Lundy Island · United Kingdom · Wreck
Iona II
Protected 1863 paddle steamer, licence needed to dive her
Photo: Edwin Weedon · Public domain
An iron paddle steamer of 1863 that foundered off Lundy on the voyage that was to make her a Confederate blockade runner. She lies upright in 24 metres south-east of Tibbett's Point, mostly flush with the seabed apart from the boilers and paddle-wheel crankshaft amidships. The site is designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act, so diving it needs a licence.
Also known as PSS Iona II.
Where it is and how deep
51.1848° N, 4.6477° WPublished position for this site.
Site maps published elsewhere
The dive
This is a licensed dive rather than a drop-in. The Iona II was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 because of the historical and archaeological importance of the vessel, and a number of individuals hold visitor licences for the site, which sits within the Lundy Marine Nature Reserve. She lies upright in 24 metres of water south-east of Tibbett's Point, and a diver trail guide has been published for the wreck.
There is not much standing structure left. The bow and stern sections lie mostly flush with the seabed after heavy salvage, and the relief is amidships, where the boilers and the paddle-wheel crankshaft stand about 1.5 metres above the sand. That is the part to work slowly: at 75.9 metres long the hull gives a clear line to follow along the bottom, and the twin-cylinder oscillating engine and paddle machinery in the middle of her are what the archaeology is about.
The wreck
- Vessel
- Iona II
- Type
- Iron paddle steamer
- Length
- 75.9 m (249 ft)
- Built
- 1863
- Sunk
- 1864
- Cause
- Foundered off Lundy after taking on water
- Lies
- Upright in 24 m of water, south-east of Tibbett's Point
Iona II was built at Govan in 1863 as a fast ferry for the Clyde, iron-hulled with paddle wheels and a state-of-the-art twin-cylinder oscillating engine. Within a year she was bought by Charles Hopkins Boster of Virginia to be a Confederate blockade runner, and sank east of Lundy on 2 February 1864, having taken on water travelling from the Clyde to Kingston. John Shaw, a local dive operator, found the wreck in 1976; it was later reported to have been heavily salvaged, although what the salvors were after is unknown. The site was designated on 6 December 1989, and a Wessex Archaeology survey in 2004 found parts of her outside the protected area, which was then expanded.
Marine life and season
The sources we used don't single out particular species here.
| Jan | Feb | Mar | Apr | May | Jun | Jul | Aug | Sep | Oct | Nov | Dec |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Off-season | Off-season | Off-season | Fair | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Fair | Off-season | Off-season |
Season follows Lundy Island: May–Sep is the season, and even then the Bristol Channel's huge tidal range means diving is planned around slack water.
Dive videos
The Island of Lundy's Iona II Dive trail · marinevisionstudios on YouTube
Protected Wreck Site: Iona II 360 Video (Part 1) · MSDS Marine on YouTube
Questions divers ask
Can you dive the Iona II without a licence?+
No. The wreck was designated under the Protection of Wrecks Act 1973 on 6 December 1989 and lies within the Lundy Marine Nature Reserve. A number of individuals hold visitor licences for the site, and diving it is arranged through them.
How deep is the Iona II?+
Historic England records her lying upright in 24 metres of water, while Wrecksite gives 16.8 to 19 metres over the structure itself. Little of the ship stands proud: the boilers and paddle-wheel crankshaft amidships are about 1.5 metres above the seabed.
Sources
- Iona II, - list entry 1000051 — Historic England
- Wreck of the Iona II — Wessex Archaeology
- PSS Iona II — Wrecksite.eu
- Iona II — Wikipedia
- Iona II Dive Trail — The Landmark Trust
Photo credits
- 1863 engraving of the two-funnelled paddle steamer Iona under way at sea by Edwin Weedon, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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