The Otago was a three-masted iron barque of 367 GRT, 147 ft long, built by Alexander Stephen & Sons in Glasgow in 1869. Her fame comes from a single brief period: in 1888 a 30-year-old Joseph Conrad took command in Bangkok after her captain died, and sailed her until March 1889. It was the only command of his career, and the experience inspired his novella The Shadow-Line.

The ship was hulked in 1902, arrived in Hobart in 1905 as a coal hulk, and was sold for scrap in 1931. Her skeletal iron remains still poke out of the shallows of Otago Bay on the Derwent's eastern shore, and her companionway is displayed at the Maritime Museum of Tasmania. Underwater, there is little to see beyond rusting frames and plates in turbid, brackish water, with estuarine crabs and small fish around the structure.

The site is better regarded as a heritage visit than a dive: the frames are best viewed at low tide from the shore or a kayak, and a snorkel around the outside is possible on a calm day. There is no point bringing scuba gear. For literary and maritime history enthusiasts, standing beside the remains of Conrad's ship is a remarkable experience.

The remains are protected heritage and fragile; do not climb on them or remove anything. Combine a visit with the Maritime Museum in Hobart and the Tasman Bridge area to trace the river's maritime history. The hulk is a reminder of how many old sailing ships ended their days in Hobart as coal and storage hulks once steam took over, and of the Derwent's long role as a working port.

Otago Bay is on the Derwent's eastern shore about 15 km north of the Hobart CBD: cross the Bowen Bridge or Tasman Bridge and follow the East Derwent Highway north towards Otago and Old Beach. Access to the foreshore is via local streets in Otago; the remains poke out of the shallows and are visible from the shore at low tide. Park considerately in residential streets and walk down to the water; respect private property.

There are no facilities at the site; the nearest toilets and shops are in Old Beach and Bridgewater.

The upper Derwent at Otago Bay is sheltered from ocean swell but exposed to strong northerly and southerly winds blowing along the river, which raise a chop. The water is brackish and turbid, with visibility usually under 2 m and near zero after rain. Low tide exposes most of the hulk and is the best time to view it; calm, sunny days give the best light.

Visit at low tide, view the exposed frames from the shore, then wade or snorkel slowly around the outside of the remains, keeping clear of sharp iron. No scuba is needed.

No operator trips; visited by heritage enthusiasts, kayakers and snorkellers.