today she lies in about 34m of water and the average depth of her deck is 30m. Again she is a very interesting dive with lots of old jars and bottles to be found. As with most of the Clyde wrecks it is tempting to enter the holds as they are exposed but due to the silt you very quickly lose all visibility. She is one of the most popular attractions on The Clyde.

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"BEAGLE"

Built Partick Glasgow 454 Gt. 189' x 26' x 13' The "BEAGLE" did not have a very long career as a steamship as she was barely a year old when she was involved in a collision off Skate Point, Great Cumbrae and sunk, very quickly. Today she lies in 34 - 38m of water and the open hull has a shallowest depth of 30 - 32m. She is a great dive with lots of fish, crabs and some conger. Her anchor can be found on the seabed just of f the bow on the starboard side. We usually find that the visibility on this wreck is better than the wrecks further up the river. The rounded stern of the "BEAGLE" is a particularly spectacular shape set against the ambient light.

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"KINTYRE"

Built Greenock 1868 94 NT 184' x 22' x 11' The "Kintyre" was a small passenger/ cargo steamship which at the time was acknowledged as one of the most graceful to sail on the Clyde. Today she lies on a steeply sloping sea bed in 38 - 49m bow to stern after, you guessed it, a collision with another steamer out on sea trials. The best part of this wreck is at the shallower bow sections open ribs house saithe and pollack. Her stem is very streamlined and only a few inches wide. As you fin deeper the wreck disappears into the muddy sea bed.- particularly on her starboard side.

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"EUROPA"

ScallopsBuilt Jarrow 1862 424nt 206' x 26' x 17' The "Europa" sank in 1884 after a near head on collision with another steamer just off McInroys Point, Gourock. The hull of the "Europa" is pretty much intact although the superstructure is gone. Therefore there is little except the stern to give any bearings of position during the dive. This together with the darkness from approx. 10m leads to it being referred to as "deep and dark", Deposits of coal and squat lobsters can be found on the decking.

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"CHAMPION"

Built South Shields 1882 26nt 108' x 18' x 9' The "Champion" collided with another steamer and sunk in 1896 off Innellan 1/4 of a mile from the coastal town of Dunoon. She worked as a mail runner and supplier to ports along the estuary. Not much is left of the wreck due to trawlers snagging it, so unlike the majority of the Clyde wrecks she is pretty broken up. The paddle and a large stretch of piping lie amongst the debris in a depth of 37m.

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"IONA"

Built Glasgow 124nt 225' x 20' x 9' The remains of the paddlesteamer "Iona" lies in the middle of the channel just off Esplanade, Greenock in approximately 29m of water. The visibility rarely extends further than 3m due perhaps to the estuary narrowing considerably at this point. The wreck is very much broken up, much of her disappears into the mud although some superstructure and bits and pieces of the paddle still remain. Squat Lobsters, small Conger and small Pollock inhabit this wreck.

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"MTB"

The sleek lines and gun-mount helped identify this wreck as a MTB. At the end of the war a number of these vessels were sunk in live fire exercises. She lies today in Loch Striven in 39-44m and is home to large congers and a few pollack. A smart ship in her day, she has double-diagonal woodwork and was fitted with brass.

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NOTES

There is an excellent book on Clyde Shipwrecks available. The book was written by two local divers, Peter Moir and Ian Crawford. This book is a must for anyone interested in shipwrecks and their history. CLYDE SHIPWRECKS ISBN 0951 336600

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