Rosalie Moller

The Rosalie Moller is fast becoming one of the most famous wrecks in the Red Sea. Slightly larger than her close neighbor the "Thistlegorm", this remarkable wreck lies at 50 meters with her forward mast reaching vertically up to 17 meters below the surface. She was 108 meters long, displacing 3960 tons.

Launched in 1910 as the "Francis" she was built in Glasgow, Scotland by Barclay Curle and CO. She was later sold to another company, Moller Line and renamed "Rosalie Moller". The vessel was used to assist merchant and allied Navel vessels by supplying "Best Welsh" coal to all the coal fired ships during the WWII.

Her final voyage started out uneventfully, loading what would be her last consignment of "Best Welsh" in late July 1941. Bound for Alexandria, in Northern Egypt the Rosalie Moller finally entered the Red Sea and on reaching the Gulf of Suez, was assigned "Safe Anchorage" where she was to wait for further instructions.

The Final Resting Ground of the Rosalie Moller
On the night of the October 8th 1941, two days after the sinking of the Thistlegorm, she was attacked by Heinkel bombers and heavily damaged on the starboard side, resulting in her sinking. There were two deaths, with the survivors taking to the lifeboats. The Rosalie Moller now is home on the western side of Gubal Island, north of Hurghada.

Diving the Wreck
Intact, upright and in pristine condition, she now lies on the bottom with her bow down in the sand. When you drop down the forward mast from the mooring you are filled with tremendous excitement and immense anticipation as the remains of masthead lamp form in the distance.

Descending further, the sharp outline of the deck can be seen, with the bow located at around 39 meters. The starboard anchor is deployed with the chain running down to the seabed and then out of sight. The port anchor remains fully retracted. The railings are relatively still in place, as is much of the deck paraphernalia such as: winch houses, blocks and hawsers. Almost eerily, everything still appears tidy and intact.

Over numerous visits, I had managed to find the entrance to the crew's quarters, via a small hatch on the main deck. Aft of the bridge, the funnel is still standing. On the leading edge is a small ladder to a magnificent copper steam whistle. Moving towards mid-ship, the cargo hatches are gone, revealing the full cargo of "Best Welsh" still in place. Amazingly enough, although the wooden decks have rotted away, all the portholes are still present either in position or littered on the floor below.

Swimming towards the stern, access to the interior is made possible via two internal gangways running parallel through the vessel, providing access to rooms either side. The signal room and galley are present in this area where pots and pans still hang in the galley, currently fused to the walls. Access to the engine room is also possible from this area. Beyond that, the rear mast is apparent and the lifeboat davits are swung out at about 35meters at the stern. Below is an impressive rudder at about 45meters. Curiously, one of the four propeller blades is missing. There is external damage to both rear quarters, which is slightly more extensive on the starboard side.

The visibility is not what is usually expected of the Red Sea, with 15-20 meters being normal. However, coral life drapes the upper areas with plentiful marine life swamping the wreck. My last visit to the Rosalie Moller allowed for a brief encounter with a dolphin during my decompression stop on ascent. The wreck also provides numerous photographic opportunities, although sometimes-heavy sediment movement can play havoc with exposures.