Catalina PBY-5A, Great Cumbrae
*Watch out for the ferry to the north and RIBs from the Sailing Club to the south. Consider letting the sailing club know if you are diving and they are out with the RIBs*
Type of Dive: Wreck, can be dived from shore or by boat.
Experience suggested: Suitable for trainees and novice divers
Travel directions: From Glasgow, take the A737 towards Irvine. At the Roadhead roundabout outside Lochwinnoch take A760 to Largs passing through Kilbirnie. Follow the signs for Cumbrae Ferry when in Largs. From north or south, take the A78 and, follow signs in Largs for the Cumbrae Ferry. Take the Largs –Cumbrae ferry. www.calmac.co.uk will give you the times of the ferry.
Parking directions: Park just south of the ferry slip at a shingle beach. The beach is only about 10 to 15m long and there are some cemented steps at the south end of the beach. When the ferry is busy, your parked cars might be mistaken for cars waiting for the ferry.
From St James Interchange: 25 miles, 45 minutes to Largs
OS Map & Grid Ref: Map 63 NS184585
Lat & Long: 55:47:152N, 004:3:771W
1:100000 Map
1:25 000 Map:
Site entry/exit: Easy from the north end of the shingle shore aiming towards the obvious ‘V’ gorge above Largs.
Underwater directions: The wreckage of the Catalina lies in about 18 to 20m approximately 100m south of the Largs-Cumbrae ferry slip. Start 80m south of the ferry slip onto the north end of a small shingle shore. Follow due East (090 degrees) until 20m depth then fin right (south) following the contour for about 30m / a couple of minutes. The remains of the plane lie in between 20 and 23m on a sandy/ silty bottom. There is sometimes a buoy on the wreck as it is also dived by local diveboats (no buoy in October 2007).
The main findings are of a bit of white fuselage measuring some 8 or 10m long and rising about 1.5m from the seabed. The wings are disintegrating and look like an open rowing boat with spars and ribs covered by the undersurface of the wing. Lots of bits of spars ribs, wire, and some small concrete blocks.
Some earlier reports mention a marker pole but there was no marker pole by the beach on October 2007.
Divesite map/sketch: From Gordon Ridley’s Dive West Scotland Vol 1
Site Hazards: Viz is poor if diver buoyancy is poor as there is a lot of silt and sediment on the remains of the wreck. Try to always keep a meter above the bottom.
Nearest Public phone: At ferry slip
Mobile Network service: Not checked
Pub & Café: Either Millport or Largs
Other comments The Catalina is now almost completely wrecked due to age, shotlines and a trawler dredging nets through it. There is an excellent description of the history of Catalinas, description of the divesite and drawing of the area in ‘Clyde Shipwrecks’ by Moir & Crawford.
The RNLI slip in Largs was originally built for bringing Catalinas ashore for servicing and repair at Barrfields.
This is No 183 – Wreck of Catalina Seaplane in Gordon Ridley’s Dive West Scotland volume 1.
Links:
http://www.odyssey.dircon.co.uk/Catalina.htm
http://www.ukdiving.co.uk/wrecks/wreck.php?id=299
http://www.bsactravelclub.co.uk/reports/rosa.htm
http://website.lineone.net/~reivers.sac/clyde_wrecks/wreckpage.htm
http://www.musac.man.ac.uk/directory/sites/uk.sscot.catalina.htm
This website shows underwater images of the Catalina
This site gives a very good description of the state of the wreck in 1997
http://lmid1.rcahms.gov.uk/pls/portal/newcanmore.details_gis?inumlink=102752
Version: 1.0 alex maclennan February 2007
1.1 alex maclennan October 2007
Photos: Entry beach
Several photos of Catalinas
