Trip Report : Plymouth, May 2008"Low on numbers, high on quality" by Simon Read 3rd - 6th May 2008 This year’s Plymouth dive was low on numbers but high on quality. The six of us met at the Fortescue Arms midway down Mutley Plain, having checked into the newly renovated Devonshire Guest House. A few quiet pints and we returned to the guest house, reminding Ian that fir trees prefer to live in plant pots not window ledges, and that he was not (contrary to his own belief) a midnight gardener. Saturday arrived and we got up early for breakfast and to meet the people who were joining us on the Cee King for the weekend. The ‘Macc lads’ (Dave, Ray and Jan) turned out to be local to Manchester and were regular users of Richard’s vessel. After the short drive down to the Queen Anne’s Marina, the yearly routine began: unload the kit into trolleys, wheel the kit down the pontoons of the Marina, climb over the security barrier to open the gate, load the Cee King, set up the kit ready for the first dive and drink the first of many cups of tea. The lack of regular divers did, however, produce one positive ….. we didn’t have to carry Mark’s twin set! That was quickly nullified when the Macc lads arrived with four complete twin sets!! (come back Mark, all is forgiven!). The biggest shock of the weekend was right at the start; it was Richard and his complete change. For all of you who have met him, he is now non-smoking and the Cee King proudly displays no smoking signs all over the place. He is also an advocate of celery and will happily talk for hours about the nutrient values of various foods, including and (especially) celery. Saturday’s diving looked interesting, as a reasonable swell was being added to by a Southerly wind, making for a rough ride out to the first dive. The first dive, The Persier, formally known as the War Buffalo, was built in 1918 and weighed in at 5,030 tons. She was sunk by a U-Boat (U-1017) attack on February 11th 1945 and was finally rediscovered in 1969 by a fisherman’s echo sounder in Bigbury Bay. The dive was a straight forward shot line descent into water that was teaming with life. We swam a circuit above mounds of wreckage in which swarmed Bib, Pouting, Wrasse, Cuckoo Wrasse, Pollock and Sea Bass. In the nooks and crannies were varied selections and sizes of crab. On the flatter surfaces of the wreck there was a forest of Pink Sea Fans. At 28m, the visibility was excellent and allowed us to explore the wreck closely, and on returning to the surface we were met by a welcoming cup of soup. The weather continued to heave us about, so to try and aid those on board who had begun to go green, the Cee King headed off to a sheltered cove for lunch. Brown bread sandwiches and ginger biscuits supplied by Jan (from the Macc lads). After lunch, we decided to dive the wreck of F71 HMS Scylla, a Leander-class frigate that served in the Royal Navy between 1970 and 2003. She was bought by the National Marine Aquarium and sunk on the 27th of March 2004 to form the Scylla Reef. This is a dive I had wanted to complete for a few years but had waited, as it had not developed from a shiny pile of metal into a reef. It now has an abundance of sea life growing on it (mainly on the sheltered side) to the extent that the intact gents urinal has a splendid example of a fan worm growing out of the silt that has gathered in the bowl. The specially cut diver holes allow for easy access into the ship and with most of the loose wiring and piping removed it is a good wreck to dive. It is still important to take care, as with any wreck there are some areas on which the unwary could snag. We progressed along the upper deck and then at the stern descended to 26m swimming beneath the stern of the ship. Several of the standard fish were seen and a large collection of Plumose anemones, Jewel anemones, Sea Fans and Devonshire Cup Corals. The Scylla is a good dive in terms of wrecks and is now developing into an excellent reef habitat, definitely worth a visit. We docked at the marina and unloaded our cylinders from the Cee King and introduced the Macc lads to our après dive bar with a welcome cold beer and a round of cheesy chips. As usual, we headed off for a banquet at the New Garden City and then strolled up to the James Street Vaults (JSV) for a quiet after meal drink. This was ruined when Ian and Raquelle noticed a new alcohol and Red Bull mix. From nearly asleep to giggling in one easy swig! Sunday loomed brightly, the swell had reduced and the wind had turned, promising a second day of good diving. We were greeted by healthy eating comments and a welcome cup of tea on the Cee King. The target for the mornings dive was The Rose Hill. Built in 1911, she was first launched as the Minster with a gross tonnage of 2733 tons and was sunk on the 23rd September 1917 by the German submarine U40. ( Video of the Rose Hill Wreck ). The dive was interesting in the amount of sea life that could be seen at the edge of visibility and the fact that there is a great deal of wreckage to be investigated, which hides a multitude of fish. It was sadly not up to the previous day as we had to descend through a bank of plankton close however, because of the wreckage investigation of the nooks and crannies made up for the reduced visibility. The next dive, Hand Deeps, has become one of my favourite sites. Richard spent a long time getting the shot line in place. This can be frustrating but when descending, if the line is set properly, it can make all the difference to the dive. We dropped down the line onto the pinnacle at about 9 meters. This is covered in kelp and is always interesting to investigate. We found a couple of Sea Bass and a large Pollock swimming in amongst the forest. We made our way to the drop off and descended to the first of the small shelves and floated between 20 and 30 meters. The walls of the cliff were covered in Jewel anemones. They carpeted everywhere in reds, purples, oranges and yellows, it is a remarkable sight which is enhanced using torches that really display the vivid colours in all their richness. This is one of the dives that is unfortunately over too soon. Evening entertainment consisted of a curry on Mutley Plain after which half of the party retreated for an early night. The few remaining hard liners took a short walk down to the JSV for a few quiet pints and then back to the B&B. On waking for the final day, the wind had dropped and the sun had reared its head. A glorious morning saw us heading out to Hilsea Point for the first dive. This proved to be an excellent dive, starting with a long search for the perfect spot to drop the shot line and having to haul it up a couple of times because it was not set right. We descended to a pinnacle at about 8m and then continued down a slight drop off into a deep gully with a sandy sea bed at about 25m. The rocky sides provide plenty of life such as Sea Fans and Rose Coral with a few lobsters and crab. We swam down one side and then where the ravine turns into a small amphitheatre we turned and swam back past the point we had originally descended. The highlight of the dive was then to swim through a cave in the rock coming out to a series of small gullies and amphitheatre shaped areas which had a school of small Mackerel. The return through the same cave was against the main swell and consisted of allowing the swell to suck us through and then bracing against the walls as it washed back. An excellent dive, particularly for the rock formations and topography. To finish with, we had left the cream of the crop; The James Egan Lane, situated next to The Scylla. The JEL lies in Whitsand Bay, it was one of the so called 'Liberty ships' built to ferry supplies across the Atlantic. She weighed in at 7000 tons and was finally sunk in March 1945 (hit by a U-boat torpedo). This for me is the best dive in Plymouth, it does not matter about low visibility as the atmospheric ribs and holds of the JEL are a pleasure to explore. The visibility on this dive was about 8 meters which allowed light to stream through the ship’s ribs shedding an eerie green light over the ship’s inner holds. Descending onto the ship’s bow, we swam to the sea bed and into one of the holes in the wreck’s bows, we found a series of pipes, out of which a conga eel glared at our intrusion. The whole dive was swarming with life as fish of all types swam in among the debris. There was also seen swimming around a lesser sombrero’d Ian, a rare species but always good to see! If you have not yet experienced Plymouth, you are missing a treat. Good company (us of course), good food and most importantly good diving. These dives are worth doing for their variety, the sea life and the experience…..so get on the list with Ray for next May!
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