Aeolus
Cable Repair Ship · United States · Lost 1988 · The Outer Banks
A WWII attack cargo ship turned cable repair vessel, deliberately sunk as a reef and now one of North Carolina's premier shark dives.
The Vessel and Her Loss
Built in 1945 as the attack cargo ship Turandot, the vessel was converted in the 1950s into the cable repair ship Aeolus. Decommissioned, she was sunk in August 1988 off Morehead City as part of North Carolina's artificial reef program. Hurricane Fran broke her into three sections in 1996, creating a varied multi-level dive site widely known for its resident sand tiger sharks.
Vessel
- 1945
- Ex-USS Turandot (AKA-47)
- Not established
- Not established
- Steel
- 409 ft
- Not established
- Not established
- Diesel, single screw
- U.S. Navy; later AT&T (cable repair service)
Loss
- August 1, 1988
- Intentional sinking
- Approximately 25 miles off Morehead City, North Carolina
- Atlantic Ocean
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
- Not established
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The Wreck Today
- 85-110
- Broken into three large sections by Hurricane Fran (1996); stern section upright, midsection collapsed, bow on its side.
- Not established
- Not established
- North Carolina artificial reef program (AR site)
Position
- 34.28° N 76.64° W
- Approximate position
- Morehead City, North Carolina
Evidence
Overall confidence: Documented (80/100)
Depth, length, sinking date, hurricane damage.
Build history, conversion to cable ship, sinking date.
