Events: mv Xlendi scuttled off Gozo

Article from The Times of Malta, dated 13^th November 1999, by Fiona Galea Debono.

The former Gozo ferryboat is positioned by tugboats prior to being scuttled at ix-Xatt l-Ahmer in Gozo. Click to enlarge...

The MV Xlendi was yesterday swallowed up by the sea off ix-Xatt l-Ahmar in Gozo to the cheering of diving enthusiasts and those instrumental in its scuttling. Gozo now boasts its own underwater attraction.

The former Gozo ferryboat, 80 metres in length, sank majestically to a depth of around 40 metres where it is to become a prime diving site, attracting both locals and foreigners and creating "an added bonus to destination Gozo".

The ferry was offered for scuttling by Gozo Channel Co. Ltd, on the request of the Gozo Tourism Association, in collaboration with the Gozo Ministry.

Diving Tourism is growing increasingly popular, attracting around 40,000 tourists a year, and creating another dive site would not only attract new divers, but would also urge those who have already been to Malta to return.

Gozo Tourism Association secretary Joe Muscat said the idea of scuttling ships to create unique diving sites was born in 1994, when the Gozo Divers Association had proposed the sinking of MV Cittadella. The project had fallen through and the ship was sold to a Turkish competitor instead, he said.

Mr Muscat said that when the GTA was set up in February, it had focused on the project and, only months later, the "dream came true".

It was a long and complicated road, he said, thanking both the Gozo Channel Co. Ltd and the Gozo Ministry for their support and encouragement.

MV Xlendi is 12 metres wide and 23 metres high. Once appropriately referred to by the public as a "coffin" due to its design, it was laid to rest at a distance of approximately 50 metres from land, and would, therefore, be a shore dive.

Mr Muscat said that the location was chosen because it was the only sheltered spot in northwesterly winds, and would also transform a barren site into an attraction.

After being rendered diver and environment-friendly - certain sections were sealed off, glass removed and health and safety precautions taken - the MV Xlendi, which had stopped operating in 1997, was yesterday morning towed by a Tug Malta boat from the Malta Drydocks to its watery grave in the south of Gozo under Fort Chambray.

The sinking process was long and complicated as the ship had to be maneuvered into its marked, south-facing position on a sandy and a sloping shelf on the seabed. Tugboats fought the elements to keep it in place and avoid the drop-off beyond the shelf.

The scuttling operations, coordinated by Capt. Mario Grech, included the boring of holes above the waterline and the pumping of water into the ship by the Civil Protection vessel Sansalvor.

At 2.15 p.m., to the soundtrack of Titanic, MV Xlendi suddenly and rapidly inclined onto its side and then forward, gracefully diving into the sea, offering a spectacular sight to the crowd that gathered on the rocks and surrounding boats of diving centres.

Speaking at the press conference on board the Gozo Princess, which was attended by foreign journalists from renowned UK and German diving magazines, Gozo Minister Giovanna Debono said the sinking of the vessel marked an important moment in the history of Gozo's tourism industry.

Ms Debono lauded the co-operation of Gozo Channel Co. Ltd's chairman John E. Sullivan, without whom the event would not have taken place, and who had immediately recognised Gozo's tourism needs, as well as the initiative of the GTA.

Gozo Channel Co. Ltd was honouring its commitment to offer a service to Gozitans, which did not only include the ferryboats, but also targeted the commercial and tourism aspects of Gozo, said Mr Sullivan.

Gozo Channel Co. Ltd had opted to sink the boat, rather than sell it, because scuttling it would ultimately translate into more work and, subsequently, more revenue for the company. The more attractions that existed in Gozo, the more the work for the comapny, he said.

Rumours that the MV Ghawdex would undergo the same fate were quashed by the chairman, who said that the company was aiming to sell the boat to foreigners as it is still in working condition. Only if it could not be sold, would scuttling it be considered.

Tourism in winter was diving tourism, said an enthusiast, and wreck diving was one of the fastest growing sports in the world.

The MV Xlendi would soon become an artificial reef teeming with marine life.

In the past three years, the Um el Faroud, the Imperial Eagle and two tugboats had also been scuttled. But, the MV Xlendi marked the first in Gozo waters.

See also:

Scuttling plans for mv Xlendi
Scuttling of the Um el Faroud in Wied Iz-Zurrieq
The tugboat Rozi at Cirkewwa
The scuttled tugboats at Marsascala
The H.M.S. Maori at Marsamxett

Having dived the MV Xlendi within the same week of the scuttling, I was able to examine the new wreck before the marine life moved in to call the place Home.

The vessel lies more or less parallel to the shore, on a steep incline at a dept of 40 metres. The wreck is lying almost top side up, with the two propellers jutting out at either end of the hull, which is now facing upwards. The wreck has settled on the bridge, which must have prevented the vessel from sliding down further the slope.

The bridge and now bent masts seem to be under quite a lot of strain, and I expect the wreck to slide deeper when it is hit by storms or due to deterioration. Further up the sloping seabed, boulders may be observed broken and dislocated, indicating that the MV Xlendi had quite a hard time settling down.

The scuttling plan was apparently to maneuver the vessel in a direction perpendicular to the shore at Xatt l-Ahmar, so that one end of the wreck was in a shallow area of the sea bed while the other end was at a deeper area, Carolita¹ style.

My speculation is that, because of the elements, the tug boats were probably unable to maintain the vessel in this position, and it sank quickly with the port side facing the shore. On hitting the seabed, this being at a very steep angle (about 45^o), the MV Xlendi started to slide down, wreaking havoc in its wake. At some point, the wreck started to roll over on the starboard side and was miraculously held by the bridge and masts which somehow managed to support its weight.

I was diving the wreck leading a group of three divers including myself. The scuttling has caused a lot of silt to stir up from the sea bed, and hence, visibility was not quite optimal. We started from the bows, examining the smaller frontal propeller used for maneuvering the vessel. We then proceeded to explore the starboard side of the vessel. We did not descend beyond 35 metres, but this was sufficient to allow us to penetrate the car deck via one of the side hatches. I did feel a bit uneasy thinking about the hulking mass of metal above our heads and felt quite disoriented floating in a vessel lying the wrong way up.

The wreck is however, still an interesting site to dive, although I do prefer the Um El Faroud sitting upright in the shallower, clearer waters of Wied Iz-Zurrieq. In a sense, it is unfortunate that the vessel did not settle in a more diver-friendly manner. Having said that, the MV Xlendi should make for a unique and challenging wreck dive!