Titan America

The wrecks we visit with Capt. Rick

(Under construction)


Some of the many wrecks that Captain Younger takes us to are:

SAETIA: Also known locally as one of the "twin wrecks". Freighter - Built: 1918. Sunk: November 9, 1918. Gross tonnage: 2,873. Dimensions: 322 feet long by 48 foot beam. This ship was sunk by a mine layed by the famous U-117. It lays near the upside bow section of what is believed to be the Oklahoma, a tanker, that is the other ship of the twin wrecks.

CHEROKEE: Also known locally as the "Gunboat" because of the deck gun mounted on the bow before it was established that she was the Cherokee . U.S. Navy tugboat that foundered in a summer storm. Built: 1891. Sank: 1918. Length: 120 ft. Depth: 100 ft. Sits upright in the sand. This wreck is best accessable from Indian River Inlet.

MOONSTONE: WWII patrol craft which sank due to collision with the USS Greer (DD-145) October 15, 1943. Built: 1929. Length: 171 ft. Depth: 130 ft. The Moonstone was orignially commissioned the Lone Star, a luxury steel-hulled motor yacht built in Germany and sold to the U.S. Navy in 1941. This is the most intact of the deeper wrecks out of Indian River and a very popular dive site. She sits upright in the sand and the engine room can be carefully accessed through the gash cleaved by the Greer. The 3-inch deck gun is the most awesome landmark and fell off in the winter of '97/'98 during a net dragging. Most of the depth charges still sit in their racks on the fantail.

CHINA WRECK: Name unknown. Wooden schooner designated the "China Wreck" because of the cargo of English chinaware she was carrying. Appears to have burned and sank between 1867 and 1878 from research in dating the china (Gary Gentile incorrectly states it circa 1876, a transposition typo'). Discovered in 1970 during routine hydrographic survey. Length: 135 ft. Depth: 45 ft. Has offered up literally thousands of pieces of china to avid recreational divers over the years. In spite of the shallow depth, this is not a novice dive due to the heavy current and usually low visibility. This wreck is best accessable from Indian River Inlet.

MANHATTAN: Passenger-freighter which sank in collision with the schooner Agnes Manning. Built: 1879. Sank: 1889. Length: 228 ft. Depth: 90 ft. Most of the wreck is flat to the bottom with the hull plates collapsed outward. Two big anchors remain at the bow with the engines and boilers obvious and squares of the cargo holds clearly discernible. A good digging wreck as well as a good lobster wreck. We've seen a ship's lantern, women's high top leather shoes, mantle clock and lots of other goodies come up in recent years.

NINA: Iron hulled U.S. Navy tug which foundered at sea. Built: 1865. Sunk: 1910. Length: 137 ft. Depth: 80 ft. A favorite digging wreck continuing to produce many artifacts for the diligent salvage hound. Good "bug" catchers can usually find a lobster if they try. The ribs of the bow are very apparent and are of good relief. Take care with the stern section, as a fishing trawler dropped its net over it in 1994.

WASHINGTONIAN: Freighter carrying cargo of sugar from Honolulu. Sank in a collision with the Elizabeth Palmer. Built: 1914. Sank: 1915. Length: 407 ft. Depth: 100 ft. Highest relief is 20 ft., lies upside down, a mass of large broken hull plates. You can swim right through the bow section which is a hang out for large schools of fish. A favorite lobster wreck, especially on night dives.

ELIZABETH PALMER: Wooden five-masted schooner, one of the largest American sailing vessels of her time. Sank in collision with the Washingtonian. Built: 1903. Sank: 1915. Length: 300 ft. Depth: 90 ft. Long rows of low lying ribs with good hiding places for lobster and tautog.

JAKE'S: Unknown broken up wooden wreck. Depth: 70 ft. A favorite second dive site for many charters. The major underwater landmark is a large anchor and chainpile which frequently provide a hiding place for large lobsters. Home to many varieties of fish.

WENDY'S: Unknown wooden wreck with extensive ribs of varying size. A large spread out wreck. Depth: 105 ft. A favorite bug wreck.

H BUOY: Also known as "Sandy's Anchor Wreck" and "H Bar". Large broken up unidentified wooden wreck. The bow section lies low to the sand with the anchor and chain identifying it. The stern section has 10 ft.+ relief with lots of cubby holes for lobsters. Depth: 85 ft.

FENWICK SHOALS: Home to several broken up low lying wrecks with boilers present on both the inner and outer sites. Inner Fenwick depth: 35 ft. Outer Fenwick depth: 25 ft. The Thresham and the Brinkburn are rumored to be two of the overlapping wrecks on the shoals. Local instructors do open water check-out dives there. There can be a stiff current and there is virtually always a surge, sometimes quite strong. Most of the wreck is covered by bright yellow encrusting sponge and myriad starfish. On good visibility days, divers can be seen on the bottom from the surface. Among the many inhabitants of the shoals are stingrays, tautog, sea bass, trigger fish, butterfly fish, puffer fish and the occasional stargazer or turtle.

HVOSLEF: Freighter torpedoed by U-94 March 10, 1942. Built: 1927. Length: 255 ft. Depth: 140 ft. The Hvoslef was carrying sugar from Spain to Boston when she was struck by 2 torpedoes. The ship sank in 2 minutes. The bow is the most intact part of the wreck. The midships is open, exposing the engine and boilers, and the stern breaks down into the sand. Portholes and other nautical treasures are still being found by diligent salvage hounds. Lobster and tautog are among the inhabitants.

JACOB JONES: Destroyer torpedoed by the U- 578 on February 28, 1942. Built: 1919. Length: 314 ft. Depth: 120 ft. The Jacob Jones is basically plastered all over the sea-bed. There are several sections, the largest being the mid-ship section consisting of boilers, engine and associated stern wreckage. The mid-ship torpedo tubes lie atop the mass of debris with the torpedoes still inside. Gun shells are commonly recovered from the site.

NORTHERN PACIFIC: Passenger liner destroyed by fire February 8, 1992. Built: 1915. Length: 509 ft. Depth: 150 ft. The Northern Pacific's upside down hull is almost perfectly intact, although several broad breaks allow access to the interior including the engine room. The port side is ripped outward exposing portholes, many of which lie loose in the sand. Large lobsters are found in the debris field that extends out into the sand.

CITY OF GEORGETOWN: Four-masted schooner which sank in a collison with the USS Prinz Oskar on February 2, 1913. Built: 1902. Length: 168 ft. Depth: 110 ft. Largely sanded in, with wooden beams and ribs sticking out five feet or less from the bottom.

CITY OF ATHENS: Passenger-freighter which sank in a collision with the French cruiser La Gloire in the wee hours of the morning on May 1, 1918 with 67 lives lost. Built: 1911. Length: 309 ft. Depth: 110 ft. Also known as the "Ammo Wreck" because of the vast quantities of 8 mm LaBelle cartridges recovered regularly by divers. These were part of the cargo. This is a fantastic digging wreck with not only thousands of bullets recovered, mostly from cases broken up on the port side near the bow, but also large quantities of pharmaceutical bottles, some still with contents and corks intact. The nicest piece we've seen come up was a sterling silver gentleman's pocket watch. Just forward of the engines is the place to dig for assorted glassware and china. This wreck is best accessable from Indian River Inlet.

CLEOPATRA: Passenger-freighter carrying a cargo of cotton which sank in a collision with the Crystal Wave on October 29, 1889. Built: 1865. Length: 184 ft. Depth: 100 ft. Generally dived in conjunction with the City of Athens on the way back to the dock. This wreck is best accessable from Indian River Inlet.

CRYSTAL WAVE: Sidewheel excursion steamer sunk in a collision with the Cleopatra on October 29, 1889. Built: 1874. Gross tonnage: 777. Length: 203 ft. Beam: 22. Depth: 100 ft.

SAN GIL: A freighter carrying bananas which was torpedoed to her watery grave by the U-103 on February 4, 1942. Built: 1920. Length: 325 ft. Depth: 140 ft. Although some sections are broken up, the main wreckage is pretty much in one piece with a list to the starboard side.

DRY DOCKS: Five different large sets of dry-docks were scuttled at different locations and depths to the sand of 130-140 ft. The top of the docks can usually be reached at 100-110 ft. They are home to large pelagic schools, huge starfish, anemones, mussels and lobsters. They are located in the general vicinity of the Moonstone and other wrecks out of Indian River.

POSEIDON: Freighter which sank in a collision with the SS Somerset July 31, 1918. Built: 1914. Length: 295 ft. Depth: 90 ft. Also known as the "Little Oiler". The bow is recognizable, a good hide-out for large lobsters, but most of the wreck consists of overlapping steel hull plates which lie flat to the sand.

JENNIFER'S: Unknown wooden wreck, mostly large ribs. Depth: 80 ft. A favorite site for lobster. Also known as the "Bingo" wreck.

KING COBRA: Steel-hulled tug which foundered in a winter storm. Built: 1887. Sank: 1979. Length: 67 ft. Depth: 45 ft. Intact and upright in the sand near the mouth of the Delaware Bay. Home to some large tautog. Ripping current. Usually dived in conjunction with the China Wreck. This wreck is best accessable from Indian River Inlet.

PATTY'S PITCHER: Unidentified wooden wreck generally thought of as a good lobster wreck. Depth: 105 ft.

S.S. Ethyl-C,


Many more will be added to this page.

For more detailed information, See The Ships We Dive


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