Virginia Beach, Deep Explorer - July 25 -
26, 1998
The charter started off during the planning last winter as
a Miss Lindsey overnight to the Benson and York. The boat wound
up in Hatteras for a Monitor week for Terry Tysal. That gave
us the weekend open with a lingering desire to dive the Benson
and York, with maybe a little Mexicana too. We knew that John
Conway had been working on his new boat and heard that he had
it running. He agreed to the charter and so it came that on Friday
night, July 25 we were in Virginia Beach looking for the Wreck
Master. Ron and I had out trailers full, despite the weather,
which was strange. A cold front had sagged through the area and
was lingering over Hatteras where all storms seem to start, end
or linger.
We loaded three sets of tanks for the six of us plus the compressor
and John had his grill and portable generator. It's a big boat
with lots of head room. We brought enough food to get us to Key
West and with the compressor we were not limited.
Once in the marina we looked and looked for the boat finally
asking a more than willing local that was probably curious about
the parade of motor homes and trailers- one of which looked as
if it had horses in it. When we told him that we were looking
for the Wreck Master, he gave us one of those looks like 'well
that explains it, and the horses too'. The boat was where he
pointed and sure enough we couldn't miss it, as it stands tall.
John did a fine job, although it doesn't look like the high price
spread out of Egg Harbor. However, for diving comfort it is unique.
It reminded me of those days on the Pirate with James.
We left shortly after 1 AM with John at the helm and the six
of us cutting Z's in the bunks waay dooown below. It was a nice
ride, but about dawn we were called to the bridge. I hustled
up the two flights of stairs to the roomy bridge where John sat
at the wheel. It was starting to blow and the reports were far
worse ahead and plans for it to switch NE meaning a sloppy trip
home if we were off shore. Hell, we were solidly in North Carolina
and almost to the York with the Benson just off shore. We agreed
with John and did a 180 heading for the Chinango which none of
us had dove before. Soon it was calm again and we were hooked
in the Chinango. Like a dumbbell, I decided to tour the wreck
and left everything except a light on the boat and the decision
did not result from seasickness. The wreck was great. I soon
found the boilers and a big lobster, but no bag to put him in.
Returning to the anchor I waited until I was sure every one was
up before I untied it with one hand. However, I couldn't but
help notice that the line was much tighter than it had been when
I got down and it was jerking a lot. I did the one hand rope
tick while clutching the 3.6 lb lobster like a boot ball tucked
up under my arm. I did my brief hang in the center of the jerry
(travel) line where I felt like a sea anchor being dragged alone.
The anchor had pulled out and we were booking. It sure wasn't
like that when we went in. I was pulling myself against the current
with one hand and the lobster pinching everything I had and the
jerry line too. Last time I dove without catch bags we went to
the Twin Wrecks with Norm Johansen in his 21 foot Burtram and
got 35 lbs of lobsters.
John wasted no time in getting under way and Ron wasted no
time firing up the galley (kitchen) for a good lunch while we
headed to a wooden wreck. The weather got real nice again and
we had a fun (and long) dive on the wooden wreck now known as
the "Fire Wreck". Well, it did have boiler with fire
bricks and coal every where. Someone said they found burnt wood
and other burnt things on it - so the name. I kept thinking that
it just didn't seem like good sense to build a hot fire in a
wooden sailing ship.
Again Ron and Penny cooked dinner. I can't remember which
was which was lunch or dinner, but we had hamburgers and hot
dogs on the grill and spigot with spicy Italian sausage. While
dinner was prepared, we set up the compressor and filled a round
of tanks. We ate well and were in no hurry to go anywhere, although
we knew the crappy weather was not far away.
When it was plenty dark, we went on a night dive to the second
wooden wreck in 70 fsw. There were a fair number of fish, but
no lobsters. It just wasn't cold enough, but there were a lot
of other fun things to see and the visibility was outstanding.
We had a strobe, as well as the new anchor beacon on the chain
and it was visible for as far as I cared to go. A very comfortable
dive. It had been almost a year since I'd done a night wreck
dive (Honduras reefs not considered). I also got a nice Tautog.
The story is that it attacked Matt in the darkness and in the
course of defending himself the fish was injured. I tracked it
down and bagged it. I felt bad about it, but I wasn't the one
that injured it.
To make up to Mother Nature I released a large bass pot full
of fish, crabs and shells. The pot was laying on the bottom with
a 5 foot dead end line and snap ring with no way for the owner
to recover it. For a brief second I thought of getting some of
the fish, but then I though of the hell they must have gone through
crammed in that wire cage for many days or weeks with all those
freaked out ells and boring crabs.
It had been a 22 hour day with three fun dives and crummy
weather forecast for Sunday, which was only two hours away. When
John offered us the choice of going in or staying out, we choose
the dock. It was a good thing that we chose the dock as Sunday
turned NE and blew. We got as far as Cape Henry when John too
chose the dock. Upon reaching the dock no one said a word about
unloading or whatever. It was nap time - and a fine nap in the
rain and wind it was.
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