Diving The Wrecks of the Betsy Ann and Fleur de Lys, Swanage Dorset

Happy Birthday BSAC!

by Peter Loizides


Saturday the 6th September, 2003, the day Billericay Sub Aqua Club was celebrating BSAC's 50th birthday. We decided to do this in the time honoured tradition of going diving. Peter H, Mike and Jenny booked themselves in to a B&B in Swanage on Friday night, while the rest of use (Marie, Stuart, Andrew (plus Piglet), Dawn, Kevin and myself) met them on Saturday.

It was perfect day, the sun was shining, the temperature was warm and the sea was calm. We sorted the boat out, loaded it with our kit and off we went. The dive plan was to locate and dive the Betsy Anne, an 880 tonne steel steamer, built on the banks of the River Tyne in 1892. She struck Prawle Point in Devon in October 1926, but was refloated and taken under tow to Cowes on the Isle of Wight for major repairs. She sank in her present position after beginning to take on water and breaking her bow.

We set off for the site with the coordinates programmed into the GPS. Marie was driving the boat, and gave us a lovely smooth ride out there. As we got nearer to the site the arrival alarm indicated we were close. A couple of blips appear on the echo sounder. We drove over the site several time, plenty of blip. Still with some uncertainty, we got ready for the dive. We would either be diving the Betsy Anne, or a sandy bottom plus rocks. Stuart, Andrew and I entered the water on time and it was a perfect slack. Down we went and before we knew it the shot line intersected the bow of the Betsy Anne. It was great, lots of holes to look in to, plenty of lobsters, crabs and fish, mainly bib.

As we ventured amid ships we came across two of the biggest boilers I have ever seen. Just as we started to explorer the boilers, Mike and Peter H came over to us with a look a fear and excitement on their faces. They led us over to a hole in a boiler and introduced us to a massive Conger eel. On closer inspection of the boilers, there were quite a few very larger congers.

Time passed very quickly and before we knew it we had to ascend. We swam on top of a boiler to deploy the DSMB. Some how a very large edible crab was walking around King of its patch, how it managed to get there I have no idea.

On the surface, the sea state had picked up, some quite big waves, they soon passed. Marie picked us all up and we recovered the shot. All divers safely aboard and then it was off to Swanage for lunch and air with Stuart at the helm. Once on Swanage pier we took the opportunity to have a bit of a photo shoot.

The Second dive was in the Fleur de Lys with Jenny coxing the boat. The Fleur de Lys is an interesting ex fishing vessel (ex as in it sank) with lots of holes to look into. Lobsters and Pollack are to be found and once you’ve had enough of the wreck there is a good drift dive.

Once Jenny had picked us all up, we headed back to Mitchell’s boat yard via the fuel barge. We quickly off load the kit and wash down the boat. We were planning an evening out in celebration, at the local Thai Restaurant.

We raised a glass to wish BSAC a happy 50th Birthday and an excellent meal was had by all.

Drawing by Stuart Wilson

Billericay Sub Aqua Club


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