Dive Sites

 

Site Name: Port Hunter

Type of Vessel: Steel Freighter

Dimensions: 380’ x 49’ x 25’                     Tonnage: 4062

Built: 1906                                                    Sank: November 2, 1918

Cause of Sinking: Collision with SS Covington

Location: Hedge Fence Shoal – Nantucket Sound

 

Summary: The Port Hunter was carrying a cargo for the American Soldiers fighting in France.  The cargo included war supplies, ammunition, clothing, railroad car parts, steel billets, and phosphorous.  The cargo was estimated to be worth 5 to 10 million dollars.  The ship was on its way to New York City from Boston to join the convoy for the Atlantic crossing to France when it was struck by the tug Covington in heavy fog at 1:45 am.  The tug struck the Port Hunter about 50 feet behind the bow on the port side causing a gash about 15 feet high and 7 feet wide.  The impact from the collision was so powerful that it threw the sleeping crew from their berths crashing to the deck.  If not for the quick action of Covington’s Captain, the Port Hunter would have sank in deep water.  The Covington’s Captain used his tug to push the Port Hunter on to the slope of Hedge Fence Shoal.  All of the crew from the Port Hunter was rescued.  The Port Hunter was salvaged on and off for almost 50 years.

 

 

Dive Site Depth: 25 to 80 feet                   Visibility: 5 to 20 feet

Conditions:  It is advisable to only dive this wreck at slack tide because of strong currents.  The Port Hunter is largely intact resting in a white sand bottom.  About 20 feet of water covers the bow.  The mid section was blasted in 1937 to eliminate the masts that were a hazard to navigation.  Drifting sand has covered much of the midsection, but this can change from year to year.   Much of the starboard side of the ship is covered up to the deck with sand.  The port side is not sanded in as much and can be followed fairly easily to the stern with the exception of the break in the middle.  It is recommended to run a wreck line from the break to the stern, which lies in about 80 feet of water.  The deck gun has fallen of the stern and lies in the sand.  The enormous rudder is still intact.  There may still be phosphorous cargo on the ship and it is advisable not to take this, since it will ignite once it dries.  There are not too many lobsters on the wreck, but other fish may be seen including sea bass and tautog.

 

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Site Name: Horatio Hall

Type of Vessel: Passenger/Freighter

Dimensions: 296’ x 46’ x 17’                     Tonnage: 3168

Built: 1898                                                    Sank: March 10, 1909

Cause of Sinking: Collision with the H.F. Dimock

Location: Pollock Rip

 

 

Summary: The Horatio Hall was carrying approximately 45 passengers and crew and a general cargo that included paper, sheepskins, potatoes, scrap brass, and cloth worth about $100,000.  The Hall was traveling from Portland, Maine to New York City during heavy fog when the Dimock struck it.  The Dimock collided into the port side of the Horatio Halls hull penetrating fifteen to twenty feet.  The Dimock saw that it might be able to save passengers, so it continued to push the Hall towards the shoal and it allowed for the passengers to jump from the Hall to the Dimock to be rescued.  There was no loss of life.  Since the hurricane deck of the Hall remained above the water once the boat settled, much of the Hall was salvaged before it was cleared with explosives.

 

 

Dive Site Depth: 35-45 feet                       Visibility: 15 to 30 feet or more

Conditions:  The Hall is upright with her bow heading east – southeast and lies in a white sand bottom.  The visibility is usually very good and bright.  There are six large boilers each measuring almost thirteen feet in diameter.  These boilers are distinctive in that the furnace doors face each other on the opposite side and the out end of each boiler faces the outer hull.   The propeller shaft extends from the engine room with two propeller blades still standing.  When you reach the aft end of the structure, you can tie off a wreck line and continue to find bits of scattered wreckage.  You will find lots of kelp growth with lobsters, starfish, and different fish including many cunners.  There are strong currents at this site and it is advisable to only dive it at slack tide.

 

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Site Name: Nauset Barges

Type of Vessel: Barges

Sank: July 21, 1918

Cause of Sinking: U- Boat 156

Location:  Nauset

 

Summary: The WWI German U-Boat U-156 surfaced off Nauset Beach and sank 4 barges under tow by the tug Perth Amboy.  An estimated 146 rounds were fired in the one-sided exchange. At least one of the submarine's shells landed on the beach, the only assault on American soil during the war.  On board the 140-foot-long iron tug, the wooden coal barge Lansford, and 3 steel barges #703, #740 and #766 were carrying 32 people, including the captains' wives and children. All the barges had off loaded their cargo of coal in Boston except the #703 barge, which was carrying a cargo of cobblestones.  The tug released the barges and escaped, but the u-boat proceeded to sink the 4 barges. Rescuers from the Chatham Coast Guard Station rowed lifeboats directly into the heart of the shelling and heroically rescued everyone. Before the U-boat finally submerged and disappeared, nearly 800 people had witnessed what local historians later dubbed the "Battle of Orleans." This marked the first time the U.S. mainland had been attacked since the War of 1812 and the only attack on U.S. soil during World War I.

 

Dive Site Depth: 110 Feet                         Visibility: 20-50 Feet

Conditions: The 703 barge is the most intact barge, except for the stern area that is collapsed. It is full of cobblestones and this may be the reason it is still much intact.  The 766 barge is next in line and has an intact bow and stern, but the center section is collapsed with little wreckage in between   The last barge, the 740 is in the worst condition with just scattered wreckage.  The Lansford as far as we know has never been located or dove.  There are usually no strong currents at the sites and the dives do not have to be tide dependent.

 

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Site Name: John Dwight

Type of Vessel: Wood Freighter

Dimensions: 107’ x 27’ x 7’                       Tonnage: 151

Built: 1896                                                   Sank: April 6, 1923

Cause of Sinking: Unknown – foundered or scuttled

Location: Vineyard Sound

 

 

Summary:  There were no survivors to tell the tale of the John Dwight’s sinking.  This was the story reported in the New York Times. It was assumed the crew-abandoned ship after a collision in the fog. The vessels' lifeboat davits were swung out, indicating the boats had been launched, but no word of her crew landing or of a collision was forthcoming.
    John Dwight's demise has to this day, remained a mystery. Some weeks before she sank, two Captains, giving false names, showed up at Newport, Rhode Island, saying there had been a change in the steamers' ownership. Laid up for the winter she was previously employed in the salvage of coal from sunken barges. More men soon arrived bringing the crew to somewhere between 8 to 15 and the steamer was extensively overhauled. The vessel left Newport, giving as its destination New York, but instead she anchored in Buzzards Bay.
    The Captain of the New Bedford to Cuttyhunk mail boat spotted the steamer at anchor and spoke with one of her Captains. He claimed they were having engine problems but would soon be underway. The steamer Dorchester en route to Boston through the Sound reported seeing the steamer with its lifeboat davits empty and a boat with three men aboard rowing toward Naushon Island. An extensive search was conducted but nothing was found.
    The mystery was compounded the next day when the bodies of her crew were found floating amongst bottles of bootleg ale in Vineyard Sound, an area which had been searched the day before. Seven were wearing life vests, the eighth was found in one of the ship's boats. He had apparently made a valiant effort of survival, fashioning oarlocks and sweeps from material within the craft and was believed drowned by the few inches of water in its bilge when exhaustion overcame him. But the two Captains were not among the dead.
    One popular theory is that the Captains and perhaps some of the crew scuttled the steamer and murdered its crew in order to swindle them out of the bootlegging venture. When Navy divers inspected the steamers remains, the seacocks were found to be open. Later, John Dwight's name boards and one of her boats were found on Naushon Island.

 

Dive Site Depth: 85 feet                Visibility: 5 to 15 feet

Conditions: There can be strong currents at the site.  The site is small and there is a pair of boilers on the perimeter.  There are many nets on the site and divers need to be careful not to get tangled.  Beer bottles from the Prohibition period may found at this site.

 

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Site Name: Pinthis

Type of Vessel: Coastal Tanker

Dimensions: 205’ x 35’x 16’                      Tonnage: 1,111

Built: 1919                                                    Sank: June 10, 1930

Cause of Sinking: Collision with the liner Fairfax

Location: Cape Cod Bay

 

 

Summary:  The Pinthis was a small, workhorse of a ship, which, on her fatal voyage, was sailing from Fall River Massachusetts to Portland, Maine with 11,500 barrels of gasoline and oil aboard. The Fairfax was bound for Southern ports, carrying 76 passengers and 80 crewmembers. Traveling in heavy fog at 11.5 knots, the Fairfax rammed the Pinthis at 7PM. Pinthis immediately ignited, and then exploded, showering the forward part of the Fairfax with oil and gasoline. She remained lodged on the Fairfax's bow for a time, as her flaming cargo spread across the ocean's surface, surrounding the liner, and then she pulled free, capsized, and sank with the loss of all 19 on board.

 

 

Dive Site Depth: 100-105 feet                  Visibility: 10-30 feet

Conditions:  The tanker is upside down and there is usually no current on the site.  There are some lines on the wreck to watch out for entanglement.  The wreck has deteriorated to such a degree that easy penetration is possible.  It is possible for a diver to enter through the bow cargo hold and then proceed on to the next two cargo holds.  The engine room may also be entered through a traverse passage way and you can exit out through the stern under the propeller shaft.  It is extremely tight in the engine compartment.

 

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Site Name: Mars

Type of Vessel:  Tug

Dimensions: 117’ x 23’ x 15                      Tonnage: 278

Built: 1890                                                    Sank: September 13, 1942

Cause of Sinking: Collision with the tanker Bidwell

Location:  Cape Cod Bay

 

 

Summary:  This tug is one of the older wrecks in the area.  The sinking of the Mars remained a mystery for quite some time as sinkings during the war were generally not well publicized for a variety of reasons -- security, morale, etc.  The sinking being a result of a collision with the Bidwell is still somewhat based on speculation as there has not been a positive link between the two vessels that night, only circumstantial evidence based on ships reported to be in the area.

 

 

 

Dive Site Depth: 120 feet             Visibility: 5 to 10 feet

Conditions: Except for the top of the wheelhouse, the tug lies upright and intact on a soft mud bottom. The pilothouse can be found on the bottom to starboard of the wreck. The wreck is mostly intact with collapsed decking opening up various points of entry to the tug's interior.  The Mars is also heavy covered in fishing line, which requires that one be vigilant about avoiding entanglements while exploring the wreck.  The visibility tends to be poor in this area, unfortunately, a result of a soft clay-mud type bottom.  Light currents occasionally, if any.

 

Type of Vessel: Passenger Ferry

Dimensions: 241’ x 35’ x 16’                     Tonnage: 1,157

Built: 1877                                                    Sank: May 7, 1905

Cause of Sinking: Collision with schooner barge Glendower

Location:  Pollock Rip Shoal

 

 

Summary:  The Aransas was under command of Captain Ezra C. Roodand was traveling from Boston to New York and carried a total of 65 crew and passengers and a variety of cargo that included scrap brass material.

The Captain slowed the speed on the Aransas due to fog. Around 1 am, she cautiously approached the Easterly end of Pollock Rip Channel in thick fog and calm seas. The tug Patience had three coal barges in tow, each separated by a 200' long hawser. Last in that string was the Glendower.  The Aransas sighted the tug and barges and both vessels exchanged whistle blasts.  The tug crossed the bow of the Aransas and then the second tow crossed the bow of the steamer.  The tug stopped blowing its whistle and the Captain of the Aransas thought that all was clear and ordered engines ahead.  The barge Glendower struck the Aransas nearly amidships on the starboard side.  The steamer sank in about 15 minutes. The tug Patience anchored the barges and returned to rescue the passengers of the Aransas.  Miss. Anna Field, a 25-year-old Boston waitress, was the only fatal victim.  The Aransas carried a cargo of scrap brass items compressed into “bales of brass”.

Dive Site Depth: 50 feet                Visibility: 15-50 feet

Conditions: This dive should only be done at slack tide.  The vessel was cleared with explosives and only rises 5-6 feet of the bottom.  This is one of the best artifact dives on Cape Cod.  Dives have been known to break apart a “bale of brass” over the course of a dive season.  Typical artifacts that can be found include brass, pewter, and silver flatware, pocket watches, gas lantern parts and other common household items of that time period.

 

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Site Name: Perkiomen

Type of Vessel: Freighter

Dimensions: 243’ X 37’ x 20’                    Tonnage: 1035

Built: 1874                                                    Sank: July 15, 1885

Cause of Sinking: Collision with the schooner Abbie C. Stubbs

Location: Pollock Rip

 

 

Summary:  The Perkiomen was carrying a cargo of coal from Boston to Philadelphia when the Abbie C. Stubbs struck it on the port side around midnight.  The collision was so hard that it tore off the smokestack and main mast of the Perkiomen.  The crew of the Perkiomen abandoned ship and no lives were lost.  The Abbie C. Stubbs bow was crushed during the collision.  It managed to beach itself on Monomoy Island. The Perkiomen was later cleared with explosives. 

 

 

Dive Site Depth: 45 – 50 feet                    Visibility: 15 to 30

Conditions: Even though the ship has been blown up, it is fairly easy to navigate.  The ship lies on a white sand bottom.  Most of the exploded wreckage and hull plates are all connected or touching each other.  There is a large windless and large hawse pipes that look like lengths of metal tubing.  A large boiler can be found on the starboard side on the outskirts of the wreck.  Just aft of the windlass, the intact engine sits in place surrounded by numerous engine machinery.  The single screw propeller shaft resides in a unique protective cylindrical housing that is broken in numerous spots revealing parts of the shaft.  The shaft is visible the entire length of the wreck aft of the engines.  Lobsters may be found at this site.  There are strong currents and it is advisable to dive this site a slack tide. 

 

 

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Shore Dives

 

 

Site Name: Hathaway Pond

Location: Barnstable

Water: Fresh Water Pond

Features: 38’ Wooden Cabin Cruiser, Saab car, and several platforms sunk in the pond.  Good training site.

 

Site Name: Sandwich Town Beach

Location: Sandwich

Water: Saltwater beach, fairly shallow with good visibility.  Lots of marine life including, crabs, flounder, and some lobster.

 

Site Name: Corporation Beach

Location: Dennis

Water: Saltwater beach

Features: Saltwater beach, fairly shallow.  Marine life including, crabs, flounder, sand dollars, and some lobster.  This diver is better at high tides and the boat traffic can be heavy in the summer.

 

Site Name: Garbage Beach

Location: Woodshole

Water: Saltwater beach

Features:  A sandy slope that reaches depths to 70’ fairly quickly.  Some bottles and china may be found at this site.  Tropical fish are sometimes seen in the late summer months.  There is a swirling current and heavy boat traffic in the busy summer months.