Hi All:
OK, who's up for a trip to the "Luckenbach" on Saturday, May 12th? Currently, RAD Diver, Pook 60 and I have paid tickets. The total cost of the trip is $121 per diver (including 10% tax). Crew tip is extra. If you plan on coming, loading should be completed by 07:30 AM with the boat leaving the dock at 08:00 AM sharp. The dock is at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach. We need at least 3 more divers (for a total of 6) for this trip to go as of 05-03-07.
The trip is ran by Lynnhaven Dive Center (LDC) in Virginia Beach, on board the 60 FT Miss Lindsey, a LARGE and VERY comfortable dive boat. An on-board compressor provides quick air fills, but they don't bank EAN on the boat. Most divers use either 32% or 34% mix for this wreck and wear doubles or use large singles. Two dives with an anchored surface interval are usually planned. Entries are walk offs using either side of the boat with boarding on a large rear platform using one of two "fins on" ladders leading to stairs with rails and the main deck. A "Carolina Rig" hang bar is lowered from the side and clipped to the anchor line for descents. The DM plants the hook and secures everything. During the surface interval, the boat provides lunch including hot dogs, chips and sodas with the 'dogs grilled by the Captain or mate on a deck grill. The boat cruises at 20+ KTS.
Heres a deck picture from my last trip:
From what I've seen, LDC and the Captain let each diver set their own dive profiles. New this year (according to the Captain on my last trip) is a "deco profile" that must be completed on a form and provided to the crew prior to the start of your dive (you can do it on the way out) if you are doing "planned" deco. They started this to provide reference documentation for treatment just in case of an accident.
To sign up for the dive, you need to purchase a "boat ticket" from the shop, during which they check your certification and verify your "diver's insurance" (a requirement for LDC boat dives). Out-of-towners can do this by phone using a credit card. Call the shop at (757) 481-7949 if you need more information.
And, NO, I dont work for LDC or anything like that
A little background on the wreck. The Lillian Luckenbach (previously the Marica) was built by Sun Ship Building of Chester, PA in 1919. She was 448 FT long, grossed 6,369 tons and was powered by oil fired steam turbines. She became part of war effort shipping after the start of WWII. The Luckenbach was sunk on March 27, 1943 from a collision with the SS Cape Henlopen. She was in an escorted convoy leaving Hampton Roads through the mine swept channel (very tricky navigation, at the time). No crew died as a result of the collision or sinking.
Today, the wreck sits at about 105 FT on her port side with a somewhat intact hull. The super structure of the ship is demolished and lays in the sand next to the wreck along with much of it's cargo. The debris field is significant and includes the remains of aircraft, machine guns and a bunch of tires. Several sections of the wreck used to be penetrable, but a lot of it has broken up over the years. The auxiliary helm and telegraph from this wreck was raised by divers in the 1980s and was displayed in a nautical antiques store at Virginia Beach Blvd and Kempsville Road in Norfolk. Artifact digging on this wreck was (needless to say) awesome!
Typical visibility in the summer is about 50 FT, depending on the Gulf Stream. In the Spring, it could be less than 10 FT but RAD Diver had 60 FT on a nearby wreck a few weeks back. Bottom temps are running in the upper 40s offshore right now, so diving dry is probably a GOOD idea. "Hardcore" wet is definitely 7 MM!
Here are some underwater pics from someone else:
Here's an "old" picture of the ship, circa 1920:
This trip would be a GREAT way for some of us Mid-Atlantic guys to meet up. Hope to see ya'll soon!
OK, who's up for a trip to the "Luckenbach" on Saturday, May 12th? Currently, RAD Diver, Pook 60 and I have paid tickets. The total cost of the trip is $121 per diver (including 10% tax). Crew tip is extra. If you plan on coming, loading should be completed by 07:30 AM with the boat leaving the dock at 08:00 AM sharp. The dock is at Rudee Inlet in Virginia Beach. We need at least 3 more divers (for a total of 6) for this trip to go as of 05-03-07.
The trip is ran by Lynnhaven Dive Center (LDC) in Virginia Beach, on board the 60 FT Miss Lindsey, a LARGE and VERY comfortable dive boat. An on-board compressor provides quick air fills, but they don't bank EAN on the boat. Most divers use either 32% or 34% mix for this wreck and wear doubles or use large singles. Two dives with an anchored surface interval are usually planned. Entries are walk offs using either side of the boat with boarding on a large rear platform using one of two "fins on" ladders leading to stairs with rails and the main deck. A "Carolina Rig" hang bar is lowered from the side and clipped to the anchor line for descents. The DM plants the hook and secures everything. During the surface interval, the boat provides lunch including hot dogs, chips and sodas with the 'dogs grilled by the Captain or mate on a deck grill. The boat cruises at 20+ KTS.
Heres a deck picture from my last trip:
From what I've seen, LDC and the Captain let each diver set their own dive profiles. New this year (according to the Captain on my last trip) is a "deco profile" that must be completed on a form and provided to the crew prior to the start of your dive (you can do it on the way out) if you are doing "planned" deco. They started this to provide reference documentation for treatment just in case of an accident.
To sign up for the dive, you need to purchase a "boat ticket" from the shop, during which they check your certification and verify your "diver's insurance" (a requirement for LDC boat dives). Out-of-towners can do this by phone using a credit card. Call the shop at (757) 481-7949 if you need more information.
And, NO, I dont work for LDC or anything like that
A little background on the wreck. The Lillian Luckenbach (previously the Marica) was built by Sun Ship Building of Chester, PA in 1919. She was 448 FT long, grossed 6,369 tons and was powered by oil fired steam turbines. She became part of war effort shipping after the start of WWII. The Luckenbach was sunk on March 27, 1943 from a collision with the SS Cape Henlopen. She was in an escorted convoy leaving Hampton Roads through the mine swept channel (very tricky navigation, at the time). No crew died as a result of the collision or sinking.
Today, the wreck sits at about 105 FT on her port side with a somewhat intact hull. The super structure of the ship is demolished and lays in the sand next to the wreck along with much of it's cargo. The debris field is significant and includes the remains of aircraft, machine guns and a bunch of tires. Several sections of the wreck used to be penetrable, but a lot of it has broken up over the years. The auxiliary helm and telegraph from this wreck was raised by divers in the 1980s and was displayed in a nautical antiques store at Virginia Beach Blvd and Kempsville Road in Norfolk. Artifact digging on this wreck was (needless to say) awesome!
Typical visibility in the summer is about 50 FT, depending on the Gulf Stream. In the Spring, it could be less than 10 FT but RAD Diver had 60 FT on a nearby wreck a few weeks back. Bottom temps are running in the upper 40s offshore right now, so diving dry is probably a GOOD idea. "Hardcore" wet is definitely 7 MM!
Here are some underwater pics from someone else:
Here's an "old" picture of the ship, circa 1920:
This trip would be a GREAT way for some of us Mid-Atlantic guys to meet up. Hope to see ya'll soon!
