The thrill of discovering a new shipwreck has got to be one of the pinnacles of diving. Imagine the excitement of being the first one to explore a wreck site. Just think of all the gold, the gems, the treasure! Well, back in January divers from the Monterey Express did just that. They were the first people to dive Monterey's newest wreck. There was no treasure on board, but that did not diminish the thrill one bit.
The wreck lies in 50 to 70 feet of water off Chase Reef in Monterey Bay. This site is just east of the Point Pinos Lighthouse and about 200 yards offshore. The wreck is, unfortunately, not intact, and consists of a debris field covering some 50 by 100 yards.
This wreck is quite new judging from the limited amount of growth, and probably went down sometime around the first week in January 2000. The hull of the ship was fiberglass and was painted white and blue. I estimate the ship to be over 40, and perhaps as long as 50 feet, judging by the size of the pieces of hull we found.
Most of the debris is in a 30-to 50-foot area, that consists of large rocks with sand channels in between. Most of the wreckage sits on sand. The ship had two brass propellers, about 18 inches in diameter. They are still attached to their stainless steel drive shafts. Nearby are the engines and transmissions, surrounded by a ball of wire and cables. Two large batteries are also located near the engines. There are quite a few pieces of stainless steel parts lying about: a small kitchen sink, rigging, railing, and what looks like it could have been fishing gear. Radios and other electronic devices are buried in the sand.
There is a large sand channel that runs northwest from the primary debris field for another 100 yards. Pieces of fiberglass are strewn along this channel&emdash;several are as large as large as eight by four feet. The stern portion of the hull is intact and measures approximately 10 by 20 feet, and the transom is pinned beneath the hull.
I spent a great deal of time researching the name and history of the vessel. Monterey newspapers described several accounts of ships either sinking or nearly sinking in the early part of January, but none matched the description or location of the wreck at Point Pinos. I spoke with the Monterey Harbor Master, Monterey Coast Guard Station and the Monterey County Sheriff's rescue team. None had any information about the wreck, and none knew there was a new wreck at this location.
If anyone knows the name of the vessel or details of the sinking, they should contact the U.S Coast Guard Station, Monterey 831-647-7303.
Bruce Watkins is a frequent contributor to California Diving News. He will be giving seminars at SCUBA Show 2000, June 3 & 4 at the Long Beach Convention Center. And he is author of the book A Diver's Guide to Monterey County and soon to be released book A Diver's Guide to Northern California.
