The ore-bulk-oil combination motor vessel KOWLOON BRIDGE was built in 1973 and sank off the southern coast of Ireland with a cargo of 165,000 tons of iron ore and 2,000 tons of bunker oil in December 1986. She is the world’s largest shipwreck by tonnage and one of the the biggest diveable wrecks in the world.
Location: 51°28'N; 09°14'W (Stag Rocks, near Baltimore, County Cork, Ireland, Europe)
British flag, Honk Kong registered carrier MV Kowloon Bridge was on a voyage from St. Lawrence, Quebec, Canada to the River Clyde in Scotland, loaded with a cargo of 160,000 tons of iron ore consigned to British Steel Corporation. The sistership to the MV Derbyshire , which sank with all hands during Typhoon Orchid in 1980, started from his departure port on 7 November 1986. The November 1986 was a month of particularly bad weather in the Western Approaches and the ship developed crackings on the main deck during a storm. The ship diverted to Bantry Bay, Ireland.
The 900ft Long ship subsequently suffered steering gear failre and on Monday, November 24th, 1986, ran around off “The Stags”, near Baltimore, West Cork. Attempts at salvage failed and on December 3, the ship broke in half and sank.
The wreck of the Kowloon Bridge is now a popular site for experienced divers, in 20 to 118 feet of water off the Stag Rocks.