Hawaii Undersea Research Laboratory Archive

IN THE SCHOOL OF OCEAN AND EARTH SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY AT THE UNIVERSITY OF HAWAI'I AT MANOA

ARCHIVE
HOME
DEEP-SEA ANIMAL GUIDE WEB MAP PORTAL DATA DOWNLOADS MARITIME HERITAGE HURL OPERATIONS PARTNERS AND PORTALS

SBB-30: Freighter William B

Composite: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William BSurvey: William B bow with nameSurvey: William B exhaust stackSurvey: William B fallen mastSurvey: William BSurvey: William B TaquchimaHistoric photo: William B at pier 60 17Jun94Historic photo: Galley fire William BArticle: Son denies dad responsibleArticle: William BArticle: William B timeline


HURL Artifact No. SBB-30 *Denotes approximations and speculations
Name: William B Lost: After March 1994
Artifact Type: Ship Found: 19-Oct-2016
Nationality: Unknown Dive No: PV-866
Class or Make: Unknown Location: South Oahu
Model: Freighter Depth (m): 555m
Purpose: Transport Cargo HURL crew: T. Kerby, B. Rourke, J. Schiff
Serial Number: Unknown Additional Dives:
Built/Launched: Unknown
Length: 153'
Width: 23'
Height: Unknown
Circumstance of Loss: Disposal at sea beyond 12 miles. Crew Personnel/Position: n/a
Reason of Loss: No Ownership. Seized by State of Hawaii. Unable to sell. Crew Survivals/Fatalities: n/a
Artifact History: Purchased by Nathaniel Andraded who intended to refurbish from a fishing boat to a cargo vessel to the Marshall Islands. On August 4, 1993 the ship caught fire at pier 60. The owner eventually ran out of money and left the islands. The state seized the vessel for non-payment of wharf age fees on February 28, 1994. A month later 350 containers of paint and solvent were found dumped into Keehi Lagoon and were later traced back to having come from the William B.
Artifact Condition: The ship is in good condition. There is no sign of any damage from sinking. Deck hatch is open. The observation deck on top has toppled over. There is a large winch near the bow and a very large hold forward of the bridge. There is no debris on seabed in the area. The ship's name is clearly legible near the bow, but the home port underneath is largely unreadable.
Additional Information: The ship was originally intended to be sunk as an artificial reef off Maui that would benefit fishermen and divers, however it was only budgeted with enough money for cleaning and safety standards sufficient for disposal at 12 miles offshore.