In another entry from SCUBA magazine's 2025 writing competition, A Dive to Remember, Michael Bolus contemplates SS Ramsgarth’s history and legacy.
Briefing:
Between Christmas and New Year 2024, I organised my very first UK wreck dive on the SS Ramsgarth—a personal milestone I’ll never forget. Sitting quietly off Shoreham, this special ‘Christmas Dive’ promised a genuine connection to history, perfectly timed to bring the year to a magical close.
The dive:
Visibility was typically British— around three metres, murky yet strangely comforting—and seeing the blurred shape of the wreck emerge slowly made my pulse quicken, like finally unwrapping a longawaited gift. Every rusted corner held a quiet promise.
Michael Bolus, wired for sound
Built in 1910, the Ramsgarth was a humble cargo steamship whose quiet life ended suddenly during wartime. Early one cold November morning in 1916, her captain spotted another ship in distress. In an instant, he chose compassion over safety. As he moved to assist, a German U-boat surfaced without warning, bringing tragedy swiftly. Imagining the captain’s final, impossible decisions and quiet courage deeply touched me, leaving me with a quiet admiration and respect that still stays with me.
I moved slowly over the broken hull, where war had once left its mark. Marine life had gently reclaimed the wreckage, softening its scars with starfish, lobsters, crabs, and curious tompot blennies peering playfully from shadows. Even a shy conger eel watched silently beneath twisted metal, as if guarding the ship’s untold stories.
Swimming slowly along the intact wooden deck, I found myself quietly imagining the people who once stood exactly where I was hovering. Winches, boilers, and engines lay scattered, each silently preserving the echoes of everyday life aboard. The wreck didn’t shout heroic tales—it whispered simpler stories of lives quietly lived, and lost.
Leading this dive during the festive season made it feel profoundly personal and deeply reflective. Sharing my first planned wreck dive with fellow divers felt like passing on a treasured gift, a story worth remembering. There were no grand gestures, only quiet respect for history, joy in discovery, and gentle reassurance that life beneath the waves continues beautifully, even among memories of loss.
Debrief:
The SS Ramsgarth is quietly powerful—not because it’s grand or spectacular, but because it is real, raw, and deeply personal. Rich history and thriving marine life intertwine effortlessly, leaving you deeply moved and reflective. It’s a dive that speaks softly, yet leaves an imprint on your soul.
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This article was originally published in SCUBA magazine, Issue 157, July/August 2025. For more membership benefits, visit bsac.com/benefits.
Images in this online version may have been substituted from the original images in SCUBA magazine due to usage rights.
