SS Chirripo

As has been the case with other landlocked clubs, entering this competition, choosing a favourite dive site for Maltby SAC was a tricky process. Our members travel far and wide during the diving season, with visits to regular haunts in addition to exploring new locations. An annual trip to Northern Ireland we’ve run for the past four years has, however, provided one of our favourite wrecks. The fighting involved to get a place on the trip is legendary, with people determined to experience a Saturday night at the Fiddler’s Green in Portaferry and equally as keen to ‘do’ the SS Chirripo.

A 4126-ton Elders & Fyffes cargo liner, and banana boat running the Avonmouth to Jamaica route, the SS Chirripo either struck a mine or was torpedoed and went down near Blackhead lighthouse in Belfast Lough, on 28 December 1917 without loss of life.

The dive
The RIB journey out to the dive site from Bangor always shakes off any remaining cobwebs from the overnight Liverpool– Belfast ferry. We always descend on the port side of the ship. Now lying on its starboard side in 28m of water, the wreck is still intact, with the port handrail being the shallowest part of the ship at 14m. Visibility is usually a good 10m, though it varies throughout the dive. The depth and condition of the wreck allow for a long, gentle swim covering the entire length at least twice.

Heading for the depths, the descent to the sea bed passes across the deck of the ship. Keep a lookout for areas to investigate more thoroughly later on in your dive, the bottom is covered with debris that has fallen free of the deck and a sharp eye might pick out a piece of crockery or other such artefact lying among the wreckage. Working your way from stern to bow and back again as you ascend, there are lots of nooks and crannies to explore. Parts of the wreck, such as the holds, can be safely penetrated, though great care should be taken not to venture too deep as the areas sheltered from the current are covered in silt, which is easily disturbed. There are a number of swimthroughs created by fallen deck plates, and other wreckage that can be easily navigated.

Bigger items to keep a look out for are the winches, large mooring bollards and, at the bows, the anchor chain is clearly visible. A steady ascent, again working your way along the length of the deck, allows time to explore these features and the variety of marine life that now inhabits these previously important working parts of a ship. On reaching the port side and shallower parts of the wreck, the lifeboat davits covered in anemones make for a very photogenic view.

The wreck is easy to navigate and finding the shot-line should pose no problem – there are plenty of well-attached pieces of wreckage upon which you can tie a delayed SMB to aid deployment.

Essential information
GPS numbers
54º 45.943’ N
004º 40.726’ W

SS Chirripo lies southeast of the Blackhead Lighthouse in Belfast Lough.
Admiralty Chart: 1753
Dive centre: DV Diving can arrange everything for the trip, including the ferries and accommodation. They can also provide a full range of BSAC, PADI and TDI training.

Tel: 028 91 464671
Email:  This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it
Website: http://www.dvdiving.co.uk