T R Thompson (Wreck) Saturday 21st April 2007

[Sea Pea]

What a great day! Though I have to admit getting up at 5am for this one didn't seem like a winning formula. Arrived at Brighton Marina for 0630 to meet up with my buddy 'Jimbob' , loaded the superb new 'Channel Diver' cat , skippered by Steve Johnson. As the sun rose in the sky you just knew this was gonna be a good 'un, OK the sea wasn't flat calm but what little waves it had were just enough to let us know we were at sea and not in a puddle!

Met YDers JAG and JW for the first time, nice to meet you guys and hope to see you again now that you have made your first out-of-Brighton dive on what is, I think, the best boat at the port. Twelve divers on board and yards of space , you could have played skittles down the aisles without having to move any kit. How many boats have got a large colour flat screen chart / echo sounder display for the DIVERS? (S'pose it stops us having to look over the skippers shoulders to see his one!)

Spot on shotting (as ever from Steve) , down the line to mid-ships, no current, viz about 3 to 4m though a little dark through plankton. Shift the shot to allow Steve to get it back! Criise down the port side heading for the bow, check out the anchors & hawse pipes. Water temp 11 degrees, past a set of fallen stepps , over a winch to the boliers and triple expansion engine. Max depth 28 metres . Mistake to dive on air, really wished for a longer bottom time. Launch DSMB and two stop ascent to surface. Back in glorious sunshine. Easily brought back on board by the lift, bit like returning to a multi-storey car park.....now where did I park? (still banging-on about the size of the deck!). Watch the last divers return to the surface and then just to make the dive, a dophin (OK it could be a porpoise) starts breaking the surface as it circles the last two out. When they do get out they reaport the dolphin was coming within arms reach (I think it was interested in a large flat fish they had with them)! The cherry on the cake!

Tea & sarnies as we motor to our second dive a drift of the coast of Hove , shallower and lighter but not too much to hold your attention!

Top day out , stuff it , I think I'll go dive tomorrow as well (I'll have to placate SWMBO). Best dive of the year so far and I think we may have converted some YDers from Weymouth to Brighton!

A bit more blurb on this wreck at The Wreck of the SS T R Thompson (Steamship)

Sea Pea

[divegyrl]

Great report
We are out with Steve tomorrow afternoon, looking forward to it!
It will be our first outing on the new boat, the space sounds awesome
Car is packed & we plan to be down early enough to have lunch before a 14.00 leave
Sounds like we might see you there?

[Sea Pea]

Just got back from a dive on the LANCER II (trip report to follow) and guess what , if anything the water is flatter than yesterday ...so I reckon you are gonna have an excellent day with this super weather! Let us know if the 'awesome space' is all that I think it is !

[Diving Dude]

Yes, l'd have to agree, Steve's new boat is superb ..........which is why we're using it the week after next for a three day gigette over to froggy land.

[JAG]

What a great day out. Fantastic boat and oodles of space. Dives were good, although I managed to get myself and John off of the wreck which was never to be found again after about 25mins! I was literally chasing shadows thinking that large dark shape about 10m away was the wreck, headed towards it but it never got any nearer. Is there such a thing as underwater mirages? It was extremely dark down there. Cracking day had by all and the dolphin made leaving my gaff at 0400 worth. As this was my first venture out of Brighton wasn't quite sure what to expect but suffice to say will be coming back plenty! Nice to meet some new faces and thanks to Chris for being kit bitch

[Sea Pea]

Originally Posted by JAG

Nice to meet some new faces and thanks to Chris for being kit bitch

You say the sweetest things! I just got a bit worried when you asked for a hand with your crotch strap!

Was good to meet you guys and hope we'll see you again, I think you've just twigged how many wrecks you can get to from Brighton and how short your journey to Brighton can be (albeit at 0400 - ouch!)

Sea Pea

[jimbob]

Good to meet you all.
Couple of pictures of the visitor.
Sorry about the quality but they are screen grabs from a Quicktime movie.