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A pale spotted leopard shark swims over a coral reef among a large school of small silver fish — Khao Lak

Khao Lak · Thailand · Wreck

Sea Chart Wreck

An intact cargo ship with its load still aboard, on its side

Area photo: TANAKA Juuyoh (田中十洋) · CC BY 2.0

The MV Sea Chart 1 is a 1970 German cargo ship that capsized just outside Thap Lamu harbour in August 2009 after its load shifted. It is the deep wreck of the Khao Lak coast, an intact hull on its starboard side with much of its original cargo still aboard.

Also known as MV Sea Chart, Sea Chart 1, Sea Chart I.

Where it is and how deep

Depth profile of Sea Chart Wreck: typical dive 22–40 m (72–130 ft) 18 m · Open Water30 m · Advanced40 m · Recreational limit22 m40 mtypical dive
Depths on a shared scale to 50 m (164 ft); dashed lines mark common certification limits.

8.5731° N, 98.0917° EApproximate position — the dashed circle shows where the site lies; your operator's briefing has the mooring.

The dive

The ship rests on its starboard side in 40 m of water, and its shallowest point is at 22 m, so the dive starts deep and stays deep. The hull is 84 m long and 12 m wide, intact and in excellent condition, with much of the original cargo still on board. The wreck also serves deep diving courses.

The wreck

Vessel
Sea Chart 1
Type
Cargo ship
Length
84 m (276 ft)
Built
1970
Sunk
2009
Cause
Her load shifted, she took on water and capsized just outside Thap Lamu harbour
Lies
On her starboard side in 40 m of water, the top at 22 m

Marine life and season

The sources we used don't single out particular species here.

Month-by-month season rating for Sea Chart Wreck
JanFebMarAprMayJunJulAugSepOctNovDec
PrimePrimePrimePrimeFairOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonOff-seasonFairPrimePrime

Season follows Khao Lak: Wreck day trips run 15 October to 15 May; the dry northeast monsoon from November to April gives the best conditions.

Know before you go

  • Currents over the wreck can be strong, although on other days they stay mild with the tide.

Dive videos

Wreck Dive in Thailand - Sea Chart 1 - on SY Diva Andaman - Jan 1st 2016 · Andrew Aston on YouTube

Sources

  1. Wreck Diving Khao Lak — Sea Dragon Dive Center
  2. Khao Lak Wrecks Diving — Khao Lak Explorer
  3. Sea Chart Wreck — ScubaGo
  4. Diving in Khao Lak — DiveZone

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