The day got off to a late start with morning thunderstorms passing through the area.
We had a group that met at LDS in Alpena and we met up with Joe who recently found the Wilson http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=195638
The group consisting of eight divers, one helper, two 22ft boats and a 14ft inflatable. We decided to do the Middle Island Sink Hole and the DM Wilson. We were off to and running to Rockport. We got to the hole http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/Task_rpts/2006/eosruberg06-1.html and the Pride of Michigan http://greatlakesdivision.org/ was already busy running experiments. There were very many on and under the water surface. This sink hole is NOTHING like you would see on land! Shear cliffs!! 15ft to 73ft in NO time!
Well, get this 73ft for 32 minutes. Why only 32 minutes? Temp of 48 degrees!!!! First Thermo was at 20ft second at at about 58. The springs were a flowing!!!!! Last week the bottom temp was 61 degrees. The purple velvet alge was gorgeous. The white alge looked like bridal veils blowing in a breeze. Lots to look at on the bottom with all of the experiments going on.
Then it was time to head to the Wilson. Rounded the protection of the island and the shallow water we ran into three foot seas for the approximate ten mile run. When we got to the area Joe gave the go ahead to drop anchors. There are no markers on this site yet and the coordinates are highly guarded until the folks at NOAA can properly document this new site. This is still considered a "virgin" site.
While we were suiting up the wave got to be at least four footers. We checked the marine forecast that was calling for four to six footers after midnight so the dive was still a GO! We started our decent and Joe put us right on the wreck. WOW!!!! Now remember I have not been doing this long for please forgive my discription of what I saw. I hope if Joe sees this he won't laugh too bad.
The stern was pretty distroyed by the salvaging of the engines. Although a prop was left behind. The full load of cargo is still there with many artifacts strewn about. Tools, hardware, etc. A lot of the deck was outside of the hull with much of the substructure exposed with a large winch still on the foredeck. The bow was split and laying out in front of the hull is what appeared to be the keel. It appeared that the boat slid off of its keel when it settled on the bottom.
41 minutes at 45 feet, 67 degrees with 30 foot vis.
We came up to six foot seas!!! With 7.5 foot sets rolling in on occasion. There were time when we could not see the inflatable that was tied on 30ft behind us and the other 22 footer was 3/4 airborn anchored. Time to head back to Rockport. Disaster!!!! Our boat would NOT go in gear and the waves were building!!! Joe decided that we had to get out of there so he and Sam pulled our anchor from the inflatable while we messed with our engine and was going to attempt to tow us around Thunder Bay Island and head to Alpena. By the way the inflatable had a whole 25hp Yamaha on it!
Success!!! We got the boat in gear!!!!!! The tow was called off but most everyone in the boats were VERY ill from the rough water. The haul to get around Thunder Bay Island was SLOW the waves were hitting us square a stern. Several times we did get a little water over the stern so all gear and persons were thrown to the bow and we made it around the island and the ride got "somewhat" better. Joe called his better half who met us at the docks in Alpena to shuttle us to retrieve vehicles.
You know, just goes to show you. We DID plan our dive after consulting the weather. After the Storms came through in the early AM forecast called for cloudy skies clearing late afternoon. Well, by 11:30am the sun was out. So the sun and the swells came much earlier than forcasted.
I DON'T want to got through anything like THAT ever again.
Well GTXL1200, how does those reports suit you?
Do you want to hear about my three dives in Traverse City on Wednesday. Yup! Seven dives in five days!!!! Ahhhhh living in northern Michigan!!!!
Jeff
We had a group that met at LDS in Alpena and we met up with Joe who recently found the Wilson http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?t=195638
The group consisting of eight divers, one helper, two 22ft boats and a 14ft inflatable. We decided to do the Middle Island Sink Hole and the DM Wilson. We were off to and running to Rockport. We got to the hole http://www.glerl.noaa.gov/res/Task_rpts/2006/eosruberg06-1.html and the Pride of Michigan http://greatlakesdivision.org/ was already busy running experiments. There were very many on and under the water surface. This sink hole is NOTHING like you would see on land! Shear cliffs!! 15ft to 73ft in NO time!
Well, get this 73ft for 32 minutes. Why only 32 minutes? Temp of 48 degrees!!!! First Thermo was at 20ft second at at about 58. The springs were a flowing!!!!! Last week the bottom temp was 61 degrees. The purple velvet alge was gorgeous. The white alge looked like bridal veils blowing in a breeze. Lots to look at on the bottom with all of the experiments going on.
Then it was time to head to the Wilson. Rounded the protection of the island and the shallow water we ran into three foot seas for the approximate ten mile run. When we got to the area Joe gave the go ahead to drop anchors. There are no markers on this site yet and the coordinates are highly guarded until the folks at NOAA can properly document this new site. This is still considered a "virgin" site.
While we were suiting up the wave got to be at least four footers. We checked the marine forecast that was calling for four to six footers after midnight so the dive was still a GO! We started our decent and Joe put us right on the wreck. WOW!!!! Now remember I have not been doing this long for please forgive my discription of what I saw. I hope if Joe sees this he won't laugh too bad.
The stern was pretty distroyed by the salvaging of the engines. Although a prop was left behind. The full load of cargo is still there with many artifacts strewn about. Tools, hardware, etc. A lot of the deck was outside of the hull with much of the substructure exposed with a large winch still on the foredeck. The bow was split and laying out in front of the hull is what appeared to be the keel. It appeared that the boat slid off of its keel when it settled on the bottom.
41 minutes at 45 feet, 67 degrees with 30 foot vis.
We came up to six foot seas!!! With 7.5 foot sets rolling in on occasion. There were time when we could not see the inflatable that was tied on 30ft behind us and the other 22 footer was 3/4 airborn anchored. Time to head back to Rockport. Disaster!!!! Our boat would NOT go in gear and the waves were building!!! Joe decided that we had to get out of there so he and Sam pulled our anchor from the inflatable while we messed with our engine and was going to attempt to tow us around Thunder Bay Island and head to Alpena. By the way the inflatable had a whole 25hp Yamaha on it!
Success!!! We got the boat in gear!!!!!! The tow was called off but most everyone in the boats were VERY ill from the rough water. The haul to get around Thunder Bay Island was SLOW the waves were hitting us square a stern. Several times we did get a little water over the stern so all gear and persons were thrown to the bow and we made it around the island and the ride got "somewhat" better. Joe called his better half who met us at the docks in Alpena to shuttle us to retrieve vehicles.
You know, just goes to show you. We DID plan our dive after consulting the weather. After the Storms came through in the early AM forecast called for cloudy skies clearing late afternoon. Well, by 11:30am the sun was out. So the sun and the swells came much earlier than forcasted.
I DON'T want to got through anything like THAT ever again.
Well GTXL1200, how does those reports suit you?
Do you want to hear about my three dives in Traverse City on Wednesday. Yup! Seven dives in five days!!!! Ahhhhh living in northern Michigan!!!!
Jeff
