Built in 1941 in South Carolina, the King was a Navy tug boat built in South Carolina and brought to Bermuda for use as a dive and treasure salvage vessel. Donated in 1984 by the boat’s then owner, Gary Lamb, she became the first boat in Bermuda to be scuttled deliberately for use as a dive site and artificial reef. (Shortly after, on May 15, 1984, the Bermuda Divers Association sank the Hermes as an artificial reef and dive site; click here to learn more.) Curiously the coordinates of the sinking site were lost and the wreck location remained a mystery for almost 10 years.

CURRENT CONDITION

The King tug is intact and listing some 45 degrees to starboard. The wreck site is located about half a mile off the south shore, with her stern in the sand and her bow on a coral-stream seabed. Photographers flock to the site because the tug boat is penetrable and the pilot house can be explored as well as the gallery and engine room. The reef and sand holes around the wreck are well known for an abundance of shells and tropical fish.

STATISTICS

Location: 32°14'23.75"N, 64°49'37.20"W    Length: 65 feet (20 meters)    Beam: 12.5 feet wide (3.8 meters)