Stragglers Unidentified Dregde
West of Stragglers Reef
GPS: S 32°03.801'
E 115°36.230'
Location: West of Stragglers
Site depth: 19 metres
Divable conditions: < 1.5metres
Visibilty: 10-15 metres
Vessel: Bucket dredge
Construction: Iron
Tons: unknown
Vessel length: unknown
Wreck event: Scuttled
The Parmelia bucket dredge, a similar hull and design to the Stragglers wreck. Battye Library
The unidentified dredge site is west of Stragglers Rocks located 6 miles off Fremantle and 4 miles south east of Bickley Point, Rottnest. The wreck is thought to possibly be the remains of the Fremantle Dredge that was bought to be stripped and sold as scrap metal. In the end it never ended up being broken down for scrap and if the wreck is the Fremantle Dredge, it only had its fittings and boiler removed before it was scuttled west of Stragglers, in the hope that the reef surrounding Stragglers Rocks and the Mewstones would prevent wreckage entering Gage Roads and the Fremantle Harbour limits.
The site itself is an impressive wreck site. Unlike most wrecks in metro waters that are in shallow amongst the reef, the dredge sits upright surrounded by sand at a depth of 19 metres. The site extends around 50 metres with the bow to the south west. The bow is still somewhat intact and structure to the midships still standing. Located near the northern end of the Five Fathom Bank the site is best dived in a swell less than 1.5 metres.
