Five wrecks, five countries, five days September 2006
A fund raising event for the RNLI - Report by Helen Howarth
 The expedition comprised five people, two vehicles, one five point five metre rib and two tents.
Day 1 Treaddur Bay Wales
After wind gusting at 70 miles an hour recorded at the RNLI station in Treaddur over the weekend, the weather had calmed considerably on Monday. The team was up and the boat in the water by 9.45, and heading off to the first dive, The Missouri. It was easy to find with a white shot buoy. Ed & Roy dived, and found the shot was weighted down with a Singer sewing machine!. Most of the ship’s plates are now lying on the sea-bed but the boilers, several capstans, and wooden decking were to be seen. An underwater surge pushed the divers around and tore at their fingers as they tried to hang on, but there was plenty of life to be seen with large wrasse, plaice and lobster.
Returning to strike camp we headed off to Holyhead to catch the HSS ferry to Dun Laoghaire. Monday night was spent in Roundwood, the highest village in Ireland. The wind got up again and added rain into the equation.
Day 2 Tuesday. Eire
We returned to Dun Laoghaire in bright hot sunshine, but sea state of force 4 beyond the protection of the shore meant that the diving conditions were not safe and the planned dive was aborted. The boat had been launched and then recovered on the old slip next to the original stone RNLI boat house. This is a very narrow stone flagged slip and one of the more difficult slips to access. The local Harbour Garda took interest in our activities and, once we revealed them to be not threatening, we were told that there was an easier slip on the other side of the harbour.We travelled north to Giles Quay on Dundalk Bay for the night and sought refreshments in what had been voted Ireland’s Most Popular Pub.
Day 3 Wednesday. Northern Ireland
Still in Eire, we found a wrecked trawler close to shore in Carlingford Lough, and have claimed it to replace Tuesday’s missed dive. With no name visible Roy named it The Benjamin.In the afternoon we headed for Ringhaddy in Strangford Lough and the Alastor which is lying at 21m in a natural harbour. Many different yachts and barges are moored here requiring care for divers swimming out into the Lough
This wreck is a former motor yacht which was requisitioned by the Admiralty in World War Two, but which caught fire and sank at its mooring in March 1946. A cable has been laid to the wreck making navigation easy, all you had to do was remember to take the left fork where the cable split. Many different types of crabs, all with their own covering of a film of silt scuttled across the sea bed and oyster and scallops shells were lying around to encourage gastronomes. The wreck is still intact with holds, funnel, and derricks to see, whilst becoming encrusted with wildlife. We hurried off to Larne to catch the 4.30pm ferry to Cairnryan and the long haul to Largs. Beware! the ferry company does not like fuel carried on their boats other than in an internal tank which can be interesting for your rib’s supply!
Day 4 Thursday. Scotland
The plan was to dive the Akka initially heading from Largs marina, but a quick check on the map found Kip Marina much closer and a more sheltered trip out to the wreck that is sitting in the middle of the Clyde. She is covered in deadmen's fingers, orange and white plumose anemones and tiny jewel anemones. The viz was only about 2 m and we stayed at about 20m for the dive.
After a wonderful but quick shower in the marina, we set off for the long journey to Whitby and for the final dive, the Rohilla.
Arriving just as it was going dark, we pitched the tents and hurried across the fields to Robin Hoods Bay to snatch a pub supper 2 minutes before they finished serving.
Day 5 Friday. England
A bright calm and sunny day, we rose early and drove to the marina to launch the boat before the tide left the slip exposing the deep surrounding mud. We slowly pootled out of the harbour, and met large rolling seas. Once again the sea state beat us and although a lovely calm day (as evidenced by the whole team going out!) a storm earlier in the week out in the North Sea made diving impossible. We returned to the harbour and watched a display of skills by the RNLI crew as they took the lifeboat out through the now crashing waves. After puzzling over how we could achieve our goal of five wrecks in five days in five countries, we came up with the obvious solution. An inland site! So we split up and two raced over to Capernwray to catch the last dive on the Gypsy Moth and the others waited for the tide to turn to recover the boat on the once more submerged slip.
We were disappointed not to dive the Rohilla, as this was a ship requisitioned during the First World War as a hospital ship. She ran aground in the dark, and over the next two days six lifeboats from the surrounding area attempted to rescue the 229 people on board. Four silver and three gold RNLI medals were awarded to the crews for this rescue. In addition there were some fifteen people from the Barnoldswick Ambulance Brigade on board. As some of RVSAC members are from Barnoldswick it was felt to be a fitting climax to the week’s fund raising efforts.
With one or two slightly bent rules, the team of five managed the five wrecks in five counties in five days and our grateful thanks go to the various harbour masters who assisted our fundraising with waived launching fees and to Capernwray for the inland site.
The Team
- Ben Curwen
- Roy Curwen
- Ed Howarth
- Helen Howarth
- Neil Potts
|
