Normandy : 22nd-27th August 2005
Marshall: Dave Fletcher: MV Maureen of Dart
A
weeks liveaboard visiting the wrecks off the
Normandy Overlord invasion beaches. Bad weather on the first three days did
not keep us out of the water, thereafter things improved until we were able
to dive the Murree in Mid-Channel in calm conditons on the way back.
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22nd August :
The wreck of the 'Pilkoppen'.
A German
armed tug just off Cherbourg, with intact
sections. Sunk by British MTBs in WW2.
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Depth: 34, Time: 38 (12)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 40, Time: 33 (11)
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Dave Fletcher
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 34, Time: 29 (4)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 35, Time: 69 (28)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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22nd August :
The wreck of the 'Ussen'.
A freigher just off Cherbourg, with intact
sections. Sunk by U-Boat in WW1. Well broken, but very impressive engine
and boilers. The propeller-shaft leads to the intact stern with rudder and
propeller in place.
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Depth: 24, Time: 44 (4)
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Dave Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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Depth: 24, Time: 52 (7)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 24, Time: 37 (1)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 24, Time: 42 (3)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 23, Time: 44 (4)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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23rd August :
The wreck of the 'General Du Temple'.
A freigher just off Cherbourg. Sunk by U-Boat in
WW1. Vis quite poor on this one.
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Depth: 33, Time: 3
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Dave Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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Sarah suffered an uncontrolled ascent from the bottom of the
shot right at the beginning of the dive. Dive aborted.
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Depth: 39, Time: 46 (16)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 37.6, Time: 45 (16)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 36, Time: 24 (3)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 38, Time: 31 (10)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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23rd August :
The wreck of the 'Strathalbyn'.
A WW1 freigher just off Cherbourg. Vis quite poor on this
one.
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Depth: 30, Time: 43 (8)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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24th August :
The wreck of a German Tug.
A small
tug, torpedoed by a British MTB in WW2. Mostly intact, except where the
Torpedo struck. A nice little wreck that can be got around quickly. Vis about 5 m.
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Depth: 30, Time: 32 (2)
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Dave Fletcher
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Nic Weeks
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Sarah Ellender
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Depth: 32, Time: 33 (1)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 30.5, Time: 31 (2)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 30, Time: 43 (8)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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24th August :
The wreck of LSI 'Empire Broadsword'.
A
Landing Ship (Infantry), mined in 1944. Very nice wreck, mostly intact,
with broken sections. Lies on Starbord side. Vis a little better than
5 m.
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Depth: 26.2, Time: 42 (1)
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Dave Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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Sarah succcessfully deployed a
DSMB while floating free - Nitrox instructors please note.
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Depth: 27.2, Time: 59 (6)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 24.6, Time: 45 (1)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 25, Time: 44
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Spencer Polley
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Steve Taylor
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Depth: 26.5, Time: 65 (13)
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Nic Weeks
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Nick Watson
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25th August :
The wreck of the LST 'Carbonelle'.
The
famous tank dive. A Landing Ship (Tank) mined in 1944. She lies upside down
with her cargo of M4A1 (75mm) Shermans, and M3
Stuarts, still inside. The stern is more intact, but is collapsing, and
there is little space between the tanks, which lie half-buried in the sand turreti-down. The forepart is more broken, and the
tanks here are M3s, which lie out in the open. 8m vis. Top dive.
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Depth: 23.2, Time: 27 (7)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 23.2, Time: 57 (6)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 23.2, Time: 57 (6)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 23.2, Time: 51 (5)
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Spencer Polley
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Steve Taylor
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Depth: 22.3, Time: 70 (16)
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Dave Fletcher
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 21.5, Time: 43 (3)
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Roz Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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25th August :
The wreck of the USS 'Meredith'.
A WW2
destroyer, well broken and scattered. Failing vis as the tide picked up
prevented us from getting a complete impression of hre,
but several people found the forward triple gun turret, which is half burried. Vis about 2m at the
beginning, 1m at the end.
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Depth: 24, Time: 43 (6)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 24, Time: 47 (7)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 24, Time: 32
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Dave Fletcher
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Steve Milner
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 24, Time: 35 (3)
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Roz Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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26th August :
The wreck of the USS 'Susan B. Antony'.
A
fantastic dive this. An 8000 ton liner, mined in 1944 while being used as a
troopship. Well broken amidships but so large that the sections of the
staterooms and holds that survive are dives in themselves. The bow is
intact, lying on its port side, and two 4inch guns are still in place.
Thousands of fish occupy the wreck, and the visibility was at least 10m.
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Depth: 25.3, Time: 27 (7)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 26.4, Time: 65 (14)
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Steve Milner
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Malcolm Legg
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Depth: 26.4, Time: 56 (12)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 25, Time: 20 (1)
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Spencer Polley
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Steve Taylor
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Depth: 26, Time: 67 (16)
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Dave Fletcher
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 24.5, Time: 36 (3)
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Roz Fletcher
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Sarah Ellender
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26th August :
The wreck of the 'Turquoise'.
A
Belgian Freighter sailing under German command,
sunk in WW2. Stern intact lying on its Port side, more broken amidships.
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Depth: 36.5, Time: 27 (7)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 42, Time: 32 (17)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 40, Time: 28 (5)
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Dave Fletcher
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Roz Fletcher
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27nd August
: The wreck of the MV 'Murree'.
A
Pakistani container ship, sunk in a storm in 1989.
Upright and intact. Sits in 70m, but rises to 35m at the stern. An
astonishing dive in 15m visbility.
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Depth: 46, Time: 59 (26)
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John Cassidy
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Cheryl Ashman
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Depth: 48, Time: 75 (51)
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Spencer Polley
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Nick Watson
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Depth: 50.7, Time: 51 (26)
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Nic Weeks
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Liz Peart
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Depth: 44, Time: 38 (15)
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Dave Fletcher
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Roz Fletcher
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Steve Milner
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