Saturday
dawned a hot, sunny day with little wind and kind tides – a rare treat
for 2007. Even the wreck
appeared in the sonar spot on queue with plenty of time for slack water.
Everything was going right.
A
couple of passes to confirm the position whilst our trusty DO prepared
the shot with 30m on line and confirmed “ready to go”.
As the wreck re-appeared on the screen cries of “go” echoed
round the boat and over went the shot only for the whole crew to watch
speechless as the other end of the line also disappeared over the side
with the buoy still firmly sitting in the boat.
Lesson - always check the buoy is tied onto the line before
deploying it!
Having
cobbled together a second shot using 2 anchors and spare rope (this time
deployed faultlessly at the same spot) it was time for our humbled DO
and his buddy to descend, find the original shot, tie it to a lifting
bag and send it up – only then they could carry on and enjoy their
dive.
The
second pair then kitted up and descended only to find themselves on a
flat, sandy bottom with no sign of a wreck but with the end of the
original line tied to the anchor and disappearing into the gloom along
the seabed. A 30m swim\later
found the DO and his buddy waiting patiently by the shot ready to deploy
the lifting bag.
With
everything sorted it was time to explore the wreck.
A huge hull provided little interest but swimming over and into
the wreck we soon found the prop shaft with 2 big crabs and large shoals
of Bib and Saithe. Round to
the stern to find the prop standing proud with the\rudder behind.
After a quick photocall it was back for’ard to the engine and 3
large boilers. Lots of life
– congers, lobsters, tompots, crabs, fanworms, shoals of fish.
Further for’ard we soon came to the break where the torpedo
fired by UB30 on 2 Feb 1918 had found its target.
Beneath some plates we found a crawfish protectively clutching
the remains of his fish dinner and distinctly unimpressed with the
bubble blowing, camera totting intruders.
A last chance to play with yet another conger hiding under
plating and it was time to ascend.
Despite
an interesting start a great dive.
