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Originally from the American Great Lakes, the 118 m long merchant ship Mohawk Deer was built in 1896 under the name Waldo. The ship was wrecked in November 1913 on Lake Superior, broken in two during a terrible storm. Refloated the following year, in 1914, the ship continued to sail until November 1967. Five owners decided to undertake work on the ship, which was lengthened by 20 metres. Mohawk Deer was now 140 metres long, thus increasing her carrying capacity. Her successive owners also changed her name: Waldo became Riverton. The last shipping company, Mohawk Navigation Co, bought her in 1948 and called her... Mohawk Deer! The ship left the port of Genoa on the morning of 5 November 1967, towed by a Yugoslav tug, bound for a demolition yard in La Spezia.

During the crossing, the west-to-south-west wind, also known as the libeccio, blew violently on a heavy sea. The breakage of the towing cable caused the ship to sink against the promontory of Portofino, on the rocks of the Bay of the English, the Cala degli Inglesi. The merchant ship now lies at a depth of 20 to 40 metres. When diving, you can see the steam engine driven by two boilers, still visible, isolated from the wreck, at 51 m depth. The Mohawk Navigation Co still owned the ship when it sank. For the record, the ship sank in November 1967, 54 years after it sank in November 1913 on Lake Superior ...., still broken in two during a terrible storm!

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