QTMOS-1

Lying on her starboard side off Ras Gharib in the Gulf of Suez, Egypt. The Offshore Supply Ship sank while at anchor in 2016.

Vessel Specifications & Identification

  • Name at time of loss: M.V. QTMOS 1
  • IMO Number: 7218709
  • Type of Ship: Ocean-Going Anchor Handling Tug / Offshore Supply Ship
  • Year & Builder: Built in 1972 by Van der Giessen de Noord – Alblasserdam, Netherlands
  • Dimensions & Tonnage: 52.76 m long | 12.5 m beam | 3.6 m draught | 865 gross tons (1086 tons DWT)
  • Flag & Home Port: Georgia / Batumi
  • Manager & Owner: Queen Tower Marine & Oil Services – Alexandria, Egypt (explaining the abbreviation: QT Marine & Oil Services 1)

Former Names:

  • Oil Supplier (until 1984)
  • Mantarraya (until Oct 1990)
  • Tony Bay (until Jan 1995)
  • Sea Force (until Dec 2005)

Technical Equipment
Propulsion: Twin screws with directional propellers housed in Kort nozzles, twin rudders aft, and a 300 hp Jastrom bow thruster.
Deck Equipment: Long work deck (which has lost most of its original wooden planking), a short fo’c’le housing its own anchor winch forward, and a huge, powerful 3-ton Norwich anchor winch on the aft superstructure.
Fire Suppression: Two prominent fire suppression cannons (fire monitors) standing guard just aft of the forward superstructure, with their red paint still clearly visible.

Circumstances of Loss (June 26, 2016)
The vessel had apparently been sitting at anchor for quite some time, as evidenced by significant marine growth on the hull and several temporary repair patches on its very porous hull. On June 26, 2016, during a diving safari off Ras Gharib in the Gulf of Suez, the author Peter Collings and the captain of the safari vessel Seaking witnessed the tug beginning to list to starboard as the wind increased. They watched the vessel slowly capsize and sink beneath the waves at its moorings. The exact GPS position was taken immediately. In October 2016, Peter Collings led Coventry BSAC back to the site to conduct the initial dive and check the wreck’s stability.

The Dive

I scanned the wreck in May 2026 during this Trip
Resting in 17 meters of water. Due to the ship’s 12.5-meter beam, the upper (port) side of the hull rises to within 5 meters of the surface. No decompression penalties, offering a calm, shallow environment that makes for an excellent third dive of the day. Because the wreck is not on the standard tourist route, its intactness is remarkable. There is just an area on the back that shows that they did some salvage action.

Sketchfab