The Dives
SS Irex
POSITION : 50 39.584 ’ N 001 35.042W
The wreck lies to the west of and immediately at the base of a drying rock in Scratchell ’ s Bay . This rock is not to be confused with the more prominent St Anthony ’ s drying rock nearby . The Irex was an iron , threemasted sailing ship , about 92m long by 13m wide . Built in 1889 , it wasn ’ t long before she sank and made the headlines .
She is now a pile of largely flattened metal , but in combination with a swim around the rock , she makes for an easy dive . Aim to dive around High Water ( HW ) given the shallow depth . We managed to get up to 10m just off her stern and about 3-4m in the shallows just off the bow . When you are sitting in the boat above the wreck look up at the cliffs and cast a thought back to how the Coastguard , Totland Lifeboat and Royal Artillery rescued 26 of the crew . Their bravery was formally recognised with a royal visit ‘ by command of the Queen ’.
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