The President s Corner by Mel Rich, Jr.

Transcription

1 FAIRFIELD COUNTY DIVING ASSOCIATION May 2003 Volume 10 Issue 5 Inside this Issue The President s Corner by Mel Rich, Jr. page 1 April Meeting Raffle Winners page 2 Annual FCDA Underwater Easter Egg Hunt/Beach Cleanup page 2 New FCDA Members page 2 Events of Interest to FCDA Members page 3 Bound & Gagged page 3 Shipwreck in the Gulf Clings Tenaciously to its Mysteries by Kenneth Chang pages 4, 5, 6, 7 FCDA Member Ads page 4 Annual FCDA Kick Off the Season Clambake page 5 FCDA Donors pages 6, 7. 8, 9 Wreck May Be Remains of Confederate Ironclad by Associated Press pages 8, 9 Upcoming FCDA Events page 10 The President s Corner by Mel Rich, Jr. First a big thanks to Captain Bill Palmer for both an educational and entertaining evening. His presentation 'Filming Of a New England Shark Cage Adventure' was enjoyed by all in our packed house. It was as shown on Animals Everywhere that aired last fall in the central Connecticut market. All thumbs up! Bill has done an excellent job outfitting his boat (Thunderfish) for these shark cage adventures. Namely his custom built shark cage. Designed by the cappy himself it can keep out the biggest and smallest of sharks. Yes, those pups can be quite the nippers! That's the reason for the bars being closer together in his design. But before you launch that several thousand dollar piece of welded aluminum art into to the drink you've gotta find the sharks! That's where Bill's intimate knowledge of the ocean off Rhode Island gives him the edge - makes him the stuff of legend even if only in his own mind. More often that not he finds the fish! His special offerings of mako munch and monster mash entices our toothy friends. During those sometimes lengthy waits for our dinner guests there's onboard entertainment. Solicited or not Bill always manages to recall a story or two for your enjoyment. You can be part of this adventure on Saturday, July 12 aboard the Thunderfish. This can is your passport to adventure! If you're not up for that much of an adventure here's one for all to enjoy. You don't even have to be certified! All in absolute comfort and not a chance of being seasick. It's at our cottage on the beach Friday May 30 at 8pm. "Come To The Movies" and enjoy a private showing of "Aliens of the Sea" This multi award winning film was shot over a two year period around the spectacular coastline of Australia. From the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, to Exmouth in Western Australia, Sydney Harbor, Botany Bay and Kangaroo off South Australia you'll see the magnificent marine life that abounds off this island continent. This combined with a superb music track by Gordon Reid it's sure to be terrific! And with all the tasty snacks including popcorn you can enjoy a cold beer or glass of wine. Believe me there's no other theater that will give you a private showing and serve beer and wine. No admission charge either! See you there!

2 April Meeting Raffle Winners Page 2 After a fascinating video presentation on Filming of a New England Shark Cage Adventure by Captain Bill Palmer, we held our regular monthly raffle to support our DAN sponsorship. Winners in our DAN raffle were: Dive Console Bag donated by Ski and Scuba Connection Terry Smith; Dive Mask Pocket donated by New England Dive Center - Steve Ziobrowski, All Weather Blast Light donated by Orbit Marine - Dan Stark; an autographed copy of Upon the Face of the Waters donated by Steve Ziobrowski - Don Brown; Trident Electric Light Stick donated by Orbit Marine - Ben Danielczuk; Save a Dive Kit donated by Ski and Scuba Connection- Mel Rich, Jr; Sport Back Pack donated by Ski and Scuba Connection - Nick Ricciardelli; Akona Dive Mask donated by New England Dive Center - Jim Greenwald and a Hammerhead Dive Alert donated by Orbit Marine - Mike Gentile. Special thanks to those who donated prizes for this meeting to help support our DAN Raffle: Orbit Marine Sports Center, Ski and Scuba Connection, New England Dive Center, Captain Saam s Scuba School and Steve Ziobrowski. Remember, you can t win if you don t buy tickets and you can t buy tickets if you don t come to FCDA events and meetings! Annual FCDA Underwater Easter Egg Hunt/Beach Cleanup P.O. Box 3005, Fairfield, CT Internet mail: fcda@aol.com President Vice-President Secretary Treasurer 2003 Board Mel L. Rich, Jr. Mike Husvar Patricia K. Franz Paul J. Gacek After a wet dreary Saturday, Sunday dawned a bright and sunny day for our FCDA Annual Underwater Easter Egg Hunt/Beach Cleanup Two hardy souls actually got into the water - Mike Gentile and Steve Ziobrowski while the remainder of the crowd hung around waiting for the cookout to begin! Each diver received a quantity of tickets for our raffle. In addition to our standard fare of hot dogs and hamburgers we had chili by Mel Rich, baked beans by Pat Franz, potato salad by Mike Husvar, macaroni salad by Paul Gacek and dessert by Jody Brown. After our feeding frenzy we held our regular raffle to support our DAN sponsorship. Winners were: Diving for Dummies donated by Jim Anderson - Ken Franz; Lazer Stick Light donated by Jim Anderson - Pat Franz; Yoke Light donated by Mike Husvar - Mike Gentile; DUI Sweatshirt donated by Ski and Scuba Connection - Mike Gentile; Sea Drops donated by New England Dive Center - Mike Husvar and a Travel Wallet donated by New England Dive Center - Steve Ziobrowski. Special thanks to those who donated prizes for this event to help support our DAN Raffle: Jim Anderson, Mike Husvar, Ski and Scuba Connection and New England Dive Center. Remember, you can t win if you don t buy tickets and you can t buy tickets if you don t come to FCDA events and meetings! New FCDA Members Welcome aboard to the following individuals who have recently joined the Fairfield County Diving Association: Colleen Lewit 22 Heather Road Monroe, CT H: (203) W: (800) Jeff Susa 17 1/2 Hale Street Westport, CT H: (203) W: (203) Michael Gentile 1073 North Benson Rd Box 1436 Fairfield, CT H: (203) Dan Stark 15 East Gate Road Danbury, CT H: (203)

3 Page 3 Events of Interest to FCDA Members DATE June 7, 2003 July 12, 2003 July 19, 2003 EVENT Annual FCDA Kick off the Season Clambake - 7:00 PM. Catered by Swanson's Fish Market. Advance reservations required. Clams on the half shell, Steamers, Lobster. Potato, Corn on the cob, Cole slaw, Dinner roll, Dessert, Beer, Wine, Soda. (Also available by special order - Chicken or Steak - prepayment required!) Early Bird Special by Mail - Pay by May 31st (Postmark on envelope) - $25.00 each. After May 31st - call Pat Franz at (203) for reservations - $30.00 each. Shark Cage Charter aboard the Thunderfish. For more information, call Mel Rich Jr (203) Orbit Diver Charter-Dive Site to be voted on that morning. Afternoon dive 1pm followed by cocktails and dive stories at Captain' Cove. For more information, call Mel Rich Jr at (203) September 20- Cape Ann Weekend. Great getaway weekend! In addition to diving, there's 21, 2003 canoeing, whale watching and shopping topped off with cocktails by the campfire. For more infomation, call Mel Rich Jr, at (203) or DiverMel@aol.com. August 2, 2003 "Caribbean Night" - 7:00 PM. Fayerweather Yacht Club. Save the date! October 19, 2003 Annual FCDA Underwater Pumpkin Carving/Beach Cleanup - 10:00 AM - Registration (High Tide - 11:11 AM), 11:00 AM - Dive, 12:00 NN Cookout. Donations of salads and desserts welcome. For more information, call Pat Franz at (203) December 6, 2003 Annual FCDA Christmas/Hanukah Party - 7:00 PM. Fayerweather Yacht Club. Save the date! Bound & Gagged

4 Shipwreck in the Gulf Clings Tenaciously to its Mysteries by Kenneth Chang Page 4 ABOARD THE RYLAN T, off Louisiana Those who believe in ghosts might conclude that those aboard a shipwreck at the bottom of the Gulf of Mexico do not want to be disturbed. For nearly two centuries, the ship has lain under a half-mile of water, forgotten until ExxonMobil, by infinitesimal chance, bisected it with an oil pipeline two years ago. Marine archaeologists at Texas A&M University saw it as an opportunity to use undersea technology to uncover maritime history. With robotic submarines able to dive thousands of feet, the treasures of shipwrecks are now well within reach. The Gulf of Mexico wreck, a 65-foot-long wood sailing ship that appears to date from the early 1800's, would be the first one explored by archaeologists in deep waters off the United States coast. Last year, the Navy contributed its nuclear research submarine to the effort. Brett A. Phaneuf, the Texas A&M scientist who is coordinating the expedition, was confident that he would put a name and history to the shipwreck by the end of last summer. Mr. Phaneuf (pronounced FAN-if) still says he will unearth its identity. But he also talks jokingly of the curse of the wreck. "There's bad voodoo out here," he said. "Everything that can go wrong has." In mid-january, Mr. Phaneuf was back on the water for a third attempt to bring up artifacts porcelain, pieces of metal, something that could tell its origin and age. If he had been lucky, he might have even picked up something with the ship's name on it. On this trip, Deep Marine Technology Inc. of Houston, which carries out underwater work for oil companies, offered the use of its ship, equipment and crew. The ship, the Rylan T, arrived at the site 30 miles from the mouth of the Mississippi late on Jan. 14. The crew immediately began preparing the robotic submarine for the first dive. "I'm getting stoked," Mr. Phaneuf said. At 11:52 p.m., the sub splashed into the water. Not much bigger than a riding lawnmower, the sub remains attached to the ship by essentially a very long extension cord a 5,000-foot electricitycarrying cable. When it approaches the bottom, the craft disengages from a docking station at the end of the cable and flies around on a leash up to 300 feet long. Watching a video monitor, Mr. Phaneuf counted down the distance to the wreck, as the rover descended at 100 feet a minute. A half-hour later, the gremlins appeared. The hydraulic system in the docking station, which draws the leash in and out, balked. The project manager for Deep Marine, Mark C. G. Stiger, yanked the sub up and down like a yo-yo, trying to tighten the leash. Glitches also infiltrated the electronics. Whenever the thrusters fired, the video monitor in the control room blanked out. Two hours later, with the leash problem solved, the sub reached the bottom, 2,650 feet down. The crew soon spotted the oil pipeline and followed it. "There's a piece of timber," Mr. Phaneuf said. "See how it's speared in the bottom? That's weird." Then the sonar failed. The operators rebooted the software and the computer. They turned the systems off and back on. The sonar still did not respond. Because the ship was in view, the crew decided to proceed anyway, even though the camera's zoom and focus had also stopped working. "You're not going to put this on the news, are you?" Mr. Stiger asked. "My name is Barney Rubble." He pointed at the man next to him, adding, "And his name is Fred Flintstone." The operators tried to peel a copper sheet off the hull using the robot arm. The copper is the most intriguing clue about the ship. In the late 1700's, the British Navy began sheathing the hulls of its warships with copper plates to repel wood-eating creatures. The costly practice spread to commercial vessels and disappeared in the mid-1800's, as builders shifted to less expensive copper alloys. Because irregular holes in the sheets indicated they were hand-nailed, the researchers said they thought that the ship was built around That raises the possibility that it may have sunk in the Battle of New Orleans in the War of (Continued on page 5) FCDA Member Ads Hey - have you got a non retail-diving business that you d like to share with fellow members of FCDA? Get your business card size ad in the FCDA monthly newsletter Surface Interval for only $50.00 for one year. Give your business a boost and help support the production of our monthly newsletters. For more information, write to FCDA, P.O. Box 3005, Fairfield, CT or to fcda@aol.com.

5 Page 5 Shipwreck in the Gulf Clings Tenaciously to its Mysteries by Kenneth Chang (continued) (Continued from page 4) Somewhere on the copper sheet is probably a mark of the coppersmith who hammered it. But as the sub backed away, the sheet ripped, leaving just a small scrap snared in the claw. Mr. Stiger asked for the ship to move 100 feet on a heading of 310 degrees, roughly to the northwest, to put the sub more directly over the site. The captain, however, heard 110 degrees, almost the opposite direction, yanking the sub away. With the sonar broken, the people in the control room gave up and pulled the rover up. It was close to 4 a.m. "The curse of the wreck continues," Mr. Phaneuf said. In July, when the NR1, the Navy's 145-foot research submarine, and its support ship, the Carolyn Chouest, worked at the site, the researchers launched an identical robot sub off the deck. As soon as it entered the water, the rover veered right, out of control. The tether caught in the propellers, whipping the rover against the underside of the ship. All anyone ever saw of the rover again were pieces of foam that floated to the surface. On the sea floor, the 12 crew members and one scientist aboard the NR1 completed their work, making sonar maps of the site and shooting hours of video. Its robot arms, however, were too short to reach the artifacts that the researchers wanted to pick up. At the end of the week, the captain of the NR1 managed to use a robotic arm to grab the wreck's stern post where the rudder once hung. Mr. Phaneuf said that piece certainly had some identifying marks. As the submarine rose to within 100 feet of the surface, a hydraulic system failed. The arm went limp. The stern post slipped out. "We spent two days looking for that," Mr. Phaneuf said. "Never found it again." Later in the summer, a research ship in the Sustainable Sea program of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration offered to stop by the site for a day to pick up artifacts. The first time the ship left port, a piece of debris snagged in a propeller, and the ship returned. The second time, the propeller locked, and the ship ended up in dry dock for repairs. Because of the delays, the federal researchers went to perform other (Continued on page 6) Annual Kickoff the Season Clambake Saturday, June 7, :00 pm Coast Guard Cottage catered by Swanson s Fish Market Clams on the half shell Steamers Lobster Potato Corn on the cob Cole slaw Dinner roll Dessert Beer Wine Soda (Also available by special order - Chicken or Steak - prepayment required!) Early Bird Special by Mail - Pay by May 31st (Postmark on envelope) - $25.00 each After May 31st - call Pat Franz at (203) for reservations - $30.00 each Name No. x $ = $ Special Order(s): Mail to: FCDA, P.O. Box 3005, Fairfield, CT 06824

6 Page 6 Shipwreck in the Gulf Clings Tenaciously to its Mysteries (continued) (Continued from page 5) tasks first but said they would stop by the wreck on the return leg. They did not get that far. "They break a prop shaft," Mr. Phaneuf said. "It goes out the back of the boat, floods the engine room, almost sinks the ship. And they had to call in a Mayday. That brings us up to date." On the Rylan T, technicians worked through Jan. 15 to repair the rover. Sea water had leaked into the hydraulic and electronic systems, squeezed in by the water pressure of 1,200 pounds a square inch. At 11:45 a.m., the rover was back in the water, this time carrying a box to collect artifacts. In 45 minutes, it was at the wreck site again and set the collection box on the sea floor. "Everybody ready?" Mr. Stiger asked. He stepped out to go to the bathroom and get another cup of coffee. When he returned, the sub had blacked out, dead. When it was dragged back aboard, the technicians finally located the leak in the electronic system. A ragged shred of insulating wrapper hung limply. The 1,500-volt cable had vaporized. About all they have from their explorations this year is the copper scrap, 11 by 6 inches, brought up on the first dive. "There's nothing on it," Mr. Phaneuf said. "No good." Despite the hours of video and carefully constructed sonar maps, the only fact that the researchers learned conclusively in the last year was that the ship had two masts, knowledge (Continued on page 7) FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. Lessons h Equipment h Service h Charters h Travel h Air h NITROX 863 East Main St. Phone (203) Stamford, CT Fax (203) CaptSaam@optonline.net SCUBA Diving Courses Basic Rescue hoxygen h Dry Suit hadvancedh NITROX h Divemaster Instructor Masterdiver hnight Diver hwreck Diver h Search and Recovery Hunting & Collecting h Environment h Collecting for Aquariums h Oxygen American Red Cross Courses CPR/AED h Oxygen h Lifeguard h First Aid h CPRfprh PDT Spring Store Hours Tuesday Friday Noon - 8PM Saturday 10 6 PM Sunday Noon 4PM Monday Closed

7 Page 7 Shipwreck in the Gulf Clings Tenaciously to its Mysteries (continued) (Continued from page 6) deduced from parts of the rigging on the sea floor. The second half of the expedition proved less cursed. Technicians repaired the remote-controlled submarine again, replacing the cable and fuses as the Rylan T sailed to a second shipwreck, one that had not been examined. All anyone knew was its location, its depth and the one sonar image that discovered it. The researchers sent the rover down twice. Because that wreck was in shallower water, 1,300 feet, a sub big enough for one crew member also went down for a look. The subs worked in tandem, flawlessly examining the well-preserved wreck, nearly 200 feet long. "You could see the ribs on both sides," said Mitch Seil, the sub pilot. Curiously, there were no signs of cargo. Mr. Phaneuf phoned Dr. Jack B. Irion, a marine archaeologist with the federal Minerals Management Service, to describe what they had seen. [Days after that phone call, Dr. Irion found a report of the sinking of the Western Empire, carrying a load of lumber, on Sept. 18, 1876, in that vicinity while en route from Liverpool, England, to New Orleans. [The cause of the sinking is listed only as "the ship sprang a leak which could not be stopped."] As for the "voodoo wreck," Mr. Phaneuf said he would be back. "We're due to have some good luck," he said. Reprinted from The New York Times, January 28, FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. The Ski & Scuba Connection s Anse Chastanet Resort, St. Lucia 2003 Sat. July 5 th 2003 to Sat July 12 th nights superior accommodation at Anse Chastanet Resort 12 boat dives (6 days, 2 dives per day), Swap day dive for night dive (max of 2) extra scheduled beach diving, 3 meals a day, afternoon tea, airport transfers, all taxes and service, welcome cocktail, manager party, use of mini-sailing, windsurfing, snorkeling, tennis courts and tennis equipment, Guided tour of Old French Colonial Plantation, $ 1,300 per diver dbl. occ. Superior Accommodation $ 1,150 per non-diver dbl. occ. Superior Accommodation $ 1,150 per diver triple occ. Superior Accommodation $ 1,000 per non-diver triple occ. Superior Accommodation $ 1,900 per diver single. occ. Superior Accommodation $ 1,750 per non-diver single. occ. Superior Accommodation $150 per person deposit to hold space (Not Included: Air Fare to St. Lucia, Drinks, DM Tip, Departure Tax) Earn A New Certification: (and complete the dives in St. Lucia) Advanced Open Water Deep Diver Drift Diver Night Diver For more information contact The Ski & Scuba Connection at or us at skiandscubaconn@scubadiving.com Deposits are non-refundable, Travel Insurance is available and recommended

8 Page 8 Wreck May Be Remains of Confederate Ironclad Associated Press PORTSMOUTH, Va. An underwater survey found what might be remnants of the Confederate ironclad warship Virginia, the former USS Merrimack that fought the Union s ironclad Monitor in the 1862 battle that redefined naval warfare. It would be a stroke of incredible luck to discover it after all these years, said Dick Hoffeditz, curator of the Virginia War Museum in Newport News. The underwater survey, for the proposed construction of a marine terminal on the Elizabeth River, describes two shipwrecks in the area and says there is a distinct possibility that they might be parts of the Virginia and of a schooner that hit the submerged wreck and sank next to it. The Monitor and the Virginia which was built on part of the salvaged hull of a Union sailing ship, the Merrimack fought a pounding battle near Newport News on March 9, It was the first clash of wooden ships armored with steel plates to repel cannon balls. Most historians consider the four-hour battle a draw. On May 11, 1862, the Virginia ran aground near Craney Island. After the crew was evacuated, the ship was set afire, detonating the 16,000 pounds of black powder in (Continued on page 9) New England's Tech Diving Center! The region's foremost source for scuba and technical diving gear, training and everything for the recreational or serious tech diver. FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. New England Dive Center 476 North Colony Street Wallingford, CT Fax Dealer for OMS, UWATEC, Oceanic, Mares, Dacor, Cressi-Sub, P o s e i d o n, Scubapro, Bare, O'Neill and Henderson. Draeger Atlantis I Rebreather training, certification and rental. New England Dive Center offers complete training for all levels of diving, from Open Water through the most advanced technical courses. Our instruction provides certification through SSI, PDIC, TDI and IANTD. Visit us on the Web:

9 Page 9 Wreck May Be Remains of Confederate Ironclad Associated Press (continued) (Continued from page 8) the ship s magazine. Documents show that salvage companies later removed two boilers and parts of the wooden hull. What was left of the ship was again blown up, and some sections were dragged to the Navy Yard in Portsmouth. Several parts of the Virginia survive in museums, including dented armor and the ship s wheel at the Mariners Museum, and an anchor and part of a propeller shaft at the Museum of the Confederacy in Richmond. The Virginia Department of Historic Resources has called for a follow-up investigation to decide if the wreck spotted in the survey is the Virginia. If it is, federal and state laws require that the ship s remains be removed before any dredging can take place. The Monitor sank at the end of 1862, landing upside down in 240 feet of water, 16 miles off Hatteras, N.C. A joint Navy and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration team has raised the Monitor s turret and other parts. The Mariners Museum in Newport News has custody of Monitor artifacts. Reprinted from the Associated Press - April 30, FCDA Donors The business listed on this page has donated dive gear and dive services to help support the Fairfield County Diving Association. Orbit Marine Sports Center, Inc 3273 Fairfield Avenue, Bridgeport, CT (203) 333-DIVE (800) 395-DIVE Capt. Noel s Diventures!! The Spirit of the Good Life! Freeport, Bahamas - May 22-26, 2003 Bimini, Bahamas Weekend - July 2-6, 2003 Turks & Caicos - Capt Noels Birthday! - July 31 - August 4, 2003 Florida Keys - August 28 - September 1, Labor Day Bikini Atoll - South Pacific - November 15-27, 2003 Grand Cayman - December 26, January 1, New Years Bonaire - February 2004 Winter Break Kite boarding is now here! We have certified instructors, equipment, excursions, etc. Hold on to your hats cause we re about to fly! Capt. Noel s Dive & Kite Ventures is here so you can dive and kite board with us! Many of our trips will include the ability to kite board after the day s diving. Local kite charters will be offered too! Orbit Marine is 30 Years Old! Orbit Scuba Courses listing Open Water Advanced Open Water Rescue Diver Underwater Photography Wreck Diver Divemaster Assistant Instructor Instructor, Nitrox Advanced Nitrox Cylinder Inspector DAN O2 Provider Deep Diver Night diver Underwater Navigation Visit Orbit Marine on the Web -

10 Page 10 Upcoming FCDA Events Next FCDA Meeting - Friday, May 30, :00 PM Coast Guard Cottage - South Benson Marina - Fairfield, CT featuring A Night at the Movies - Aliens of the Sea A 50 minute video documenting Australia's unique and amazing marine life set to an outstanding music track from Gordon Reid. This multi award winning video was shot during more than one hundred dives over a two-year period at locations around the Australian coastline. From the Great Barrier Reef, Queensland, to Exmouth in Western Australia, Sydney Harbour, Botany Bay and Kangaroo Island off South Australia. This Australian production has won "Best Underwater Documentary" at the New York International Film Festival 1999 and two awards at the International Wildlife Film Festival Annual Kick Off the Season Clambake - June 7, 2003 Fairfield County Diving Association P.O. Box 3005 Fairfield, CT Address Service Requested