SS MOHEGAN

The best launch site for this wreck is Porthousestock where you can launch your boat for a small fee in the honesty box. The site can get quite packed with divers on a good day.

The Mohegan was Launched in 1897 as the Cleopatra, and weighed 7,000 tonnes 160m. It had four boilers and a triple expansion engine and had sailed from Tilbury on October 1898 en route to America, this being her first voyage after a refit to correct the many problems on her Maiden Voyage as the Cleopatra. They say you should never change a ships name or bad luck will befall the ship.

The Mohegan sailed from Tilbury under Captain Griffiths on 13 October, 1898, with 53 passengers, 97 crew and 7 cattlemen. A general cargo included spirits, beer, lead, tin, and antimony, artificial flowers, church ornaments, glass, seed and other items.

The Mohegan was seen on the 14th October 1898 at about 18:35 Hrs in fading light by the Cox'n of the Porthoustock lifeboat, James Hill he had realized that it would most probably hit the Manacles on its present heading, James Hill had almost mustered his crew before the Mohegan struck and smashed into Vase Rock of the Manacles at full speed of 14 knots at 18:45 Hrs. She sank within ten minutes of stranding, listing heavily to starboard.

The next day the Mohegan's four masts and red funnel could be seen sticking up above the water. The last body was picked up some seven or eight weeks after the disaster. In total 106 souls perished, some are laid to rest in St Keverne church cemetery in a mass grave which overlooks the wreck site.

This must be one of the best-known dive sites on The Manacles. The Mohegan lies smashed on the reef. The bow is at 15m and the stern at some 25m, The wreck site has twisted wreckage lying everywhere. Wrasse patrol the superstructure and through the wreckage the odd conger peers nervously at passing divers. The sea bed in sight of the wreck is made up of shale in which thousands of shards of china broken from the wreck have intermingled.

There are rocks that have been hollowed out in the shape of a soup bowl caused by smaller stones being turned around by the tidal waters of the Manacles. You have to get this dive right with your tide tables and wait for slack water and don't stay a moment longer than the tide tables say or you could end up pinned against the keel and join the souls who look down from there resting place in St. Keverne church cemetery.

You do need good weather for this dive, I would say it's for the more experienced diver who likes to have a good grovel and look, but keep an eye on the time the tide is stronger than your swimming stroke.