Steve's Shipwreck Site

HMB ENDEAVOUR VISITING PORT ADELAIDE

2012-01-04T20:52:00.000-08:00

The 33.3m-long replica of the 18th century sailing ship HMB Endeavour will be open to the public when she visits Port Adelaide from 16th to 23rd February. She will be moored in the Inner Harbour at Port Adelaide, adjacent to Timpson Street.

Royal Charlotte expedition

2012-01-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

Almost 187 years ago, the Royal Charlotte ran aground at Frederick Reef, Queensland on 11th June 1825, resulting in two deaths. An expedition is searching for the Royal Charlotte's remains. A two-week expedition, led by Australian National Maritime Museum marine archaeologist Kieran Hosty, departed from Gladstone on 4th January.
(Source: http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/breaking-news/maritime-crew-to-search-for-royal-mess/story-e6frea73-1226235801520?sv=2046708fc18b4c5c1492673b6251107e)

Shipwreck articles in November issue of MLSSA Newsletter

2011-11-04T01:13:00.000-07:00

The November issue of the MLSSA Newsletter (http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_387_November_2011.htm) includes articles titled: -
"The emigrant ship Electric (Part 2)"
"Local Sea Mysteries – Part1 (The Vivid)"
"Frames Found at Fishery Beach"
"Simms Cove"
Three of these articles will be followed up in the February issue of the newsletter.

List of International shipwrecks on Wikipedia

2011-10-07T23:01:00.000-07:00

A short list of international shipwrecks (sunken or grounded & whose remains have been located) can be found at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks.
South Australian wrecks are at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_shipwrecks#South_Australia.

October 2011 MLSSA Newsletter

2011-10-07T22:39:00.000-07:00

The October issue of the MLSSA Newsletter includes:
Salvage of an Old Anchor
The Cape Jaffa
The emigrant ship Electric (Part 1)
Visit http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_386_October_2011.htm
for further details.

Shipwreck articles in MLSSA Newsletter

2011-09-16T04:04:00.000-07:00

The September issue of the MLSSA Newsletter includes my articles:

The Mass Grave for the Star of Greece, Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail, Henry Ferrers and The Story of the Norma

They can all be found at

http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_385_September_2011.htm

1880 QUEENSLAND SHIPWRECK UNCOVERED BY CYCLONE YASI

2011-09-03T05:22:00.000-07:00

The 1880 Queensland shipwreck Belle was uncovered by Cyclone Yasi in February2011. The 2-masted vessel (brigantine) became exposed in Ramsay Bay, nearCardwell when Cyclone Yasi hit north Queensland. The Belle, which was Adelaide-based, sank whilst she was trying torecover cedar timber washed ashore when the Merchantwas wrecked.

Vladimir Putin's lucky find

2011-08-12T22:51:00.000-07:00

Russia's Prime Minister, Vladimir Putin took up scuba diving recently. On his 3rd dive, he dived in to 2m of water in the Black Sea and pulled out two discarded 6th-C. urns. It was during an expedition on the southern Russian coast near Ukraine.

4th Expedition to wreck of the Mentor

2011-08-12T22:44:00.000-07:00

Greek Culture Ministry divers recently searched British shipwreck the Mentor for the 4th time, looking for sculptures. They only managed to find 19th C. tableware & firearms. The Mentor sank off of the island of Kythera, off southern Greece, 200 years ago. She was supposed to be carrying sculptures from the Parthenon at the time. None have been found, however, after four expeditions to the wreck.

Search for U-boats

2011-08-12T22:40:00.000-07:00

· R Researchers from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution have joined a team of scientists from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to search the Graveyard of the Atlantic for the remains of German U-boats.

Shipwreck articles published recently

2011-07-09T04:01:00.000-07:00

My blogging has been quiet as of late, mostly due to my 'newsletter interests'. I am editor for several newsletters such as the MLSSA Newsletter (& Journal), the SDF news sheet & bulletin and The Gangway Bulletin for Stella Maris Adelaide. I can now report, however, that several shipwreck articles appear in recent issues of the MLSSA Newsletter, as follows: -

“The Wreck of the Clan Ranald” - see http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_381_May_2011.htm

“The Wreck of the Tug TSS Awarua” - see http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_382_June_2011.htm

“HMAS Barcoo” - ditto

“The Star of Greece” - see http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2011&nl=MLSSA_NL_383_July_2011.htm

466th anniversary of sinking of the Mary Rose

2011-05-31T04:45:00.000-07:00

The Mary Rose, the flagship of Henry VIII, sank in The Solent, near Portsmouth on 19th July 1545. The ship’s hull was raised on 11^th October 1982. The ship’s iron anchor was raised from the seabed on 11th Oct 2005, the 23rd anniversary of the recovery of its hull.

Anchor raised from Queen Anne's Revenge

2011-05-31T04:34:00.000-07:00

According to the web page found at http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/northamerica/usa/8543482/Blackbeards-Queen-Annes-Revenge-wreck-reveals-secrets-of-the-real-Pirate-of-the-Caribbean.html , an anchor from the Queen Anne's Revenge has now been raised. Some short video footage can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y18KjA9aCVA . The Queen Anne’s Revenge, Blackbeard’s flagship, ran aground on a sandbank about a mile from shore on 10^th June 1718. Blackbeard’s pirate crew had captured the ship, a French slave ship called Concorde near the Caribbean island of St Vincent in November 1717 and renamed it Queen Anne’s Revenge. It became Bleackbeard’s flagship, sailing alongside three smaller sloops. The Queen Anne’s Revenge was in a flotilla of four vessels heading for Beaufort Inlet, in the then British colony of North Carolina, when she ran aground on the sandbank.

SS Ellen

2011-03-13T03:42:00.000-07:00

The Ellen aground at Morgan's Beach in 1908

(Source: http://www.flotilla-australia.com/2hsmith.htm )

It seems that the ship's boiler near rocks at Morgan's Beach, 1 1/2miles north of Cape Jervis, was from the 91-ton SS Ellen which was wrecked there on 12th December 1908.

Ex-HMAS Hobart's radar dish

2011-03-13T01:49:00.000-08:00

The radar dish from the ex-HMAS Hobart is on display at the Yankalilla Visitor Information Centre. The display is located outside the VIC, adjacent to the museum. There is also an information sign about the Hobart and its scuttling in 2002 to become the artificial Fleurieu Reef in Yankalilla Bay.

AIMA 2011 SHIPWRECK PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

2011-01-26T23:19:00.000-08:00

Congratulations to Karen Byrnes from Roma, Queensland for being the January winner in the 2nd Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) Shipwreck Photography Competition. She won a night’s accommodation at the Merimbula Divers Lodge in NSW and a 1-day dive charter. Karen’s winning entry was published on page 4 of the February issue of Dive Log. Photographers from all over the world are invited to send in their best photos of any shipwrecks or other underwater cultural heritage above or below Australian or New Zealand waters. The competition is being run until December 2011, with judging occurring each month. Any entries received after the 1st of the month will automatically go into the following month's competition. Images must have been taken in 2011. All winners will be announced in Dive Log magazine until January 2012. For further details regarding the AIMA 2011 Shipwreck Photographic Competition, refer to

http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/shipwrecks/photo-competition/index.html.

Discovery of German U-boat SM UC-42

2011-01-26T21:53:00.000-08:00

Deatils regarding the discovery of German U-boat SM UC-42 can be found at http://www.global-adventures.us/2011/01/26/sm-uc-42-german-u-boat/ .

Discovery of LR Doty in Lake Michigan

2011-01-22T02:59:00.000-08:00

According to the web page found at http://www.ship-wreck.com/shipwreck/doty/ , the wreck of the steamship LR Doty, which vanished in a storm in 1898, was found at 300' by a group on 16th June 2010. Their video footage revealed that the wreck is upright & intact. The remains of her cargo were still present in her holds. The combination of cold, fresh water & extreme depth has preserved the wreck.

Anchors from HMS Investigator

2011-01-11T02:12:00.000-08:00

OVER 200 YEARS AGO, Matthew Flinders and the crew from the Investigator became the 1^st to circumnavigate the Australian coast. At daylight on 21^st May 1803, Flinders was preparing to depart from Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago off of Western Australia. Middle Island is the largest island in the archipelago. A fresh breeze started driving the Investigator towards rocks before the sails were loosed. Flinders used the ship’s spare anchors to hold her. He then had to cut two anchor cables just before the ship cleared the rocks at noon. Flinders had lost both his best bower anchor and stream anchor. A bower anchor is one at the bow of the ship. The Investigator’s best bower anchor was over 4m long and weighed over 1 tonne. It had giant flukes sharply offset like a massive arrow. The stream anchor was much smaller, being 3m long and weighing about 406kgs. In 1972, Doug Seton from the SA Museum organized an expedition with some of his fellow Underwater Explorers Club of SA members to find and raise the two anchors. Both anchors were located in Goose Island Bay on 14^th January 1973 by members of the Underwater Explorers Club of SA. The bay is so-called because Goose Island is situated in the bay, which is on the northern shore of Middle Island. The anchors were both raised up by the lighthouse ship Cape Don on 19^th January 1973. They have now been preserved and restored. The best bower anchor is now located at the SA Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide. The stream anchor was placed in Canberra along with an anchor from James Cook’s Endeavour.

HMS Investigator (2)

2010-12-30T01:31:00.000-08:00

Over 200 years ago, Matthew Flinders and the crew from the Investigator became the 1^st to circumnavigate the Australian coast. When Flinders had finished surveying the southern coast of Australia in 1802, he continued sailing the Investigator northwards in an attempt to chart the rest of the Australian coastline. This became quite impossible for him since the Investigator was badly leaking seawater. In early 1803, Flinders had to sail the Investigator to Timor. When he left Timor, he sailed down the coast of Western Australia to make his way back to Port Jackson (Sydney). He sailed wide of the coast to save time for the journey back and was unable to survey and chart the coastline. He only made one stop on the way back. That was at Middle Island in the Recherche Archipelago off of Western Australia in May 1803. Middle Island is the largest island in the archipelago. At daylight on 21^st May 1803 Flinders was preparing to depart from Middle Island but a fresh breeze started driving the Investigator towards rocks before the sails were loosed. Flinders used the ship’s spare anchors to hold her. He then had to cut two anchor cables just before the ship cleared the rocks at noon. Flinders had lost both his best bower anchor and stream anchor. A bower anchor is one at the bow of the ship. The Investigator’s best bower anchor was over 4m long and weighed over 1 tonne. It had giant flukes sharply offset like a massive arrow. The stream anchor was much smaller, being 3m long and weighing about 406kgs. In 1972, Doug Seton from the SA Museum organized an expedition with some of his fellow Underwater Explorers Club of SA members to find and raise the two anchors.

38 years ago, both anchors were located in Goose Island Bay on 14^th January 1973 by members of the Underwater Explorers Club of SA. The bay is so-called because Goose Island is situated in the bay, which is on the northern shore of Middle Island. The anchors were both raised up by the lighthouse ship Cape Don on 19^th January 1973. They have now been preserved and restored. The best bower anchor is now located at the SA Maritime Museum at Port Adelaide. The stream anchor was placed in Canberra along with an anchor from James Cook’s Endeavour.

HMS Investigator

2010-12-29T23:41:00.000-08:00

Matthew Flinders' ship HMS Investigator was commissioned in Monkwearmouth, Durham, England in 1795 as a collier & working vessel called Xenophon. Her name was changed to Investigator on 19th January 1801 & Flinders was placed in command of her on 25th of that month. She eventually became condemned whilst she lay at moorings in Port Jackson and was used as a stores ship. In 1804, however, Governor King reported to the Admiralty in Britain, that on further examination, her hull had been found to be 'remarkably sound.' She was then repaired & re-rigged and she was used for short runs. In 1805, it was decided that she should return to England 'with despatches'. On arrival her there, a Captain Kent noted that a "more deplorable crazy vessel than the Investigator is perhaps not to be seen." In 1810, the Navy Board sold the Investigator into private service. She was once again the Xenophon, the wanderer, and she later wandered from Petersburg to the Mediterranean. On August 1st 1853, she arrived in Geelong, Victoria from Liverpool and spent her final years in the service of a company which later became the Melbourne Steamship Company. According to the last entry in the Register of British Ships records, the vessel was broken up and her registry closed 31st December 1872. So no suggestion of her being an actual shipwreck at all. She did, however, lose anchors in Australian waters. See later post for more details.

New postings on Shark blog

2010-12-29T22:38:00.000-08:00

My shipwreck blog has been quiet as of late. My apologies for that. I've just posted my 1st blog here for about 5 weeks. I have, however, been busy making postings to my shark blog (Steve's Shark Site). Happy new year for 2011.

AIMA 2011 SHIPWRECK PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

2010-12-29T22:36:00.000-08:00

The Australasian Institute for Maritime Archaeology (AIMA) is holding its 2nd Shipwreck Photography Competition this year. Photographers from all over the world are invited to send in their best photos of any shipwrecks or other underwater cultural heritage above or below Australian or New Zealand waters. The competition is being run from January to December 2011, with judging occurring each month. Any entries received after the 1st of the month will automatically go into the following month's competition. Except for the January 2011 prize (which can be an image taken prior to 2011), images must have been taken in 2011. All winners will be announced in Dive Log magazine from February 2011 to January 2012. For further details regarding the AIMA 2011 Shipwreck Photographic Competition, refer to

http://www.environment.gov.au/heritage/shipwrecks/photo-competition/index.html.

The tug TSS Awarua

2010-11-21T23:11:00.000-08:00

According to the web page found at http://homepages.vodafone.co.nz/~peterballantyne/awarua.html, the tug TSS Awarua was scuttled as a dive wreck and artificial reef near Breaksea Island & Ruapuke Island in Foveaux Strait, southern New Zealand on 19th December 1989. She was thus New Zealand’s second purposely-sunk dive wreck, with the Rainbow Warrior being the first one.

Project Beneath Gallipoli

2010-09-27T19:03:00.000-07:00

(Photo taken from

http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/galleries/article/-/article/8009574/image/12/beneath-gallipoli/)

I found the video footage of the Sunday Night “Beneath Gallipoi” feature at http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/video/-/watch/22116305 . There is a “Sunday Night” blog at http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/blogs/article/-/article/8004358/project-beneath-gallipoli/ and a gallery of 12 photos by Mark Spencer at http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunday-night/galleries/article/-/article/8009574/image/12/beneath-gallipoli/.

Enquires regarding this project can be made in writing to:
Tim Smith, Director
Project Beneath Gallipoli Inc.
PO Box 504
COLLAROY BEACH
NSW 2097
Or email any inquiries to Tim Smith at: tim.smith@planning.nsw.gov.au

Links to shipwreck articles

2010-09-24T04:38:00.000-07:00

Links to many of my shipwreck articles published in the MLSSA Newsletter are listed at http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Publications.cgi?id=Topic#8

Wreck of the Lemael

2010-09-24T04:33:00.000-07:00

My article titled "The Wreck Of The Schooner Lemael" can be found at http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Publications.cgi?topic=nletters/MLSSA_NL_344_June_2007.htm#3 (This link may be broken)

Rainbow Warrior (1) now NZ dive site

2010-09-24T03:28:00.000-07:00

Greenpeace’s first Rainbow Warrior ship is now a popular New Zealand dive site. She was blown-up whilst docked in New Zealand in 1985. The ship was being prepared for a protest voyage to Moruroa Atoll over French nuclear testing. French Secret Service agents planted two bombs on the ship in Auckland harbour on 10th July 1985. These bombs resulted in two large explosions just before midnight that evening, which caused the Rainbow Warrior to keel over. The ship’s Captain and crew were onboard the ship at the time. Most of them managed to get safely off of her but a photographer who tried to rescue his cameras at the time was drowned. The complete article on this topic was featured in the Sept 2010 issue of Dive Log magazine (p.66) - http://www.divetheblue.net/ . Part of the story can also be read at

http://www.mlssa.asn.au/cgi-bin/Newsletters.cgi?year=2007&nl=MLSSA_NL_344_June_2007.htm

and https://sites.google.com/site/sascubadivingsite/shipwrecks/rainbow-warrior.

100th anniversary of building of the Ulonga

2010-09-24T03:17:00.000-07:00

The AV Ulonga was first built as a paddle steamer 100 years ago, in 1910. She was refitted and converted to auxiliary by the installation of engines for twin screws in 1949. She was then used in the Kangaroo Island trade until she sank near Normanville in July 1976. The wreck now sits upright on the bottom at 37-40m. The USDC website (at http://www.adelaideadventurecharter.com/attractions.html) includes an aerial photo of the Ulonga underway.

TITANIC ANNIVERSARY

2010-09-24T03:13:00.000-07:00

April 2012 marks the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Enthusiasts can participate in a 100th-anniversary voyage that follows the original route of the Titanic from just $6455pp twin share. Contact Escape Travel on 1300 799 783 or at http://www.escapetravel.com.au/ for details. The 12-night voyage commences at Southampton, England on 8th April and ends in New York, US. A memorial service will be held at the site of the Titanic’s sinking. There will also be a visit to Nova Scotia to visit the final resting place of deceased passengers and/or crew. Lectures will be presented by guests and descendants of the original passengers.

Meanwhile, “Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition” being held at the Melbourne Museum finishes on 7th November. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.titanicmelbourne.com/ or phone 13 11 02.

Centaur memorial service

2010-09-24T02:59:00.000-07:00

Further to http://stevesshipwrecksite.blogspot.com/2009/12/discovery-of-wreck-of-centaur.html, about 300 people attended an emotional memorial service held aboard HMAS Manoora on 24th September. Relatives of those who perished on AHS Centaur during World War II threw floral wreaths and heart-felt messages to their loved ones at the site of the shipwreck. For the first time in 67 years, family and friends were 2059 metres above the hospital ship's resting place, 48km east of the southern tip of Moreton Island, off the southern Queensland coast. Visit http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/service-at-sea-centaur-dead-honoured-20100924-15p5q.html for more details.

TITANIC ANNIVERSARY

2010-09-10T23:25:00.000-07:00

April 2011 marks the 100^th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic. Enthusiasts can participate in a 100^th-anniversary voyage that follows the original route of the Titanic from just $6455pp twin share. Contact Escape Travel on 1300 799 783 or at www.escapetravel.com.au for details. The 12-night voyage commences at Southampton, England on 8^th April and ends in New York, US. A memorial service will be held at the site of the Titanic’s sinking. There will also be a visit to Nova Scotia to visit the final resting place of deceased passengers and/or crew. Lectures will be presented by guests and descendants of the original passengers.

TITANIC EXHIBITION

2010-07-16T02:26:00.000-07:00

(Source: http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=TITANIC, incl. 30-sec video footage)

RMS Titanic Inc. has the exclusive rights to dive to the Titanic, and they're bringing artefacts from the wreck to Melbourne. An exhibition titled “Titanic: The Artefact Exhibition” is being held at the Melbourne Museum until mid-November and will have more than 280 artefacts on display. Some of these have never been presented in Australia before. Tickets can be purchased online at http://www.titanicmelbourne.com/ or phone 13 11 02 (9am to 5pm AEST, 7 Days per week). Visit http://premier.ticketek.com.au/shows/show.aspx?sh=TITANIC, http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/video/play/-/7049182/inside-the-titanic/ and http://au.tv.yahoo.com/sunrise/factsheets/article/-/article/7048138/em-titanic-em-myth-busting/ for further details.

The anchor of the Nashwauk

2010-07-15T04:53:00.000-07:00

It seems that there was some concern in July 2009 re the SS Nashwauk's anchor. The anchor was, at that time, located in the Moana Beach Tourist Park.

Australian National Museum senior curator Richard Reid apparently wanted to take the anchor to the museum in Canberra. This resulted in several letters to the Southern Times messenger at the time. These can be found at http://southern-times-messenger.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/anchor-away/#comment-form & http://southern-times-messenger.whereilive.com.au/your-news/story/anchor-away/.

MOORING BUOYS

2010-06-27T04:44:00.000-07:00

SDFSA President & Secretary (Hank van der Wijngaart & Steve Reynolds) both met up with DEH’s Amer Khan recently to discuss the future of DEH’s shipwreck mooring buoy program. They were concerned regarding the loss of mooring buoys from wrecks such as the Star of Greece, Norma and Zanoni. They were hoping to persuade DEH to replace any missing buoys. Amer agreed to try to re-establish the mooring buoy program which would see the missing buoys replaced. Photos taken during the meeting, including some of buoys, have been posted at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/stevereynolds600/SDFNewSheetJuly2010.

HISTORIC WRECK FOUND AT GALLIPOLI

2010-06-27T04:23:00.000-07:00

A maritime archaeology team has uncovered a number of new shipwrecks at Anzac Cove, Gallipoli. Visit http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/story/2010/06/23/coffs-harbour-gallipoli-spencer-anzac-maritime/ for more details. Photos can be found at http://www.themorningbulletin.com.au/photos/galleries/oceanic-survey-anzac-cove/.

SA wreck mooring buoys still not replaced

2010-06-07T04:42:00.000-07:00

Star of Greece wreck location at Port Willunga

I understand that the mooring buoys missing from both the Norma and the Star of Greece wrecks have still not been replaced yet. It is hoped that the DEH will soon do the right thing.

SS Glenelg

2010-05-30T04:36:00.000-07:00

Aquability located the wreck the SS Glenelg on 28th June 2009 after several attempts. The Glenelg sank 55 miles west of Lakes Entrance, 7 miles off shore, 110 years ago on the 24th March 1900. (Further details regarding the Glenelg can be read at http://sites.google.com/site/sascubadivingsite/ .)

WRECKS AROUND EDEN, NSW

2010-05-30T04:35:00.000-07:00

There are numerous wrecks around Eden, including the sunken tugs Tasman Hauler and Henry Bolte. The Tasman Hauler is said to be intact and sitting upright on a sandy bottom at 30m. The Henry Bolte is on its side on a rocky bottom at 25m. Both wrecks are easy to find and in close proximity of South Head. Both are marked with buoys. The waters in this area are said to be pristine and often provide 30–40m visibility. Eden is situated on Twofold Bay in the far south of NSW. (Source: “Member Bulletin”, the Recreational Fishing and Trailer Boat Owners Advocacy and Support Group)

Scuttling of ex-HMAS Adelaide delayed

2010-03-25T01:37:00.000-07:00

Oops! The scuttling of the ex-HMAS Adelaide has been delayed due to a legal challenge from conservationists concerned about toxic pollution from the vessel. Visit http://express-advocate-wyong.whereilive.com.au/news/story/adelaide-scuttling-postponed-indefinitely-while-mediation-goes-on/ for further details.

City of Adelaide lifeboat facing relocation in rubbish dump

2010-03-24T02:04:00.000-07:00

It seems that the City of Adelaide lifeboat is now facing relocation in the rubbish dump at Port Lincoln. Council there is considering a proposal to preserve the wreck at the local dump. The vessel is now owned by the Dept for Environment & Heritage and it is in a sad state of decay. The Axel Stenross Maritime Museum has been appealing for funds to restore it. The lifeboat was removed from Porter Bay, Pt Lincoln 25 years ago to make way for the new marina. It was placed in the Museum where it was expected to undergo conservation. Unfortunately, that never happened. The museum couldn't afford to do it.

ex-HMAS Adelaide to be scuttled in NSW 25th March

2010-03-24T01:46:00.000-07:00

The former FFG-7 Class frigate HMAS Adelaide is set to be scuttled off 1km off of Avoca Beach near Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast tomorrow (25/3). 13m of the ship’s mast have been removed. The Adelaide was the navy ship that rescued yachtsmen Tony Bullimore & Thierry Dubois in 1997. The Adelaide (FFG-01) was commissioned on 15th November 1980. She was the first of 6 Adelaide Class guided-missile frigates to be delivered to the RAN. Her 5 sister ships were: - Canberra (II), Sydney, Darwin, Melbourne and Newcastle. For further details regarding the Adelaide (and her sister ships), visit http://www.hmasadelaide.com/ , http://www.navy.gov.au/HMAS_Adelaide_(II) , http://www.navy.gov.au/Adelaide_Class & http://www.mlssa.asn.au/nletters/march2010.htm for further details.

A DOZEN ANCIENT WRECKS DISCOVERED IN THE BALTIC

2010-03-09T23:20:00.000-08:00

“Swedish experts say dozens of centuries-old shipwrecks have been found by a gas company building an underwater pipeline between Russia and Germany. The oldest wreck probably dates back to medieval times and could be up to 800 years old, while the others are likely from the 17-19th centuries, said Peter Norman, of Sweden's National Heritage Board. "We have managed to identify 12 shipwrecks, and nine of them are considered to be fairly old," Peter Norman, a senior advisor with the heritage board, told AFP. "We think many of the ships are from the 17th & 18th centuries and we think some could even be from the Middle Ages," he said, stressing that "this discovery offers enormous culture-historical value. The shipwrecks were discovered during a probe by the Russian-led Nord Stream consortium of the sea bed route its planned gas pipeline from Russia to the European Union will take through the Baltic. "They used sonar equipment first and discovered some unevenness along the sea bottom ... so they filmed some of the uneven areas, and we could see the wrecks," Norman explained.” Source:
http://www.xray-mag.com/en/content/dozen-ancient-wrecks-discovered-baltic

"City of Adelaide" lifeboat anniversary

2010-01-29T01:20:00.000-08:00

It is now 25 years since the "City of Adelaide" lifeboat was removed from Porter Bay, Pt Lincoln to make way for the new marina. It was placed in the Axel Stenross Maritime Museum where it was expected to undergo conservation. Unfortunately, that never happened. The museum couldn't afford to do it. The vessel is now owned by the Dept for Environment & Heritage and it is in a sad state of decay. The museum is now appealing for funds to restore it.

Lady Kinnaird anniversary

2010-01-29T01:06:00.000-08:00

It is now 130 years since the 680-ton iron barque Lady Kinnaird sank off of Cape Burr, Port Neill on 21st January 1880. An anchor from the shipwreck is now located at Port Neill. A photo of the anchor can be found at http://www.tumbybay.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=238&c=179 . The Society for Underwater Historical Research published a report (prepared by Alan Hale) titled “The wreck of the Lady Kinnaird, January 21st 1880” on the wrecks centenary in 1980. A young Alan Hale is shown at the far right in the above photo of an anchor retrieved from Fishery Bay.

Photos of the HA Lumb

2010-01-29T00:36:00.000-08:00

I only have this photo of the Lumb's cabin which is still situated at Cruikshanks's Corner at Birkenhead. Will Scapens is after some photos of the vessel. There are a couple of shots of her to be found at http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/ships_graveyards/pdfs/ha_lumb.pdf

The ex-HMAS Canberra is Victoria's newest tourist attraction

2009-12-24T03:21:00.000-08:00

(Source: http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1ministory.cfm?story=368 )

The ex-HMAS Canberra is Victoria's newest tourist attraction, having been scuttled on 4th October 2009. An online booking system for moorings at the site is now open at http://www.parkstay.vic.gov.au/ . Parks Victoria requires divers to be qualified and reminds all divers they are responsible for ensuring conditions are safe for diving. Divers can book a dive tour with a licensed tour operator or book a 2-hour mooring through Parks Victoria in order to access the site. A mooring will cost $30 per boat regardless of the number of divers on board - the money raised will contribute some of the costs of managing the site. For more information visit the ex-HMAS Canberra page at http://www.parkweb.vic.gov.au/1park_display.cfm?park=294

AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS SCUTTLED AS DIVE WRECKS

2009-12-24T03:03:00.000-08:00

Several Australian warships have been scuttled as dive wrecks in Australian waters since HMAS Swan was the first of them in 1997. The Swan was scuttled as a dive wreck in Geographe Bay off of Dunsborough, WA on 14th December 1997, making her the first Australian warship to be scuttled as a dive wreck in Australia.HMAS Swan (DE-50) had been a River Class frigate (anti-submarine) destroyer escort.The former Charles F Adams class GMD (Guided Missile Destroyer) HMAS Perth (DDG-38) became the second Australian warship to be scuttled in Western Australia (& Australia) when she was scuttled as a dive wreck near Albany on 24th November 2001.HMAS Hobart (DDG-39), another former Charles F Adams Class destroyer, was scuttled as a dive wreck in Yankalilla Bay on 5th November 2002. She was South Australia’s first (and so far only) ex-Australian warship scuttled as a dive wreck. HMAS Brisbane (DDG-41), yet another former Charles F Adams Class destroyer, was scuttled off of Queensland’s Sunshine Coast on 31st July 2005 to become an artificial reef and dive site.The former FFG-7 Class frigate HMAS Canberra (FFG-02) was scuttled off Ocean Grove, Victoria on 4th October 2009. HMAS Adelaide (FFG-01), another former FFG-7 Class frigate, is planned to be scuttled 1km off of Avoca Beach near Terrigal on the NSW Central Coast in April 2010. The Adelaide was the navy ship that rescued yachtsmen Tony Bullimore & Thierry Dubois in 1997.

MLSSA website

2009-12-24T02:40:00.000-08:00

The Marine Life Society of South Australia supports my work by publishing much of it through its newsletters, annual journal and website. Many of my articles regarding shipwrecks may be found through the MLSSA website at http://www.mlssa.asn.au .

Links to my shipwreck blog

2009-12-23T22:43:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to find links to my shipwreck blog at http://www.country.com.br/vi/tag/Shipwreck
It's a great shipwreck site, so check it out.

The scattered wreck of the Kona

2009-12-23T22:13:00.000-08:00

My article about the scattered wreck of the Kona can now be read on-line at http://www.mlssa.asn.au/journals/2009Journal.pdf

Links to my shipwreck blog

2009-12-23T22:00:00.000-08:00

I was surprised to find links to my shipwreck blog at http://www.country.com.br/vi/tag/Shipwreck . Needless to say, it's a great shipwreck site. Check it out now.

Discovery of the wreck of the Centaur.

2009-12-22T21:00:00.000-08:00

AHS Centaur (Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/20/2776780.htm?section=australia)
The crew of the Seahorse Spirit confirmed the location of the wreck of the AHS Centaur. Search director David Mearns says the wreck location is about 30nm (48km?) east of the southern tip of Moreton Island off the south-east Queensland coast at a depth of 2059m. The WWII hospital ship was torpedoed by a Japanese submarine at 4am on 14th May 1943 and sank with the loss of 268 lives. Many people were taken by sharks. Only 64 of the 332 people on board survived. They waited 36 hours to be rescued by the American destroyer Mugford. A special task force will now be formed to decide how best to commemorate the sinking of the Centaur. The wreck site is now being protected by an exclusion zone. The team that discovered the wreck site immediately returned home for a break over Christmas. They intended returning to the site in early January 2010 to start taking images of the wreck. Here are some more links re the discovery of the wreck of the Centaur: -
http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2009/12/18/2775933.htm
http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/backup-sonar-gets-centaur-hunters-back-on-track-20091219-l6vh.html
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,23739,26510850-952,00.html
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a8srXiOT0jv4
http://www.news.com.au/couriermail/story/0,1,26511211-952,00.html

NEW WRECK TRAIL

2009-11-01T02:22:00.001-08:00

A trail has now been laid between the Claris and Kalari wrecks off of Glenelg. According to the web page at http://www.sdfsa.net/adelaide_metro.htm, the Claris is a 12m-long (ship?) wreck about 4km west of the Dredge (South Australian). She lies at a depth of about 25-28m. Her GPS coordinates are said to be 35:00:250 S, 138:21:089 E (WGS84). The GPS coordinates of the nearby Kalari are said to be 35 00 273 S, 138 21 110 E

WRECK'S BOILER REMOVED FROM BEACH & PLACED IN MUSEUM

2009-10-29T03:13:00.000-07:00

It seems that the boiler from the 1889 wreck of the screw steamer Cowry has been removed from Normanville beach by the Yankalilla council and placed in the local museum.

PROBABLE SOURCE OF LARGE ANCHOR AT PORT NOARLUNGA IDENTIFIED

2009-10-29T03:07:00.000-07:00

The large iron-stocked anchor thought to be from the Tigress wreck
Christopher Deane has now made his announcement regarding Positive Photographic Proof about the probable source of the large anchor at Port Noarlunga reef. His announcement was included in his “South Aussie Snippets” column in the October issue of Dive Log. It seems that the Scuba Divers Club of SA had moved the anchor from the Tigress wreck site about 1970.

WRECK OF WWI SUB DISCOVERED

2009-10-26T04:00:00.000-07:00

The wreck of the British WWI E-Class submarine HMAS E18 has been found off the coast of Estonia by Swedish marine survey company Marin Matteknik (MMT) that had been searching for it for the past 10 years. The sub had been launched in 1915 and she was sent to the Baltic Sea to help Russia stop German shipments of iron ore from Sweden. The sub had a crew of 33 who all perished when it sank. The wreck was found 140km west of Tallinn, near the island of Hiiumaa, during October. The wreck of the E18 was found in fairly good shape. Her port side was damaged and she suffered further minor damages elsewhere.
According to “The Encyclopedia of Ships”, 55 E-Class submarines were built between 1913 & 1916. 22 of them were lost during WWI. They were 55m long, had two screws, diesel engines and two electric motors. The history of the E18 is available through Wikipedia at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/HMS_E18 . According to the web page found at http://www.daylife.com/photo/0aYof5f7us4LQ, the British naval submarine HMS E18 has been found on the seabed close to the Estonian island of Dago after having been missing for over 90 years. The submarine disappeared with all hands in the Baltic Sea during routine exercises in May 1916. Carl Douglas, the leader of search operations and owner of MMT, was able to locate the vessel with the help of maps detailing the location of mines on the Baltic Sea sea bed. A YouTube video can be seen at www.youtube.com/watch?v=IF8QcB_u6m0 .

HMAS Canberra is set to be scuttled

2009-10-01T04:08:00.000-07:00

Tourism Victoria says "The ex HMAS Canberra is set to be scuttled off the shores east of Barwon Heads this weekend on Sunday 4 October 2009 at approximately 9.15 am. Suitable weather conditions have been forecast and the vessel will begin its final journey leaving the Geelong Port on Saturday 3 October. You will be able to see this once in a lifetime event on the shores between Barwon Heads and Ocean Grove, however please note that no commemorative event will be held on the day. An event to celebrate the opening of the new dive site is planned in future. Stakeholders will be notified in advance."

NEW SHIPWRECK BOOK

2009-09-27T04:58:00.000-07:00

The web page found at http://www.news.com.au/adelaidenow/story/0,22606,26125735-5006301,00.html suggests that Peter Christopher’s new book "Australian Shipwrecks - A Pictorial History" should now be available wherever good books are sold.

HMAS Adelaide to be scuttled off NSW

2009-09-14T04:38:00.000-07:00

The ex-HMAS Adelaide will soon be scuttled off NSW. This is the ship which helped in the rescue of English yachtsman, Tony Bullimore years ago.

RECENT WRECK DISCOVERIES

2009-09-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

Whilst several ex-Navy vessels are being scuttled as artificial reefs, new technology is helping in the discovery of lost shipwrecks. Some recent discoveries are as follows: -
THE GLENELG
The Glenelg shipwreck has been found off Victoria's east coast 109 years after 31 people drowned when it mysteriously sank.
SUBMARINE S-2
The Soviet submarine S-2, which sank in the Baltic Sea during WW2, was found by a team of divers in February this year.
CITY OF RAYVILLE
The wreck of the City of Rayville, which sank off Victoria during WW2, was pinpointed during recent mapping of the sea floor by Deakin University. The ship was a US vessel that was lost off of Cape Otway after striking a German mine on 8th November 1940. She was carrying a cargo of lead, wool and copper from SA to New York, via Melbourne. She was the first US ship to be sunk during WW2. Her approximate position had been known since 2002, but the Deakin Uni team found the exact position whilst using state of the art sonar equipment.
FREMANTLE
Three recreational divers, including Graeme Henderson from the WA Museum, recently found what appears to be the 115-year old wreck of the dredge Fremantle was off of the WA coast. The Fremantle was used to create Fremantle harbour.
IDA
Recent storms uncovered remnants of the brig Ida which ran aground at Port Willunga in January 1857.

buoys have been positioned in preparation of scuttling of ex- HMAS Canberra

2009-09-13T03:51:00.000-07:00

The previously scheduled scuttling of the ex-HMAS Canberra for 12 September 2009 was postponed due to unfavourable weather conditions. The scuttling will be rescheduled to a date with suitable weather conditions as soon as possible. 3 buoys have been positioned approximately 2nm south of Ocean Grove in preparation for the scuttling. The buoys are located in the approximate positions;
1. 38° 18′056″ S, 144° 32′607″ E- Marked with red soft buoy.
2. 38° 17′829″ S, 144° 32′574″ E- Marked with orange soft buoy and has rope coil on surface.
3. 38° 17′827″ S, 144° 32′655″ E- Marked with orange soft buoy and has rope coil on surface.
An isolated danger mark 38° 17′827″ S, 144° 32′615″ E with yellow light (3 sec flash) placed between buoys 2 and 3.
It is recommended that all vessels take caution at approximately 75m from the isolated danger mark. Source: http://www.hmascanberra.com.au/itn-20090911.htm.
Tthe ex HMAS Canberra Reef Location is approximately 2-3km offshore from the dune coastline of Ocean Grove (4.2 km from the mouth of the Barwon River, & 6.2 km from Point Lonsdale).

SOURCE OF LARGE ANCHOR AT PORT NOARLUNGA IDENTIFIED

2009-09-13T03:08:00.000-07:00

An announcement is imminent from Christopher Deane regarding 'Positive Photographic Proof' about the source of the large anchor at Port Noarlunga reef. Stay tuned!

Horseshoe Bay Shipwreck Trail

2009-08-30T04:43:00.000-07:00

I visited Horseshoe Bay at Port Elliot recently. I was able to take some photographs of the shipwreck trail there, including this photo. There is a large mooring anchor close to the car park near the Port Elliot jetty. This and further shots can be found at

http://picasaweb.google.com.au/stevereynolds600/HorseshoeBayShipwreckTrail

M24 SUBMARINE WRECK

2009-08-24T03:39:00.000-07:00

Details regarding the wreck of the Japanese midget submarine M24 can be viewed at http://www.m24maritime.heritage.nsw.gov.au/

GOLD RECOVERED FROM SHIPWRECK

2009-08-23T04:50:00.000-07:00

The Polar Mist sank 40km off of Argentina’s Patagonian coast during bad weather on 18th January this year. She had 9.4 tonnes of gold & silver on board. A team of divers has now recovered almost $24m worth of gold from the icy waters.

SHIPWRECK ARTEFACT AT ALDINGA LIBRARY

2009-08-23T04:47:00.000-07:00

A spar thought to be from the Star of Greece shipwreck is now on display at the Aldinga Library.

WARDANG ISLAND MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL

2009-08-23T04:45:00.001-07:00

The web page found at http://www.southaustraliantrails.com/top_trails.asp?wardang says, "To reduce anchor damage, mooring buoys have been installed at five of the wrecks, for boats to tie up to". We asked the SA Trails Coordinating Committee how are those mooring buoys were going, adding that, “David Nutley, Principal Maritime Heritage Officer, Heritage Branch, Department for Environment and Heritage, advises us that the Norma mooring buoy has not yet been replaced. "We are looking at the whole question of the future management of shipwreck mooring buoys and whether their ongoing maintenance is viable" he said. "Maintenance costs are significant due to their susceptibility to damage from weather, etc.. Not an easy problem to solve at present. The Star of Greece buoy was collected from the beach last Friday (24/7) and is unfortunately unrepairable. We will be looking into options for that site", he said.” We received a reply from Marty Krieg, Project Officer, Asset Management & Development, Office for Recreation & Sport, which reads, “Thank you for your email. I will forward it on to the DEH representatives on the SA Trails Coordinating Committee (SATCC) who may be able to follow up on this issue with David Nutley. Judy Hani is the representative from SDFSA on the SATCC, and she noted the issue with the Star of Greece buoy at the last meeting a couple of weeks ago. Generally speaking it is probably a good idea to raise these types of issues via Judy as the SATCC is a good forum in which to do that.” Visit http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/resources/shipwreck_trails.html for more details re the Wardang Island Maritime Heritage Trail.

JERVOIS BASIN SHIPS' GRAVEYARD MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL

2009-08-23T04:44:00.001-07:00

The five interpretive signs along the Ethelton Bank for the Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail have been removed during the Newport developments there. DEH’s Robyn Ashworth says, “I have been having talks with LMC/Port Partnerships about the replacement of these signs. I am hopeful that a project to do this (or to integrate the information from these signs with other proposed interpretation for the area) will begin before the end of the year. Removal of the signs was part of the development but they had also been vandalised and were looking very sad by the time they were removed. We're still not sure if the trail will remain as an isolated product or whether the information will be incorporated into a larger interpretation plan for the Port waterfront.” Visit http://www.environment.sa.gov.au/heritage/resources/shipwreck_trails.html for more details re the Jervois Basin Ships' Graveyard Maritime Heritage Trail.

COMMEMORATION OF 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WRECK OF THE ADMELLA

2009-08-23T04:22:00.001-07:00

A series of events have been held around the state in 2009 to mark the 150th anniversary of the wreck of the Admella. A dawn vigil was held in Port Adelaide at 5.30am on 5th August in memory of the SS Admella, which left Port Adelaide at that time (5.30am) on that day (5th August) in 1859. The ill-fated steamship was sailing to Melbourne but ran aground on Carpenter Rocks the next day (6th August) with the loss of 89 lives (including would-be rescuers). The 150th anniversary of the wreck of the Admella was also commemorated in Port Adelaide. It was commemorated at the The Navigator sculpture (an Admella Memorial), which is located at the Queen’s Wharf end of Timpson St, Port Adelaide. The sculpture The Navigator had been relocated there and that was unveiled for the ceremony. A few photos of the The Navigator have been posted at http://picasaweb.google.com.au/stevereynolds600/AdmellaMemorial. According to the web page found at http://www.dcgrant.sa.gov.au/site/page.cfm?u=289&c=6278, the Admella Commemoration Advisory Committee has recently taken possession of a large scale model of the S.S. Admella on behalf of the Port MacDonnell and District Maritime Museum. According to the web page found at http://www.admella.org.au/documents/MRAdmellaDiscoveryTrailJul09.doc,
timber salvaged from Beachport’s Jetty has been used to construct a series of interpretive markers which (have now been) installed along the South East coastline to commemorate the 150th anniversary of the wreck of the SS Admella. For further details about the Admella, visit http://www.admella.org.au/ .

ER Sterling

2009-08-22T03:29:00.000-07:00

Not a shipwreck! In 1883, the Lord Woleseley (or Wolseley, Wolesley, or Wolsely) was built as a 4-masted 2577-gross ton iron ship. She was launched in Belfast, Northern Ireland on 21st July 1883 . She later became the Columbia, Lord Wolsely* (1904), Everett G. Griggs and E.R. Sterling.

* Hence some of the confusion over spellings.

In 1927, enroute from Port Adelaide to Britain, she met with a series of accidents. On 4th July 1927, she lost her main and mizzen masts in a gale whilst she was north of the Falkland Islands but she continued her voyage. On 4th September 1927, she was again dismasted, this time during a hurricane. She lost her foremast and the chief officer (First Mate?) was killed. On 15th October 1927, she managed to reach the port of St. Thomas in the West Indies. There were no repair facilities available there so she was towed from the West Indies to London, England by tug. After 286 days at sea, she reached the River Thames, England as a floating shambles. She was so badly damaged that she was not repaired but sold to shipbreakers for £4,000. She had been broken up by 1928.

Steve's Shipwreck Site

HMB ENDEAVOUR VISITING PORT ADELAIDE

Royal Charlotte expedition

Shipwreck articles in November issue of MLSSA Newsletter

List of International shipwrecks on Wikipedia

October 2011 MLSSA Newsletter

Shipwreck articles in MLSSA Newsletter

1880 QUEENSLAND SHIPWRECK UNCOVERED BY CYCLONE YASI

More articles in latest MLSSA Newsletter

Vladimir Putin's lucky find

4th Expedition to wreck of the Mentor

Search for U-boats

Shipwreck articles published recently

466th anniversary of sinking of the Mary Rose

Anchor raised from Queen Anne's Revenge

SS Ellen

Ex-HMAS Hobart's radar dish

AIMA 2011 SHIPWRECK PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

Discovery of German U-boat SM UC-42

Discovery of LR Doty in Lake Michigan

Anchors from HMS Investigator

HMS Investigator (2)

HMS Investigator

New postings on Shark blog

AIMA 2011 SHIPWRECK PHOTOGRAPHIC COMPETITION

The tug TSS Awarua

Project Beneath Gallipoli

Links to shipwreck articles

Wreck of the Lemael

Rainbow Warrior (1) now NZ dive site

100th anniversary of building of the Ulonga

TITANIC ANNIVERSARY

Centaur memorial service

TITANIC ANNIVERSARY

TITANIC EXHIBITION

The anchor of the Nashwauk

MOORING BUOYS

HISTORIC WRECK FOUND AT GALLIPOLI

SA wreck mooring buoys still not replaced

SS Glenelg

WRECKS AROUND EDEN, NSW

Scuttling of ex-HMAS Adelaide delayed

City of Adelaide lifeboat facing relocation in rubbish dump

ex-HMAS Adelaide to be scuttled in NSW 25th March

A DOZEN ANCIENT WRECKS DISCOVERED IN THE BALTIC

"City of Adelaide" lifeboat anniversary

Lady Kinnaird anniversary

Photos of the HA Lumb

The ex-HMAS Canberra is Victoria's newest tourist attraction

AUSTRALIAN WARSHIPS SCUTTLED AS DIVE WRECKS

MLSSA website

Links to my shipwreck blog

The scattered wreck of the Kona

Links to my shipwreck blog

Discovery of the wreck of the Centaur.

NEW WRECK TRAIL

WRECK'S BOILER REMOVED FROM BEACH & PLACED IN MUSEUM

PROBABLE SOURCE OF LARGE ANCHOR AT PORT NOARLUNGA IDENTIFIED

WRECK OF WWI SUB DISCOVERED

HMAS Canberra is set to be scuttled

NEW SHIPWRECK BOOK

HMAS Adelaide to be scuttled off NSW

RECENT WRECK DISCOVERIES

buoys have been positioned in preparation of scuttling of ex- HMAS Canberra

SOURCE OF LARGE ANCHOR AT PORT NOARLUNGA IDENTIFIED

Horseshoe Bay Shipwreck Trail

M24 SUBMARINE WRECK

GOLD RECOVERED FROM SHIPWRECK

SHIPWRECK ARTEFACT AT ALDINGA LIBRARY

WARDANG ISLAND MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL

JERVOIS BASIN SHIPS' GRAVEYARD MARITIME HERITAGE TRAIL

COMMEMORATION OF 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF WRECK OF THE ADMELLA

ER Sterling