YD Ireland - wreck weekend 23/24 June - photos (and maybe some trip reports!)

[The Penguin]

Since i was only there for the Saturday someone else can maybe supply the trip report!

But until then here are some photos...



Touchdown on the Laurentic, my first view of the wreck...


Little did i know what was in store...

Ardhill and Balbrigganbloke...


Ardhill and RogerViking looking for a conger...


Ardhill...


RogerViking shows off his trim and valve guard...


The second dive was on the Kalliopis, where Paul and i saw this cute little fellow...(coryphellia lineata)...


Thanks to all for a great day! And to Buchhawk for organising and Donald for skippering.

I do apologise for keeping you all waiting while i tried to unbend my computer after the Laurentic...

Al

[Mick F]

A while ago, Buchhawk came up with the idea of a YD gig in Donegal on the inshore wrecks between Malin Head and Horn Head. Mrs. Mick and I along with quite a few others of this parish booked on the trip with gusto.

We arrived in Carrigart on the evening of Friday 22nd with some trepidation as we looked at the weather forecast. Balbrigganbloke was already in position and gasping for a pint. Midnight and his good lady arrived shortly after (due to the twat getting lost yet again!)

All present and correct, we adjourned to the nearest hostelry where we persuaded the woman running the charity horseracing night that we were having a meeting of Gamblers Anonymous

Next morning Buchhawk, Jane, PeterM, Ardhill, Al, Chris, and Rogerviking, all arrived amid much banter and slagging. Chris was a bit bemused as a non-YDer (hopefully now rectified).

We gassed up, kitted up, and headed for the pier. Onto Mevagh 1, and after the safety briefing we head out towards the mouth of Lough Swilly for the first dive. The weather is blowing up towards a force 5 and is fairly choppy. Mrs. Mick is sick as hell, and a few others are looking green.

Dive1. SS Laurentic.

The Laurentic was a White Star liner built in 1908. In 1915 she was reconfigured as an Armed Merchant Cruiser and in the freezing temperatures of January 1917 she set out for Halifax, Nova Scotia with £5 million of gold bullion for the US in payment for arms and munitions. On the night of the 25th January she hit not one, but two mines laid by the U80.

Mortally wounded she began to founder and the men took to the boats and the Atlantic winter. 354 of the 745 souls on board perished.

We drop down the line and it's pitch black for the first 20M. Just below this the lights come on and the wreck opens up below us. The shot is tied into a pair of bollards on the sand of the port bow. The wreck lies broken and twisted. Her once sleek lines and turbine engines scattered; a testament to the terrible storms that hit this area, and the repeated dynamiting of Dusty Miller and his team as they recovered the bullion on board in the early 1920's.

There's an eerie feel to the wreck as we come across the various parts of her lying on the hard packed bottom. One gun stands proud and intact pointing towards the surface as if ready to to defend against an unseen enemy.

Rumours of remaining gold bars abound about this wreck; we keep a sharp eye out, but no luck.

After 35 minutes at 38M we return to the shot and head up through the 20mins or so of deco.

We head in to a small slip for some tea and bikkies, and then back out for the second dive. The weather has really blown up now and the waves are crashing over the boat. Chris gets one full in the back and nearly goes in.

We kit up in the lee of a rock and drop into the water.

Dive 2. SS Kalliopi S.

Sometimes referred to as the Caliope, this steamer was carrying grain when she was torpedoed by a U-boat on the 7th October 1943. She caught fire and was abandoned by the crew. Drifting for days, she eventually hit the rocks off Downings and went to the bottom.

The wreck is well broken & scattered and the surge is fairly bad, creating a washing machine effect. After 30 minutes at 18M, we've had enough and head up.

On the surface, we are repeatedly hit by 4M rollers washing over us driving us a meter or more underwater. The RHIB can't come in to get us so we swim like hell, eventually making enough headway to grab a throwline. At least, I did. Midnight had to swim the whole way out. Shame

At this stage, half the boat is throwing up and we head for home as fast as the ocean allows us.

Some of our compadres leave us now. Paul, Roger, Chris, and Al can't stay for day two. We wish them safe journeys as their replacements, Shaun and Neil arrive.

After some steaks and decompression fluid, we retire for the night.

The next morning, we get up to glorious sunshine and no wind. Mrs Mick has canned the day as her back is killing her, and her dodgy knee cartilage is playing up as well.

We head out to Lough Swilly in an almost flat calm.

Dive 3. SS. Laurentic.

Our skipper Donald drops in a new shot, so Midnight & I drop down to find he's put it perfectly into the bow. We tie in & send up the shot. The bow towers over us, intact and lying on her port side.

We make our way back along the deck, past huge coils of rope and upturned carriages. The viz has opened up to 20M and huge rents and tears appear in the wreck. Draped in the lead weights and fishing lines from the anglers that seek her inhabitants, she is just intact enough to appreciate the size of the ocean liner that she was.

We could stay here all day, but Nitrogen waits for no man so after 37 minutes at 38M we had back up the shot. I silently salute the spirits that remain with her and the Laurentic disappears in to the green.

We have the obligatory tea and bikkies and head for the last dive of the weekend.

Dive 4. SV Gaelic.

The Gaelic was a small schooner which was carrying a cargo of silica when she foundered on Frenchmans rock in 1952. The crew of 5 managed to row to shore only a few miles from the captain's home in Ramelton.

The wreck lies broken in the gullies around the rock and is a nice bimble. Lots of Fauna including one of the biggest Crayfish I have ever seen. Lots to do, but we're getting tired now so after 35 minutes at 28M we head back to the surface.

The sea is coming up a bit now as we head back to land. We get in before the real weather hits, and say our goodbyes.

This was a fantastic weekend with some great diving including one of the best dives I've done in Ireland. The company was excellent and to me, this is the true meaning of Yorkshire Divers. Forget all the occassional scraps, pro and anti DIR rants, and all the other fluff we sometimes get on here. Thanks to this site, a group of divers who didn't know each other 12 months ago are now planning more and more trips like this here in Ireland. Top stuff.

A big thanks have to go to Buchhawk for organising the weekend and especially to Mevagh Diving. Donald and his son Dean looked after us well. As usual, my thanks to Midnight.

Hope you enjoyed it folks. Looking forward to the next one. Stay safe.

Mick.

[ardhill]

Well done Mick.

I dunno about "The weather is blowing up towards a force 5" is was blowing so towards it was nearly a force 6

A good day on Saturday - good diving and good company, pity I wasn't able to stay on for the Sunday.

This was the first I have used this centre too and would be happy to dive with Donald again, a very easy going guy.
.

[Midnight]

Brilliant trip report mate.

Mrs. Midnight & Midnight Jr. thought you should have mentioned the cattawalling harpie who, incredibly, managed to make country and western sound even worse than normal!!!

Midnight

[buchhawk]

Thanks Mick that one hell of a trip report, wish I could write like that.

I would also like to thank Yorkshire Divers for the priveledge of being able to set up trips like this in the UK & now Ireland for like minded people.
To me that's what YD is about.

As for the Kaliopis. If you can find room on your arm for a compass,
head North at the end of the dive

And Al...
Your Laurentic pics are classic nitrogen narcosics pics!
Very nice nudi though, at a less narcotic depth

And thanks to every one for making it such a enjoyable weekend.

Thanks Ken

PS. Oh and Peter, Jane has claimed the twin sevens

[The Penguin]

Thanks Mick that one hell of a trip report, wish I could write like that.

i'll second that!

I would also like to thank Yorkshire Divers for the priveledge of being able to set up trips like this in the UK & now Ireland for like minded people.
To me that's what YD is about.

yep, great to meet like minded people! and such variety - diverse divers! singles, twins, twinverts, stages, rebreathers, we had them all! i was expecting to be the odd one out in a boat full of techies.

As for the Kaliopis. If you can find room on your arm for a compass,
head North at the end of the dive

or follow Buchhawk and Co. as Paul and i did, until seasickness got the better of us!

And Al...
Your Laurentic pics are classic nitrogen narcosics pics!
Very nice nudi though, at a less narcotic depth

yep... need to get a flash too... cheers!

Al

[Peter M]

PS. Oh and Peter, Jane has claimed the twin sevens

Thanks Ken


You know this is only going to lead to deco and stage bottles!!!! yeeha, suppose i had better look out those twining bands for you now.

[buchhawk]

Thanks Ken


You know this is only going to lead to deco and stage bottles!!!! yeeha, suppose i had better look out those twining bands for you now.

And your regs

[jorawley]

Glad to see the elvis hood still going strong after its presentation breakfast back in May - any luck with a new drysuit peter?

Very good trip report too

[Peter M]

And your regs

oh dear this is getting serious now !!