SS Titan

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• published: 11 Sep 2009
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titan At a length of 116 feet and a width of 23 feet and 6 inches, the Titan is an easy dive. The bottom is sand at 60 feet and the wreck goes up to within 35 feet of the surface. It is close to shore, about seventeen miles from Beaufort inlet. The visibility averages 30 feet, but can get up to 50-60 feet. Its proximity to shore makes this a dive that is easy to get to if the weather will not permit diving offshore. The shallow depth makes this a popular wreck for a second dive on the way back in from a deeper one. Sunk in the summer of 2004 as part of the North Carolina artificial reef program, the Titan is the newest addition to AR-345. The Titan was built at the Staten Island Shipbuilding Company in 1909 in Port Richmond and originally named the Empire. The Empire was built with a triple expansion steam engine measuring 14, 22 and 36 bore by 24 stroke. This engine produced 800 IHP and was fed by a single 14 x 12 Scotch boiler. She was originally built for the Erie Railroad, but was purchased by the Panama Railroad when she was completed. The Panama Railroad changed the name from Empire to P.J.T. Co. No. 8. After she was launched, she headed south to be used in the construction of the Panama Canal. While working on the Panama Canal, No.8 was caught in a rockslide and was buried for a year before being dug out and put back in service. In 1923, the Panama Railroad Company sold No. 8 to the Danziger Lumber Company. No. 8 was then sold to the Sabine Towing Company of Port Arthur and was used for offshore towing. By the 1920s, No. 8 was renamed Empire, her original name. While towing an oil barge in September of 1928 off of Pensacola, Florida, Empire was caught in a hurricane. The Empire attempted to find a sheltered anchorage but struck the bottom and damaged her propellers. During the hurricane, the high waters and gale force winds had carried the Empire over half a mile inland. By dredging a canal and towing her out, the Empire was salvaged. In 1949, while Empire was being repowered, she was renamed Titan. Her triple expansion steam engine was removed and a new direct reversing supercharged diesel engine was installed. This new engine was a 1750-BHP, 8 cylinder, 16 x 22, 4-cycle, Nordberg model FSM-168-SC. Just after this rebuild, the Titan was called out to tow a stranded 15,000-ton tanker off Sabine, Texas. The Titan then towed the tanker 1,500 miles to Philadelphia. Around 1980, the Sabine Towing Company sold the Titan to McAllister Towing Company in Wilmington, N.C. In 1982, the seventy-three year old Titan was still in good enough shape to warrant another repowering. A 2000-BHP Electro Motive 16-645 diesel was installed, which served the tug for the rest of her days. In 1999, a decision was made to lay her up due to much needed topside steel work. The Titan served as a back up boat until 2003, when it was decided that she be scraped. In January 2004, the boat was acquired by the Northeastern Maritime Historical Foundation and moved up the Cape Fear River to a new berth in downtown Wilmington. The Titan was then sold to the Swansboro Rotary Club. The wreck of the Titan is home to a variety of marine life. Sea bass and schools of baitfish can be found on the Titan in the summer months. The superstructure was cut off to remove the engine and the welds used to reattach the superstructure were weak and has since caused the superstructure to collapse. Where you aware there are over 1531 shipwrecks off the coast of North Carolina? Many shipwrecks are from the Confederate War and World War II, including German U-Boat submarines. Discovery Diving has Charters and Instruction available 7 days a week for all ages and experience. Website: www.discoverydiving.com Free information at email: dive@discoverydiving.com Discovery Diving 414 Orange Street Beaufort, NC 28516 252-728-2265 Dale A. Hansen Master Scuba Diver Naval Research Specialist/Historian/Photographer/Journalist