MV Rockeater

Understand

The Rockeater is a relatively bulky wreck for its length compared with the frigates Good Hope and Transvaal, and is quite a bit larger than the fishing boats Orotava and Princess Elizabeth. It extends further off the bottom, and provides a larger depth range at present than the others.

Position S34°16.135’ E018°28.855’ 1 MV Rockeater wreck (Bow) S34°16.127’ E018°28.890’ 2 MV Rockeater wreck (Stern) The MV Rockeater is the southernmost of the 5 wrecks in Smitswinkel Bay. This site is in a Marine Protected Area (2004). A permit is required.

Name The MV Rockeater was built in New Orleans in 1945 as a coastal freighter for the United States navy. The ship was bought by Ocean Science and Engineering (South Africa) in 1964 to be used for marine prospecting. The ship could be positioned with an accuracy of 8 metres using on-board instrumentation and shore based transponders, and could be held in place by four anchors or positioned dynamically by using the twin propellers and thrusters. Seabed surveys were carried out using acoustic reflection profiling to map sands and gravels over the bedrock, and an airlift could be used to suck up bottom sediments for sorting and grading. The Rockeater was also equipped with a drilling derrick to take core samples. This was cut off before the ship was scuttled and lies next to the wreck on the starboard side. After twenty years of this work the Rockeater was in poor condition and no longer seaworthy. It was planned to use the ship as a naval target, but because of fears that she might sink at her moorings in Simon’s town, it was decided to donate her to the False Bay Conservation Society. The Rockeater was towed to Smitswinkel Bay on 15 December 1972 and scuttled.

Depth Sand bottom is at about 34 m away from the wreck, and the depth alongside varies a bit. The scour pit at the rudder is quite shallow, the bottom is at about 34.7 m at high tide, while further forward it is about 33 m. The main deck is at about 32 m, and the top

Getting there

This site is only accessible by boat. It is approximately 5.1 km from Miller's Point slipway and 12.4 km from Simon's Town jetty.

See

Marine life

The wreck is too deep for much seaweed, but it is heavily encrusted with invertebrates, some of which are seldom seen anywhere else but the Smits wrecks.

Features Recent wreck of a medium sized steel vessel in fairly intact condition.

Photography If you have good visibility and lighting, there are opportunities for some good wide angle shots, and there are enough macro subjects of various sizes to keep the critter hunters happy. Due to the depth, use of powerful strobes set well away from the camera are recommended for all medium to wide angle work. unless you are happy to settle for monochromes in green.

Routes No particular route is recommended. The wreck is small enough to visit quite extensively on a single dive, but there is enough to see to make it worth returning. Limited but challenging penetrations have been reported. The Rockeater is the final waypoint of the Smits Swim, a dive tour taking in all five of the Smits wrecks on a single dive, and though you don't get to stay long on any of the others, if your air supply allows, there may be time to look around the Rockeater a bit before ascent.