aue-mike
Contributor
AUE Weekend Trip Report
December 15, 2001
"Flour Wreck"
A group of six divers wearily made the approximately 100-mile jaunt out to
the "Flour Wreck" on Saturday. After loading our gear on the Tai Ryo
(www.fishflorida.net), a fast 56-foot custom fishing boat, we slipped out
through John's Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico around 3:00 AM. The
majority of us got cozy and tried to get a few hours sleep before our dives
as Captain Tommy Butler guided us to the wreck. We arrived over the wreck
just before sunrise and slowly got ready to make our first dive on the
site. The "Flour Wreck" is an unidentified freighter that sunk in the 1993 "No Name Storm" along with the Fantastico that rests farther to the south.
It got its name due to the cargo of flour bags that rose to the surface for
months after the sinking. The similarities with the Fantastico are spooky,
as they are very similar in construction and they both rest on their
starboard side. However, the "Flour Wreck" sits in 200 feet of water and is perhaps 100 feet longer than the Fantastico with a more robust stern superstructure. Relatively few people have been to the wreck, with those that do visit it usually in pursuit of spearing fish.
We had been told that the first commercial spearfishermen were able to read "Tong" or "Thong" on the bow shortly after its sinking, however, a couple of our divers worked to clear the bow of sediment and growth to reveal portions of a name that doesn't jive with that identification. Further investigation should reveal the ship's true identity.
We had great topside visibility until about 160 feet where the milky bottom water reduced it to perhaps 10 feet. It was also pretty dark on the early morning dive. I descended and quickly ran up to the bow and then worked may way back aft towards the stern. There is lots of oyster-encrusted machinery on the bow as well as a very large mast adorned with a crow's nest that juts out over the sand. Inside the cavernous cargo holds, remnants of the cargo of flour can still be found as several rotting bags hang from above. I slowly worked my way aft, surrounded by schools of amberjack. After pasing yet another mast, I saw a buddy's HID light in the gloom and worked my way over to it. He had already entered the bridge and was digging amongst the wreckage. The interior was in an amazing state of disarray. The floor panels had worked themselves loose and hung all over the starboard side (bottom) of the bridge. Wires hung everywhere. Gauges and other artifacts were still attached to the bulkheads that still remained intact. My buddy handed out a few artifacts including a nice lantern and a cool clock. Noting the stirred up vis and abundant wires, I let the other guys have free reign of the bridge while I gave some attention to the running lights and numerous cage lamps around the superstructure. I played around the wreck some more before stashing my bag on the hull and then rallying with the others for deco. After surfacing we all relaxed on the huge front deck of
the Tai Ryo and had brunch.
After two hours we splashed for our second dive. The sun was higher and provided a lot more light on the bottom. During the descent, the huge
hawser lines could be seen climbing out from the murky bottom water. These used to reach the surface and helped mark the wreck for several years. The delineation between the stunning topside water and cloudy bottom water occurred right along the top of the hull, which produced a ghostly sight. I swam right for the bridge and slipped through a missing window to inspect
the interior. The radar scope hung precariously on a beam after being knocked loose from its mount. The binnacle, helm, and telegraph look to be buried under the debris on the bottom of the bridge. I slowly worked my way up through the interior, checking out all the various artifacts and then slipped out through the port bridge wing. I then worked my way along the portside corridor and collected a few more cage lamps and other goodies. As I was working on one, I happened to lay my chisel down for a moment. A
second or two later I looked down to pick it up and just happen to watch as it rolled along the bulkhead and into an open porthole into the wreck's interior - oops. I got a good chuckle out of it though. After gathering some goodies and placing my bag on the hull for later recovery, I decided to take a quick peak back towards the stern of the ship.
I finned along the centerline of the ship, trying to avoid all the monofilament, cables, and hawser line, and checked out some machinery spaces and other neat areas of the ship. I heard one of the other guys had observed a very large jewfish back in this area, which is suprising given our distance from shore. I eventually got back to the railing along the curved fantail. Slipping over it, I descended over and down to the single bronze screw. With my bottom time nearing its conclusion, I finned back to my bag, donned my stages, and worked forward to the shotline. As we
prepared the hook for removal, I shot some more gas in the liftbag and sent my goodies to the surface. The remainder of the team then worked to foul the hook as we ascended for our decompression.
While the visibility was a bit disappointing, the wreck is a great dive and I look forward to return visits in the near future. Our thanks to Captain
Tommy for a fantastic trip.
I have added some quick images of the "Flour Wreck" on the AUE website, with more to be added in the next several days.
Cheers,
Mike
December 15, 2001
"Flour Wreck"
A group of six divers wearily made the approximately 100-mile jaunt out to
the "Flour Wreck" on Saturday. After loading our gear on the Tai Ryo
(www.fishflorida.net), a fast 56-foot custom fishing boat, we slipped out
through John's Pass and into the Gulf of Mexico around 3:00 AM. The
majority of us got cozy and tried to get a few hours sleep before our dives
as Captain Tommy Butler guided us to the wreck. We arrived over the wreck
just before sunrise and slowly got ready to make our first dive on the
site. The "Flour Wreck" is an unidentified freighter that sunk in the 1993 "No Name Storm" along with the Fantastico that rests farther to the south.
It got its name due to the cargo of flour bags that rose to the surface for
months after the sinking. The similarities with the Fantastico are spooky,
as they are very similar in construction and they both rest on their
starboard side. However, the "Flour Wreck" sits in 200 feet of water and is perhaps 100 feet longer than the Fantastico with a more robust stern superstructure. Relatively few people have been to the wreck, with those that do visit it usually in pursuit of spearing fish.
We had been told that the first commercial spearfishermen were able to read "Tong" or "Thong" on the bow shortly after its sinking, however, a couple of our divers worked to clear the bow of sediment and growth to reveal portions of a name that doesn't jive with that identification. Further investigation should reveal the ship's true identity.
We had great topside visibility until about 160 feet where the milky bottom water reduced it to perhaps 10 feet. It was also pretty dark on the early morning dive. I descended and quickly ran up to the bow and then worked may way back aft towards the stern. There is lots of oyster-encrusted machinery on the bow as well as a very large mast adorned with a crow's nest that juts out over the sand. Inside the cavernous cargo holds, remnants of the cargo of flour can still be found as several rotting bags hang from above. I slowly worked my way aft, surrounded by schools of amberjack. After pasing yet another mast, I saw a buddy's HID light in the gloom and worked my way over to it. He had already entered the bridge and was digging amongst the wreckage. The interior was in an amazing state of disarray. The floor panels had worked themselves loose and hung all over the starboard side (bottom) of the bridge. Wires hung everywhere. Gauges and other artifacts were still attached to the bulkheads that still remained intact. My buddy handed out a few artifacts including a nice lantern and a cool clock. Noting the stirred up vis and abundant wires, I let the other guys have free reign of the bridge while I gave some attention to the running lights and numerous cage lamps around the superstructure. I played around the wreck some more before stashing my bag on the hull and then rallying with the others for deco. After surfacing we all relaxed on the huge front deck of
the Tai Ryo and had brunch.
After two hours we splashed for our second dive. The sun was higher and provided a lot more light on the bottom. During the descent, the huge
hawser lines could be seen climbing out from the murky bottom water. These used to reach the surface and helped mark the wreck for several years. The delineation between the stunning topside water and cloudy bottom water occurred right along the top of the hull, which produced a ghostly sight. I swam right for the bridge and slipped through a missing window to inspect
the interior. The radar scope hung precariously on a beam after being knocked loose from its mount. The binnacle, helm, and telegraph look to be buried under the debris on the bottom of the bridge. I slowly worked my way up through the interior, checking out all the various artifacts and then slipped out through the port bridge wing. I then worked my way along the portside corridor and collected a few more cage lamps and other goodies. As I was working on one, I happened to lay my chisel down for a moment. A
second or two later I looked down to pick it up and just happen to watch as it rolled along the bulkhead and into an open porthole into the wreck's interior - oops. I got a good chuckle out of it though. After gathering some goodies and placing my bag on the hull for later recovery, I decided to take a quick peak back towards the stern of the ship.
I finned along the centerline of the ship, trying to avoid all the monofilament, cables, and hawser line, and checked out some machinery spaces and other neat areas of the ship. I heard one of the other guys had observed a very large jewfish back in this area, which is suprising given our distance from shore. I eventually got back to the railing along the curved fantail. Slipping over it, I descended over and down to the single bronze screw. With my bottom time nearing its conclusion, I finned back to my bag, donned my stages, and worked forward to the shotline. As we
prepared the hook for removal, I shot some more gas in the liftbag and sent my goodies to the surface. The remainder of the team then worked to foul the hook as we ascended for our decompression.
While the visibility was a bit disappointing, the wreck is a great dive and I look forward to return visits in the near future. Our thanks to Captain
Tommy for a fantastic trip.
I have added some quick images of the "Flour Wreck" on the AUE website, with more to be added in the next several days.
Cheers,
Mike
