Meet the site
The City of Rayville was a 5,883-ton American steel freighter built in 1920 at Tampa, Florida, for the United States Shipping Board and operated in 1940 by the Pioneer Line. On the evening of 8 November 1940, bound from Adelaide to Melbourne with a cargo of lead, she struck a mine laid across the western entrance to Bass Strait by the German auxiliary minelayer Passat, working with the raider Pinguin. The explosion blew off the foremast and opened the forward holds; the ship sank in about 40 minutes some 6 miles south of Cape Otway. Thirty-seven of the 38 crew got away in the boats and were brought into Apollo Bay by local fishermen; the third engineer, who went back for belongings, drowned. The same minefield had sunk the British steamer Cambridge off Wilsons Promontory the day before. The City of Rayville has a place in history as the first American merchant ship lost in the Second World War, more than a year before the United States entered it, and a memorial stands on the Apollo Bay foreshore.
The wreck was located by sonar in the early 2000s and lies upright on sand in about 82 m, with the hull and superstructure standing 5–6 m clear of the seabed. Survey imagery shows the steering house, hatch coamings, ladders, railings and deck winches still in place, and the hull largely intact apart from the mine damage forward. It sits within the Commonwealth Apollo Marine Park and is protected under the Underwater Cultural Heritage Act. For divers this is one of the deepest and least visited wrecks in Victoria: a trimix or rebreather dive with a long run offshore, cold water, poor weather odds and no regular charter, undertaken only by well-equipped technical teams. It is included here as the outstanding deep wreck of the Otway coast rather than as a practical dive for most readers.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
City of Rayville is recorded as Wreck in Surf Coast & Great Ocean Road. The listed access is boat. Confirm the actual meeting point, route and permission to visit; a map pin does not establish any of these.
Topics flagged by the stored research
These are questions prompted by the existing notes, not a verified or complete hazard assessment.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Water movement
- Ask how swell and local exposure affect the proposed entry, exit and route.
Historical access notes exist for this record, but have not been independently verified for current use. Request current directions from the operator or site manager rather than following an old entry description.
Questions, answered
Is City of Rayville suitable for my certification?
The record lists Technical (decompression). That does not establish suitability for every route or day. Share your training, recent experience and equipment needs with the operator and ask about the specific proposed dive.
Can I book City of Rayville through YouDive?
YouDive is an independent research directory. Contact an operator directly to confirm whether it currently runs the trip, the inclusions and the booking terms.
What you might see
Deep-reef fish over the hull, schooling butterfly perch and boarfish reported on similar Bass Strait wrecks, sponges and hydroids on the upperworks; little documented
Location
American freighter mined in 1940, lying upright on sand in about 82 m roughly 14 km south of Cape Otway, inside the Commonwealth Apollo Marine Park.
Facilities nearby
Apollo Bay harbour ramp, fuel and fishermen's co-op; no technical gas in Apollo Bay – bring all gas from Melbourne.
Before you make plans
Conditions, access and operator schedules can change. This is a location guide, not a dive plan. Ask a local operator about current conditions and suitability for your training and experience.
Sources & further reading
scubadoctor.com.auRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.