30 Sep 2006 - Diving the Cyclops !
Diving the Cyclops, Dunbar, 30-09-06North Star: -Skipper Ian Easingwood
SQSAC Divers: - Warren Izzett, Ronnie Mackenzie, Ally Macgregor, Stevie Adams
The 'Cyclops' is the wreck of a Dredger lying about 3 miles North of Dunbar and
2.8 miles East of the Bass Rock, in position 56 03 28.1N, 002 32 04.2W.
She sank while under tow from Queensferry to Sunderland to be scrapped on 27-02-1924.
Reported as lying upside down 3 metres clear of the muddy/sandy seabed at 38 metres, with a length of 45 metres and a breadth of 10 metres, lying in a north to south orientation.
Iain Easingwood had brought his boat up from Eyemouth to dive the U74, Royal Fusilier, and the Cyclops over the weekend, so four of us decided to book up and dive the Cyclops on the Saturday afternoon.
We arrived at 1pm to depart at 1:30pm, and once onboard Warren discovered he had forgotten his Drysuit hose, DOH ! So we would have to dive in two ?waves? so he could use my hose.
It was a lovely day as we left Dunbar Harbour, blue skies and calm seas, and with only seven of us on the boat there was plenty of room to scatter our kit about.
Once onsite the sounder showed 36 metres to the top of the wreck and 38 metres to the seabed.
I dived with Ally and we dropped onto the hull at a depth of 36 metres, visibility was about 6 metres but very dark, as the shot was off the wreck we clipped a distance line on and reeled off, lots of fish (bib) and large crabs and lobsters. A very confusing wreck with large cogs and girders everywhere, and the remains of the buckets still under the wreck, after 20 minutes we returned to the shotline and ascended, after completing our Deco stops we surfaced and were picked up by the boat.
I swapped Drysuit hoses and briefed Warren and Ronnie about conditions and location of the shot, they dropped in while we ate Homemade Shortbread and drank Coffee in the sun. After a lengthy dive they returned to the Boat, nobody wanted a second dive as time was now getting on, we arrived back at Dunbar unloaded, paid the Skipper (ouch!) and headed home at 5:30 pm.
A good dive lots to see, (but not as good as the U-Boat which is very close by, at 42m it?s a bit deeper but small enough to see everything in one dive).
The Cyclops is covered in soft corals and sponges, but is silty and stirs up easily, at 45 metres long too big to really see all in one dive, with lots of girders, large flywheels and buckets lying about, a very confusing wreck to make sense of.
She appears to be lying over on her side, and has sunk into the mud rather than being fully upside down.
I think it was an even more confusing Dive for Ally with his small torch and with our maximum depth being 39 metres, narcosis must have had an effect...although not for me diving 10/50 Trimix in my Rebreather gives you a lovely clear head so I could deal with all my problems: - flooded suit (neck seal went), too heavy, reel tangled up... (Don?t think Ally noticed!) Everyone enjoyed the Day and their Dive, except for the price £35 for one dive, OUCH!. I think we will use the Club RIB the next time.
2.8 miles East of the Bass Rock, in position 56 03 28.1N, 002 32 04.2W.
She sank while under tow from Queensferry to Sunderland to be scrapped on 27-02-1924.
Reported as lying upside down 3 metres clear of the muddy/sandy seabed at 38 metres, with a length of 45 metres and a breadth of 10 metres, lying in a north to south orientation.
Iain Easingwood had brought his boat up from Eyemouth to dive the U74, Royal Fusilier, and the Cyclops over the weekend, so four of us decided to book up and dive the Cyclops on the Saturday afternoon.
We arrived at 1pm to depart at 1:30pm, and once onboard Warren discovered he had forgotten his Drysuit hose, DOH ! So we would have to dive in two ?waves? so he could use my hose.
It was a lovely day as we left Dunbar Harbour, blue skies and calm seas, and with only seven of us on the boat there was plenty of room to scatter our kit about.
Once onsite the sounder showed 36 metres to the top of the wreck and 38 metres to the seabed.
I dived with Ally and we dropped onto the hull at a depth of 36 metres, visibility was about 6 metres but very dark, as the shot was off the wreck we clipped a distance line on and reeled off, lots of fish (bib) and large crabs and lobsters. A very confusing wreck with large cogs and girders everywhere, and the remains of the buckets still under the wreck, after 20 minutes we returned to the shotline and ascended, after completing our Deco stops we surfaced and were picked up by the boat.
I swapped Drysuit hoses and briefed Warren and Ronnie about conditions and location of the shot, they dropped in while we ate Homemade Shortbread and drank Coffee in the sun. After a lengthy dive they returned to the Boat, nobody wanted a second dive as time was now getting on, we arrived back at Dunbar unloaded, paid the Skipper (ouch!) and headed home at 5:30 pm.
A good dive lots to see, (but not as good as the U-Boat which is very close by, at 42m it?s a bit deeper but small enough to see everything in one dive).
The Cyclops is covered in soft corals and sponges, but is silty and stirs up easily, at 45 metres long too big to really see all in one dive, with lots of girders, large flywheels and buckets lying about, a very confusing wreck to make sense of.
She appears to be lying over on her side, and has sunk into the mud rather than being fully upside down.
I think it was an even more confusing Dive for Ally with his small torch and with our maximum depth being 39 metres, narcosis must have had an effect...although not for me diving 10/50 Trimix in my Rebreather gives you a lovely clear head so I could deal with all my problems: - flooded suit (neck seal went), too heavy, reel tangled up... (Don?t think Ally noticed!) Everyone enjoyed the Day and their Dive, except for the price £35 for one dive, OUCH!. I think we will use the Club RIB the next time.