Ramillies wreckage lies off some big sea cave in rock. Scattered and worn pieces of wreck around and about (perhaps!) at 10m. Vis 0.5m. Cold/kelpy.
Separated from Geoff after a minute or so. Vis so poor I sent up the blob and surfaced. Then BC wouldn't stay fully inflated [checked and is ok]. Plenty of air (and wearing an inflatable suit!) so didn't need to ditch weight.
JEL seemed much more open in places than I remember; though plenty of hull plate and deck beams still standing, and the bow intact. Had a good look round swimming through the wreck. Crates of small rings (wheel rims?), poles/pipes, girders and ironmongery, large bucket things; and found a few of the spoked iron wheels - very scenic with lots of hydroids.
Flat calm and cloudless on way out. Wind got up later, clouded over, and was quite lumpy coming back especially around Penlee point.
Dave and I went in and had a good dive; stopped at the bow briefly, then around the decks, along to the hanger and back, looking in some of the holes and hatches, poking around generally. There were lots of anemones and starfish, bass, pollack, wrasse, and a tompot blenny.
In the afternoon Adrian and I boathandled taking Chris and Debbie, and Geoff M and Sara out to the Scylla; and they all had good dives I think. Most of the other boats were now on the James Eagan Layne, the sun had come out and it was quite nice. I didn't ram any other vessels or maim anyone, so that was nice as well.
We got to Thurlstone and the car park at Milton Sands for ~9 and caught up with Geoff and Derek. Weather fine and sunny, ENE and ~10mph. Sea flat calm and vis looked great.
Geoff and Abigail dived together, and I went in with Derek. We set off from the corner of the beach snorkelling over to the front of the rocks. Eventually I located some frames and then one of the boilers. We went down and had a look around these. Nice lobster (perhaps the 'OAP' the parking attendant told me about later), and a great little clump of fan worms. I managed to scare the worms, but they came back out so I think Derek did eventually get his picture. One of the boiler pipes had 4-5 leopard spot gobies inside. Wrasse were everywhere, and bib beneath the metal work [Abigail saw a John Dory].
There's an interesting criss-cross structure; not sure what this is. And we looked around a few more big pieces and along the propshaft and then, after about an hour, decided to head back to the shore and look around the reefy bits on the way. Nice and light, plenty of colour and bright clean sandy patches. Lots of tiny prawns. Halfway, I found another lobster and lost Derek. I had a look round for him and sent a blob up. And that was about it. Short surface swim back in.
Zodiac again through reef to the Kimon M, also known as the 'Lentil Wreck'. One of the biggest we dived I think; a fairly modern wreck - built in 1952, and ran aground here 1975.
Impressive hull, stern section (prop and vanes). Pipefish on the hull. Up and around bridge, where we saw a big napoleon wrasse. Went around the upper decks (some nice purple soft corals), getting into deco so kept shallow. Very little current. Had a look at the reef on ascent. Left the reef for final ascent on blob.
Zodiac ride out though gap in reef. Splashing in was a bundle and there were a few knocks, though everyone did roll off at the same time. On the bottom it was a little dark and melancholic (still early in the day) but a great wreck.
Little striped partner gobies (they live with a prawn) in the sand near the stern. We went up through wreck, though not much to see within; then over the big gap between the stern and bow sections, and over the bow. Good views over the hull and we stood off the bows and I took a few pictures. Very pleasant dive; safety stop over the wreck passed quickly, current almost nil.
Then in the afternoon we dived it. Nice relaxed dive. Adrian and me jumped off back of Typhoon and went straight down to the stern (attractive stern counter) and propeller. Then swam alongside and then back through holds. Out from wreck on starboard side to swim along the reef. There is a lone propeller that side - though higher on the reef. Anyway Adrian had stopped to investigate a very large rectangular block, and while he was looking at that, I spotted a turtle swimming in our direction, and Mike further up. I got Adrian and we had a closer look. The turtle seemed oblivious to us as it munched on soft coral. We watched for a while (we thought better of grabbing it and riding it around - like the guy does in 'Silent World') then swam back to the wreck.
Kingston was shallow and picturesque, ideal for Mike's students to practice their new camera skills. Lots of interesting fish and nice coral. Red starfish with white dots.
Plenty of wildlife, batfish, lionfish, crocodilefish, cornetfish, yellow spotted boxfish and a blue spotted stingray. Also some delicate transparent jellyfish.
Went around fore-decks, rail-tanks. Saw Chris and Debs. Lots of divers later arrived in groups from the other liveaboards. [9 min @ 6m].
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Current a lot stronger on the second dive. Went over starboard side to anchor chain and followed it, over reefy boulders and sandy patches, out to the anchor. On the starboard side we passed the second locomotive, and then veered back to the ship and up the side. Had a look round some more rooms and found the bathtub.
Very nice wreck, upturned hull very encrusted with coral and with lots of soft coral around the gap in the bow. Lots coral feeding. Descent over reef and swim along bottom alongside wreck to the stern. Swam around the propeller and rudder. Then over top and through forward section past boilers.
Re: kit. Weight fine, 10kg good guess with all new factors (would drop to 9kg). 2x12l (aluminium), 3mm long-john type suit and rash-vest. Long time since I'd used the long-johns; and realise now how easy they are to get in an out of!
