Maritime record LWT 826 - Wreck of the Sea Diamond

Intact, well buried wreck of a Greek cargo coaster which capsized in heavy weather and foundered 1.2 miles ESE of Lowestoft Harbour while carrying salt from Sicily to Wibech. Built of steel in Neuenfelde in 1956, she was an engine driven vessel.
Status: Site

Vertical datum: LAT
Horizontal datum: WGS 84
Quality of fix: Surveyed using DGPS and located by acoustic sensor.
Charted as SEA DIAMOND, 'entire wreck' in the Marine zone. A dangerous wreck.

Vessel structure:

'Intact, well buried' wreckage in a 'deep scour', lying in position 52°28.12N, 001° 47.54E at a depth of 6.6m in a general depth of 10m. (1)

Sonar dimensions: 40 x 5 x 1.5m. Orientation: 45°. Scour depth: 9m. Scour length: 100m. Scour orientation: 0°. (1)

A month after she sank, 'the top of her... accommodation showed at low water', the vessel broken in two with bow which appeared to 'have slipped into deeper water.' (1, 2.2.78)

By October 1979 most of her seems to have been buried by sand, her east section not visible and her 'west section sinking into the sandbank and moving to the south.' (1, 10.1079)

By December 1980 only her mast or derrick was visible at low water. (1, 29.12.80)

When last examined in 2003 she was located as a strong magnetic anomaly and appeared to be completely buried. (1, 9.5.03)

Documentary evidence:

`Passage Sicily for Wisbech. Cargo salt. Capsized in heavy weather. Crew of 7 all lost.' (1)

'Capsized in heavy weather in 5228N, 00148E, but subsequently beached (grounded) on Newcombe Sand 1.5 miles off Lowestoft. A 3ayday distress call was intercepted at 01.42 from the SEA DIAMOND saying that there were seven persons of board. Gorleston and Lowestoft lifeboats were launched to search the area, joined by an RAF Nimrod aircraft, and local Rescue Companies searched the coastline. The wreck of the capsized vessel was located... by the aircraft, and Gorlestone lifeboat found a ship's boat bearing her name but with no occupants. An empty inflatable dinghy was then recovered with one body, and later a second body was recovered by the Caister lifeboat. That same day, divers attempted to sound the hull of the wreck, with helicopter top cover, a total of three bodies now having been recovered and four persons missing. On 26.01.78 a helicopter reported that the wreck was breaking up, her bow and stern sections pointing in different directions, and that the SEA DIAMOND was on the edge of Newcombe Sand and just visible at low water.' (2)

Built: 1956 (1) (3)
Where built: Hamburg (1); Neuenfelde (3)
Builder: Sietas JJ Schiffs (1) (3)
LBD: 58.8 x 8.8 x 3.7m (1); 58.8 x 9 x 3.5m (2); 51.1 x 8.9m - Possible dimensions as built, pre 1963. (3)
Tonnage: 498 grt (1) (2) (4) - Conversion around 1963; 420 - as built (3)
Propulsion: Screw-driven 6-cylinder oil engine. (2)
HP: 500 (2)
Speed: 9.5 knots (3)
Machinery: By Masch A G, Kiel (2)
Crew: 7 (2)
Crew lost: 7 (2)
Ownership history:
1956, Named BIRTE and registered in Hamburg to Frits Freundenberg and Gustav Onken. Is listed as 420 tons. (4)
1963, Sold to Hans Heinrich and re-named HELGA-GUNDA and registered in Hamburg. Listed as 498 tons so seems to have undergone enlargement. (4)
1966, Sold to Osterwisch and Graebe, re-named CH. BOHL and registered in Hamburg. (4)
1974, Re-named the HOLLWEDE by Osterwisch and Graebe . (4)
1975, Sold to Sea Diamond Shipping Enterprizes, registered in Piraeus and re-named SEA DIAMOND. (4)

Date of loss qualifier: Actual date of loss

Additional sources cited in Shipwreck Index of the British Isles:
Lloyds Register 1976-7 No.5420279 (S); Lloyds Casualty Report 1978 p10.