Robben Island steamer wreck

Understand

The wreck is not marked on the navigational charts, and there is no known record of a wreck at this position, but there are many wrecks in Table Bay for which the position is not accurately recorded.

Position 1 Robben Island steamer: S33°49.886, E018°21.524 — Approximate centre of wreck S33°49.882, E018°21.550 (Bow) S33°49.887, E018°21.519 (Stern) This site is in a Restricted Area in the Robben Island Marine Protected Area since 2019. A permit is required.

Depth Maximum depth is about 38 m on the adjacent sand, and the top of the bow is at about 28 m. (Average depth of a dive is likely to be about 34 m.)

Visibility Visibility is likely to be similar to other parts of Table Bay, and is likely to be best after prolonged or strong South Easterly wind, which is more likely in summer. Visibility at depth may vary significantly from near the surface.

Topography Wreck of an unidentified steel steamer, spotted on a geological survey. The wreck is approximately 48 m long, 9 m beam, lying roughly east-west true, with the bow to the east. The hull lies on a flat sand bottom, canted about 30° to port. The ship has a slightly flared plate bow, with very little bow overhang, and square hawse openings. No anchors have been seen yet. There is a winch on the forecastle deck, and a small amount of railing at the bow, The forecastle seems a moderate size and has no bulwarks. The vessel has a cruiser stern, with a fairly long raised quarterdeck, terminating just aft of the boiler. The hull plating appears smooth, and without visible riveting or laps at the joints. There is a single riveted scotch boiler, about 4 m long, maybe 3 m diameter, fairly intact, but the stack ducting is completely gone, with fire tubes exposed forward. number of fireboxes has not been reported. There are some heavy accessories on top of the boiler, possibly including the safety valve. There are no reports on the engine, but it may be inside the remaining hull structure aft of the boiler. The deck p

Getting there

Access is by boat, either from the V&A Waterfront, or from Granger Bay. The site is about 9.2 km from the Oceana Power Boat Club slipway at Granger Bay, or about 12 km from the V&A Waterfront. There are day charter boats which can take a diver to any of the dive sites in the region, but most operators only work from a limited number of launch sites, which limits the dive sites they visit. Visits to a dive site also depend on the weather and are generally not predictable or bookable more than two to four days in advance. See the listing for Cape Peninsula and False Bay boat dive charters and the associated services directory for contact details.

See

Marine life

Light encrustation of sponges and soft corals.

Features The low level of marine growth leaves the wreck relatively accessible for investigating the wreckage. No penetrations have been reported yet, but there is a fair amount of the forecastle and stern which may be accessible.

Photography

The wreck is not very heavily encrusted with marine organisms, so not much of a destination for macro-photography. The visibility will determine whether scenic photos of the wreckage are an option. A wide angle or fish-eye lens is likely to be a good choice most days. The site is fairly deep and likely to be quite dark. Artificial lighting may be necessary even for monochrome.

Suggested routes The wreck is fairly small, but the available bottom time is not long, so stay on the main part of the wreck.