Ship Wrecks

In April’s Baht & Sold, we took a look at the monsoon season in Thailand, establishing the general rules to follow to find the best areas in certain months to dive. Patterns were formed as are highlights in each area for specific types of diving. For example the Similan islands boast huge granite boulders creating incredible backdrops. Phi Phi islands are mainly limestone composite allowing for great wall diving as the island faces plunge straight into the sea to depths of around 18 meters.

In the Gulf, off of the coast of Chonburi and Rayong provinces there is a startling amount of ship wrecks all concentrated in a fairly small area. Some of the histories behind the ships wrecked are really quite something.

Probably the most legendary wreck is that of the horizontal, vertical ship wreck although relatively young in comparison to the majority in the area. The 25 year old “Pak One” tanker ‘originally’ sank in August 1996, 50 Kms west of Koh Chang. Surviving members of the 10 man crew told of its demise due to heavy storms battering the ship.

The Pak One sank very quickly killing the majority of the crew and settled in a very odd position. With the bow nearly touching the surface at 5 meters depth the stern lodged itself in to the seabed at 60 meters. This was a sad loss of life and a vessel but the famous ‘vertical’ wreck dive sight was born.

Nearly 6 years passed and this eerie wreck literally stood world famous in diving circles. Divers traveled extraordinary distances to witness this freak wreck for themselves. It was an incredible dive site often gaining over 40 meters visibility and in a short time had an abundance of marine life swimming all around it.

Locals and far a field divers feared that one day the gas in the bow assisting to buoy the ship ‘into position’ would leak out and the Pak One would finally rest like many of its ‘normal’ counterparts.

In February 2001 something extraordinary occurred; the Pak One floated once again with its bow protruding 5 meters from the surface and began to set sail slowly toward Cambodian waters.

During the early stages of it’s ‘rebirth’ some local divers were lucky enough to have dived the wreck whilst in transit and reported diving 50 meters depth under the stern and being able to look all the way through the hull to the surface.

The Royal Thai Navy decided to intervene due to reluctance from the insurance parties involved and took measures consisting various tugs and warship escorts to drag it to a destination just south of Laem Mae Phim in Rayong Province. On first attempt of sinking the Pak One for the second time, Admiral Oknit pressed the detonator button with no apparent effects. Explosive divers reentered the wreck to reset the now live charges and a second attempt was given.

Success they thought but the desired affect was not quite achieved. Instead of sending the Pak One to the bottom a 300 Ton LPG tank was blown from the wreck now making the vessel 300 Tons lighter and sending it careering an additional 20 meters out of the water. Once settled and steady at the surface, attempt three was successful in laying the restless voyager on the seabed once and hopefully for all.

The Pak One now safely rested, to the delight of the Thai Navy, serves as a local technical divers wreck lying on the seabed at 42 meters with the top of the wreck at 25 meters. Conditions can be harsh but this is hoped that it will keep the wreck down.

The now horizontal formerly named ‘Vertical’ wreck is just one of many local ship wrecks with great character in the Gulf of Thailand. Most have great stories and history attached, many dating back to world war two and many to hundreds of years ago serving as Chinese Pottery vessels.

All of the great related stories add to the wonder of diving on the wrecks of the eastern seaboard and also lean towards why we call this simply…Amazing Thailand.

Submitted by : Peter - www.learn-in-Asia.com
24-Jan-05

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