Wreck Hunting: Interpreting Visual Clues Like a Pro

0:00
You're looking at a wreck that will
0:01
probably only ever be dived once.
0:05
When you get a single descent, really
0:08
short bottom time, and no second
0:10
chances,
0:12
you either learn how to interpret what
0:14
you're seeing, or you leave with
0:16
unanswered questions.
0:18
This video is about how I make sure
0:21
every dive gives me usable answers,
0:24
rather than just vague impressions.
0:28
What you're going to see during this
0:29
video is the background footage, which
0:32
is of an unknown wreck that I dived last
0:36
year.
0:37
I am going to You'll see me You'll see
0:39
my video. You'll see all the footage.
0:42
And what I'm going to do at the end is
0:45
I'm going to tell you what I observed on
0:47
that wreck. So, while you're listening
0:49
to me, while you're watching this video,
0:51
can I suggest that you make some mental
0:53
notes, or you write something down, or
0:54
whatever, and then at the end we'll
0:57
compare notes, and you can see if you
0:59
saw the same things that I saw. So, good
1:02
luck with that. Now, the reason I'm
1:04
making this video is cuz I get a lot of
1:06
questions on my videos and on my posts
1:10
asking how I go about identifying and
1:13
navigating the wrecks of steamships,
1:16
especially ones that I've never been on
1:19
before. They're not just interested
1:21
about how I enjoy diving them, but how I
1:24
work out what I'm looking at when I
1:28
arrive on an unfamiliar site. A wreck
1:31
perhaps that I've never dived before,
1:33
I've never seen before.
1:36
Now, these questions usually come from
1:39
the same place
1:40
because at first glance, many steamship
1:44
wrecks appear very, very similar.
1:47
You drop onto a boiler, you drop onto an
1:50
engine, you see collapsed plating and
1:54
scattered structure, and it can all feel
1:57
like an anonymous mass of metal.
2:00
And for a lot of divers, that's kind of
2:02
where the process stops.
2:04
Of course, they enjoy the wreck
2:06
visually. They enjoy the atmosphere.
2:09
They notice bits and pieces. They might,
2:13
you know, like the fish. But, the actual
2:16
wreck remains unread. So, they kind of
2:20
experience it, but they don't really
2:23
interpret it.
2:25
So, what I want to show you in this
2:27
video is that this apparent chaos is
2:31
misleading.
2:33
Steamship wrecks were designed and built
2:36
to a really clear logic. And that logic
2:40
does still exist underwater.
2:43
Once you understand how these ships were
2:46
laid out
2:47
and why they were built the way they
2:49
were, a wreck can begin to make sense
2:53
surprisingly quickly.
2:55
All of a sudden, the structure starts to
2:59
relate to function and stops just being
3:02
random bits of metal.
3:05
In this video, we're going to look how
3:07
to identify and navigate steamship
3:10
wrecks in a structured and repeatable
3:13
way.
3:14
It's not about instantly naming a wreck.
3:18
It's not about those dramatic moments or
3:21
lucky finds. Although, to be fair, they
3:24
do sometimes happen.
3:26
Instead, it's about following a clear
3:29
process that allows you to gather useful
3:32
information on every dive.
3:36
Even when the visibility's poor,
3:38
the conditions are demanding, or as is
3:41
normally the case for me, time on the
3:44
bottom is really limited.
3:47
Of course, on shallow wrecks, those that
3:50
are close to shore, you may be fortunate
3:53
enough to return multiple times.
3:56
That means you can afford to miss
3:58
details. You can afford to rethink what
4:01
you've seen, and you can come back with
4:03
a revised plan.
4:06
Over several dives, understanding can
4:08
build gradually, but that is rarely the
4:12
case on the deep offshore wrecks that I
4:15
normally dive.
4:17
Most of the time, there's going to be a
4:19
single descent, a single bottom phase,
4:23
and one opportunity to notice what
4:26
matters.
4:28
There's no going back. You [snorts]
4:29
can't return the following weekend to
4:32
check something that might have been
4:34
overlooked.
4:35
And that reality shapes how,
4:39
you know, I've got to approach
4:41
observation, decision-making underwater.
4:45
That's why in this video, I'm going to
4:47
focus on a structured framework for
4:49
wreck identification.
4:52
So that even a single dive produces
4:55
clear and usable information, rather
4:59
than just confusion.
5:02
For me,
5:03
an entire identification process sits
5:07
inside three simple stages.
5:11
The pre-dive preparation,
5:13
the observation during the dive, and
5:16
then the structured analysis once you've
5:18
got out of the water.
5:20
If you follow those three stages
5:22
consistently, your ability to interpret
5:25
wrecks improves dramatically.
5:29
More importantly, it becomes repeatable,
5:31
rather than simply relying on luck or
5:35
memory.
5:37
The first stage is the pre-dive phase.
5:41
And this is where wreck identification
5:43
actually begins.
5:46
Before you even kit up, you should
5:48
already be building a picture of what
5:51
you expect to find.
5:53
That means studying charts, hydrographic
5:56
data, historical loss records, and
5:59
online databases.
6:02
It also means thinking about how you're
6:04
going to record information underwater.
6:07
So, you might want to use a camera,
6:09
video, or if you're old school, a slate.
6:14
If you're ready to record what you see
6:16
before the dive starts, you won't lose
6:19
information that cannot be recreated
6:21
afterwards.
6:24
The UK, we're particularly fortunate.
6:27
The UK Hydrographic Office data
6:30
is typically presented through
6:32
wrecksite.eu
6:34
and layered with multiple additional
6:36
data sources.
6:39
And these often provide basic
6:42
dimensional information for charted
6:44
wrecks, which usually length,
6:47
orientation on the seabed,
6:50
height above the seabed. Now, these
6:53
details do not identify a wreck on their
6:56
own, but what they do is they can be
6:58
used to narrow the problem and shape
7:01
your expectations.
7:04
In practice, length is usually more
7:07
important than beam.
7:09
Many wrecks collapse outwards as they
7:12
break up, which can make them appear
7:14
much wider on the seabed than they ever
7:17
were in service.
7:19
Length, on the other hand, rarely
7:21
changes unless the wreck has broken into
7:24
two distinct sections,
7:27
which is normally pretty obvious from
7:29
the hydrographic data.
7:33
The UKHO information will often also
7:36
indicate the highest point on the wreck
7:38
above the seabed.
7:40
On steamships, that high point is
7:43
normally the engine or the boiler, but
7:46
but might be the bow or the stern.
7:48
And in many cases, the data will also
7:52
show whether that high point sits
7:54
amidships or close to the stern.
7:58
That alone can often tell you whether
8:00
you're dealing with a vessel that has
8:02
the engine amidships or an engine
8:05
probably before you even enter the
8:07
water.
8:09
Cuz charted as being roughly 90 m long,
8:13
you can immediately rule out rule out a
8:15
large number of possible losses.
8:19
When you then confirm that length on the
8:21
dive, you're able to move, you know,
8:23
pretty quickly from speculation to to a
8:26
process of verification.
8:28
Planning also shapes how you approach
8:31
the descent.
8:32
Knowing where the high point is helps
8:35
you anticipate where the shot is likely
8:37
to land and what you're likely to see
8:40
first.
8:42
The second stage is what happens during
8:45
the dive itself. And obviously, this is
8:47
the most important phase.
8:50
And it's where a deliberate and
8:52
disciplined observation process matters
8:54
the most.
8:56
The first priority during the dive is
8:58
orientation.
9:00
As soon as you get to the wreck, you
9:02
need to establish where you are in
9:04
relation to the ship.
9:06
That means identifying whether you're at
9:09
the bow, the stern, or most likely
9:12
somewhere in the middle.
9:14
And then understanding which direction
9:17
the vessel is pointing.
9:20
Boilers are always positioned forward of
9:22
the engine.
9:24
If you move from a boiler towards the
9:26
engine, you are moving towards the stern
9:29
and vice versa.
9:31
Anchor chain and anchors themselves
9:34
usually indicate the bow.
9:37
Although it's worth remembering that
9:39
spare anchors were sometimes carried
9:41
elsewhere on the vessel.
9:43
They're strong indicators, but not
9:45
absolute proof.
9:49
In vessels with riveted hulls, where the
9:51
plating overlaps can also help. The
9:55
overlap faces aft. So, by following the
9:58
direction of the plate, you can often
10:01
tell which way the ship was originally
10:03
pointing.
10:05
Other useful features include drive
10:08
shafts and screws.
10:11
The drive shaft will run from the engine
10:13
towards the screw.
10:15
And these are often exposed as the
10:18
surrounding structure collapses.
10:21
Clearly, they provide a really good
10:24
indication of the direction of the
10:25
stern. And if you get there and find the
10:28
screw,
10:29
then, you know, you're absolutely
10:31
sorted.
10:34
Armament is another useful orientation
10:37
clue.
10:38
On merchant ships fitted with defensive
10:41
weapons during wartime, the guns were
10:43
almost always mounted at the stern. And
10:47
that was part of the, you know, what
10:49
made them defensively armed ships rather
10:51
than offensively armed ships.
10:55
They were there to defend against
10:56
submarine attack, or at least deter the
11:00
submarine from trying to get close
11:02
enough to use its own gun.
11:05
Finding those gun mountings or the
11:07
ammunition
11:09
close to a machinery space or the screw
11:13
will often suggest you're at the stern.
11:17
Now, naval vessels also carry armaments,
11:20
but it's likely to be along the full
11:22
length of the ship.
11:24
So, you just need to be careful with
11:27
weapon placement. You need to think
11:28
about what type of vessel you are
11:30
believe you are diving.
11:32
Much more difficult on very large
11:35
wrecks.
11:36
Those that heavily broken
11:38
or wrecks that are partially buried.
11:41
Where the key reference features may be
11:44
missing
11:45
or just completely hidden under the
11:47
sand. And orientation, the next step is
11:51
to locate and assess the propulsion
11:53
system.
11:54
You might already have done that.
11:57
But it means finding the engine and
11:59
boilers and understanding how they
12:01
relate to each other and how they relate
12:04
to the ship.
12:06
You need to determine whether the ship
12:08
used a some form of steam engine, a
12:10
turbine installation, sails, or some
12:14
other sort of propulsion system.
12:17
Even with steam propulsion, the details
12:20
matter. In fact, they matter a lot.
12:24
Early steamships often used simple or
12:27
compound engines, while later vessels
12:30
tended to use triple expansion engines.
12:34
More exotic engine arrangements may also
12:37
appear including diesel engines,
12:40
four-cylinder engines, turbines, and
12:43
I've even seen a steeple engine which is
12:47
where the pistons sit on top of each
12:49
other.
12:51
If you encounter something like this, it
12:54
can dramatically narrow the field of
12:56
possible ships very quickly.
12:59
So, you need to look at the size, the
13:02
layout, and the cylinder arrangement of
13:04
the engine.
13:06
Because those can be compared to
13:08
information recorded in Lloyd's
13:10
registers about individual ships.
13:14
Because
13:15
not many people know that engines were
13:18
built specifically for individual ships.
13:22
Which means that they're basically
13:24
fingerprints.
13:26
If you measure the uh cylinder
13:28
diameters, the number of cylinders, you
13:31
can take those to the Lloyd Register,
13:33
and they will individually identify a
13:36
vessel.
13:39
Boilers provide quicker, but not quite
13:43
as precise clues about a ship's size and
13:46
age.
13:48
The number of boilers can be used to
13:49
give you a rough sense of scale.
13:52
As a very general guide, a single boiler
13:56
often indicates a ship that is about
13:59
1,000 tons or less.
14:03
Two boilers indicate a bigger vessel
14:06
that's likely to be under about 2,000
14:09
tons.
14:11
If you get to three boilers, then those
14:13
are associated with bigger ships
14:16
approaching 3,000 tons.
14:19
If you find more than three boilers,
14:21
chances are you're on a liner or a
14:23
military vessel, which is absolutely
14:26
brilliant.
14:28
Now, these aren't precise rules, but
14:31
they do provide a useful starting point.
14:35
One thing to kind of be careful of are
14:37
donkey boilers. These are smaller
14:40
auxiliary boilers which were used to
14:42
power deck machinery when the ship was
14:45
in port, and they're often found very
14:48
close to the engine, either alongside or
14:51
often even vertically.
14:54
Mistaking a donkey boiler for a main
14:56
engine can easily lead to overestimating
15:00
the size of the vessel.
15:03
It's also worth considering boiler
15:05
design because this does matter.
15:08
Fire-tube boilers are typically found in
15:11
merchant steamships, and tend to be
15:13
large and cylindrical.
15:16
Water-tube boilers, such as those in
15:19
Yarrow boilers, are usually smaller and
15:22
more complex in structure.
15:25
They were commonly used in naval vessels
15:28
because they could generate steam far
15:30
more quickly and operate at higher
15:33
pressures.
15:35
If you find a Yarrow or similar water
15:38
tube boiler,
15:39
it normally suggests you're either
15:41
diving a military vessel or a ship built
15:44
to military specifications
15:47
rather than a conventional merchant
15:49
steamer.
15:51
To more modern vessels,
15:53
additional clues begin to appear.
15:56
You might get electrical cabling, which
15:59
is increasingly common and immediately
16:02
suggests a later build period almost
16:05
certainly after the First World War.
16:09
Build quality is another revealing
16:12
thing.
16:14
Higher value ships often carried brass
16:17
or bronze fittings. They had better
16:20
quality bridge equipment and generally
16:23
more refined construction.
16:26
Cheaper ships were frequently built to
16:29
really strict cost regime, which meant
16:32
that the fittings might be made of iron
16:35
and the construction simpler.
16:39
So, once you've had a look at these kind
16:41
of features and particularly the
16:43
propulsion and boiler,
16:46
the next step is to understand the
16:48
overall layout of the wreck.
16:50
That might That means identifying where
16:53
holds are located,
16:55
if there's deck heights, and you know,
16:58
general arrangement of the
16:59
superstructure.
17:01
And the reason is that these features
17:03
are often consistent across particular
17:06
ship types,
17:07
but also can be used to quickly
17:11
identify you know, narrow down
17:12
identification options.
17:16
Another good thing to look at is cargo
17:18
and artifacts.
17:21
Cargo
17:23
is normally treated as strong supporting
17:26
evidence rather than
17:28
uh you know, actual proof of identity.
17:32
Be careful of coal because it's really
17:34
common and rarely identifies a specific
17:38
vessel on its own because obviously
17:40
pretty much every ship carried it uh for
17:44
the the boilers and to you know, to
17:46
generate power.
17:48
More unusual cargo such as ingots,
17:51
shells, railway equipment, or
17:54
manufactured goods can be really
17:56
helpful.
17:58
Now, artifacts are something that I'm
18:01
sure you've seen on many of my videos.
18:04
And the reason is because they are
18:06
particularly important.
18:08
Things like crockery fragments, bottles,
18:12
equipment markings, these can sometimes
18:15
identify a shipping line or you know,
18:18
give you a very precise date range.
18:23
There are also occasional major
18:25
artifacts that can produce genuine
18:28
breakthroughs.
18:30
The classic one is ship's bells, but
18:32
you've also got uh builder's plates and
18:36
certain bridge instruments which can
18:39
sometimes provide direct identification.
18:43
The reason I say that is bridge
18:45
equipment was often uh fitted with
18:48
serial numbers that can be uh checked
18:51
against manufacturer records if you can
18:54
get access to them.
18:55
And in you know, a lot of cases, those
18:59
can point directly to a specific vessel.
19:02
And I have personally identified vessels
19:06
using numbers that have come off uh
19:08
bridge equipment.
19:11
And also provide useful identification
19:13
clues.
19:14
The caliber of a gun, the size of
19:17
associated ammunition can sometimes help
19:20
determine whether a weapon was fitted to
19:22
a merchant ship for defensive purposes
19:25
or was part of a naval vessel's primary
19:28
armaments.
19:30
So, if you see those kind of things,
19:32
look at look at them. You'd be surprised
19:34
how well recorded the armament that was
19:38
fitted to merchant ships was once again
19:41
really important clue.
19:43
The final step during the dive is to
19:45
look for unusual features such as
19:47
damage.
19:49
That might include torpedo strikes, mine
19:52
damage, collision scars or structural
19:56
collapse patterns. Sometimes you can
19:58
match those to historical accounts of a
20:00
vessel's loss.
20:03
Now, recognizing what is unusual often
20:05
comes down to experience.
20:08
The more wrecks you dive and the more
20:10
ship structures you become familiar
20:12
with, the easier it becomes to, you
20:16
know, realize that something doesn't fit
20:18
the normal pattern.
20:21
The final stage is going to take place
20:24
after the dive.
20:26
And this is where those raw observations
20:29
are turned into identification evidence.
20:33
What you need to do is discuss the dive
20:35
with the other people on it, with your
20:37
teammates. You need to go back and have
20:39
a look at those photographs and video
20:42
and compare them against all the
20:45
information that you found on the
20:46
pre-dive. So, against those historical
20:49
records, the hydrographic information
20:52
and all that kind of stuff.
20:56
Once you've done done it, I think it's
20:57
really important to record your
20:59
findings.
21:01
Even if the information you record does
21:05
not immediately identify the wreck.
21:08
It contributes to the wider knowledge
21:10
pool.
21:12
Somebody else might go back and your
21:15
confirmation of, you know, something
21:17
like number of boilers, position of
21:20
machinery, layout, cargo, that piece of
21:24
crockery you found may allow someone
21:27
else to complete the identification.
21:31
Now, for me,
21:33
wrecksite.eu
21:34
is the preferred repository for for
21:37
storing that information.
21:39
Because it's public source, it allows
21:42
your data to be shared and built on over
21:45
the time.
21:47
Because wreck identification is often a
21:51
collective process,
21:54
you might not be the person who joins
21:55
the final dots, but some of the stuff
21:58
you contribute may become the missing
22:01
piece for somebody else.
22:04
There are loads of wrecks around the
22:07
British Isles that are chartered but
22:09
remain unnamed.
22:11
That doesn't make them unsolvable
22:13
mysteries.
22:15
It usually means that the available
22:17
information has not yet been brought
22:19
together or found.
22:22
By sticking together all that stuff, the
22:25
hydrographic data, the information about
22:28
wreck losses, the stuff that divers
22:31
find, you can often reduce a long list
22:34
of possibilities to a manageable short
22:37
list before you
22:39
enter the water or once you've got up.
22:43
A good example of this process in action
22:46
is my identification of the steamship SS
22:49
Nons.
22:51
The wreck wasn't identified by a single
22:53
dramatic discovery.
22:55
It actually was a a putting together of
22:58
individual bits and pieces.
23:01
To start with, crockery recovered from
23:03
the wreck carried the Cunard logo
23:06
which immediately told us who operated
23:08
the vessel.
23:11
Checking the loss records showed only a
23:13
small number of Cunard ships lost in
23:16
that area.
23:18
One of those matched the recorded length
23:21
on the hydrographic data.
23:23
The loss location was also very close to
23:27
the position
23:28
and once we got on the wreck the engine
23:31
and boiler arrangements and the presence
23:34
of coal in the hold were all tied up
23:37
with what we knew about the wreck from
23:39
the historical records.
23:42
Now, in themselves, none of these
23:44
individual pieces would have been enough
23:47
on their own to identify the wreck.
23:50
But together, they created a consistent
23:53
and defensible identification of the
23:56
ship.
23:58
Now, that was a good story, but
24:00
sometimes, even after careful analysis,
24:04
the answer remains uncertain.
24:07
That's not failure. It simply reflects
24:10
the limit of the available evidence.
24:13
Now, the wreck that you've been watching
24:15
me diving is a really good example of
24:18
this.
24:19
It's really heavily broken at the bow.
24:22
There's a pile of anchor chain, not much
24:24
else. You probably saw that we landed on
24:28
the stern, which is the highest bit.
24:30
It's also where the engine single boiler
24:34
and donkey boiler were located. You
24:37
probably saw the screw during that as
24:39
well. You saw those bits of crockery we
24:41
found there. None of them had any useful
24:44
logos on.
24:45
You've also seen the uh two-cylinder
24:48
engine. It's a compound engine, so high
24:51
pressure and low pressure cylinder.
24:53
But nothing there other than that to
24:55
give any evidence.
24:57
that it was probably carrying coal
24:59
maybe. There's there's some coal on the
25:01
seabed whether there's enough to say it
25:03
was the the cargo is is not really
25:06
certain. It's scattered all over the
25:07
seabed. So, it may have just, you know,
25:11
been moved away by the natural movement
25:13
of of water and and time.
25:16
The ship is clearly old. So, in my head
25:19
it's early 20th century, but we didn't
25:22
really find anything to prove that.
25:24
And it's probably it's about 70 m long
25:27
which we had from the hydrographic data.
25:29
So, there's a whole load of ships that
25:31
match that description that were lost
25:34
not just in this area, but in the the
25:36
wider surrounding area.
25:39
No partic- no artifact. We didn't find a
25:41
bell. We didn't find a maker's plate. As
25:44
I said, none of the crockery had
25:45
anything on it. So, despite our best
25:48
efforts, this ship is going to remain
25:51
unknown. And because of where it is,
25:53
it's really difficult. It's a long way
25:55
out. Obviously, you've seen the depth on
25:57
it. It's you know, 90 m which means that
26:02
almost certainly
26:03
nobody is going to dive it again anytime
26:06
soon. But, the information is on wreck
26:09
site. If they want to go back, they will
26:11
see what we've done. So,
26:15
that does happen. It happens quite a
26:18
lot. More often than I'd like, really.
26:22
But, I think the important thing to take
26:24
away from this is that by and large
26:27
steamship wrecks do reward disciplined
26:31
methodical observation.
26:34
If you rush the dive, if you rush
26:36
through them,
26:38
the the bits of it will blur together.
26:40
But, if you follow a structured process,
26:43
I think they do become readable and
26:45
coherence.
26:47
You don't necessarily need to main to
26:49
name the wreck immediately.
26:52
For me, I think what matters is that
26:54
every dive leaves you with a clearer
26:57
understanding of the last.
27:00
Of course, if you name it, that's
27:01
brilliant.
27:03
And the best way to do that, in my view,
27:06
is to learn that framework that I
27:08
suggested and apply it consistently.
27:12
Do that, and the next time you descend
27:14
onto a boiler or an engine or a pile of
27:18
plates,
27:19
you're not just looking at a wreck,
27:21
you're going to be studying a ship.
27:25
And if you want to see a load of
27:26
examples of dives where I followed this
27:28
process and I've done that,
27:31
I'm going to put a link up above me,
27:33
somewhere up here maybe, where you will
27:36
see wrecks that I've been on, where I've
27:39
managed to identify them.
27:41
And that shows that the process, I
27:43
think, does work.
27:46
I hope you've enjoyed this video. I hope
27:48
you
27:49
use my process. As always, if you've got
27:52
comments or observations, stick them
27:55
stick them in the comment section. If
27:57
you could give us a like, that would be
27:59
brilliant. If you watch another one of
28:00
my videos, that would be even better.
28:03
But for now, I'm Dom Robinson, deep
28:06
wreck diver. Thanks for your time, and
28:09
I'll see you on the next one.

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