Vava'u · Tonga · Wreck
Clan McWilliam
A 122-metre Clan Line steamer (400 feet) that burnt out at Vava'u in 1927
Photo: Unknown author · Public domain
The Clan McWilliam is the only wreck on the Vava'u cruising guide's dive-site list: a 122-metre Clan Line steamer (400 feet) that burnt out at Vava'u in 1927 and now lies in Neiafu Harbour in 80 to 120 feet of water, roughly 24 to 37 metres. Little beyond a position and that depth range is known, so it is a dive for teams happy to work deep on their own plan.
Also known as Clan MacWilliam, SS Clan Macwilliam.
Where it is and how deep
18.6725° S, 173.9892° WPublished position for this site.
The dive
The wreck sits inside Neiafu Harbour, which means the dive starts in flat water a few minutes from town rather than out among the islands. The published position is 18°40.348'S 173°59.351'W, and the guide gives the depth as 80 to 120 feet — about 24 metres at the shallowest and 37 metres at the deepest. Plan the descent against that band, because the top of the wreck is already deeper than most of the diving in Vava'u and the bottom of it is past standard recreational limits.
Beyond the position, the length and that depth range, nothing is published about how the hull lies, what survives of a ship that burnt rather than sank intact, or whether any part of it can be entered. Treat it as an unsurveyed deep dive: carry the gas and the training for a 37-metre bottom time, keep the profile square and short, and agree the route with a Neiafu operator before you splash rather than expecting a briefed tour of the structure.
The wreck
- Vessel
- SS Clan Macwilliam
- Type
- Clan Line steamer
- Length
- 122 m (400 ft)
- Built
- 1918
- Sunk
- 1927
- Cause
- Burnt out at Vava'u, Friendly Islands
- Lies
- In Neiafu Harbour, Vava'u, in 24 to 37 m
The Clan Line fleet record lists Clan Macwilliam as an 1918-built ship of 7,234 gross register tons. In 1927 she burnt out at Vava'u — the Friendly Islands, in the language of the fleet history — and what was left of the hull came to rest in Neiafu Harbour. The Vava'u cruising guide charts her there as a 122-metre wreck (400 feet) in 80 to 120 feet (up to 37 m) of water. The fleet record notes the loss but not the circumstances of the fire.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fair | Fair | Fair | Fair | Good | Good | Prime | Prime | Prime | Prime | Good | Fair |
Season follows Vava'u: Humpback season runs July to October; the wet season from November to April brings more rain.
Know before you go
- The deep end of the wreck is at 37 m, past recreational limits — plan gas and no-decompression time against the deepest point you intend to reach, not the shallowest.
- No published survey describes the wreck's condition after the 1927 fire, so treat any overhead structure as unassessed and stay outside it.
Dive videos
Diving the shipwreck the 'Clan McWilliam' in Tonga. · Jasmin Brett on YouTube
Inside the Clan MacWilliam Wreck · Tongan Beach Resort- Dive Tonga on YouTube
Questions divers ask
How deep is the Clan McWilliam wreck?+
The depth range is 80 to 120 feet, roughly 24 metres at the shallowest and 37 metres at the deepest, so the lower part of the wreck is beyond standard recreational limits.
Where is the Clan McWilliam wreck?+
Inside Neiafu Harbour in Vava'u, Tonga, at 18°40.348'S 173°59.351'W — a short boat run from the town waterfront rather than a trip out among the islands.
Sources
- Diving - Activities in Vava'u Islands, Tonga, South Pacific — Vava'u.to
- Clan Line — Wikipedia
Photo credits
- Archival sepia photograph of the steamer Clan MacWilliam docked at a quayside, built 1918 by Unknown author, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
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