Docc
Contributor
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While in Bonaire last week, BrockBr and myself got a chance to dive the Windjammer wreck also known as the Mari Bahn.
We contacted Walt Stark at Rek Tek Scuba inside Captain Dons facility. Walt is one of three guides allowed to dive the Windjammer now. The wreck sits in 200 fsw just off the Bopec oil terminal. We supplied our passports, dive certifications showing previous decompression dive experience past 200 fsw and of course credit card numbers. Brock would be diving OC normoxic trimix, Walt CCR trimix, and I would be diving air since Im not trimix certified. Walt filed the necessary paperwork by fax to BOPEC and we were approved within 48 hours. Its my understanding that we were the only ones to get to dive the Windjammer in several weeks as permits are limited.
On Thursday 12 November 2009 we met Walt at his shop at 0830. Brock and I were diving sidemount rigs and Walt supplied us with HP 119s and AL80 deco bottles of EAN50. After analyzing gasses and checking our gear, we loaded up our rental truck and drove north to the BOPEC facility. We checked in at with their security, signed the necessary release forms and were admitted into a fenced secure area near the old boat launch. We geared up and went over our dive plan.
Our plan called for 22 minutes on the wreck, time to start when we passed 100 fsw on our descent. My plan depth was 180 fsw while Brock and Walt would be going to 210 fsw. We did a 300 yard or so surface swim thru 3-4 foot waves out to the wreck over the bow. After catching our breath and lowering our heart rates, we did a final gear, gas, and team check and descended. In order to maximize our bottom time, we descended very quickly which helped my narc to kick in harder. I begun to see the bow of the wreck as I crossed 120 fsw and I hit the actual bow structure at approximately 155 to 160 fsw. The wreck lays on her starboard side with the masts extending down and away from the reef. We had done several warm-up dives during the week to depths from 160 to 216 so that I was aware of how I would be affected by the narc at these depths and temperatures . I swam along the top of the vessel down to the stern which is around 173 fsw or so. Walt and BrockBr penetrated the wreck thru the crack which is toward the bow and I stayed on the top of the wreck to keep as shallow as I could until they finished. After exiting thru a hole in the bottom of the vessel near the deck, BrockBr checked my level of function, which was satisfactory and indicated I should follow Walt into the wreck. I told Walt I had roughly seven minutes at this point until I had to start my ascent. We proceeded into the wreck and immediately swam to the top of the hull to keep my depth as shallow as possible. I was able to see all of the support structure of the ship, along with two large tanks which Walt told me later were water holding tanks. We interestingly hit a thermocline inside the ship but I was too amazed at the interior structure to check the temp. We swam approximately 2/3 of the ships length and exited thru a small hole in the deck near the sand bottom. After exiting I swam out over the tar field which looks like old ghost sails. Walt had told us the tar which the ship was carrying is moving down the reef at a rate of about 6 inches per year. My maximum depth as I exited the ship was 183 fsw. We were at our time so we quickly begun our ascent to our first decompression stop at 115 fsw. We did all our deco swimming along the reef. We saw the usual reef critters and a small pod of squid joined us for our deco stops at 30 fsw and 20 fsw. We finished our deco almost back at the boat launch. Total dive time was 93 minutes. We walked our gear out of the water to the truck. It was a truly awesome dive on a wreck that not just everyone gets to see. Walt was an informed and professional guide. I highly recommend contacting him at Rec Tek Scuba Bonaire - We do it silent. We do it deep. Techincal diving. for diving the Jammer or for any technical diving info or equipment. I look forward to diving the Windjammer with Walt again on my next trip to Bonaire.
We contacted Walt Stark at Rek Tek Scuba inside Captain Dons facility. Walt is one of three guides allowed to dive the Windjammer now. The wreck sits in 200 fsw just off the Bopec oil terminal. We supplied our passports, dive certifications showing previous decompression dive experience past 200 fsw and of course credit card numbers. Brock would be diving OC normoxic trimix, Walt CCR trimix, and I would be diving air since Im not trimix certified. Walt filed the necessary paperwork by fax to BOPEC and we were approved within 48 hours. Its my understanding that we were the only ones to get to dive the Windjammer in several weeks as permits are limited.
On Thursday 12 November 2009 we met Walt at his shop at 0830. Brock and I were diving sidemount rigs and Walt supplied us with HP 119s and AL80 deco bottles of EAN50. After analyzing gasses and checking our gear, we loaded up our rental truck and drove north to the BOPEC facility. We checked in at with their security, signed the necessary release forms and were admitted into a fenced secure area near the old boat launch. We geared up and went over our dive plan.
Our plan called for 22 minutes on the wreck, time to start when we passed 100 fsw on our descent. My plan depth was 180 fsw while Brock and Walt would be going to 210 fsw. We did a 300 yard or so surface swim thru 3-4 foot waves out to the wreck over the bow. After catching our breath and lowering our heart rates, we did a final gear, gas, and team check and descended. In order to maximize our bottom time, we descended very quickly which helped my narc to kick in harder. I begun to see the bow of the wreck as I crossed 120 fsw and I hit the actual bow structure at approximately 155 to 160 fsw. The wreck lays on her starboard side with the masts extending down and away from the reef. We had done several warm-up dives during the week to depths from 160 to 216 so that I was aware of how I would be affected by the narc at these depths and temperatures . I swam along the top of the vessel down to the stern which is around 173 fsw or so. Walt and BrockBr penetrated the wreck thru the crack which is toward the bow and I stayed on the top of the wreck to keep as shallow as I could until they finished. After exiting thru a hole in the bottom of the vessel near the deck, BrockBr checked my level of function, which was satisfactory and indicated I should follow Walt into the wreck. I told Walt I had roughly seven minutes at this point until I had to start my ascent. We proceeded into the wreck and immediately swam to the top of the hull to keep my depth as shallow as possible. I was able to see all of the support structure of the ship, along with two large tanks which Walt told me later were water holding tanks. We interestingly hit a thermocline inside the ship but I was too amazed at the interior structure to check the temp. We swam approximately 2/3 of the ships length and exited thru a small hole in the deck near the sand bottom. After exiting I swam out over the tar field which looks like old ghost sails. Walt had told us the tar which the ship was carrying is moving down the reef at a rate of about 6 inches per year. My maximum depth as I exited the ship was 183 fsw. We were at our time so we quickly begun our ascent to our first decompression stop at 115 fsw. We did all our deco swimming along the reef. We saw the usual reef critters and a small pod of squid joined us for our deco stops at 30 fsw and 20 fsw. We finished our deco almost back at the boat launch. Total dive time was 93 minutes. We walked our gear out of the water to the truck. It was a truly awesome dive on a wreck that not just everyone gets to see. Walt was an informed and professional guide. I highly recommend contacting him at Rec Tek Scuba Bonaire - We do it silent. We do it deep. Techincal diving. for diving the Jammer or for any technical diving info or equipment. I look forward to diving the Windjammer with Walt again on my next trip to Bonaire.
