Kimon M
Built in 1952 by Stuicken & Sons as the Brunsbuttel. She was 105 meters long and 3714 ton gross, powered by an 8 cylinder diesel engine built by Waggon & Masch. In 1964 she was renamed Ciudad de Cucuta until 1971 when she was again renamed the Angela. In 1975, under the ownership of Janissios Shipping company of Panama, she took on her final name; Kimon M.
Constructed: 1952 (Germany)
Wrecked: 1978
Length of ship: 105m (345ft)
Wreck location: Abu Nuhas reef, Egypt.
Depth range of wreck: surface to 27m
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Final Voyage
In December 1978 the Kimon M, loaded with 4,500 tons of lentils, left the Turkish port of Iskenderun. On the 12th December she was motoring at full speed when she drove headlong into the reef at Abu Nuhas. A passing cargo ship - the 'Interasja' - immediately responded to the distress call and picked up all the crew and delivered them safely to Suez two days later. With the bow section high and dry on the reef the main section of the ship broke off and rolled over onto its starboard side.
The Wreck Today
The resulting impact of the grounding can still be seen today. A huge crater of barren scree surrounds her shattered fo’c’sle, her bows high and dry and well dispersed. The aft section lies in 27 metres, with weather deck, companionways, huge prop and rudder almost intact, though recent storms have made large sections forward of this very unstable.
The entire wreck lies on her starboard side, with her stern in 27 metres of water, to within a few metres of the surface at the fore section. Her upper hull has been weakened by a salvage attempt and the impact of another vessel, and although much of the engine room still remains, recent storms have rendered it inaccessible - even in calm weather. From the aft holds forward the wreck is in a dangerous condition and should be viewed from the outside only, The resident school of batfish are perhaps one of the few highlights of this once great wreck, which has succumbed to the relentless wave action and swell at this exposed corner of the reef.
The hull is very shallow (10m) and again leads down to the stern which is perhaps the most interesting and intact area of the dive. The rudder and prop should be visited first - they are huge - then swim up a few meters and explore the weather deck - the direction helm is still there - and the companionways. Forward of this the vast holds have now collapsed in right up to the engine room area, which is now also in a state of collapse. The entire area is a confused mess of jumbled pipes plates girders and fittings, giving way to the forward hold another void save for the resident bat fish. The debris on the reef can be explored before returning to a horizontal mast and the mooring line.
It should be noted that entering the wreck is very dangerous. However, the size of the wreck and the way in which it has disintegrated into the reef is worth seeing if time allows and the weather is good.
The wreck is sometimes added on at the end of a dive on the Marcus wreck (a few minutes away).
Additional Images
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