SS President Coolidge, Espiritu Santo, Vanuatu

The SS President Coolidge is unique amongst wrecks for many reasons:

It’s an SS – a steam ship – a luxury liner with rooms for almost 1,000 rich people! Not a warship, though it was pressed into service as a troop carrier with 5,342 troops on board, and sank as a result of hitting two US mines.

It’s a shore dive. There are many wrecks which are: usually because the skipper tried to run the ship aground in order to potentially save it from sinking. The few that were saved this way, aren’t wrecks (damn – they got away!), but most, like the Coolidge didn’t quite make it. The Coolidge hit the reef, listed badly, eventually capsized and slide down the slope a little. Still, all but two on board were saved.

It’s big: nearly 200m long, and 25m wide – it’s a big dive site! How long would it take to explore that ship even if it was docked at Sydney’s overseas terminal and you were just walking around it? Laid on its side: its deck plates vertical, with its bow around 20m and stern around 70m there are some serious decompression issues to be taken into consideration.

So you can see the allure. Many divers go to Espiritu Santo or even Vanuatu just to dive the Coolidge, and spend the best part of the week doing so: starting with an orientation dive, and working their way up (down) to the ‘Lady’ – a porcelain figure of a medieval babe riding a unicorn in the first class dining room.

This article describes a typical first dive on the SS President Coolidge. The dive briefing for the Coolidge is very detailed, providing both a history of the wreck and navigation. Typically divers spend several days diving the wreck, each day descending deeper to explore the lower decks and attractions such as the doctor’s surgery, swimming pool and the stern.

Typical Dive Week Itinerary:

• Day 1: Morning Dive: Cargo Holds 1 & 2.
• Day 2: The Lady (A deeper penetration dive). Afternoon Dive: Medical Supplies.
• Day 3: Morning Dive: Engine Room (Deeper and more technical). Afternoon Dive: Million Dollar Point (Off the Coolidge).
• Day 4: Morning Dive: Swimming Pool (Deep dive at 55m). Afternoon Dive: ABC Decks.
• Day 5: Morning Dive: Doctor’s Office.
• Day 6: Morning Dive: Deep Blue to The Stern (Deepest dives). Afternoon Dive: Cargo Hold 2.
• Day 7: Morning Dive: “The Lady” (Farewell Dive). Afternoon Dive: Coolidge Night Dive in Cargo Hold 2.

The ship is covered with both hard & soft corals. Before you enter the interior, you’ll be greeted by trigger fish, lion fish, nudibranchs & a resident green moray eel, all in glaring contrast to the cannons they adorn & inhabit. Inside, the military past is starkly evident with gas masks, helmets, ammunition, and rifles—the personal effects and accoutrements of a soldier’s life. The cargo holds contain major military equipment, including trucks, jeeps, ambulances, and cannons. Divers can swim through the control room, view the turbines and shaft, and visit the galley to gain an understanding of food preparation onboard. Almost every item used in the ship’s daily life is there for contemplation. Personal spaces also offer poignant glimpses into the past:

• The doctor’s office and infirmary still hold medicines and syringes.
• The barber shop features the actual barber’s chair.
• The soda fountain is filled with masses of coke bottles.

Perhaps the most interesting element of the wreck is the unexpected remnants of a luxury liner. Amidst the military paraphernalia, you’ll find a mosaic fountain, a porcelain bas relief of a lady and a unicorn, a first-class dining room, a lobby, a library, and a swimming pool.

Adding to the history is the moving story of Captain Elwood Joseph Euart. Following his escape, he heroically returned to the vessel to free soldiers trapped in sick bay. While records indicate he successfully helped them escape, Captain Euart was unable to climb the rope to safety before the ship sank further, taking him with it. DNA results confirmed that remains recovered in March 2015 were those of the heroic captain, and a plaque now rests on the ship in his honour.

There are probably 50 or so different dives. But note that all are deep (from a recreational diver’s perspective), and all involve deco stops – though in warm, relatively clear waters with practically no current – the depth is not so challenging as it might be elsewhere.

Also the reef itself is quite interesting, and little coral gardens have been built at the 5m mark specifically for the safety stop.