SL/S/LBAS/M/01

Unknown iron wreck situated 6km southwest of the Little Basses Lighthouse. This large vessel is lying on the nearby reef. The stern end is on the sandy bottom at about 16 meters in depth. The engine parts are on the reef at about 05-meter depth. Fewer remains are at the Bow end, most parts of the hull parts and the superstructure were destroyed or salvaged for scrap metal. Because of the nearby lighthouse, this wreck is also known as the Little Basses wreck.

Comparing to the bow there are more remains at the stern section. The propeller and the other remains of the stern end are still identifiable and intact. The extra propeller of the ship was on the sandy seabed close to the stern. This large copper-alloy propeller was raised in 2018 by Sri Lanka Navy to decorate the entrance of the newly build Security Force Head Quarters, Akuregoda, Colombo.  

Note:

This ship could be the SS Universal Trader that sank in 1968. The UT ran aground on "Uda Point" during heavy weather, broke into two and caught fire. The vessel had a consignment of Cargo, and was a single-screw (1 prop) triple-expansion engine built by Jones J.A. Construction Company in the US.  The ship was 134.4 m x 17.4 m x 8.5m.

The last known location of the UT was 165 meters, from the Little Basses Wreck