Malin Dive trip 2011...the one that Scuba Steve missed!!!
 
I asked my erstwhile and diminutive dive buddy if he would like to accompany me to  the beautiful county of Donegal in Ireland  for 9 days diving from 15th to the 24th of August, back in the early part of the year when we dived at Babacombe together. To get on the trip he should have joined me on my Mixed gas course (tri-mix) in March; unfortunately he chose to fly off to Mexico to sun himself, drink tequila slammers and engage in some awesome diving in the Sonates
 
I joined a group of Irish divers on  the Sunday evening arriving at the Downings to join Michael McVeigh’s Rosguil; having travelled to Holyhead to catch the fast ferry across to Dublin and heading northwards to the tip of Donegal.
 
The logistics were organised by the lads from Ireland and consisted of
1 x J. Size of helium, 1 x J. of 02, 2 x 18 litres of  O2, Deep bail out at 70m and 50m, shallow bale out at 22m and 6m, twin set of 8% O2-70% Helium and
10-60, along with 2 x booster pumps and 2 x compressors. This was to be used to supply the divers with all the gas they would require for the 8 days of diving (it was so good we dived 9 days)
 
We all checked our gear and planned our bail out slates and cylinders for the first dive, spent some time (speaking to our luggage, as Stuart would have you believe) checking our rebreather’s  ready for our first dive. This was to be the Boniface known as the “copper wreck” from the copper ingots in carried as part of its cargo
 
I kind of knew what the sea conditions might be like from my trip last year so a sea-sick pill was taken as my first course of a “full Irish”  (big full fat breakfast to the uninitiated)
 
Last year I dived on open circuit tri-mix, this year I was now diving on closed circuit; having spent the last 12 months training and preparing for the trip. Which despite several build up dives being cancelled I was feeling ready for. Thanks to Kevin my technical instructor and dive buddy from TDI
 
 
Monday  15th August : Boniface @ 56m: 25 miles out:
Weather 15mph: Divers: Martin, Ger, Tony, Peter:
 
This was the first time that I had dived the wreck and was amazed at its massive cargo of “Toblerone” shaped bars of copper.  Like all of the Donegal wrecks the visibility is at around 30m + I‘m on the left and behind me you can see the cleaned out hold of the Boniface, salvaged in the 60‘s by a grab from the salvage vessel on the surface guided by a diver in a bell.
 
 
 
 
Tuesday 16th August : Empire Heritage @ 66m: 20 miles out.
Weather 25mph. (Worst weather of the Trip) Divers Tony, Martin, Ger, Peter.
 
that’s an understatement!!! whilst sitting on the bench the back of the vessel; attempting to hold on to my kit and side slung’s whilst being flung around wildly; I finally managed to kit up. At one point I looked up over the top of the cabin as we climbed a swell of around 4m the sky disappearing to be replaced with the oceanic blue water of the Western Approaches; the home to numerous wrecks of both world wars. After a bout of doubting my sanity being on the boat, my buddy offered to pull the dive echoing my unease at that precise moment. That was all I needed to reaffirm my commitment not to remain on the boat for another 3 hours trying to hold onto my breakfast (after all I had paid for it) So I promptly sat on the gunnels, plopped off heading down the shot for some peace and quiet.
 
Was it worth it ….yes an awesome spectacle of  Sherman tanks littering the wreck site, strewn around like Tonka toys.
 
 
 
Wednesday 17th August 11: Unknown wreck...@ 94m:  Veronica: 35 miles out :Weather 8mph; Divers: John, Rez, Martin, Tony, Ger, Peter
 
I got away first and came off the shot  at about 80m heading for the bow
Ger was on his scooter and managed to whiz past me on the starboard side; this was the first of the unknowns we were to dive over the next week or so. Amazingly John Malone found the bell at the stern under the shot just as he was about to leave the wreck, we were all on the shot going back up and watched in amazement as the bell drifted upwards into the sunlight past us.  
 
  
 
 
Thursday 18th August 11: Amazon @ 115m:
35 miles out: Weather 5mph: Divers: Tony, Martin, Ger, Rez, John, Peter.
 
This was the first dive that I had on this massive Mail liner, the conditions were like glass and it was one of those days where you know that it’s going to be a magical dive. The apprehension of the dive disappears as the wreck comes into view at around 70m.
Excerpt from Peters diary…” From then on it’s just a case of taking in the vastness of the whole wreck. I look off to my left and I see an upright wreck, where the whole side of the liner has collapsed inwards. I look down below a metre or two below and see Rez and John on the seabed. Off in the distance I see Ger, Martin and Tony“
 
Even at this depth you could see clearly although not in small detail without the  use of a torch. As I explored the wreck I passed by bathrooms now hanging vertically, their black and white diamond floor tiles and toilets still intact. The whole wreck is strewn with large square portholes from the upper decks and the thing that blows you away is the size of this ship its immense!
 
 
Friday 19th August : Audacious: @ 66m 15 miles out: Weather 15mph:
Divers Tony, Martin, Ger, Rez.
 
The Audacious was a battle cruiser of the king George V Class class, loaded with armour including 10 x 13.5” guns. Its  power was supplied by 18 boilers and it was capable of reaching 21 knots. It was on exercise  on the 27th October 1914, when it struck a German mine laid the night before off Malin head. The sinking was considered such a blow to morale that it was censored for over six months. The British government were so desperate to keep it secret that they interned the American passengers of the liner “Olympic” who stood by to rescue the crew, to prevent the story getting out; which as you would imagine displeased the American government.
 
I borrowed a scooter for this dive to try and travel some distance along the wreck, however this plan was flawed! On the surface prior to the dive Ger demonstrated the controls I clipped the scooter on and descended to the wreck; the thing that strikes you first is the size of  the vessel with sheer sides of heavily plated armour extending into the distance. The visibility was excellent  and Ger was on the side of the wreck beckoning me to join him, I squeezed the trigger and the scooter suddenly came into life only to fade away even quicker….the scooters battery was as flat as dab. I spent the remainder of the dive trailing behind Ger zipping all over the sea bed, with me lugging a large item of hand luggage around with me. We got to the bow section, lying broken off 50m to the side of the main wreck. Clearly visible were remnants of its deck planks, along with two ginofferous anchors and the razor point bow designed to slice through the water. Despite the workout I endured which may have helped to burn a few calories off, it was in few  words  “an awesome dive”
 
 
 
Saturday 20th August : Blowing hard and no dive
 
Phew !! After 5 days and nearly 400m of depth we were all secretly glad of the rough seas giving us a chance to rest, lie-in, late breakfast and a chance to explore the amazing local scenery. Not forgetting our daily ritual of filling and blending gas for the next dive. The weather for the rest of our trip is looking good J Michael the skipper says its been the best week of diving weather this year??
 
Sunday 21st August 11: Roscommon @ 72m: 35 miles out
Weather 15mph: Divers: Brian, Peter, Ger, Tony, Martin
 
This is a liberty ship carrying cargo to help pay our war debt for the second world war. It carried a cargo of utility china, glassware, linoleum (this looks like roman marble columns) and electrical insulators. Everyone had a good rummage around whilst I took the now fully charged scooter on a 45 minute tour of the site…..wheeeeeeeee, encompassing the engine room boilers stern and propellers, returning to the bow at the end of the dive.
 
Monday 22nd August : G63 Unknown @ 59m :33 miles out
Weather 3 mph. Divers: Ger, Tony, Gerry, Martin, Peter.
 
Upon dropping down onto the wreck, it was amazing to see the huge engines and the symmetrical steel frame in the distance. Coupled with a huge 450mm pipe that ran the full length of the wreck, it was soon apparent that this was an oil supply ship. Piston con rods that should be vertical now lie in a horizontal position. Although most of us spent around 45 mins on the wreck, her identity remains unknown. I had the scooter once more and got so carried away zapping around I got disorientated as the visibility was a bit poor on this dive 20m !! I managed to get back to the shot at my target time of 45 mins  with the scooter showing signs of being driven just a little to enthusiastically as it was starting to fade by now.
 
Tuesday 23rd August: CE54 Unknown @ 92m:
Weather 3 mph: Divers:  Martin, Rez, Ger, Tony, Peter
 
Prior to the dive, upon information received from Michael, we were fairly confident that this was a sub. If it was WW1, there would be a high possibility that it was the sub that sunk the Justicia. At 75m, the thin outline of a submarine came into view. She was lying slightly to her starboard side, with a small conning tower, which had the hatch open. Was  this a WW1 sub, as its whole appearance was similar to that of the U89. With a lot of the outer plating removed from the outer deck, it was quite easy to see the 4 ballast tanks, which are similar to the U89. There was no gun so this could have been a “Deadlight Sub”; A German Sub towed out and sunk in deep water by the British after the second world war.
 
 
 
 
 
Wednesday 24th August: Amazon @ 116m: 35 miles out
Weather 1mph: Divers:  Martin, Rez, Ger, Tony, Peter
 
As the weather was amazing with flat seas and sunshine we decided to re-visit the Amazon for the finale of our trip. As we sailed out to further investigate this “Mother of Wrecks” we all were all aware of the huge decompression obligations that confronted us if we did not achieve our objectives. The difference between a 15 min run time and a 20 minute run time was an extra hour on the bar. A few minutes before the dive Ger was carrying out his final checks; it soon became apparent that his unit would not be diveable. There would just be three of us for the final dive. A tough and disappointing call but definitely the right one. 5 mins after entering the water, we were back on the same location where we had been some days earlier. Each of us was like a child in a sweetshop. It was impossible to decide which area was the most interesting as there was just so much to see in every direction. It’s the vastness of this intact and so easy to navigate wreck that makes it breathtaking. 24 mins after we enter the water, I am back on the shot. First stop is at  82m. Looking down I can clearly see Rez and Peter moving over the wreck heading back to the shot, their torch beams illuminating the wreck with shafts of light.  3.5 hrs later we get out of the water. This was a fitting conclusion to a Tec Trip in Donegal and there can be no better wreck to finish it off with other than a dive on the Amazon.