KING
By Capt. Dan Berg

Photo: Courtesy Alan Marquardt

The old Navy diesel powered tug boat, King, was built in South Carolina in 1941. She was 55 feet in length, had a 12.6 foot beam and was brought to Bermuda and converted into a treasure salvage vessel. Peter Haynes reports that she was later converted into a dive boat owned by Gary Lamb. Peter remembers the King having its own compressor and cascade system on board for filling scuba tanks.
 
In 1984 the King was donated by Gary Lamb and intentionally sunk as a dive site by South Side Scuba. She was the first vessel to be scuttled in Bermuda as a dive site and artificial reef. Her success at attracting fish and satisfying divers has encouraged other ventures like the sinking of the Hermes, another popular scuttled shipwreck, and the ferry Triton.

According to Alan Marquardt, the King now sits intact with a 45 degree starboard list in 65 feet of water only one half mile off the south shore. She rests with her stern in the sand and her bow on a coral bottom. Divers can explore her pilot house and galley and even peer into her engine room. This little tug makes an excellent background for photographs.
 

The information listed above was taken with permission from the Book:
BERMUDA SHIPWRECKS,  ISBN # 0-9616167-4-1
A Vacationing Divers Guide to Bermudas Shipwrecks,
by Dan and Denise Berg, 6x9 softcover,73 pages.
Retail $14.95

From the first quarter of the 16th century, Bermuda became a landmark for Spanish ships sailing back to Spain from the New World. The desire to sight Bermuda to confirm their position often ended their voyage as they wrecked on Bermuda's outer reefs. To this day Bermuda's treacherous reefs have taken their toll on shipping. The reefs have claimed vessels ranging from ocean lines to small fishing boats. Bermuda Shipwrecks is the most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and stories ever written about the legendary wrecks around Bermuda. Bermuda Shipwrecks includes over 100 illustrations comprised of 61 sensational color photos, 17 rare b&w historical images, 19 stamps, 4 sketches plus one map. Bermuda Shipwrecks contains a wealth of enlightening information that gives the readers a nostalgic glimpse into the history and present condition of over 55 of Bermuda's most popular Shipwrecks.