Who are we Dive Club NASAC is a volunteer run archaeological dive club affiliated to the Nautical Archaeology Society and is run by NAS members for NAS members. Our purpose is to provide project-based archaeological diving opportunities for NAS members. NASAC is affiliated to the British Sub Aqua Club(BSAC Branch 2574). We welcome divers from all the training agencies. We do not teach diving, but we aim to develop members’ skills through specific dives and projects that will initially be based along the South Coast. Club diving is run under BSAC guidelines and club members are required to be members of the BSAC. Guest divers are welcome on club dives and do not have to be a member of the BSAC, but must show proof of 3rd party insurance prior to diving with NASAC. Annual Membership (as of January 2022) - £7.00 per month or £70.00 per year one off payment. Club members are required to be current members of the Nautical Archaeology Society - Join NAS here Several club members are licencees of Protected Wreck sites, affording us unique project opportunities. Guest divers with archaeological interests are welcome to join in club activities. Club Officers Chair - Ray Dickinson Diving Officer - Mark Beattie-Edwards Treasurer - Chris Birkhead Secretary / Membership - Sara Hasan - can be contacted on [email protected] Marketing Mistress - Karen Moule Equipment Officer - Alby Hall Dive Costs Shore Dive - no cost RIB Dive - close to launch site - £10.00 Members - £25.00 Guests RIB Dive - further afield - £20.00 Members - £40.00 Guests Hard boat dives - charter fee divided by the number of divers - approximate £65.00 - £75.00 per day -------- Why join the Nautical Archaeology Society Diving Club? NASAC member Karen Moule has been a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society for the best part of 24 years with many of those years also as a member of the NAS diving club. Why join any club? Surely a club with a core purpose that shares your own interest or hobby is a good enough reason. If you have an interest in any of the following, then joining NASAC, could be the opportunity you’ve been looking for. Are you interested in: Our seafaring heritage with the triumphs and tragedies that happened over the centuries Our shipbuilding history Our Naval history – perhaps in sea conflicts worldwide Being a diver that wants to dive ‘with a purpose’ Returning to diving after the kids have flown the nest Local history Being a student of maritime archaeology, wanting to access protected wrecks Being a dive centre/shop that can offer your customers a unique dive experience Being a sailor with an interest is ships and shipwrecks Being a dive club, offering your members access to protected wrecks Archaeology in general UK history in general When Karen joined NASAC she had been the Training Officer for a local British Sub Aqua Club dive club in Aylesbury. Having spend a few years taking novice divers into inland dive sites for 6 metre training dives to get student divers through their qualifications, Karen was so bored with it, that she considered ‘hanging up her fins’. Following a visit to one of the dive shows and ‘stumbling’ across the Nautical Archaeology Society stand at the show, she realised it wasn’t quite the time to stop diving. If anything, it was the time to start – start diving with a purpose. Karen had a keen interest in history, our seafaring past and the tragedies that had created so many shipwrecks – along with the allure of sunken treasure! Having spoken to the team from the NAS, it fired a desire to understand more about our maritime heritage, the different types of ships that existed, their evolution over the centuries, the different armaments and what the shipwreck ‘crime scene’ could tell you about the ship itself and the circumstances of its wrecking. Becoming a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society is something for divers and non-divers alike, but the affiliated diving club – NASAC – is just for divers; divers who have an interest in accessing protected wrecks and being with a bunch of people who share a common interest, and who have the added advantage of a range of skills and knowledge specific to maritime archaeology. Being Portsmouth-based, with its own boat, NASAC has the ability to dive in a wide range of locations across the UK. It’s a small and friendly club with ambitions to grow its membership to include more students from Bournemouth and Southampton Universities, divers returning to the sport seeking a purpose to their diving, as well as other local diving club members who can join dive trips for a good day’s diving. As we slowly return to ‘normality’ after COVID, do you feel you want some purpose in your life? Want to add a new dimension to your diving activities? Or share a common interest with likeminded people? -------- NASAC Google Calendar If you are a club member and you want to have a trip, event or activity added to the calendar please contact Sara (Secretary) or Ray (Chair). -------- Forms for NASAC Dive Organisers Dive Admin Dive Marshall Sheet - Open Circuit Only Dive Marshall Sheet - Open Circuit and Rebreather Dive Planning & Risk Assessment Voyage Passage Plan Boat Travel Waiver Remember that your Dive Plan and Risk Assessment must be submitted and approved by the Diving Officer prior to the dive. Mark, our current Diving Officer can be contacted on [email protected] -------- 2023 NASAC Blogs 14.04.23. Greenwich and the Van de Veldes, by Karen Moule The Van de Veldes – father and son Dutch artists from the late 1600s and early 1700s – came to my attention when Mark Beattie Edwards showed the drawing of the Klein Hollandia ship as part of the ‘Digging for Britain’ programme in January this year. When the weekly NASAC e-newsletter informed me that there was an exhibition of their art at the Queen’s House, at the Maritime Museum in Greenwich, I booked my ticket as I was intrigued to see more of their work. Having studied graphic design as a teenager I have always been interested in art, and quite a variety of styles and periods, however always been very keen on maritime art as we had a lot of it on the walls at home as I grew up. The leaflet blurb sets the scene for the exhibition very well: “Royal Museums Greenwich is the home to the world’s largest collection of works by the leading marine artists of the 17th century, Willem van de Velde the Elder and his son, Willem van de Velde the Younger. 350 years ago, the Van de Veldes moved from their home in the Dutch Republic to England, where Charles II gave them a working space in the Queen’s House. From their studio, father and son pioneered marine painting in Britain and established a taste for the genre that persists today. There are few collections of any 17th-century artist’s work – maritime or otherwise – as comprehensive as the Van de Veldes collection at Greenwich or as revealing about how an artist’s studio functioned at that time. The exhibition celebrates this extraordinary collection and its unique association with the Queen’s House, as much a site for contemporary art then as it is today”. The exhibition didn’t disappoint. The father’s core focus was on sketches and pen and ink drawings of maritime scenes – both everyday situations as well as battles. Using his own ship while drawing the scenes, he would sometimes struggle to get out of the way of the action in some cases (!) and you can see how close he was to that action as he often included himself and his ship in many of his finished pieces. The son tended to focus on oil paintings of maritime scenes, either working up his own sketches or his dad’s into stunning paintings. In some of the long thin sketches of a battle or fleet there would be little notes in the margins to inform the finished work to follow of the wind direction, strength, sea state, the direction the ships were sailing, and often the names of the ships alongside numbers allocated by their masts. It was a fascinating insight into their method as well as an opportunity to appreciate the finished pieces whether in oil or pen and ink. The most astonishing thing for me was the level of detail that the pen and ink drawings went into. I have included the main picture here and then a close up of two small sections of the drawing to show how much detail the father managed to capture at the time! Quite exceptional observational and recording skills. If you’re into maritime art and history, I highly recommend visiting this exhibition and it’s on until 14th January 2024. And it’s free. I’d be very happy for a second visit! If you’d like to join us in 2023 for some fun and adventures or would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 09.02.23. When the TV joined NASAC to discover a wreck, by Karen Moule NASAC member Karen Moule has been a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society for the best part of 25 years with many of those years also as a member of the NAS diving club. Saturday 3rd September 2022 saw nine divers and a cameraman from RareTV set off to film what had been called ‘The Secret Wreck’ from Eastbourne harbour and tell the story of this ship’s demise for the BBC’s new Digging for Britain series. With gorgeous weather, flat calm seas, we waved goodbye to the harbour seals while Mark Beattie-Edwards briefed us on the day ahead. Terry, the cameraman, was a great addition to the team that day, and was impressive in his ability to nimbly manage to work his way around the boat taking all sorts of shots – drone views above the boat, the briefing, interviewing people as well as recording the action as we kitted up, jumped in, came out and de-kitted. Above: Lee, Alex and Karen being briefed on the boat in Sovereign Harbour, Eastbourne There were several objectives to achieve. First and foremost was to enable Martijn Manders, Head of Nautical Archaeology in the Netherlands to see a bronze cannon in situ on a wooden shipwreck. To date he had only seen bronze cannon after they had been recovered. Sara and Mark were going to recover a couple of artefacts for closer investigation and conservation; and Lee, Alex and myself were going to do some cleaning. In order to confirm the age of the shipwreck a large piece of wood, ideally one of the main uprights that were side by side along the length of the hull, would need to be cut off and taken for dendrochronology (tree ring) identification. As the edge of the hull was just visible from the seabed, the wood nibbling critters in our UK waters had already started to nibble the tops of these posts, so our job was to clear some of the seabed on either side of the hull to enable a subsequent diver with an underwater chainsaw to cut several inches of the wood and recover it to the surface. This depth of wood would enable the first few centimetres to be discarded due to critters nibbling through the important tree ring path, but enable a full tree ring pattern below, which would give us the best chance of confirming when this tree was felled to build this ship. Above: The area of timbers chosen for dendrochronological sampling (c) Martin Davies InDepth Photography We had to remove shells and stones, and then the scrubbing brushes came out and we literally were scrubbing away the harder packed sand on the seabed. Although the three of us were practically shoulder to shoulder, as soon as we started this activity, we couldn’t see our own hands let alone each other! After 20 minutes of ‘cleaning’ we floated above our dust cloud and signalled to go and have a recce around the rest of the wreck. As well as an amazing mass of both bronze and iron cannon, there was also a wealth of marine life, which due to the good hiding places on the wreck site had enabled lobsters and crabs to grow to enormous sizes. The shoals of fish were pleasant companions as well as spotting conger eels, again of all sizes and in greater quantity than I’ve seen on a single site. Above: Video of Gun 6 on the Klein Hollandia wreck (c) NAS The end results of the day can be seen on BBC iPlayer, Digging for Britain, Series 10, Episode 4, and this story starts at just over 10 minutes in. All of the objectives for this dive were achieved. Martyn was over the moon at seeing so many bronze cannon, various interesting artefacts were recovered. It’s worth mentioning that when I say I have 40 bar (in this shot), that was after the dive, not before I went in! Above: Karen's starring role on Digging for Britain You can watch the episode here on iPlayer: https://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/episode/p0dm8056/digging-for-britain-series-10-4-mystery-shipwreck-and-a-roman-army-camp As you will see from the programme, the wreck, that had been discovered in 2019, now has a name, the Klein Hollandia, a Dutch ship, which was part of the Smyrna fleet. The historical accounts suggest that on 12th March 1672 the British provoked the Dutch who were trying to stay out of a fight. It would appear that we fired on this ship, which was trying to get away and stay afloat, throwing heavy goods over the side, but sadly sunk taking many sailor with it. It could be that this act was the catalyst to the start of the third Dutch-Anglo war of the 17th century. There is still much to understand about this significant wreck, so the Nautical Archaeology Society is continuing to work on this wreck to find out more about it. As a member of NASAC, you could come and join us and get involved. Get in touch with Sara here to become a member: [email protected] -------- 26.01.23. Annual regulator servicing, by Alby Hall Ever wondered what happens when you send your regulators in for a service? Find out from NASAC Member and service engineer Alby Hall. Like a lot of us, Mark Beattie-Edwards uses Apeks regulators and as a professional diver is obligated to ensure that his equipment is in date for servicing. So on a blustery and wet Saturday morning at Fort Cumberland whilst replacing the gauge on the compressor Mark announced he had a ‘present’ for me and promptly presented me with his 3 Apeks regulator sets. Once disentangled, I photographed them individually to ensure that once reassembled the hose configuration would be the same as received. I then set about stripping them down, for this; a few special tools are required, such as a pin spanner to undo the first stage dry seal end cap and diaphragm. In addition to a bespoke second stage front cover removal tool. Otherwise, its Allen keys, spanners and tweezers/'O’ ring picks. One of the DS4 first stages and TX 50 second stage regulators stripped down minus the service items. The service kits include valve seats, ‘O’ rings, filters and diaphragms but does not include second stage diaphragm or mushroom valves. Once stripped, the items are ‘cleaned’ using an ultrasonic bath filled with a 25% solution of Biox and potable water at a temperature between 55 and 60 ° (Biox is a detergent solution used for degreasing components prior to use with an oxygen rich >21% breathing mixture). I usually ‘soak’ the items for 20 minutes to ensure maximal degreasing. However, most people will place items in the ultrasonic cleaner for 5-8 minute cleaning cycles. In addition to the items in the ultrasonic bath, I clean the second stage body components and ends of the hoses. Once ‘cleaned’, the items are rinsed in warm ‘potable’ water and dried prior to reassembly. Below are the components being washed before drying and reassembly. Apeks supply individual service kits for both first and second stage regulators. Dependant on the regulator being serviced not all components are required. Note, there are two first stage filters, a sintered metal filter and a plastic filter for use on ‘A’ clamp assemblies only. It should also be noted that if using nitrox only the sintered filter should be used. Again, dependant on whether air or an enriched gas mixture is to be breathed will dictate which ‘grease’ I use to lubricate the ‘O’ rings and thread assemblies. If the diver is just using air then a silicone grease can be used; however, if the diver will be breathing an enriched mixture then I use ‘Christolube’ which is an oxygen compatible grease. Once both the first and second stages are reassembled, the interstage pressure must be set and the second stage ‘tuned’. Interstage pressure should be set between 9 and 10 bar with a first stage inlet pressure >100 bar. Once set, it should remain stable and not ‘creep’, therefore, I will set the interstage pressure, purge the second stage a few times, note the static interstage and monitor for 5 minutes to ensure it doesn’t rise. Once the first stage pressure is set, the pressure transmitter (with updated sticker showing next service date) can be fitted prior to fitting the environmental dry seal. Subsequently, the second stage can be finely tuned to ensure optimum performance. In the case of the TX second stage this involves adjusting the tilt valve height and dependant on the vintage requires either an Allen key or wide flat blade screw driver. When the venturi lever is set fully open, the regulator should freeflow when the purge button is pressed gently and released. With the venturi lever in the shut (forward) position the regulator should just flow gas and stop once the purge button has been released. If you’d like to join us in 2023 for some fun and adventures or would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 09.01.23. Winter chores, by Sara Hasan and Mark Beattie-Edwards Winter is in full swing, the festive season is a distant memory, and the warm spring weather feels a long way off. NASAC members are arranging a few trips to inland quarries and local beaches during the next couple of months, and we’re busy planning a summer of exciting diving, but the maintenance work does not stop. Members have been busy with boat and equipment maintenance. We spent a chilly morning just before Christmas ‘winterising’ the club RIB Honor, jobs included pumping up the trailer tyres, removing the batteries, anchor, and boat equipment which was cleaned, dried and moved to the store. We drained the remaining fuel, added stabiliser to the empty fuel tank and then refuelled ready for winter storage. Whilst in the club store we noticed our trailer launching wheels had attracted some unwanted attention and appear to have provided a substantial meal for some local critters! One outstanding winter project is to redesign the trailer wheels as they have suffered some serious wear and tear, but again, Alby to the rescue, and he has a plan to strengthen the support the frame, shafts and wheels, and redesign and strengthen the axles. So Honor has received some much deserved TLC and will be ready to perform for us in a couple of months, and we can’t wait 😊 The club’s compressor has had some attention too, the pressure gauge was damaged and has been repaired by our resident engineer – thanks Alby. Finally, a little reminder from our Diving Officer - remember it is important to get your own equipment ready for the new season. Take advantage of the quiet winter to get those tanks and regulators serviced and maybe give your suit the once-over to see if your zips and seals will last another year. No one wants to bin a dive because your kit's not ready. Roll on the summer 😊 If you’d like to join us in 2023 for some fun and adventures on our RIB Honor, or would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 2022 NASAC Blogs 17.10.22. My Highland Adventure, by Duncan Ross During lockdown, apart from eating too many pancakes, NASAC member Duncan Ross set himself a grand future task of visiting different kinds of underwater archaeological sites around Britain. This summer he managed to add a couple of unique Scottish sites to his gradually-expanding list. After around two-years of communication, in August 2022 I was invited to help out on a crannog investigation in the fairly anonymous Loch Achilty, just a little north of Inverness city. Assisting North of Scotland Archaeology Society (NOSAS) member Richard Guest and his intrepid team, I spent two days at a most-tranquil setting scuba diving, investigating, recording and taking photos and film of a site that could be anything from a couple of hundred years to a couple of thousand years old. Richard Guest explores mysterious timber and rocks around the Loch Achilty crannog: Image: Duncan Ross Crannogs are a fairly unchartered area in the field of archaeology, and most questions about their creation and the purpose of their locations within lochs remain unanswered and open to speculation. All that usually remains is an artificial island of stones piled on top of one another – artefacts and human traces are frustratingly rare, as are diagnostic patterns that could lead to a method of classification. The crannog centre at Loch Tay focuses on the iron age roundhouse model that was discovered there, but little proof exists that others were constructed and utilised in the same way. The depth of the Loch Achilty crannog, previously unrecorded, is an ultra-accessible 2.5 metres. Needless to say, dive times were extremely long for Richard and myself. Richard Guest and Duncan Ross prepare to place garden canes around the crannog to aid with measurements. Image: Elizabeth Blackburn Our investigations revealed the extent of the crannog and also its curious placing on the edge of a slope in the loch. From the base of the stone pile the loch bed disappears down into the dark and cold depths. Amongst interesting discoveries were submerged timbers - some possibly very old - beneath and within the stone pile. By the end of the two days, we had measured the height, depth and circumference of the crannog. As a project of admirable scope, Richard is trying to establish a data base of all freshwater artificial and semi-artificial crannogs within a 400km² area of the Scottish Highlands. One down, and a few more to go! A special mention must be made of NOSAS member Beth’s plucky boat Haggis. The two-person (at the very most) vessel carted us and our gear to-and-from the site (thanks Dave and Steve) countless times, and by the end sprang a leak. James and Liz assisted with their superfast canoe after that. As unstable as she was, Haggis was greatly missed. The NOSAS team. Haggis can be seen in the lower right corner. Image: Duncan Ross A touch of serendipity aligned the dates and location of my visit to bonnie Scotland with the summer field school being run by Claire Hallybone of the NAS. Recently being granted a license by the Ministry of Defence (MoD), Claire was tasked with surveying and investigating the First World War shipwreck of HMS Natal in order to gain an understanding of the environmental hazards it still may present. The wreck lies at a depth of 16 metres in a channel known as Cromarty Firth. The cruiser, which exploded on New Years Eve 1915, is an official war grave and the last resting place of around 400 individuals – mostly sailors, but also civilians who were aboard at the time of the sinking. Prior to the field school, Claire undertook sonar scans of the wreck site to gauge what still remained of a once very substantial vessel. https://canmore.org.uk/site/101920/hms-natal-nigg-bay-cromarty-firth lists a huge amount of salvage and demolition work that has taken place over the years to clear any obstruction to passing ship traffic. Cromarty Firth is a busy waterway, so much so that many of the field school investigative dives in August had to be postponed as vessels left and entered the area. Claire, Crawford, Nick, Carsten, Richard Guest (of NOSAS) and I were ferried to the spot by skipper Dave, to conduct the first dives that have taken place there since the 1970s. The HMS Natal team just about to head out into Cromarty Firth: Image: Duncan Ross Due to family commitments, I was only able to join in for two days – but what a two-days! The sun was shining, the conditions were flat calm and the viz was very good (for the UK!). Although the preliminary sonar scan data showed a rather unimpressive faint outline of a ship, beneath the waves it was much more substantial than we’d imagined. Huge warped hull plates and crooked beams protruded from the seabed, some reaching up as much as 2 or 3 metres. There were cogs, gears and countless unidentifiable objects scattered around. Site contamination by modern detritus was also present - an odd number of plastic hardhats, possibly from the local oil rigs, were found. As the site covers a huge area, in our 40-minute dives, we could only achieve so much. The field school continued for the rest of the week without me, and a further week of work ran in September. Look out for updates and reports. A permanent buoy is moored close to the HMS Natal’s resting place. As Royal Navy ships enter and leave the harbour, officers and men stand to attention as a mark of respect. Image: Duncan Ross During some down-time, I took a stroll up to the cemetery where some of the recovered bodies from HMS Natal are interred. Very few victims were found after the disaster, and out of these only a small portion were actually identified. The Cromarty Easter Burial Ground is, obviously a sombre place, but it is also very beautiful. Perched on the top of a quiet hill, it has an incredibly peaceful ambiance. It felt proper to complete my field school experience with a visit to the resting place of some of those who sadly perished that afternoon. The Easter Burial Ground, Cromarty. A small number of those recovered from the HMS Natal disaster are buried here. Image: Duncan Ross So, crannogs, First World War shipwrecks, stunning scenery, new friends, great weather and viz – I think I definitely hit Scotland at the right time, and I’ll certainly be back up that way again at some point. I never imagined I’d be returning from the Highlands with sunburn! To read what a Norwegian team of scientists have recently discovered about DNA found at a Scottish and an Irish crannog follow the link below https://www.heritagedaily.com/2022/09/dna-points-to-elites-living-on-artificial-islands-called-crannogs/144817 A website dedicated solely to HMS Natal https://www.hmsnatal.co.uk/ North of Scotland Archaeology Society https://www.nosas.co.uk -------- 21.07.2022. Diver training with Specialist Group International, by Sara Hasan Last week NASAC member Sara Hasan was diving in the River Wey, Guildford. No archaeology involved today but a few ‘historic’ items were recovered from the river! Above: Perhaps an ancient glass, or something discarded from the local pub garden? When not diving recreationally with NASAC and NAS, club member Sara uses her HSE commercial qualification and acts as a part time diver with Specialist Group International. The team regularly attend training days and last week we were at the River Wey in Guildford going through skills and drills which we hope will never be required, but unfortunately frequently are. Above: Briefing on the days training plan The equipment, drills and skills are very different from the usual recreational diving set-up so I find the training essential, and fun! Work is usually in shallow, murky and often contaminated waters so protective equipment includes a full face mask with positive pressure flow to prevent any ingress of potentially polluted water. A harness is used rather than a buoyancy control device, underwater comms, and the diver is tended by a member of the team at all times for safety (they can pull you out) and for rope signals if the through water comms fails. Above: Sara – prepped and ready for the water The team takes it in turns to act as the diver, stand-by diver, and diver tender and we practice these roles during training events. Above: Sara - a rather warm stand-by diver, about to enter the water and ‘rescue’ the in water diver The divers rarely use fins when searching shallow rivers and canals, and use jackstays to control a search area, ensuring all parts of the designated area are covered during a search. I have learned a lot about forensic recovery, taking water samples and preserving evidence on items recovered such as weapons or phones. We also practiced with a mannequin and stretcher, skills we hope we will never need to use. Unfortunately, this week has proven just how often people get into difficulty in rivers and quarries which have been far too tempting in the recent hot weather, sometimes with tragic consequences. The one positive from this work is being able to offer closure to families when their loved ones are found and returned to them. A great day with the team, learned a lot and practiced essential skills. However, I came away with some homework - need to revise the rope signals! If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 01.06.22. NASAC off to Swanage, by Duncan Ross NASAC member Duncan Ross has been a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society for around ten years. He is relatively new to the NAS diving club, but has already added some amazing historical dives to his logbook. On the last Sunday of May, the NASAC team descended on the quaint seaside town of Swanage to sample some of the amazing diving on offer. Slightly depleted, due to Covid cases, the team of six congregated at Swanage Pier and prepared for a very civilised ‘ropes off’ at 10am with local company Swanage Boat Charters. Aboard a very spacious Viper, we were treated to a safety and dive briefing from the larger-than-life skipper Sinbad, and informed of our pleasantly short trip out to our first wreck site of the day. Within half-an-hour we were heading down the shotline to the First World War wreck of the Kyarra, a hospital ship that was torpedoed and sunk in Swanage Bay in 1918. The Kyarra was also involved in the Gallipoli campaign, and in her former civilian life as a P&O cruise ship, she ferried passengers between the Western Australian town of Fremantle and Sydney on the east coast of Australia. The picturesque wreck lies on its starboard side in between 20 and 30 metres depth, with many features still recognisable – most memorably gigantic piston rods from one of the engines are clearly visible, and the propeller shaft can be seen through large holes in the hull. Above: Chris explores exposed engine parts of the Kyarra. Image: Duncan Ross An amazing array of artefacts have been retrieved from the wreck; everything from false teeth to gold pocket watches. Artefacts can still be found but we didn’t spot anything apart from an impressive amount of marine life – bib, lobster, blennies, gobies and wrasse. Both the Divers Down scuba shop and the pier information centre have marvellous displays of recovered items. Above: Perfume bottles from the Kyarra with contents still inside. Image: Duncan Ross After a lengthy surface interval, where we had a bit of everything - blazing sunshine, torrential rain, and a worrying squall, we swapped cylinders and headed out to the Valentine Tanks in Studland Bay. At around 15 metres depth the two vehicles make for a perfect second dive. Remnants of Operation Smash, an exercise ahead of D-Day to test the efficiency of an amphibious tank landing, the two tanks are a pertinent reminder of the sacrifice made by the young men of Word War Two. Above: Half-buried wheels of a Valentine tank. Two conger eels were snuggled up in between them. Image: Duncan Ross In all, seven tanks and six men were lost during the exercise. Three men sadly lost their lives in one of the tanks that we visited. We were very lucky to have Nick Reed with us who has been at the forefront of research and involvement into the history of the tanks. Extremely knowledgeable about the subject, Nick was able to answer all of our questions. He has even interviewed one of the surviving members of the 4th/7th Dragoon Guards who took part in the operation. With the huge choice of wreck sites in close proximity to Swanage, the NASAC will no doubt be back soon. Above: The NASAC team minus a few. Tony, Nick, Martin, Mark, Chris and Duncan. Image: Sinbad the Skipper -------- 24.03.22: NASAC go off at the deep end (at Vobster Quay), by Karen Moule NASAC member Karen Moule has been a member of the Nautical Archaeology Society for the best part of 24 years with many of those years also as a member of the NAS diving club. The sun had been a welcome sight for the six NASAC members who went to Vobster Quay on Saturday 19th March. They were there to fulfil two key objectives: a deeper ‘check out’ dive to 30m and to continue the previous work on Education Manager, Peta Knott’s, ‘fake wreck’ to move the last pieces of the ‘wreck’ into position ready for NAS training sessions to begin. As the sun came out, so did Jon Parlour’s legs, and a very strong and bitterly cold wind! Needless to say, Jon’s legs didn’t stay out for long. Mark Beattie-Edwards, Sara Hasan, Jon Parlour, Henry Carter and Mark Davies are all booked on a trip to Eastbourne, diving on a Protected Wreck in April, which will be to 32m. The 30m check out dive was required to ensure everyone’s confidence, safety and functioning kit at that depth before the trip. I just made up the numbers as I fancied a trip to 30m, as it’s been a while. Mark BE and I went in first. Good viz, great navigating to the 32m hole in the middle of Vobster lake, and a slow and steady ascent while navigating back to the jetty. All good. Above: Mark BE and Karen Ready to go Jon and the other Mark went next, with Sara and Henry going in once Mark and I were out of the water and holding the dive slate. All went well. The second objective to be completed started with a detailed briefing, (including sketches) from Mark BE on the current configuration of the fake wreck site and what tasks needed to be completed today, to move a few things into their final positions. With a wrecked boat in the middle of the site on the lakebed, one of the ‘jetty sections’ was on the shore-side of the boat, with the other jetty section almost at right angles to the first, positioned at the bow of the wrecked boat and the ‘railings’ on the opposite, lake-side of the boat. Above: Mark D and Jon looking forward to exploring the depths The shore-side jetty was upside down and needed to be turned over. When this had been tried the day before with pure manpower, it hadn’t happened. Today we were applying physics to the task – attaching a lift bag to lift one side of the jetty to help raise off the lakebed and when vertical the divers just needed to help push it in the right direction to turn it the right side up. Job done, but viz gone! We moved away from the jetty to let the silt settle down again, so moved to the railings, which had been cable tied together and weighted with some concrete weights, as they were all wood. Cutting the cable ties the two sets of railings were separated and weighted, with Mark adding two more concrete weights to them to keep them in place. With the viz getting stirred up quite quickly, but with the majority of the work for now done, we headed back to shore, leaving the silt to settle so that the next team would be able to see what they were doing when they went in 40 mins later. Above: Henry and Sara buddy checks completed On the final dive of the day, Mark BE, Sara and Jon went back in to move more jetty sections around, which once again went very well, but did result in a great big plume of silt stirred up – apologies to all the other divers in Vobster on Saturday afternoon. So we finished the day with all the objectives planned for the day, completed. Massive thanks to Vobster for letting NAS put a fake wreck site in their lake, and now we have a wreck site that is very nearly ready for training to start on it, so that underwater archaeology can be shared with even more divers. That’s got to be a good day! -------- 03.03.2022: February Fun (in the classroom), by Sara Hasan Last month, by popular demand, and to encourage, assist and enable NASAC members to plan dives, we ran some in-house training. We held a Dive Planning Workshop via Zoom, wonderfully organised and delivered by Chairman, Ray, and member, Dom. They covered all aspects of safe dive planning, as a refresher for most, but new information and techniques for some, especially when we were introduced to some navigation, planning and tidal software programmes. I found this especially useful as I’m ‘old school’ and still use charts, printed tide tables and local knowledge when planning dives! We covered the necessary administration and paperwork required by the club’s diving officer to ensure a safe dive plan. Needless to say, as with every group of divers, there was much discussion, anecdotes, and sharing of information and knowledge by the whole group. A huge ‘thank-you’ to Dom who shared his vast technical knowledge; Ray for his overview of the clubs’ requirements; and all members who attended and shared their own tips and techniques with the group. It was a really worthwhile day and something we hope to repeat regularly. A week later we arranged a day at Fort Cumberland where club members went through all the steps required to prepare the club’s RIB, Honor, for a safe diving day. We took photographs and copious notes and will produce an ‘aide memoire’ for members which will hopefully prevent any of us missing something vital when diving from the RIB. Once prepared, we launched Honor and took her for out to sea for her first ‘spin’ of the year. As usual, Honor performed perfectly, and we all practiced our boat handling skills and familiarised ourselves with the electronic equipment on board. This time we must all thank Mark, treasurer, who shared his knowledge and took us through every aspect of RIB preparation and safety. Two very different, thoroughly enjoyable, and very useful days which were really appreciated by all the members who were able to attend. Valued and enjoyed by all who participated, and this may become a regular winter event. We admired the hard work of Hobbsie, Diving Officer, and Dave, Boat Officer, who had both carried out some essential repairs over the previous few weeks and worked hard on behalf of all club members. There are still some non-essential and cosmetic jobs to do but these require warmer, dryer conditions. To NASAC members - there will be a call for working party volunteers in the next month or two! So, we are ready to start NASAC RIB diving in earnest, and during our Dive Planning Workshop we planned our first RIB dive of the year to the Tanks and Bulldozers on 12th March. Watch this space for our dive report on this unique, scheduled site……. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact our Club Secretary Sara on [email protected] -------- 30.01.2022 : Was this really January? NASACs first dive of the Year, by Alby Hall and Sara Hasan NASACs newly elected Chairman, Ray, decided the club should start the year as we mean to carry on, and arranged a dive, “Who wants to do a shore dive in January?” Strangely, some of us did! However, we were rewarded for our foolishness, and the group was blessed with a fine sunny day and very little wind, despite storm force winds battering the shores of the northeast and Scotland. Five hardy NASAC divers (Ray, Sara, Chris, Mark D, and Caitlin) assembled on the shingle beach next to Selsey Lifeboat Station at midday, and were ably assisted by Ray’s wife Tess, and Alby who gave up his Sunday lunch to supervise and assist our intrepid group. The unbroken sunshine warmed our backs as we donned our suits and kitted up, it really was quite balmy, but I’m not sure it was really warm enough for a wet suit (Caitlin)! The five divers took the opportunity to check their kit and enjoy the flora and fauna of West Sussex, even discovering several anchors and the remains of a Landing Craft during the dive. They spent between 30 and 35 minutes in the water, achieving a maximum depth of 5.8 metres. The water temperature was measured at 70 C, somewhat of a shock to our newest member, Caitlin, who was more accustomed to a temperate 280 C having worked as a PADI dive instructor in Bali where she had become so accustomed to the heat, she would dive wearing two wetsuits! Post dive the group enjoyed hot drinks and Jaffa Cakes – thanks Ray; as well as the customary post dive debrief, chit-chat, and storytelling. Unfortunately, Alby was unable to join the team in the water as he had just had a wisdom tooth extracted but was roped in to supervise with Tess. Alby also assembled Caitlin’s kit, washed it down and stowed it away for her – thanks Dad! Thankfully Alby’s skills as a diver medic were not required. Thanks to Ray for organising the dive and sharing the Jaffa Cake’s. Thanks to Alby and Tess for keeping us all safe, organised, and completing the paperwork. Credit to Caitlin for diving in a wetsuit in January; and welcome to our two new members who hopefully had a nice introduction to diving with NASAC. The first NASAC dive of 2022, with many more to follow…….. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact the Secretary, Sara, on [email protected] -------- 17.01.2022: Fun in the Farnes, by Duncan Ross In October 2021, NASAC member Duncan Ross headed up to the Farne Islands with some friends from north west dive group New Adventures Diving. I’m always hesitant when it comes to signing up for a trip to the beautiful Farne Islands. Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love the place, but over the years I’ve had some amazing experiences there; some so special it feels that topping them would be impossible. Fortunately, every time I am proved completely wrong, and this recent visit, my fifth, was easily up there with the best of them. At a dive site known as The Hopper, I was treated to a very memorable encounter with a playful female seal that twisted and turned in front of me and allowed me to tickle its tummy. In contrast, the following day I was harangued for around ten minutes by another female that was intent on eating my fins and biting a hole in my drysuit. Interactions aren’t always predictable, but always unforgettable. The video, captured by my friend Graeme Parker recently won the Scubaverse December 2021 video contest. Above: Duncan and seal (Image: Graeme Parker) The treacherous Farne Islands have spelled the end of many-a-ship over the years. At Knivestone Rocks alone, sixty vessels are known to have been wrecked since 1800. The mass of metal wreckage at Knivestone (also known as Knavestone), including propellers, massive steel plates, boilers and an engine block, is thought to belong to two ships – the Geir, a Norwegian cargo ship that ran aground in 1908, and the SS Abyssinia, a German cargo/passenger ship that foundered in 1919; but with so many ship wrecks known to have occurred in the vicinity, and the likely chance of many more, confirming the identity of parts of wreckage is understandably difficult. Knivestone (Image: © Max Ellis and John Liddiard. Courtesy of Diver Magazine) While diving at Knivestone, my eagle eyes caught sight of a small strange looking object at 18 metres depth. Intrigued as to what it was, and aware that there was a good chance it would never be seen again, I brought it to the surface to show dive boat skipper William Shiels. ‘It’s bronze,’ he said with surprise. ‘You’re going to research that, aren’t you?’ I must have that ‘look’. Above: Mystery bronze object (Image: Duncan Ross) The object (pictured) has not yet been identified, although I have reported it to the Receiver of Wreck and they have been investigating it. One archaeologist suggested it had an ‘art’ element to it, and another offered that it could be open-work. Do you have any ideas what it could be? So, another great trip to the Farne Islands, which I can’t recommend highly enough if you’ve never been. We were even treated to an escort by a pod of dolphins as we made our final return to Seahouses harbour. The ultimate send-off. -------- 2021 NASAC Blog 08.10.2021: A Successful day out on the Chesil Cannon Sites, by Chris Birkhead Having trained in 2019 to record the guns on this site, the weather, on that occasion, had beaten us. In January 2020 I had returned, only for the poor viz to prevent any progress, (not to mention it was freezing)! So August 2021 was to be third time lucky….. Monday the 23rd August dawned bright and fair at Weymouth harbour as we loaded up Wey Chieftain IV; the skipper, Richard Bright-Paul is licensee for the protected sites and is expert at getting divers onto the sites, despite the proximity to the steeply shelving Chesil Beach. The trip had been organised by Nick Reed, who had obtained (from NAS) the slates, tapes, scale bars, calipers and wet note recording forms we would require to record the condition of the guns and the sites. Above: The team prepare the recording forms prior to departure. By 11.00 am we’d got around Portland and were on the outer site. The shot went in and slack water declared shortly afterwards, my buddy Roger and I were second pair in and went quickly down the shot to the central gun at 17m. Our task was to record the three guns to the North of the site so, given the conditions, we put a line out as we swam due North to find the first guns. Above: Where did I put that pencil?...the author gets to work... Having each completed a cannon recording form (despite the attentions of a disgruntled local Lobster and a shoal of Bib) we set off NW in search of our third gun, which we over shot, but found as we swam back along the line. The task loading took it’s toll on my gas consumption and we were soon heading back to the shot and to the surface under an SMB. On board Wey Chieftain it was soon apparent that the three buddy pairs had achieved the goals set by Nick and the site was largely unchanged. After a suitable surface interval, the running tide meant a drift over and visual assessment of the difficult to access inner site was proposed. Once again Roger and I followed Nick and Geoff into the water, to drift over a shingle sea bed at 12m, with the only point of interest being a large array of common starfish. Back on board we discovered that Nick and Geoff had descended straight onto the site, reporting it as largely unchanged. All in all a great day out and some useful work on rarely visited sites. A virtual tour of the sites has been created so you can visit without getting wet! Take a look at: https://chesil.maritimearchaeologytrust.org/ -------- 16.09.2021 : MV Charles M Dive Log by Sara Hasan On Monday I was lucky enough to be invited on a dive by Dave Ronnan, skipper of Our W out of Eastbourne, along with friend and dive buddy Martin Davies of Southsea Sub Aqua Club and In Depth Photography. We joined the dive boat at Sovereign Harbour on a grey and blustery morning and despite conditions being marginal we headed out of the harbour into the English Channel to the wreck of the MV Charles M. The MV Charles M was a British transport cargo ship, built by Burntisland Shipbuilding Company Ltd. in 1935. She was 403 tons, 45 metres long and a beam of 8 metres, with a 6 cylinder oil engine and single screw. On 31st March 1949, whilst on voyage from Blyth to Littlehampton with a cargo of coal, the MV Charles M collided with another ship, 4 miles southeast of Dungeness. She was taken in tow, but foundered the following day, 3 miles southeast of Beachy Head. Martin and I were pleased to jump of the boat and descend underwater as the surface conditions were ‘moderate’, feeling distinctively ‘lumpy’! We descended the shot line, which was perfectly placed midships beside the port beam, and we reached the deck at 26 metres. Image courtesy of Martin Davies, InDepth Photography The wreck stands a good 4 metres, sits upright and is more or less intact making navigation around the vessel easy. Visibility was good at about 4 – 5 metres although there was a lot of debris in the water, and it was quite dark, but our lights took care of that. We swam along the port beam towards the stern where we spent some time taking video and photographs of the stern features and machinery including the steering quadrant, winch, and engine room skylight windows. Image courtesy of Martin Davies, InDepth Photography Marine life was abundant as is usual on British wrecks with crabs, lobsters and conger eels inhabiting every crevasse, and shoals of fish obscuring our view! We swam forward over holds which are still full of coal, to the bow, which still stands proud and erect, even after 72 years on the seabed. Image courtesy of Martin Davies, InDepth Photography The tide had started to flow so we gently drifted back to the stern where we sent up our delayed surface marker buoy and began our ascent, stopping at 5 metres for 10 minutes of decompression, accelerated by some enriched oxygen mixes. Above: Sara’s computer dive profile - 13 09 2021 MV Charles M This was a great dive, a very nice intact wreck, easily navigable with lots to see. Happy to go back to this one again. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 02.09.2021: Protected Wrecks: A first Dive on the Holland 5 Submarine, By Chris Birkhead with extra pictures by Marion Reilly My first experience of protected wrecks as a NAS member had been off Chesil Beach in January 2020, a chilly and bleak experience which got slightly worse underwater. It obviously didn’t put me off as I was back for more! As we set out from a sunny Sovereign Harbour on the charter boat Dive 125 with skipper David Ronnan at the helm, and the very capable dive supervisor Sara, I knew things were looking good! The Holland 5 is a reasonable distance out and we had a wait for the slack before the buddy pairs could be put in at 9.45 am. We followed the shot down to the midships and then swam around the submarine photographing and videoing the features that had been pointed out during the pre-dive briefing. Conditions were comfortable with 6 to 8 m viz and 15 degrees c on the wreck, but the particles in the water didn’t make for great video though I tried to capture the prop, steering gear and torpedo tube. It was great to see such a wonderful piece of submarine heritage and I can’t wait to get back. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 26.08.2021: If only every problem was this easy to fix! , by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary They say, if you own a boat, it becomes a money pit! I would add time, as well money. As soon as one problem is solved another seams to appear, but this time it was an easy, and cheap, fix. Last time we used the RIB the winch mechanism failed to engage when the RIB was winched on to the trailer! We were not able to lock the winch and had to tie the RIB to the trailer to prevent it falling off the back of the trailer as it was pulled up the slipway as the winch kept unravelling! Believing the winch had failed I costed a replacement and enrolled the help of my trusted engineers. Last weekend we met at Fort Cumberland to examine the winch and I was prepared to take details and measurements so that I could order a replacement part. After a short time, lots of head scratching, and lengthy discussion, we had a eureka moment. The problems was solved – the strap had been wound back on to the spindle upside down, and therefore, would not lock off! Once unwound and rewound with the strap coming over the top rather than from underneath, all was well. Such a simple error to have made, with potential disastrous consequences, but easy to fix. We all now know how the strap should be set – everyday is a school day! Unfortunately, during our examination we noted a cog or two had sheered, not adversely affecting function in the short term, but another job to add to the winter maintenance programme. As I said earlier – a time and money pit! If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 05 08 2021: You should never ask a Lady how much she weighs! by Sara Hasan The Nautical Archaeology Sub Aqua Club’s (NASAC) RIB is affectionately named Honor, after Honor Frost, a scholar, explorer and underwater archaeologist, who initiated underwater archaeology as a serious field for study and pioneered its pursuit as a scientific discipline. Honor Frost died in 2010 aged 92 years, and it was not a difficult decision to name NASACs RIB as a tribute to this remarkable lady. The RIB Honor has served NASAC faithfully since 2011, but the time had come to broach the subject of weight with our faithful lady. It took some time to pluck up the courage to broach this subject with Honor as it is not really considered polite to ask a Lady how much she weighs! Eventually we had to discuss this with Honor and on a sunny morning in July we hitched her to Sara’s car and made a short journey to the local weigh station. We were all impressed and relieved as Honor is in fact a trim, slim Lady, only weighing 1480kgs with her trailer. Relief all round, Honor was happy, as were Sara and Mark. We were all within the legal limits for towing, and in fact, Honor is truly a lean a slender girl. Certificates in hand we returned to Fort Cumberland and put a happy girl to bed, ready for our next excursion in the knowledge we are legally compliant. -------- If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 15 07 21: NASAC Compressor is ready to blow, by Sara Hasan The NAS Dive Club (NASAC) is now actively diving, and we are planning a full and varied summer programme. NASAC members have noticed that diving is always more enjoyable and fun with gas to breathe underwater! So a combined effort by club members has brought the Club’s air compressor back into service. The last 18 months have been memorable for so many reasons, including the limited amount of diving that the Nautical Archaeology Sub Aqua Club (NASAC) managed to achieve. However, the 2021 diving season is underway, and members are looking forward to a summer full of fun, excitement, and underwater discovery. Club members have worked hard to service and prepare the club RIB, affectionately named Honor, and her trailer ready for diving. We have now switched our efforts to the Club’s electric Coltri MCH-6 compressor. The compressor had not been used during 2020 and needed an overhaul, full service, and some tender-loving-care. Sara, Club secretary, sourced the spares required for the service, and then it was over to Alby, the club’s equipment officer and resident engineer, to do his thing….. The first job on the list was a filter change. Once completed, back to Sara to obtain an air sample for testing, and with a 3 litre test cylinder filled and sent for analysis our anxious wait was rewarded with a ‘PASS’. The next jobs on the ‘work-list’ included an oil change and new transmission belt. Personally, I’m glad we replaced the transmission belt! Alby’s work was complete, so over to Sara to modify a trolley. Unfortunately, the storage casemate at Fort Cumberland currently has no power so the compressor has to be moved to a suitable location in the Fort where it can be plugged in when needed. We have sourced a sturdy trolley for this purpose, but it required a slight modification. With drill, screws and a piece of recycled wood cut to size the trolley has now been adapted for its new purpose. Volunteers are now required to help load the compressor and its newly modified ‘chariot’ into a car ready for its return to Fort Cumberland. We will then be ready to ‘blow’ as much air as required for those excursions underwater where adventures abound but air is rare. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 01 07 21: Bringing HMS Boxer to life through research, by Duncan Ross NAS member Duncan Ross dives in to the archives after a long-awaited trip out to the wreck of HMS Boxer with the Nautical Archaeology Society Aqua Club. Above: The team kitting up aboard the RIB Honour (Duncan Ross) If the SS Leysian project of 2019 and the Welsh Wreck Web research project of 2020 taught me one thing, it is how to look into the history of a shipwreck online. Using the websites www.ancestry.com and www.britishnewspaperarchives.com I have already been able to gather a hoard of information about the NAS’s newly adopted ship wreck HMS Boxer. I also managed to find a book named The First Destroyers (2nd hand and £2.50 on Amazon!) which sheds light on HMS Boxer and many of the other first destroyers. The stories of people are what I am most drawn to, and so far, I have found tales of accidents, weddings, aid concerts, fatalities, promotions, disciplinary action and even domestic abuse by one of the crew towards his wife. In the latter, the case was thrown out of court after a naval officer offered a ‘splendid’ character reference for the man! In David Lyon’s book The First Destroyers, the ‘distressing’ conditions of the engine room are remarked upon, as well as the number of stokers being kept to a minimum, even though maximum speeds were expected. The stokers of Boxer were able to raise the horsepower above it’s expected 27 knots. Demonstrating how hazardous this occupation could be, in 1914 two stokers died aboard Boxer following a boiler explosion. During all the research I have undertaken in the past, photographs have always been the rarest finds. So, to locate a picture of Boxer in a 1911 newspaper was exciting indeed. The story is about a pinnace which collided with Boxer in the Solent. Boxer’s end would come in 1918, also thanks to a collision with another vessel. Above: A pinnace collides with HMS Boxer in 1911. (www.britishnewpaperarchive.com) When I think back to my dive, the jagged and bent pieces of metal now hold a new fascination. Drifting over the engine cylinders and huge water boilers was serene, but it was once a place where real graft occurred and where some of the men possibly even ate and slept. I can’t wait to delve further into this fascinating wreck. Who knows what other stories are out there? If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 15 06 21: Diving Two Protected Wrecks in One Day, by Jezz Davies After a week of glorious weather, Friday 4 June brought a return to the good old British summer – overcast, light drizzle and a hurried change into dry suits in the public slipway car park on Fort Cumberland Road waiting for Honor. Mark B-E was cox'n for the day and 5 divers were accompanied by Dan Pascoe, licensee of HMS Invincible and Martin Davies, licensee of the HMS m/A1 submarine. Above: Visiting divers receiving their briefing from the HMS Invincible site licensee Dan Pascoe Invincible was originally a 74-gun ship of the line of the French Navy, launched in October 1744, before being captured by the British in 1747. She ran aground in the Solent in 1758. I accompanied Dan on 2 dives, one to lay a trail of reels for the divers to follow, providing a fabulous route around the many exposed timbers of the wreck and a second to recover the reels. There is a great deal of the wreck remaining on the seabed in about 10m of water. The sheer size of some of the timbers is breath-taking. Although we took 4 reels down with us, we returned with 5. I was delighted to be reacquainted with the reel I lost almost exactly 2 years to the day of losing it when diving as a volunteer on the Invincible Project in 2019. After a change of cylinders, the second protected wreck of the day was the HMS m/A1 submarine. Launched in July 1902, the submarine was sunk in a collision with loss of all hands in March 1904. Raised a month later and re-commissioned, she sunk whilst being used for unmanned testing exercises in 1911. Above: Visiting divers receiving their briefing from Martin Davies, the HMS m/A1 submarine site licensee I accompanied Martin on this dive, again in very shallow water less than 12m deep. The vessel is just over 31m in length, so several circuits are possible during the dive. The vessel remains in good condition and many of the expected features of a submarine can be identified, though the stern remains buried in silt and sand. Watch out for lobsters, crabs and eels. Above: Film of the Protected Wreck Diver Trail on the A1 Submarine created by the NAS, Martin Davies the site licensee and 3Deep Media, funded by Historic England Given that the visibility in the Solent recently had been shocking, we were blessed with 3 to 5 meters on the day, which added to the enjoyment. For anyone wanting to experience the massive timbers of an 18th Century warship and one of our earliest submarines, all on the same day, this is a fabulous day out. Thanks to Mark for having a diving day off and coxing, and to Dan and Martin for hosting. See you next time. -------- 03 06 21: Birthday Dive with NASAC, by Chris Birkhead Thursday 3rd June dawned fine and I set off eagerly for Fort Cumberland; my 61st birthday and first dive with the club, what better present could a ‘boy’ ask for? With Mark and Sara to organise us the team soon had Honor fettled and ‘round to the launch site’. After loading the six of us set off for Sandown Bay with Sara at the helm, with some debate as to whether it was Boxer 1 or Boxer 2 on the plotter! We were soon on site and the shot dropped just off the boilers. As the tide eased Jezz and Duncan dived first, laying a line from the shot to the wreck, closely followed by Mark, Ray and myself. The three distinctive boilers were soon in view and much videoing and sketching ensued. Before I knew it my gas was gone and it was time to ascend for ‘Birthday’ Jaffa Cakes back on Honor, (thanks Sara), before the trip back to Southsea for RIB recovery and more cakes. A great time was had by all and hopefully some useful data gathered so more dives on the site can be planned. -------- 27 05 2021: Volunteering with MAT on Bouldnor Cliff, by Sara Hasan, edited by Duncan Ross Last week NASAC members Duncan and Sara were lucky enough to have the opportunity to dive with the Maritime Archaeology Trust (MAT) as volunteer divers on Bouldnor Cliff off the Isle of Wight. Above: Map image courtesy of MAT Bouldnor is a hamlet near Yarmouth on the north-west coast of the Isle of Wight. Looking south from the Solent (the body of water separating the Isle of Wight from the Hampshire coast), Bouldnor Cliff is a tree covered cliff, rising from the shoreline, with clear evidence of an ancient river valley running into the Solent. It is not hard to imagine this terrain continuing under the water and the orange buoy in the photograph marks a position on an underwater cliff, at 11m depth, which stretches for kilometre west to east. 8000 year ago, this underwater cliff would have been at the water’s edge and occupied by early modern humans. The findings to date suggest a sophisticated Mesolithic site with social networks linked the Neolithic front in southern Europe or the north European plain. These were some of the last people to cross from the continental landmass to Great Britain before the formation of the North Sea. Bouldnor Cliff is the only archaeological site in a submerged Mesolithic landscape currently known in the UK and the waterlogged anaerobic conditions have created an excellent environment for preservation for organic material. Consequently, the site has the highest potential for the best-preserved discoveries of Mesolithic artefacts and palaeo-environmental evidence in the UK. First identified as a preserved prehistoric forest with associated peat deposits in the 1980s, archaeological work has been ongoing since 1998 when interesting worked flints were first discovered. Over the next decades fascinating discoveries have included worked and burnt flints, hearths, wooden ‘platform’ structures and a worked wooden artefact that could be part of a log boat or trough. Above: The ‘platform’ structure, recovered from BC V area in 2019. Image courtesy of MAT I admit my passion for underwater archaeology is usually focused on wrecks but being able to volunteer with MAT has opened my eyes to a whole new world of underwater archaeology. Duncan and I dived together, and after a thorough brief about the site we were given our tasks by the MAT team. The underwater cliff has been divided into five sections, designated BC I to BC V, and our first dive was to familiarise ourselves with area designated BC II, whilst keeping an eye out for any worked flints (lithics). On our subsequent dives on BC II and BC V we surveyed, observed some of the ‘platform’ structure and the remains of the prehistoric forest, collected baseline tapes and scales previously used by the MAT team, and continued searching for lithics. We had successful dives, even though on one occasion we spent 20 minutes locating the underwater cliff as the shot had been dragged 25 metres off the site! Above: A Mesolithic worked flint recovered from Bouldnor Cliff by the NASAC volunteer team. We achieved most of our assigned tasks but were unable to complete a survey of photogrammetry markers; but never mind, perhaps we will be asked back to finish this work. We recovered several items which will be added to the collection of finds from the site including several lithics and a small bone which is yet to be identified. Like all good archaeology project work we spent the post-dive de-brief at a local public house, writing our archaeological dive logs, and admiring the items collected by the team over the two days project work. It is satisfying to know that on this occasion we were able to be useful members of the MAT team and put the skills taught by the NAS to good use on this project. Our observations, reports and finds will add to the data for this fascinating site. The site has been extensively surveyed and mapped and it has become apparent that it is being seriously affected by coastal erosion, putting the archaeological material under threat of being washed away before it can be recorded, and thus important evidence and clues could soon be lost. Regular survey and mapping will demonstrate the speed at which this site is being eroded and enable monitoring of the valuable archaeological evidence being lost. Above: Photogrammetry of area BC V, Bouldnor Cliff. Image courtesy of MAT See more about this fascinating and unique site on the MAT website here Duncan and I really enjoyed our days with MAT, we used skills taught to us by the NAS, and learned much from working alongside the MAT archaeologists. It was a privilege to be part of the team. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 20 05 2021: New wheels on our waggon, by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary Would the trailer be ready for Sunday’s planned dive? As the week progressed the postman was eagerly awaited, but day by day he passed by without posting the new U-bolts though the letterbox. Finally on Friday morning there was a loud crunch as the small, heavy parcel landed on the door mat – relief! Saturday morning felt like déjà vu, as the three of us retuned to Fort Cumberland to complete last weekend’s work laden with toolboxes, new U-bolts, and some shiny new wheels. It was certainly a lot easier putting the trailer back together with clean, non-rusted brackets, and new nuts and bolts. The bow stop was soon bolted in its new position, and the spare wheel moved back along the trailer frame – job done. Once reassembled the final weight check at the coupling was 80kgs. Mission accomplished. Then Alby, our resident NASAC engineer, produced two new shiny launching wheels, complete with their new, very smart, solid rubber yellow tyres. These are deployed at the front end of the trailer when the RIB is launched at the local cruising association where a winch and cable are used rather than a vehicle’s tow hitch. Without any modification the RIB would run down the slipway, and over shingle and sand, solely on its jockey wheel which is clearly not its intended use. Alby had previously designed and constructed a system of two quick release wheels that replace the jockey wheel for launching when using the winch and cable. Not only do we have bright, shiny solid rubber tyres meaning no more punctures, but Alby has replaced the bearings with nylon, so no more rusted, seized bearings either. The trailer reassembled, front end weight now within legal limits, launching wheels repaired and tyres replaced, we are all ready to go diving, and then the weather sets in. Our planned gentle drift dive on Bembridge Ledge on Sunday was subsequently cancelled with winds of Force 5 – 6 forecast! Never mind, Honor sits in her Sally Port at Fort Cumberland, tucked up her fine blue tarpaulin, waiting along with the rest of the NASAC members for the weather to improve so we can get out on, and under, the water for some fun. A huge thank-you to Alby for all his efforts and hard work, as well as his engineering vision and skills. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 13.05.21: How heavy is your nose? , by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary Last weekend we had an impromptu working party on the NASAC RIB trailer as a friend had borrowed a trailer nose weight gauge. The weight at the coupling, where the trailer fixes on the vehicle tow ball, should be between 50 and 100kgs and it is a criminal offence to tow a trailer that is outside these recommended limits. The front end of the trailer had felt ‘heavy’ and now we had a gauge to test this definitively. Not to mention that I often tow the RIB and don’t want to get into trouble with the law or damage my car! We raised the front end of the trailer on a jack, positioned the gauge, and watched with some trepidation as the nose was gently lowered and the gauge value increased, and increased, until it was supporting the trailer. The weight read 105kgs, which was not as overweighted as we had expected but clearly it was too heavy, particularly as the boat was not loaded at the time. So, how much adjustment would be required to off load the front of the trailer? Ideally, rather than move the RIB back on the trailer, we should move the two axels forward, but this is a major undertaking and well beyond our current capability. We decided to move the bow stop back slightly, meaning the RIB will sit slightly further back when parked and secured on the trailer. With socket sets, spanners, and numerous squirts of WD-40, the rusted bolts finally succumbed to the abuse and started to move, but predictably, most of them sheered, leaving me with a shopping list for ‘U’ brackets, bolts, washers and plates! The spare trailer wheel and metal wheel lock are also fairly weighty and had been secured close to the front of the trailer. We moved this back about 1 metre along the trailer frame which also reduced the weight on the front coupling. So, a very useful and productive couple of hours, and we left with everything prepared and in position ready for securing when the brackets arrive, and I came home with a shopping list! If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 06.05.21: HMS Boxer Project, by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary This week I can report, with some excitement, that the time has come to resurrect the Nautical Archaeology Sub Aqua Club’s (NASAC) plans for the HMS Boxer Project. Last Saturday several NASAC members attended the NAS online Understanding Metal Wrecks course, and we cannot wait to visit the wreck of the Boxer, examine the remains of her three coal fired water tube boilers; the two four-cylinder triple expansion steam engines; and her sleek, narrow hull; and, all associated features and ships fittings that we learned about during the course. The plans for the NASAC HMS Boxer Project were first discussed early in 2020 and project plans were well underway when we were interrupted by Covid-19. The project was originally developed to offer opportunities for NASAC and NAS members who have done an element of underwater archaeology training to use and develop their skills, and have something tangible at the end of the project for dissemination and promotion. HMS Boxer was an early destroyer, launched in 1895, and is of a unique, narrow design. She was built for speed with her boilers in line rather than side by side, making it worthy of investigation and recording. The wreck lies in Sandown Bay, sheltered from prevailing westerly winds, at reasonable travelling distance from Eastney, where the club RIB Honor is be launched. She lies in a depth of 20 metres, which will enable access to divers of all levels. The site has been adopted under the NAS Adopt-A-Wreck scheme and the project embraces the key aims of the scheme, including dissemination of the project work; as well as providing opportunities for NASAC and NAS members who have achieved their Foundation qualification to use and develop their skills. A couple of dates for diving the site have already been added to the NASAC Calendar. Places will initially be offered to NASAC members, but NAS members are welcome to email Sara at NASAC for more information and to see if any places are available on these dives. More dates will follow shortly. Keep watching the NASAC blog for updates and reports on our progress with this exciting project. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 29.04.21: Test Drive Time, by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary Having spent some time and TLC on the dive club’s RIB Honor, it was time to take her for a test drive and put her, and the crew, through their paces; and not to mention have some fun at the same time. We picked the perfect day, bright sunshine, no wind, and calm seas. Five members of the Nautical Archaeology Sub Aqua Club (NASAC) met at Fort Cumberland, home of NAS and NASAC, and prepared Honor for sea. She then underwent a short 500 metre tow along Ferry Road to the Eastney Cruising Association and the launching winch, where she was soon safely in the water. We headed south, out of Langstone harbour to the open sea. We each had a go driving and checked her speed with a short burst at full throttle and recorded 50 kph! The GPS and radio were checked, and we decided to try to find a target so plotted a course to the site of HMS Boxer in Sandown Bay. With a little bit of slow speed tracking, the seabed image on the echo sounder spiked, and there was the image of the wreck, exactly where she should be. At this point we all regretted not having our dive kit with us! HMS Boxer has been adopted under the NAS Adopt-a-Wreck scheme and project work is planned this summer, so it was a nice feeling to see her on the echo sounder. We will be back. Reluctantly we returned to Eastney, retrieved Honor from the water and towed her home to Fort Cumberland. Washed down, tidied up, and put to bed. Honor performed well, and the crew didn’t do too badly either! The launching wheels need some attention, and we will get these fixed before she goes out again, but overall, a great day. Now we need to go diving ……… If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] -------- 22.04.2021: Dipping our toes back in the water, by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary Having tested the RIB and our boat handling skills last weekend, it was also time to test ourselves. How to ease back into the water gently, and safely? A simple, shallow shore dive was suggested and a few of us headed for Selsey, West Sussex, for an easy dip from the beach. At 7am on a Sunday morning it was quiet on the beach, the sea was calm, glistening in the early morning sunshine, and the sea appeared very inviting. NASAC Club members Jane and Mark dusted off the cobwebs, fine-tuned their fins, and embarked on an underwater adventure. They reported acceptable vis, chilly water at just 80 Celsius, moderate sea life, a staggering 5 metres depth, and logged a 40-minute dive. Although possibly not the most exciting dive of their underwater careers, it was important, not only to check-out kit after a period collecting dust in the cupboard, but also to test themselves in gentle, undemanding conditions. The British Sub Aqua Club (BSAC) states, ‘it is essential that divers make sure their skills are back up to speed before committing to the level of diving they were at prior to the break’. All divers are advised to refresh their skills and practise in shallow, controlled conditions; and, each diver should evaluate honestly their own level of skill retention, as well as any changes in circumstances, such as physical fitness. As divers, we must check that we have prepared ourselves physically and mentally for resuming diving, starting slowly with an appropriate level of exercise and build on it slowly. All diving equipment should be serviced by a qualified maintainer before returning to diving as it is essential that this life support equipment is fit for use. It was good to get back in the water and we will plan more adventurous diving over the coming weeks and months; but we will take it slowly, following the advice of the BSAC. There will be more exciting things to come …………. In the meantime, go slow, keep safe and take care. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] --------- 15.04.2021: The ‘Roadmap’ is leading back to the water, by Sara Hasan, NASAC Secretary Exciting times ahead for the Nautical Archaeology Sub Aqua Club (NASAC), as the UK travels the Government’s ‘Roadmap’ towards fewer restrictions and more outside activities. Mark, NASAC Chairman, and I met Tom from Fairweather Marine at Fort Cumberland to give Honor, the dive club’s RIB, a pre-season service, and a little bit of tender loving care. The fuel has been replaced, the engine fixed and oil exchanged, trailer tyres pumped, and we even fixed the leaks in the network of water pipes under the trailer used to flush the salt water out of the wheel hubs. The Langstone Harbour permit has been purchased which allows us to use the local slipway, and is displayed on the console. We are ready to go to sea and are planning a RIB test this coming weekend, not just an opportunity to test the boat, but also practice our boat handling skills. When we are happy with the RIB, and our skills, we will be loading with divers and getting back to doing what we all love. The RIB programme for the summer is coming together and it really does feel like we are tentatively starting to get back to something like ‘normal’. Watch this space for news about the dive club’s upcoming activities, including opportunities for both NASAC and NAS members. There will be plenty of opportunities to join us for dives, not just on wrecks, but you could volunteer on projects, hone and develop skills, or just come along for some fun dives, and even collect some scallops for tea. If you would like more information about NASAC, including details about membership, please contact Sara on [email protected] --------- Manage Cookie Preferences