SCUBA September 2021 Issue 118 | Page 52

WRECKED
Ross coral and juvenile fish , midships
Continuing your descent to the seabed , you can check out the rudder ( pushing over to starboard ) and the propeller . Reading through earlier reports it was suggested there was no propeller but maybe shifting sands had covered her up at the time of that report .
Working your way forward from the stern on the starboard side , you can glimpse through the hull to the engine room before encountering some discarded fishing gear at a clean break in the hull of the ship , marking the transition to the hold area . It should be noted that this wreck is no stranger to abandoned fishing gear . Indeed , Steve Hutchinson the owner of Harlyn Dive School sometimes runs a ‘ Clean the Sphene ’ event to clear up the abandoned fishing gear that builds up on the wreck over time .
Moving forward , you ’ ll encounter plenty of fish swimming around over the collapsed starboard side . There doesn ’ t seem to be a huge amount of other life , this wreck is definitely more rust than marine life , but you should encounter some typical wreck life including conger eels and crawfish , plus
KEY to illustration
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1 Capstan
2 Bollard
3 Scour
4 Discarded rope around propeller and rudder
5 Discarded rope
6 Starboard side collapsed out of wreck
7 Steps
8 Collapsed hull
9 Discard pot and rope
10 Bow area accessible but underneath a large amount of heavy chain . Risk of collapse
11 Distinctive bent over stem at bow
13 Bollard on centre line of wreck
14 Mainly flat plate
15 Port side collapsed into wreck
16 Hatch
17 Remnants of bulkheads
18 Boiler with pink sea fans
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12 Chain locker
19 Broken engine

Around the wreck

Andy Hunt pinpoints the main areas of interest on his tour of SS Sphene

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