S.S.DAKOTA

[angleseydiver]

When I first started diving the Dakota, 9yrs ago I was told
"it's all been had" by many sources- what an invite to prove a few people wrong! My buddy and I have been working this wreck on and off for the whole 9yrs -it's 10 mins from our mooring- and it's still minging with pottery. We've done air-lift days with Charters and sent them home with loads of stuff (along with a reminder to inform the receiver). Up to the armpit in mud can make a poor-vis dive
much more rewarding! The wreck itself is a total scrapyard so it's the ultimate buzz to rescue an intact piece of history from amongst the debris.
Have a look at my website at: http://mysite.freeserve.com/S.S.DAKOTA and tell me if you think I should leave it all in the mud.
all the best,
                  Terry

[Seadart Mark]

Checked out the site, and looks like lots of fun. Very similar to our Halsewell ops. Have a gander round our site, looks like were using similar methods.

Cheers

Mark

(Edited by Seadart Mark at 10:53 am on Jan. 23, 2003)

[Seadart Bob]

just a test posting.
Checking our link from Seadart.
Checked the site looks good like the finds.
Cheers
Bob

[Hobby]

Terry,heard that on N.Wales news last night(Mon 27th) there was a report of some wine and perfume being brought up from a wreck out of Amwlch,have you any details on this?
Cheers,Hobby.

[Jay]

Its was the SS Scouser which sank after a covert 'booze-cruise' to Ireland. Apparently someone hadn't lashed the Guinness keg securely and it slipped in a slight swell as the dingy rounded Anglesey. The registered owner was quoted as being 'absolutely gutted like' although he did not want to bring the matter to the attention of HM coastguard.

Rumour has it that a Liverpudlian salvage team is currently working around the clock to recover the several cases of Blue Nun and a case of Tweed before the BSAC hoards find out and descend en masse this weekend.

[angleseydiver]

Hi Hobby,
   Yes it was me and my buddy Elfyn (Yellow butty box)on
HTV last night. We,ve worked it for 9yrs and had tons of swag off it, still bits of stuff around but had the good gear off the manifest, receiver happy ,and going to auction soon.
I just found your "incident" report on D Med section about the so-called LaPlata- So it was the gang you were invovled with who trashed our 4" air-lift and mooring line was it?
I think you were sold a pup on that job M8!!
We remember a 100ft pile of scrap (called the glenshite or something )brought in at the end of 1999 to piss us off.
looked a real high class operation which make an insult of the phrase diving on  shoestring.
There was talk of all kinds of riches in the local pub did it ever materialize?

[Hobby]

Bugger all materialised as suspected,an axe I think and that was it.I've done some good jobs(got paid!) on the Glenshira,and was'nt working when I got the call to go.I also like Colin,he taught me a lot too.Salvage is always a gamble as you know esp.if you're tring to earn a living from it.I think Colin was talking about going back but he too I suppose has to prioritise jobs that actually pay for definate.The day after the incident,I got a months contract at Fawley so left them to it.I did see part of a cargo manifest which what was sparked my interest initially.I was working with Zaid(one of the Bluebird team)afterwards and he was dying to have a look at it.As far as I know it has'nt been worked since and I have'nt spoken to Colin for a while.
Cheers,Hobby.

[angleseydiver]

Hiya, Hobby,
we've offered Zaid loads of dives but he only ever seems to want the deep-virgins, He keeps trying to poach Elf to skipper to the Treveal and the others in H/head-deep, but we're happy with the swag in <20m, there's plenty of it.
I'll email you with the " La Plata saga " as it involves much politics which is unsuitable ( and prob uninteresting)
for public viewing,
All the best,
Terry

[Geoff Oldfield]

Hi Terry, you're probably aware that some of our members have, over the years, brought some nice stuff up off the Dakota. Apart from the usual Meakin pottery, there have been some nice glass pots of Lubin perfume and a bolt of cloth in exceptional condition. In fact it was in such good condition one of our members turned it into a period style Ladies Dress to replicate the period of the sinking.  Having seen the dress adorn a particularly beautiful lady I can say that both she and the dress looked stunning. I'll try and get a photograph for you. Joey, Kieth and the rest of the crowd did a programme for HTV local news which you probably saw at the time. Have dived the Dakota hundreds of times and still find lots to interest as you suggest. Can't recommend it enough.

See you soon

Regards

Geoff Oldfield
Merseyside Branch

PS all reported to ROW by the way.

[Angleseyskipper]

hi geoff i'm terrys diving partner in crime.
we remember your bit on the htv and an article in the daily post with the lady wearing the dress.
We pulled out loads of rolls of fabric when we were airlifting one of the holds towards the stern  but left them there as they were of no intrest to us.
our biggest intrest was the cognac and the wine as the wreck was so shallow the survival rate on full bottle was pretty good .
we airlifted in one area to the bottom of the hull alost 4m down which was solid with stacked crates of wine and cognac,when uncovered  you could see them stacked 5 high and about 7-8 along held together by each other and mud ,what a glorious sight,we have a leading auction house looking at them as we speak.

did you come across any brass models of people,animals or children on your excavations?
We saw them on the manifest that we have for the wreck and had a few but there was no quantity mentioned.
we probarbly had them all but you can never be 100% sure.
We followed loose full bottles of perfume while airlifting right to the broken crate and got the rest but no one seem's intrested in auctioning them even though they are a nice little item,its funny what people regard as valuble!
We've moved on to other things but as you know there is still tons of stuff on it if you are prepared to put the time in
all the best elfyn