As a result of the collision between the steamer Admiral Nakhimov and the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev in the Black Sea 33 years ago, 423 people died. The ship completely sank eight minutes after the collision; many people were unable to escape from the lower decks and drowned. Gazeta.Ru talks about why after the accident they were able to throw only one lifeboat and how adults and children tried to survive falling from the deck of a ship into a fuel oil slick in the sea.
“What are you doing? We're heading towards a collision."
33 years ago, on August 31, 1986, the largest disaster in the history of the domestic passenger fleet occurred in the Soviet Union, which would become known as the collision in Tsemes Bay. The eight-deck steamship Admiral Nakhimov and the dry cargo ship Pyotr Vasev collided 13 km from the seaport of Novorossiysk.
There were 1,243 passengers and crew members on board the ship. Citizens of nine Union republics enjoyed a seven-day cruise on the Black Sea. On the evening of August 31, Admiral Nakhimov was en route from Novorossiysk to Sochi. The ship's command knew that not far from the port the ship would have to part ways with the dry cargo ship.
“You can let us through, we have 1000 tourists on board and our course is 160 degrees,” the crew of the ship addressed the cargo ship via radio at 11 p.m. “Go!” they answered in the control room of the Peter Vasev. It was decided that the ship would not change course and slow down.
At this time, in the wheelhouse of the Admiral Nakhimov, the second mate Alexander Chudnovsky considered that the cargo ship was approaching a dangerous distance and, without reporting his decision to his superiors, began to gradually turn the ship at small angles. The 56-year-old captain of the ship, Vadim Markov, left the captain's bridge to his cabin even before the ships were supposed to pass each other, although he had no right to do so.
Later, fireman Gennady Tsarev from the Nakhimov will remember this moment: “We gradually got closer, our assistant (Chudnovsky) said: “What are you doing? We are heading for a collision.” The captain of the Vasev responded by assuring him, don’t worry, we’ll go our separate ways. Our assistant began to make his own lapels without warning anyone. Then he says again on the air: “We’re heading for a collision.” Then he made another turn and as a result turned “Nakhimov” sideways towards “Vasev”.
According to eyewitnesses, Captain Tkachenko at that moment completely relied on the testimony of computer equipment. “Tkachenko had an excellent understanding of electronics, was very passionate about technology and completely trusted it. But computers are programmed by people who can make mistakes, the device showed that the ships were moving apart normally,” said 30 years later, documentary director Valery Timoschenko, who covered the tragedy as a correspondent for the regional youth newspaper.
Fatal collision
The captain of the cargo ship ordered “Medium back” and almost immediately “Full back”, but in seven minutes “Vasev” was able to reduce the speed by only five knots (9.26 km/h), while the steamer did not slow down at all - it was about 22 km/h.
At 23:12, a cargo ship crashed into the starboard side of a passenger ship at a speed of 10 km/h. “Vasev” literally rammed “Nakhimov”: the bulb of the dry cargo ship under water pierced the skin of the steamer from the seventh to tenth watertight compartment.
Later, experts would establish that the area of the hole was equal to an average three-room apartment - 84 sq. m. The passengers, who were on the right deck at that moment, felt two strong shocks and ran away. However, most people did not realize in the first minutes that a disaster had occurred. Meanwhile, the ship was rapidly sinking into the water. 20 seconds after the collision it flooded power plant, because of which the lights on the ship went out, radio communication was lost and the ship became impossible to control.
Captain Markov jumped out of the cabin and ordered the sailors to sound the alarm and prepare lifeboats and rafts for lowering. However, the water filled the ship so quickly that it became impossible to lower the boats: the crew managed to launch only one boat from the left side.
All that remained was to throw self-expanding life rafts into the water. Sailors and students of the Odessa Navigation School, who were practicing on the ship, were able to lower 32 of 48 rafts with a capacity of 10 to 32 people. The fact is that some of them were tied with wire, and the team did not have time to unfasten the rafts.
At this time, the host of the party on one of the upper decks addressed the passengers and asked everyone to move to the left side - in order to level the ship. However, this did not help. Soon the ship tilted to starboard and people began to fly off the ship into the water.
Panic began on board, people tried to get to the lifeboats. When the lights on the ship went out, chief engineer German Yurkin ran downstairs to turn on the emergency lighting. Although the light did not last long, many were able to orient themselves and understand where to run, but most of the passengers who were on the lower decks at that moment or went down there to help others died. So, chief mechanic Yurkin was unable to get out of the sinking ship.
By the time of the collision, the adults had already put their children to bed and, having locked their cabins, went to a concert on the upper deck. dedicated to the Day miner Flight attendant Vera Fedorchuk ran for spare keys to open the cabins, but also could not get out - the width of the corridors on the ship did not exceed 120 cm. Later, divers discovered the body of a 28-year-old girl, with a bunch of keys clenched in her hand. Many children drowned because they were unable to escape from their cabins.
Another flight attendant Tatyana Fedorova, according to eyewitnesses, stood on the deck until the last moment and handed out life jackets to the distraught passengers. She also died.
People fell from the deck of a ship into an oil slick in the sea
Damaged Nakhimov tanks began to leak into the water. a large number of fuel. On the surface of the sea it formed a thick oily film, which greatly hindered movement in the water. A lot of paint was stored in the storage facilities at the bow of the bulk carrier Vaseva, which also spilled into the water during the collision. Some of the victims were able to get ashore, but died later because they drank poisoned water.
“I swam underwater at random. I was lucky that I was swimming in the opposite direction from the ship, otherwise I would have simply been sucked into the funnel. Each time I had to dive deeper so as not to bump into other passengers who, in a panic, could be pulled to the bottom. In this way, by touch, I managed to get to the overturned boat, which, along with other things, flew off the Nakhimov.
Several passengers were already holding on to it. I helped the others who were swimming nearby to get to us. Thus, almost 40 passengers managed to stay in the water for several hours and wait for rescuers,” recalled Leonid Toyunda, who at that time headed the branch of the USSR State Bank in the city of Rivne and went on the cruise without his wife and children. A week after the experience, the 38-year-old man turned completely gray.
One of the first to come to the aid of the victims was a pilot boat passing nearby. It was the crew of this ship that first reported the collision between the two ships. The captain of the boat recalled that when they swam to the place, they did not see water - the entire surface was covered with people who grabbed onto any objects in the hope of saving themselves.
All these events occurred in just eight minutes after the collision - soon the Nakhimov completely went under water. Captain Markov was on the bridge until the last moment, until the water threw him overboard. Second mate Alexander Chudnovsky voluntarily decided to stay on the ship forever - he went to his cabin and locked the door.
About 500 people were able to climb onto the dropped rafts; the remaining passengers and crew members were forced to remain on the surface of the water and wait for help.
The tragic fate of the surviving captains
IN rescue operation 64 vessels from the port of Novorossiysk, Cherno participated navy and Marine Border Guard. In addition, cadets of the nautical school and fishermen rowed to the crash site. At 23:40, the bulk carrier Vasev approached the crowded area at low speed; ropes, rope ladders, lifebuoys and life jackets were thrown from the deck to the victims.
About 37 people were able to climb on board - many people were so exhausted and dirty in the slippery fuel oil that they fell back into the water. As a result of the disaster, 423 people died - 359 passengers and 64 crew members.
The very next day, the prosecutor's office opened a criminal case against the captains of the two ships. Tkachenko and Markov were found guilty of violating traffic safety rules and operating transport and were sentenced to 15 years in prison in 1987. Five years later, the presidents of Russia and Ukraine pardoned both captains.
According to the head of the fund created for social protection The people and relatives of Natalia Rozhdestvenskaya who suffered in that disaster were also punished, although not as severely, by officials. USSR Minister of the Navy Timofey Guzhenko was dismissed - however, the official reason was retirement due to health reasons.
“The head of the Black Sea Shipping Company, the head of the shipping company’s maritime security service, and the director of the Odessa Travel Bureau were dismissed from their positions and expelled from the ranks of the CPSU, which in those days was tantamount to the complete decline of their career,” Rozhdestvenskaya added.
Captain Vadim Markov returned to Odessa and worked at the Black Sea Shipping Company. He was haunted by the “glory” of the man who destroyed the passenger ship. He changed his place of residence several times to avoid persecution of the relatives of the victims, but did not emigrate.
After leaving the colony, Viktor Tkachenko also returned to live in Odessa, but the relatives of the victims persecuted him too: they called him on the phone with threats, broke the windows in the house. According to Rozhdestvenskaya, the man changed his last name and moved with his family to Israel. In September 2003, the yacht he was driving crashed near the Canadian island of Newfoundland. Two more crew members died along with him.
Nowadays, the most famous or largest sunken ships, resting at the bottom of the seas and oceans, are of interest not only to archaeologists, but also to adventurers of all stripes, treasure hunters, and simply curious tourists. Each wreck of a sunken ship contains its history; they allow you to look into different depths of the past and see what has rested at the bottom for centuries, untouched by man. Life left these ships a long time ago, but they can tell about terrible pictures of disasters and its last moments. The UN has calculated that a huge flotilla of 3 million sunken ships now rests on the bottom of the world's oceans. The causes of the disasters were storms, wars, anthropogenic factors, and some ships were sunk on purpose.
The Trans-Siberian Railway or the Great Siberian Road, which connects the Russian capital Moscow with Vladivostok, until recently bore the honorary title of...
1. Titanic
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At the time of its construction before the First World War, it was the largest liner on the planet. But the “unsinkable” ship could not even complete its first voyage, colliding with an iceberg in 1912 and sinking 370 miles southwest of Newfoundland. The “unsinkability” of the Titanic could not oppose anything to the power of nature, and its dimensions were ridiculous in comparison with the size of the ice block encountered, which predetermined the disaster in which 1,517 passengers of all classes and ages went to the bottom of the sea.
The collision with the iceberg was the result of the negligence or incompetence of the sailors who controlled the colossus, who believed too early in the unsinkability of the Titanic. Since the ship sank at great depths, its wreckage was discovered only in 1985 as a result of a long search. Now this place is protected by UNESCO. Environmental conditions quickly destroy the remains of the ship. All that was left of the drowned passengers was their shoes, and the sea creatures perfectly gnawed their bones. As for the ship itself, salt water and bacteria have been working continuously to destroy it for more than a century.
2. "Mary Rose"
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The Mary Rose is about 500 years old. After its construction, the English king Henry VIII poetically called it “the purest flower that ever sailed a ship.” But a year later, in 1545, the “flower” managed to take part in three wars, increased in size and was modernized. He had to fight the French flotilla near the Isle of Wight. But the British overdid it, filling it with heavy cannons, as a result of which it sat too low in the water, and when it began to list under the influence of the wind, it scooped up water with its lower deck and sank.
The depth in this place was only 12 meters, so at first the Mary Rose was clearly visible from the surface. It is believed that approximately 700 sailors went to the bottom with the ship. Then the ship's location was lost and found again only in 1970. In 1982, the British raised the wreckage of the ship from the bottom, restored it, and now its reconstruction is exhibited in the Portsmouth Museum.
3. "Prince Albert"
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This ship was deliberately sunk in 1987 in Honduras near the Coco View resort. The Prince Albert was used as a transport to transport Civil War refugees from Nicaragua to the island of Roatan. After that for a long time The ship was laid up in the harbor, gradually rusted and sank into the water. Therefore, realizing that if there was no action, the ship would simply sink at the pier, its owner decided to tow it a little further from the shore, where it sank, making it at the same time an excellent attraction for divers.
4. "Dona Paz"
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This unremarkable ferry was involved in the deadliest shipwreck in history, in which 4,386 people died in 1987. This ferry was built in Japan, and it was designed to carry only 608 passengers. But in the Philippines they thought differently, and when it collided with the Vector oil tanker near Manila, a fire broke out. Both ships sank in the shark-infested waters of Tablas. Dona Paz, nicknamed the Asian Titanic, rests at a depth of 545 meters.
5. "Arizona"
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This American warship, built in the early 20th century, was sunk during the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor on December 7, 1941. A memorial was later erected on its skeleton. Arizona was attacked by 10 Japanese bombers, who managed to make 4 direct hits. The battleship had no chance to survive, since one of the bombs hit the ammunition compartment. As a result, a monstrous explosion occurred, the blast wave from which extinguished the flames on the Vestal ship, which was burning nearby.
On this dark day for America, 1,177 Arizona sailors died, which is about half of all the victims of that famous attack on Pearl Harbor. Bubbles of engine oil still float up from the flooded engine compartment of the ship every day, forming rainbow spots on the surface that are shown to tourists vacationing in Hawaii.
6. "Republic"
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This was the name of an old American paddle steamer that took part in the Civil War and sank in 1865. On his last voyage he was carrying gold and silver coins, but a strong hurricane sank him. Fortunately, the passengers and crew of the ship were saved, but traces of its wreckage were lost from view for 140 years.
Odyssey Marine Exploration, a company specializing in the search for sunken treasure ships, discovered the Republic in 2003 at a depth of 518 meters. She won the main prize - 51,000 American gold and silver coins, which today are worth approximately $180 million. In addition, many valuable artifacts were recovered from the wreckage.
7. Lusitania
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Another world-famous shipwreck of a passenger ship. The beautiful liner Lusitania was called the “sea greyhound” for its speed, but this did not save her from terrible disaster which occurred in 1915. On May 7, this ship encountered a torpedo sent by a German submarine. The Lusitania disappeared underwater in less than half an hour, taking 1,198 people with it.
There is an opinion among historians that it was the torpedoing of the Lusitania that gave the United States a reason to declare war on Germany and join the Entente. In 1935, the site of the ship's wreck was discovered. There a new mystery was discovered - where the second hole came from in the hull, which may have been the reason for the rapid sinking of the ship.
8. "Bismarck"
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The German warship Bismarck was appreciated even by its enemies, calling it a masterpiece of military shipbuilding. But this “masterpiece” managed to survive only 3 months after launching. In May 1941, the British military successfully attacked it. Ironically, the large and modern Bismarck turned out to be easy prey for the old British torpedo bombers.
To prevent the enemy from getting the military novelty, the ship’s crew decided to sink it, and about 2,000 sailors drowned along with it. The location of the Bismarck was determined by Dr. R. Ballard in 1989; it lay at a respectable depth of 4700 m. He had previously discovered the Titanic. The swastika is still visible on the deck of the ship, and its guns even now seem to be aiming at the victorious enemy.
9. "Andrea Doria"
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This beautiful liner was built in 1951. The ship was luxurious and provided excellent conditions for each of the 1,241 passengers. He could have swum and floated, but it was only in July 1956 that the ship found itself in thick fog. There was practically no visibility, and the crew steered the ship blindly. The Swedish cargo ship Stockholm also had to do the same, as a result of which they met at one point. Both ships were severely damaged as a result of the collision, but the Swedish “truck” turned out to be stronger and remained afloat, but the “Andrea Doria” began to sink. She did this much longer than the Lusitania (11 hours), so all passengers, with the exception of those who died during the incident, were saved.
10. "Rhone"
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In the Caribbean Sea near the British Virgin Islands, the wreckage of the ancient mail and passenger ship Rona rests on the seabed. He drowned here in 1867, and the cause was a strong hurricane and storm that literally broke the ship in half. The ship was in Salt Island Harbor that October day, but the hurricane came too suddenly and was too menacing. As a result of the disaster, 123 people on board the ship were killed. Nowadays, even being on the seabed, this ship cannot complain of boredom - it has been made a local attraction, to which tourists who are interested in scuba diving are constantly brought.
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History knows a lot shipwrecks According to researchers, there are currently about three million sunken ships in the world that have yet to be found. Most of the discovered vessels (about 148 thousand) are considered historical monuments and are protected by UNESCO as an underwater cultural heritage of humanity. However, there are also ships that ran aground not far from the shore; they still rise above the surface of the water, attracting tourists and photographers.
The ice-class cruise ship “World Discoverer” was built in 1974. It became famous for being one of the first to bring tourists to Antarctica and the Amazon River. The tragedy occurred on April 30, 2000, when the ship ran into an uncharted reef near the Solomon Islands. All passengers were evacuated, the Pioneer was towed aground, but it was never possible to pick it up. With time local residents The ice drift was plundered; today this ship is a real local landmark.
The fate of the cruise ship “Mediterranean Sky” is no less tragic. It was built in 1952 in Newcastle (England) and sailed the ocean for 44 years. In 1997, the ship was arrested off the coast of the Greek city of Patras due to the bankruptcy of the owner company and towed to the Gulf of Eleusus, where it remains to this day. In January 2003, the liner tilted to one side and sank under water.
For the bulk carrier Captayannis, which was transporting sugar, a collision with a tanker that occurred on the River Clyde in Scotland in 1974 was fatal. As a result, the tanker was not damaged, but the captain of the Captayannis had to run his ship aground. The litigation continued for quite a long time, and in the meantime the “sugar” ship turned into a home for marine life and birds.
The ocean liner SS America was built in 1940, participated in World War II, and then changed many owners. They wanted to turn the ship into a floating prison and sell it for scrap, but in the end they sold it to one of the Thai companies, which intended to turn it into a luxury five-star hotel in Phuket. For this purpose, the ship was even renamed “American Star”. However, the rosy plans were not destined to come true: while being towed, the ship was caught in a severe thunderstorm, the crew was evacuated by helicopter, but the ship could not be saved. Gradually, the liner collapsed and went under water; today it can only be seen at low tide.
For many, expressions such as “shipwreck” or “sunken ship” are associated with treasures and pirates. Piracy has long passed, but ships that sank due to accidents are found every year.
We continue the topic of ships, in previous issues we talked about the largest ship propellers, here we will talk about sunken ships. According to the UN, more than three million ships lurk at the bottom of the oceans. Some of them drowned due to wars, others due to weather, or accidents, and some were deliberately destroyed. Here are ten fascinating stories from ten sunken ships.
In the waters off Cayman Bras, 150 miles south of Cuba and 40 to 90 feet underwater, lies Frigate 356, a wreck that has split in two. Built by the Soviets in the early 1980s (latest stage cold war) the ship was transferred to the Cuban fleet and was preparing to enter service after the collapse of the USSR. After 10 years, the warship was purchased by the Cayman government. Soon, in an unequal battle with nature (a strong storm), the ship was defeated and went under water. Photographer Mark Lightfoot explains: The ship's "Achilles heel" was its main component - aluminum - and it was the cause of its death.
Abu Galawa Shiwaya is a reef in the Egyptian Red Sea with a turquoise “built-in” lagoon in its middle. The name of the place translates as “Little Father of the Turquoise Open Sea.” There are many rumors and legends surrounding the yacht that sank in this place.
Local guides believe it is the remains of an American sailboat that sank in 2002, but Rick Vercoe, a scuba diving instructor, claims it is the shell of Endymion, an Australian yacht that went to its watery grave in 1998, apparently after a navigational error. .
Sweepstakes, Tobermory, Ontario.
Twenty feet below the surface - clearly visible from the surface at Tobermory - lies the ship Sweepstakes, a 119-foot Canadian schooner that was used to transport coal. After 18 years of service, she was damaged near Bay Island and towed to Grand Harbour.
Russian Accident, South Egyptian Red Sea.
That ship was the Khanqa, a Russian spy ship that sank in 1982. The Soviets began using commercial ships and fishing trawlers to gather intelligence in the 1950s and apparently established surveillance of the nearby Rasa Karma Military airbase in Yemen. That's where the ship sank
USS Utah, Pearl Harbor. The 521-foot-long vessel was originally a military vessel, but was later re-equipped and refitted for training purposes. On a fateful day for the ship, nothing stopped the torpedo launched by the Japanese. The ship sank within minutes
Six officers and 52 sailors died in Utah that day, with 54 still buried in the rusty, half-submerged hulk. The public is not allowed access and a memorial has been erected on Ford Island. You can visit it if you are accompanied by authorized military personnel.
P29, Malta ended up at the bottom of the ocean quite recently. The P29 was destroyed in September 2007 at Marfa Point in Malta. This is an offshore patrol vessel, 167 feet long. There is catastrophically little information about the history of the ship, but when diving at the accident site, various interesting places, including narrow passages through which you can swim; a plethora of buttons, levers, patterns and other tools are still objects of study.
USS Arizona, Pearl Harbor
The Commemorative Memorial was built on the sunken remains of the USS Arizona, a Pennsylvania-class battleship built in the first decade of the 20th century that met its tragic end at Pearl Harbor. When bombs launched from ten Japanese aircraft struck the 608-foot-long vessel, it left only debris as evidence of the vessel's existence.
Giannis D. Egyptian Red Sea. The following wreck is a favorite dive site in the Egyptian Red Sea. Built in Japan in 1969, Giannis D was originally named Shoyo Maru; it was sold in 1975. The 300-foot cargo ship was renamed Markos, a nickname that can still be seen on the vessel's hull.
Tugboat Rozi, Malta Not much is known about this former tugboat except that it was destroyed in 1992 at the popular dive site of Sirkewwa in Malta. Many tourists are likely to visit the ship, which is completely intact except for the propellers and engine.
Prince Albert, Roatan, Honduras. Deliberately destroyed in 1987 by the owner of Coco View Resort in Honduras, an island cargo ship famous for its owners' eventful past. It was used by Nicaraguans to transport refugees fleeing their war-torn country.
The 140-foot tanker was stripped of its life and left partially submerged.
Let's move on to the most famous sunken ship, which was discovered only recently. It took many years to find it - this is the Titanic 
According to UN estimates, throughout history, 3 million people have gone to the bottom of the ocean along with ships. This is an impressive figure, which indicates the impressive scale of shipwrecks. Therefore, it is worth considering the most significant flooding of ships and floating objects.
Giannis D
Peshtigo and St. Andrews
The ships rest on the bottom of Lake Michigan at a depth of 60 meters. They were discovered 10 years ago by a diver and amateur maritime history Bernie Hellstrom. These schooners collided and sank into the depths of Michigan more than 140 years ago. The vessels were discovered using an echo sounder.
Hellstrom later returned to the site with a custom-made camera and discovered two more ships - Peshtigo and St. Andrews - within a few meters of each other. The ships collided back in 1878, but were believed to have sank in Lake Huron.
USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg
The US Navy originally used the USNS General Hoyt S. Vandenberg to transport and track missiles during World War II. It was officially decommissioned in 1983 and scuttled in May 2009 to create the foundation of an artificial coral reef. The ship sank 43 meters, leaving about 12 meters of free space between the masts and the surface of the water. The ship weighed 17,120 tons and was 168 meters long.
MS World Discoverer
To call this incident a shipwreck would be a mistake, since the ship only sank halfway. In 2000, MS World Discoverer encountered and remained stuck on an unknown coral reef in the Solomon Islands.
Several salvage companies are interested in this vessel. But upon arrival at the place it turned out that it had been looted during civil war in the Solomon Islands, which lasted from 1998 to 2003.
Iron Scow
This floating object is called Niagara, as it has been lying almost motionless for more than 100 years in the area of the majestic waterfall. It was operated by 2 sailors who were rescued after the crash. In 2019, a storm moved the ship 50 meters downstream. Niagara Parks executive director David Adam said it was another historic milestone for the reserve.
Fujikawa Maru
The liner lies at the bottom of the Chuuk Lagoon in the Federated States of Micronesia. The ship was built by Mitsubishi for shipowners Toyo Kaiun in 1938. Its length was 137 meters. The ship was originally a liner and was later used to transport raw silk, cotton, jute and flax.
Just a year before Pearl Harbor, in 1940, Imperial Navy Japan captured Fujikawa and turned the ship into something like an aircraft carrier. It was equipped with guns taken from old warships. In September 1943, the American submarine Permit torpedoed Fujikawa. But the next year the ship returned to service and was soon torpedoed again. This time the torpedo was launched by a strike bomber attached to a group of aircraft carriers that included USS Monterey and Bunker Hill. As a result, the aircraft carrier sank in Chuuk Lagoon.
Chuuk Lagoon itself was considered a powerful defensive hub of the Japanese in Pacific Ocean during World War II, so there are many other shipwrecks in the atoll. In 1971, oceanographer Jacques Cousteau released a television documentary about the area and the ship wrecks, which quickly became popular with divers.
Edward Bohlen
You don't have to dive to the bottom of the ocean to see the aftermath of this shipwreck. The ship is buried in the sands of the Namibian coast. But looking at it is a problem, since you need to get a special permit and rent a vehicle. Another option is aerial photography. The ship ran aground after getting lost in fog in 1909. Today it is located almost two kilometers from the surf line.
German oceanic fleet
In June 1919, following the First World War, the German fleet was destroyed by the Royal Navy near Orkney. The ships were surrendered and disarmed. This became the Germans' payment for unleashing a world conflict.
Most of the crews were removed from the ships - they were left with the minimum personnel necessary for management. Not knowing that the armistice had been extended, and believing that Germany and allied powers about to return to war, the commander of the German fleet, Rear Admiral Ludwig von Reuter, ordered the scuttling of all ships.
HMS Vixen
Built in England in 1864, the ship was launched 3 years later. HMS Vixen was a giant gunboat whose hull was entirely covered in teak wood. This material is still popular today. The ship became the slowest iron ship in the Royal Navy, as tests showed.
Vixen had a "twin" named Viper. Both gunboats were towed to Bermuda in 1888 for use as defense ships. By 1896, all equipment and engines had been removed, and Vixen blocked the narrow channel at Daniel Bay - it prevented torpedo attacks and interfered with the Allied fleet.
Today the bow of HMS Vixen is half submerged. It is protected, which means you must obtain permission to scuba dive (although snorkeling itself is permitted) or perform other activities. Glass bottom boats often pass here.
Peter Iredale
The skeleton of the ship Peter Iredale rests on the Oregon coast. This is an eerie sight, especially at sunset. A 4-masted steel baroque sailing ship, owned by the British company Iredale & Porter, is rotting on the surf line. In 1906, the ship left the port of Santa Cruz, Mexico, bound for Portland, Oregon, to pick up wheat for shipment to Great Britain. But a storm broke out and washed the ship ashore, turning it into a tourist attraction.
Iro Maru
Chuuk Lagoon in Palau is known as a World War II ship graveyard. About 60 ships were sunk here. This is an excellent place for diving as the ships lie on the ground close to the surface.
The 143 meter long Iro Maru sank in 1944 during a US Navy operation. The ship sank to the bottom in a vertical position. To see it, you need to dive almost 40 meters. There are still live shells scattered across the decks of the Iro Maru, so divers need to be careful.
USS Kittiwake
An underwater rescue vessel was deliberately sunk as an artificial reef in the British Cayman Islands. She was launched on July 10, 1945 and decommissioned on September 30, 1994. During its 49-year service life, the 76-meter vessel accompanied submarines during sea trials and missions. During these trips, the crew practiced rescue operations.
Many events in the history of the rescue ship are still kept secret. One of the most famous happened immediately after the Challenger space shuttle disaster in 1986. The Department of Defense and the US Coast Guard were actively searching for the black box. spaceship. Kittiwake also took part in the operation. It was his team that found the object so needed by military and scientists at the bottom of the Atlantic Ocean.
James McBride
James McBride was launched on April 1, 1848, April Fool's Day. Nine years later, the ship set off on a raid on the Manitou Islands with a cargo of timber. During the return voyage to Chicago, the ship encountered a storm. After that, he was towed to the shore near Sleeping Bear Dune and abandoned to his fate. The ship's owner, John Stafford, had little to worry about because the ship brought in more profit than it cost to build it ($4,000).
Melckmeyt
The name of the ship translates as “Milkmaid”. The ship was found after a shipwreck off the coast of the tiny island of Flati. Presumably, the ship belonged to smugglers, lost its course and sank. The wreckage was discovered only in 1992. The 32-meter-long ship lies at a depth of more than 12 meters. Since its discovery, archaeologists have carefully studied the ship. They even created a virtual simulation of the flood to celebrate the 360th anniversary of the Milkmaid.
Vasa
The ship sank in 1628 in front of many people on its maiden voyage from Stockholm harbor. It was supposed to be the most modern ship ever built in Sweden, but it sank. The ship's gun deck turned out to be too heavy, as it was built by an engineer without practical experience in shipbuilding.
The cold water of Stockholm harbor did not allow the sailboat to rot. When it was raised to the surface in 1961, it turned out that the decay had barely touched the structure of the warship. Vasa was housed in a museum in Stockholm.
SS Maheno
The luxury cruise ship was originally converted into a floating hospital that saved the lives of soldiers during the First World War. SS Maheno was launched in 1915. The ship was transporting wounded people between Sydney and Melbourne. The ship was eventually shipped to Britain, where it transported patients from France to England.
In July 1935, Maheno was purchased by a businessman from Osaka, but was never delivered to the owner. The towline was torn in half during a cyclone 80 kilometers off the coast, and the ship washed ashore. Today it lies rusting on the beach, but visitors cannot visit the ship as it is extremely dangerous.
YOGN-42
The World War II fuel tanker is the main attraction at Shipwreck Beach as it is not completely covered in water. From a distance it seems that this is an ordinary boat moored near the shore. Since steel was scarce at that time, the ship was built partly from reinforced concrete. On frames made of metal mesh or steel alloy reinforcement, the concrete mixture was applied in layers.
Shipwreck Beach is a dangerous place for ships. Storms often sweep through here. Narrow channels also do not contribute to safety. Therefore, on Lanai, more than a dozen ships were intentionally and unintentionally left in permanent mooring.
SS Ayrfield
SS Ayrfield – cargo Ship, built back in 1911. This is one of the four abandoned ships in the bay. Homebush in Australia. Once an industrial area, Homebush Bay was polluted and then converted into a suburb. The boats were a reminder of the Bay's industrial past, but only the Airfield SS was overgrown with trees.
Panagiotis
A smuggler's ship washed up on the shores of Greece looks like an art installation. Vacationers sunbathe near the ship and take pictures of it. Before becoming a beach monument, Panagiotis was owned by smugglers who transported cigarettes and alcohol. Trying to escape from the authorities, the ship crashed into the shore of the bay in 1983.
USS Saratoga CV-3
The 270-meter-long aircraft carrier was sunk in Bikini Atoll and lies on a coral reef. Sent the ship to the bottom nuclear explosion in 1946. It will take approximately 30 hours to reach the giant from the nearby airport.
Hermes
This is the most famous ship among divers. It is relatively small, only 50 meters long, and lies at a depth of 24 meters. This makes Hermes a convenient subject for study. The ship, once part of the US Navy, is practically free of vegetation, but it is inhabited by fish.
Zenobia
This ferry was designed to tow ships at sea. The ship met its fate under the clear waters of Larnaca Bay. In 1980, on its first voyage, the ship sailed from Malmö to Syria, but never reached its destination. When the ferry approached Greece, it was discovered that the hull was depressurized. In addition, technical problems began. But they managed to cope with them and the incoming water, and the swimming continued.
Soon water began to seep in again and the captain was ordered to move the ship out of Larnaca harbor to avoid causing damage to other ships. That night the ferry sank. On board there was cargo, which today lies at the bottom along with Zenobia. The ship is clearly visible underwater, as it is located only 15 meters from the surface.
Sea Tiger
The Sea Tiger was carrying 93 illegal immigrants from China. In 1999, the ship was sunk near Waikiki Beach, turning it into an artificial reef. Sea inhabitants quickly mastered the “Sea Tiger”. Today you can see moray eels and sea turtles on it. The makeshift house for fish lies at a depth of 38 meters.
SS Dominator
The Dominator was a cargo ship that was stranded on the Palos Verdes Peninsula in 1961 after sailing through thick fog. Its wreckage is on the surface, which makes this ship attractive to divers. To find them, you need to go north to Cape Palos Verdes in Luanda Bay.
All described have in their assets interesting story and, with few exceptions, are available for study. These are original monuments to the elements of the sea, the will of chance and human carelessness.