City of Washington Diver Information

Diver Information

Site Description:  Iron hulled 300 foot single screw steam sailor - upright lower metal hull rising 6-8 feet off sand bottom, with bow pointing due south. The site is 325 feet long and over 80 feet wide with mostly remnants of the lower section of a steel hull settled among the coral rubble. 

Location:  Elbow Reef, Upper Keys Region, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary

Depth:  Bottom depth 25 feet, with hull sections rising within 18 feet of surface.

Visibility:  Average 30-50 feet, with maximum of 100 feet.

Marine Life:  There are around 80 species of fish, 14 species of stony corals, 5 genera Octocorals, and Fire Coral.  Millepora alcicornis dominate the site, but small, about 20 to 30 cm in diameter, colonies of hermatypic corals dot the remains of the wreck.

Diver Level: Novice. A great site to visit for a "first shipwreck dive".

Comments: The site is extremely popular with local charter boats, and is very popular for diving and snorkeling.  There are two floating mooring buoys forward of the bow and aft of the stern, with a spar buoy placed amidships port side 20 feet from hull.  Currents range from nonexistent to mild, with an occasional strong northwest current.  Shallow depths and easy access result in minimal hazards to divers, so instructors often use this site for training dives. 

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