Castle Forum were treated to a very interesting talk by Ian Grout (Grouty) of Ego Divers on thursday. They are a bunch of scuba divers who explore the waters around Dover in their RIB "Inflated Ego." Amongst their prize finds have been two ships bells from armed trawlers sunk in WW1 and WW2, and a massive fire hydrant off another vessel. Grouty is shown below with a huge nail used to hold the timbers together on a wooden sailing ship. The mug is one of two his wife kindly gave my wife and sister-in-law from an unidentified wreck lying on the Varne bank. The wooden ship has long ago disintegrated but the cargo lies upon the sands and the artefacts have been dated to 1840.
Here is an article composed by Grouty after they dived on the blockship "Spanish Prince" inside the Western Entrance. The blockship has since been largely removed to make manoeuvring easier for the cruise ships and to facilitate use of Terminal 2 in the unlikely event that it should ever come to pass.
Deep into Dover Harbour
"If you don't ask, you don't get" often quoted seldom practiced along with "The worst that will happen is they will say no!"
Do you know there is a ship in Dover Harbour that was once the flag ship of a shipping line, survived head on collision with an iceberg before the Titanic tragedy, was sailing around the world during the Klondike Gold Rush and Mark Twain was exclaiming he was not dead, and ended it's useful life above the waves the same day the first ever enemy plane was shot down by an allied plane? Well there is!
Multibeam sonar image of the blockship prior to its removal :
It's called the Spanish Prince. Back in 1907 she was purchased by the Prince Line from Greenshields, Cowie & Co.
Previously known as the 'Knight Bachelor' and launched in 1894.
Three years later, April 1897, 15 years before the Titanic disaster, she suffered and survived a head on collision with an ice-berg off Nova-Scotia
Loosing a full 30 feet off her bow, taking another four days to reach port for repairs costing $30,000.00!
Knight Bachelor with iceberg damage:
WW1 started in June 1914 and in October that year whilst in St. Nazaire Roads she went aground and ended her life above the waves but her 'useful life' was not yet over - this was to carry on right up to the present day!
The Admiralty acquired the Spanish Prince and put her to work in Dover Harbour as a blockship protecting the western entrance and the fleet anchorage from submarine attack throughout both WW1 & WW2. Thence on she has been in place ever since marked by a lonely buoy.
Ian Grout or 'Grouty' - is a member of a group of divers that dive from Dover. Having regularly passed the unseen wreck of the Spanish Prince to dive some of the many wrecks out in the channel he had often mused over what was down there so near to them but frustratingly out of bounds! - Or was it...
Grouty had wanted to dive the Spanish Prince for many years now, but was put off by the constant and consistent opinions from other divers, fishermen and people 'in the know' that it was out of bounds to recreational divers and DHB would never grant permission for a dive group to 'get in the way' besides the currents and visibility conditions dictate that it could not or should not be done.
In late 2007, Ian decided to ignore all the scepticism and approached Dover Harbour Board to ask, "The worst that will happen is they will say no!" he said to his ever sceptical diving buddies. To his and more so his friends astonishment, they said 'Yes' sort of, as long as any dive plan met the strict conditions that came with this permission!
While the Spanish Prince has been dived commercially in the past, it has never been dived recreationally due to its hazardous location.
Once provisional permission had been gained from DHB, much work had to be undertaken to ensure a safe dive. Dover is one of the busiest ports in the world it is no surprise that amateur diving is prohibited. What with large ferries, super-sized catamarans and cruise liners navigating a relatively small enclosed area. Along with many yachts, RIB's and the odd canoe adding to the mix, whilst sitting quietly unbeknown to most below the choppy surface of the harbour, lies the last remaining block ship, Spanish Prince, quietly guarding the westernmost of the two harbour entrances.
Blocks ships and Boom nets were first placed around both entrances in the First World War, protecting the key port of 'Hellfire Corner' from submarine attacks.
All but one were removed and cleared away, and little evidence of their existence now remains except for the scars of equipment once fitted onto the Piers near by but now long since gone. The Spanish Prince though remains quietly on station and virtually intact, lying unseen at a tangent inside the Western entrance.
Here she lays upright in 16m of water, with very little water between the top of the wreck and the surface it is still a major hazard to most vessels using the port, and often forces ferries to perform delicate pirouettes to avoid it.
In preparation for the dive, Grouty was given permission by the very helpful and encouraging DHB harbour master and his staff to conduct his own survey of the wreck site to ascertain if an optimum diving condition existed in which to attempt a dive on the wreck.
Grouty studied and pored over tidal flows and with the kind assistance of his friends, making good use of the winter layoff. They had to develop ways to monitor the specific tidal effects during a variety of weather conditions over the wreck site, taking soundings and noting first hand the effects of the ever present currents (up to three knots) over the wreck with weighted floats and buoys to find the optimum diving conditions in which to conduct a safe dive.
WW1 chart showing the blockships:
Visibility was always a major concern. With a sand and silt sea bed, the multiple currents, shipping traffic and a dredger constantly working the harbour, any visibility would be a bonus!
The Sea-Cat timetable had also to be taken into consideration, as neither divers nor dive boats could be allowed to tangle up with the super-sized catamaran without disastrous results. This was just one more hazard to be calculated into any possible dive plan let alone a risk assessment! Never let it be said Grouty likes it easy!
This brought up yet another issue; with the busy harbour entrance just a few meters away, tricky currents and visibility that was going to be low at best and a port authority that, necessarily, would be keeping a big eye on the proceedings, Ian needed a diving team that was experienced and reliable.
Spanish Prince with anti-submarine net gantries prior to being sunk in position:
Two dives were planned on consecutive days and the first attempt was scheduled for 1 and 2 March 2008, but despite the glorious weather, the night before there were force 8 gales and the water looked like a particularly solid mass of sludge. After much consideration, and a large dose of disappointment, Ian was forced to make the decision to call it off. The post-bin mutual consolation breakfast occurred at a marina-side cafe, but the group left with the anticipation of setting another date in the future.
The dive was rescheduled for Thursday 12 and Friday 13 June, as usual subject to weather. With the sheltered location, winds would not be an issue so long as they were not south, south westerly, as that would blow straight through the Western entrance and over the wreck. The week before was variable, but the team remained optimistic, not only do the harbour walls shelter the site, but the famous white cliffs also shelter the harbour.
Thursday arrived far too early in the morning, and after battling the traffic the group arrived at Dover Marina to find the day just a little breezy and with leaden grey skies over head. The port authorities confirmed that if we thought it safe to dive, then they were ready for us to do so.
The six divers and a suitable surface support team were present and accounted for, making up three buddy pairs. All of whom had done many dives in the channel out of Dover and wanted to see this wreck that so often appeared on their depth finders on the way in and out of the harbour. Additionally, for the wildlife enthusiasts - Lynne - there was the distinct possibility of an ecosystem that should, theoretically, be blooming on this undisturbed wreck.
With the dredger nearby, and the Sea Cat scheduled to enter the harbour during the dive, coming off the wreck was the absolute last thing that could be permitted. The dive boat on the day was Dave Bachelors roomy cat 'Neptune' - nice and practical but best of all VISABLE to the local shipping! Also present and suitably crewed was the over-sized dive RIB, 'Inflated Ego' providing additional surface cover as dive safety boat - just in case the worst should happen and a diver drift off.
On board Neptune before ropes off Grouty held a final briefing and checked all the paperwork was in hand and finally the dive was underway. Dave placed the shot in as amidships as it was possible to get, Grouty was tasked with tying in the shot in order that the divers could use their lines to explore the wreck AND get safely to the shot without getting lost or drifting off the wreck.
Going down the shot line, visibility was measured in inches but surprisingly there was some visibility - about a meter! Even so there was still a lot to see.
The phrase 'Starfish City' was used by all the divers. With undisturbed mussel beds carpeting the wreck, starfish were everywhere thousands of them. Occasionally the odd white anemone could be seen, big and fat among the mussels, as well as lobsters lurking in the many holes.
The wreck itself was a maze of girders and structures to explore. As Ian explained during the briefing, "Due to the limited time first dive down skimp on the detail and see as much of the wreck as we can compare notes and second dive perhaps a more concentrated look at the more significant areas".
From what we saw we think we had all found our way aft, from what was the bridge area into and across the aft hold, then back up onto the stern quarters.
Much of the decking was missing leaving a skeletal frame work of beams and oversized girders to clamber over and glide through with the unseen innards of the wreck remaining beyond sight in the gloom.
Towards the stern We found a corridor going into the wreck Ian dropped into this for a few meters deciding this may be the place to explore further next dive, back on top of the wreck it was noticeable that the current was starting to build so best to make our way back towards the shot and complete our time there.
"No matter how many times I've reeled off" Grouty explained "it always seems further on the way back" he continued "Perhaps it's the current ever building trying to pull you off course, or the closeness of the confining visibility the apprehensive veil that tries its best to keep the secrets of this forbidden world away from you or just the effect of your adrenalin rush having peaked I don't know, but it's always a relief to see the shot again!"
Back at the shot Grouty and his dive buddy Peter found they were the last pair still down, the current was now trying to drag them off of the wreck and out of the western entrance so for now they set the waster and surfaced!
Most dives have a sense of peace in terms of sound. The tick-ticking of shrimps, the gurgle from your exhaled breath, the distant noise from you own boats engine above accompany most dives.
This dive was far from peaceful. The constant drone of the ferries massive engines at the far end of the harbour drowned out any sound of 'Inflated Ego's engine almost making the water pulse with sound, and two very loud rumbles - what seemed to be far too close - were distinctly unnerving yet at the same time curiously comforting - exciting even.
Upon surfacing forty minutes after jumping in, the divers were informed that the loud rumbles were the dredger and the Sea Cat both tiptoeing carefully by as they made their way out through the western entrance.
All six divers were keen to return and explore in more detail with specific areas that needed attention. But with the visibility returning to sludge the following day, this was not to be.
The dive team encouraged by the pervious day's efforts gave it their best but honestly you could not see out of your masks! Grouty and his dive buddie of the day Keith, persisted longest, but even they had to admit it was a lost cause after only ten minuets!
It is not likely that this wreck will be dived again. Soon it is due to be pulled up and scrapped to make way for the new ferry terminal development so will be lost forever. Both traffic tides and visibility do not make for the most spectacular or easiest of dives. But, sometimes, just sometimes, a dive is worth doing just for the sake of doing it.
So now our Dive team can claim to have dived one wreck most other divers can only wonder about!
Just shows if you ask - you might just get!
Be prepared to put the effort in to make it so - and never underestimate the amount of effort it will take - it will always be worth while in the end.
Remembering and reasserting why we dive in the first place. To explore and experience as different a world form ours as outer space must be is a privilege, so very different.
In among the many wrecks we visit you just never know what you'll see or find down there - treasure is not just gold, experience and memories are more valuable than ever gold could be though some times just as difficult to attain!
My thanks to all that helped - Grouty.
Divers:
Ian Grout, Peter Smith, Adrian Planton, Lynne Sencicle, Andy Moon, Keith Slade, John Gamble, Phil Combes, Chris Mulligan, Steve Manser.
Boats:
Neptune - Dave Bachelor
Inflated Ego - Steve Manser
After the talk, I showed Grouty my own humble treasures. The rivets in the photo are from the Spanish Prince. The matchbook holder, with a matchbook of later vintage, is from the Canadian Pacific liner S.S. "Montrose," famous for being the ship on which Dr Crippen was arrested on arrival in Canada. At the outbreak of WW1, she was one of the two ships designated to become the Western Entrance blockships. Just before she was due to be sunk, a storm blew up and her moorings carried away. She passed right through the harbour without hitting any of the huge assemblage of naval shipping present and out of the Eastern Entrance to end her days on the Goodwin Sands. She was replaced by the "Livonian."
