The coast of Anglesey, North Wales, boasts over 400 shipwrecks, which I think is enough to keep even the keenest of us occupied. As one of the entrances to Liverpool vast amounts of shipping passed this corner and luckily for us some of it never actually made its destination! A lot of early shipping, being caught in the wrong wind and the wrong tide, ended their days on this treacherous coastline.
Many also succumbed to collisions offshore and to the notorious U-Boat activities of the First and Second World Wars. The tides around the island are very strong in areas such as The Menai Straits, South Stack, West Mouse and many more, with speeds reaching over 7 knots on mid water. A good knowledge of the area is essential and most of the offshore wrecks can only be dived at slack water. The visibility varies from not bad (5 metres) to not a lot (5 inches). Personally I don't like diving when the vis is 5 inches and so tend not to bother. It generally picks up around July and drops off in October which does make the season quite short. The offshore wrecks can be reached either by rib or hard boat. GPS and Decca are essential and with the introduction of the New Differential for the GPS locating them should be even easier. In seven years of diving off Anglesey I have only missed the wreck once and that was due to the fact that the wind was blowing a Northwesterly 6. Westerly to Northerly 5 more generally mean abandoning the dive and going to the pub - and this season we have we have been to the pub quite a lot! During the mid 80's a considerable amount of searching was carried out by H.M.S. Sheraton. Shortly afterwards the Hydrographic Office released new positions of previously uncharted wrecks, a number of which we were involved in diving on at a very early stage.
The steamship CORK was built for the City of Dublin Steam Packet Company and was involved in transporting passengers and livestock between Ireland and Britain. On the evening of 25 January 1918 it left Dublin heading for Liverpool in an easterly direction. It was almost a straight line into Liverpool and the ship safely cleared the mid waters of the Irish Sea. U-Boats were hunting heavily towards the end of the First World War and unknown to the captain of the Cork, Captain Rucker of U103 was viewing this very fine steamer through his periscope. The Cork was now about 10 miles North from Anglesey when at 1.40am, and without any warning Rucker fired his torpedo into the side of the Cork. The ship sank quickly. Five of her crew and seven passengers were never seen again and the remaining survivors were all landed at Holyhead.
The ship rested on an even keel with its bow toward NE and stern to SW. As the tide runs over the wreck east to west it is one of the easier wrecks to grapple. The first time I dived this wreck we landed on the anchor winches at the bow. Some of the handrails were still standing and looking over the side the hull seemed like a great wall. Swimming over the bow brought us on to the massive anchors still in place in their hawsers. Swimming aft we passed what appeared to be the forecastle, but on closer inspection we realised that the main deck level had fallen and exposed the lower level. Over one of the holds, my torch beam penetrated the deep void and in the distance cattle skulls could be seen. The bridge area soon came into view and directly behind was the engine, a massive block sticking right out of the wreckage, as though the ship had settled around it. Moving over to the port side a 4-meter hole came into view. This was where Captain Rucker's farewell present had done its damage. A drop through this hole brought us onto the seabed and following a short swim the stern, rudder and top blade of the propeller came into view. We started our ascent, came up onto the deck level, deployed our SMB's and were off! Great care has to be taken the wreck is covered in monofilament netting.
The 'Pamela' was a typical short, raised quarterdeck, single hatched coaster and was originally built for Baron Penrhyn of Penrhyn Slate Quarries, North Wales, for the transportation of roofing slates mined and finished from the hills behind Bangor. These would be carried on the narrow gauge railways down to Port Penrhyn, Bangor and loaded onto the ship by hand. In 1938 ownership passed to the Anglesey Shipping Company and due to the depression of the twenties and thirties the cargoes of the ship also changed.
The disappearance and position of the 'Pamela' were a mystery. It left Sharpness, South Wales on 10 October 1944 on a journey to Liverpool with a cargo of 350 tons of barley and never turned up. Decades later, after the first dive on our new 'unknown wreck' a few clues to the identity of the ship became evident. It was definitely a single hatched coaster, the hold was empty and some of the hold plating was split on the seams. The ship appeared to be post World War I and some ammunition was found dated 1941.
Whilst reading a new publication 'Cambrian Coasters' By Roy Fenton I noticed a reference to the 'Pamela' and a photograph. Very shortly we were back in the water and after further inspection of the wreck discovered the name 'PAMELA' spelled out in brass letters on the stern. Earlier this year another group found and raised the ship's bell and the name was confirmed.
The ship is lying on an even keel and swimming from the stern will take the diver under the lifeboat davits, past the galley and engine room doors and up the ladders to the chart room. It is possible to swim through here and out the other side. The wheelhouse above has deteriorated and all that is left are the remains of the steering gear. Dropping forward onto the walkway around the hold it is possible to swim into the crew's quarters under the chart room. Carrying on forward will bring the forecastle into view, watch for the net on the starboard side. Swimming up onto the deck the large bow winch comes into view.
One of the larger wrecks off the Anglesey coast is the 'Derbent'. Built as a bulk oil carrier she was originally laid down for her Belgian owners, Soc. Anon. d'Arment d'Industrie in 1907 and eventually finished in March 1908. With the outbreak of World War I the Derbent was requisitioned by the Admiralty and used for carrying fuel to the various depots around our coastline.
On 29 November 1917 the Derbent left Liverpool and set course for Queenstown, Southern Ireland to deliver 3,850 tons of fuel oil to the naval depot there. U96, skippered by Captain Jetz who, two days previously, had sent the Elder Dempster Line 'Apapa' to the seabed, was lying in wait... In the early hours of the 30th the Derbent was about 6 miles from the North Anglesey coast. Captain Jetz had already lined her up in his sights. A torpedo into the side of the ship stopped it, leaving enough time for the crew to abandon ship. No lives were lost and all landed safely ashore. It actually took the ship a few days to finally sink, as the bow stayed uppermost on the surface, the stern dragging on the seabed.
The ship is now lying on its Port side with the bow to the NW and the stern to SE. The superstructure is on the land side of the ship so low water diving can sometimes be a bit difficult. On first approaching the Derbent you will usually land on the starboard side. A long swim will take you down and underneath the keel, swim back up and over, then a 12 metre drop will bring you back on the seabed. Looking at the deck level, a lot of superstructure litters the seabed and a swim NW will take you to the bow, past the raised forecastle, then on up to the prow as the port side leaves the mud. Coming back onto the seabed you pass massive lumps of coal and the forward mast before arriving at the bridge area. You can still look into the windows and have a good rummage around here. There were no open holds so the decking is uninteresting but by continuing aft you arrive at the main mast and then the stern deck housing which has deteriorated over the years. Mooring bollards still lie attached to the decking as you reach obvious signs of the stern. Over the gunwhale you land on the rudder and massive steel propeller. Swimming up the stern will bring you onto the starboard side of the ship. I can only presume that the torpedo hole is on the port side as to date we have never seen it.
With dozens of shallower wrecks closer inshore, ideal for a second dive, Anglesey makes an ideal weekend destination.

By Simon Rodger.