Anglo African:
A 4,186 ton freighter sunk in 25 fsw after being stranded on
Cape Charles on January 5, 1909. Although seldom dived because
of the usually less than favorable conditions near the Cape,
this can be a very interesting wreck.
Buarque, : A 5,152 ton passenger
freighter sunk in 250 fsw after being torpedoed on Feb. 15, 1942.
This is an extremely interesting wreck and has only been dived
a few times.
Chenango: A
wreck believed to be the Chenango lies upside down in 140 fsw
just south of the Virginia / North Carolina border. The wreck
is broken into two sections. The stern section is mostly intact.
The prop has been salvaged. The forward section is broken down
with little relief. This wreck is infrequently dived and deserves
further exploration.
Chilore: 8,310
ton ore carrier torpedoed by the U-576 off Cape Hatteras, then
struck an allied mine, and finally foundered in 60 fsw near the
mouth of the Chesapeake Bay while under tow. The wreck was a
hazard to navigation and subsequently reduced to an enormous
pile of rubble. The Chilore is seldom dived.
U.S.C.G.
Cuyahoga,:
320 ton USCG Cutter that sank after colliding with the 12,762
ton MV Santa Cruz II near Smith Point, Va. on October 20, 1978.
Eleven men lost their lives in the collision. The Cuyahoga was
raised and later sunk in 120 fsw as an artificial reef. The wreck
is upright, intact and interesting to explore.
Ethel C: 2,847
ton freighter sunk in 190 fsw on April 16, 1960 after it's cargo
of scrape iron shifted while enroute from New York to Newport
News, Va. The wreck is upright, intact, and visually spectactular.
There are three levels of superstructure amidships. The navigation
bridge rises to 140 fsw. The engine room is located in the stern
and is now accessible through the skylight, which collapsed sometime
during the winter of 1994/1995. As of October 1995, many of the
portholes in the stern superstructure were still there. Because
the amidships section is so interesting, the stern is explored
less frequently. There are still many interesting artifacts to
recover.
S.S. Eureka,: 3,531
ton four masted steam schooner sunk in 115 fsw after colliding
with the British steamer Benison on May 6, 1888. The Eureka was
enroute from New York to New Orleans with a cargo of general
merchandise. Some of the artifacts recovered include porcelain
dolls, miniture sets of china, numerous types of bottles, steam
gauges, deadeyes, portholes, a small bell, a pewter lantern,
a gold pocket watch, and an ornate capstan cover. This is a fascinating
wreck!
Francis E. Powell:
7,140 ton tanker torpedoed by the U-130 on January 27, 1942.
The wreck is broken into at least two sections. The stern section
is off of Parramore Island in 90 fsw. The section frequently
dived off of Virginia Beach in 90 fsw is almost unrecognizable
as either the bow or midship section. If, in fact, the wreck
is in more than two sections, one section remains to be found.
Frankfurt: 5,210
ton German light crusier that was one of eleven ex-German warships
sunk as targets off of the Virginia coast after WWI. Although
the Frankfurt is in 420 fsw, divers have explored it's upright,
intact, visually spectacular remains on several occasions.
John Morgan,: (Photo is of
a similar Liberty Ship) 7,176 ton Liberty ship sunk in 110 fsw
on it's maiden voyage on June 1, 1943 after colliding with the
SS Montana. The John Morgan was loaded with lend-lease cargo
which included trucks, motorcycles, P-39 airplanes, 10 Valentine
tanks and tons of assorted weapons. This is one of the most interesting
wrecks off of the Virginia coast to explore. For more information
about Liberty Ships be sure to look at the John Brown in Baltimore,
Maryland.
Kingston Ceylonite:
448 ton British Armed Trawler sunk in 60 fsw on June 15, 1942
after striking a mine layed by the U-701. Although largely broken
up, this is an interesting dive.
Lillian
Luckenbach,: 6,369 ton freighter
sunk in 105 fsw on March 27, 1943 after colliding with SS Cape
Henlopen. The wreck lies on it's port side. The bow and stern
are recognizably intact, the amidships section is more broken
down. The superstructure is scattered in the sand. This a very
interesting wreck but often overlooked in favor of the nearby
John Morgan.
Merida: 6,207
ton passenger freighter sunk in 210 fsw on May 12, 1911 after
colliding the SS Admiral Farragut. The Merida is rumored to have
gone down with a significant amount of silver and copper. Over
the years there have been numerous attempts to recover treasure,
one reportedly dating back to 1917. If any of the attempts were
successful, it was kept quiet. In recent years, with sport divers
venturing ever deeper, the Merida is easily accessible but seldom
dived.
S.S.
Ocean Venture,: 7,174 ton freighter
sunk in 160' after being torpedoed by the U-108 on February 8,
1942. The hull is basically upright, the stern is listing to
port. The engine and boilers are most impressive. The bridge
is upside down just off of the port side. The helm, telegraph,
numerous portholes, and many other artifacts have been recovered.
The Ocean Venture is one of the best dives off of the Virginia
coast.
Santore: 7,117
ton bulk cargo carrier sunk in 60 fsw after striking a mine layed
by the U-701 on June 17, 1942. The starboard gunwale was awash
after sinking and subsequently the wreck was reduced to an enormous
pile of debris. Although there is little resemblance to a ship,
the Santore is frequently dived. Interestingly, the helm was
recovered only a couple of years ago by Mike Boyle and Lynn Castaganola.
Tiger: 5,992
ton tanker sunk in 60 fsw after being torpedoed by the U-754
on April 1, 1942. Except for the point of the bow, there is very
little that remains recognizable as a ship. However, the Tiger
typically has good conditions and is a popular inshore site,
particularly for new divers and students.
William D. Sanner:
260 ton Maryland Pilot Boat sunk in 60 fsw after colliding with
the British freighter Levernbank on December 1, 1938 just inside
the entrance to the Chesapeake Bay. Prior to being a Pilot Boat,
the William D. Sanner was the luxury yacht Carmina. Many interesting
artifacts have been recovered including the helm, two telegraphs
and numerous portholes. Although the conditions are generally
not great, this is a great dive.
Winthrop,: 189 ton
tug foundered in 60 fsw on July 20, 1920. The wreck is upright
and listing slightly to port. Many interesting artifacts have
been recovered from the wreck including the helm, portholes,
a sextant, a vintage camera, the builders plaque and one anchor.
Doxie Girl:
An intact clam boat that sank in 60 fsw during the 1970s. Although
frequently dived, the bell, complete with the clapper and davit,
was recovered by Dave Etchison.
Gulf Hustler:
Intact, upright commercial fishing vessel in 80 fsw.
Hanks: Intact
commercial fishing vessel in 70 fsw.
Ricks: Intact
commercial fishing vessel in 80 fsw.
A number of unknown wooden wrecks
Brass spike wreck
Fire Wreck
Mexicana
U-111
U-240
Benson and York