Scapa Flow Trip Report Part 3 - James Barrie, Karlsruhe, Markgraf August 22, 2006
Posted by Mark Gilmour in : Dive Reports, UK diving, Wreck Diving , add a commentWe awoke to the weather starting to turn but it was still OK for diving in the flow. Ian had decided he wasn’t bothered about diving a trawler and so Steve and I went in on this one. (more…)
Scapa Flow Trip Report Part 2 Brummer, Gobernador Bories, Kronprinz Wilhelm, Tarbarka August 21, 2006
Posted by Mark Gilmour in : Dive Reports, UK diving, Wreck Diving , add a commentSMS Brummer, Max Depth 34.1m, Dive time 61 minutes.
Dimensions: 460ft x 44ft x 19ft
Launched: December 1915 4,308 tons
Scuttled: 13:05 21/6/1919
The Wreck Today: The Wreck Today: The Brummer lies on her starboard side in a depth of around 36m, surface to hull is in the region of 20m, it is arguably the most impressive of the Light Cruisers. From the bow, finning aft the 5.9 inch gun looms up at you, passing along the barrel and over the protective shield, you reach the conning tower. The armoured command centre, with horizontal viewing slits. On top sits the gun control range finder. Beyond this lies the bridge and signal deck. The mid section is blasted out but the stern is intact, the officers accommodation and the 5.9inch guns are worthy of a mention. (more…)
Scapa Flow Trip Report Part 1 - The Journey August 15, 2006
Posted by Mark Gilmour in : Dive Reports, UK diving , 1 comment so farIt’s 698.8 miles driving direct from Romsey on the south coast of England to Scrabster on the north coast of Scotland. However take some friends and the trip is a little longer but a lot more fun. So I packed my kit into the car and trailer on Thursday evening ready for an early start on Friday morning. I left Romsey at 5am to get to North London for 6.30 to pick up Howard. After loading his stuff into the trailer and roof box we headed north to Derby to pick up Steve. Our timing was impeccable as we reached his place just as a full english breakfast was being served. Fully fed and trailer now full, we headed yet further north towards Preston where we picked up our final fellow “fun bus” member. Ian and Sue met us just off the motorway where we loaded all Ian’s gear in and the packed lunch Sue had prepared for us. By this time it was 1pm and our next stop was Scrabster, 8 hours later, well OK we did stop once for a change of driver and a wee break just short of Aviemore. (more…)
Just back from Scapa Flow August 13, 2006
Posted by Mark Gilmour in : UK diving, Wreck Diving , add a commentGot back from Scapa flow at 4am this morning having left Scrabster at 2pm yesterday afternoon. It was a very good week, if very different from the same trip last year. As last year we had booked a 7 day liveaboard on MV invincible, as the boat and Skipper are excellent and this proved to be a real bonus this week. The weather and the visibility was not as kind to us as last year, with the peak of the weather being on Wednesday with force 7/8 winds gusting to 50mph, but due to the nature of the flow and the boat we were on and the Skipper at the helm, we were able to dive every day.
We had a very eventful week and the diving was at times challenging but I thoroughly enjoyed it. As I sort out the individual dive reports I think it worthwhile to direct you to a thread on Yorkshire Divers where Garf, one of those on our trip has posted a very frank and thorough review of his very eventful dive on the Markgarf, one of the battleships resting upside down in 46m. His report highlights the dangers and hazards of wreck diving in the very dark UK conditions and I think is vital reading.
http://www.yorkshire-divers.com/forums/trip-reports/42362-trapped-alone-45m-fun-fun-fun.html
