The Wreck of the Lugano

Our final wreck dive was on the Lugano that sank in March 1913. The Lugano was a 350-foot, iron-hulled British steamer from Liverpool that Long Reef en route to Havana, Cuba with 116 passengers on board, plus a cargo valued at $1 million dollars. All passengers were successfully rescued while the crew stayed aboard for salvage work and to try to save the ship from a complete loss. After almost a month of salvage work, the crew finally abandoned the wreck. By mid April, efforts to refloat her were abandoned as well. Lugano’s remains lie in about 25 feet of water on Long Reef.

This was our third wreck dive on the same day. We picked up the dive mooring at her stern because the current was pretty strong at this point. So we slowly swam Lugano’s length against the current, then rode it back to Lady. The return swim was quite quick! Due to the current and it being our third dive that day, we only spent about 20 minutes here though we could have spent much more time had the conditions and our timing been better. Still, it was an impressive structure and we enjoyed the experience.
Again, if you’d like to know more of the history and explore the 3D interactive model of the Lugano, check out the ArcGis storyboard. My video clips aren’t quite as good for this one because I found it difficult to film, swim against the current and enjoy the sights all at the same time. Still, you’ll get a decent appreciation for Lugano’s size. Enjoy!

Author: Indigo Lady

I am a retired educator married to a retired chemist/engineer/educator. We will be living aboard our solar electric catamaran for as long as possible. View all posts by Indigo Lady