About the Damage

When dive boats first starting visiting the Thistlegorm they would moor using ropes, although still causing damage to the wreck by tearing and breaking things in rough weather. However due to the ageing of the wreck and its metal structure many parts of the wreck are sharp and cut through the ropes used to moor on them. In recent years dive operators have taken to using wire lines wrapped around or put through any hooking point on the wreck, these wires saw through the sheet metal and wear through parts of the wreck at an alarming rate, with every wave that passes on the surface the wires pull tight cutting their way through.

With no moorings around the wreck the boats have little options of where to moor, there are a few parts which boats can moor to that are stronger and would cause less damage to the wreck such as the prop shaft, this even survived the blast and due to the nature of it is certainly a sturdy part to moor too. The other obvious place is the cleats on the bow of the ship which would have been used when it was in service to moor to the dock. Although not naturally designed to withstand vertical strains it is a part better suited to mooring to then most other parts.

Below are some photos showing where we have documented boats mooring to the wreck, also the damage caused by this action, some of these are distressing and in many cases mind blowingly disrespectful and thoughtless.

truck damage Today, 3th March 2015, controlling the hold N. 2 upper level, left side of the wreck, i found others damages on the trucks. Not sure it is from the last 3 days, but for sure other damages. Few day ago, i posted pictures about the damage on the truck and i didn't realize what was stolen close to the truck. Watching old footage from 2012 i discovered what it's been taken fromthere, in the left and in the right side of the upper level, hold n.2	Cooker grill Sad..so sad...Even the grill from the dining room is been taken out.	truck bonnet.jpg
Winch Cutter another part of the S.S.THISTLEGORM is gone... It's a part of the winch over the hold N.1. As you can see from the pictures, the tube is been cut off and the valve is been cleaned from the corals and ready to be dismounted. Under the valve is possible to see another part of the tube, cut off.	Refuelling Truck What's going on to the wreck Thistlegrom now is unbelievable. Was not enough the ropes to damage this underwater museum..Now there is someone who's taking out parts of the wreck...everyday a new piece of history is going to be missed forever. I don't konw the reasons of this crime. And i don't know who can just imagine to get money from this war memorial. I'm very sad and worried about this. The mooring system is something we can do to prevent others damages from the ropes, but i don't really se	multiple ropes.jpg
Bow pipeline and wiring Another piece of this beautiful undewater museum was gone. Another piece of history was missed forever. This time I'm talking about the electrical cables of the anchor winch. A couple of month ago,after a positive discussion with the captain of the boat where was working the dive guide who tied that rope there, I removed this rope that was tied on this fragile part.	Anchor Wire mooring lined tied to the anchor, this has caused the anchor to be dragged along the seabed, where the anchor was once far from the wreck with the chain heading straight towards the wreck as it was discovered by Cousteau, it is now coiled and tangled up in the aqua scape.	Water Carrier Mooring line tied around the buffer of one of the water carriers sat on the deck.
Water Carriers Various pictures of moorings on the water carrier, wires and ropes used	Water carrier movement You can see in the picture on the left where the water carrier was once positioned, parallel to the deck edge, since being used as a place to tie mooring lines on it has been dragged towards the opening into the holds much like the port water carrier.	Wire through chain One of the mooring wires now used by boats, you can see the indentation in the chain link where the wire has cut and worn the link, this is linked to the anchor on the sea bed, once cut through the chain will drop and fall through the deck to the seabed.
Chain wear You can see here the severe wear on the link on the port anchor chain, this anchor chain is attached to the anchor that is raised, this worn link is all that is holding that anchor in place, once this weakest link breaks the anchor will drop to the seabed. If a boat is moored to this when it does break it could very well drag the dive boat moored to it underwater as the anchor drops to the seabed	AA Gun mooring Perhaps one of the most shocking pictures, a boat moors to the iconic AA Gun barrel on the deck of the Thistlegorm, what was going through the persons mind that did this is not known.	Port Hole The wire passed through the port hole on the bow section has caused the plating to split due to the tensioning with every passing wave on the wire which tugs and pulls on the port hole slowly peeling it from the deck
Mooring on the windless A sadly common site on the bow of the Thistlegorm, numerous mooring lines with wires around the anchor chains and various points on the bow.	Port hole and door frame Wire lines used to moor through the port hole and door frame, with every wave that causes the line to tug it flexes the sheet metal, when metal flexes it becomes weaker and over time this has caused the plating to split severely.	Deck support A wire tied around one of the metal joist/supports which has been bent upwards and is almost cut all the way through.
Roof Another wire cutting its way through the wreck.	Loco tender Its not just the water carriers that are used to moor on by dive boats, this tender has also had a wire attached to it for boats to moor to.

About the Damage

truck damage

Cooker grill

Sad..so sad...Even the grill from the dining room is been taken out.

truck bonnet.jpg

Winch Cutter

another part of the S.S.THISTLEGORM is gone... It's a part of the winch over the hold N.1. As you can see from the pictures, the tube is been cut off and the valve is been cleaned from the corals and ready to be dismounted. Under the valve is possible to see another part of the tube, cut off.

Refuelling Truck

multiple ropes.jpg

Bow pipeline and wiring

Anchor

Wire mooring lined tied to the anchor, this has caused the anchor to be dragged along the seabed, where the anchor was once far from the wreck with the chain heading straight towards the wreck as it was discovered by Cousteau, it is now coiled and tangled up in the aqua scape.

Water Carrier

Mooring line tied around the buffer of one of the water carriers sat on the deck.

Water Carriers

Various pictures of moorings on the water carrier, wires and ropes used

Water carrier movement

You can see in the picture on the left where the water carrier was once positioned, parallel to the deck edge, since being used as a place to tie mooring lines on it has been dragged towards the opening into the holds much like the port water carrier.

Wire through chain

One of the mooring wires now used by boats, you can see the indentation in the chain link where the wire has cut and worn the link, this is linked to the anchor on the sea bed, once cut through the chain will drop and fall through the deck to the seabed.

Chain wear

AA Gun mooring

Perhaps one of the most shocking pictures, a boat moors to the iconic AA Gun barrel on the deck of the Thistlegorm, what was going through the persons mind that did this is not known.

Port Hole

The wire passed through the port hole on the bow section has caused the plating to split due to the tensioning with every passing wave on the wire which tugs and pulls on the port hole slowly peeling it from the deck

Mooring on the windless

A sadly common site on the bow of the Thistlegorm, numerous mooring lines with wires around the anchor chains and various points on the bow.

Port hole and door frame

Wire lines used to moor through the port hole and door frame, with every wave that causes the line to tug it flexes the sheet metal, when metal flexes it becomes weaker and over time this has caused the plating to split severely.

Deck support

A wire tied around one of the metal joist/supports which has been bent upwards and is almost cut all the way through.

Roof

Another wire cutting its way through the wreck.

Loco tender

Its not just the water carriers that are used to moor on by dive boats, this tender has also had a wire attached to it for boats to moor to.