Escapa 2003: A Tale of Decompression and Derring Do!

by Alan Fitch

The Divers:
Gavin, a dive marshal
Lee, a one-man dive centre
Jon, a prodigal diver
Paul, a keen diver
Graham, a mature diver
Ian, a new diver
Daryl, a young diver (sorry Jon!)
Ian, a prospective member ?
Linda, a guest diver
and of course, Alan, the narrator.

Prologue
In June 1919, 74 ships of the German High Seas Fleet were scuttled in Scapa Flow. It is perhaps typical of German efficiency and thoroughness that they had the foresight to anticipate a more leisured age and create for future recreational divers a world-class dive site before anyone realised that Jacques Cousteau was not a hors d'oeuvre at a fashionable French seafood restaurant.

This momentous event also serves as a symbol of an era ending. The Great War, which claimed millions of lives, changed the map of Europe and sowed the seeds for a return match some twenty years later, also signaled the end of Britain's supremacy as a world power and ruler of the waves.

Germany's challenge to Britain in the early years of the 20th Century caused a financially crippling arms race that, in its day, was arguably comparable to the trial of strength between the USA and the Soviet Union in more recent times. Creating the High Seas Fleet was a prime instrument of Germany's challenge to Britain.

Ironically, the High Seas Fleet and the British Grand Fleet hardly encountered each other, apart from Jutland in 1916. This was perhaps a strategic mistake for Germany since for them, losing the war at sea did not mean losing the war. On the other hand, the British would have likely lost the war if the Grand Fleet had been defeated. Prestige, however, triumphed over strategy.

Still, if I know so much, why am I not the First Lord of the Admiralty. I guess the point I am seeking to make is that diving Scapa is more than getting wet, visibility, air consumption and dive times. It is about diving into history – a sense of which somehow adds to the total experience.

What's left of the High Seas Fleet?
The Royal Navy managed to beach some of the German Warships and salvagers raised many of the ships that sunk. Today 8 mighty warships remain – but not unscarred by the salvagers.

However, Scapa has been a graveyard for many ships in war and peace so it has become a paradise for wreckaholics and would require a diving lifetime to explore fully.

The Journey North
On Friday, 18th July, the advance guard assembled in Wickford before steaming north in convoy. Lee and Gavin's escort class cruiser was fully armed with twin sets and stages. Alan and Paul's focus class cruiser was armed with a twin set and stage and my trusty 15-litre cylinder and pony. Little did I know then what awaited me in Stromness.

The journey went well and seemed to go relatively quickly for the 14 hours we actually took to arrive in Thurso. Gavin and Lee managed to navigate us through the Yorkshire Dales to avoid engaging an ominous jam on the A1. Apart from a minor delay behind two mobile haystacks – one trying to overtake the other –we did not experience any untoward difficulties.

Dinner in the Station Hotel at Thurso was agreeable and we managed to market test a few malts. We met up with Ian and Daryl after breakfast on Saturday morning, boarded the ferry at Scrabster and steamed to Stromness, passing the Old Man of Hoy en route.

Sunrise
In the harbour at Stromness we found Sunrise, loaded our kit and parked the cars. Sunrise is a converted fishing boat and possesses all the charm one normally associates with such a vessel. It was, however, functional, well equipped and in the event provided us with an excellent platform for a week's diving. Dougie was towards the taciturn end of the dialogue spectrum but he seemed to be an excellent skipper. The crew comprised Bruce who was friendly, helpful, knocked out decent fry-ups for brunch and liked his rum.

Conversion on the road to Stromness
On Saturday afternoon, I was escorted to the local dive shop (and hardware store) by Paul, Gavin and Lee, who managed to convert my BCD to enable it to accommodate 2 x twelve litre cylinders. So, I joined the twin set group and this proved to be a most productive move given the nature of the diving we were about to undertake.

Following my conversion, the eight of us from Billericay were all using twin sets, Ian from Basildon used a rebreather and Linda, like most women, appeared not to need any air during the diving. So the scene was set.

The evening ferry saw the arrival of Graham and Jon and Ian and Linda. A dinner in the Ferry Inn, a stroll around Stromness and our first night aboard Sunrise saw us ready to dive, dive, dive.

Sunday
A morning warm up dive of 35 metres on the Brummer, a light cruiser of 4300 tons displacement resting on her starboard side. Between dives the Sunrise moored at Lyness where we took the opportunity to visit the museum with its many poignant reminders of more troubled times.

The afternoon dive was the Karlsruhe, a light cruiser displacing 5350 tons and lying in 26 metres of water on her starboard side. Both were great dives. In fact all the dives were fabulous (maybe excepting the blockships). Each of us will have our memories of which aspect of which dive was a highlight. It would be impractical to record all these in detail.

We returned to Stromness and were escorted part of the way by a flotilla of porpoise. We spent the evening in Stromness and enjoyed dinner in the Stromness Hotel.

Monday
The morning dive was the Koln, a light cruiser that displaces 5530 tons and rests in 35 metres of water on her starboard side. The afternoon dive was the F2, a German Second World War escort vehicle displacing 790 tons and resting on her port side in 18 metres of water.

Sunrise moored at Scapa for the night, and the evening was spent in Kirkwall. Dinner comprised a substantial curry. Daryl, however, went running. Well, after such an easy day, what else would one do?

Tuesday
The first battleship. We dived Kronprinz Wilhelm, a colossus displacing more than 26,000 tons. Because of the weight of their superstructure and armaments, the battleships turned turtle when they sank and came to rest virtually upside down. The Kronprinz Wilhelm lies in 34 metres of water with her starboard side a few feet above the seabed. Even with modest visibility one is awed by the sheer immensity of a battleship. Probably the cruisers make better dives for a number of reasons but the mystique of the battleships represents a triumph of imagery over substance. Kronprinz Wilhelm was a highlight (for me). It's the first time I have spent more time decompressing than on the bottom.

Back in the boat my zip went as they say in diving circles. Gavin and John managed to release me, but what about the next dive? Skipper Dougie phoned the dive centre at Stromness. They would replace the zip and have my suit ready for the following morning. Problem – we were planning to be in Burray for the night.

No problem – Dougie arranged for Ben, the skipper of Storm Drift, to take the suit for repair at Stromness. In the interim I used Lee's spare suit. As I said earlier, Lee is a one-man dive centre. By this time he had also conducted some Nitrox training and undertaken some kit maintenance. Lee also managed to do some diving.

I think it was Tuesday that I was abandoned. Anyway, whichever day it was, we were moored in Lyness between dives. I went for a walk and Sunrise left without me. I was observed gesticulating from the quay side and Sunrise stopped whilst another boat gave me a lift. I managed to jump ships at sea.

Now, any intimation that I was in any way at fault for this incident will be seen by right thinking people who follow the teachings of the Great Helmsman as the subversive, counter-revolutionary slander it is. Which reminds me, our old friend and mentor, Professor Li Ar is still alive and well and working as hard as ever.

The afternoon dive was a return to the Karlsruhe for a relaxing 25/30 metre second dive, after which we made for Burray where Daryl went for a run. Dinner in the Sands Hotel was most agreeable. A place to return to – and we did. After dinner some of us walked up the hill to appreciate the excellent views of the Flow. It was easy to imagine how it must have looked some 84 years ago when the High Seas Fleet was at anchor.

Wednesday
We continued the warming up process with a dive on the James Barrie. The James Barrie was a 666 ton Icelandic steam trawler that ran aground and sank in 1969. The James Barrie lies outside the Flow in 43 metres and must be dived in slack water. However, the visibility is excellent, the wreck is in good condition and it makes for a great dive. Again, more decompression time than bottom time, but well worth it.

The afternoon dive was a leisurely 34 metres on the Dresden, a light cruiser displacing 5530 tons. The Dresden was a (another) great dive so it went on the list for a return visit. We returned to Stromness for the evening. I collected my repaired dry suit from Ben, the skipper of Storm Drift which left me to find out where the dive shop was located so I could actually pay the bill. (£120) Dinner was taken at the Stromness Hotel.

Thursday
No more soft living, it was time for the serious stuff - the Markgraf. The Markgraf was a 25388 ton battleship, 575 feet long, which rests on her port side main deck in 45 metres of water. The whole experience in the gloomy waters is awesome. I could not do justice to this dive (or most of the others) in words so just go and do it! Question - how deep did the birthday boy dive?

I think it was Thursday we visited the Italian Church.

The afternoon dive was a block ship, the Tabarka that lies in 12 metres of water. An OK dive but not a highlight compared with the warships or the James Barrie, with which it suffers by comparison.

For evening, a return to Burray and another dinner in the Sands Hotel which one would thoroughly recommend.

Friday
A return visit to the Dresden in the morning and an afternoon dive on another blockship, the Gobernador Bories. The most interesting aspect of this dive is the wreck's name. Maybe my memories are jaundiced by my personal experiences. My cuff seal sprang a leak; I got entangled in cord (Gavin and Ian came to my assistance – guardian mermaids come in all shapes and sizes – Darryl Hannah they are not –but never the less they were most welcome.) When I decided to abandon the dive and send up a delayed SMB, the buoy ascended, my reel snapped and disappeared without me. I borrowed Jon's delayed SMB and surfaced. The ubiquitous Ben and Storm Drift recovered my SMB and I retrieved it on our return to Stromness.

Daryl and Ian and Ian and Linda caught the evening ferry. The rest of us repaired to the Stromness Hotel for a valedictory supper, a few drinks and to speculate on where we might go next. A most acceptable band played live and a raucous cheer was heard when it was announced that local hero Cameron had won Big Brother. This seemed to be a highlight of the local celebratory annual shopping week.

Saturday
The 9.00 a.m. ferry to Scrabster and the long haul home. Paul and I reached Wickford at 11.00 p.m.. – just over 12 hours from Scrabster. Not bad me thinks.

Epilogue
A great diving expedition. Nothing of significance went awry. We were fortunate with the weather. Everyone was kitted up and ready to dive at the appointed time. Many of us dived to our limits in a controlled and planned fashion and returned better divers for the experience. The diving was fantastic (the visibility could have been kinder), the eating was good and value for money and the Orcadians were friendly and helpful. The whole group, including our guests from Basildon, gelled well and the camaraderie was obvious. Finally, the expedition was deftly marshaled by Gavin in his usual humorous style, which is underpinned by consummate skill and experience. Lee, as instructor, kit provider and kit maintainer completed a winning combination indeed.

Quo Vadis?
Whither goest thou? I don't know, but count me in.

Billericay Sub Aqua Club

Picture: Sunrise Charters

UK main page