SARAH. Wreck Directory & Diving Guide. Aquatours Scuba Diving Holidays.

M.V. Sarah

Built in 1956 as the TORFINN JARL in Trondhjem, Norway, she was an 80mtrs x 11m x 4.2m, 963ton, ice strengthened motor refrigeration cargo ship (often referred to as a reefer). Her 6 cylinder MAN diesel engine had an output of 1260hp.

In 1976 she was renamed the DOMA-T when she came under the ownership of the Orient Shipping & contracting (Greece). Eventually becoming the SARAH, she lay at anchor off Safaga Island in an abandoned state until she capsized and sank on the 1st November 2007. The exact details of her sinking are unknown.

Peter Collings comments: "We noticed her at anchor off Safaga Island in 2007 and took the photo above, jokingly predicting her as the next 'new' wreck. She looked forlorn and destined to sink. Little did we know that she would do so quite soon!"

Constructed: 1956 (Norway)
Wrecked: November 2007
Length of ship: 80m (260ft)
Wreck location: Scuttle Alley, Safaga, Egypt.
Depth range of wreck: surface to 14m

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The Wreck Today

The Sarah lies close to Safaga Island and on its starboard side in 14 mtrs of water, her portside awash and her davits breaking the surface. This cargo ship sat at anchor abandoned for over a year - remains of its last cargo of onions could still be seen in the holds. The hull is covered in a glorious coat of soft corals, sponges and sea squirts - grown on the hull as it sat at anchor. There is little or no damage to the vessel, however it is evident that it was stripped of its instruments before it was abandoned. The compass binnacle sits on the navigation deck minus the compass and the electronics have all been removed. Her masts however still support many running lights - and the gyro compass is still in place - at the time of writing at least.

There is no doubt as to her name at the time of sinking. SARAH is clearly visible on the hull and her life belts and life jackets. A set of fire plans was found on the seabed, showing her as the DOMA-T in 2000.

A thin film of sediment covers the wreck but despite this, the paintwork still looks fresh - she had only been down a few days when we dived her.

Right image: The prop is covered in soft corals, suggesting that she has been at anchor for some time.

Diving the Wreck

Lying on a sandy bottom in 14 mtrs, the superstructure is bathed in sun light and the wreck is totally intact. Her central crane and jib have swung downward and the makers plate is clear to see. Both masts run out horizontally and are, at the time of writing, adorned in all her navigation and running lights. Rigging and aerial cables are still in place.

The holds are empty save for a few bags of onions, presumably her final cargo.

The aft superstructure housing the navigation bridge, engine room and accommodation block is easy to locate and her binnacle, gyrocompass and even a telephone are all in place. Both the bow and stern are very impressive and the shallow depths give strong natural light ideal for photography.

Although this is a very new wreck, her hull, propeller and rudder are covered in a very well established eco system of soft corals sponges and invertebrates, suggesting she had been at anchor for some time. This wreck offers great potential for a night dive.