Diving the wreck of the Rosalie Moller

[Georgina]

Dive Trip Report - 21st June 2006.

Located approximately 2 hours boat ride north from El Gouna is the 315 foot long wreck of the 3963 ton Rosalie Moller built in 1910. You need light winds and calm seas to get to this wreck but when conditions are right, the cool wind on the deck of the dive boat is very refreshing leaving behind the morning heat on land in El Gouna.

We are soon joined by about 15 dolphins, including mothers and babies, chasing the bow wave of our boat. The boat crew whistle and clap saucepan lids together in encouragement!

The Rosalie Moller's final voyage was with a cargo of coal leaving Britain bound for Alexandria, but due to the Gibraltar Straits being closed she went via the Cape of Good Hope.

On October 8th 1941, while at anchor in the Straits of Gobul and 2 days after the sinking of the Thistlegorm, she was attacked by a staffel of Heinkel III bombers. 2 bombs exploded in No. 4 hold causing heavy damage in the starboard quarter. She rapidly filled with water and began to settle. The weight of her cargo plus the water kept her in a level position. She sank quickly with the loss of only two lives.

Today she is almost intact sitting upright on the seabed with both masts standing proud. The single funnel has toppled over, dragged there by a grapple from a skipper incapable of locating the wreck correctly. Attached should be a plan of how she is today.

The top of her masts are at a depth of 18 metres with the deck at 32 metres and the seabed at the bow at 49 metres. Diving on air with a single 12 litre cylinder and 3 litre pony cylinder, I wanted to stay as shallow as possible on this deep wreck to give a longer dive time.

For the first dive in the morning we dropped down the stern mast and explored the upper deck at 32m around the bomb blast damage towards the stern and back towards the engine room. Our dive time was 30 minutes and the visibility was very poor at around 10 metres. It brought back memories of wreck diving in the English Channel on a good day!

With the water temperature at 24.4 degrees centigrade your body was well chilled by the time you are back on the dive boat. Peeling off your wetsuit with the gentle breeze hitting your wet body leaves you almost shivering in temperatures of nearly 40 degrees! Off to the sun deck to warm up. It is bizaar to be lying in the hot midday sun covered in goose bumps!

After a good lunch and sufficient surface interval we kitted up and descended for our second dive down the fore mast past the crows nest at 22m. We headed to the bow which stands up Titanic like off the seabed. We then explored the bridge which is alive with glass fish, the saloon and officers quarters and funnel. Our maximum depth was 33.5m and dive time of 29 minutes.

Back on board, another warm up in the hot Egyptian sun, writing up of log books, and a relaxing journey back to El Gouna for a well deserved beer!

[Jim Shaw]

nice trip report, it brings back lots of very nice memories, this is my favourite wreck, well it's certainly between this and the Salam Express.

the last time I dived this wreck, was 2 years ago, It was here I did my deep course, there was about 15 of us on the day dive, and only about 6 on the night dive, In my opinion, this one is so much nicer than the thistlegorm.

[Bardo]

Originally Posted by Jim Shaw

nice trip report, it brings back lots of very nice memories, this is my favourite wreck, well it's certainly between this and the Salam Express.

the last time I dived this wreck, was 2 years ago, It was here I did my deep course, there was about 15 of us on the day dive, and only about 6 on the night dive, In my opinion, this one is so much nicer than the thistlegorm.

You got to do a night dive on the Rosalie Moller? Now I'm jealous...

[davepazzer]

Good report Georgina, As said it brings back fond memories.

We Anchored on the Rosalie for a day and a half when we were blown off going to the Brothers.

Your plan doesn't do the Prop justice, it is huge with a gap between the prop and the rudder big enough to swim through.

You should have also tried to see the Engine room as you can get in through a large gap in the bulkhead as you go into number 4 hold after seeing the bomb damage.

Going again in October on Whirlwind and look forward to doing it again.

[DIVE BUDDHA]

this was my favourite dive by far in egypt last year !!!!

the deck which lays at about 32 metres was ace and so full of life ,

and the glass fish spinning round the crows nest

and cant wait to do it again along with the thistlegorm and the dunraven

thanx for a great trip report brings back happy memories !!!

best wishes and dive safe leigh

[Mal Bridgeman]

Originally Posted by Georgina

We then explored the bridge which is alive with glass fish,

Nice write up but I don't think you do the bridge experience justice there ! I recall swimming into the bridge to be completely surrounded by millions and millions of glass fish, so dense that it was no longer possible to see where I had come from or where I was going to. My buddy and I could just about make each other out and finned steadily across till we reached the far side of the bridge then worked our way along the bulkhead till we found the doorway.

A truely memorable experience!

Mal