Looking for info on the African Queen

[The Logic Theorist]

I'm diving the African Queen on August 8th (if anyone else is going on that trip with OC Diver feel free to hit me up) and I wanted to get some more info on the wreck before I went, particularly since this is a one dive afternoon charter.

So far google is failing me for anything more than a paragraph or two about it lying upside down in 80' of water and some generic info. I'd like to be able to read up on it a good bit more, try to figure out what to expect when I get down there and what I'll be looking at.

Thanks!

 

[mcjangles]

Pick up Gary Gentile's DE/MD shipwrecks book.

 

[RAD Diver]

Well reading this thread just ruined the book I'm reading. Called The Raising of The Queen. I guess they never got it to the dock.
It is a good book though & I will finish it. My wife found it in a Model home that her boss just sold, she looked through it, saw some diving mentioned & thought it would interest me. It really has me in a trance reading it. All about a simpler time & most of the places mentioned are places I go quite often during work. Also no Cheasapeake Bay Bridge Tunnel. The book was published in 1961. Just before I was born.
Please post a report after you dive it. I will put it in my need to dive soon file.

 

[Oyster Diver]

Keep reading Rad, they only raised the stern section. The bow is upside down and was still there when I dove it last June. Gentiles book has a picture of it before it was salvaged. For a long time I thought the picture was of two ships, but its only the Queen folded in half.

Logic, are you doing the morning dives too? You will be happy with the OC Diver, Ted is a class act. I'd love to join you on the 8th, however my better half is beginning to notice that I'm always leaving to go dive and it isn't going over very well. In fact, tomorrow I'm off to NC for 3 days of diving.

 

[The Logic Theorist]

Logic, are you doing the morning dives too? You will be happy with the OC Diver, Ted is a class act. I'd love to join you on the 8th, however my better half is beginning to notice that I'm always leaving to go dive and it isn't going over very well. In fact, tomorrow I'm off to NC for 3 days of diving.

Unfortunately the morning dives were fully booked by the time I got a hold of Ted. I did want to make an entire day out of it, specially since I'm driving out from DC, but at least this way I can get used to the boat. There are several Sat/Sun OC Diver trips I'm looking at over the end of August, so maybe we can meet up on one of those. I'm only doing stuff 100' or less since I'm still pretty new.

 

[Walter]

Must be a different African Queen. The one from the movie of the same name is at the dock at the Holiday Inn in Key Largo.

 

[The Logic Theorist]

I'm talking about this lady here:

http://uwex.us/african.html

Unfortunately what's listed is about all I've been able to find. Even some pictures would be appreciated.

 

[RAD Diver]

Cool picture, in the book they talk about the bow being broke off, but I never imagined it was that big of a piece.
I did finish the book & really enjoyed it. I will have to get up there & dive it now.

 

[waterpirate]

Hi all, Just noticed this thread.
The queen is an awsome dive. Max depth in a hole in the sand wallowing around is 69fsw as of last sunday. Wreck is upside down and easy to navigate. Top of the bottom is at 30fsw covered with coral and mussells, that leaves 39 feet of structure to explore. There is a big hole in the bow on the intact side at about 60fsw that leads to a "scarry dark hole". The entire other side is blown out, with a lot of compartments to poke around in. Debris field out the toward where the stern should be is not exrensive but a little confusing, run a reel.
If you are not wreck experienced be careful of your overhead, on the bottom and midwater there are places where the top of the wreck hangs out farther than where you are.
If you like penetration, and find the ladder, it goes up inside the wreck to a depth of 30fsw, not for the faint of heart or new to wrecking. As of last sunday there were no flounder or lobster but I shot a 13# Taug who frequent the wreck along with sea bass and a school ot two of spades usually visit on the hang.
We have taken to diving her with a pretty hot mix, do to shallow depth and are averaging 70-80 min runtime.
Eric
P.S.
If anyone has questions about diving up here, give me a shout. I plan on getting down to Virginia,moorehead, nags head in the Fall.

 

[The Logic Theorist]

My dive was cancelled due to weather yesterday, which blows. Literally.

Color me dissappointed, it'll probably be another few weeks before I can find the time to get in the water again.