Tuesday, March 21

Browsing: Red Sea Wrecks – O

The Ottoman Trader is named for the remains of an ancient wooden vessel which has been dated to the 17th century lying at the base of a reef near Safaga Island in 40 meters of water. The Ottoman Empire lasted for just over 600 years, and at its height of power in the 1600’s, it spanned three continents and was made up of 29 provinces. Part of this empire included all of Egypt (conquered in 1517 by Sultan Selim), the Sinai Penninsula, part of the Sudan and the western shores of Saudi Arabia…basically all of the coasts of the Red Sea. The…

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The RFA Oligarch was originally built as the 6,897 GRT Steam Tanker S.S. British Lantern at Workman, Clark & Co., Ltd., Belfast, Ireland, for the British Shipping Controller (British Tanker Co., Ltd., managers), London. The ship was launched on 30 June 1918, completed on 01 August, and added the the Ministry of Shipping inventory on 10 August with a length of 430.1-feet, beam of 57-feet, and draught of 33-feet. Propulsion was provided by three 190PSI Scottish Boilers and a single triple-expansion engine (cylinder diameters: 27″, 45″, and 75″ witha 54″ stroke) provided by Workman & Clark, connected to a single shaft and propeller generating…

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The Olden was a bulk cargo ship of 30,510 GRT originally named Harmen Oldendorff built at Bremer Vulkan AG, Vegesack (Bremen), Germany, Yard No. 928, for the Egon Oldendorff Group. Launched in 1967, she was 213.9 meters in length and 31 meters in beam, with propulsion provided by diesel engines and a single shaft for a speed of 15.5 knots. In 1983 the ship was sold, renamed the Olden, and re-registered in Panama. On 31 January 1987, after clearing the Suez Canal, the Olden struck a reef on 02 February and subsequently sank at position 27.31.12N/34.17.6E in over 1000 meters of water References: Miramar Single Ship Reports…

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The Oil Rig is a relatively new dive site located just north to the north of Bluff Point. A past sonar sidescan survey (SSS) of the Gulf of Suez showed an area with strange wreckage on the bottom and a circular depression approximately 2-meters deep. Subsequently exploration by divers located winches, ventilation cowls, ladders, mooring cleats, and other items covering a large area. However, no wreck was ever located. One possible explanation for all of the wreckage was given as follows: “The American jack up drilling barge Gemini was damaged while drilling of Ras Shukier. The sea bed collapsed under one of the legs…

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