29/09/2026
1895 - on this day 29th September sank what is arguably the most recognised shipwreck in our part of the Clyde, the SS Wallachia.
The Wallachia sunk whilst on route to Trinidad with a cargo full of goodies....mostly alcoholic, gins, beers, stout, wh***ey etc, and also lots of clothes and other bits and pieces like building materials and solutions for making pharmaceuticals....
She was involved in 2 incidents that fateful day, firstly she grounded near Innellan pier in extremely foggy conditions. Luckily however, she floated free on the rising tide and crept south, but her luck was soon to run out as another steamship appeared out of the fog, heading straight for her.
The SS Flos clattered into the starboard (right) side of the bow, and after holding steady till the crew and passengers could escape to the lifeboats (everyone survived βΊοΈ)....she backed away and the Wallachia sank to the seabed.
She sits bolt upright and depths range from 27m on the raise bow and aftercastle (stern), to 36m on the seabed under the rather large propeller (see pic). Measuring just shy of 80m in length, you could certainly circumnavigate this beautiful wreck in a single dive.
The structure itself is so impressive, for a vessel that has been on the seabed for 131 years, the hull is in remarkable condition but has shown signs of deterioration in the past couple of years. The raised bow and stern sections make for great exploring as you pop in and out under the raised deck and even swim straight through the collision damage. Some of her cargo can still be seen down in her dark holds.
There is no doubt this is a class site. She is a very hit and miss site however. Some days she can have awesome vis in excess of 10m, and the next day it can be down to less than 1m....possibly due to the central channel location but it remains a bit of a mystery still.
Luckily these fantastic images were taken on the better vis days.....images of divers exploring the bow, the emergency steering gear, the prop, the cargo holds and more.....enjoy!! π€ΏππΈ
