The Rjukan Shipwreck New York and New Jersey's (Wreck Valley)

The Rjukan Shipwreck New York and New Jersey's (Wreck Valley)

Historical and current New York and New Jersey Shipwreck Information and images for scuba divers and fisherman.

RJUKAN

DIRECTIONS: (Bradley Beach, Monmouth County)
Take the Garden State Parkway to Exit 100. Take Rt 33 East. At the fork bear left onto Corlies Ave. Stay on Corlies to Main St and turn left. Turn right onto Newark Ave to the end. Turn left onto Ocean Ave. The wreck is located off Ocean Ave in front of the Bradley Bingo Hall.

CONDITIONS:
The 160 foot long,960 ton Norwegian vessel Rjukan was en-route from London to New York, on December 26, 1876, when a strong northeast gale carried her into the beach. At6:30 AM a beachcomber noticed the stranded vessel and called for assistance. Before help could arrive the violent seas caused her bow to turn leaving the ship broadside to the beach. The huge waves quickly destroyed her main, fore and mizzen mast and sent them crashing onto her deck. The lifesaving crew arrived at the scene but did not have a lifeboat. Fortunately for those aboard a local sea captain seeing the confusion launched his own vessel and by making several trips to the doomed Rjukan rescued all twenty crew members. By nightfall, the vessel had been broken apart by the heavy surf.

Today, the scattered wreckage of the Rjukan lies 200 feet off the beach in front of the Bradley Bingo Hall in 25 feet of water. According to Bill Davis, author of the book, SHIPWRECKS OF THE ATLANTIC "this wreck is one of the easier to locate and is a great dive for the novice and expert alike. The Rjukan is located off the jetty just south of Newark and Ocean avenues. Swim directly off the pavilion north of the jetty, keeping the northern wall of the pavilion in line with your offshore swim. Swim out parallel with the jetty until you reach the jettie's end. From there take a southeast compass heading, descend and swim in a southeast direction for approximately 50 yards. The wreck is large enough that it should be easily located." According to Howard Rothweiler, most of the wreck is very low to the sand. The wreckage is wood planking held together by brass spikes of various size and scattered around the wreck site there are ballast stones. There are two major sections of the wreck, both being approximately sixty feet in length and about thirty feet apart.

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