whitby

[Captain Nemo]

has anybody been here, is it worth a visit
would anyone like to go?


C 70, Whitby

UC-70 is a small U-boat of 417 tons and 49m in length, lying about 3 miles outside Whitby Harbour – close to the wreck of the Giralda, which was her last ‘victim’. The armament on this WW I U-boat included an 88mm gun, two forward-facing and one aft-facing torpedo tubes. These were outside the pressure hull and could not be reloaded underwater. But the main purpose of the sub was mine-laying, with a capacity of 18 mines loaded in six tubes near the front of the vessel.
Today the UC70 lies in 27m of water with her bows to the south-east and stern to the north-west. It’s a really interesting site with quite a lot of life on the mostly in-tact wreckage, although visibility can be poor after heavy rain, because of mud and peat which is swept down the Esk and out to sea.
Differential GPS co-ordinates are 54.31.597N 0.40.131W (degrees, minutes and decimals). This is a small wreck and can be difficult to locate without GPS.
Brief tour of the wreck
(1) Six mine-laying tubes, running vertically through the forward end of the hull. with a solid-looking cog on the end projects from the top of the hull
(2) Vertical shaft which might have been the drive for an anchor winch.
(3) Shaft with the skeleton of a bow hydroplane on either end resting on the seabed and a few assorted steel plates
(4) Remains of the ballast tanks start about level with the fourth mine-laying tube. The ribs of the ballast tank are mostly intact, but the plates have rotted through or even fallen clear in several places, making it easy to look inside.
(5) Open hatch with cover intact.
(6) 88mm gun
(7) Section of mast that used to house the search periscope then twisted plates where the conning tower has collapsed to port.
(9) Hollow mast at the top of the conning tower, with the broken attack periscope retracted inside it
(8) Protruding unidentified cylinder.
(10) Ballast tank
(11) Pair of pipes and valves which would once have been flush with the outer skin of the sub
(12) Aft hatch, which is also open and in better condition than the forward hatch.
(13) Rear hydro-planes.
(14) Stern torpedo tube
(15) Rear hydroplane assembly.

WHEN TO DIVE: Slack water is 2 hours after high and low water at Whitby. Visibility is usually better on the high-water slack.

LOCATION: From the south, leave the A1 on the A64 past York and continue to Malton. Then follow the A169 through Pickering and past Fylingdales to meet the A171 just west of Whitby. From the north leave the A1 on any one of a number of roads to Middlesbrough and Teesside. Once south of the river take the A171 to Whitby. In Whitby, continue along the A171 until you are in the valley, then turn left towards the harbour. The marina area is on the right just after the railway station and the slip is at the far end.

AIR ETC: Yorkshire Diving Services, 2D larpool Industrial Estate, Whitby. 01947 603380

[Steve S]

Hi Captain,

Yes I have dived her 3 times and she is a fantastic wreck, the deck gun in the locked position makes a fantastic sight pointed skyward in a last act of defiance, she is well worth a visit.

The dive season in Whitby is really short and due to the location forget it if there has been any heavy rain, as the Esk ruins the viz, but if the conditions are right she is stunning.

I dived her with Allan holmes [retired from dive charters] and Whitby BSAC.

Saltburn Scuba. Saltburn On Sea RIB Scuba Diving I read will go to her so that may be your best bet unless you are a member of BSAC then you can drop on to Whitby BSAC's boat, contact details on BSAC Members' Section

HTH and I would definitely be up for it

Safe diving,
Steve

[big kev]

Doing the UC 70 this week end, got some spaces still for Saturday 15 July departing Whitby Marina at 09:00 hrs.

Plan is Dive 1 UC 70 - 28mtrs
Dive 2 S.S. Rohilla - 15 mtrs

Cost - £30 + parking (£2 odd).

More info - give us a call.

Kev.

[thewisestfish]

me and a mate could be up for doing it - but not for 3 or 4 weeks - when are you planning to do it?

Originally Posted by Captain Nemo

has anybody been here, is it worth a visit
would anyone like to go?


C 70, Whitby

UC-70 is a small U-boat of 417 tons and 49m in length, lying about 3 miles outside Whitby Harbour – close to the wreck of the Giralda, which was her last ‘victim’. The armament on this WW I U-boat included an 88mm gun, two forward-facing and one aft-facing torpedo tubes. These were outside the pressure hull and could not be reloaded underwater. But the main purpose of the sub was mine-laying, with a capacity of 18 mines loaded in six tubes near the front of the vessel.
Today the UC70 lies in 27m of water with her bows to the south-east and stern to the north-west. It’s a really interesting site with quite a lot of life on the mostly in-tact wreckage, although visibility can be poor after heavy rain, because of mud and peat which is swept down the Esk and out to sea.
Differential GPS co-ordinates are 54.31.597N 0.40.131W (degrees, minutes and decimals). This is a small wreck and can be difficult to locate without GPS.
Brief tour of the wreck
(1) Six mine-laying tubes, running vertically through the forward end of the hull. with a solid-looking cog on the end projects from the top of the hull
(2) Vertical shaft which might have been the drive for an anchor winch.
(3) Shaft with the skeleton of a bow hydroplane on either end resting on the seabed and a few assorted steel plates
(4) Remains of the ballast tanks start about level with the fourth mine-laying tube. The ribs of the ballast tank are mostly intact, but the plates have rotted through or even fallen clear in several places, making it easy to look inside.
(5) Open hatch with cover intact.
(6) 88mm gun
(7) Section of mast that used to house the search periscope then twisted plates where the conning tower has collapsed to port.
(9) Hollow mast at the top of the conning tower, with the broken attack periscope retracted inside it
(8) Protruding unidentified cylinder.
(10) Ballast tank
(11) Pair of pipes and valves which would once have been flush with the outer skin of the sub
(12) Aft hatch, which is also open and in better condition than the forward hatch.
(13) Rear hydro-planes.
(14) Stern torpedo tube
(15) Rear hydroplane assembly.

WHEN TO DIVE: Slack water is 2 hours after high and low water at Whitby. Visibility is usually better on the high-water slack.

LOCATION: From the south, leave the A1 on the A64 past York and continue to Malton. Then follow the A169 through Pickering and past Fylingdales to meet the A171 just west of Whitby. From the north leave the A1 on any one of a number of roads to Middlesbrough and Teesside. Once south of the river take the A171 to Whitby. In Whitby, continue along the A171 until you are in the valley, then turn left towards the harbour. The marina area is on the right just after the railway station and the slip is at the far end.

AIR ETC: Yorkshire Diving Services, 2D larpool Industrial Estate, Whitby. 01947 603380