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Mark Milburn’s Cornish Wreck Ramblings, Part 2: Shifting Sands
I mentioned the subject of wrecks appearing and disappearing again in Part 1 of Cornish Wreck Ramblings (which you can read here). It can be quite a big problem, but at the same time it can also be a useful aid.
One wreck that is noticeably affected by this is the SS Grip. This late nineteenth century steamship ran aground in thick fog on a sandy beach at Gunwalloe. There was no damage. At the time they decided they would wait until a bigger tide came in a few days later so they could simply float it off.
What they hadn’t considered was the fluidity of the sand. Over the next few days it was sucked down into the sand and was stuck fast. For years, all that was seen of it was the top of the boiler. One day I decided I wanted to dive the Grip, but I found a lot more than a top of a boiler….I found a complete wreck on rock! WOW!
However… I went back a couple of months later with a group of divers, and guess what? There was nothing. It had been covered with sand. Since then though the boiler has re-appeared.
The protected site of the Schiedam is another such site. For five years we looked for it, and found nothing but sand. Then one day, a cannon appeared, then another, and another. Then some other pieces started to show up, like a musket barrel, musket shot and even a grenade. A few weeks later and the sand had buried the grenade and musket barrel. On the day of writing this, I have just got back from the Schiedam site. The waves were crashing in, the in water visibility was zero. Yet, on the beach, was a really old rudder and a dead eye. We had never seen these items underwater…. perhaps the site has been uncovered by the recent storms? It has certainly removed lots of sand from the beach. We will have to wait for the vis to come back before we get back in.
During stormy weather, shallow wrecks come and go, and we can’t visit them all in the small window between the sand going and then coming back. One site we found when the sand went is still not identified. We found an iron cannon sitting on the sea bed, but few weeks later, there was just sand. How can you identify a wreck when it is mainly buried? A few months later all the sand had gone, and we managed to get some photos of the gun but couldn’t find anything else. There is a wreck known to be there, and the cannon is of the right age to suit the wreck. Will we ever work out what it is? If the sand was to move some more, we just might, one day.
Part buried cannon of the Schiedam
What we have found out, in regards to one section of the Cornish coast, is which direction we need the storms to come from to move sand. We then need the wind to die down and the surf to stop, which will give us a chance to see what is down actually there.
Find out more about Mark and Atlantic Scuba at www.atlanticscuba.co.uk.
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Ho Ho Ho! Vobster Quay’s recording-breaking charity Santa diving event returns on Sunday 15th December 2024 for another round of festive fundraising frivolities. Run in aid of the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes, this ever-popular annual fundraising event aims to raise sack-loads of cash for these two very deserving charities.
Divers of all levels are invited to grab their Santa outfits – and as much festive cheer as they can muster – and head down to Vobster Quay near Mells, Somerset for a mass sponsored Santa dive in aid of charity. In previous years, the event has attracted divers from the far corners of the UK to join in the festive merriment for a final festive dive before the Christmas and New Year break. Back in 2015, the event smashed the world record for the most Santa divers with 188 divers taking to the waters donning their festive finery – a record that remains unbeaten to this day!
Vobster Santas isn’t just about setting records – it’s also about raising some serious cash for charity. Vobster Quay encourages all divers to get into the spirit of the season to raise much-needed funds for two very deserving charities – the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI) and Help For Heroes.
Through individual sponsorship and online donations, divers can invite their friends, family and work colleagues to sponsor them to plunge into the balmy waters of Vobster Quay dressed in full festive finery. Since the very first Santa dive in 2007, the event has raised over £52,000 for charity. “It’s been over 17 years since the very first charity Santa dive took place at Vobster Quay and every year the event just keeps getting bigger and better” enthused Vobster Quay owner, Amy Stanton.
“Vobster Santas is a great way for divers to say a massive thank you to the both the RNLI and Help For Heroes – two very deserving charities close to our hearts. We’re immensely proud of all that Vobster Santas has achieved and hope that even more divers will join this year’s event on Sunday 15th December. I’m confident that we can make Vobster Santas 2024 the biggest yet!”.
Divers wishing to participate can get involved by simply registering their attendance at
www.vobster.com/event-vobstersantas.php.
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