Type:    Paddle steamer 

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Wreck Information:  The Iona was Launched in 1855 and sunk due to a collision with the Canticleer Oct. 1862. It lies 100m S.E. of Whiteforeland buoy bow with its keel on an orientation of 060/240 degrees on a sand and mud seabed. A small section lies 10 metres to the NE of the main wreck. The hull has disintegrated and the bow is fairly broken. Two of the Iona's four boilers can be seen in their horizontal position, side by side.  The most impressive features of the wreck are the engine workings, the massive brass counter-weights and the drive shaft connected to the two paddle-wheels.The starboard paddle-wheel is fairly well-preserved although the housing is gone. The two paddle wheel crankshafts and the remains of the engine are at the centre of the mid-ship section. The engine room consisted of two sets of parallel boilers and two huge sets of condensers and depending upon which way you swim from the crank shaft you can work out which way you are going. If you come to a condenser first, then the base of the funnel, you are heading towards the stern. If, however, you come to the base of funnel then a condenser, you are swimming towards the bows. Just forward of the engine room bulkhead the wreck ends abruptly where the hull plates have collapsed. 

Harbour / slip: RIBs can be launched from the nearby marina at Inverkip. You can also hire a mooring to save on launching and retrieving your boat every day. Contact Tel. 01475 521 485 or look them up on the web at the Inverkip marina. 

Parking directions:    In Inverkip marina                                    

Distance from harbour:    From Inverkip its a ten minute 11.5 km RIB ride to the wreck 

Lat & Long:  N55 58.080 W4 47.194 

Chart:  

Depth:     27m 

Tides:   Tide tables  

Tides:   Diving the wreck on high water slack provides the best conditions. 

Dive Boat:    Flying eagle   Seren Las 

Dive Shop:   C&C Marine Services 

Accommodation:  

Suggested experience:    Experienced sport diver  

Other comments:  According to gossip its well broken up and a very dark low viz dive. The river is quite narrow here you might experience strong tidal movement above the wreck. Diving the wreck on high water slack provides the best conditions. 

Pub:      Inverkip Marina 

Created by:      John Nicolson

Date:      30/4/07 

Thanks To: 

Links:    Link 

Underwater photos: To follow 

Wreck diagram:

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