Wrecks off Bonaire

[djensen]

Does anybody have the definitive list of wrecks off of Bonaire? I realize people define 'wreck' differently based on their own experiences. Say, any man-made vehicle larger than a rowboat... And those within rec limits.

I have Hilma Hooker, Our Confidence (not a commonly-visited site), The Machaca, the Tug (Cavalier State), Cooper's Barge (at 130'), and Hesper (also at 130').

Are there others? I'm told there's an airplane wreck somewhere, but can find no further information on it...

Thanks

 

[diversteve]

A couple you don't have - info on these 1st two found here: Wreck Diving | Bonaire Diving

MS Barham - dive site #60-Red Slave

At Red Slave there are the remains of the wreck HMS Barham who was blown to smitherines in World War II. You can find anchors, ballast stones and other remains.

Tilisa Del Mar - dive site #61-Willemstoren Lighthouse

This old freighter wreck is hard to find as she is nearly covered due to a strong current in this area. She sank in June 1983.

There's also 2 or 3? wrecks near the Boka Spelonk lighthouse on the east side - found this about it:

There's a little known double wreck just south of Boca Spelunk. You need a boat. Bruce Bowker used to take 6 divers on an inflatable. Now there are others that go to the east side. There's a small freighter well covered with coral (no entry, not even a semblance of a ship) and a small pleasure cruiser (Italian cruisers if I remember correctly) on top of it (entry possible, but not much to see - Bruce and others salvaged it clean).

A somewhat definitive list put together in 2007 on Bonairetalk: Bonaire Talk: WRECKS! I want to dive wrecks on Bonaire - there's pictures of some of them there also.

1) New Yorker/Cavalier State (Tug) is at Front Porch Reef in ~100fsw
2) Gerrys/Willy/Bachanal is at Eden's Rubble in ~60fsw
3) Cooper Barge is at Desal Plant in ~130fsw
4) Our Confidence is at Harbour Village in ~60fsw
5) La Machaca is at Capt Don's in ~35fsw
6) The Hesper is at Capt Don's in ~130fsw
7) Hilma Hooker is at Hilma Hooker in ~90fsw
8) Windjammer is near Bopec in ~180-200fsw (guided boat dive)
9) 2 or 3 wrecks south of Boca Spelunk in ~75 to 90 fsw (boat dive)

Maybe the plane rumor is from Curacao - besides Elvin's wreck - Fokker27 put down to dive - there's also a Cessna off the former Sunset Waters resort breakwater. Also:

There are probably some more (unknown) wrecks around Curacao. There is a (strong) story of a crashed Spitfire near Hato, a (weaker) story of a P-51 Mus-tang in the entrance of the Spanish water

 

[djensen]

Thanks Diver Steve

 

[drrich2]

Bachanal is sometimes spelled Bakanal from what I've seen online.

Here's a link to a thread with photos of 3 wrecks. Also in that thread, wwguy posted a link to The Bonaire Shipwreck Expo Directory Capt. Dan Berg's Guide to Shipwrecks information with some interesting info.

Richard.

P.S.: When I dove the Our Confidence 3-8-10, it was in a pretty badly decayed state. If you want to see it, might better move it up the 'to-do' list!