WreckfinderBritish steamship · Sunk 30 November 1935
Orchis wreck
The Orchis is a British steamship wreck lying roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Fowey in Plymouth and South East Cornwall. The top of the wreck is about 38 m down on a 41 m seabed. She sank on 30 November 1935. The exact GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
- Top of wreck38 m
- Seabed41 m
- Nearest harbourFowey
- ConditionIn two parts
Get the exact mark for the Orchis
The Orchis is one of 223 wrecks in Plymouth and South East Cornwall waters in the Wreckfinder app. Premium shows the exact GPS position to put in your chartplotter, plus your distance to it at sea.
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Are you fishing or diving the Orchis?
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Fishing the Orchis
What you might catch
- PollackAll year, best late summer to winter
- Conger eelAll year, best on summer nights and neap tides
- PoutingAll year
- LingAll year, bigger fish in deeper water
- CodMostly autumn and winter
Typical for wrecks like this (draft, until we have catch reports). Caught something here? Tell us.
Tide and method
Tide: Fish the last of the flood or ebb into slack water. Neaps are easier; on big springs the window is short.
Method: The wreck is broken up, so drifting over it with shads, jellies or baited feathers covers the ground well. Anchoring uptide works too, but the marks are smaller.
Report a catch
Fished the Orchis? Tell Dusty what you caught, when, and what worked. With your OK we'll add it to this page so other anglers know what's biting.
Diving the Orchis
The dive
The top of the wreck is about 38 m down on a 41 m seabed. That is a deep dive that needs the right training, gas planning and a good skipper.
Condition: In two parts (from the last survey).
Before you dive
- Anything you recover from a wreck must be reported to the Receiver of Wreck.
- Plan around slack water and check the weather. Skippers who know the wreck make all the difference.
History of the Orchis
A small coaster built in 1918 at Appledore. Carrying clay from Par to Aberdeen, she sprang a leak in the engine room on 30 November 1935 and was abandoned before she sank.
| Type | British steamship |
|---|---|
| Sunk | 30 November 1935 |
| Tonnage | 483 tons gross |
| Length | 45.7 m |
| Beam | 7.9 m |
| Cargo | Clay products |
| Top of wreck | 38 m |
| Seabed | 41 m |
| Area | Plymouth and South East Cornwall (nearest harbour Fowey) |
Where is the Orchis wreck?
The Orchis lies roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Fowey, in Plymouth and South East Cornwall. We don't publish exact positions on the website. The GPS mark is in the Wreckfinder app.
More Plymouth and South East Cornwall wrecks
Other wrecks in Plymouth and South East Cornwall
- HMS ScyllaBritish frigate, 2004
- James Eagan LayneAmerican steamship, 1945
- MedocFrench steamship, 1940
- HMS FoyleBritish destroyer, 1917
Orchis wreck: questions
How deep is the Orchis wreck?
The top of the wreck is about 38 m down on a 41 m seabed.
Where is the Orchis wreck?
It lies roughly 3 to 10 nautical miles off Fowey in Plymouth and South East Cornwall. The exact GPS position is in the Wreckfinder app.
Can you fish the Orchis?
Yes. Wrecks like this typically hold pollack, conger eel, pouting, ling. The wreck is broken up, so drifting over it with shads, jellies or baited feathers covers the ground well. Anchoring uptide works too, but the marks are smaller.
Can you dive the Orchis?
The top of the wreck is about 38 m down on a 41 m seabed. That is a deep dive that needs the right training, gas planning and a good skipper.
How do I get the GPS coordinates for the Orchis?
Download Wreckfinder, search for Orchis, and Premium shows the exact position to enter in your chartplotter.
Got a question about the Orchis?
Ask Dusty, our Cornish pirate AI assistant. Arrr, he knows his wrecks.
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