ss exmouth The best offshore site

  SS EXMOOR Sistership to EXMOUTH

SS Exmouth lies over 44 nautical Miles from Eyemouth into the North Sea, and is not a Dive for the inexperienced, but if you are capable of Diving to 50 metres and are happy to travel 3-4 hoursout to Sea to get there she is probably the best Dive on the East Coast. Lying in general Depths of 55-58 metres with the Deck at 50 metres and the Bridge at 39-45m she is maybe just in air diving range, although using Mixed gas is a safer and more sensible option.

SS Exmouth was a 330feet long 4800 ton Cargo Vessel designed and built at Hog Island USA, there were 2 designs one a Cargo Ship and he other a Carg&Passenger Ship. Known as 'Hog Islanders, thet were the WW1 forerunner of the WW2 Liberty Ships, intended to be mass produced to move War Supplies to Europe built in 1919 too late for War use she was finally finished in in 1920 and operated by American Export Lines on the New York to Mediterranean run until the start of WW2 when she was then used to Transport War Supplies across the Atlantic. After delivering war supplies in July 1944 to support the Invasion of Europe she left Southend in Convoy back up the East Coast to Methil in the Firth of Forth, where she would then Convoy round theNorth of Scotland to Loch Ewe to form up in a Convoy to return to New York.

Protecting the Entrance to the Forth were several Large Minefields which claimed more allied Ships than German ones,(although there is a yet umidentified Type VII U-Boat which was a victim of this Minefield in 1945) in 1942 HMS St Briac was lost in this Field, and in 1945 HMS Rockingham was also lost. and on the 31st July SS Exmouth, probably due to a Navigation Error, entered the Minefield struck two mines and sank with no loss of life. There she lay forgotten until found by TEC Divers and Marinequest in 2008.

  Portholes and Porcelain Washbowl on the Bridge of Exmouth - Copyright Shane Wasik

She lies upright with a list to Starboard on a sandy Seabed and the Bow has snapped off and damage can be seen foward of the Bridge but she is remarkably intact and untouched by Divers, there are Portholes lying everywhere,and ion the Bridge the Brass Helm, Telegraph and Compass Binnacle can still be found along with Radio equipment and lots of Crockery marked 'American Export Line'. She is well armed with two 20mm cannon still in their mountings on the Bridge Deck, 3 Guns at the Bow and 2 at the Stern...visibilty this far offshore is excellent we had vis exceeding 40metres and ambient Light at 58metres.

  Jer Cameron and Neil Masson with Crockery marked American Export Lines which finally ID'd the Wreck

Lots of Life on this Wreck and apart from some old net around the guns no real hazards apart from the Depth and some unstable structure to catch the unwary in the inky black Engine Room. When Diving this far offshore I strongly advise a return to the Shotline to ascend, and a the use of a Deco Station to enable the Boat to cover all Divers in safety. I would not be happy using a DSMB this far offshore if the weather deteriorated...next stop Norway!

If you want to Dive her contact Iain and Jim Easingwood at MarineQuest

Click these Links for more Info and Images

DIVER magazine Article - Shane Wasik

BERWICKSHIRE NEWS STORY

  PLEASE NOTE ALL TEXT AND IMAGES ARE COPYRIGHT OF STEVIE ADAMS, SHANE WASIK AND TEC DIVERS