Ario (Hutton)

Ario (formerly the Hutton)

Size: 453-0" x 56-2" x 27-1"

Sinking: 03/15/1942 Casualty of WWII sunk by U-158

Charter type: inshore Roughly 1hr 20min from inlet

Depth: 65-75’

Common creatures: Sand Tiger Sharks, sandbar sharks, sea turtles, grouper, flounder, oyster toad, sea bass, etc

History:

The Ario was sailing alone and unarmed from New York, NY to Corpus Christi, TX when at 0222 it was struck in the #9 starboard tank by a torpedo fired from the U-158. At the time the Ario was 12 nautical miles southwest of the Cape Lookout Light Buoy. After the attack it was determined that the Ario was not salvageable. It last known location at the time (10 hours after the attack) was 10 NM east of Cape Lookout. The wreckage of the Ario was dynamited and wire drug due to its hazard to navigation (see wreck of suloide).

Site description: The Ario is broken up due to the blasting done to eliminate it from being a hazard to navigation. The average visibility is 20-40ft and hosts a variety of creatures. Some of the wreck features you may notice are the Boilers, anchors, engine and steering quadrant. The twisted and tangled metal is home to a large variety of sea creatures and you never know what you will see.