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The following is a report on my first Doria trip, you must understand as you read these that I must look at these things in a different view, one as Capt. and one as diver.... All of those who went are invited to return again.... The first trip to the wreck "Andrea Doria" placed the dive vessel "Miss Lindsey" as the only vessel to do it all, the "Monitor", the Billy Mitchell Fleet, and now the 'Doria"..... no other dive vessel has done what I would call the big 3 of the east coast...... I had started planning the Doria trip over a year ago and as usual it is always a trip that everyone wants to be in on, but not do any work to make it happen. It was going to be just one trip for the VBtech guys so they could be on a boat they trusted and were comfortable with. Others heard of the trip and asked to set up other trips to make available for them and others divers who wanted to go. From the start I made it understood that if I had to work it, I would dictate how it would be done, who would get to go, and I would be on all the trips. I was very selective as to who went, I think I hurt some feelings as I denied them access to the trips. So on the short end, the first trip was very light, taking only 3 divers to the wreck. I was glad it was not full, it would give me the time to conduct a good mooring and a safe trip, to prepare for the next 2 trips that had more divers. I was lucky to have Pete Wohlleben on all 3 trips as a customer, with over 126 dives to the wreck I listened to his advise on the wreck, but in the end I think he learned a few things from me and left the boat impressed on how I did things. There is nothing like seeing something done to get the full picture, when you have been doing it wrong for so long. We left for the wreck in flat seas 11pm, a good forecast for at least 36hrs. The wreck which is over 100 miles from the mouth of the inlet at Montuak. We arrived at the wreck at around 6:30am, we marked the wreck on our bottom machine. I suited up for a free descent drop with my scooter to the wreck, a pre picked location had been made for the tie in and I would send up a lift bag to mark it. Rick Atkins would then bring down the mooring line when he descended down my lift bag line to that location. I would be waiting to help him secure it... The comment was made what if I missed the wreck, first I'm sure for those that have never done a free drop, it is a terrible thought to descend in a vast ocean on a deep dive and miss the wreck in low vis. I spent over 3 hrs on my first Doria trip while the boat I was on spent time trying to snag the top of the wreck and thought it a waste. I do not believe I can miss a wreck that is the size of the Doria 728ft long in any kind of vis. The call came DIVE DIVE DIVE, I jumped in using my scooter to tow me directly down, in less than a minute I was at 160ft and I started to inflate my wings, I should see the wreck soon it comes up to 190ft. At 170ft it came in sight, only 20ft of vis. I landed on the hull and saw a huge crack running from the top to bottom, I determined I was aft of midships and scootered fwd, once I found Gimbels hole (now a window) I headed for the tie in location and shot my bag as planned, then wrapped the reel around the exact tie in location, I waited for Rick to be dropped by the boat and come down my line. Within minutes he came into view, I took the line with chain and shackled it to the wreck, 19 minutes since I left the boat and we were done.... I started up for my deco and Rick asked to remain for a minute and look around, I let him, because he is who he is, better than most. I was on the boat before breakfast was ready and Pete was there to greet me and tell me that was "pretty impressive". Everyone did dives and I was content to help everyone, Rick and I were able to only do one real dive as we were working and that is why we there to work. We departed the wreck after 2 days, seas were building the forecast bad..... We placed a mooring ball on the line and headed for shore. We were pounded by 6-ft seas before we got back and it hadn't got bad yet.... JT Second trip later.... "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* -- Send mail for the `techdiver' mailing list to `techdiver@aquanaut.com'. Send subscribe/unsubscribe requests to `techdiver-request@aquanaut.com'.
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