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Departing aboard GAUNTLET from Hyannis, MA - CAPE COD WRECKS - AUGUST 2007 |
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NORTHERN ATLANTIC DIVE EXPEDITIONS, INC.
CAPE COD WRECKS 2007
Friday August 10 – NAUSET BARGES – $175
Saturday August 11 – ARANSAS – $140
Sunday August 12 – HORATIO HALL – $125 NAUSET BARGES
Take a tour through history and the "Battle of Orleans"
off Nauset Beach!
The Lansford drifted for several days before sinking in approximately 110 feet of water a few miles from the other barges. The other 3 steel barges, also known as the "Nauset Barges", sit upright in approximately 110 feet of water.
Details: Friday, August 10, 2007 The Nauset Barges are approximately 38 miles from Hyannis, MA. Departure time: 6:30 AM Return time: ~5 pm Two dives, with lunch included Cost $175 per diver
ARANSAS
Details :Saturday, August 11, 2007 The Aransas is approximately 27 miles from Hyannis, MA. Departure time: 5:30 AM Return time: ~6 pm Two dives – one each at AM and PM slacks, with lunch included (slacks 8:42 am and 2:43 pm) Cost $140 per diver
HORATIO HALL
Details: Sunday August 12, 2007 The Horatio Hall is approximately 24 miles from Hyannis, MA. Departure time: 6:00 AM Return time: ~1 pm One dive – one dive at AM slack (slack 9:33 am) Cost $125 per diver
Trip Details and Information: Diving off Cape Cod is both fun and challenging. Divers should not assume these are simple dives because of the shallow depths compared to our usual diving in Massachusetts Bay. Many of the wrecks are debris fields and are exposed to extreme currents that can reach and exceed 2 knots. Dives to the Chatham/Monomoy Island wrecks are done around slack water for this reason. There will be current to deal with nevertheless since slack windows are short and depending on the nature of the slack window, it may be more like "slow water" as opposed to true slack water. Fog and changing conditions are common off the Cape. Similarly there is a lot of boat traffic, especially in the area around Pollack Rip Shoals, where many of the Monomoy Island wrecks are found. For these reasons, drift diving will not be done and all divers must have the following equipment: safety sausage reel whistle or dive alert Each trip is limited to 6 passengers plus crew. All divers must have a minimum of Advanced Open Water certification and experience diving in high current.
GAUNTLET will depart each day from Hyannis Marina in Hyannis, MA: http://www.hyannismarina.com. Parking at the marina is available for $10 per day per car.
Details and driving directions to the marina/boat will be provided shortly before the trip. Sleeping on or loading the boat the afternoon/evening prior to a trip is not permitted without permission in advance of the trip.
A credit card is required to hold your spot. Cancellations are not permitted without full payment. If you must cancel, you may be able to replace your spot with a qualified diver when and if the trip reaches "full" status.
In the event of a cancellation due to weather, you will be refunded the total amount of the charter less a $40 deposit to cover fuel and dockage. We may waive this requirement if we are able to run the majority of our trips. If the boat has not left Salem, MA at the time of cancellation, you will receive a full refund.
All divers must complete liability release waivers. Divers must have appropriate certification and experience for dives listed here. See Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions/GAUNTLET policies for more information.
Download the PDF version of the trip!
Contact Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions to make a reservation (617) 480-5261 or email info@northernatlanticdive.com
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On
July 21, 1918 the WWI German u-boat U-156 fired and sank 4 barges under
tow by the tug Perth Amboy. On board the 140-foot-long iron tug, the
wooden coal barge Lansford, and 3 steel barges #403, #740 and #766
carrying granite cobblestones were 32 people, including the captains'
wives and children. The tug released the barges and escaped, but the
u-boat proceeded to sink the 4 barges. Rescuers from the Chatham Coast
Guard Station rowed lifeboats directly into the heart of the shelling
and heroically rescued everyone. Before the U-boat finally submerged and
disappeared, nearly 800 people had witnessed what local historians later
dubbed the "Battle of Orleans." This marked the first time the U.S.
mainland had been attacked since the War of 1812 and the only attack on
U.S. soil during World War I.
The
Aransas was a 241 ft long, 1156 gross ton passenger steamer owned by the
Joy Line. The Aransas sunk due to a collision with the schooner barge
Glendower on May 7. 1905. She carried an extensive cargo of brass at the
time of her sinking – and is known as an artifact producing wreck! Like
the Horatio Hall, the wreck was wire dragged since it was considered a
hazard to navigation. Today the Aransas sits in 65 feet of water on a
white sand bottom off Chatham, MA. Currents are extremely strong in this
area and therefore dives on the Aransas are done at slack water.
The
steamship Horatio Hall was built in Chester, Pennsylvania in 1898. She
was 297 feet long and displaced 3168 gross tons. On March 10, 1909 the
Horatio Hall was en-route from Portland to New York with passengers and
cargo when she collided with the H.F. Dimock in heavy fog. With a heavy
blow to the portside, the Horatio Hall was disabled and drifted onto
Pollock Rip Shoals. While storms eventually pushed the steamer into deep
water the wreck was clam-shelled so as not to cause a hazard to
navigation. Today the Horatio Hall scattered sits in approximately 35-40
feet of water, much like the SS Romance off Boston. However, visibility
is much better (~40-50 ft). Currents are extremely strong in this area
and therefore dives on the Horatio Hall are done at slack.