JEDDAH, 18 April 2003 — Lying angled stern down and heeling to starboard in a few meters of water in Jeddah’s Obhur Creek is the wreck of a once proud yacht, the Saud.
It is now a rusting hulk and hazard to shipping and water-sports enthusiasts that use the shallow waters of the creek, and potentially an environmental hazard, leaking oils and toxic fluids into a stretch of water used regularly by the public. The yacht has been unused for years. It finally sank about a month ago just a few meters from a busy marina where families congregate over the weekend to hire jet-skis and relax by the creek. It is not the first.
About a year ago, another yacht, the Salsabella, moored a few hundred meters to the north-east of the Saud also sank in the creek. Its condition deteriorated rapidly and within three months, the upper decks became partly detached. Potentially, the same fate awaits the Saud. A captain from a nearby marina was asked by the coast guard to break off the upper-works and tow them to a safe landing to reduce the risk to shipping. They still lie half submerged on a sandy bank out of harm’s way.A floating crane finally removed the hull of the Salsabella about nine months ago, but enquiries at the marinas along Obhur did not establish either the owner of the wreck or the person who hired the crane.
The fate of the Saud remains to be decided. Local divers based in the area see the wreck as an opportunity rather than an eyesore. Wrecks are popular dive sites but usually lie many kilometers off shore and are expensive to reach. The Saud may still have a useful life in store, as a dive site close to shore.
A local yacht captain, who preferred not to be named, said the wreck would first need to be lifted and made safe. Wiring and hazardous machinery need to be removed and all fluids and greases drained to prevent pollution to the marine environment. “It’s a good-sized job, but much of the cost could be offset by the salvage from the machinery,” he said. “The major cost would be in hiring a floating crane to lift the yacht and finally sinking it clean and safe as a tourist attraction.”
