Compare it to our last outing to Eastbourne, prop snagged in the lock at Sovereign harbour, anyone called Dave into dry suits at 0600, over the side, knife in hand; “divers save the day.” An argument between the crew, stowaways and I’m sure there was a slack on that day, just wasn’t when we went diving.

It would be quicker to mention the people who weren’t seasick rather than those that were, even D.O’s. succumbed on this outing. Very humbling. Not H.S.D’s. finest hour.

Fast forward to 14th June 2009. A new boat, a new crew (that didn’t argue), almost flat calm and more sunshine than you would find on a Red Sea Liveaboard. Yes, Dave & Sylv of “Our W” broke the ice nicely with our group of hard to please divers. “It’s your day. What do you want to do?” If you want to dive a second wreck on a later slack, we’ll stay out all day if necessary”

I was beginning to think I was dreaming, did the skipper just say, what I think he just said? Just when I didn’t think it could get any better; “Anyone want a cup of tea? Just while you make your minds up” What ever happened to “Put your kit there and don’t bother me again until payment time” I was being given too many options, it was making me dizzy, a feeling made all the worse as I spun around and realised there was more deck space on this boat than your average Cunard Liner. Pinch me someone.

Dicky’s day at Eastbourne

Picture a near-perfect diving day. A flat sea and blue sky, hot and sunny with only a few clouds; A nice big Offshore 125 (Our W) with so much deck space that most dive boats could be parked on the back of it, though getting a boat up on the diver lift would be more of a challenge; It also has a compressor on board for topping up between dives. Suffice to say it was a particularly good day as we managed two wreck dives today rather than one wreck and the obligatory south coast drift over some non descript barren wasteland ‘reef’ (you can tell I’m not a newbie).

How often do you get to do two wreck dives in good viz this side of the Isle of Wight. Endless tea, coffee and soup during a 4 hour sunbathing surface interval with a bit of mackerel fishing. And nice to see no love lost between diver skippers and yachties in the lock at the end of the trip coming back to Eastbourne’s Sovereign Harbour.

We dived the wreck of the Ashford, a British steamer of 1,211 tons which collided with the German barque , Pirat of Hamburg on the 25th June 1906. The Ashford was en route from Seaham to St Nazaire with a cargo of coal. After the collision she was taken in tow by the tug Dominion but sank shortly afterwards. Today the remains of the Ashford, contrary to other dive reports, is upright and intact.

She stands some 8 metres high from the sea bed (42 metres) with her decks at around 34 metres. Her super structure has collapsed down and her decking rotted away exposing her holds and cargo below. This makes for an excellent dive, giving good access areas to penetrate and explore. We had really good viz, a nice ship shape wreck, and easy to spot bits of boat.

Dave & Sylvia gave us a great day out. A fact that didn’t alter as we relocated to below the boat. We dived The Ashford, and I was even able to see it this time, in fact 8 metres, and nice and clear at that. No clangers dropped as far as I was aware, just a good dive for all, with plenty of life, and slack, and a new champion Crab catcher in the club. Step up Paul Allsop, you are the man!

Plenty of room to stretch out and sleep between dives and a second wreck, as promised. Diver Dicky; “That’s the best second dive I’ve ever had in the Channel” Praise indeed.

Prizes will go to the silly hat brigade. Mark Smoothy was rather fetching whilst diving in his medieval apocothary’s bonnet and Pete’s appearance becomes particularly sinister in a Tolkien-esk fashion, when his ears plop out the side of his gimp mask. We really do need a new photographer.

The only other prize of the day goes to Selena for most toilet blockages on the voyage. Pheew! Pass the air freshener someone.

What a day.

Doggy

We also dived the wreck of the FD Lambert a 2195 ton steamship collier torpedoed on 13 February 1917, another casualty of World War One. At an average depth of 25m there’s plenty of time to get round most of the wreck and pick out the interesting features, from an unusual design of anchor at the bow to the spare propeller at the back of the remains of the aft hold. There is a scrap of netting that in low viz could deter from exploring further but it is a small tangle, and easily avoided.

If you look up the FD Lambert in the Shipwreck Index, it is listed as having a triple-expansion engine and one boiler. I agree about the engine (you can tell this a mile off the way the rods, pistons, valve, seals and con roddy things are stuck together) but this wreck had two boilers side by side. So is it really the FD Lambert? Perhaps if anyone dives it with a tape measure, they can measure this wreck and see how close it comes to the Lambert ’s specified length and beam of 85.55m by 11.58m. Plenty of life on this wreck.