Name No 5 dumb hopper barge Type hopper barge Length 43 m | Out of service 1978 Beam 30 ft 4 in (9.25 m) Builder Poole & Steel | |
Operator Department of Marine and Harbours, Government of South Australia Fate scuttled to form artificial reef | ||
No 5 dumb hopper barge was a hopper barge which was built in 1911 at Balmain in New South Wales by Poole & Steel for the then Marine Board of South Australia, an agency of the Government of South Australia. She was part of a fleet of vessels used to dredge the shipping approaches to Port Adelaide and other ports in South Australia. Her specific role was to hold spoil from the dredging process and convey it under tow to a dumping site. In 1978, she became redundant after the purchase of two self-propelled barges.
Following the prohibition of access to the waters within 550 metres (1,800 ft) of the historic wrecksite of Zanoni, the barge was scuttled during the week ending 13 April 1984 about 17.5 kilometres (10.9 mi) south east of Ardrossan in Gulf St Vincent in South Australia in order to create an artificial reef available for recreational fishing use. In her scuttled state, she is known as Unnamed Barge, The Zanoni Barge and The Ardrossan Barge. The scuttling site is officially located at 34°31′48.88″S 138°03′47.04″E.