Steam ship for the tranport of materials and equipment in the oil industry. 37 meters in length and 6.7m wide. On January 26th, 1915, the British steel cargo ZEITIEH, built in 1911 at Maryport on voyage from Zeitieh to Gemsah with a cargo of piping and railway material, caught fire and sank, off Rassin Island. She was on anchor during a routine boiler burner change-out a fire started in the machinery space. The fire went out of control and eventually the ship developed a port list, either from fire-fighting water accumulating in the ship’s bilges, or machinery breaking loose and shifting. The port list was severe enough that the ship starting taking on water over the port side, causing her to roll and finally sink to the bottom, spilling its cargo of train track rails on the way down near position 27.42.0N/33.41.6E in 12 meters of water.
I scanned the wreck in July 2024 during one dive.
Diving
The ship lies on the port side on a sandy bottom with a maximum depth of 12 meters. The starboard side of the ship is only 4 meters below the water surface. At the bow of the ship is a raised foyer, complete with the ship’s anchor chain, which is still out of service. On the foredeck is the anchor winch, behind is a smaller winch that was used for loading and unloading cargo.
In the cargo hold there is still part of the ship’s last cargo, consisting of 6 meter long railway tracks. Part of the ship’s cargo may also be on the seabed about 20 meters away. Behind the forward hold are the ship’s superstructure and the remains of the wheelhouse, complete with an aft-facing helm station. All of the wooden decks and walls have long since fallen into disrepair, leaving behind a framework of iron scaffolding that makes entering the wreck extremely easy.
Behind the superstructure is another small hold and then the ship’s engine room, which still houses the propulsion machinery, including valves, gauges, piping and ladders. Further aft on the fantail, the control quadrant protrudes from the weather deck and, like the rest of the wreck, is covered in coral. The ship’s rudder is still there, as is the ship’s single propeller. And finally, the ship’s funnel broke off the ship and is lying on its side on the seabed.
The model
You can find the 3D-Files in the Download area
