The bows and stern of the Oregon are the only parts that stand up far enough to give a really positive echo, so I will assume the shot has been dropped on the bows.In general, wrecks of sailing ships tend to be more of archaeological interest than the wrecks of good steam or diesel powered ships. They have been down a long time, have been splattered against rocks, and typically wooden hulls have rotted away.
The 810 ton steel hulled sailing barque Oregon is and exception. The steel hull has collapsed mostly flat to the seabed, but most of the structure of the wreck is still there and identifiable.If you want to have a look at the wreck of a sailing ship in good condition, this is the one to dive.
The bows and stern of the Oregon are the only parts that stand up far enough to give a really positive echo, so I will assume the shot has been dropped on the bows.
The tip of the bows is intact and resting on its starboard side. At high water slack the depth will be about 34 metres on the seabed and constant throughout the dive. Even when the tide is running the current is not that strong and has not formed a scour.
The upper port side of the bows rises to 30 metres and is covered in a dense forest of hydroids with some nice plumose anemones tucked under the edges. When the current is running a bit, a shoal of pollack forms tight above the bows, while ballan wrasse patrol individually closer to the wreck.
Inside the bows the wooden decking has rotted away to leave the anchor hawse pipes exposed. A large anchor stands propped on one tip just above the bow. An unfortunate fisherman has lost his trawl gear here, with an old trawl beam pulled in tight beneath the anchor. My guess is that this is much older than the nets that are caught against the upper corner of the bows.
The anchor winch rests behind the bows, upright and attached to the steel reinforcing plate that would have secured it in the mostly wooden deck. The interesting thing about all the winches on the Oregon is that they are designed for muscle power rather than engine power.
A little further back along the wreck, a steel hatch surround from the forward hold is standing upright on one side with some hull plates lying across it. This makes a small swim through, usually with a shoal of pouting scattering from you way as you enter.
Above the deck here lies the lower part of the first of the Oregons three masts. Continuing back in to the wreck, plates from the collapsed hull are home to forests of really good gorgonian sea fans.
Approximately amidships, a large steel cylinder may have been a water tank. On a sail powered ship I can't think of what else it would have been. Behind this is the shaft of a cargo winch.
This is followed by a section of the main mast and a steel ring that would have supported spars or sails on the mast.
Further back is the foot of the mizzen mast, upright in a deck plate, and immediately behind this the surround from the aft hold hatch, this time lying flat against the wreck.
From here the stern gains some structure, lying on its starboard side and rising 4 metres or so like the bows. Towards the rear of the stern the rudder post with stearing gear still in place is held just clear of the seabed. As at the bows, old fishing net is draped across the back of the stern.
Following the line of the rudder post through the stern towards the keel, the rudder lies flat against the seabed. With the wreck having fallen on its starboard side and collapsed, the other side of the wreckage is pretty much just hull plates and keel, with further forests of gorgonians. In amongst this side of the wreckage are occasional ballast stones.