DICTIONARY OF EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS N

 

DICTIONARY OF EGYPTIAN SHIPWRECKS- N

 

FURTHER DETAILS  CAN  BE  DOWNLOADED  FROM

 

www.KUBIstore.com & www.Miflexhoseshop.co.uk

 

M.V. NADIA

A Panamanian cargo ship built in 1947 of 719tons. Her final voyage from Rotterdam to Alexandria  with a cargo of coke ended  on 14^th March 1958, when she struck a submerged object near Alexandria

 

 

M.V.NADIRM

 

The Narirm was a small (395ton) general motor cargo vessel, registered in Honduras. He final journey was from Limosol to Alexandria. In December, 1986.Nearing Alexandria she was caught in heavy seas and driven ashore stranding on the 26^th and finally sinking the following day.

 

S.S.NICOLAOS A MASTRANDREAS

A Greek steamship built in 1918, she  was 2387 tons,289 ft long. On December 5^th 1967 while at Port Ibrahim near Suez  fire  broke out in her engine room and she sank.

 

 

 

 

 

S.S. NUMIDIA.

 

 

 

THE VESSEL. A British cargo ship, built in Glasgow in 1901 by the Henderson Co. who operated her under the Anchor Line Shipping Company. At 6399 tons and 140 metres long she was a large vessel, powered by a 3-cylinder triple expansion steam engine. This gave her top speed of 10 Knots. On 28th February 1901 the Numidia left her homeport on her Maiden voyage, an uneventful return trip to Calcutta. This was to be her only completed voyage

 

FINAL VOYAGE

On 6th July 1901, She set out from Liverpool carrying a general cargo of 7,000 tons and a crew of 97, under the command of Mr John Craig, bound for Calcutta. By the early hours of 19 July she had cleared Suez, passing Shadwan Island that evening around 1900 hrs. Just before dawn next day Big Brothers Island was sighted off the port bow. The Captain altered course thinking is would take the ship over one mile to the west of the Island. He then left the Bridge leaving instructions to be called when the Light was abeam. At about 2.10am the ship ran aground on Big Brothers Island – north of the Lighthouse!

After two hours of trying to get off the rocks the engines were stopped. By this time the ship was taking on considerable water, but the situation was getting worse although the pumps were coping. By now the sea was building At 7.30am the S.S. Rhipens came in answer of the Numidia’s distress call, followed by other vessels in an attempt to salvage the ship. abandoned the vessel and although other ships arrived to help refloat the Numidia, she was beyond help. For the next 7 weeks most of the cargo was removed, John Craig supervising the operation, before the Numidia finally sank.

DIVING THE WRECK

 

The vessel lies on a very steep slope at the very north of the Big Brother plateau, starting at 10 metres and plummeting down out of reach of sports divers- her keel digging deep into a rocky ledge, preventing her from slipping away into the depths below. Strong currents often sweep the wreck but there is always shelter within the wreck in which to observe the patrolling Grey reef and hammerhead sharks.

 

 

 

The intact hull offers protection from the currents and it is possible to enter the starboard side companionways, adorned with soft corals. Portholes are barely discernable due to the carpets of coral. Descending down through these corridors to the aft of the bridge superstructure is often halted by the wrecks resident lionfish, which reluctantly move to allow the decent to continue. The open deck ahead marks the safe limit of diving depths although holds and deck fittings below beckon the unwary.  Snapper, jacks and Travellies hover in the company of barracuda and the aforementioned sharks patrol the perimeter. Antheas add a haze of orange, hovering over every coral covered structure such as the haunting  empty lifeboat davits .

 

At this point  (40mtrs) the return journey to the surface begins; it is possible to enter the engine room, blue light filtering through the skylights above, illuminating an intact and fascinating engine room. The steam cylinders sloping ever upward, as if still driving the ship ashore! Stairs beckon down into her lower engine room adorned in an eerie light where gauges still remain in place and doors lead of in several directions, some leading back to the companionways others to accommodation areas and eventually the bridge. Overhead a large shoal of glassy sweepers are disturbed by ascending bubbles.

At the deepest point of the engine room a doorway allowing for an easy exit point and overhead the galley straddles the width of the superstructure. The range still holds pot and pans!

Most of the wooden floors have long been eaten by marine worms allowing more access and light into the interior as the tour continues ever upward, out through the funnels port at 20mtrs and back into the brilliant sunlight, an amazing contrast to the engine room’s relative gloom. The colours and formations of soft corals are rivalled nowhere else in the Red Sea, save for the neighbouring wreck of the Aida. The metal structures of her framework, at such a steep angle offer some unique photo opportunities and there are always local inhabitants to fill the frame!

 

The engine room is huge and can be confusing due to the angle of the wreck-There are many rooms running off the main section and at least 4 levels to explore.Although natural light percolates through a good torch is essential to reveal many of the  engine rooms features. A dive in its own right.

 

 

The wreck ends abruptly at 14 mtrs, exiting out onto a superb coral plateau fused with wreckage, covered in soft corals and many fish, Strong currents flow over these shallows.

THE CARGO. For 7 weeks the cargo was removed from the ship until she final slipped down the reef. All that now remains are iron rails-minus their sleepers, which have slid down into the stern, and several replacement boilers, scattered on the reef some in 60 mtrs next to her starboard hull.

 

The iconic image of the coral covered bogies graced the reef top for many years, until a moronic divemaster decided to tie onto it, dragging it off, snapping the mooring and the artefact plummeting into the depths