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Since this is one dive Capt. JT missed, I'll give the report. We departed on
the Miss Lindsey at 06:00 Mon, July17 to the Eureka (depth 117 ft). The 4
hour trip to the wreck was pleasant with flat seas and sunny warm weather.
The Eureka is a coastal freighter that went down in a storm in 1888.
She carried general merchandise bound for New York City. Capt. Charlie
Salle' put us right on the anchor just aft of the bow on the port side. Vis
was 40 to 45ft with a balmy 49 degree bottom temp. The gang had various
missions in mind. Some went digging for artifacts. Several porcelain doll
heads, arms and legs were found. Mike Fantone found a particularly large
doll leg with shoe that was promptly "stolen" by Brooks Pace. Tom Adams
found a whole case of what appears to be brass door locks and hardware.
Others found bullets, lead ingots, glass door knobs and other remnants of
the 19th century. The" bug hunters" did well too. Kieth Aldredge got the
prize for the largest (41/2 lb.) lobster and the" explorers" were visited by
a large school of amberjacks, jack crevelle and sea bass. Brian Hadley &
Rick Amos were startled by a large ocean sun fish who came by to investigate
the hole they were digging in.
On the return we were treated to an air show by a single U.S Navy f-18
hornet who the proceeded to buzz our boat scaring the Capt right out of his
seat in the wheelhouse.
All in all this was a great day of diving off Va.. Beach
Ike
-----Original Message-----
From: Capt JT <captjt@mi*.co*>
To: techdiver@aquanaut.com <techdiver@aquanaut.com>
Cc: vbtech@ci*.co* <vbtech@ci*.co*>
Date: Tuesday, July 18, 2000 2:00 AM
Subject: Trip report
>Hi all
>I have not posted many trip reports lately, but since we have a special
>trip going to the "Mexicana" in August , I will post this one because that
>is where we went this past weekend.
>
>WE departed the dock at 9:30pm on Saturday on the dive boat "Miss Lindsey"
>to dive the "Mexicana" depth 140ft. We also plan to do a night on the way
>there and the 4A drydock was chosen, the depth of this was 72 ft and I have
>no details of the site, but believe it to be artificial.
>
>We got to the site at just before 11pm, several of our quest chose not to
>do this dive as they had already settled into their bunks for the night,
>"BIG MISTAKE" , those that dived were treated to 40 ft vis which is unheard
>of on that site most of the time, not to even mention the lobsters that
>they got, some had never got one before, so they were a happy bunch. Mike
>Hiller (owner of LDC) recovered one of the brass lights with glass intact.
>I did not dive that site, I had other plans!
>
>We arrived at the "Mexicana" at around 3am, it is 60 miles to the wreck and
>worth every mile to get there. My plan was to dive it as soon as we got
>there, which I did, Capt Mike Hiller hooked the wreck and in I went to do
>the "tie in" as everyone slept Capt Mike and one mate stayed up to monitor
>my dive. I do not recommend the solo dives like I do, at night they can be
>very stressful and 140ft can produce a significant amount of required deco.
>
>I entered the water with scooter and followed along the anchor line, the
>temp was a warm 71 until I reached 62 ft, there the temp dropped to 59, at
>100 ft it went to 51. I completed my task of the tie in and attached a tank
>light to the anchor, our strobe light had burned out on the first dive, vis
>was an clear 80ft.
>
>The wreck sits on her keel and is around I think 300ft long. The bow is
>broken off and laying on her port side, The boilers are exposed as the
>shell plating has fallen to make easy access to them in this area. Much of
>the decking is gone to expose the beams and frames of the deck. Easy cargo
>holes to go into( which I did and have done before), but I have been unable
>to recover anything in them. The "Aft Helm" still is in place but only half
>of it and is made of steel and wood.
>
>I scootered along the STBD side, we were hooked in at STBD AFT. There were
>several seabass sleeping for the night and they did not care too much for
>me waking them up. I did a sharp turn around the bow ran right into a net
>that is hung on the wreck and suspended with float balls, almost all our
>wrecks have those on them. I did not become tangled in it and it was only a
>wake up call to be more careful, I was alone, there would be no one to help
>me should I need it.
>
>I scootered back along the port side and around the stern until back at the
>tie in, 24 mins had past. I drop into the cargo hole and took a look for a
>couple mins and headed up. At 60ft I saw something in the corner of my eye,
>I shined my light to see what it was and then startled by a school of large
>amberjacks. I have caught sharks in the area in excess of 800lbs and lost
>bigger ones( look in the fish gallery of my site), so it weights in the
>back of your mind. During my 30ft stop I could still see the light I put on
>the anchor light which was at 110ft. The deck lights from around the "Miss
>Lindsey" had the water lite up to 30ft deep and a 60ft radius. I could see
>something very large moving just out of the light, it was no school of
>amberjack. Slow moving and seem to be staying at the same distance away. I
>kept checking my time hoping to hurry and get out of the water, I did not
>like the feeling I was getting. I was looking at my BT when it made its
>move to me and I looked up at a very large sea turtle coming right at me, I
>really think I scared him more than he did me when I put my light on him.I
>completed my deco and got on the boat to sleep for a bit.
>
>By morning everyone was talking and preparing to dive, seas were slick
>2-3ft rollers and brite
>sunshine. Breakfast of eggs, toast, and link sausage was served by our
>mate Becky.If you don't get seasick, you will gain weight if dive on the
>"Miss Lindsey" alot.
>
>Everyone completed their first dive, but not without a little excitement.
>Tom Adams who is one of the few who dives as much as me, had an up close
>talk with that same net I had avoided, had it not been for his dive buddy
>Debbie Evans he may not have gotten out of it.
>Good job "Debbie"!
>
>Capt Mike Hiller ( also known as Big Mike) had speared an amberjack to cook
>for lunch, while snorkeling. So it was hot dogs, hamburgers, and fish for
>lunch. I had plan to do my second dive and started down the anchor line
>only to reach the bottom and see just nothing but sand, the shackle had
>broken we were not in the wreck anymore, no other divers were in the water
>at this time, just me.
>
>I came up and informed everyone and we rehooked the wreck and I went down
>tied in and did my dive. Everyone came in just behind me and in a short
>time we were headed home from a great dive.
>
>I will have a few photos on my site in a few days of this trip.
>
>JT
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>"You can't learn to dive on the net, sooner or later you have to get in the
>water"
>Your Guide to Great Wreck Diving along the East Coast & more
> Web Site http://www.capt-jt.com/
>Email captjt@mi*.co*
>
>
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