The Colona IV was a dive charter boat which was one of the first safari dive boats to operate out of Hurghada. Owned by Freddy Storheil, she was a 21-meter, steel hulled vessel built in Holland, with twin screws, fully equipped for live-aboard diving safaris.
In late April of 1995, during heavy weather, the Colona IV struck the reef at Sha’abrur Umm Gamar (position 27°21’55″N; 34°54’55″E) north of Hurghada and sank. The vessel settled on the bottom in 66 meters of water.
Diving Information
The wreck lies on the eastern side of the Sha’abrur Umm Gamar reef wall approximately halfway along the reef’s length. Lying on its starboard side, the boat is nearly complete and some dive penetration is possible. The wreck site is used for training for technical diving by the local dive operators.
3 Comments
Colona lV was not owned by Rudy Kneiph, but by me,Freddy Storheil.
She was skippered by a Sweden captain and hit the reef in the evening.
I believe you are correct. I was a member of a party of 12 that chartered this boat in December 1986. We sailed from Sharm and dived Ras, The two brother etc. One of our group removed stitches from the skipper’s face. If I remember correctly he’d been bitten by a grouper he was trying to photograph. Two other crew, young females also Scandinavian I think. Arriving at Ovda Airport (it may have been you) was searched to the point of having your toothpaste squeezed. Jenny iv was also working out of Sharm at the time. One very adventurous holiday where the boat almost came to grief. We were retrieving divers and the boat was drifting backwards and about to hit the reef. I shouted to the skipper and few people have ever moved quicker to get to the controls.
Colona IV was not built in Norway, but in Holland.
She operated out of Sharem and Eilat for 9 years