Britannia Beach - wreck three

[vancouverdiver]

It starts at 40 ft. and runs down to 100 ft. It is fairly easy to find. There are two large ships moored in the Bay. One can park at the docks/art gallery and surface swim towards the stern(closer to shore) of the ship and then drop in 40 ft of water. The wreckage is quite large so it is hard to miss. The deeper wreckage is fairly compact, so we covered it in 20 min. and then headed up.
The slope is steepish, so when you leave the wreck you can either swim in blue water to the docks, or swim to the shore and follow the contour back to the docks.
The silt at Britannia Beach is like fine talcum powder. It doesn't take much to stir it up. Have a good dive.
I am in the middle of editing a video, which I do to document new dive sites. I'll post it when it is finished so you can get an idea of the wreckage. If anyone can figure out what the wreckage is, or what all the "holes" are that would be great!

---------- Post added January 14th, 2013 at 01:00 AM ----------

https://vimeo.com/57346758


Here's some video footage of the wreck. By the way, does anyone have any documentation that denotes this as the SS Joan?

 

[diddydidit]

For anybody looking for info regarding the Britannia Beach wreck dives please checkout.
Britannia Beach - SECS
https://www.facebook.com/secsociety
Thanks Diddy

 

[diddydidit]

SECS can now reveal the identity of the 'Mystery 2' wreck at Britannia Beach as the fishing vessel Cape Swain. We can also reveal the large wooden structure at the Britannia North site is not a ship, or a dock, or a barge, but is in fact a large wooden retaining wall.

For more information on the Cape Swain site and the Britannia Wall site visit: Britannia Beach - SECS

 

[DaleC]

Hi diddy,

The picture of this site is becoming clearer all the time.

On the SEC's site you suggest the remains of the SS Joan lay below the two ships in the north cove. However, when I read Fred Rogers "Shipwrecks of British Columbia" (pg's 224-225) he states the ship SS Ballena, formerly the Joan built in 1895, burnt and sank in 1920 and was then hauled to Moodyville for scrap.
Do you know more about that or is this a case of mistaken identity?

More information about the retaining wall:

"In an effort to reclaim more flat land in the 1920's a retaining wall was built of mine waste across the intertidal zone and was then back filled with mine tailings. Before long the reclaimed land had slumped beneath the waters of Howe Sound and debris of the composition of mill tailings has since been found on the fjord floor. This was probably the first recognized example on the British Columbian coast of a submarine delta-front collapse induced by mans activities."

http://geogratis.cgdi.gc.ca/eodata/download/part6/ess_pubs/223/223758/of_5475.pdf

This is interesting information as it explains why there is a such a large free standing wall alone without anything around it. When the seabed collapsed the backfill slid down slope away from the wall leaving only the man made skeleton behind.

I also think it shapes some assumptions as to what lies beneath the two boats as that area was backfill from the mine and slid down slope in the 1920's. Anything maritime should date from that time forward.


Also, the wheel of the "Ready" is missing. It was there two weeks ago but gone on Wed.

 

[diddydidit]

Hi Dale, not sure if I am understanding you right, but what we are saying is the structure that was originally thought to be the Joan is in fact the retaining wall.
I’m not sure where the confusion regarding the Joan came from but credit to Russ from SECS who has been saying it all along that it was not a ship. He was right all along. I have only dived this site a few times myself as I spend most of my efforts on deeper more technical dives. If you want to know more I can set you up with one of our other members. Thanks.
And yes the wheel of the Ready has been removed as well as at least one port hole on the Cape Swain. Please do your best in an effort to educate divers of the importance of leaving things as is. Unfortunately with a site so easily assessable things like this are bound to happen.
Cheers Diddy

 

[DaleC]

Hi Diddy,

Great website btw, I have it bookmarked. You guys are doing good stuff. I look forward to seeing historical pic's of the retaining wall before it collapsed. Here on the page titled "Britannia Beach Diving" is the paragraph:

Still afloat, but with a noticeable list to starboard is Tyee Princess, a 133 foot long coastal freighter that first saw service during World War II as YF-874, a US Navy self-propelled covered lighter. Tied up alongside Tyee Princess is her sister ship, YF-875, another vessel that saw service during World War II. And in the sediment below, the remains of the 180 foot long Ballena, formerly SS Joan, a twin screw wood hulled steamship built in 1892.

If you want, on your overview map, you could designate the small fishing skiff (about 20' long) in the video below at 0:19-1:17. It lies at aprox. 20' (tide dependent) off the point where the A-Team shed is indicated. It is close to shore, just a little to the south right where the pilings start.

I'm going back in a couple of weeks to look at the wall some more and see what lies to the north around the pilings towards the marina. If I see anything I'll post back about it.

[video=youtube;CYQZKevL0ng]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CYQZKevL0ng&list=UU5zvhnU0XYpf_cadpYJYkhQ& index=1[/video]

 

[diddydidit]

Thanks Dale, I'll get the site fixed up asap.
Happy diving

 

[DaleC]

Dove the Ready site today with some friends. Sad to report the wheelhouse on Mystery Wreck 2 has collapsed.

Also odd, one of the Ready's white lifeboat clamshells has migrated to the Cape Swain.