Also known as: Hathor, Hathor and Plympton, Hathor/Plympton
Lethegus Rocks south of St Agnes claimed two cargo steamers eleven years apart, and the result is one of the most unusual dive sites in British waters. The German Hathor, dragged helplessly from her tow across the Atlantic in 1920, came to rest directly on top of the British Plympton, wrecked in fog back in 1909. The tangled marriage of the two hulls creates a complex underwater landscape where it is genuinely difficult to tell where one vessel ends and the other begins. The Hathor's triple-expansion engines and twin boilers provide the main orientation points, clearing at around 25 metres with the seabed falling away to 33. Scilly's renowned visibility means you can often take in the full scale of the wreckage from a distance — a rare privilege on a deep UK dive. Listed among Divernet's 100 Best UK Wreck Dives, this is a site that rewards experience and careful gas planning.
Broke free from tow after engine failure off the Azores and swept onto Lethegus Rocks south of St Agnes in storms. The site is shared with SS Plympton (2,869 tons), a British steamer that drove onto the same rocks in dense fog on 14 August 1909.
SS Hathor is a cargo vessel wreck located off Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom at a depth of 37 metres. The vessel was lost due to grounding in 1920. The wreck is diveable.
SS Hathor lies at 24 to 37 metres depth, Lethegus Rocks, south of St Agnes, Isles of Scilly.
SS Hathor ran aground on 2 December 1920, off Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom.
Diving the SS Hathor is rated advanced and is requires an Advanced Open Water certification with wreck diving experience. Recommended: Deep Diver or equivalent.
The best months to dive SS Hathor are May, June, July, August, September. Water temperature ranges from 9°C in winter to 18°C in summer.
SS Hathor is accessed by boat from Hugh Town, St Mary's, Isles of Scilly, United Kingdom.
| Month | Temp | Visibility | Access | Marine life |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jan | 9.0°C | 8.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Feb | 9.5°C | 8.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Mar | 10.0°C | 9.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Apr | 11.0°C | 12.0m | marginal | Moderate — season opening |
| May | 13.0°C | 18.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, seals, spider crabs |
| Jun | 15.0°C | 22.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, seals, blue sharks offshore |
| Jul | 17.0°C | 28.0m | good | Peak — seals, blue sharks, sunfish, basking sharks |
| Aug | 18.0°C | 30.0m | good | Peak — seals, blue sharks, sunfish, basking sharks |
| Sep | 17.0°C | 22.0m | good | Good — wrasse, pollock, seals, spider crabs |
| Oct | 14.0°C | 15.0m | marginal | Moderate — season closing |
| Nov | 11.5°C | 10.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
| Dec | 10.0°C | 8.0m | poor | Minimal — winter conditions |
2 evidence records from 2 sources.
Hathor boilers clear at ~25m, seabed to ~33m. Combined site 24-37m.
Two wrecks at one site. Hathor 7,060 tons, broke free from tow 1920. Plympton 2,869 tons, fog 1909.
Lethegus Rocks, south of St Agnes, Isles of Scilly