Vertical Shipwreck

Vertical Wreck Upright Shipwreck only one in the world.

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Vertical Wreck

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Distance: 60 NM from Rayong Province Thailand.
Boat-trip:7 - 8 hrs
Depth: 60 meters
Visibility: Fair to excellent 30 - 40 meters
Currents: Mild
Water Temperature: 28 c
Diver Level: Beginners with Divemaster

VERTICAL WRECK
General Information

Her former name was Koho Maru 5 which meaned "The Light of Japan" holding Japanese flag. She was 60 metre long. Before those lights went out, the ship was bought by a Thai Company and then she was renamed to "Pak 1" ( or Pak Wan). The former tanks were designed to carry liquid petroleum gas. But after changing the "Flag", the tanks were modified to carry liquid fertilizer instead.

Final Voyage

The capsizing was believed to be in year 1995 as the divers had recovered emergency flares dated that year. The same diver had contacted the insurance company, the Lloyds of London, for further information, and he was told that the ship still has never been registered as having sunk.

One of 3 survived crews out of 10 was interviewed. ( He is now working at a fisherman peer in Bangkok). He said the incident happened around 3 o'clock in the morning when the ship was roaring in heavy storm near the Cambodian border off-shore of the Trad Province. All crews were sleeping both in the rear cabin and in the small cabin under the bow. He said he heard something exploding loudly in the stern and suddenly the ship started to capsize rapidly. All crews sleeping in the rear cabin died, only those in small cabin under the bow were survived.


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Her Existing Condition

She is now sitting vertically on her stern with the bow approximately 5 metres under the sea surface. This is completely different form other wrecks that those are lying on their sides, or even broken up when being crashed onto the seabed at highspeed. Her bow was found damaged. It was suspected that she was crashed by the big ship sometime ago before a mooring was tied as a signal.

One engineer diver mentioned one theory that the deck tanks were empty and added sufficient buoyancy to keep her upright. He estimated the tanks' thickness should be at least 25 mm. steel and they should keep her lifting for around 20 years before the corrosion will cause her leakage. Only one weak point is the piping because it will be easier to be corroded.

From visual inspection, it still looks new enough to see her pain. Although the coral is claiming her and starting the process of change, it will eventually make her indistinguishable from a coral reef.

Exciting Wreck & Wall Dives

She is ideal for both wreck and wall dives.

-     Visibility is perfect, averagely 20 - 40 metres
-     Habitat of a school of huge groupers about 1.5 - 2 metres
       long at the depth of 150 ft.
-    Habitat of schools of huge bat fish, baracuda and many
       others
-      Habitat of small creatures such as yellow box fish,
        nudibranch, ปลาบู่ etc.

How To Get There

- Diving season will be the same as Andaman Sea. For off-season, should follow the meteological advice strictly.
- 8 and 9 hours cruising from Rayong or Trad piers respectively

Divemaster with Buddy

Future Expectation

Nagative

- If there should be a heavy storm or monsoon, she may be completely sunk to the bottom of the sea.
- As she is standing in the shipping route, the authority may consider to destroy her to avoid such problem.

Possitive

-      As she is the only one vertical wreck in the world, she can easily be honoured as a world class diving site.
-      She is qualified in all aspects if concerned authorities such as TOT will encourage on this.

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