Lillian report

Independence II trip to the Lillian 9-9-2007

All week the weather was looking like I would miss my second try at getting on the Lillian this year. Capt Dan decided to call it at the dock and we were all glad he did because the seas were nearly flat with only some 2-3 foot long period swells for most of the day.

The visibility below the thermocline at 85 feet was about 25-30 feet and gave me the chance to spot the boilers and engines on the way down the line and get a little orientation. The wreck was wire dragged so the wreckage is very broken down and spread out over a huge area which is what makes this a great lobster wreck. The temp was 47 on the bottom where I hit a max depth of 152fsw. I headed over to the boilers and the huge engine which must come 30 feet off the bottom. There were some semi intact pieces that gave some relief to the otherwise low lying collapsed hull plates. In one of these little cubby holes I found what I think was a porthole (it was brass and round?). I had to take off my deco bottles and other gear to squeeze in but it wasn’t budging easily. I think it was the backside of the backing plate, so it must have still been attached and with not much room to work I pressed on. I found the edge of wreckage and swam up and down checking out the wreck and picking up the scallops that were in the sand. There were large winter flounder everywhere and they were literally bouncing off me as I landed on them while I was picking up scallops. I took a leisurely return route and spent some time poking around the engine and boilers again before heading up at the 40 minute mark.

I caught up with “go long” Rob at 20 feet and spent my hang admiring his catch. He had 2 goodie bags bulging with scallops and some good sized lobsters. Back on the boat it was time for lunch! While the other divers were enjoying their second dive I was enjoying fresh sushi. I am convinced there is nothing better than fresh caught scallops. I took a couple of fresh slices of pineapple and squeezed it into a zip-lock bag with the scallops and let it marinate on ice for some delicious pineapple scallop ceviche.

In addition to the pile of lobsters and scallops that came up Charlie found a nice brass cage lamp. The Lillian is another great NJ wreck and didn’t fail to produce.

Thanks to Mark Clark for all pictures.

SS Carolina trip report

SS Carolina trip report: Sept. 2-3 2007

The lifeboats were crowded, and a great wailing of women’s voices rose. There was praying and pleading. The negroes thought we were going to use them for target practice. –Dr. Frederick Körner boarding officer on the U-151 on the sinking of the SS Carolina

The SS Carolina was a 380’ passenger-freighter and the last of six ships sunk on “Black Sunday” by the U-151. The 3 steam vessels and 3 schooners sunk on June 2^nd, 1918 accounted for 14,518 tons of shipping lost. Today the Carolina is one of the best wreck dives off the New Jersey coast where she rests in 240 fsw. I first dove this wreck last year and have been dying to get back.

The weather pushed our departure time on the Independence II back to 0600 on Sunday morning and we cast off the dock just as the sun was peaking over the horizon. Once over the wreck it was nice to see blue water as Billy G. headed down the shot to tie in. He had us in no time and we quickly geared up to go diving. Capt. Dan had found a stash of china last year and was hoping to get back to his hotspot. I headed in with Dan Martinez and it was like we had just jumped into the Caribbean. Descending further we passed through a cloudy haze at the thermocline around 100’ but the visibility opened up again below about 120’. On the bottom we found we had been tied into the starboard side of the wreck in between the boilers and the stern. Touching down on the bottom (44^oF) we did a quick orientation before heading on our mission to try for a porthole we had found last year that we thought was loose. With the vis in the 50 foot range it didn’t take long to find it. I swam over a HUGE monkfish and instinctively went for my knife before deciding that KEEP SWIMMING was the appropriate action. We found the spot we were looking for and quickly went to work clearing debris out from the beautiful artifact and Danny whipped out his hammer but we soon found the backing plate was still in fact solidly attached to a hull plate. Not wanting to waste precious time I headed forward towards the boilers noting some china shards and brass pieces all over the place. I got to the engine and found a huge lobster that was easily 10-12 pounds tangled in fishing line. I grabbed it (I could barely hold it because my hand hardly went around the carapace) without really thinking but I decided to go for karma points and cut it free before turning back towards the anchor line. I managed to inadvertently find Capt Dan’s china hole without realizing it at the time. I still had a few minutes left so I decided to take off my stage bottles and give a shot of squeezing in. No dice. It was a very tight fit and I later found out that the wreck collapsing this year left a hull plate blocking most of the opening that was more open last year. It was still very impressive to see such a large pile of china. The deco was very pleasant above 70’ in the warm clear conditions and the time actually went quickly watching the schools of small skipjack tuna swimming around us.

Afterwards we discussed strategies for getting the china out. Billy, who was diving a sidemounted Prism (very cool rig) said he would give it a shot at getting stuck in there. Not only did he succeed in getting in the hole and bagging up a few intact dishes (he said most of them were broken) he also found a nice deadlight panel that he shot to the surface. He was also gracious enough to share his booty with the rest of us. The china from the hole was first class china with nice gold trim but does not have the New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company crest. John Bridge did find a broken vegetable dish with the crest.

The second dive was Monday morning and most divers were again productive. Danny brought up another plate (mostly intact) and a nice brass doorlock along with some tiles. Mark Dolphin got a piece of a porcelain sink that has a very cool nautical pattern on it. For my dive I went forward again and explored around the boilers which are an impressive sight in themselves (there are four). I cut my dive short so we could get out of dodge and tuck tail to the incoming weather. The line had been let slack so I could pull and it now had good scope that as luck would have it went forward down the centerline of the wreck. So as I ascended I got to see a good portion of the wreck which was very cool and a perfect end to another great trip.

Check out:

Black Sunday

Christina Young's pictures of the Carolina and more

Raiders of the Deep

Fishing for deadlights on the Carolina

Doria trip Pictures

Thanks to Mark Clark for all these pictures...

Dave O showed up late Saturday and slept on the roof...

Capt. Dan takes us to the wreck

Mark and Terry ready to tie in

After dive 1

Capt. Terry hard at work

Danny going to get his window

Mark and Terry with brass window

Back in Montauk after a fun and safe Doria trip

Andrea Doria

Andrea Doria on the Independence II July 29-30 2007

This past weekend I made the trek out to Montauk, NY with my dive buddy Dan Martinez to meet up with the Independence and dive the Andrea Doria for the first time. The Doria sits on her starboard side in ~250 fsw 100+ miles offshore. We departed in the early hours Sunday and arrived on the wreck around 0800. I woke up about 3 miles from the wreck and headed for the nearest rail. The seas were flat and it was a beautiful morning but in hindsight the fried jumbo softshell crab sandwich wasn’t the best choice for a late dinner. I didn’t let this deter my excitement and quickly pounded some Gatorade and water and got dressed to dive. When we splashed there was a slight current on the surface so we took it nice and easy getting down. We first spotted the strobe the tie-in team left on the anchor chain at ~130’ and hit the top (actually the port side) of the wreck at 195’. The visibility was quite nice (30’?) and it was an incredible sight seeing rows of intact portholes and large square windows with the glass intact stretching as far as my light would shine. All the reading about it can’t prepare you for how huge this wreck truly is. We clipped a strobe, did a quick systems check and dropped over the side of the wreck to explore.

Heading deeper it was evident how much the decks are collapsing. The promenade deck has collapsed leaving a “valley” between surrounding teak decking which lays in some areas like pick up sticks. Even with the deterioration of the wreck you can still get an idea of where you are and pick out identifying features. We dropped down (really up) another deck level and followed the “valley” down following the trail of brass window frames that are now lying loose in the debris. Danny picked up a chunk of tiles from the pool and we spent a little time reconnoitering some targets for a future dive and turned the dive after passing some life boat davits. Cruising back with the deck to our side like a huge wall it was possible to look up and see the top of the “Grand Dame” silhouetted in the emerald green hue of the ambient light from above. Back near the tie-in a came across a porthole that I thought was nearly loose and after giving it a couple good shakes decided it would be worth a shot on the second dive. One last look to note its location and it was time to go up after a great 1^st dive on the Andrea Doria.

For the second dive we weren’t playing around and I headed in armed with a bag of tools and Fat Max (thanks Mark) and Danny was following with the video camera in tow. I hit the wreck unclipped Fat Max and dropped over the side to my target. After messing around for a couple minutes I ascertained that this porthole wasn’t as ready to leave as I hoped. Also the way it was sitting I couldn’t get any good leverage on it (plus dropping my hammer into the wreck didn’t help). Not wanting to waste a good dive, I cut my losses and headed off to the glow of video lights to see what Danny was up to. On the way back I circled back to pick up Fat Max (I left him at the job site). Ascending up the deck I looked down and spotted my hammer in a crack and I thought I could reach it. I got my shoulder down and was reaching and realized it was just out of reach. I went to back out and nothing. I was stuck on something but couldn’t tell what. I signaled Danny to come over and check it out but he didn’t realize I was stuck so he just videotaped my misfortune. Finally I just pushed myself straight down and twisted and freed myself. My manifold must have just got lodged in a corner funny somehow. We headed up to an uneventful deco with no current.

After the second dive the mal de mer returned with a vengeance and I tried to get some rest up before the last dive in the morning. Alas it was not to be. If my impressive chum slick was any indication of my hydration level I figured it best to sit the last one out. However everyone else did the dive in perfect conditions and Danny was successful in returning for his brass window, as was Terry. Dan also said he spotted a wine bottle an intact glass out of reach inside a crack in the wreck near the tie in.

The conditions on this trip really were incredible. Both days the seas were flat and the current was minimal to none along with the good visibility on the wreck it was definitely a trip of a lifetime. Although more experienced Doria divers will say how much the wreck has changed and collapsed it is, but being a first timer and not knowing the difference it is still very impressive. The Andrea Doria might not be the “Mt Everest of shipwreck diving” anymore but I would say it is still a milestone dive for those willing to put in the effort to dive her.

Pictures to come...

For more info and pictures check out AUE's impressive virtual Doria museum

U-505

7-19-2007

This past week I was in Chicago for work and got a little free time to visit the U-505 at the Museum of Science and Industry. The U-505 was captured by the US Navy off the coast of Africa on June 4th, 1944. Besides the obvious historical attraction of being the only WWII German submarine on US soil, the U-505 has a special connection to East Coast wreck diving. Being a Type IX-C u-boat, the U-505 is the same build as the U-853 and the U-869 which are both accessible to divers on the East Coast of the US. Having dove the U-869 I have been trying to work in a trip to Chicago to visit this sub for a while.

To those not familiar with Chicago I must first say that Chicago's public transportation system is pretty well organized and even has an online trip planner which is kind of like Mapquest for public transportation (I hope SEPTA is taking notes). If you are traveling to Chicago: http://tripsweb.rtachicago.com/

This made getting to the Museum from O'Hare airport a snap, and a train and bus later I was excitedly buying my ticket.


I only had a couple hours to kill so I made a b-line directly to the sub. The Museum did look like it has a lot to offer although mainly to the younger crowd. They did have a very interesting flight exhibit complete with planes.

The route to the sub starts with a hallway of WWII era military (mostly Navy) recruiting posters and sets the mood to remind us that 60 years ago the Germans were attacking us right off our own shores.


I have been to the Becuna exhibit at Penn's Landing but being in the water (and right next to the Olympic) it does not really prepare you for the first time you walk into the exhibit hall housing the U-505. The entire submarine is on display in a huge room and really gives you a feeling to the size of these "iron coffins". The rest of the exhibit is done very nicely and includes videos and displays that chronical the capture and return of the U-505 to US soil for study. I found it particularly interesting that since it was so crucial that the Germans not know the US had captured the sub (so they did not know we had cracked their codes), each crew member involved was signed to secrecy under the penalty of death, and the German POW's were not allowed to write family members of their whereabouts which was in violation of the Geneva Convention.

U-505 (the pictures don't do it justice)

Also on display are numerous artifacts from the sub including personal effects from the German and US sailors, as well as the infamous Enigma machine. In addition there is a hands on replica periscope, a dive simulator, and a dissected T-5 acoustic torpedo.


The finale was an inside tour of the submarine. This was what I was most looking forward to, and I hate to say it but it was also the most disappointing part of the exhibit. First they would not allow photography inside the sub, and second there were also some "modifications" they have made which are no doubt the result of the litigious society we live in. The most noticeable of which is that they have cut out all the hatches to allow easy walking through the short tour, which I think does an great injustice to getting a true idea of how cramped these sailors were on their long journeys. It was still a great experience, albeit I could have spent all day inside checking out details instead of the 15 minutes you are alloted. Overall I thought the exhibit was very impressive and well worth the time and effort to get there. The other nice thing is that the Museum is right by Lake Michigan and provides a great view of the Chicago skyline.

Northern Pacific 7-15-2007

Independence II trip out of Cape May to the liner Northern Pacific


The Northern Pacific was a 509' passenger liner that caught fire and sank while being towed for a retrofit in 1922. Today she lies upside down in 145 fsw ~30 miles off of Cape May, NJ. We were tied into the wreck at the main break which is I believe about midships. The sand is about 140' and it is possible to get a little deeper inside the wreck. The visibility was a very nice 40' or so, and gave a great overview of the layout of this huge wreck. The bottom temp was about 50 degrees. The wreck rises 20-30' off the bottom and access is easy at the break. I ran my reel inside and was able to penetrate ~150 feet into the wide open interior. I was scanning the bottom (formerly the ceiling) for artifacts but it was quite silty including several large mounds of mud. Caution was necessary to avoid siltout and my line even became buried at one point.

Outside the wreck again I did a little tour of debris field that is off one side of the wreck. I noticed a couple scallops and several big blackfish. I came across a nice fluke and as I reached for my knife I quickly remember I didn't bring the big one. I remembered hearing that if you hold your open bag in front of the fish's face and slap its tail it will swim into your bag. Well this big flattie must have seen that trick because he had no trouble sidestepping into open water, and my heart sank as I watched my dinner swimming away. My half hour was soon up and was not nearly enough time to see much of this huge wreck.

The seas held out and most everyone did 2 nice dives. Just goes to show you can't listen to NOAA. Other divers were more successful in gathering dinner and a bunch of scallops and several lobsters were boated. I would have to say the Northern Pacific is another "don't miss" wreck!

Moonstone 7/11 on the Independence II

The USS St Augustine and the USS Moonstone share an eerily similar history. Both were former luxury yachts, both built in 1929, and both later purchased and commissioned into the US Navy to help patrol the Eastern Sea Frontier in WWII. The similarities don’t stop with their fruitful careers (the Auggie was instrumental in an attack on the U-701), but also in their demise. Both ships sunk serving as convoy escorts off the coast of Cape May/DE. The St. Augustine was run down by the tanker Camas Meadows (who was not in the convoy she was escorting), while the Moonstone was dealt her death blow by the USS Greer in a dense fog.

This week we were originally scheduled to do an overnight expedition to the St. Augustine which lies in 250fsw approximately 60 miles from Cape May. The weather was looking less than promising from the beginning of the week and I was expecting a total blow out. Capt Dan thought Wednesday would still be good and we would try for a 1 and run on the St Augustine instead of the original overnight plan. This was ok by me, as I have been dying to get to this wreck and one dive is better than none any day. Wednesday morning rolled around and with it the FOG. So although the wind and seas cooperated the visibility was non existent. Instead of taking 6 hours in questionable coniditons to get to the Auggie we opted to do something closer and headed to the Moonstone in 130fsw. The fog was still pretty thick close to shore and it was slow going but once further from shore it became patchier and lifted in spots making the journey a little quicker.

On site Dave O tied into the top of the port side depth charge rack in the stern. Visibility on the bottom was 30-40 feet and coming down on the stern facing forward the navigation was a snap. I passed Dave and Mark who were inspecting a piece of the stern and headed forward to check out the wreck. The Moonstone was only 171’x26’ which is small enough to see the whole wreck, but large enough that there are plenty of features and nooks to explore… in a summary a perfect wreck. Rounding the bow and coming to the impressive forward 3” deck gun I began to wish I had packed my camera as this is quite a picturesque wreck. I took my time poking around and by the time I got back to the stern I wished I had more time. I took a last look at the full depth charge rack (they held 8 depth charges) and noticed at least one depth charge lying in the sand off the wreck before heading up. A great dive on a great wreck!

Suggested reading: Shipwrecks of DE/MD

Porthole restoration

Well I got my porthole from the Ayuruoca (see report from 6/24 below) cleaned up. It didn't look so great when it was "fresh", but a little soak in acid, some grinding and buffing and she shined up quite nicely. If anyone has swing plate #10 from the Oil Wreck maybe we can work out a deal... ;-)

Before

#10

Kendall's Open Water class

Kendall Bedford has long been a valuable asset to our dive team. Although until now she has been too young to actually dive she has been a real trooper in providing surface support... not many other 11 year old girls would carry stage bottles through snow and ice to the water for us on training dives in January... Well now she is 12 and her diving career has begun. I was fortunate to attend her first day of open water checkout dives on July 7, 2007. Until I get her report, I'll let the pictures do the talking...

1st descent

Landing on the platform

Ok

Danny demos reg recovery

Kendall does reg recovery

Mask clearing

2 generations of Bedford divers

Dutch Springs new firetruck driver

Bill feeds the fish

Kendall and Danny look for crayfish

Kendall checks out the van

Some weightbelt issues

Ascent after a successful first dive