Picture: 

Wreck Information: The Champion was built in South Shields in 1882 it was 26nt and 33m x 5.5m x 2.7m. In 1896 it collided with the paddle steamer Caledonia and sunk in 5 mins off Innellan 1/4 of a mile from Dunoon. Not much is left of the wreck due to trawlers snagging it, so unlike the majority of the Clyde wrecks she is pretty broken up. The paddle and a large stretch of piping lie amongst the debris. 

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: Inverkip marina.  

Parking directions: Free parking in the marina  

Distance from harbour: From Inverkip its a 4 km five-minute Rib ride to the wreck. Or you can launch at no cost from the RNLI slip at Largs which is 18.5 km and a twenty minute Rib ride to the wreck. You can park in the Hotel across the road.

Lat & Long:   N55 55.915 W4 55.900

Chart:     GB 2635

Depth:    37m

Tides:    Tide tables

Dive Boat:       Flying eagle   Seren Las   Fyne pioneer

Dive Shop:     C&C Marine Services 

Accommodation:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Suggested experience:  Experienced sport diver 

Other comments: The two paddle wheels were almost as wide as the ship, and while the port one still looked impressive, the less well-preserved starboard wheel requires a bit more imagination to visualise.  Further aft is the base of the stack. The little wooden bridge had disappeared, the metal boiler and engine workings remaining there, and a toilet bowl partially buried in the collapsed structure. The hull protruded some half-metre out of the mud and the bow was visible. The stern had collapsed into the seafloor. However, the intact heart of the ship and those remaining paddle-wheels were still visible.

Pub:   Kip marina 

Created by:    John Nicolson

Date:   30/4/07

Thanks To:     Finstrokes forum 

Underwater photos:    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Wreck diagram:    This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Dive Report:   This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it