Maine and Shippen Rock, Hope Cove

Back at Hope Cove first thing Sunday morning we were delighted to discover that the wind had dropped right off and that it was still sunny. It was an early start to make the slack water required to dive the Maine, a British cargo steamer full of horsehair, goatskins, and chalk, torpedoed by a U-Boat in 1917. A classic wreck and the favourite of many I was very excited to be diving it! I was buddied with Phil; also diving were Chris and Debbie, and Terry and Peter C. Clint boathandled.

Down the shot into the current and murk, and past the fuzzy dark bulk of the bow to the sandy bottom I soon relaxed (in fact I was far more relaxed than I thought I might be on this, my deepest dive so far and a new wreck).

The Maine was superb! Reasonably intact, upright and on an even keel; she is very interesting and has lots to explore, and beautifully encrusted. There also plenty of life on her; we saw pollack, wrasse, and found a lobster. There were lots of soft corals, various sponges, plumose anemones (very nice pink and white ones), jewel anemones etc. The vis was perhaps about 10m and it was sunny and light at deck level.

Phil's tour took us from the shot to the portside of the bow along the seabed, to the holed section, then up over wreckage onto the main deck and over the framing girders. We took our time over the deck, and I took a few pictures. We arrived at some upstanding metalwork where we found a big fat conger resting amongst some pipes. We then swam through some structure to get to the stern and had a quick look around. The return was made along the starboard side, where I enjoyed swimming along the edge looking down over the sides. Where the crankshaft (?) was, near an intact bulkhead, we crossed back to the port side. Above the rear facing opening of the bow section we could see Chris's and Debbie's torches playing within as we carried on to the pointy end and over to the shot.

The ascent was smooth and steady and deco passed pleasantly in the sun watching the effervescent, and the silvery UFO-bubbles of the divers below wobble their way to the surface.

After some kit sorting, and time on the beach for a little rest and seeing the second wave launched, Peter W, Geoff H, Lucy, and Abigail, readied for a training dive from the shore. Nik and I prepared for a dive around the Shippen; and Gary and Rachel went snorkelling. Vis was very good and it was a very pleasant dive (away from the rocks and the rebounding surge). We were mainly over the intertidal zone but the scenery, with the sun over the weedy outcroppings was very nice. Shanny skipped about on the shallowest rocks, sprats shoaled, and here and there below the masses of kelp and thongweed were ballan wrasse, spiny starfish, and fan-worms. When Nik got low(er) on air - she still had enough for 2 or 3 more dives ;)! - we ascended for the short surface swim/snorkel back to the beach.

I was really 'chuffed' with three very different, very wonderful dives. The weekend was perfect - great weather, great diving, great buddies. I was very grateful to Derek for organising, and boathandlers and towers, and everyone else who made it happen, and Yasmin for that early start on Sunday!!