Orkney Isles Odyssey: A Liveaboard Charter Around the Waters of Scapa Flow

by Richard Booth

The Orkney Isles lie within sight of the northern shores of the Scottish mainland. These rugged windswept islands offer a sheltered expanse of water, Scapa Flow, within which the Royal Navy has sought sanctuary and security during the course of the two great conflicts of the last Century. It is also within these waters that the remnants of the once mighty First World War German Naval fleet also lie, her warships having been interned there following the Armistice in 1918, and then deliberately scuttled by their crews in a dramatic last act of defiance on the 21st June 1919. Whilst most of the vessels of the sunken German fleet were salvaged between the Two World Wars, four cruisers and three battleships remain on the bottom of the Flow and today enjoy the protection of the Orkney Isles Authorities who fully appreciate the historical significance of these unique wrecks.
Along the shores of the various passages and Sounds that penetrate from the open sea into Scapa Flow, can still be seen the remains of concrete fortifications that once defended and offered protection to the anchored Northern Fleet of the Royal Navy. Within these fast flowing tidal Sounds also lie the remains of other vessels, deliberately sunk as block ships for the purposes of denying access to marauding U-Boats intent upon the destruction of naval vessels at anchorage within Scapa Flow.

However the seas around the Orkneys offer far more than just the opportunity to dive upon the wrecks that lie within its more sheltered waters. Indeed the aim of our trip was to head up to the top end of the Orkneys, to explore the remote islands that are collectively known as the Northern Isles.

With this goal in mind 12 hardy souls from various North East BSAC and SAA clubs assembled at Scrabster to catch the Northlink ferry across to Stromness and our waiting liveaboard boat, the MV Sharon Rose.

Upon arrival at Stromness, kit was quickly transferred the short distance across the pier and lowered down onto the MV Sharon Rose, our chosen liveaboard vessel. The following morning, the skipper came aboard and introduced himself with the slightly concerning news that his deck hand was off sick, and that the weather forecast was set to deteriorate over the coming week, making the journey out into the open seas required to reach the Northern Isles a doubtful proposition. On the positive side however, the skipper was confident that he would still be able to offer us the opportunity to dive on a range of other interesting wreck sites, as well as on the more popular and well known German 'Scapa' wrecks.

A typical Orkney based liveaboard?
The Sharon Rose has the appearance of a traditional wooden fishing boat. She is normally chartered on either a self catering liveaboard or day boat basis. Her fish holds however, have been converted into basic but clean cabins. Whilst she lacks the comfort and finesse of some more recent UK based liveaboards, she nevertheless has the relative luxury of two shower cubicles and separate toilets facilities.

Cooking on the boat is done on a self catering basis. Whilst the Sharon Rose is fully equipped with a good sized galley complete with cooker, fridge and freezer, a self catering charter will inevitably require a good deal of cooperation between all the guests using these facilities. In our case, we eventually settled down into a routine whereby dive 'buddy pairs' took it in turns to prepare meals for all the others on board. A club or group considering a similar self catering trip will be well advised to spend some time and effort in planning the week's menu's and purchasing all the food for the trip, then dividing the costs and catering responsibilities between all concerned. The alternative, of 12 guests trying to use the catering facilities on an individual basis, could prove something of a logistical nightmare.

Whilst in Stromness, I also took the opportunity to have a look around another local liveaboard, the MV Sunrise. This boat has undergone an extensive refit, with cabins fitted with en-suite wash basins and central heating, and even a fully covered kitting up area; she therefore represents a more comfortable and luxurious alternative to the Sharon Rose, although no doubt at an increased charter cost.
Nitrox is available on both boats, but as an additional cost to the trip.

Experience levels required for a typical Northern Isles/ Scapa trip.
Within the Flow itself, there is little tidal current compared to the waters outside. However, the diving itself can be fairly deep, with some of the wrecks possessing tempting doorways and entrances, which can entice the unwary to enter and explore the dark and silty interiors with potentially fatal results for the inexperienced or the foolhardy.
On this particular trip the minimum qualification of the group was Sports Diver, but backed up by a couple of years of dive experience behind them. The majority of the group however were of at least Dive Leader experience, allowing everyone the opportunity to explore some of the more adventurous dive sites...

Recommended dive equipment. <br> The waters of Scapa Flow can be cold, dark and deep, and with many of the wrecks having jagged exposed edges, I would personally always recommend the use of a drysuit constructed from a robust tear resistant material. For exploring the wrecks and signalling buddies, a powerful torch is required to maximise the enjoyment of each dive (with a spare smaller torch being carried as a backup). Many of the wrecks are situated in around 36 metres of water, making nitrox a viable option for increased bottom time. Any wreck penetration however, should never be attempted without the use of strong lines and the necessary training in diving in an overhead environment. Carrying a delayed SMB and other signal devices, such a whistle, flag etc, is always useful from a safety point of view whilst diving in open tidal waters.

Sites dived during this trip:

F2 and YC21 barge wreck . The F2 was a German escort vessel of WW2 vintage, which sank at its mooring in December 1946, apparently after springing a leak during a winter gale. Whilst much of this vessel has been broken up by various subsequent salvage operations, the impressive bow, complete with its 105mm gun still in place, remains intact in only 17 metres of water. The wreck itself is lying on its port side and with reasonable visibility, makes for a fascinating dive.
Situated close to the F2 is also the wreck of one of the large wooden salvage barges used to take stripped parts away from the site. This barge apparently sank during salvage operations carried out in 1968 on the F2 wreck site.
More recently an underwater line has been laid between both vessels, which greatly aids navigation for those intent on exploring both wreck sites in one dive. The YC 21 barge wreck, at 555 tons, makes a reasonably sized wreck in its own right. Sitting upright on the bottom, this wreck comes complete with one of the F2's anti aircraft guns still lying in its main hold. Marine life is plentiful in this area, with numerous pollock, wrasse, as well as conger eels to be found hiding in the wreckage.
This site proved to be a good 'second dive' site, given its relatively shallow depth and absence of strong tidal current.

SMS Dresden. The SMS Dresden is a German WW1 light cruiser of 5600 tons and a length of 155 metres, which was scuttled in 1919. Today she rests on her port side in 37 metres of water, largely intact and covered in marine growth. She makes for a wonderful dive.

SMS Koln Lying in 36 metres of water, the Koln is another light cruiser/mine layer of 5600 tons and a length of 155 metres, which also went down in 1919. She lies on her starboard side, largely intact and is still very recognisable as a warship, complete with some of her armaments still in place.

SMS Brummer: Another victim of the 'Grand Scuttle', the Brummer has settled on the seabed in 36 metres of water on her starboard side. Constructed in 1916, with a hull length of 140 metres and still largely intact, she makes for an impressive dive. The armoured bridge area is particularly intact and well worth the effort of finding and exploring.

SMS Karlsruhe: This wreck is resting in slightly shallower water than the other cruisers, as she lies in 27 metres of water. However, her shallower depth has meant that she has suffered more from the efforts of salvagers, with the result that she is not as intact as some of the other WW1 wrecks which lie in deeper waters. Another light cruiser/mine layer, the Karlsruhe had a total length of 150 metres and a displacement tonnage of 5400 tons. She nevertheless still makes for a worthwhile and interesting dive.

SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm: One of three remaining Konig Class Battleships that survived the best efforts of various salvagers' attempts to raise them, this huge ship was completed in 1914, and with a length of 177 metres and a displacement weight of nearly 26000 tons she must have made an impressive sight in her sea borne days. Deliberately scuttled in 1919, the sheer weight of her guns and armoured bridge resulted in the Kronprinz Wilhelm turning turtle as she sank, with her superstructure becoming deeply embedded into the soft silt of the Flow bottom. Descending onto the wreck, it is all too easy to believe as you land on the flat keel of this vessel, that you must have missed the actual wreck, as everywhere you look around you, all you can see is a flat expanse of apparent seabed. It is only the shallow depth, 9 metres, so far out in the Flow that makes you realise that something is not quite right. Eventually you reach the side of this once mighty vessel, and the hull drops sharply down into the depths making you realise that you are actually swimming over the upturned hull of a mighty battleship. Eventually, at around the 35 metres depth mark, you reach the upturned deck area, complete with gun barrels looming out of the darkness into the gloom of the Flow. An impressive wreck dive, which certainly conveys to the visiting diver a sense of the sheer size of this once all powerful and magnificent battleship.

Two other WW1 Battleships, the SMS Konig and the SMS Markgraf, also lie on the bottom of the Flow nearby; both are upside down but are situated in deeper water than the SMS Kronprinz Wilhelm.

UB 116. This U-boat was sunk by an electronically detonated mine in the last few weeks of the First World War whilst attempting a highly dangerous mission to penetrate into the Flow to attack Royal Naval vessels. All 34 of her crew were killed in the ensuing mine explosion. The wreck site was subsequently destroyed further by Royal Naval divers who blew up the U-Boat to destroy the live torpedos still on board. Today the wreckage is well dispersed and has little resemblance to a U-Boat. Nevertheless, the remaining wreckage still makes for an interesting dive, situated in 32 metres of water. Some of the wreckage is still vaguely recognizable as having once belonged to a submarine, with large compressed air cylinders and the remains of bulk head doors lying amongst the debris site.

Steam Trawler Radiation: This large wooden built trawler lies upright and largely intact in 23 metres of water. Its wooden hull is beginning to break up around her stern area as the combination of time and a salt water environment begins to take its toll. This wreck nevertheless makes for another interesting but relatively shallow dive on an otherwise intact wreck site. A dive on the Radiation however, requires careful buoyancy control, as the wreck is covered in a fine layer of silt which is easily stirred up by careless fins.

MFV James Barrie: This impressive wreck of a large ocean going trawler designed to operate in hostile Icelandic waters, sank in 1969 after running aground on rocks. She eventually floated free but then foundered in 42 metres of water in the fast flowing waters of Hoxa Sound. This dive requires a degree of serious planning and should only be attempted during slack water. Underwater visibility however is often excellent and, as one descends the shot line, the whole wreck can often be observed lying intact on her port side in the gloom below. This fantastic wreck is well worth the effort to dive, although its depth and location in strong tidal waters makes her a dive for the more experienced.

The Block ships of Burra Sound: The surrounding waters around Scapa Flow also offer other wrecks that a combination of time and weather did not allow us to dive on this particular trip. From experience of a previous trip to this area, however, I would strongly recommend diving on the remains of the block ships situated in Burra Sound. These vessels were all deliberately scuttled during the course of both World Wars, in an effort to block this passage into the Flow. Recommended dives are the SS Gobernador Bories, the SS Doyle and the SS Tabarka, all of which lie in depths of 18 metres, making them excellent 'second dive' sites. The strong tidal currents that flow through Burra Sound ensure excellent visibility on these wrecks, although they can only be dived at slack water periods.

Sadly, the Inverlane, whose majestic bow once rose dramatically out of these waters and which once offered the unique experience of a dive within her partially submerged main hold, has now collapsed into a pile of rusting plates upon the sea bed.

Land based sites to visit.
The Orkney Isles are an area rich in tradition, culture and history, dating back over thousands of years. However, one of the disadvantages of being on a liveaboard boat is that it is difficult to visit some of the more distant land based sites. However, one site not to be missed, which also has the advantage of being able to be easily visited by boat, is the museum at Lyness. The buildings of this former naval base house many artefacts from the various salvage operations on the sunken German fleet, as well as photographs, military equipment and memento's that reflect Scapa Flows fascinating history as an important war time Naval base.

In conclusion
The original aim of our trip had been to sail up the coast of the Orkney mainland to explore the wrecks and reefs of the Northern Isles. The weather however, was against us, resulting in this plan having to be abandoned and restricting our diving to the more sheltered waters of Scapa Flow and the surrounding Sounds.
One of the advantages of diving in the Orkneys however, is that even within its more sheltered waters, it still offers more interesting and varied dive sites than can possibly be explored over the course of several dive charter trips. It is therefore an area that is not entirely weather dependent, as good alternative dive sites can usually be found if the weather seriously deteriorates. I therefore look forward to future adventures, exploring more of Orkneys wealth of dive sites in the years to come.

Liveaboard operators:

Scapa Flow Charters: MV Jean Elaine & MV Sharon Rose
Contact details: Tel/fax 01856 850879
E-mail enquiry@jeanelaine.co.uk
Website

Sunrise Charters: MV Sunrise
Contact details: Tel. 01856 874425 fax 01856 874725
E-mail dougie@sunrisecharters.co.uk
Website

Suggested reading sources:
Dive Scapa Flow by Rod Macdonald
Mainstream publishing
ISBN 1 85158 241 X

The Naval Wrecks of Scapa Flow by Peter L. Smith
Orkney Press
ISBN 0 907618 20 0

For further details on ferry services between Scrabster-Stromness
NorthLink Ferries
Website

Orkney Tourist details:
Website
E-mail: info@visitorkney.com
Tel.01856 872856
Visit Orkney
6 Brand St
Kirkwall
Orkney


NE Scotland page
UK main page