News
Mark Milburn’s Cornish Wreck Ramblings, Part 5: The Trouble with Trawlers

During both the Great War and World War two, fishing trawlers, drifters and whalers were used as mine sweepers or ancillary vessels. During both wars, hundreds were put into service and many were lost. Falmouth Bay had it’s fair share. During the Great War, there were two trawlers that were lost, one due to hitting a mine, the other was lost after a collision.
On the 21st December 1916, the HMT St Ives struck a mine 2 miles WSW off St Anthony’s lighthouse, with the loss of all ten crew. The St Ives has never been found. On a dive in the area suggested by the naval report, I did find a dozen large cast iron blocks. After researching what they might be, we discarded ballast weights and cargo. As ballast, they would need to be movable, these iron blocks were roughly one ton each, not movable by the crew. As cargo, a dozen blocks weighing a ton each, wasn’t worth much, certainly not worth hiring a boat to transport them. More research into the actual vessel construction, found they could have been bow trim weights, to counteract the weight of the engine and boilers at the rear. This would be almost impossible to prove, without spending a lot of time hunting the area and still not finding any other items as proof.

HMT St Ives
The FV Tulip II collided with another vessel on 23rd August 1918, 3 miles WNW off St Anthony. There is little information available about what happened, or whether there were any casualties. The wreck has never been found. We do have a possible target area, a debris field spotted by an Olex system, half a mile from the collision location.
During WWII, there were five trawlers lost in the Falmouth area. The most confusing of these are the Sevra and AN2, it turns out they were sunk a hundred metres apart, two days apart. They both hit mines and the wreckage possibly ended up being mixed up. The Rinovia sank after hitting a mine too, it has become a popular deeper dive, lying around 50m. Lord Snowden sank in deep water after a collision with a Glasgow steamer, the Felspar. The Lord Snowden does get dived but is quite deep. The Almond hit a mine and sank in deep water in 1941, the bow and stern now lie around 200m apart. The Almond is rarely dived as it is quite deep and the two parts are so far apart.
So, in the main, the WWII trawler wrecks are in known locations. The wrecks from the Great War, are not. The trouble with the information we have is even more confusing, once we add in a discussion with a now ex diver. Within the bay there is a large oil tanker from WWII, the Caroni Rivers. Within the Caroni Rivers are the remains of a small steam vessel, thought to be a steam trawler, it could be any trawler.
The ex diver stated that in 1966, he was part of a group of divers, that removed a bronze deck gun from the trawler within the Caroni Rivers. Trawlers were not armed, except during the wars. The Caroni Rivers is around 1.5 miles from the last recorded positions of the St Ives and the Tulip II, around half way between them. There are no other trawlers missing, so what is the trawler within the Caroni Rivers? It has to be the St Ives or the Tulip II. The St Ives blew to pieces, so it is unlikely to be that. That leaves the Tulip II as the only possibility. One of the reasons I feel cautious about the Tulip II is not just the distance but the direction. Knowing the area, it is highly unlikely for the Tulip II to be blown in that direction. There is always the possibility that it tried to make it back to port, but without any confirmation of that it will remain a mystery.
Find out more about Mark and Atlantic Scuba at www.atlanticscuba.co.uk
News
Get up to £100pp off Red Sea Resorts and Liveaboards with Regaldive

Regaldive welcomes thousands of divers to the Red Sea each year, drawn by its warm climate, stunning scenery, and exceptional marine biodiversity. With over 200 species of hard and soft corals, plus a variety of world-class diving experiences—including dramatic walls, drop-offs, wrecks, and deep blue canyons—the Red Sea remains a premier diving destination.
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Discover some of the top Red Sea diving locations and liveaboards below, and when you’re ready to book, use code RSFEB25 at the time of enquiry to claim your discount. For full details and terms and conditions, visit Regaldive’s offer page here.
For more information about Regaldive and the dive getaways they offer, visit www.regal-diving.co.uk.
Gear News
Introducing the RF-40 Fins from DYNAMICNORD

With the sporty RF-40 open-heel fin by DYNAMICNORD, you enjoy maximum effectiveness and fun. The innovative design guarantees ease and power – exactly what every diver wants.
Designed and engineered in Germany. Made in Europe.
The RF-40 open-heel fin delivers. Its harder blade will especially delight sporty divers.
The powerful blade of the RF-40 fin and its dynamic design with innovative water channels allow to perform both technical and recreational kicks with maximum propulsion. The power is efficiently transmitted from the foot pocket and sole to the blade for outstanding kick stability and manoeuvrability. With the RF-40 fin, sporty divers are guaranteed to have a blast underwater.
The foot pocket of the open-heel fin is comfortable, and the smart bungee strap enables to make small length adjustments without using any tools. This way, the fin can be used with neoprene boots or with a drysuit. The heel pad has a large finger loop that is easy to grasp even when wearing gloves, making donning and doffing the fin a breeze.
The RF-40 fins are available from DYNAMICNORD dealers in six great colours.
Recommended sales price: £127.00
Sizes: M-XL
Colours: Blue, grey, orange, purple, red, yellow
DYNAMICNORD – Your Outdoor Companion.
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