Plympton Wreck

Surveying Details

H6040/59 8.11.66 H6040/59 8.11.66 IMMENSE AREA OF WRECKAGE OF TWO SHIPS COMBINED BOTH LYING IN DEEP [90FT] AND WIDE [250YDS] GULLEY RUNNING ABOUT SW/NE FROM LETHERGUS ROCKS. VESSELS ARE THE SS 'HATHOR' [SEE 21822] AND THE SS 'PLYMPTON'. THE BOWS OF THE 'PLYMPTON' ARE INTACT BUT UPSIDE DOWN THE STEM OF THE 'HATHOR' IS INTACT & UPRIGHT. NO OTHER INDIVIDUAL SECTION IDENTIFIABLE EXCEPT THE BOILERS ETC. (RNAS CULDROSE SUB AQUA CLUB REPORT, AUG '66). 20.10.69 20.10.69 MUCH REMAINS OF BOTH VESSELS THOUGH THERE IS MUCH COLLAPSE DUE TO SEA ACTION AND CORROSION. POSN GIVEN AS 160DEGS, 105FT FROM LETHEGUS ROCKS. 'PLYMPTON' UPSIDE DOWN, LYING E/W. BOWS IN 90FT, STERN IN 120FT. STERN TO E. 'HATHOR' IN N/S DIRECTION, BOWS N. STERN IS OVER 'PLYMPTON' BOWS IN 65FT, STERN IN 110FT. (RAF ST ATHAN SUB AQUA CLUB REPORT, JUL '69). 2.10.70 2.10.70 REPORT AGREES WITH REPORT DATED JUL '69. NATURAL COLLAPSE HAS OCCURRED AND LARGE SECTIONS OF UNDER SIDE OF VESSEL ARE STILL INTACT. (REPORT DATED JUL '70). H2568/71 22.3.72 H2568/71 22.3.72 CENTRE POSN OF WKS FIXED, USING HSA, IN 495248N, 062048W [OGB] BY FT LT RAY, RAF SUB AQUA CLUB, FOR HMS HECATE SURVEY. THEY LIE ACROSS ONE ANOTHER APPROX AT RIGHT ANGLES, BOW OF 'PLYMPTON' ABOUT 40FT ABOVE SEABED [PROBABLY ABOUT 140FT] BUT AREA FOUL GROUND. LEAST DEPTH 90FT [27.4 MTRS] AT BOWS OF 'PLYMPTON' [NW] AND 75FT OVER STERN OF 'HATHOR'. SHOALEST DEPTH IN THE VICINITY IS 17MTRS. 'PLYMPTON', UPSIDE DOWN, LIES WNW/ESE BOWS TO WEST. 'HATHOR' LIES NNE/SSW, BOWS SOUTH, 'PLYMPTON' BOWS IN 90FT STERN IN 120FT. 'HATHOR' BOWS IN 135FT STERN IN 75FT. (HMS HECATE, R-OF-S [K6299/2] 15.1.72 AND 3.8.72). INS AS 2 DWP WITH LEGEND 'WRECKS'. BR STD. H3227/74 3.1.74 H3227/74 3.1.74 'PLYMPTON' UPSIDE DOWN & VIRTUALLY INTACT. 'HATHOR' UPRIGHT WITH BOWS ACROSS STERN OF 'PLYMPTON'. A LOT OF SALVAGE WORK HAS TAKEN PLACE. BOWS RISE IN A PYRAMID 35FT HIGH. IRON ANCHOR STILL IN HAWSEPIPE. (RAF SUB AQUA EXPEDITION 1974). H1280/76/24 29.1.76 H1280/76/24 29.1.76 REPORTED POSN 495248.6N, 062047.4W [OGB]. THE 'PLYMPTON' LIES UPSIDE DOWN ON THE BOTTOM; IS VIRTUALLY INTACT ALTHOUGH SOME COLLAPSE HAS TAKEN PLACE. THE STERN RISES 20FT FROM THE SEABED AND THE IRON PROPELLER IS STILL IN PLACE. THE 'HATHOR' LIES UPRIGHT AND HER FRONT SECTION LIES ACROSS THE UPSIDE DOWN STERN END OF THE 'PLYMPTON'. A LOT OF NATURAL COLLAPSE AND SOME SALVAGE WORK HAS OCCURRED PARTICULARLY IN THE MIDDLE SECTION OF THE WRECK, THE BOWS RISE IN A KIND OF PYRAMID SHAPE 35FT FROM THE SEABED TO A DEPTH OF 100FT. A HUGE IRON ANCHOR IS STILL IN THE HAWSEPIPE. THE WRECKS ARE A HAZARD TO SMALL VESSELS ANCHORING IN THE AREA. (RAF HONINGTON SUB AQUA EXPEDITION REPORT, 1-15.8.75). NCA. REPD SOLD TO WESTERN OIL EXPLORATION SERVICES LTD. (BSAC WK REGISTER, VOL V). 28.6.01 28.6.01 EUT POSN: 4952.836N, 0620.854W. NE 883. HH100/351/19 18.2.03 HH100/351/19 18.2.03 DIVED 7.9.97, LEAST DEPTH OVER WK 35MTRS, MAXIMUM DEPTH OVER WK 41MTRS. (J ROSEVEARE, E-MAIL DTD 16.2.03) NCA, NO STATE OF TIDE DETAILS GIVEN. HH100/351/21 12.7.04 HH100/351/21 12.7.04 POSN OF POINT OF HIGHEST MAGNETIC ANOMALY USING DGPS: 4952.841N, 0620.829W [WGD]. (J ROSEVEARE/G FURSE TELECON 12.7.04) NCA.