MS Zenobia

Zenobia listing in June 1980
Career
Name:	Zenobia
Owner:	Rederi AB Nordö [1]
Port of registry:	Sweden [2]
Builder:	Kockums Varv AB, Sweden [1]
Acquired:	Late 1979 [1]
Maiden voyage:	May/June 1980
Identification:	IMO number: 7806087 [3]
Fate:	Sank, June 7th 1980
General characteristics
Type:	Challenger-class Roll-on/roll-off ferry
Tonnage:	10,000 GRT [3]
Length:	178 m (584 ft)
Beam:	28 m (92 ft) [3]

MS Zenobia was a Swedish built Challenger-class RO-RO ferry launched in 1979 that capsized and sank close to Larnaca, Cyprus, in June 1980 on her maiden voyage.^[1][4] She now rests on her port side in approximately 42 metres (138 ft) of water and was named as one of The Times top ten wreck diving sites in the world in 2003.^[4]

History

The Zenobia was built at the Kockums Varv AB shipyard in Sweden and was delivered to her owners Rederi AB Nordö in late 1979.^[1] She left Malmö, Sweden on her maiden voyage, bound for Tartous, Syria on 4 May 1980, loaded with 104 lorries with cargo destined for Mediterranean and the Middle East.^[2] She passed through the Strait of Gibraltar on 22 May 1980, stopping first at Heraklion, Crete and then to Piraeus, Athens, Greece.^[2] On the way to Athens the captain noticed steering problems and the Zenobia began listing to port.^[2] Following checks, it was determined the list was caused by excess water that had been pumped into the ballast tanks, this was pumped out and she then departed for her penultimate stop at Larnaca, Cyprus before reaching Syria.^[2]

She arrived at Larnaca on 2 June 1980,^[1] where the ballast problem had reoccurred, engineers discovered that the computerised pumping system was pumping excess water into the side ballast tanks, making the list progressively worse.^[2] On 4 June, the Zenobia was towed out of Larnaca harbour to prevent her becoming an obstruction should the worst happen ^[2] and was left at anchor roughly 1.5 – 2 km offshore.^[2] On 5 June, with the ship listing at around 45° the captain dismissed the engineers and maintenance crew and requests from the captain to return her to Larnaca harbour were denied.^[2]

At around 2:30am 7 June 1980, the Zenobia capsized and sank in Larnaca Bay to a depth of roughly 42 metres (138 ft),^[2] taking her estimated £200 million worth of cargo with her.^[2] According to local legend, the Zenobia's owners never collected the insurance money and no formal investigation has ever been published.^[2] Since sinking she has become a popular dive site for visitors to Cyprus and was named one of the world's top ten dive sites by The Times in March 2003.^[4] There were no casualties in the disaster.^[5]

Wreck diving

Wreck of the Zenobia

As a dive site, the Zenobia provides a wide range of challenges to scuba divers, from a fairly simple dive to 16 metres (52 ft) depth along the starboard side of the ship (suitable for newly qualified divers); moving up to a more advanced dive inside the upper car deck and accommodation block, right up to extremely adventurous dives within the lower car deck or the engine room (which are only suitable for very experienced divers).

Although all hands were safely taken off the ship before she sank, the lives of four scuba divers have been lost in the intervening years.There was also a truckload of animals on board who died when the ship went down; one can still see their bones in one of the wagons on the main deck. There is also a full cargo of eggs that lies on the sea bed (42 mts).^{[citation needed]}

Sister Ships

The Zenobia has two sister ships:

• SeaFrance Cézanne - Scrapped in India
• Stena Fantasia - Currently serving as Wawel with Polferries

See also

References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Zenobia (ship, 1980).

v t e Recreational dive sites Reef dives Regions Arrecifes de Cozumel National Park Sites Palancar Reef Wreck dives Regions Chuuk Lagoon Maritime Heritage Trail – Battle of Saipan Whitefish Point Underwater Preserve Wreck Alley, San Diego Sites HMS A1 HMS A3 USS Aaron Ward SS Abessinia MV Aeolian Sky SS Albert C. Field SS Andrea Doria SS Antilla SS Antilles SS Aquila HMS Boadicea MV Bianca C Booya SS Breda HMAS Brisbane Bungsberg HMAS Canberra SS Carl D. Bradley SS Carnatic SMS Dresden SS Dunraven SS Eastfield HMT Elk SS Ellengowan RMS Empress of Ireland HMS Falmouth Fifi SS Francisco Morazan Fujikawa Maru Fumizuki USS General Hoyt S Vandenberg HMS Ghurka Glen Strathallan SS Gothenburg Herzogin Cecilie Hilma Hooker SS Hispania HMS Hood HMAS Hobart Igara SS James Eagan Layne MV Captain Keith Tibbetts King Cruiser SMS Kronprinz Kyarra HMS Laforey USAT Liberty SS Louis Sheid USS LST-507 SMS Markgraf MS Mikhail Lermontov HMS M2 SS Maine SS Maloja HMS Maori Marguerite SS Mauna Loa USAT Meigs SS Mendi USCGC Mohawk SS Mohegan RMS Moldavia HMS Montagu MV RMS Mulheim Nagato USS Oriskany MS Oslofjord SS Pedernales SS Persier MS Piłsudski MV Pool Fisher HMS Port Napier Preußen SS President Coolidge SS Radaas RMS Rhone SS Rondo SS Rosehill  Royal Adelaide Royal Charter  Rainbow Warrior HMS Safari MV Salem Express USS Saratoga USS Scuffle HMS Scylla HMS Sidon USS Spiegel Grove Stanegarth SS Stanwood SS Stella USS Tarpon SS Thesis SS Thistlegorm Toa Maru SS Torrey Canyon Tulagi Tulamben U-40 U-352 U-1195 Um El Faroud SS Varvassi SS Walter L M Russ SS Washingtonian HMNZS Wellington USS Yancey SS Yongala MS Zenobia Zingara Cave dives Sites Devil's Throat at Punta Sur Piccaninnie Ponds Sistema Dos Ojos Sistema Nohoch Nah Chich Sistema Ox Bel Ha Sistema Sac Actun Fresh water dives Ewens Ponds Training sites Capernwray Dive Centre National Diving and Activity Centre (Chepstow) Stoney Cove Category‎ Commons Glossary Portal