Capt Kevin dives the "spooky" Beth Dee Bob
NJSDC September 2000 newsletter
Beth Dee Bob, September 2000, By Jerry Keenehan
NJSDC August 2000 newsletter
Roughing It in New Jersey, , From SCUBA Sports Club newsletter, Sea Swells
FantaSea Divers, Volume I Issue 2 WRECK DIVERS
Dive Log the Porthole II, August 1998, From SCUBA Sports Club newsletter, Sea Swells
Immaculatta Dive Report, July 1998, Metuchen Underwater Divers
Much better than the Tolten, The Porthole—August 17
I went out this past weekend with the Porthole II and dove on the Beth Dee Bob (see Wreck Facts) and had a Halloweenish kind of a dive. She's a new wreck, all hands lost, so as not to dishonor those who died I relate to you this story without embellishment. I entered the wheelhouse of the wreck after an uneventful descent and was confronted by an unexplainable stillness. I can't describe this feeling but I felt as if I was on the threshold of a tomb. I proceeded down a set of stairs into the living quarters of the ship and discovered all the day-to-day items the crewmembers had left, videos, newspapers, clothing, pots and pans, food, etc. Seeing all this I was overcome by the reality of it all. Of what it must be like to die at sea, alone, away from friends and family no one to share your pain. Then I was overcome by the distinct sensation that someone was behind me, I turned to look expecting to see another diver but no one was there. I searched around some more not sure what I might find, I had no intention of removing anything because it felt to me as if I was now in the inner sanctum of the tomb I had entered, and then there it was again, that distinct sensation that I was being watched, someone was behind me, I turned once again expecting that diver, who, once again disappointed me. No one was there. I decided that I had had enough and headed back to the wheelhouse to make my escape. Upon my departure I came across a book. I paged through it to see the title and when I saw it I had to laugh. The title was "The Devils Footprint." Humor among sorrow the irony of it all. It was a great day.
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NJSDC September 9 club dive:
Capt. Duane Clause took five club members (one unfilled slot costing the club $70 in subsidy) on a rather circuitous excursion aboard the Porthole II. That morning the dive chair, yours truly, suggested a trip to the wrecked tanker Gulf Trade, torpedoed and sunk by the German U-588 on 03/10/42, off of Barnegat. I should have known, by the look of pain on the captain's face that this diving destination would prove more daunting than deliverable. Even in a fast boat it's a long ride down to Barnegat from the Shark River Inlet and the locals were all over this wreck when we got there. A large head boat (35-40 day charter fishermen) sat atop the Gulf Trade, along with an assortment of other vessels angling for a catch. Now while I am hooked on diving; I do not wish to be hooked while diving. So much for the Gulf Trade.
We pushed on only to encounter similar circumstances at another nearby site. Strike two. As we made off for our third attempt to find a site we could call our own, I retreated to the cabin where I could feign a Dramamine induced sleep and thus avoid the glum countenances of my cohorts and the reproachful stoicism of the captain. Me and my bright ideas! What did I expect on a Saturday? Full throttle we motored toward the Viscaya (AKA. the Spanish Steamer) only to be tailed, a thousand yards off our stern, by the Lady Grace, another dive charter apparently with similar intents. We beat the Lady Grace to the site and hooked in before she arrived but we were not alone. Two fishermen in a rather small craft and a couple of divers, one tending and one down, in a large cabin cruiser, were already working the wreck.
We were low on options at that point and figured the wreck would just have to be shared, but when Duane offered the Captain and crew of Lady Grace use of our hook it struck NJSDC as an excess of chivalry. Lucky for us the Lady Grace didn't take Duane up on his generous offer and elected to anchor into the Cornelius Hargraves which sunk some 150 yards from the Viscaya after colliding with her on the night of October 30, 1890. Even more fortuitous were the conditions at the site. 40-foot vis and 7l degree bottom temps made exploring this wreck idyllic. The Viscaya went down suddenly with all her passengers and the potential for artifact recovery heightened our sense of possibility. Members of our party reportedly sighted an intact porthole. The Captain moved the hook a mite during our surface interval and we did our second tanks in the same spot. There was much to see and do and even though only one bug was taken and humble muscles harvested I wouldn't have traded the day for 'Lobzilla' in my catch bag. Even though we stumbled into it, EUREKA we'd found it... a premier dive.... a Banner day.(top of page)
As I dropped down thru the turbid cloud of jellyfish and plankton, not able to see where the anchor line led thru the green haze, a long shadowy arm reached up to pull me down...As I sank deeper into the beckoning sea, a long dark shape emerged slowly before my eyes, the wheelhouse door slowing creaking and swinging back and forth in an unseen wind, revealing the black depths of the death ship inside... cautiously, I held back the door and slipped inside, half expecting to be greeted by a ghostly crew...but all was silent and empty, the captains swivel chair slowly swinging round and round...I reached under the counter and snatched up the diesel gauge left lying in the silt, stuffed it in my dry suit pocket and continued on my way...down past the rows of clams cages, still filled with the deadly cargo that led to the ship's demise...drifting through another dark and foreboding cabin on the stern...looking back as I exited the dark cabin, a network of long and grasping arms reached toward the surface, as though pleading for rescue....finally, as I slowly drifted past the starboard bow, the ghostly ship revealed itself..."Beth Dee Bob".
Jerry Keenehan
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NJSDC August 5 Club dive:
Capt. Duane Clause took four club members and two subs (full boat =0 cost to club) for a dive excursion aboard the Porthole II This vessel is finely appointed and its cabin provides creature comforts for the dry diver that includes air conditioning, leather couches and a full head. The Pinta, a 1 94-foot Dutch motor ship that collided with British freighter City of Perth on the evening of May 7, 1963 and sank as a mostly intact wreck, provided the first dive site of the day. Several divers reportedly sighted a "monster bug" that proved inaccessible. No bugs were bagged and 15-foot vis provided nice views of this historical wreck with its "Hollywood" appearance. The second dive on the oft-visited Spring Lake Sailor was less spectacular affording less than 10-foot vis. The dive was competently mated and all participants gave the day a "thumbs up".
Roughing It in New Jersey
Four brave divers ventured out into deep waters to face the two-clawed monsters and a variety of sea life, heretofore unseen by man—or woman. Bob and Maurice gave Jack lessons on how to keep dry suits dry—something with which Jack had some major problems. Jack D dazzled us with all the latest technology in dive equipment. And I, well; let’s just say it wasn't my fault.
The Porthole has more electronic equipment and gadgets on her than Jim has camera accessories or Dave has camping equipment. But the best part was the HOT water available for a shower after the dive—and the beer. What was missing were Howie’s mangos and Rick’s jokes.
DON’T MISS the next exciting dive on the Porthole on August 17th. There are still two spots open!
Ben Brush
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FantaSea Divers, Volume I Issue 2 WRECK DIVERS
Divers with the help and expertise of Duane Clause (owner of the PORTHOLE) completed their mission and retrieved the anchor from the Tolten. This was the second leg, the first being last year when the anchor was cut free and towed to an undisclosed location off shore. The divers doing a part of their wreck certification were led by YMCA instructor Ray Brown (also a mate on the PORTHOLE.) This might sound like an outstanding feat, but it was completed after they had retrieved the spare propeller from inside the PINTA! The Propeller was raised while diving from the Porthole after lifting it with the help of several lift bags. Now we know why Ray owns a 2000 pound bag and several others. Rumor has it the anchor will be stored in front of FANTASEA Scuba. If interested in a wreck diving certification or just wreck diving, contact us for information.
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Dive Log the Porthole II, August 1998
The first of our two scheduled New Jersey dives on the Porthole was Saturday, July 11th. Six club members filled Capt. Duane Clause’s new boat. He sold the speedy Porthole, bought a bigger fishing boat (a 42’ Post) and moved to the Shark River inlet in Neptune. The Porthole II has a spacious salon featuring a big leather couch and teak cabinetry. One bedroom holds a bunk bed, the other twin beds. The galley has a full-size fridge and freezer, sink and more teak detailing. It’s a beautiful boat and with some improvements will make a good dive boat.
The seas were a little choppy as we pulled out of the marina around 8:00 am. We arrived at our destination, the Algol an hour later to find four dive boats already anchored. With 40 divers already swimming on the wreck, Capt. Duane suggested moving to another site. We decided on the Mohawk (80 fsw) which was more inshore but promised calmer seas. The Mohawk was a passenger liner that collided with another ship losing 55 people in the tragedy.
Arriving at the Mohawk, there was one small dive boat on the wreck so we had a short wait while their divers came up. Finally, we suited up and jumped in the water at 10:30.
Dave and myself tied a reel to the anchor line and proceeded to explore the scattered wreckage. Visibility was around 20-30 ft. Dave and Ben were another buddy team and Dick and Zeke were the third team. All enjoyed the dive with no problems to speak of. And Dick returned with a legal-sized bug. I found a piece of ceramic tile, which I tossed overboard after the first mate gushed how he once brought up half the tile flooring from the wreck.
We ate our lunches in the air-conditioned salon, sharing cookies and potato chips.
After an hour and half wait, we did our second dive on the same wreck. The visibility was down to 15-20’ now. Beautiful anemone’s graced the steel remains and sea bass were plentiful. The captain brought up two good-sized bugs but the rest of us came up empty-handed. Another nice dive nonetheless.
We found the captain and first mate, Chris, to be helpful and informative. If you signed up for the next Porthole dive, you are in for a pleasant surprise. With a new ladder and tank ranks expected soon the boat should be just about perfect.
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Immaculatta Dive Report, July 1998
MUD's first official charter on the Porthole II was a resounding success, according to Chris Bain. The wreck yielded a number of old, unusual bottles, as well as an artifact that Chris believes is a toy outhouse. Visibility was 30 feet. The Porthole II could be the most luxurious dive boat outside the live-a-board category with a leather couch in the salon, large head and two staterooms. It also offers significantly more rear deck room than its predecessor.
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Much better than the Tolten, The Porthole—August 17
On Sunday, August 17 at 6:45 am Bernie, Howie, Dave, Roberto and myself (Charlie) loaded the Porthole with our gear and set off for another adventure. The plan was to dive on the Tolten, but once on board we decided to change our destination to the Stolt Dagali. Howie suggested this because it was a better wreck. We decided to make both of our dives on the Stolt. We expected the vis to be great and we were not disappointed—it was over 60 feet. It was a bit cold once you went past the thermo cline at 75 feet—I think it was about 47 degrees.
The Stolt Dagali was a tanker. On November 26, 1964 the bow of the Israeli luxury liner Shalom sliced into the midsection of the Stolt, cutting it in two. The stem section with the heavier engine room and machinery sank very fast, killing 19, including some women. The other, larger piece, more buoyant, remained afloat.
The Stolt lies on her starboard side on a slope. The tail end of the stern rises to about 65 feet below the surface, while the rest drops down to a depth of about 130 feet at the bottom. This is a wonderful wreck for all types of divers. The tail end rises so far off the bottom that visibility is generally very good, and on occasion gets to be in excess of 80 or 90 feet, making her a great wreck for photography. Lobster can be found, usually near the bottom section, and she can be easily penetrated. Many doorways and entrances are available to enter, allowing light to penetrate most sections of the wreck. The lower sections are silty, and visibility drops when disturbed.
Charlie
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