Wreck of M.V. CRISTOBAL in the Gulf of Suez.
A standard warbuilt design T1-M-BT2 Type tanker.
Built Sept 1945 by J.A. Jones Construction Co, Panama City, Florida. Yard #92 IMO: 5357020
Names:
TANDORE (1945-1948)
MANVEL (1948)
Cristobal (1948-1960)
Texaco Cristobal (1960-1966)
Cristobal (1966 – )
Dimensions: 99,1 x 14,6 x 6,6
Water depth 28m
On February 24th, 1967, the Panamanian cargo ship CRISTOBAL, built in 1945, with a cargo of oil samples, foundered in the Gulf of Suez off the Morgan 2 oilwell after spring a leak in the engine room. Owned at the time by Pan American UAR Oil co., Panama.
The dive
We dived the wreck during our WreckHunt diving livaboard tour.
Scanning the wreckage was quite difficult. Two dives were originally planned on this wreck, but even though we had a diving permit, oil company employees came and told us to leave the area immediately. So much of the second dive and I couldn’t scan some areas completely.
In addition, visibility was difficult and huge schools of fish blocked a clear view of the wreck. But I made the best of it and actually managed a pretty decent scan.
Briefing by Peter Collings (Deeplens.com)
