Hilma Hooker
![]() The bow of Hilma Hooker
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History | |
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Name |
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Owner |
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Builder | Van der Giessen de Noord, Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands |
Yard number | 758 |
Launched | 21 May 1951 |
Identification | IMO number: 5234515 |
Fate | Sank at Bonaire, 12 September 1984 |
General characteristics [1] | |
Type | Cargo ship |
Tonnage | |
Length | 71.78 m (235 ft 6 in) |
Beam | 11.01 m (36 ft 1 in) |
Depth | 3.81 m (12 ft 6 in) |
Propulsion | 1 × Werkspoor 1,260 bhp (940 kW) 6-cylinder diesel engine, 1 shaft |
Speed | 12 knots (22 km/h; 14 mph) |
The Hilma Hooker is a shipwreck in Bonaire in the Caribbean Netherlands. It is a popular wreck diving site.
Ship history
The vessel was built at the Van der Giessen de Noord shipyard in Krimpen aan den IJssel, Netherlands, for the shipping company Scheepvaart En Steenkolen Mij. N. V. She was launched on 21 May 1951 and named Midsland. In 1964 the ship was sold to Caribbean Association Traders of Panama, and renamed Mistral. She was sold again in 1967 to the Bahamas Line and renamed William Express. On 18 July 1975 the ship sank off Samaná, Dominican Republic. She was refloated and sold to Benjamin Catrone of Panama and renamed Anna C. The ship was soon sold again being bought in 1976 by the Seacoast Shipping Corp. of Panama and renamed Doric Express. Finally, in 1979 she was sold to the San Andrés Shipping Line of San Andrés, Colombia, and renamed Hilma Hooker.[1]
Sinking
In the summer of 1984, the Hilma Hooker had engine problems at sea and was towed to the port of
The ship languished under detention as evidence for many months and through general neglect of her hull she began to take on considerable amounts of water. It was feared that she would sink at the main
Dive site
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/4/44/Diver_at_Hilma_Hooker_wreck.jpg/220px-Diver_at_Hilma_Hooker_wreck.jpg)
The Hilma Hooker came to rest on a sand flat between two coral reef systems in an area known to divers as Angel City. The wreck has subsequently become a prime attraction for scuba divers. It lies in approximately 100 feet (30 m) of water and at 240 feet (73 m) in length provides ample scope for exploration. However, relatively little of the wreck involves penetration diving.
The Hilma Hooker is regarded as one of the leading wreck diving sites in the Caribbean, according to Scuba Diving Travel Magazine.[2]
References
- ^ a b "Hilma Hooker". Índice General Marina Mercante de Colombia (in Spanish). 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- ^ a b Button, Jon. "World's Best Wrecks". April 2007 By Nick Lucey. Scuba Diving Travel. Retrieved 4 Aug 2013.
Sources
- "The Wreck of the Hilma Hooker". Bruce Bowker's Carib Inn, Bonaire. 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.
- "The Bonaire Shipwreck Directory". aquaexplorers.com. 2012. Retrieved 12 September 2012.