FLORIDA West Coast Shipwrecks Bayronto Wreck Venice

FLORIDA West Coast Shipwrecks Bayronto Wreck Venice

Historical and current Florida West Coast Shipwreck Information and images for scuba divers, fisherman and marine historians.

Capt. Dan Berg's Wreck Valley Collection

FLORIDA SHIPWRECKS,
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The Divers Guide to Shipwrecks around the State of Florida and the Florida Keys. Includes over 240 illustrations comprised of 151 color photos, 83 black and white historical images, 8 dynamic u/w sketches.
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BAYRONTO Venice

The British freighter BayRonto was built in 1905 by Armstrong Whitworth & Co. in Newcastle. She was originally named Tronto but was renamed when sold in 1916 to Bay S.S. Co. The Bay S.S. Co. was a company formed by the French Government to operate British ships which it had purchased and due to wartime restrictions had to remain under British Flag. The BayRonto was 400 feet long, had a 52 foot beam, displaced 6,405 gross tons and was powered by a 495 nhp triple expansion engine.

The BayRonto had been damaged when she was torpedoed by a German submarine in July of 1918, but after repairs she set out for Marseille. She foundered in heavy seas on September 13, 1919. The ship was carrying a cargo of wheat from Galveston to Marseille at the time. The NEW YORK TIMES reported that eleven of her crew were picked up by the fishing smack Ida and brought to Tampa. The steamship Calno rescued 19 survivors and brought them to Charleston, South Carolina, on September 21. Another 18 survivors were reported to have landed at Havana on September 16. After the final count, the BayRonto's full complement had been accounted for. The survivors told of how the vessel had foundered during a hurricane, and all but two of her life boats had been smashed by the monstrous waves. Chief Officer Moody and ten crew took to one of the life boats in which they had only five gallons of water and a hundred biscuits as supplies. Two days later they were out of water but were able to use their coats to catch rain water. When they ran out of biscuits, they caught a few fish and ate them raw.

The BayRonto is now located 30 miles offshore in 110 feet of water. This wreck sits upside down and broken in half on a sand bottom and is excellent for spear fishing. Big fish usually surround the wreck. Captain Laney Rinehart reports a large debris field off her stern. Remember penetration into any shipwreck should only be done by those with proper training, experience and wreck diving equipment. Scuba equipment like powerful dive lights, navigation reels, dive knives as well as redundant air supply like a pony bottle or doubles are standard gear for wreck divers. In 1981 local divers recovered her huge bronze propeller, but even so the wreck is still a good site to photograph. Water clarity is usually spectacular this far offshore. The BayRonto should not be missed by experienced divers in the Naples area.

Basic shipwreck information and images for this section of this site was taken with permission from the book Florida Shipwrecks by Daniel Berg. You are invited to submit your shipwreck related articles, images and information. As long as the text, photographs, sketches etc are of professional quality we will showcase them. Full credit will be provided and a same page link to your web site can be arranged.

Florida Shipwrecks ebook
The Divers Guide to Shipwrecks around the State of Florida and the Florida Keys,

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By Dan and Denise Berg, 180 pages. Shipwrecks are an important complement to the natural coral reefs as a sport diving attraction in Florida. From the barley discernable ballast piles of the 1733 fleet to the almost perfectly intact modern ships sunk specifically as artificial reefs throughout the state, shipwrecks inspire an aura of mystery and fascination. Florida Shipwrecks is the most comprehensive, accurate, illustrated collection of information, photographs, sketches and stories ever written about the shipwrecks around the state of Florida. This downloadable ebook contains a wealth of enlightening information that gives the readers a nostalgic glimpse into the history and present condition of over 235 shipwrecks. Florida Shipwrecks includes over 240 illustrations comprised of 151 color photos, 83 black and white historical images, 8 dynamic u/w sketches. Divers , snorkelers, marine historians, armchair sailors or anyone with a general interest in history diving or the sea will surely find this ebook fascinating, as well as indispensable.

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