Emerald Sea Photography
Point Richmond Minesweeper
Just off of the
pilings of an old shipyard in Colvos Passage lies the
scattered remains of an old wood hulled Minesweeper.
The vessel was most likely salvaged, which the engines,
machinery and propellers removed, and then sank from neglect
after the facility shuttered the windows.
Located 0.9 Nm northwest of Point Richmond in about 60-65' of water, the bow of the wreck points north and is easily located with a fish finder between the second and third set of pilings. The location is fairly current sensitive, so run a live boat or time your dive around slack water.
If running a live pickup boat, drop in at 60’ just off of the first north piling and the current will carry you right to the wreck. There is a bit of rotting netting scattered around the stern of the wreck (South), so be careful and do carry a sharp dive knife. The currents in the area bring nutrients to an amazing variety of creatures that make their home on the wreck-turned-reef. Nudibranchs, crabs and sea stars crawl about looking for their next meal. Rockfish peer out at divers from holes in the wreck while a forest of anemones feast on the jellyfish that are swept into their midst. Sculpins of many varieties hide out amongst the wreckage, including several of my favorite, the grunt sculpin. So keep a sharp eye out for that very amusing little fish.
Many artifacts can still be found buried around the scattered wreckage, making this a nice site for for new wreck divers wanting to explore local area wrecks without really getting very deep. The Anna Foss tug, right across Colvos passage makes a great second, current free dive, after an exciting current dive on the Richmond Minesweeper.