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Team Kinky go to Norway July '06 A belated & long report, but a great trip that I had to write about!
Juz and I joined up with a group from Leeds/Bradford BSAC to dive the wrecks of Norway on Gaelic Rose with Skipper Bob Jones and crew Andy (diving, sea-faring chef extraordinaire!)
We drove up to the Washington Services on the A1 on Thursday after work as we were meeting the group at 9.30am on Friday morning to transfer our kit into the van and then head off to the ferry in Newcastle.
We used Fjordline, 25 hours on flat calm seas, some of the gang fell asleep outside and were a little pink when we met up with Bob and Andy on Saturday afternoon!
Once we were loaded we headed north to start our diving, and we sampled the delights of Andy’s galley. We stopped off at an ex-whaling station and went to a wooden pub and listened to the local talent singing sounds of the 60’s & 70’s. Wandered home at midnight, still light and then tried to sleep…….. let’s just say that Juz, Ian and Graham can snore out of synch ALL night!
Day 1: Our first dive was Frakenwald
a German cargo vessel which hit the rocks and then sank in January 1940. The 5000brt vessel was built in 1922 and measured 122x17x7 metres. The propeller was salvaged after the war. The wreck sits upright with the bows to the S in 40m, and the stern in 35m. She is almost completely intact, possibly due to the manner of her sinking, and the very sheltered spot in which she lies.
I dropped in and my bailout reg started free-flowing, I guess it didn’t like 8˚ water either! We dropped through lots of Moon jellyfish and a halocline to hit the deck at 37.4m, my reg was still bubbling and I wasn’t happy so thumbed the dive. Viz was an amazing 10-15m! We ascended up the shot and Juz shot his blob at 6m. Bob came picked us up and I discovered that I could climb the ladder with no problems……. Phew!
Temp 8.8˚ max depth 37.4m RT24mins Diluent16/32
Some kit fettling, and a lovely lunch with a nice long surface interval we dropped in to dive the Havda
a 677gt coastal passenger steamer built in Scotland in 1881. Sunk by British aircraft in December 1944, while on passage towards Bergen. Six people were killed in the attack, including several Norwegian crew.
We dropped down to the wreck on its port side, viz 10m+ the decking was rotted away and there were plates, bottles, sinks and air cylinders lying around. Lots of plaice and shoals of Pollack. Viz again was 10-15m and Juz went for a wander off using the new reel he got from Kent Tooling. The halocline actually looked like there was another wreck out in the distance!
Temp 12˚ max depth 26m RT 47mins Diluent16/32
Day 2: We headed further north towards Florø and our morning dive was on The Macbeth
a side trawler about 35m long which hit a reef and then broke in two. Locals say that the ship's name is the Macbeth wrecked around 1955.
We dropped in through 15-20m viz and swam towards the reef and dropped down to the wreck at 38m, another one lying on its port side. Juz swam around the hull and we came round past the prop to swim along the decks which had collapsed exposing the sinks in the accommodation. We went up over the top of the wreck and then onto the reef wall to do our stops. Juz found a monkfish; there were lots of langoustines and crabs in the crevices and then kelp…… (I don’t like kelp; I’m always expecting a monster to grab me!) Kelp makes me sea-sick!
Temp 10˚ max depth 38m RT 41mins Diluent 18/45
Our afternoon dive was on the Wilheim
one of the largest intact wrecks in the area. A German cargo vessel built in Germany in 1939. Sunk on Askrova just south of Florø after being torpedoed by a Norwegian MTB in November 1944. At the time she was carrying a cargo of coal to Ålesund.
Juz and I dropped in to tie in a shot at 40m, in 20m+ gin clear viz, I started gurgling at about 10m and kept gurgling……. tried emptying at 20m and got 2 clear breaths, yahoo! Headed on down then started gurgling again, settled on the sea bed at 36m and tried emptying again, but still gurgling. I’m really not happy so we abort the dive and head back up. Threw in a few Pyle and safety stops to reach the surface safe & still breathing.
Temp 9.9˚ max depth 36.3m RT 25 Diluent 18/45
Day 3: The weather had ‘picked up’ so our planned return to the Wilheim was not feasible. So plan 2 came into action. The Optima
a German steamship built in 1925. Attacked and sunk by Norwegian MTBs while at anchor in April 1943. The wreck lies on her port side in about 38m, with the bows facing E. She is intact. The rudder and propeller shaft can be seen at around 36m. The propeller has gone. The shallowest part of the wreck is just before the bow at about 28m. Part of her cargo at the time of her sinking was provisions for the German High Command. Round cheeses about 30cm in diameter can be seen floating beneath the gunwale on the starboard side near the stern
Juz & I dropped down the shot to this very intact rusting wreck, 10m+ viz, big big cargo holds, bollards and winches plus the anchor still visible. There was a big thermocline on the bottom and I felt very cold this dive. We passed the wine bottles, but left them as they are undrinkable, came up the hull back to the shot and back up through lots of lion’s mane jellies! Juz picked up a lot of the ‘mane’ in his DT box!
Temp 7.2˚ max depth 41.6m RT 54mins Diluent 18/45
Our afternoon wreck was on Rollø
a Norwegian fishing vessel from Harstad, built in 1876. Abandoned in January 1921 after she ran aground and the crew were unable to reverse her off. She later floated free, drifted onto rocks, and sank. She is lying on her port side on a sandy ledge with the bows in 30m and the stern in 24m.
Juz & I dropped in, 10m+ viz again and followed the rocks down to 40m, swam east and found the wreck. Very broken up, sinks, shoes and the usual debris. All the life was off this wreck, crabs, Pollock and a beautiful purple nudibranch. We came back up the reef/slope to deco out (1 minute mandatory at 6m) and finish our dive.
Temp 10.6˚ max depth 42.8m RT 37mins Diluent 18/45%
Day 4: Today we were on the Tyrifjord
sunk by the RAF in September 1944 in the same attack in Askvoll harbour. The wreck is in one piece with the bow at about 25m. Tyrifjord is sunk into the muddy bottom to the top of the rudder.
Juz & I dropped down on this intact wreck, Juz signed that I had a leak and sent me back up…….. Bugger, the viz was up to 20m! So lots of moon jellyfish at 17m and a BIG lion’s mane at my 3m stop!
Temp 10.4˚ max depth 32.8m RT 20mins Diluent 21%
Discovered that I had a twisted ‘O ’ring in my exhale ‘T’ piece that meant that under pressure it took in water, I’ll be more careful in future, in fact NOTE TO SELF change that ‘o’ ring!
In the afternoon we dived the Solvag II
a small coaster which capsized in 1995.
I dropped in with Mark the trip organiser and another newish YBOD diver. We dropped down the mast to the sea bed, more 15m viz, a tonne of life~ crabs, cod, plumose anemones, starfish, monkfish and the usual jellyfish! We mooched around the outside, then went back inside and round again found empty hatches and a rolled up carpet! We had enough so headed back up the mast to do a safety stop at 6m amongst the lion’s mane jellyfish!
Temp 11.5˚ max depth 24m RT 31mins Diluent 21%
Day 5: The penultimate day and awesome dives on the Ferndale and Parat
The Ferndale was a motor vessel built in 1925. Norwegian-owned, but was commandeered by the Germans during WW2. On 15th December 1944 she hit the Seglesteinen in Krakhellasund while sailing at night in a convoy. The following day the tug Parat came to her assistance, but later the same day the two vessels were attacked by British Mosquitos and they sank alongside each other.
I had very little sleep due to the sonorous efforts of our boat mates, so was not in the best of moods. Juz & I dropped down the shot and the stage felt a bit lop-sided, I used my wing for buoyancy and felt much more comfortable. We dropped over the stern of the Ferndale and I had problems getting my torch free, the slow & angry narc’s not the paranoid ones! I guess I need mix below 40m!
Wandered back up the Ferndale, 20m+viz, doing our stops just by mooching over the wreck and looking in lockers. There was lots of yucky kelp on the ledge, but also starfish, wrasse and tiny scallops!
Temp 10.9˚ max depth 52.2m RT 39mins Diluent 21%
Back in again to the same wrecks for the afternoon dive. I got tangled up in a floating shot rope, so Juz freed me, we dropped straight down the shot to the Parat to work our way back up the wrecks. It was much darker than the morning as there was less ambient light.
Saw the gun on the seabed before we came back up over the hull of the Ferndale to see some flatfish and the usual suspects. Our viz had decreased from 20m+ in the morning to 15m+ but still an excellent dive!
Temp 10.7˚ max depth 51.2m RT 33 Diluent 21%
Day 6: Back south of Bergen for our final day to dive the Big Wall where they had loads of spurdogs over the past few weeks. We dropped through 20m+ viz on a wall that dropped to 180m! Saw a few spurdogs on entry, then dropped down the wall through jellyfish, to a cold and dark 50m which was our planned depth. A gentle ascent and anemones, crabs, and langoustines all started round about 20m. We found an 18m ledge with lots of spurdogs patrolling like sharks! Really nice gentle bimble with a very bizarre halocline at 3m!
Temp 9.4˚ max depth 48.7m RT 32 Diluent 21%
Our final dive was on The Spring a Norwegian collier built on Tyneside in 1883 sunk after being steered onto the shore following a collision in January 1914.
Juz and I dropped in and followed the wall to find the wreck at 30m. We came up along the wreck searching in hatches and holds when Juz popped up from behind the hull to try and surprise me! We finished the dive by swimming along the rock face finding another flat fish to finish a leisurely dive along the Norwegian example of fly tipping! Cookers, batteries, sunloungers, cups, plates and all manner of rubbish that was tipped over from the houses above! Obviously where the Norwegians drop their crap!
Back into Bergen, a Mongolian barbeque for dinner (not for vegetarians) and then some very expensive alcohol before heading back to the boat.
Our last day was spent wandering about Bergen, catching the sun until we got on the ferry for the 26 hour journey back. Then a 6 hour drive home, we had to get my unit ready (scrubber & cylinder fills at midnight) for a 4.30am start to go and dive the Moldavia on my birthday!
Many thanks to the Leeds/Bradford lot for letting us join their trip. It was good to meet you all & may even see you if you ever venture south again!
I have to say that Gaelic Rose with skipper Bob and crew Andy are an excellent platform from which to see the wrecks of Norway. I managed to climb the ladder with stages even with my dodgy knees and the info and stories that Bob could tell made this a great trip.
Next time the deep wrecks on a healthy mix! We will be back!
because the surface of the ocean is the beginning of the sky 
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Originally Posted by divegyrl 
That is a difficult one...... 
