# Location of the wreck of the Chikuzen in the BVI



## bvinut (Dec 20, 2006)

Hi all,

we were in the BVI chartering recently and, on the leg from Anegada to Sandy Cay, I wanted to stop at the Chikuzen wreck for a dive, but could not locate the buoy/s. I used the approximate position given on the British Admiralty Virgin Islands Leisure Folio, about 6 nm N of Great Camanoe, hove-to to look around but no luck. I guess I'll have to try again next year.
Anybody willing to share the (exact) position of the Chikuzen? 
How many mooring buoys are there and how reliable?

Snowed in in Colorado


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## camaraderie (May 22, 2002)

GPS Lat.18° 37.129' N GPS Long.64° 30.969' W PrecisionExact
Great site for dive locations!
http://www.wannadive.net/spot/Central_America/British_Virgin/Chikuzen_Wreck/index.html


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## TrueBlue (Oct 11, 2004)

Great dive locator Cam - thanks for sharing. I just entered some of my favorite sites in the Atlas.


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## bvinut (Dec 20, 2006)

Thanks a lot, camaraderie!
The BA Leisure Folio is off by almost 2 nm !!!
Now, just about one year of day-dreaming and I'm off to the Chikuzen ...


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

Cool link Cam... keep up the good work...


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## hellosailor (Apr 11, 2006)

2 nm?

GPS datum shift?


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## sailingdog (Mar 19, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> 2 nm?
> 
> GPS datum shift?


Probably more like chart datum shift...  Most GPS systems are WGS84 for the chart datum IIRC. Many of the charts in more remote regions are not.


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## bvinut (Dec 20, 2006)

hellosailor said:


> 2 nm?
> 
> GPS datum shift?


Yes, about 2 nm, and no datum "shift". 

The British Admiralty Leisure Folio SC 5640 The Virgin Islands (1st ed 2003),
sub-folio 5640-2, has a wreck marked "PA" (position approximate) at coordinates N 18 deg 35.85' W 64 deg 32.00' (WGS84 datum).

The correct Chikuzen position, N 18 deg 37.130' W 64 deg 30.969' (WGS84 datum), falls outside sub-folio 5640-2, however it can be located on the adjoining sub-folio 5640-3, which has no "PA" wrecks marked in the East semicircle of radius 4 nm centered at N 18 deg 37.130' W 64 deg 30.969'.

Since 1' lat = 1 nm, you can check that the difference between the PA position and the correct one is ballpark 2 nm.

Anyway, I was in the area around Nov 22, 2012 bareboat chartering and the sea state was good for a dive. Unfortunately, I could not locate any buoys. Nor could a large catamaran with at least 12 divers aboard. We both criss-crossed the area together for about 20-30 min to no avail and left.

Does anyone know if the buoys were removed on purpose or broke off?


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## sd1953 (Mar 21, 2010)

BVInut, your original post was 2006. This new post in 2013. Did you go back to BVI and miss the wreck a second time? That would be disappointing for sure. 
You went to the correct coordinates the second I assume and still no joy? Did you have a fishfinder to look at the bottom? The bottom would change 30' as you passed over the wreck. Been some storms since 2006 in the VI area. Is it still divable?
Sorry to hear you didn't get to dive it a second time. Long way to go for no joy. (But hopefully at least a nice sail!)


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## Zanshin (Aug 27, 2006)

There is one mooring ball out there, but it is a commercial ball meaning that if a dive boat shows up you need to relinquish it and let them have it. But if you get to dive it:

Winter 2011-2012 Blog and Diary 2012-01-12


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## bvinut (Dec 20, 2006)

sd1953 said:


> BVInut, your original post was 2006. This new post in 2013. Did you go back to BVI and miss the wreck a second time? That would be disappointing for sure.
> You went to the correct coordinates the second I assume and still no joy? Did you have a fishfinder to look at the bottom? The bottom would change 30' as you passed over the wreck. Been some storms since 2006 in the VI area. Is it still divable?
> Sorry to hear you didn't get to dive it a second time. Long way to go for no joy. (But hopefully at least a nice sail!)


Actually, I have made a pass to the Chikuzen every time I've gone to the BVI in the past 10 years. In 2008, we even found the Chikuzen buoy. The problem is that in early December, when we usually go, the sea state is 3 or 4 Beaufort, and I don't have another skipper on board to watch the boat and the diver/s.

Recently, a friend of mine on another cruise did use his depth gauge to locate the wreck, but it took him 2 hours of criss-crossing since the buoy wasn't there. They ended up anchoring some distance from the wreck. The sea state in July was good for a dive.

When we went in Nov 2012, the sea state was 1 Beaufort or so --- the sail from Anegada to Great Camanoe was long and boring (we even had to motorsail part of the way), but conditions were good for a dive. Unfortunately, my depth gauge was not working.

I'll consider taking a fishfinder with me next time --- great idea!


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