DIRECTORY     Text and photography by John Rawlings The dense fog off the waters of Washington's Olympic Peninsula made even the brightest of lights appear dim as the 326-foot Diamond Knot slowly steamed her way through the Strait of Juan de Fuca toward Seattle. Most of the crew was below deck, with only a handful on watch peering into the darkness. The ship was fully loaded with a cargo more precious than gold to a hungry post World War II population. The 5,525-ton freighter carried more than seven million cans of salmon from Bristol Bay, Alaska. Although the fog was particularly thick this night, the Diamond Knot was not unaccustomed to hazardous voyages. During the war, the ship had endured potential air attacks, submarine-infested waters, invasions and numerous storms. Although she had survived those threats, she would not be able to sustain herself past the events of this night--August 13, 1947. Steaming in the opposite direction of the Diamond Knot toward the mouth of the strait and the Pacific Ocean was the 10,681-ton freighter, Fenn Victory. Outbound from Seattle, she had off-loaded much of her cargo and only carried approximately 200 tons. Lightened of much of her load, she was riding high in the water and moving fast. To the crew of the Diamond Knot, the first sign that something was amiss was when the bow of the Fenn Victory suddenly appeared to starboard, like a huge apparition through the thick mist. At 1:15 a.m., the Fenn Victory's bow crashed into the starboard side of the smaller freighter, slicing more than 14 feet into her and locking the two vessels together. At this time, the two ships were approximately six miles north of Port Angeles in the shipping lanes mid-way between the Olympic Peninsula and Vancouver Island. Distress calls immediately went out from the two vessels, and tugs were hurriedly dispatched from both nearby Port Angeles and Victoria, British Columbia. Upon arrival, the tugs found a scene of complete confusion. Everything seemed to be in chaos as both crews struggled desperately to cut their ships free, fighting the entangled booms, masts and crosstrees. The Fenn Victory had cut so deeply into the Diamond Knot that the smaller freighter's main deck was awash and her holds were filling with the bone-chilling waters of the strait. While the desperate battle continued, the ebb tide pushed the interlocked ships steadily westward. After hours of struggle involving the cutting away of huge chunks of entangled metal, the two ships were finally free of each other. The Fenn Victory, in no danger of sinking, managed to limp back to port under her own power. But for the Diamond Knot, the struggle had just begun. In a desperate attempt to save the vessel and her precious cargo, the tugs placed the Diamond Knot in tow and headed directly toward Crescent Bay, where it was hoped the sheltered waters would serve as the ship's salvation. This proved to be a forlorn hope as the combination of the seawater rushing through the huge gap in her side and the massive currents at the mouth of Crescent Bay proved to be too much for the Diamond Knot and those who struggled to save her. Only about one-quarter mile from shore, the freighter began to roll on her side, allowing a massive influx of water into her remaining holds. At 8:57 a.m., the Diamond Knot sank below the surface, coming to rest on its starboard side in 135 feet of water just off of Tongue Point. This was one of the largest cargo losses ever on the West Coast; and within hours, salvage efforts were being organized. Because of the type and value of the cargo, new methods of salvage had to be tried. Surface divers cut their way through the sides of the vessel into its holds to gain access to the precious salmon. Huge siphons were devised that were used to vacuum the cans to the surface and onto waiting barges. It was one of the greatest and most innovative salvage jobs in history. By the end of October, more than 5,700,000 cans had been recovered to help feed the impoverished, war-torn world. Finally, the salvagers returned to their homeports and the Diamond Knot was left to the ravages of the sea. Today, the Diamond Knot has become a gold mine for Pacific Northwest Technical Divers and advanced recreational divers who have the knowledge and skills to experience her. In addition to the damage inflicted by the collision with the Fenn Victory, the massive cutting operations involved in the salvage efforts further weakened the hull and much of the wreck has collapsed upon itself over time. Penetration of the wreck is still possible at some points, but such a venture requires extreme levels of training, skill and caution. Time and the nutrient-rich waters of the Strait of Juan de Fuca have taken their toll on the Diamond Knot. Today, the vessel is covered with a thick encrustation of anemones, scallops, sponges, giant barnacles and hundreds of other underwater denizens of the Pacific Northwest. Throughout most of the wreck, it is only the straight and regular edges obviously created by man that mark it as a sunken ship and not a marvelously intricate rocky reef. Serving as an artificial reef, the Diamond Knot hosts huge numbers of various species of Northwest Rockfish and Greenling that often will curiously approach divers. The Diamond Knot is a dream for both the macro and wide-angle photographer, with life literally covering almost every square-inch of the wreck. Huge LingCod, Cabezon, Red Irish Lord and Wolf Eel can be found on the wreck and make marvelous photo opportunities when they can be convinced to pose. Visibility on the Diamond Knot is never constant and is heavily dependent on current conditions, occasionally dropping to 10 feet or less (at times, far less!). Divers would do best to explore the ship and reef with the attitude of accepting whatever visibility "Old Juan de Fuca" decides to allow, planning ahead for all possible conditions. Just as they brought the Diamond Knot to her eventual demise, today the tidal currents sweeping over the wreck can still be fierce, and dives should be planned for slack water or periods of low tidal exchange. While exploring the wreck, structure can be used to block much of the force of the current. However, divers need to be constantly aware that those same currents can drastically affect their ascent and should plan accordingly.