Sat. on the Wexford

[Pegger]

Our scheduled two tank dive didn't turn out quite as we had planned but still was quite the opportunity as it was my first time on the Wexford. The trip from Bayfield was a 45-60 min boat ride in one to two foot seas. Once at the coordinates we could not locate the marker buoy, (hard winter must have cut it loose), so we had to find the wreck with the fish finder on a flat 80 foot bottom. Our second attempt to secure an anchor was successful. It was a cool 41 degrees at 77' max. ,10-12' visability with plenty of current.

This is an awesome 250' wreck. During the dive the anchor, which was doubling as our shot line, worked itself loose and our boat drifted off a ways before it was noticed. After discovering our shot line had disappeared, (this took a while on such a large wreck that none of us were very familiar with), lift bags were deployed and we surfaced to find the boat about a quarter mile away. It was a long 15 min., in two to three foot swells by that time, watching the boat off in the distance. The only thing that finally gave up our location was two safety sausages spotted through a pair of binoculars.

We never did get in the second dive as all this unplanned excitement put us late in the afternoon and the forecast called for some bad weather. Sure enough about an hour later the skies let loose.

Overall, worth the trip to get there. www.shipwreckwexford.ca/

Steve

 

[shoredivr]

It was a great wreck, all that sense of history, and I'd do it again.

 

[Pegger]

It was a great wreck, all that sense of history, and I'd do it again.

Glad to be there for dive #500 Shoredivr

Steve

 

[shoredivr]

It was certainly memorable! Here's to another 500 plus.

Got an e-mail from SOS, they have no record of the buoys being installed on the Wexford yet ...we were just ahead of the season I guess.

 

[knives]

Sounds like an interesting wreck .....was there any current on this wreck?
Anne

 

[Pegger]

Sounds like an interesting wreck .....was there any current on this wreck?
Anne

Plenty of current on Sat. I've heard that it varies from day to day as does the vis.

Steve

 

[knives]

Yes , i was wondering , I have heard other divers mention current....we get that here on Lake Ontario on some wrecks at different times, nothing like the river though...

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

Thanks for the update - planning on diving the Wexford on Sunday. I've got about 25 dives on it so far and absolutely love this wreck. I will post if there has been any change on the buoy status.

 

[Jay Roy]

Does anybody run charters to this wreck? Its been on my to do list for a few years now..

 

[CDNScubaMoose]

Ken from Ken's Dive Locker in London will make the run. He leaves from Grand Bend which is likely the fastest route. He is more then reasonable on cost but his boat doesn't handle rough waters so you run the risk of getting blown out relatively easy. That said, Ken is oppinionated and if asked I'm sure he would have something to say about the DIR approach. I only mention this to you Jay as a heads up. There maybe another option in the works in the near future that I am not at liberty to say just yet but when I can ... I will.