07-17-2006, 08:17 AM
When I found out I had a week long workshop in Burlington, VT., I got online and found a shop having an evening wreck charter. Callled ahead and got a space on the six-pack Boston Whaler. The shop is Waterfront Diving Center.
We hit the water at about 6:15 p.m. in rainy, but not stormy conditions. The wreck was the O.J. Walker, a sailing canal ship transporting bricks and roofing tiles. The ship is 85 ft. long, with a 14 ft. beam. Apparently this was the max size for vessels at the time because the locks in the canal system were 90 ft. x 15 ft. Built in 1865, it went down in stormy weather in 1895. She lies in about 65-70 ffw and has bricks on her deck and around her as well as hand carts that were used for loading. The masts criss-cross the wreck. The wreck had zebra mussels, but it was not completely covered like some wrecks here. In all, a pretty cool wreck. Being an evening dive, during overcast conditions and with only 10 ft. visibility, it was as dark. Without a light it would be hard to stay with one's buddy. Surface temp was 71 F and it was 46 F on the bottom.
We hit the water at about 6:15 p.m. in rainy, but not stormy conditions. The wreck was the O.J. Walker, a sailing canal ship transporting bricks and roofing tiles. The ship is 85 ft. long, with a 14 ft. beam. Apparently this was the max size for vessels at the time because the locks in the canal system were 90 ft. x 15 ft. Built in 1865, it went down in stormy weather in 1895. She lies in about 65-70 ffw and has bricks on her deck and around her as well as hand carts that were used for loading. The masts criss-cross the wreck. The wreck had zebra mussels, but it was not completely covered like some wrecks here. In all, a pretty cool wreck. Being an evening dive, during overcast conditions and with only 10 ft. visibility, it was as dark. Without a light it would be hard to stay with one's buddy. Surface temp was 71 F and it was 46 F on the bottom.