Looking For Photos/Info about visible wrecks Quito Sueno/Bajo Nuevo/Seranilla banks

[Dirkhartman]

Would be really gratefull if someone could provide me Photos and/or Info of visible shipwrecks on the many caribbean sea reefs. o.a Bajo Nuevo Quita Sueno Saranillo etc.

 

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[FISHEYE]

Modern steel and fiberglass wrecks are easy to spot on google earth.300 year old wrecks or older all you will see is a ballast pile if its not scattered.But you wont know what you are looking for if you have never seen one before.

 

[lukdiver]

Would be really gratefull if someone could provide me Photos and/or Info of visible shipwrecks on the many caribbean sea reefs. o.a Bajo Nuevo Quita Sueno Saranillo etc.

Boarded the cargo vessel that was on Bajo Nuevo (scored brass steam whistle and by pure luck the ship's builders placque). Other than that she had been stripped clean by Jamaican fisherman?. Engine room was burned out so 'no-go' and likely why she was there (either that or being towed to a salvage location?). Another trip we went by Serranilla and boy that was a 'adventure'. Numerous wrecks up on top of reef but weather is so marginal in Western Caribbean it's almost impossible. Besides Columbian soldiers there aren't adverse to using their guns to make a point during a disagreement. We didn't go back.

 

[Dirkhartman]

Good Day,
Google Earth Does not show the banks on their maps, I'm looking for Steel wrecks so not really old, Thanks for your reaction
Regards Dirk

 

[Dirkhartman]

Awesome ! @Lukdiver you are indeed lucky, What information does the builders plate give and do you have any photos of this wreck or (Or Artifacts/the other wrecks) A Really cool and interesting adventure, Happy to hear more about it.
Kind Regards dirk

 

[lukdiver]

Bajo Nuevo wrecks.

Awesome ! @Lukdiver you are indeed lucky, What information does the builders plate give and do you have any photos of this wreck or (Or Artifacts/the other wrecks) A Really cool and interesting adventure, Happy to hear more about it.
Kind Regards dirk

Sorry for poor quality but brother just quick copied slide from his phone. Can do better quality. I'll check on getting copy of builders plaque but was unable to research any ships name/history from it. Have another slide of another wreck we dove there but it's mostly underwater and older steamer. Was a cool dive. Bob

 

[Dirkhartman]

View attachment 1719801
Sorry for poor quality but brother just quick copied slide from his phone. Can do better quality. I'll check on getting copy of builders plaque but was unable to research any ships name/history from it. Have another slide of another wreck we dove there but it's mostly underwater and older steamer. Was a cool dive. Bob

Those are some Really cool and interesting shots!, Thanks for Sharing it!. better quality photos And/or extra photos are very welcome, Regarding this wreck on the photos, I identify her as the Greek MV Fotini D.E She was built in 1970 By The Japanese shipyard Hakodate Dock Co. Ltd. With a Tonnage of 11169 Tonnes and a Cruising speed of 14.5 Knots Built for Fillipino owners and Named Motorvessel Dona Hortencia, After sailing three years sold In 1973 to Greek owners. Renamed and reflagged MV Fotini D.E..
On 23 July 1985 Whilst sailing in ballast From La Guaira to the Us Gulf The Motorship Ran Aground at the Bajo Nuevo Reef located in the Caribbean Sea, Regarding the other Wreck/s Photos and info would also be interesting for me!

 

[lukdiver]

Bajo Nuevo wrecks.

Excellent. Someone obviously started a fire in her engine-room after grounding as she's burned out pretty well. I'll work on better pics. The other wreck close by is mostly u/w and unable to ID. Early steamer with large 3-triple expansion steam engine. Great dive. She's fairly large, maybe 2000tons+.
Plaque: Ship Building No. 431

Jan. 1970 Hakodate Dock Co. Ltd. Japan Hakodate Shipyard

 

[lukdiver]

She's much worse for wear since we were there in Nov. 1986 (app. a year after her running aground) according to this photo ( FOTINI D.E. - IMO 7000310 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker ). Also read Hurricane Felix (Category 5) did a direct hit on Serrana Bank in 2011 and quite likely damaged her even further? along with effects from Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

 

[Dirkhartman]

Excellent. Someone obviously started a fire in her engine-room after grounding as she's burned out pretty well. I'll work on better pics. The other wreck close by is mostly u/w and unable to ID. Early steamer with large 3-triple expansion steam engine. Great dive. She's fairly large, maybe 2000tons+.
Plaque: Ship Building No. 431

Jan. 1970 Hakodate Dock Co. Ltd. Japan Hakodate Shipyard

Thanks Bob for the Awesome photos Of this bulker the one taken on deck looks really nice, Indeed most likely the wreck has not really much time left Hurricanes are a real killer for these wrecks, Most probably The wreck was lit/Shot on fire in the 80s to Reduce Fuel/Bilge Pollution to the Corall reefs, What parts of the Steamer were visible above water? Only the Expansion engine or also like part of bridge/bow/stern Also a very interesting wreck, She Could be The SS. St Nicholas A Liberian Steam Tramper wich wrecked 1.5 Miles From the Greek Bulker She had a Tonnage of 2873 Tonnes (Wich fits your description) And said to be equiped with a 1x4 Cyl Steam Compound Engine But ofcourse if you have any photos of her we can verify its her Waiting for your response
Kind Regards , Dirk

 

[Dirkhartman]

She's much worse for wear since we were there in Nov. 1986 (app. a year after her running aground) according to this photo ( FOTINI D.E. - IMO 7000310 - ShipSpotting.com - Ship Photos and Ship Tracker ). Also read Hurricane Felix (Category 5) did a direct hit on Serrana Bank in 2011 and quite likely damaged her even further? along with effects from Hurricane Mitch in 1998.

Thanks ! The bridge is now completely Collapsed. Think the fire weakened the steel of the bridge

 

[lukdiver]

Yes likely the SS St. Nicholas is that other wreck and have a photo of her with just bow showing (I'll work on getting better pic as they are 35mm slides, vessel to right of partially submerged bow is Fortini). Was pretty detiorated and brother guesses out of the '20s' or '30's and tramp steamer fits also. Have some u/w pics with steam engine in background and I'll see if I can determine if triple-expansion engine or 4-cyl. Was a pretty dive and a #80+ jewfish hanging about was intimidating....the engine-room fire on MV Fotini makes scense in that they'd be trying to consume bunker oil(?) to avoid a spill.

 

[Dirkhartman]

Yes likely the SS St. Nicholas is that other wreck and have a photo of her with just bow showing (I'll work on getting better pic as they are 35mm slides, vessel to right of partially submerged bow is Fortini). Was pretty detiorated and brother guesses out of the '20s' or '30's and tramp steamer fits also. Have some u/w pics with steam engine in background and I'll see if I can determine if triple-expansion engine or 4-cyl. Was a pretty dive and a #80+ jewfish hanging about was intimidating....the engine-room fire on MV Fotini makes scense in that they'd be trying to consume bunker oil(?) to avoid a spill.

It happens very often with wrecks on remote/unsalvageble locations They Just burn of all pollutants,The Liberian steamship St. Nicholas, Was built by Deutsche Werft A. G., Betrieb Finkenwärder in 1943 As SS Kronenfels Taken over by the british and (To Compensate war losses?) Renamed Empire Roden Sold and Later Reflagged To American Flag And Named SS Florida Sword Again Sold And under Liberian Flag SS Cheyene And Finaly SS St Nicholas
on a voyage from Galveston to Colombia in 1958 carrying a cargo of wheat, She ran aground at Bajo Nuevo, SW of Kingston, Jamaica. Salvage efforts abandoned in September 1958, And she was declared a total loss, Cool shot ! Thanks for Trying to get these pics in better quality, The Steam Whistle you got that one from the SS St Nicholas

Kind Regards Dirk

The SS St Nicholas as SS Florida Sword

 

[lukdiver]

Nice info..... The steam-whistle/masthead running light/builders plaque all from Fotini. At time she was accessible via climbing anchor-chain and going thru hause pipe. We were younger then. Didn't score any artifacts on St. Nicholas which is unusual for us so think she was 'salvaged'?

 

[Dirkhartman]

Nice info..... The steam-whistle/masthead running light/builders plaque all from Fotini. At time she was accessible via climbing anchor-chain and going thru hause pipe. We were younger then. Didn't score any artifacts on St. Nicholas which is unusual for us so think she was 'salvaged'?

That Must have been a very high and dangerous climb!! haha She is very high on the reef,Looks like you guys were the first onboard after the accident Lucky!. Did you try to get inside of the accomodation?. before the wreck of the St Nicholas succumbed to the Sea she was Most probably already stripped to the steel. Did you try to get inside of the accomodation? And how about the wrecks on Seranilla?

Dirk

 

[lukdiver]

Was 35 yrs ago and we were a bit younger. Another 'adventure' (involving heights) was in the Bahamas I'll PM you.... bridge was stripped so we were definetly not first aboard as Jamaican fisherman had been there. Main superstructure was intact but stripped and engine room a burned-out 'black-hole'. Stopped at Serranilla Bank on another trip to Panama and cruised outside reef looking for ballast piles. Spotted numerous anchors (shrimpboats & old ship-style). Visit was cut short when we got down to South Cay(Beacon Cay?) and interaction with Columbian soldiers didn't go very well. Hard to converse with someone when they are pointing a BIG machine-gun at you and popping rounds over your head to make their point. Little did I know Pres. Reagan had given up our sovereign rights which soldier kept insisting and I said 'joint juristiction'. We never went back.

 

[Dirkhartman]

Sounds Awesome Waiting for your message, seems like the Fisherman were not that interested in Copper artifacts. So No visible steel wrecks on seranilla banks?. Lucky you did not get shot by these guys! Indeed not worth dying for haha.

 

[lukdiver]

No visible above-water wrecks at Serranilla Reef. Actually quite a bit of SR wrecks here (archives) but all in reference to expeditions for the 1605 Spanish Fleet and their treasure.

 

[lukdiver]

As per our PM I'll post pic of wreck at Hogsty Reef, Southern Bahamas. As you said Liberty Ship blt 1943 as Richmond P. Hobson and lost as SS Trebisjnica July 17, 1963. I'd guess a Victory(steam turbine) as pic seems she's larger than the C-3 (compound steam engine) Jacob Luckenbach (lost 1953 outside the Golden Gate, SF) we Tech dove numerous times.

 

[Dirkhartman]

As per our PM I'll post pic of wreck at Hogsty Reef, Southern Bahamas. As you said Liberty Ship blt 1943 as Richmond P. Hobson and lost as SS Trebisjnica July 17, 1963. I'd guess a Victory(steam turbine) as pic seems she's larger than the C-3 (compound steam engine) Jacob Luckenbach (lost 1953 outside the Golden Gate, SF) we Tech dove numerous times.

That Must have been a really awesome dive the jakob luchenbach is a fine looking vessel!, At First sight she (the wreck ) really looks like a Liberty, But ofcourse it can be possible it is a Victory Ship, Note: In the Sixties it was common for shipowners to Lengthen their already outdated Liberty's To make carrying more freight possible so that can also be a possibility, But with a victory, is also some trouble in comparison because on the wreck photo 4 mast post are missing and funnel seems to be lower, Waiting for your reply, Btw This photo looks great Good Quality would be awesome,
Added some photos so have a look and give your opinion
Kind Regards Dirk

Comparison
SS Nuevo Esperanza In England