Dive Report 7/16/2005 - The Wexford

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diver_paula

Contributor
Messages
1,974
Reaction score
1
Location
Southfield, MI
# of dives
500 - 999
I finally got to dive The Wexford!!!!!!!

I've been trying to get on her since she was found - well at least since the location was released to the public. Been blown out a few times, couldn't get a seat on charters a few others, and was sick last year when I had a spot. The hardest was on 7/2/05 - got a call that there was an opening and I was next on the waitlist for the 7/3 charter. The only problem was I was already on my way to meet some Scubaboard buddies at Falling Rock Quarry in KY. Good thing it was a great weekend to be at the quarry! (A combined KPP, MMD and GLWC gathering.)

The wait was well worth it. Now I just can't wait until my next trip. The weather kinda stunk - 'twas rainy with bouts of lightening but the water stayed pretty calm and the rain kept the air temps down.

There was sooooo much "stuff" to see in the wreck. Lots of fully intact portholes! A few pieces of the glass laying around and a few were open to let the air in to the ship. :wink: A whole box of spare tubes (for the boilers?) that were each maybe a foot and half in length. Plates, parts of plates, a dinner bell, a clock, a creamer and sugar with a rippled glass edge! (This comes from a woman that was more interested in the tea pot sitting on top of the tank when diving in Truk!) Nice ceramic doorknobs and doors that still worked. Carved wood pieces - one looked like it was the headboard for a bed. Some intricately turned metal pieces. A HUGE wrench and a sledge hammer. 3 anchors. & of course the engine, boilers, electrical panel, lots of pipes, oil cans, etc.

For information and pics go to: http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/wexford.htm

Can't wait to diver her again. Preferably with better vis and more ambient light. Would definitely be a good reason to start using my camera again. Might even spend more time seing the outside of the wreck.

Now I'm crossing my fingers and doing my best to convince everyone on next week's charter we should dive the Canisteo! Wish me luck!

Paula
 
Glad to hear you had good dives on the Wexford. What were the water temps when you were there? I'm heading that way myself shortly.

Diverlady
 
diver_paula:
I finally got to dive The Wexford!!!!!!!

I've been trying to get on her since she was found - well at least since the location was released to the public. Been blown out a few times, couldn't get a seat on charters a few others, and was sick last year when I had a spot. The hardest was on 7/2/05 - got a call that there was an opening and I was next on the waitlist for the 7/3 charter. The only problem was I was already on my way to meet some Scubaboard buddies at Falling Rock Quarry in KY. Good thing it was a great weekend to be at the quarry! (A combined KPP, MMD and GLWC gathering.)

The wait was well worth it. Now I just can't wait until my next trip. The weather kinda stunk - 'twas rainy with bouts of lightening but the water stayed pretty calm and the rain kept the air temps down.

There was sooooo much "stuff" to see in the wreck. Lots of fully intact portholes! A few pieces of the glass laying around and a few were open to let the air in to the ship. :wink: A whole box of spare tubes (for the boilers?) that were each maybe a foot and half in length. Plates, parts of plates, a dinner bell, a clock, a creamer and sugar with a rippled glass edge! (This comes from a woman that was more interested in the tea pot sitting on top of the tank when diving in Truk!) Nice ceramic doorknobs and doors that still worked. Carved wood pieces - one looked like it was the headboard for a bed. Some intricately turned metal pieces. A HUGE wrench and a sledge hammer. 3 anchors. & of course the engine, boilers, electrical panel, lots of pipes, oil cans, etc.

For information and pics go to: http://www.scubaq.ca/ontarioscubadiving/wexford.htm

Can't wait to diver her again. Preferably with better vis and more ambient light. Would definitely be a good reason to start using my camera again. Might even spend more time seing the outside of the wreck.

Now I'm crossing my fingers and doing my best to convince everyone on next week's charter we should dive the Canisteo! Wish me luck!

Paula

That's pretty awesome... gotta get up there myself sometime!

But I bet my diving was better than yours this weekend... I got to dive with royalty! :wink:

bob
 
diverlady:
Glad to hear you had good dives on the Wexford. What were the water temps when you were there? I'm heading that way myself shortly.

Diverlady

The temp was pretty decent. 51deg at depth. I can't recall where the thermocline was but it wasn't near the wreck.

Enjoy your dives!

Paula
 
Jchoby:
Who did ya dive with? A few of us are looking to find a charter in that area in Sept...

vr

JC

Hi there.

We dove with Gary Venet - Rec & Tec divers. He runs an excellent charter. & given his boat is larger than the others in the area (holds 12 divers and gear) the charter is less likely to get blown out. My previous attempts to dive The Wexford had been on six pack boats that couldn't handle the distance to this particular wreck as easily. & I don't know of a charter operator on the Canadian side that does The Wexford.

Here's the website... http://www.rectecdivecharters.com/

Let me know if you book something, I'd love to go again!

Paula
 
wb416:
That's pretty awesome... gotta get up there myself sometime!

But I bet my diving was better than yours this weekend... I got to dive with royalty! :wink:

bob

Bet you didn't know Her Highness told me our last dive together was the most comfortable and fun one she'd been on all Summer! :wink:

Paula
 
diver_paula:
Bet you didn't know Her Highness told me our last dive together was the most comfortable and fun one she'd been on all Summer! :wink:

Paula

what Highness?
 
starfish365:
what Highness?
:D Moi!

Oh Paula, you must HATE me.....I keep turning up in ALL your threads. :11:

Hi Starfish.....I'm Pue, well PennyPue.....and I refer to myself as Princess Pue.
Git yur self a tiara and we can dive together as Princess Starfish and Pue. :dance: It's a wonderful world of my own creation and there's room enough for anyone nutty enough to enjoy it!!!! :madamy:

And the dive Paula is refering to with me was incredible. And who would have thunk that our dive around the perimeter wall of Falling Rock, maxing out at 22 ft on my computer, and most of it at about 12 would have been sooooo wonderful!!! She's a terrific DB. And we had a very relaxing time staying above the first thermacline in our 3mil wetsuits. :D The water was clear, warm and full of blue gill and bass. It didn't take much more delusion on my part to make me think I was in the Caribbean. :14:
 
I just dove that wreck yesterday, and it IS awesome. We went out with Capt. Venet from Sanilac, and that is one long boat ride... An hour and a half each way, but it's worth the ride. Penetration is easy as the wreck is upright and all of the cargo hatches are open. There are plenty of artifacts to view, both on deck and down below. Our first dive I took my camera with me and we went around the perimiter of the deck, to get familiar with the place, and poked in to a couple of spots. The second dive I left the camera topside, but kind of wish I'd brought it down since we spent a great deal of time inside the wreck and found lots of items of interest.

I have more trip photos here, but this IP address is not guaranteed never to change:

http://69.47.246.17/maps/m514243/wexford/wexford.php

-Ray
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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