Tuesday, April 22, 2008

Dive Trip - Turtle Wreck

We're going diving on next month to turtle wreck aka igara. It's been more than a year since our last dive in Cebu where I got seriously stung by a jelly fish. We'll be staying on a live onboard and it'll be the first time i ever tried staying on one. Heard some bad things about the place already but am just glad to be diving and taking a break :D

Here is more info on the boat we'll be on: The Bintang Explorer

Wooden hull with fiberglass top. Twin engine ( 250 hp V8 ) cruising at 10 knots. Year build: 1999

Length: 75 feet Beam: 15 feet Fuel: 7,000 liters Water: 10,000 liters


Equipment on board: Long & short range radios, GPS, VCD & TV, Depth sounder, Phone patch, First aid & medical kit, O2 kit, E6 processor, Film scanner, Tender boat, Bauer compressor, 30 tanks, Weights (without belts)

Sleeps 20 pax in aircon cabin with privacy curtains on each bunk, 3 showers/toilet (cold water only), diving platform. 3 main meals a day, Chinese cooking. No pork. Free flow of coffee, tea, drinking water (water dispenser), biscuits,

Here is more info and the WIKI

Info on the Igara

At the time of her sinking the IGARA was the largest ever single marine insurance loss in maritime history.

Valued at over 25M USD loaded with 127,718 tonnes of Brazilian Iron Ore the 136,400 dwt Italian ore/oil steamship Igara was on voyage from Vitoria to Muroran when after pasing through the Sunda Strait, she struck an unchartered rock in the South China sea about 190 miles from Horsborough Lighthouse, off Mendarik Island, on March 11th 1973. However she did not sink immediately but continued her voyage until her bow settled submered and resting on the sea bottom in 120feet of water about 70 miles from Singapore. She settled with her entire stern section sticking out of the water. The following day 27 of the 38 man crew abandoned ship being picked up in their lifeboats by passing vessels. The master and 10 crew stayed on board until March 19th when she began to break across hold no.1. Salvors used explosives to cut through the ship at hold no. 1 and the entire rear section of the ship was towed to Japan where a new forward section was attached and she was renamed the ERACLIDE.

When you dive the Igara just consider that what you are seeing is only half the original ship! DrMike

Name

Igara (Bow Section)

Type

S Oil/Ore Carrier

Flag

Italian

Position Quality

Precisely known

Date Sunk

12/03/1973

Last Amended

22/08/2000

Orientation

060/240

General Depth

38 msw

Least Depth

11.0 msw

Length

297.2 m

Beam

40.8 m

Draught

22.3 m

Tonnage

72741

Cargo

127718 Tons Iron Ore

Comments

Upright, Bow Sw.

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