Belfast Lough Wreck List
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Vessel Type:

Armed Cargo Liner

Location:Co. Antrim
Date of Loss:28th December 1917Place:Blackhead, Belfast Lough
Cause of Loss:MinedBoat Dive from:Whitehead or Groomsport
Charted Depth:28mIrish O.S. Map:Discovery Series No. 15
Height of Wreck:12mAdmiralty Chart No:1753
Hull Material:SteelLatitude (GPS):54° 45' 56.58" North
Type of Seabed:Gravel and sandLongitude (GPS):05° 40' 43.56" West
Average Visibility:8 - 10mConvert Lat. & Long. to -Decimal - CLICK HERE
Image available?Yes - see below Diving Experience:Experienced
 
Diving Information:
  • Wreck is virtually intact, although superstructure is gone, lying on her starboard side in a North-West - South-East direction.
  • 16m to the hand rail, 28m to the bottom.
  • Stacks of fish about her. Covered in anemones etc.
  • Boats can be easily launched at the White Head slip during the High Water period (2 hours before and after High Water).
  • The slip is left exposed at low water.
  • Advisable to dive 1 to 1.5 hours before High Water Belfast, as the current is quite strong.
  • Most spectacular when dived with neap tides, as the amount of silt is reduced.
 
Historical Information:
  • Built by Workman Clark of Belfast, she was acquired by Elders & Fyffes in 1906, as part of their fleet used in the banana trade between Jamaica and Avonmouth.
  • She was powered by a 3 cylinder triple-expansion engine, giving her a speed of 13 knots.
  • She measured 374.3 x 47.8 x 29.5ft wide and grossed 4,050 tons.
  • While outward-bound from Belfast, she struck a mine layed by UC-75 half a mile South East of Black Head lighthouse, and sank.
  • All on board were rescued.
  • Her screw was raised and landed at Bangor about 1970 by Karl Bialowas.
 

S.S. Chirripo

© Shipwrecks of World War 1 Revealed - 5th April 2016 - Argunners Magazine


 

S.S. Chirripo ?

subject to confirmation (could be SS Chirripo II)

© by kind permission of photoship web site


S.S. Chirripo ?

subject to confirmation

via email from Tom Watson

All external copyright respectfully acknowledged


S.S. Chirripo ?

By kind permission of David Mounsey

 
Source Publications:
"Shipwreck Index of Ireland"
by
Richard & Bridget Larn
Lloyd's Register - Fairplay Ltd 2002 - ISBN: 1900839970
"Shipwrecks of the Irish Coast 932 - 1997"
by
Dr. Edward J. Bourke
Edward J. Bourke 1998 - ISBN: 0952302713
"Shipwrecks of the Ulster Coast"
by
Ian Wilson
Impact Printing 1997 - ISBN: 0948154993
"The White Ships"
by
R.M. Parsons
City of Bristol Museum 1982 - ISBN: 0900199172
"Underwater Ireland Guide to Irish Dive Sites"
by
Irish Underwater Council
CFT 1999 - ISBN: 0948283025
 

Other Sources:

Randal Armstrong
-
Castlereagh SAC (1985)
Vic Foster
-
Castlereagh SAC (1996)
UK Diving
-
Internet (1999)
Tom Watson
-
Sea Donkeys Dive Club (2007)
Gordon Leathem B.E.M.
-
From his private notebook (2008)


Belfast Lough Wreck List

Last update - 08-Jul-2020

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