Meet the site
HMAS Bayonet (P 101) was an Attack-class patrol boat, one of twenty built for the Royal Australian Navy in the late 1960s for coastal patrol and, later, fisheries and immigration work in northern waters. She was laid down by Walkers Limited at Maryborough, Queensland, in October 1968, launched on 6 November 1968 and commissioned on 22 February 1969: 32.8 m long, 146 tons full load, two diesels for 21 knots, a 40 mm Bofors forward and a crew of 19. On 27 March 1982 she was transferred to the Melbourne Port Division of the RAN Reserve for reservist and cadet training out of HMAS Lonsdale and Western Port, and she paid off on 26 June 1988. The Navy's original plan was to sink her in about 30 m as a recreational dive site; that fell through, and on 21 September 1999 Defence Maritime Services staff scuttled her instead in deep water off Cape Schanck. The wreck was located on 23 December 2001 by the Red October Group, a Melbourne technical team, after a year of planning. She sits upright on a sand bottom at 82 m with the deck at about 70 m, in strong current that has carved steep sand ripples around the hull. Divers report the hull surprisingly clean, with the painted waterline markings on the bow still readable, a hole in the foredeck where the Bofors was removed, the wheelhouse and superstructure intact, and a mass of wiring visible inside – she was stripped of little. Twenty-five years on, sponge and sea-whip growth is established and ling, boarfish and crayfish have moved in. Bayonet is a trimix or rebreather expedition dive – the Scuba Doctor notes four cylinders per diver on open circuit – with 90 minutes or more of decompression in open Bass Strait, and it is attempted a couple of times a year at most. It suits the most experienced Victorian technical divers, and it is a curiosity: the only modern warship wreck in the state apart from the Canberra, and a reminder of what the Canberra might have been had the Navy's first plan gone the same way.
Research this site before booking Stored site notes may be historical. These questions highlight gaps without turning old instructions into a current dive plan.
HMAS Bayonet is recorded as Wreck in Port Phillip Heads. The listed access is boat (day trip). 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.
- Current and timing
- Ask how the operator assesses the current window for the actual route. Historical tide notes are not a departure instruction.
- Lines and obstructions
- Discuss any known entanglement concerns and the suitability of the planned area.
- Planned depth
- Confirm the intended route and training requirements; the recorded maximum is not a target.
- Overhead environments
- Ask whether the plan stays entirely in open water. A wreck or cave listing is not permission or training to enter.
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 HMAS Bayonet 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 HMAS Bayonet 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-water sponges, sea whips, ling, boarfish, southern rock lobster, butterfly perch
Location
In deep water in Bass Strait about 30 km south-south-west of Cape Schanck and 45 km south of Port Phillip Heads, in 82 m.
Facilities nearby
Queenscliff Harbour, Portsea Pier or Flinders ramp departures; nothing at sea
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.auscubadoctor.com.auen.wikipedia.orgRecord updated 26 Sept 2026. Source claims are being reviewed.
