Bermuda could be acquiring a new ship wreck this year, the former Sea Venture ferry.

The 75-foot vessel is currently being stripped in Dockyard, and plans are underway to sink it near the Eastern Blue Cut in May.

Michael Burke, owner of Blue Water Divers, said that a non-profit group Bermuda Intact Wreck Initiative had been looking for a vessel to sink for some years when the Ministry of Transport approached them and offered the old ferry, which was no longer in use.

Over the last year Marine and Ports staff have stripped the ship of almost everything including seats, mechanical parts, spare parts and plastic. Port holes and other nooks and crannies around the vessel have been refitted and made larger to ensure that divers do not get stuck while exploring the three levels of the vessel.

This week staff from Works and Engineering have been dealing with the waste disposal system. The group is waiting on permission from the Department of Environmental Protection before sinking the vessel. Mr. Burke said: "We plan to sink it in about 60 feet of water so that the top level will be 30 feet down.

"It will also be in front of the fringe reefs which mean it will be protected and people can dive there when winds are moderate to high.

"The type of diver we have coming to Bermuda are generally novice and they will be able to go to this wreck because it will not be as deep as others and the ocean will be calmer."

He said they hoped to sink the vessel in April. Staff and volunteers are currently working on the engine room, making sure that there are no articles in the room that could harm the marine environment. Bermuda is known for its abundance of wreck diving with upwards of 250 wrecks scattered around the Island. What is unique about Bermuda's wrecks are that they span four centuries and 15 countries. One of the more popular wrecks is The Hermes. The 265-foot former US Navy freighter, built in 1943, was deliberately scuttled off Warwick Long Bay in 1984.

The last ship to be sunk on purpose off of Bermuda was the Xing Da. The one-time Chinese illegal immigrant smuggling ship was sent to her watery grave 105 feet down off Eastern Blue Cut, about six miles off Dockyard, in May 1997.

Anyone interested in volunteering with the preparations or donating money can contact Mr. Burke at 505-1762.