Mid Lancs Sub Aqua

Some months previous, when we were planning our dive calendar for 2008 I thought a weekend at the end of March in Anglesey sounded like a good idea to start the summer diving season.

As the date closed in, deposits were taken, accommodation booked, plans made, "Little Mo" taken from her winter slumber and made ready with a few improvements 2008. And finally as the excitement was building in the final days before our trip we started to watch the weather forecasts – it was not good, it was very not good.

The overall planning for the weekend had been passed over to some of the members of Salford University Diving Club who would be joining us, as part of their development for the Advanced Diver qualification. As Jamie, Sophie and myself reviewed their plans, in the last few days before our departure it became apparent that given the weather forecast their plans were perhaps ‘a little ambitious’. And suggestions were made ‘maybe we should be looking at sites around the North of the island, very close to the shore line’.

Anyway, Bruce, myself, Little Mo and a very strong smell of petrol arrived at the ‘The Outdoor Centre’ in Anglesey around 7.30pm. Then the next 45mins were spent on siphoning the fuel from a leaking main fuel tank into the external ones, then off to the pub for some tea and wait for the others to arrive.

By the time Saturday came around we had decided to dive on the wrecks of the Abbortsford and the Barge that lies just out side Amlych harbour. Not a bad plan as these would provide protection from the force 7 – 8 southerly breeze that was causing the rain to fall horizontally and the ferries to Ireland to be cancelled…

We launched Little Mo with the usual gusto, well ok brute force and ignorance and with the force of 150 galloping horses set sail for the Barge. We found the wreck quite quickly, largely thanks to the GPS co-ordinates from Chris Holdens new book and the fact that somebody had been kind enough to put a marker buoy on the wreck.

Seeing the large trace on the sounder the first lot of divers kitted quickly and entered the water with masses of enthusiasm, eager to dive on a new wreck. However their enthusiasm was soon thwarted as the viz underwater was not quite what you would get in the Red Sea…… Eventually we headed back to Bull Bay to get some lunch and to pick up Steve who had travelled down on Saturday morning.

As the day was dragging out a little, the afternoon plans were revised. This would give us the opportunity to locate an uncharted wreck believed to be that of the SS Liverpool, (which myself and Gary dived on last year) and for a dive on the reefs around the ‘Brick Works’

We reached the approximate area in which the Liverpool sank and we began our search. It didn’t take to long before the tell tale image of a shipwreck began to appear on the sounder in just over 35m of water and the exact co-ordinates of the SS Liverpool logged. We WILL return.

While we were searching, Bruce cried "I’ve just seen a dolphin" and sure enough there was a pod of small dolphins or porpoises feeding around the wreck. We watched them swim around for another 15 minutes of so before moving on to the Brick works. Fantastic.

With eager enthusiasm Steve and Bruce prepared themselves to dive on one of the reefs in this little cove, which was providing us with some much needed shelter. After lasting around 15 minutes they decided to cut the dive short due to poor underwater visibility – a sensible choice.

After retrieving them into the boat, we had drifted perilously close to a rocky outcrop, but everyone onboard helped to fend Little Mo away from the rocks – nice bit of teamwork there. And I allowed us to drift away from the rocks into the bay before engaging the drive. It was just at that point there was a sickening crunch and the atmosphere suddenly became full of words my mother doesn't think I know. We had glanced into a submerged rock.

Submerged rock one, propeller nil.

Now with 150 very lame horses we limped our way back to Bull Bay to fully assess the damage, recover the boat and head back to the digs.

Over dinner, we discussed options for the Sunday. Vivian was the plan, 1 dip and home.

We got a few strange looks from the other divers as we pulled into the car park at Vivian whilst towing Little Mo in her deflated state, but we didn’t care.

Buddy pairs sorted, dive plans reviewed and into Vivian we did go. I was diving with Duncan (from Salford University) and a very pleasant way of spending 35mins it was too. Vivian is rapidly becoming an underwater Aladdin’s Cave, with many unusual trinkets and artefacts being placed in there by the owners and divers alike. It seems like everywhere you look there is something shinny glinting from the rocky crevasses.

After a warming cup of coffee and a pie (I am from Wigan after all) we headed home in time for tea.

Thanks to all that came along and helped to make the weekend very enjoyable. I think everybody had a good time, and while a very nice man reshapes the propeller we will be plotting our return…..

Andy