Va Beach Trip Report: Wreck - Schooner

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Wil

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Location
Virginia Beach
Sunday 16 May, 2010:

Had another great day diving with Andy (Drewski), Bobby (RAD Diver), and Kevin (Kevin K) today. We headed to a wreck north of the Triangle Reef area called the Schooner. The Schooner is an old sailing vessel resting in 110 ft. It's locally known for finding deadeyes from its rigging, and holding a good selection of Sea Bass, TaugTaug, and Flounder. You can occassionally find cold water Lobsters early in the season (before too many boats hit the site). The hull structure is low-lying and more pronounced at the stern.

Our trip outbound was a bit rough, having just dodged a weather cell, and took a bit more than 2 hrs. My fourth attempt at hooking the wreck was successful and after setting up the lines and ladder, Bobby and Andy took to the water to tie us in. The surface visibility was incredible as we watched the first two diver head to the bottom. Later Bobby and Andy reported they found our wreck anchor close but not hooked into the wreck, so Bobby hauled it over to the wreck and made fast.

Kevin and I splashed when they returned and reported about 10-15ft of visibility and temps around 45deg. Little to no current on teh bottom but lots of lobsters. I left my video camera on the boat, Kevin grabbed the catch bag and over we went. We found the thermocline at 50ft, where the 50+deg surface temp dropped to 45deg. We found the vis had improved to a bit more than 20ft as we slide down the anchor line and could see both sides of the wreck come into view. We quickly found the lobsters, Bobby and Andy were right however, the large lobsters were egg-bearing females and the smaller ones were the males. In Virginia, you cannot take lobsters less than 3 3/8inches in carpace length, females with eggs, and no females larger than 5 1/2inches. I pulled and placed back too many to count. So I started grabbing Jonah Crabs for my fishing friends (great Taug bait) and looking for artifacts.

The stats for Kevin and my dive (both dives) were; max depth 110ft, 35 mins bottom time, 45deg temp, and a 1:49min surface interval.

On our second dive we jumped to the other side of the wreck looking for more lobsters. Found plenty more but in the end decided to leave them behind. All of them were small and it's best to let them grow. We'll be back....

Bobby and Andy's second dive went weel too. Except for a strange "lime green algae bloom" that seemed to follow Bobby. Never quite seen anything like it but perhaps Andy can share some video. I have some photos from the boat I'll put in my photo gallery. I'm sure the Space Shuttle aloft could see it too.

Though lots of Sea Bass and a few good size Taugs, both are out of season. Sea Bass season is open on 22 May and Taug on 24 Jun. Though heavily sanded in, the Schooner is a wreck worth coming back to.


Conditions for our first dive were flat calm waters and little wind. Our second, well, wasn't quite so. White caps developed as the wind picked up. The inbound ride was much like the first with a following making it perhaps a better ride but, not by much.

Safe Diving,
Wil
 
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Another quality dive operation aboard the Freedom thanks to Capt Will. You saw the "lime green algae bloom" too? I thought it was just me :wink: I have a theory on that but I'll let the video speak for itself. Good seeing and diving with you all again. Had a great day. Thanks Will :cool2:
 
Bobby,
Just because the U.S. Navy stopped using flogging doesn't mean I have!

Okay, I confess, it was all Andy's idea....

That was about the strangest weather day I've had out there. We'll get together again and plan another day offshore, promising to leave the dye markers in the go-bag. I'd like to schedule a 4 dive day/evening to the Triangle Reef area. That would be a couple day dives and at least one night dive for lobsters.

Will
 
Our trip was about the same except we were out for two days and the night dive on the Morgan was great. It never really got rough for us except when the storm came by in the early am and was gone in about an hr. The wreck you guys dived has been ID as the Hattie Dunn AKA Cutlass or Schooner. Steve Gotto recovered the capstan cover and traced it back to the maker then to the Hattie Dunn back in the early 90's. If it is the same wreck I'm thinking about. Does it have an old anchor at the bow and the port side is the only high pc at a couple of ft. The reason it is so low in the sand is because it had bombs placed on it in WW1. Hard to hook that wreck.
We left before the winds started on Sunday and the ride in was glassy.
 
JT,

You're right, I too believe it's the Hattie Dunn. I've recovered ladder treads which bear the foundy marks from the shipyard where the ship was made. The anchor you mention is on the portside bow area and was barely visible. Yesterday, the wreck was nearly covered in sand. About 2-3ft more sand on top the wreck since my last visit. The only high portion was the stern area. While it still has lots of lobsters and the Sea bass are very good size, there's much better wrecks to hit nearby.
 
Well I just rinsed my gear for the 3rd time & finally see no more green water leaching out.
I took my kit completely apart to get in every nook & cranny.
 
Bobby,
Good thing you're not heading back down to Fla for some cave diving...you might locate a new siphon or spring with the green trail. Look at the positives; you were much easier to track while making your dive, you certainly scared any pedators away, Andy had a chance to use the "green balance" setting on his camera, we had a great reference of surface drift, and you know with absolute certainty your gear is sterile now. Just think what we can do for the next St Patrick's day dive op!
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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