The War Helmet/Northcoates/Shirala - 13 June 2008

T'was a good day on the SS Banstead-diver. Fine weather with seas of 3/4 but a hurried current on the horizon. We could see the Isle of Wight and hoped for a similar viz underwater!  Fully laden the frigate took off with Paul at the helm and we roared off on a long trip to the War Helmet. (stopping first to get barrels of supplies from Hubbard Palace. Unfortunately the serving wench was not obliging so we carried onaways bereft of victuals).

Alas 3 miles short of the wreck Yeoman Tim halted the expedition as we were running short of oil so we veered to port towards the xxxxxxxx (Northcoates?).  A disconcerting moment occurred when a vary large dredger appeared to have us in it's sights , but Bryan scared it away with talks of boarding parties and such.  We soon arrived and with much gusto Julian and Paul (collectively known as The Navigators) scrutinised the sonar to find the best place to drop the shot.

Eventually and with much circling  (amazingly there were no arguments or fistfights on this occasion ) The Navigators dropped the shot. Unfortunately it appeared that the wreck had moved and we missed our target. Slack was rapidly coming upon so so we decamped to that old favourite the Shirala. Quickly the shot found its mark and we all very quickly flew down the shot line in a wonderful and full metre of visibility.

My buddy Alexander and I were fortunate in that he had a super lantern which enabled us to delve into the gloom of the secret niches hidden thereto. We saw a barnacled spider crab and various sizes and varieties of fish.  Bryan rummaged round the wreck and re-emerged later, victoriously, with what looked like parts of a shell (not the shellfish variety!).

After we had all returned to the boat, Alexander took the wheel and we made the long journey back . Waves were rising now so it was a bit of a bumpy ride, but our versatile boat-handler coped admirably. (unlike Julian who hogged the back of the rib examining his breakfast).

On our return it was low water (so Bryan was roped to the opposite side of the rib) and we managed to get into the Marina without loss of our propeller.  There was a nervy moment as we did our obligatory salute to the Royal Family at Hubbard Palace when Bryan shouted out 'I have got explosives!'. A deadly silence becalmed the Marina ( apart from the silent swish of a Special Naval forces raft being slipped into the water ) and there were  quite a few odd looks from bystanders.

However we managed to escape the attention and after fuel fills, toilet stops, wash downs and equipment unloads we were able to retreat to the privacy of our cars change and head home. (None of us who saw the tracker and bugging devices being fitted to Bryan's car by men in black masks think he will ever notice the difference!)

It was another good day for the Banstead Divers !

(Report by James Jowett)

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