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Source
: Divers network Magazine
Curiously,
the Dunraven is
not marked on any of the Admiralty charts for the
area, so her discovery was never one of "let’s go and check this out! "
One published account of the
Dunraven states that, in 1977, a German Geologist came across the
wreck whilst undertaking survey work for an oil company and, although
he passed on what little information he had collected to the owner of
a local Diving facility, his co-ordinates were so vague that the
vessel remained unexplored for at least another 2 years. Another
account, however, states that the Geologist in question was an
Israeli - but that man turned out to be a local diver who never found
the wreck. Yet another version suggests that this whole "geologist"
story was deliberately created to lessen the achievement of those who
claimed to have discovered the wreck.
What is fact, is that in
the early 1970’s, Howard Rosenstein formed Red Sea Divers and chose
Na’ama Bay on the Sinai Peninsular for his base. In 1977 he decided on
a course of action that would attract visitors away from more popular
destinations towards his corner of the Red Sea. His plan was embellish
history by deliberately inventing fictional connections with "Lawrence
of Arabia" and his fabled treasure ships. Howard had been influenced by
the newly released movie "The Deep" in which the wreck of the Rhone in
the British Virgin Islands is featured. Having started on this course
of action - all he needed now was a suitable shipwreck.
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Location: |
27° 42' 22" N, 34°
07' 02"E. South of Beacon Rock light on Sha’ab Mahmud |
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Access:
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Day or Safari boat
normally from Sharm El Sheikh, occasionally from Hurghada |
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Minimum Depth to
Wreck |
17m (upturned Bows) |
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Maximum Depth to
Seabed: |
32m (at Stern) |
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Average
Visibility: |
25-30m |
Later that same year, he
began to investigate some information given to him by local Bedouin
fishermen - after all, their directions were very easy to follow;
"There is a place out in the Gulf
in the direction of the setting sun, far from land and at least 3
cigarettes from Ras Mohammed. Here there is a reef which comes out from
the sea to break the surface at low tide. Go the end of this reef
coming from the south east."
In Howard’s own words; "We
broke out the charts and tried to sort this out - and from the various
hints and markings, we just guessed at the final spot. Jumping into the
water right on top of it (the wreck) was just a matter of luck. I had a
group of American divers led by Carl Roessler of Sea and Sea fame as
witnesses. I took a risk and it paid off."
The shipwreck they had discovered
was the Dunraven and whilst two more years would pass before she was
correctly identified, she was of a type of ship that entirely suited
his purposes, thus allowing him to elaborate on his Lawrence of
Arabia connection. Which was just great - because the next
development came from the BBC who wanted to make a programe about the
wreck. Naturally, whilst working on various theories about the ship’s
true identity, Howard deliberately stepped up his campaign about the
connection with the legendary Lawrence of Arabia. It seems that "El
Lawrence" used a number of different vessels to move valuable
treasures from Suez to Aqaba in order to finance the Arab rebellion
against the Turks. These ships were, apparently, the Differing,
Harding, M-31 and Suva - some of which were of a very similar design
to the Dunraven. It was not long, therefore, before rumours began to
circulate about the possibility of Divers having found one of
Lawrence’s lost treasure ships!
Now, almost 25 years
later, Howard Rosenstein is happy to admit that he deliberately
planted this notion of a connection with history - adding that,
whilst he was unaware of the true identity of his shipwreck, he also
knew that each of Lawrence’s ships were accounted for and that there
had never been any "lost treasure." His inventiveness, however, was a
vital tool in getting the required recognition for his corner of the
Red Sea - and, not only did it work, but the rest, as they say, is
history.
Eventually, of course,
everyone became aware that all the treasure ships in question had
been accounted for and any connection with Lawrence came to an end.
Even so, one fanciful rumour was quickly replaced by another when it
was suggested that the vessel might be a mysterious "Q" ship that had
been sent to the Middle East during WW1 on a secret mission - during
which the vessel is alleged to have disappeared! More great fiction
and doubtless enjoyed as the story ran.
It was not until November 1979,
however, that the name "Dunraven" was found engraved on some fine
porcelain and, whilst this initially led researchers in several
directions as they tried to determine precisely which Dunraven it
was, it was not long before the ship was finally - and correctly,
identified. Further confirmation was also obtained when Howard and
his divers cleaned off the lettering on the stern of the vessel using
a pneumatic wire brush. This operation can be seen in the resultant
BBC film "Mystery of the Red Sea Wreck" which was screened in late
1979 as part of the series "The World About Us" BBC researchers also
later confirmed the name.
And as if this discovery was not
enough in terms of a drama being played out on the seabed, all this
was going on at the same time as the Camp David Peace Process.
Having, therefore, invented a false but nevertheless intriguing
connection with one era of Arabian history, suddenly the shipwreck
actually became a small part of the regions modern history. This came
about when the U.S. Ambassador to Israel - Samuel Lewis, returned
from the Camp David talks and decided to participate in the film. It
was in this way that Howard Rosenstein was told - on film!, of the
decision to return the Sinai Peninsular to Egypt . Just as Howard was
to achieve the ultimate success and international media coverage for
his great discovery, he was being told he was about to lose his
life’s dreams and achievements.
The Ship
Built by Mitchell &
Company of Newcastle, the Dunraven was officially described as an
"Iron Screw Steamer - Planked" and launched in December 1873. She was
one of those relatively new breed of vessel - capable of being
powered by either sail or steam. A relatively large boat for her day,
she displaced 1,613 GRT and had a coal fired two cylinder compound
inverted engine - also built in Newcastle, by Messrs Humphrys and
Tennant. Capable of producing 140 nhp, the Dunraven had a top speed
of 8 knots (unladen). She was 79.6m long, 9.8m wide and had a draught
of 7.3m. The Dunraven was owned and operated by W. Milburn of London
and, after successful sea trials, was used on the Bombay run.
The Loss of
the Dunraven
In January 1876, 27 year
old Captain Edward Richards Care supervised the loading of his ship
in Liverpool. It was a general cargo which included timber and steel
for India’s fledgling heavy industrial ambitions. The trip out to
Bombay was without incident and by the end of March they were loading
the Dunraven for the return leg. Eventually, the Dunraven left Bombay
on 6th April 1876 loaded with what was later described as
a "valuable general cargo bound for Liverpool." The ship had a
compliment of 25.
She made good time across
the Indian Ocean. After a brief stop at Aden for coal, she continued
on and up through the Red Sea. On the 24th April, the
ship’s log records "weather fine and clear, wind light, water smooth,
no sail set, vessel proceeding at full speed of 6½ knots." At 1am the
next morning the Second Mate saw high land right ahead and took this
to be Shadwan Island. Fifty minutes later he then saw a light which
he took to be Ashrafi Light - up in the Straits of Gobal, the Master
was on the Bridge throughout this time and did not question either
the sightings or their identification. The Second Mate described the
light as a "bright fixed light" although he later changed this.
Curiously, although the Master also saw the light, the man at the
wheel did not.
At 2.15am, the Master
went below leaving orders to be called in one hour but at 2.40am the
light was lost to view - as though it had simply gone out. Once again
the later evidence of the Second Mate becomes confusing as he gives
his evidence to the Enquiry. Firstly, he stated that he called the
Master as soon as he lost sight of the light but later changed this
to having called the Master sometime between 3.30 and 3.40 am - thus
admitting he had failed to follow orders.
When Captain Care did
arrive on deck, however, land was plain to see some 6 or 7 miles off
the starboard side - in a northerly direction. It was now 3.40am and
he immediately altered course 2 points to starboard and curiously,
therefore, closer to that land. Ten minutes later the look-out saw a
large dark object in the water which he thought to be a buoy and
called this out to the Bridge - but got no reply. At same instant,
however, the Second Mate also saw the object but, thinking it was a
boat, only casually reported this to the Master. Care immediately
ordered the engines be stopped but before this could happen the
Dunraven struck hard and the rocks immediately penetrated the fore
compartment.
The steam pumps were
immediately set to work and a fruitless attempt was made to heave her
off by means of a kedge anchor. By 7am, the water reached the engine
room and put out the fires. By midday the starboard side of the upper
deck was under water and the Master and crew took to the lifeboats.
They remained with their doomed vessel and at 4pm an Arab Dhow came
alongside and took the shipwrecked mariners on board. It was only at
this time that the Master of the Dunraven was made aware if his
actual position - off the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsular.
At 5 pm, the Dunraven
slipped off the reef and sank in 15 fathoms (27m) of water. For three
days the Dhow lay at anchor over the Dunraven until Captain Care and
his crew were transferred to the passing Italian steamer "Arabia"
which conveyed them to Suez. The Peninsular and Orient steamer "Malwa"
later transported them all back to England.
The resultant Board of
Trade Enquiry heard conflicting evidence from both Captain Care and
the Second Mate with the Master attributing the loss of his vessel to
a combination of the Ashrafi Light going out and a stronger current
than normal - setting his vessel towards the reef.
Nevertheless, the ship’s log -
always taken as an accurate record of events and in which all
seemingly minor occurrences (bearings, sightings etc) are all
recorded as a matter of routine, made no mention of these factors
even though it had been written up some 14 days after the sinking -
when considerable thought would have been given to what was to be
included.
In giving his judgement,
Stipendiary Magistrate J. A Yorke stated that "the facts proved that
the Master had made no real efforts to ascertain by observation or
otherwise the real position of the Dunraven after midday on 24th
April and before striking at 3.50am on the 25th. The neglect of this
most necessary precaution seems to have mainly caused the loss in
question. Furthermore, it seems plain from careful examination of the
chart produced that the land seen by the Second Mate could not have
been Shadwan Island nor could the light have been from Ashrafi as
asserted. In all probability it was merely the light of a passing
vessel."
Consequently, the Court
found the loss of the Dunraven was caused by the default and
negligence of the Captain and subsequently revoked his Master’s
certificate for a period of 12 months with immediate effect - though
allowing him a First Mate’s ticket during the time of suspension.
Na’ama Bay
I was visiting Sharm
El Sheikh as a guest of Scubaway and accommodated in the Sonesta Club
close to Na’ama Bay. My diving had been placed in the very capable
hands of Paolo Guiotto of TGI Sinai. I meet an awful lot of Dive
Guides and, just occasionally one sticks out from the crowd. During a
period of 3 weeks of fairly intensive diving, I watched Paolo in
action in a variety of situations and I have to say that I have come
to regard him as one of the very best in the business... On top of
that he is also one of the most experienced in this corner of the
world - where he has averaged 700 dives per year for the past 7
years.
I took an instant liking
to Na’ama Bay - it has a holiday atmosphere that allows tourists from
all the different hotels, to mingle. There is a pedestrian main
street lined with open-air Bars, Cafes and Restaurants in addition to
all the usual, shops, which cater for just about everything the
visitors needs. Nearby is a long beach of golden sand with a public
promenade. Here are even more open-air restaurants, with menus to
suit every taste - Chinese, Japanese, Italian, British, Greek and, of
course Egyptian.
At one restaurant a
classical guitarist entertained the diners while, elsewhere it was a
Spanish Dancer or perhaps something very similar to a "Whirling
Dervish" creating his own kaleidoscope of colour as he made viewers
dizzy with an incredible routine. For days when there is no diving
or, for the Diver who has a non-diving family to think about, Na’ama
Bay certainly has a great deal to offer.
Diving the Dunraven
The Dunraven is almost
completely upside down. She lies with her port side resting along an
adjacent reef - with a slight "list" towards that reef. At a depth of
17m, the upside down bows are the shallowest part of the dive, with
the stern resting on the seabed at 30m.
The leading edge of the
bows are broken and slightly separated - with the whole structure
leaning backwards and resting against the reef. From the port hawse
pipe - almost completely hidden between ship and reef, the anchor
chain runs down to the seabed and disappears under the ship. From the
starboard hawse pipe is a short piece of anchor chain on which there
is considerable coral growth. There is sufficient damage to the hull
to allow the diver to enter the foc’sle.
From the Bows, it is a
swim along the upturned keel to a point approximately amidships where
the hull is broken and the remains of the funnel are seen on the
seabed nearby. There are also a large pair of resident Red
Scorpionfish occupying this "break."
Looking backwards, it is tempting to
try and enter the front section - but this is not recommended. At the
break, the keel of the fore section is much lower than that of the
aft - revealing a state of slow collapse. This break in the Hull is
at a point immediately in front of the Engine Room, and just inside
the aft section, the ship's two huge boilers support the hull at this
point - allowing it to retain its original shape. This is where the
best part of the overall dive begins.
Surrounding the boilers
are thousands of Glassfish (Vanikoro Sweepers) - a species which
always prefer the shade and, on entering the hull, these move lazily
aside to allow the diver safe passage. The boilers are side by side
and, although they occupy a large amount of space, there is plenty of
room for "single file" swimming between boiler and starboard side
right through to the stern. On the other side of the boilers, are all
the pipes taps and valves and then the engine itself - with large
connecting rods and pistons all still in place. Above head height is
a large gear wheel and even more valves.
From this point, the view towards
the stern is quite breath-taking. This is a large, empty space with
plenty of natural light provided by rows of portholes illuminating
what was the Starboard Quarter. Altogether, allowing considerable
scope for available light photography. With the deck having become
the ceiling, the propeller shaft runs along that "ceiling."
Incredibly after so long underwater, wooden panels still line this
part of the steel hull. Sadly, however, all the ship's brass fittings
- including the many portholes that once lined both sides of the ship
at this point, were removed long ago. Such greed does, of course,
lessen the overall effect for those of us who can only follow those
who were amongst the first to visit this wreck - and thought only of
themselves and their wretched trophy hunting!
The exit from the stern
is well lit. This is 30m and the deepest part of the Dive. On top of
the hull, the rudder and propeller are still in place - although one
of the four blades is missing. There is plenty of coral growth on the
upturned hull - although not as prolific as one might expect on a
vessel that has been underwater for such a length of time.
Swimming back along the
starboard side, the diver will find some remains of the aft mast.
Most of the structure has, however, now disappeared altogether -
leaving little more than a metre of mast pointing to the cross-trees
some distance away on the seabed.
Overall, the Dunraven
provides the diver with a thoroughly enjoyable series of dives on
what is, after all, one of Egypt's most famous shipwrecks.
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