http://bayareadivers.net/forum/ Fri, 18 May 2012 13:05:14 +0000 MyBB http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=91 Fri, 04 May 2012 09:21:30 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=91 Bob Vincent and I plan to be there around 10.
The pool is open!
Ann]]> Bob Vincent and I plan to be there around 10.
The pool is open!
Ann]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=90 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 21:01:06 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=90 Saturday May 5th at White Star Quarry. Meet at 10 am, first dive at 10:30 am followed my lunch and second dive after lunch. It's pot-luck so bring something to pass. Ann Stephenson is bring the meat. Any question contact Ann or Bob Vincent.

Ann Stephenson Ann.Stephenson@sbcglobal.net

Bob Vincent bvboatnerd@buckeye-express.com]]> Saturday May 5th at White Star Quarry. Meet at 10 am, first dive at 10:30 am followed my lunch and second dive after lunch. It's pot-luck so bring something to pass. Ann Stephenson is bring the meat. Any question contact Ann or Bob Vincent.

Ann Stephenson Ann.Stephenson@sbcglobal.net

Bob Vincent bvboatnerd@buckeye-express.com]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=89 Mon, 30 Apr 2012 11:07:52 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=89 Safety Recall from XS SCUBA

XS Scuba is voluntarily recalling the following Miflex high pressure scuba diving hoses in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). There have been reports of the hoses rupturing, reducing the available air supply to the diver and posing a drowning hazard. For more information regarding this recall, please click on the following website:

http://echo.bluehornet.com/hostedemail/e...=D3iR18NuN]]> Safety Recall from XS SCUBA

XS Scuba is voluntarily recalling the following Miflex high pressure scuba diving hoses in cooperation with the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission (CPSC). There have been reports of the hoses rupturing, reducing the available air supply to the diver and posing a drowning hazard. For more information regarding this recall, please click on the following website:

http://echo.bluehornet.com/hostedemail/e...=D3iR18NuN]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=88 Sat, 21 Apr 2012 17:30:19 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=88 LEWD members are invited.

The dives will be recreational (less than 100’) on Saturday and Sunday with the possibility of some deeper dives on Monday and Tuesday depending on the weather and on who is participating.

The charter, THUNDER BAY SCUBA, http://tbscuba.com is offering us two (2) ‘six-pack’ dive boats that can accommodate a total of a dozen divers. The dive boats are a MARINETTE 26’ and a MARINETTE 28’. Both boats have hard tops allowing divers to get out of the weather. Having two boats will gives each diver the opportunity to choose wrecks that are a good match for their individual experience level. Trips will begin early in the morning to take advantage on the calmest weather. The boats will be back at the marina by about 12:00 or 1:00pm leaving time for museum excursions and relaxation.

The approximate cost should be a moderate $85 per day per diver for two morning dives.

JUNE is a great time to dive Lake Huron. The lake is calm because the water and the air are both cool. No overheating while fully dressed in the boat.

As of April 19, five (5) divers have signed up for June 16 & 17. Two of these five divers are staying for the June 18 & 19 segment. Space is limited. Please reserve ASAP by making a $85 check to” BAY AREA DIVERS/ALPINA JUNE 2012 TRIP” and mailing it to:

JACQUES GIROUARD (coordinator)
1705 ALLEN DRIVE,
WESTLAKE, OHIO, 44145.

This deposit is refundable if an alternate diver is found.

Please email all comments and questions to JACQUES GIROUARD (coordinator) at jacquesgir@aol.com

SOME RECREATIONAL WRECKS (OUT OF ALPINA, MI)
WILLIAM P. REND, 22', 287' steel steamer converted into a barge
NORDMEER, 40' deep, 470' long, ocean-going freighter
D M WILSON, 45' deep, 179' long, wooden steamer
BARGE 1, 45' deep, 309' long, wooden railroad car ferry converted to bulk freighter barge
MONTANA, 33-74' deep, 263' long wooden steamer
GRECIAN, 105', 296' long steel freighter, built in Cleveland, deck at 70'
E B ALLEN, 106', 111' long wooden schooner
MONROVIA, 90-150' deep, 447' long ocean-going steel freighter

SOME TECHNICAL WRECKS (OUT OF NEARBY ROCKPORT, MI)
NEWELL EDDY, 145-168' deep, 242' long, schooner barge
AUDUBON, 178' deep, two masted brig
DEFIANCE, 186' deep, 115' long schooner
CORNELIA B WINDIATE, 165-185' deep, 138' three masted schooner
TYPO, 180' deep, 138' long, three masted schooner
FLORIDA, 195' deep, 270' long, wooden schooner

DRIVING DISTANCE
ALPINA, MI is 4:15 hours or 250 miles from Sandusky, OHIO

Jacques Girouard
jacquesgir@aol.com]]> LEWD members are invited.

The dives will be recreational (less than 100’) on Saturday and Sunday with the possibility of some deeper dives on Monday and Tuesday depending on the weather and on who is participating.

The charter, THUNDER BAY SCUBA, http://tbscuba.com is offering us two (2) ‘six-pack’ dive boats that can accommodate a total of a dozen divers. The dive boats are a MARINETTE 26’ and a MARINETTE 28’. Both boats have hard tops allowing divers to get out of the weather. Having two boats will gives each diver the opportunity to choose wrecks that are a good match for their individual experience level. Trips will begin early in the morning to take advantage on the calmest weather. The boats will be back at the marina by about 12:00 or 1:00pm leaving time for museum excursions and relaxation.

The approximate cost should be a moderate $85 per day per diver for two morning dives.

JUNE is a great time to dive Lake Huron. The lake is calm because the water and the air are both cool. No overheating while fully dressed in the boat.

As of April 19, five (5) divers have signed up for June 16 & 17. Two of these five divers are staying for the June 18 & 19 segment. Space is limited. Please reserve ASAP by making a $85 check to” BAY AREA DIVERS/ALPINA JUNE 2012 TRIP” and mailing it to:

JACQUES GIROUARD (coordinator)
1705 ALLEN DRIVE,
WESTLAKE, OHIO, 44145.

This deposit is refundable if an alternate diver is found.

Please email all comments and questions to JACQUES GIROUARD (coordinator) at jacquesgir@aol.com

SOME RECREATIONAL WRECKS (OUT OF ALPINA, MI)
WILLIAM P. REND, 22', 287' steel steamer converted into a barge
NORDMEER, 40' deep, 470' long, ocean-going freighter
D M WILSON, 45' deep, 179' long, wooden steamer
BARGE 1, 45' deep, 309' long, wooden railroad car ferry converted to bulk freighter barge
MONTANA, 33-74' deep, 263' long wooden steamer
GRECIAN, 105', 296' long steel freighter, built in Cleveland, deck at 70'
E B ALLEN, 106', 111' long wooden schooner
MONROVIA, 90-150' deep, 447' long ocean-going steel freighter

SOME TECHNICAL WRECKS (OUT OF NEARBY ROCKPORT, MI)
NEWELL EDDY, 145-168' deep, 242' long, schooner barge
AUDUBON, 178' deep, two masted brig
DEFIANCE, 186' deep, 115' long schooner
CORNELIA B WINDIATE, 165-185' deep, 138' three masted schooner
TYPO, 180' deep, 138' long, three masted schooner
FLORIDA, 195' deep, 270' long, wooden schooner

DRIVING DISTANCE
ALPINA, MI is 4:15 hours or 250 miles from Sandusky, OHIO

Jacques Girouard
jacquesgir@aol.com]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=87 Wed, 18 Apr 2012 20:58:25 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=87 China travel is one of the most popular tour routes all over the world due to China is an old country with so many beautiful landscapes and historical sites. Traveling on holiday is becoming a new fashion and the good way to relieve pressure, would you like to have a journey this vacation in China? To have a China tour packages, Beijing China tour is a good place for all the tourists from all over the world.

With the summer is coming, the night food street is more and more lively. After your one day trip, going to the street to have a relaxation is a cozy experience in your Beijing tour. There are many famous streets such as the Qianmen Street, Ping'an Street and Gui Street and so on.

Qianmen Street is a street where there are many old and famous Beijing restaurants. The restaurants in Qianmen Street have experienced more and the signboards in front of the door confirm their long history. They present the Beijing food culture and chosen by most of the foreign tourists. The Quanjude Roast Duck Restauramt, Douyichu Steamed Pork Dumplings and Lao Zhengxing Restaurant and so on are all restaurants with more than hundred years old.


The Ping'an Street from Dongsishitiao to west, there are many restaurants on the street. Beside the Lotus Market, there are many people have meal here at night. The bars near the street in Houhai also attract many people. In the bars, you will feel relaxed and happy.

Most of the restaurants are rebuilt by the mansions and courtyards so the restaurants in Ping'an Street are with historical lingering charm. You will taste the old Beijing noodles served with such sauce, bean drink and cooked trip of sheep or swine and so on, also the imperial palace dishes here.

In Dianmen and Drum tower areas, there are some old and famous shops in ancient time such as Tianjin goubuli, Hunan Makai Restaurant and Muslim Kaorouji and so on. Manfulou Restaurant and Qingbin Restaurant are all famous for the Beijing instant-boiled mutton.

The restaurants in Houhai have humanity culture. The earliest Hefengxuan is a simple and unsophisticated small restaurant. But many customers choose it. On south bank of the Houhai, the Kong Yi Ji Restaurant is very famous. Shaoxing yellow rice wine, exquisite and cabinet Shaoxing dishes, South China blue table cloth and the riverside scenery attract many customers.

Now there are more and more modern style restaurants and bars in the Houhai area. In this area, you can not only experience the old Beijing culture, but also find modern elements. After your one day Beijing private tour, you can arrange your Beijing night here to have relaxation and happiness.

There are many other famous food streets in Beijing such as the Donghuamen Night Market, Beihai area and Wangjing area. Tours in Beijing can find food streets easily near your hotel in Beijing.


You will know more about Chinese culture here. During your travel, the China travel agency will give you good service to have a good trip here.]]> China travel is one of the most popular tour routes all over the world due to China is an old country with so many beautiful landscapes and historical sites. Traveling on holiday is becoming a new fashion and the good way to relieve pressure, would you like to have a journey this vacation in China? To have a China tour packages, Beijing China tour is a good place for all the tourists from all over the world.

With the summer is coming, the night food street is more and more lively. After your one day trip, going to the street to have a relaxation is a cozy experience in your Beijing tour. There are many famous streets such as the Qianmen Street, Ping'an Street and Gui Street and so on.

Qianmen Street is a street where there are many old and famous Beijing restaurants. The restaurants in Qianmen Street have experienced more and the signboards in front of the door confirm their long history. They present the Beijing food culture and chosen by most of the foreign tourists. The Quanjude Roast Duck Restauramt, Douyichu Steamed Pork Dumplings and Lao Zhengxing Restaurant and so on are all restaurants with more than hundred years old.


The Ping'an Street from Dongsishitiao to west, there are many restaurants on the street. Beside the Lotus Market, there are many people have meal here at night. The bars near the street in Houhai also attract many people. In the bars, you will feel relaxed and happy.

Most of the restaurants are rebuilt by the mansions and courtyards so the restaurants in Ping'an Street are with historical lingering charm. You will taste the old Beijing noodles served with such sauce, bean drink and cooked trip of sheep or swine and so on, also the imperial palace dishes here.

In Dianmen and Drum tower areas, there are some old and famous shops in ancient time such as Tianjin goubuli, Hunan Makai Restaurant and Muslim Kaorouji and so on. Manfulou Restaurant and Qingbin Restaurant are all famous for the Beijing instant-boiled mutton.

The restaurants in Houhai have humanity culture. The earliest Hefengxuan is a simple and unsophisticated small restaurant. But many customers choose it. On south bank of the Houhai, the Kong Yi Ji Restaurant is very famous. Shaoxing yellow rice wine, exquisite and cabinet Shaoxing dishes, South China blue table cloth and the riverside scenery attract many customers.

Now there are more and more modern style restaurants and bars in the Houhai area. In this area, you can not only experience the old Beijing culture, but also find modern elements. After your one day Beijing private tour, you can arrange your Beijing night here to have relaxation and happiness.

There are many other famous food streets in Beijing such as the Donghuamen Night Market, Beihai area and Wangjing area. Tours in Beijing can find food streets easily near your hotel in Beijing.


You will know more about Chinese culture here. During your travel, the China travel agency will give you good service to have a good trip here.]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=86 Mon, 09 Apr 2012 07:56:07 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=86

Toledo Submariner Erica Blake has an article in today's Blade newspaper about MAST and its workshop this coming weekend.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04...ology.html
]]>

Toledo Submariner Erica Blake has an article in today's Blade newspaper about MAST and its workshop this coming weekend.

http://www.toledoblade.com/local/2012/04...ology.html
]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=85 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:54:12 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=85 The RMS Titanic passenger liner operated by the White Star Line sank April 15, 1912. This April will mark 100 years. She sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage causing the deaths of 1,517 people. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. Titanic’s sinking was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Titanic was built between 1909-1911, at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, Titanic carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 passengers, a third of her total passenger and crew capacity and only 710 survived her sinking. The National Geographic Channel is showing some specials about the Titanic and I thought I would share the time and date with you. All times are eastern standard time.

Titanic: Ballard's Secret Mission Saturday April 7, 2012 7:00pm to 8:00pm
National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence Dr. Robert Ballard reveals the details behind his top secret assignment and how the search for Titanic became the cover story to ward off Soviet suspicions.
Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron Sunday/Monday April 8+9, 2012, 8:00pm to 10:00pm
James Cameron’s epic 1997 film Titanic won 11 Oscars and grossed well over a billion dollars worldwide. Now, on an empty sound stage, in the shadow of a massive 42-foot replica of the Titanic and other props from the blockbuster film, Cameron brings together some the world’s leading Titanic experts, including engineers, naval architects, artists and historians, to solve the lingering mysteries of why and how the unsinkable ship sank.
Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard Monday April 9, 2012 10:00pm to 11:00pm
Ballard travels to the shipyards of Northern Ireland to meet with descendants of Titanic’s Guarantee Group, nine men who helped build the magnificent ship with their own hands and were selected to sail on her maiden voyage. Throughout his journey, Ballard is driven by one personal question will the Titanic survive another 100 years?

Bob Vincent]]> The RMS Titanic passenger liner operated by the White Star Line sank April 15, 1912. This April will mark 100 years. She sank in the North Atlantic Ocean on her maiden voyage causing the deaths of 1,517 people. She was the largest ship afloat at the time of her maiden voyage. Titanic’s sinking was one of the deadliest peacetime maritime disasters in history. Titanic was built between 1909-1911, at the Harland and Wolff shipyard in Belfast, Ireland. Due to outdated maritime safety regulations, Titanic carried only enough lifeboats for 1,178 passengers, a third of her total passenger and crew capacity and only 710 survived her sinking. The National Geographic Channel is showing some specials about the Titanic and I thought I would share the time and date with you. All times are eastern standard time.

Titanic: Ballard's Secret Mission Saturday April 7, 2012 7:00pm to 8:00pm
National Geographic Explorer-In-Residence Dr. Robert Ballard reveals the details behind his top secret assignment and how the search for Titanic became the cover story to ward off Soviet suspicions.
Titanic: The Final Word with James Cameron Sunday/Monday April 8+9, 2012, 8:00pm to 10:00pm
James Cameron’s epic 1997 film Titanic won 11 Oscars and grossed well over a billion dollars worldwide. Now, on an empty sound stage, in the shadow of a massive 42-foot replica of the Titanic and other props from the blockbuster film, Cameron brings together some the world’s leading Titanic experts, including engineers, naval architects, artists and historians, to solve the lingering mysteries of why and how the unsinkable ship sank.
Save the Titanic with Bob Ballard Monday April 9, 2012 10:00pm to 11:00pm
Ballard travels to the shipyards of Northern Ireland to meet with descendants of Titanic’s Guarantee Group, nine men who helped build the magnificent ship with their own hands and were selected to sail on her maiden voyage. Throughout his journey, Ballard is driven by one personal question will the Titanic survive another 100 years?

Bob Vincent]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=84 Wed, 28 Mar 2012 10:52:18 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=84 The National Geographic Channel in April will air a special about the grounding of the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, which partially sank on the night of January 13, 2012 after hitting a reef and running aground off Giglio Island, on the Tuscany coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories Sunday April 8, 2012 7:00pm to 8:00pm ET
Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories weaves together in-depth stories from passengers and staff on board as well as Coast Guard rescuers with stunning home video (some never before seen on U.S. television) and CGI to reconstruct the sinking of the Costa Concordia as it happened. How did the ship sink? Could it have been prevented? Why weren’t the passengers warned earlier? What are the similarities to and differences from the Titanic? Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories works to understand this current headline tragedy more fully - from the time the luxury cruise liner departs from the Italian mainland to the collision with rocks that tear a 160-foot gash in the port side, and from floodwaters that rush in to the delayed passenger alert to the desperate evacuation. Well uncover the decisions that cost lives and the heroes who saved them.

Bob Vincent]]> The National Geographic Channel in April will air a special about the grounding of the Italian cruise ship, Costa Concordia, which partially sank on the night of January 13, 2012 after hitting a reef and running aground off Giglio Island, on the Tuscany coast in the Tyrrhenian Sea.
Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories Sunday April 8, 2012 7:00pm to 8:00pm ET
Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories weaves together in-depth stories from passengers and staff on board as well as Coast Guard rescuers with stunning home video (some never before seen on U.S. television) and CGI to reconstruct the sinking of the Costa Concordia as it happened. How did the ship sink? Could it have been prevented? Why weren’t the passengers warned earlier? What are the similarities to and differences from the Titanic? Italian Cruise Ship Disaster: The Untold Stories works to understand this current headline tragedy more fully - from the time the luxury cruise liner departs from the Italian mainland to the collision with rocks that tear a 160-foot gash in the port side, and from floodwaters that rush in to the delayed passenger alert to the desperate evacuation. Well uncover the decisions that cost lives and the heroes who saved them.

Bob Vincent]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=83 Mon, 05 Dec 2011 11:39:15 -0600 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=83 For those who couldn't make it to the B.A.D. Christmas party last Saturday evening, you mised a great time. Dean & Diane Ziegler opened ther palatial Tiffin estate to the group for an evening of general B.A.D. fun. The party even drew a visit from a very elfen sized Santa (aka Jim), who distributed gifts.

I snapped a number of photos - some I know that will raise W.T.F. questions from those who weren't present. I think I'll pick a couple of them for the next newsletter, and invite the members to come up with their own captions. Should be interesting ! ]]> For those who couldn't make it to the B.A.D. Christmas party last Saturday evening, you mised a great time. Dean & Diane Ziegler opened ther palatial Tiffin estate to the group for an evening of general B.A.D. fun. The party even drew a visit from a very elfen sized Santa (aka Jim), who distributed gifts.

I snapped a number of photos - some I know that will raise W.T.F. questions from those who weren't present. I think I'll pick a couple of them for the next newsletter, and invite the members to come up with their own captions. Should be interesting ! ]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=82 Sun, 20 Nov 2011 18:00:42 -0600 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=82 The plan is to get in on the deep side drop to 130ffw. Head out down the north wall until we get to the west wall. Follow the west wall to the old pump hole (this is @ 138ffw). Then we will start going east along the south wall. At about 30 minutes we will start to ascend making the required deco stops while still continuing down the south and east walls. We will end up at the entry point we started at. I expect the total dive to be in the 70 to 80 minute range.
I'm not sure how many members of this forum are certified to make this dive but if you are you will be welcome to join me. Please let me know if you can join me so I know who to wait for.
dale
Edit/Delete Message]]> The plan is to get in on the deep side drop to 130ffw. Head out down the north wall until we get to the west wall. Follow the west wall to the old pump hole (this is @ 138ffw). Then we will start going east along the south wall. At about 30 minutes we will start to ascend making the required deco stops while still continuing down the south and east walls. We will end up at the entry point we started at. I expect the total dive to be in the 70 to 80 minute range.
I'm not sure how many members of this forum are certified to make this dive but if you are you will be welcome to join me. Please let me know if you can join me so I know who to wait for.
dale
Edit/Delete Message]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=81 Mon, 07 Nov 2011 20:27:21 -0600 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=81 I will be at Gilboa at 9:00 am. I'm actually teaching but I welcome tag alongs. The class is a decompression class we will be working on skills and not actually doing a decompression class on Saturday.
Please reply if your interested don't just show up.
Dale]]> I will be at Gilboa at 9:00 am. I'm actually teaching but I welcome tag alongs. The class is a decompression class we will be working on skills and not actually doing a decompression class on Saturday.
Please reply if your interested don't just show up.
Dale]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=80 Mon, 19 Sep 2011 13:09:30 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=80 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=79 Thu, 08 Sep 2011 19:55:55 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=79 I will be at Whitestar Quarry at 5:00 pm. I expect to be in the water by 5:30 pm. Because it will be dark by about 7:30 pm we will only do one dive, maybe one long dive. I welcome anyone who wishes to get in one more dive or anyone who did not make it out during the summer season.
Dale]]> I will be at Whitestar Quarry at 5:00 pm. I expect to be in the water by 5:30 pm. Because it will be dark by about 7:30 pm we will only do one dive, maybe one long dive. I welcome anyone who wishes to get in one more dive or anyone who did not make it out during the summer season.
Dale]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=78 Wed, 07 Sep 2011 19:03:01 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=78
Thanks,

Bob Vincent]]>
Thanks,

Bob Vincent]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=77 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 21:47:26 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=77
Thanks,

Bob Vincent]]>
Thanks,

Bob Vincent]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=76 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:14:46 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=76 This was our last day of scheduled dives; it also was the best morning of the week. There was no wind, no clouds in the sky and the temp was about 70 degrees. At the marina we could see that there was not even a ripple on the lake and today we was doing the closest wrecks to the marina. The Vienna and the Sadie Thompson.
With a later then normal get away from the docks and with only 5 divers the trip out was perfect.
The Vienna was a wooden steamer built in 1873 with a length of 191 feet. She sank on Sept 17th 1892 following a collision with the Nipigon about 4 miles below Whitefish Point. The Vienna was carrying a cargo of iron ore with the schooner Mattie C. Bell in tow. Following the collision the Nipigon towed the Vienna for about an hour before she sank in deep water. No lives were lost.
Today she sits upright rising about 30’ off the bottom. There is a lift boat on her decks near mid ship with tools strewn about the deck. Being today’s dive is a NDL dive; we (Bob and Myself) will stay above the main deck. I told Bob I would follow him around so he could see whatever he wished. We planned the dive for his profile. Today being the last day I was slinging a 72cf cylinder for this dive. I had my dbl 95s as a backup, but they only had 1500 psi of which I wanted for the 2nd dive.
I hit the water 1st and told Bob I will wait for him at the tie in. Bob was only a short time behind me. I followed Bob as he took pictures of everything on the decks. We made it as far forward as the lifeboat. Bob gave me the turn around sign then we headed back toward the stern. Being in the water a few minute before Bob I hit Deco about 3 minutes before Bob said it was time to ascend. It was a pleasant dive; I got out of the water with 1000 psi still in the single 72.
On the surface we motored slowly toward the Sadie Thompson about 3 miles away. On this dive Alan and Bob were buddies and I was on my own. I wanted to revisit the inter parts of the crane. I had been there on my last trip up but today I wanted to spend a little more time in these tight spots.
The Sadie Thompson was an old wood barge built in the 1890s that broke away from her moorings in the early 1950s. She sits on her side at about a 45-degree angle with the upper side closer to the bottom. Her huge crane, huge gears and a bell are some of the items to look over. The Vis was fair on this wreck and even with only a small hand held light I was able to get into the crane area to inspect areas I did not make on my last trip. This was a good dive and as it was the last one on this trip I was sad to leave the bottom but happy that we had 6 days of diving with no dives missed because of weather.
After we got back to the dock Alan and I help Jitka load the boat on her trailer. Everyone headed back to their rooms to pack their gear for the long ride home. I settled up with Jitka as soon as we got back as she had to be out of her room by 3:00pm. I was staying the night and driving home in the morning, Alan was driving home after he loaded his gear and took a nap. Jacques and George were going home the next morning but Bob was leaving after lunch. Alan, Jacques, George, Bob and myself decided to meet at the falls for lunch at 2:00pm. After lunch everyone bit goodbye and headed their own way. I went back and packed the car for a 2:30am departure. I finish my book at about 7:00pm and turned in for the night (yes 7:00pm). I woke up at 1:30 am so I decided to leave then. It took me about 15 minutes to get out of the room. The drive home was 6 hours and 10 minute with one stop at the rest stop at mile marker 202. I got home at 7:55am, just in time to go over the jobs that were being done today. I looked at some of the mail (mostly bills) until about 9:00am than decide to go take a nap.
It was a very good trip.

SUMMARY:
I left with
4 sets of dbl 95s filled to 3100psi with various gases.
3 single 40cf deco bottles with 100%.
1 single 63cf deco bottle with 50%.
1 single 72cf deco bottle with 50% to re-fill the 63.
1 single 72cf travel gas with 24/44 mix.
3 single 6cf bottles with argon.
1 single scba bottle with argon to re-fill the 6cf bottles.

I did the 1st dive on the Vienna with one dbl 95.
I did the 2nd dive on the Osborne with one dbl 95.
I did the 3rd dive on the Mathers with one dbl 95.
The 4th set of dbl 95s I dove dive #4,5,6,7. 2 dives on Panther, 1 dive on Mitchell and 1 dive on the Myron.
I did the 8th dive on the Vienna with a single 72.
I did the 9th dive on the Sadie Thompson with the dbls I used to make dive #1.

I got in 9 dives over the 6 days I was there diving, so I was very happy.
Over the six diving days I had 9 difference divers in the water. For the most part everyone got along well; I did here some comments from some about others but will not share them. I was only disappointed with one diver who broke some rules. While I did not know about it at the time I was informed about it after the dive. I asked the charter captain about it also. I did not confront him with the issue, but he will not be invited back on any of my future trips.
I do want to thank all those who made this trip a success.
Dale]]> This was our last day of scheduled dives; it also was the best morning of the week. There was no wind, no clouds in the sky and the temp was about 70 degrees. At the marina we could see that there was not even a ripple on the lake and today we was doing the closest wrecks to the marina. The Vienna and the Sadie Thompson.
With a later then normal get away from the docks and with only 5 divers the trip out was perfect.
The Vienna was a wooden steamer built in 1873 with a length of 191 feet. She sank on Sept 17th 1892 following a collision with the Nipigon about 4 miles below Whitefish Point. The Vienna was carrying a cargo of iron ore with the schooner Mattie C. Bell in tow. Following the collision the Nipigon towed the Vienna for about an hour before she sank in deep water. No lives were lost.
Today she sits upright rising about 30’ off the bottom. There is a lift boat on her decks near mid ship with tools strewn about the deck. Being today’s dive is a NDL dive; we (Bob and Myself) will stay above the main deck. I told Bob I would follow him around so he could see whatever he wished. We planned the dive for his profile. Today being the last day I was slinging a 72cf cylinder for this dive. I had my dbl 95s as a backup, but they only had 1500 psi of which I wanted for the 2nd dive.
I hit the water 1st and told Bob I will wait for him at the tie in. Bob was only a short time behind me. I followed Bob as he took pictures of everything on the decks. We made it as far forward as the lifeboat. Bob gave me the turn around sign then we headed back toward the stern. Being in the water a few minute before Bob I hit Deco about 3 minutes before Bob said it was time to ascend. It was a pleasant dive; I got out of the water with 1000 psi still in the single 72.
On the surface we motored slowly toward the Sadie Thompson about 3 miles away. On this dive Alan and Bob were buddies and I was on my own. I wanted to revisit the inter parts of the crane. I had been there on my last trip up but today I wanted to spend a little more time in these tight spots.
The Sadie Thompson was an old wood barge built in the 1890s that broke away from her moorings in the early 1950s. She sits on her side at about a 45-degree angle with the upper side closer to the bottom. Her huge crane, huge gears and a bell are some of the items to look over. The Vis was fair on this wreck and even with only a small hand held light I was able to get into the crane area to inspect areas I did not make on my last trip. This was a good dive and as it was the last one on this trip I was sad to leave the bottom but happy that we had 6 days of diving with no dives missed because of weather.
After we got back to the dock Alan and I help Jitka load the boat on her trailer. Everyone headed back to their rooms to pack their gear for the long ride home. I settled up with Jitka as soon as we got back as she had to be out of her room by 3:00pm. I was staying the night and driving home in the morning, Alan was driving home after he loaded his gear and took a nap. Jacques and George were going home the next morning but Bob was leaving after lunch. Alan, Jacques, George, Bob and myself decided to meet at the falls for lunch at 2:00pm. After lunch everyone bit goodbye and headed their own way. I went back and packed the car for a 2:30am departure. I finish my book at about 7:00pm and turned in for the night (yes 7:00pm). I woke up at 1:30 am so I decided to leave then. It took me about 15 minutes to get out of the room. The drive home was 6 hours and 10 minute with one stop at the rest stop at mile marker 202. I got home at 7:55am, just in time to go over the jobs that were being done today. I looked at some of the mail (mostly bills) until about 9:00am than decide to go take a nap.
It was a very good trip.

SUMMARY:
I left with
4 sets of dbl 95s filled to 3100psi with various gases.
3 single 40cf deco bottles with 100%.
1 single 63cf deco bottle with 50%.
1 single 72cf deco bottle with 50% to re-fill the 63.
1 single 72cf travel gas with 24/44 mix.
3 single 6cf bottles with argon.
1 single scba bottle with argon to re-fill the 6cf bottles.

I did the 1st dive on the Vienna with one dbl 95.
I did the 2nd dive on the Osborne with one dbl 95.
I did the 3rd dive on the Mathers with one dbl 95.
The 4th set of dbl 95s I dove dive #4,5,6,7. 2 dives on Panther, 1 dive on Mitchell and 1 dive on the Myron.
I did the 8th dive on the Vienna with a single 72.
I did the 9th dive on the Sadie Thompson with the dbls I used to make dive #1.

I got in 9 dives over the 6 days I was there diving, so I was very happy.
Over the six diving days I had 9 difference divers in the water. For the most part everyone got along well; I did here some comments from some about others but will not share them. I was only disappointed with one diver who broke some rules. While I did not know about it at the time I was informed about it after the dive. I asked the charter captain about it also. I did not confront him with the issue, but he will not be invited back on any of my future trips.
I do want to thank all those who made this trip a success.
Dale]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=75 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:13:26 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=75 Today Jim Meads was here to join us on the sport limit dives. Along with Myself, Alan, Bob, Jacques, & George. The weather this morning was flat with a slight wind out of the northwest. Today we plan on heading out onto the big lake and diving the Mitchell and the Myron.
The John Mitchell was built in 1907 at St. Clair, Michigan. It was a 420, steel bulk freighter. After only three seasons on the Great Lakes, on July 9, 1911, the John Mitchell was rammed and sunk by the Canadian steam freighter William Henry Mack off Whitefish Point, Mich. It was carrying a load of coal and a few passengers at the time. Three men were lost from the Mitchell: Archie Causely, Al Clemens, and George Austin.
The Site: The John Mitchell is located about three miles WNW of Whitefish Pt and lies upside down in 150 feet of water. Although the bottom of a ship is not very interesting, the cargo holds, engine room, quadrant room, and some cabins are accessible. Access to the engine room and quadrant room is through the starboard side gangway near the stern of the ship. The mooring is usually tied to the rudder.
As anyone who really knows me I don’t normally enjoy diving a steel wreck and when there completely upside down it’s a complete turn off. Being with in sport limits (actual bottom was at 132 not 150 as stated above) I thought we would give it a try. I would have liked to do the Indiana but the lake was getting a little rough 2-3 footers by the time we got to the Mitchell and the Indiana was anther 4 miles and we did not know if it was moored.
I was first to enter the water and down the line I went. Yes it was steel and yes it was lying on its decks so all you could see was the hull. The Vis was about 20 feet. The rudder and prop were very large and the only things of interest to see. I went down the port side looking for the entry to the interior, after proceeding out about 12 mins I turned and followed the center beam back to the prop. I had picked the wrong side of the ship. Doing all my safety stops as required I returned to the boat. Jitka asked how the ship looked and I just said I like wood. Jitka said she would like to look it over so I helped her get suited up. I told her there was no entry from the port side so she was going down the starboard side. Upon her return she informed me she had indeed found the entry about a 100 feet forward of the prop on the starboard side. It was a small entry but well worth going in. With this in mind I would give this old steel wreck anther dive on a future trip.
We now headed out for the Myron:
The winter gale on Lake Superior was threatening to claim the 31-year-old lumber hooker Myron, and there was a gallant effort going on to save both the ship and its crew. But every effort to prevent the disaster failed and both the Myron and its 17-member crew perished off Whitefish Point that November day in 1919. Only the captain, who was blown off the sinking ship while still in the wheelhouse, miraculously survived.
From the day it was launched in 1888, the 186-foot wooden-hulled steamship was born to carry lumber. It was designed to tow up to two lumber laden barges and carry lumber on its decks. The Myron was still faithfully doing her job, with the barge Miztec in tow, steaming from Munising, Michigan, to Buffalo, their decks loaded high with lumber, when the gale struck them on November 22.
The two vessels were only two hours out of port when the storm, packing 60 mile-per-hour winds and a heavy snow, came upon them. Captain Walter Neal knew the old steamer was ripe after years of battling such storms, but he fought the high seas, trying to get to safety on the lee side of Whitefish Point.
As the storm raged, the boats became coated with ice and the seams began to open on the Myron. The pumps could not keep up with the water and the ice build up on the deck changed the boat’s center of gravity so it became unstable in the seas. Captain Neal dropped the Miztec off Vermilion Point hoping this would give him a chance to bring the steamer on to Whitefish Bay. The crew of the barge dropped anchor and rode out the storm.
The steel steamer Adriatic came upon the struggling vessel and pulled alongside, attempting to shield the badly leaking vessel from the brunt of the gale. The lookout at the Vermilion Lifesaving Station spotted the drama and a motor-powered surf boat was launched.
The Myron almost made it. She came within a mile and a half of Whitefish Point but then the gaining water below deck extinguished her fires and she was at the mercy of the seas. The ship fell into a trough then sank in just four minutes. The crew launched the ship’s two lifeboats but the boats became trapped by the raging seas, the lumber floating off the Myron’s deck and the wreckage.
The Adriatic, a much larger ship, was still on the scene. Her crew attempted to break through the logs to rescue the crew but the vessel’s hull began touching bottom and she had to back off. The H. P. McIntosh, with Captain Lawrence, came upon the scene. Lawrence forced his steamer through the wreckage field and got close enough to throw lines to the Myron’s crew but by then they were so numbed by the severe cold they were unable to grasp the lines. In the end, the McIntosh also had to back away or risk destruction on the nearby rocks.
The Vermilion lifesavers also reached the wreck site but were also unable to fight their way through the mass of floating lumber. In the end all 17 sailors froze to death. About eight of them either floated or swam to shore where their frozen bodies were found. The bodies of the others were recovered in the ice the next spring. A tug came upon one of the lifeboats with dead sailors still in it several days later. They were all wearing life jackets.
By an odd twist of fate, Captain Neal was the only survivor. He was still in the ship’s wheelhouse when the Myron sank. The wheelhouse was blown away from the ship as the ship foundered with Neal still inside. He climbed out of a window and was still alive, clinging to the roof, when the steamer W. C. Franz found him twenty hours later.
The exhausted lifesaving crew struggled in the storm until they reached the Whitefish Point dock.
This wreck sits in about 50 foot of water and was scattered but a nice wreck to look around “WOOD”. The mooring was tied in at the steam engine area. The boiler was off to the port side. Following the center beam to the bow I found a large amount of chain all in one pile, more chain then I have ever seam before. Off to the port I could see more wreckage so I headed over there. On this part of the wreck I found an old coffee can. I made my way back to the mooring but with plenty of time and gas left I headed off on the starboard side. Sitting in a sand patch I found the capstan. Wanting to see if any other debris was out around the wreck I tied off my reel and headed out to search. Out about 60 feet from the wreck I started a sweep. I found only bits and pieces of wood nothing of real interest.
By the time I surfaced the waves were getting rather large and the captain wanted to head back in for the day. Earlier that morning she said we could do three dives with the last one being on the Saturn, but with conditions going down hill we said two was good for the day.
It was a bumpy ride back to the dock but we all made it. It was a good day of diving. Once back to the dock we loaded gear it our cars and headed back to the rooms. Some of us decided to make it an early dinner and went to the fish house at 4:30 for dinner. The rest of the evening I spent reading and getting ready for the next day of diving. Others needed to get gas fills and some went off to look at the local sites.]]> Today Jim Meads was here to join us on the sport limit dives. Along with Myself, Alan, Bob, Jacques, & George. The weather this morning was flat with a slight wind out of the northwest. Today we plan on heading out onto the big lake and diving the Mitchell and the Myron.
The John Mitchell was built in 1907 at St. Clair, Michigan. It was a 420, steel bulk freighter. After only three seasons on the Great Lakes, on July 9, 1911, the John Mitchell was rammed and sunk by the Canadian steam freighter William Henry Mack off Whitefish Point, Mich. It was carrying a load of coal and a few passengers at the time. Three men were lost from the Mitchell: Archie Causely, Al Clemens, and George Austin.
The Site: The John Mitchell is located about three miles WNW of Whitefish Pt and lies upside down in 150 feet of water. Although the bottom of a ship is not very interesting, the cargo holds, engine room, quadrant room, and some cabins are accessible. Access to the engine room and quadrant room is through the starboard side gangway near the stern of the ship. The mooring is usually tied to the rudder.
As anyone who really knows me I don’t normally enjoy diving a steel wreck and when there completely upside down it’s a complete turn off. Being with in sport limits (actual bottom was at 132 not 150 as stated above) I thought we would give it a try. I would have liked to do the Indiana but the lake was getting a little rough 2-3 footers by the time we got to the Mitchell and the Indiana was anther 4 miles and we did not know if it was moored.
I was first to enter the water and down the line I went. Yes it was steel and yes it was lying on its decks so all you could see was the hull. The Vis was about 20 feet. The rudder and prop were very large and the only things of interest to see. I went down the port side looking for the entry to the interior, after proceeding out about 12 mins I turned and followed the center beam back to the prop. I had picked the wrong side of the ship. Doing all my safety stops as required I returned to the boat. Jitka asked how the ship looked and I just said I like wood. Jitka said she would like to look it over so I helped her get suited up. I told her there was no entry from the port side so she was going down the starboard side. Upon her return she informed me she had indeed found the entry about a 100 feet forward of the prop on the starboard side. It was a small entry but well worth going in. With this in mind I would give this old steel wreck anther dive on a future trip.
We now headed out for the Myron:
The winter gale on Lake Superior was threatening to claim the 31-year-old lumber hooker Myron, and there was a gallant effort going on to save both the ship and its crew. But every effort to prevent the disaster failed and both the Myron and its 17-member crew perished off Whitefish Point that November day in 1919. Only the captain, who was blown off the sinking ship while still in the wheelhouse, miraculously survived.
From the day it was launched in 1888, the 186-foot wooden-hulled steamship was born to carry lumber. It was designed to tow up to two lumber laden barges and carry lumber on its decks. The Myron was still faithfully doing her job, with the barge Miztec in tow, steaming from Munising, Michigan, to Buffalo, their decks loaded high with lumber, when the gale struck them on November 22.
The two vessels were only two hours out of port when the storm, packing 60 mile-per-hour winds and a heavy snow, came upon them. Captain Walter Neal knew the old steamer was ripe after years of battling such storms, but he fought the high seas, trying to get to safety on the lee side of Whitefish Point.
As the storm raged, the boats became coated with ice and the seams began to open on the Myron. The pumps could not keep up with the water and the ice build up on the deck changed the boat’s center of gravity so it became unstable in the seas. Captain Neal dropped the Miztec off Vermilion Point hoping this would give him a chance to bring the steamer on to Whitefish Bay. The crew of the barge dropped anchor and rode out the storm.
The steel steamer Adriatic came upon the struggling vessel and pulled alongside, attempting to shield the badly leaking vessel from the brunt of the gale. The lookout at the Vermilion Lifesaving Station spotted the drama and a motor-powered surf boat was launched.
The Myron almost made it. She came within a mile and a half of Whitefish Point but then the gaining water below deck extinguished her fires and she was at the mercy of the seas. The ship fell into a trough then sank in just four minutes. The crew launched the ship’s two lifeboats but the boats became trapped by the raging seas, the lumber floating off the Myron’s deck and the wreckage.
The Adriatic, a much larger ship, was still on the scene. Her crew attempted to break through the logs to rescue the crew but the vessel’s hull began touching bottom and she had to back off. The H. P. McIntosh, with Captain Lawrence, came upon the scene. Lawrence forced his steamer through the wreckage field and got close enough to throw lines to the Myron’s crew but by then they were so numbed by the severe cold they were unable to grasp the lines. In the end, the McIntosh also had to back away or risk destruction on the nearby rocks.
The Vermilion lifesavers also reached the wreck site but were also unable to fight their way through the mass of floating lumber. In the end all 17 sailors froze to death. About eight of them either floated or swam to shore where their frozen bodies were found. The bodies of the others were recovered in the ice the next spring. A tug came upon one of the lifeboats with dead sailors still in it several days later. They were all wearing life jackets.
By an odd twist of fate, Captain Neal was the only survivor. He was still in the ship’s wheelhouse when the Myron sank. The wheelhouse was blown away from the ship as the ship foundered with Neal still inside. He climbed out of a window and was still alive, clinging to the roof, when the steamer W. C. Franz found him twenty hours later.
The exhausted lifesaving crew struggled in the storm until they reached the Whitefish Point dock.
This wreck sits in about 50 foot of water and was scattered but a nice wreck to look around “WOOD”. The mooring was tied in at the steam engine area. The boiler was off to the port side. Following the center beam to the bow I found a large amount of chain all in one pile, more chain then I have ever seam before. Off to the port I could see more wreckage so I headed over there. On this part of the wreck I found an old coffee can. I made my way back to the mooring but with plenty of time and gas left I headed off on the starboard side. Sitting in a sand patch I found the capstan. Wanting to see if any other debris was out around the wreck I tied off my reel and headed out to search. Out about 60 feet from the wreck I started a sweep. I found only bits and pieces of wood nothing of real interest.
By the time I surfaced the waves were getting rather large and the captain wanted to head back in for the day. Earlier that morning she said we could do three dives with the last one being on the Saturn, but with conditions going down hill we said two was good for the day.
It was a bumpy ride back to the dock but we all made it. It was a good day of diving. Once back to the dock we loaded gear it our cars and headed back to the rooms. Some of us decided to make it an early dinner and went to the fish house at 4:30 for dinner. The rest of the evening I spent reading and getting ready for the next day of diving. Others needed to get gas fills and some went off to look at the local sites.]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=74 Sat, 03 Sep 2011 13:12:23 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=74 Today starts the sport end of our week of diving. Bob Vincent joins Me, Alan, Jacques, & George. Jim Meads will not be here until tomorrow because of family issues and Tom Bell had to cancel do to an ear infection.
The weather this morning was flat with a slight wind out of the southwest. Today we planned on heading out to dive the Panther and hitting the Sadie Thompson on the way back in.
A 237-foot wooden steamer built in 1890. On June 26th 1916, she was heading toward Sault Ste. Marie with a cargo of grain. As she proceeded across a fog covered Whitefish Bay, she was rammed by the steamer James J. Hill. The Hill kept running into the hole until the Panther’s crew clambered aboard. She sank quickly when the Hill backed away. The Panther sits in 90 to 110 feet of water. Theirs two anchors on the bow, grain in the cargo holds and tools on the stern. The boiler is open and you can see all the working parts.
I though this was a great sport limit dive and spent most of my 1st dive in the bow area. Very interesting was how well I could see the construction of the wood framing without any zebra mussels on the wreck. Being a NDL dive (Bob was with me and Alan) we left the bottom just as our time ran out. Doing a 2 min ½ depth safety stop and a 5 min 15 foot spot we did a total of about 35 minutes.
I really liked this wreck and asked Bob and Alan if they would like to make anther dive on her. Both agreed so we did a 2nd dive after an hour SI.
On dive two I looked over the stern area in great detail, noticing that you could see all the parts of the steam engine system, crankshaft, connecting rods, ECT. I investigated the shaft and prop also. The stern was broken up much worst then the bow area but without the mussels it was easy to identify all the parts of the wreck.
After the dive we went to out rooms. We have no plans for dinner tonight, as everyone was on their own. Alan and I stopped at the small dinner in town for a late lunch. The food was good and we was back to the room by 6:00 pm. Most everyone needed fills, so Jitka did fills for most the late afternoon. Some of us just sat around the motel talking until it was almost dark.]]> Today starts the sport end of our week of diving. Bob Vincent joins Me, Alan, Jacques, & George. Jim Meads will not be here until tomorrow because of family issues and Tom Bell had to cancel do to an ear infection.
The weather this morning was flat with a slight wind out of the southwest. Today we planned on heading out to dive the Panther and hitting the Sadie Thompson on the way back in.
A 237-foot wooden steamer built in 1890. On June 26th 1916, she was heading toward Sault Ste. Marie with a cargo of grain. As she proceeded across a fog covered Whitefish Bay, she was rammed by the steamer James J. Hill. The Hill kept running into the hole until the Panther’s crew clambered aboard. She sank quickly when the Hill backed away. The Panther sits in 90 to 110 feet of water. Theirs two anchors on the bow, grain in the cargo holds and tools on the stern. The boiler is open and you can see all the working parts.
I though this was a great sport limit dive and spent most of my 1st dive in the bow area. Very interesting was how well I could see the construction of the wood framing without any zebra mussels on the wreck. Being a NDL dive (Bob was with me and Alan) we left the bottom just as our time ran out. Doing a 2 min ½ depth safety stop and a 5 min 15 foot spot we did a total of about 35 minutes.
I really liked this wreck and asked Bob and Alan if they would like to make anther dive on her. Both agreed so we did a 2nd dive after an hour SI.
On dive two I looked over the stern area in great detail, noticing that you could see all the parts of the steam engine system, crankshaft, connecting rods, ECT. I investigated the shaft and prop also. The stern was broken up much worst then the bow area but without the mussels it was easy to identify all the parts of the wreck.
After the dive we went to out rooms. We have no plans for dinner tonight, as everyone was on their own. Alan and I stopped at the small dinner in town for a late lunch. The food was good and we was back to the room by 6:00 pm. Most everyone needed fills, so Jitka did fills for most the late afternoon. Some of us just sat around the motel talking until it was almost dark.]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=73 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 20:15:13 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=73 Today I awake to clear skies no wind and 64 degrees. We are to meet at the dive boat by 7:30 so I got my gear together and left the motel by 7:15. Arriving at the boat we find a northwest wind with two to three foot waves on the bay. We will be heading to the southeast so these waves will not bother us. We load the boat and away we go. Today we will be diving the Samuel Mather.
The Samuel Mather was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Thomas Quayle's Sons for John W. Moore. It was a wooden bulk freighter with dimensions length 246 ft; beam 40 ft, and depth 19 ft. On November 21, 1891, in thick fog the Mather was sunk in a collision with the propeller Brazil about eight miles out from Point Iroquois, Ontario, Lake Superior, in Whitefish Bay. The Mather was downbound from Duluth, Minnesota headed for Buffalo, New York with a cargo of wheat. There was no loss of life and all survivors were picked up by the Brazil. At the time of the sinking the owner was Pickands, Mather & Co.
The Site: The Samuel Mather lies about sixteen miles SE of Whitefish Pt in Lake Superior. The ship is in a remarkable state of preservation and is a great example of a wooden freighter of the 1880's era. It lies in slightly less than 170' of water right between the two shipping lanes where they pass very close to each other. The bow cabins are gone. Some of the upper stern cabins are intact but in a state of collapse and difficult to penetrate. The impressive masts are still standing and the trumpet shaped ventilators are an unusual site. Entry to the intact engine room is through the starboard gangway.
Our trip today took us just over 90 minutes to get to the wreck, however we made a stop at the Panther to see if there was a line on it, as we would like to dive it on Sunday.
Jitka was on this wreck last week and the mooring was wrapped around the stern mast. The plan today was for me to jump in at the mooring and drop down and untangle the line and send it back up so the boat could moor to it. I hit the water and started to make my descent to the mask. The line was easily untangled and I was on the deck at 155ffw at 6 minutes into my dive. I knew that it would be at lease 20 minutes before anyone else would come down the line, so I started my dive. I dropped into the cargo hold just in front of the aft mast. Here I made my way forward until just before the bow. There was a fair amount of debris ahead of that and being the only diver in the water at the time I thought it best to come up above decks. I continued to the bow which was not as impressive as many other wooden ships I have been on. I then started aft by means of the port railing. Passing the forward mast with rigging still intact, this was impressive, as you don’t see many masks with all the riggings still there. Continuing aft I found an ascent line tied off the railing. I know the line I came down was on the starboard side so I did a quick pull on the line and found that it was not hooked to anything on the surface. To be sure I headed across the deck to the starboard side and headed aft. There was my ascent line a few feet behind the cargo hold and just a couple feet in front of the rear mast and cabins. Just to be sure I tugged on it to see if there was a boat above it (there was).
I now headed to the stern cabins; I dropped into the hallway on the starboard side and followed it to the stern of the ship. I looked over the railing on the stern but did not want to drop down to look at the rubber and the 4-blade prop as my MOD was 163 and they were below that. I followed the port railing back up to the front of the cabin area and then went across the deck to the ascent line. I was 35 minutes into my dive and had planned a 35-minute dive so I started my long and slow ascent to the surface. At about 140ffw Jack passed me on his way down. He was the first diver to make there decent. The others would also pass me before I would finish my deco time.
I surfaced 80 minutes after I jumped into the water. Today everything went as planned no leaks and no problems. This was a GREAT dive.
Dive specs:
9:51 am enter water.
162 ffw max depth.
80 minutes total run time.
69-degree surface temp.
61-degree mid water temp (above 90 ffw).
38 degrees on the bottom.
41% of my CNS clock used today.
After all divers were out of the water we left the mooring without any jugs on it but left the line floating. Jitka said at this time of the year it’s best to just leave the line, as there most likely will not be any more divers on the wreck this year. I made my way up into the cutty cabin for a nice little nap on the way back.
We now was headed into the waves and we had to slow down because otherwise the boat would pound. The waves were spraying over the boat so everyone was inside the cabin. Of course I did not know this, as I was asleep, I was told this latter. The trip back took over 2 hours.
Once at the dock we bid farewell to three of our divers as today was there last day of diving. Tomorrow we will have two new divers joining our group of divers.
I headed back to my room, unloaded the gear, and then went to get some lunch/dinner, as it was 4:00pm. Once back to the room I got everything ready for Sunday’s dives. Not sure what we will be diving on Sunday as the weather is iffy, the plan is the Panther and Sadie Thompson. These are both sport limit dives.
Well it’s now time for me to get back to my book; I hope to finish a couple more chapters tonight before my eyelids slam shut.
More tomorrow
Dale]]> Today I awake to clear skies no wind and 64 degrees. We are to meet at the dive boat by 7:30 so I got my gear together and left the motel by 7:15. Arriving at the boat we find a northwest wind with two to three foot waves on the bay. We will be heading to the southeast so these waves will not bother us. We load the boat and away we go. Today we will be diving the Samuel Mather.
The Samuel Mather was built in 1887 in Cleveland, Ohio, by Thomas Quayle's Sons for John W. Moore. It was a wooden bulk freighter with dimensions length 246 ft; beam 40 ft, and depth 19 ft. On November 21, 1891, in thick fog the Mather was sunk in a collision with the propeller Brazil about eight miles out from Point Iroquois, Ontario, Lake Superior, in Whitefish Bay. The Mather was downbound from Duluth, Minnesota headed for Buffalo, New York with a cargo of wheat. There was no loss of life and all survivors were picked up by the Brazil. At the time of the sinking the owner was Pickands, Mather & Co.
The Site: The Samuel Mather lies about sixteen miles SE of Whitefish Pt in Lake Superior. The ship is in a remarkable state of preservation and is a great example of a wooden freighter of the 1880's era. It lies in slightly less than 170' of water right between the two shipping lanes where they pass very close to each other. The bow cabins are gone. Some of the upper stern cabins are intact but in a state of collapse and difficult to penetrate. The impressive masts are still standing and the trumpet shaped ventilators are an unusual site. Entry to the intact engine room is through the starboard gangway.
Our trip today took us just over 90 minutes to get to the wreck, however we made a stop at the Panther to see if there was a line on it, as we would like to dive it on Sunday.
Jitka was on this wreck last week and the mooring was wrapped around the stern mast. The plan today was for me to jump in at the mooring and drop down and untangle the line and send it back up so the boat could moor to it. I hit the water and started to make my descent to the mask. The line was easily untangled and I was on the deck at 155ffw at 6 minutes into my dive. I knew that it would be at lease 20 minutes before anyone else would come down the line, so I started my dive. I dropped into the cargo hold just in front of the aft mast. Here I made my way forward until just before the bow. There was a fair amount of debris ahead of that and being the only diver in the water at the time I thought it best to come up above decks. I continued to the bow which was not as impressive as many other wooden ships I have been on. I then started aft by means of the port railing. Passing the forward mast with rigging still intact, this was impressive, as you don’t see many masks with all the riggings still there. Continuing aft I found an ascent line tied off the railing. I know the line I came down was on the starboard side so I did a quick pull on the line and found that it was not hooked to anything on the surface. To be sure I headed across the deck to the starboard side and headed aft. There was my ascent line a few feet behind the cargo hold and just a couple feet in front of the rear mast and cabins. Just to be sure I tugged on it to see if there was a boat above it (there was).
I now headed to the stern cabins; I dropped into the hallway on the starboard side and followed it to the stern of the ship. I looked over the railing on the stern but did not want to drop down to look at the rubber and the 4-blade prop as my MOD was 163 and they were below that. I followed the port railing back up to the front of the cabin area and then went across the deck to the ascent line. I was 35 minutes into my dive and had planned a 35-minute dive so I started my long and slow ascent to the surface. At about 140ffw Jack passed me on his way down. He was the first diver to make there decent. The others would also pass me before I would finish my deco time.
I surfaced 80 minutes after I jumped into the water. Today everything went as planned no leaks and no problems. This was a GREAT dive.
Dive specs:
9:51 am enter water.
162 ffw max depth.
80 minutes total run time.
69-degree surface temp.
61-degree mid water temp (above 90 ffw).
38 degrees on the bottom.
41% of my CNS clock used today.
After all divers were out of the water we left the mooring without any jugs on it but left the line floating. Jitka said at this time of the year it’s best to just leave the line, as there most likely will not be any more divers on the wreck this year. I made my way up into the cutty cabin for a nice little nap on the way back.
We now was headed into the waves and we had to slow down because otherwise the boat would pound. The waves were spraying over the boat so everyone was inside the cabin. Of course I did not know this, as I was asleep, I was told this latter. The trip back took over 2 hours.
Once at the dock we bid farewell to three of our divers as today was there last day of diving. Tomorrow we will have two new divers joining our group of divers.
I headed back to my room, unloaded the gear, and then went to get some lunch/dinner, as it was 4:00pm. Once back to the room I got everything ready for Sunday’s dives. Not sure what we will be diving on Sunday as the weather is iffy, the plan is the Panther and Sadie Thompson. These are both sport limit dives.
Well it’s now time for me to get back to my book; I hope to finish a couple more chapters tonight before my eyelids slam shut.
More tomorrow
Dale]]> http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=72 Sat, 27 Aug 2011 17:21:43 -0500 http://bayareadivers.net/forum/showthread.php?tid=72 I awoke to no wind and an air temp of about 58 degrees. Double-checking that I had all my gear in the car I left the motel at 7:15 for a 7:30am arrival to the marina. Surprise, surprise the wind there was blowing out of the south west and very stiff. Jitka was at the boat I asked if it looked OK to get out today, she said it will be bumpy crossing the bay but once we get around the point on to the big lake it should be a good ride.
We loaded all the gear and headed out. She was right; it was bumpy but laid down once on lake Superior. We were headed for the Osborne and it would be over an hour to get there.
Once we were moored I suited up. Today I was the third to hit the water. Everything fell good going down. At around 160ffw I felt cold water seeping into my suit from around the waist. The bottom temp was at about 39 degrees and today I had my light underwear on, as it was so warm yesterday. My plan was to do 35 minutes at 165ffw but called the dive short at 30 minutes because I was starting to shiver. The Thermocline was at 90ffw. I felt a little warmer once above that but still could felt a little water leaking on some occasions. While doing my deco time I figure that one of the hoses from the pee valve must have came loose and when I finned the diaphragm would come open a little and allow a little water to seep in. The leak did not let lots of water in but with the hose loose I could not use the pee valve and with 80 minutes of run time it was going to be a tough deco. Following the stops as per my Liqivision computer I was able to actually exit the water in 68 minutes, this was because I only did 30 minutes on the bottom and a good part of the dive was in the 155ffw range not the 165ffw as planned. Upon exiting the water I hurried to get out of my somewhat drysuit and headed to the men’s room (swim platform).
John M. Osborne:
178’ x 32’ x 14’. Sank on July 27th 1884 after a collision with the Alberta. She sits upright and mostly in tack. Both anchors are in place as are a capstan and winches. The holds are open for easy penetration.
Dive specs:
Max depth was 162ffw:
Dive time was 68 minutes:
30 minutes on the bottom with 38 minutes of deco time.
Entered the water at 9:25am
Surface temp was 69 degrees:
Mid water temp was 61 degrees (50ffw to 90ffw):
Bottom temp was 39 degrees:
After all divers were back on the boat we un did the mooring and headed back to Whitefish point. Along the way we stopped at the Mitchell to secure the mooring for a future wreck dive and latter we stopped at the Saturn to see if it was moored. Once we rounded the point it was very rough. We slowed down to a snail’s paste getting back to the dock.
Once at the dock everyone loaded their gear and left to go back to their rooms. Some of us went up to the museum at Whitefish Point for the afternoon.
For dinner we all did our own thing. I did the fish house and had fresh whitefish. It was swimming this morning. The Food was great.
Once back to the room I got all my gear ready for Saturdays dive. We plan on getting on the Mathers if the weather is good as it’s an hour and half to get there.
I took some time to read on Friday night instead of putting this report together, Sorry.
Dale]]> I awoke to no wind and an air temp of about 58 degrees. Double-checking that I had all my gear in the car I left the motel at 7:15 for a 7:30am arrival to the marina. Surprise, surprise the wind there was blowing out of the south west and very stiff. Jitka was at the boat I asked if it looked OK to get out today, she said it will be bumpy crossing the bay but once we get around the point on to the big lake it should be a good ride.
We loaded all the gear and headed out. She was right; it was bumpy but laid down once on lake Superior. We were headed for the Osborne and it would be over an hour to get there.
Once we were moored I suited up. Today I was the third to hit the water. Everything fell good going down. At around 160ffw I felt cold water seeping into my suit from around the waist. The bottom temp was at about 39 degrees and today I had my light underwear on, as it was so warm yesterday. My plan was to do 35 minutes at 165ffw but called the dive short at 30 minutes because I was starting to shiver. The Thermocline was at 90ffw. I felt a little warmer once above that but still could felt a little water leaking on some occasions. While doing my deco time I figure that one of the hoses from the pee valve must have came loose and when I finned the diaphragm would come open a little and allow a little water to seep in. The leak did not let lots of water in but with the hose loose I could not use the pee valve and with 80 minutes of run time it was going to be a tough deco. Following the stops as per my Liqivision computer I was able to actually exit the water in 68 minutes, this was because I only did 30 minutes on the bottom and a good part of the dive was in the 155ffw range not the 165ffw as planned. Upon exiting the water I hurried to get out of my somewhat drysuit and headed to the men’s room (swim platform).
John M. Osborne:
178’ x 32’ x 14’. Sank on July 27th 1884 after a collision with the Alberta. She sits upright and mostly in tack. Both anchors are in place as are a capstan and winches. The holds are open for easy penetration.
Dive specs:
Max depth was 162ffw:
Dive time was 68 minutes:
30 minutes on the bottom with 38 minutes of deco time.
Entered the water at 9:25am
Surface temp was 69 degrees:
Mid water temp was 61 degrees (50ffw to 90ffw):
Bottom temp was 39 degrees:
After all divers were back on the boat we un did the mooring and headed back to Whitefish point. Along the way we stopped at the Mitchell to secure the mooring for a future wreck dive and latter we stopped at the Saturn to see if it was moored. Once we rounded the point it was very rough. We slowed down to a snail’s paste getting back to the dock.
Once at the dock everyone loaded their gear and left to go back to their rooms. Some of us went up to the museum at Whitefish Point for the afternoon.
For dinner we all did our own thing. I did the fish house and had fresh whitefish. It was swimming this morning. The Food was great.
Once back to the room I got all my gear ready for Saturdays dive. We plan on getting on the Mathers if the weather is good as it’s an hour and half to get there.
I took some time to read on Friday night instead of putting this report together, Sorry.
Dale]]>