Storm - Plymouth July 2002

All aboard the Storm charter boat for a great weekend of diving. The skipper Rod Davies and his right hand lady Ann did a great job of looking after us. Hot drinks handed to you as you came out of the water and a filling packed lunch.

We all met late on Friday night at the New Inn in Turnchaple, Plymouth. The rooms were great and the breakfast mighty. Top choice Sophie.

Saturday we headed down to the marina and boarded Storm. Our 1st dive site was Hands Deep, a scenic dive that lies 12 miles from Plymouth with depths from 10-50m. There where spectacular beds of Jewel Anemones of many colours. I buddied with Sophie, we had a great dive, taking it all in, dead-mans fingers, sea anemones and sea fans. Sophie found an old dive knife but no old diver.

Back up on the boat the Sun had gone behind a cloud and the wind had picked up ever so slightly which just gently

rocked Storm enough to make my land-lubber stomach feel a little delicate. This was a great shame as Anne had just started to hand out a very yummy looking lunch of steak pie; it

smelt amazing but that’s as close as I got to it! O-well there’s always next year.

The second dive was on the wreck of the JAMES EGAN LAYNE. One of the hundreds of liberty ships to be built by the Americans in 1944 (400 feet long and over 7,000 tons). In March 1945 on route from South Wales to Gwent she was torpedoed by U1195. Her Captain nursed her towards Plymouth, but was not permitted entry so he tried to beach her in Whitesands Bay. She sank just a mile short in 21 metres of water, her stern breaking off and lying just 20 metres away. Richard and Kevin made it over to the stern and had a great dive.

This was a great dive as the wreck was quite intact. Sophie and myself descended onto the stern and swam around the lower deck, as there was a strong current up

top. It was so cool swimming in and out of the iron girders. Came across a yellow cylinder that had been put down by a dive club in memory of a young diver who had died.

There where loads of fish and they where massive. Wrasse, Bib, Pollock and Sea Bass and we also saw a Tompot Blenney cheekily poking out of a hole.

After a great days diving we retired to the New Inn for a hearty meal. But all very worn out by the day’s activities we never made last orders. Although we did catch a lovely fireworks display which lighted up the sky on the other side of the harbour.

Sunday We set out under blues skies and a calmer sea. Our 1st dive was the PERSIER. Built in 1918 by Northumberland Shipbuilding Co and named the War Buffalo (5,000 tons). On completion she was sold to the Belgium Maritime Co. and renamed the Persier. In February 1945 She was torpedoed near to the Eddystone. Her wreckage lay undiscovered until 1969, when a fisherman found a large wreck in Bigbury Bay. Her bell was found by divers and on it was the name War Buffalo, lying in 30 metres of water.

Mary and myself descended onto the boilers, which were huge. There was so much life soft coral everywhere and

massive fish; we saw Pollack, Bib, Bass and some Cuckoo Wrasse too. Swimming through the prop shaft was the best bit guarded by a lovely purple jellyfish.

Plymouth was hosting the motorboat Grande Prix so we couldn’t cross over the harbour. At lunchtime we dropped anchor and watched the motorboats zoom by, in excess of 130knots! The boats were so loud as they raced by and equally impressive were the low flying helicopters trying to film the action. All you could really see was a wall of white water as they went by. After the 5th lap the novelty wore off and it was time for our second dive of the day. Our 2nd dive was called Mewstone, a scenic dive. It was beautiful gullies over hanging with kelp; it was like being in an underwater

garden. Sea urchins blue, pink and white, starfish of all colours, little snails and a lobster that would come out and play. But the most amazing thing was seeing a John Dory. John Dory are weak swimmers and live near the sea floor, when it is from 15-120 ft (5-360 m)

deep. John Dory are normally found in the Western Indian Ocean, the eastern Atlantic Ocean, the Mediterranean Sea, and off New Zealand and Japan.

So after a great weekend we said good-bye to Storm and her crew and I’m sure we will climb aboard again soon for another great weekend of diving.

Nicky Deeley