Jane Maddocks shares her go-to resources for planning , research and project work , a treasure trove of information for those who dive with a purpose
ENVIRONMENT
Taking it further
All this and fun as well !
Jane Maddocks shares her go-to resources for planning , research and project work , a treasure trove of information for those who dive with a purpose
I
always use this time of year to think about the year just gone , then get ready for the new year of diving , anticipating the fun and laughter of diving exciting wrecks with good friends from a range of diving styles and qualifications . Part of the anticipation is planning what to dive . This means getting on the internet . I have some favourite research sites . Wrecksite . eu is a free-to-use basic service ; if you are prepared to pay a subscription , then you can find more detail of the wrecks they list there .
If something from the Merchant Navy catches my eye as a potential project , then I ’ ll be off to the ‘ Lloyds Register of Ships online ’, which is free to use .
It allows you to explore historical editions of the Lloyds Register of Ships between 1764-1998 . If you have any idea of the name of the ship , its master , owner , or place of build , then a huge amount of information becomes available . hec . lrfoundation . org . uk
Another favourite place is the National Archives at Kew . There , you will find an extensive online archive , and some really good instructions on how to use it . I use it online and in person , though be aware it is located inside the ULEZ for London . Nothing beats looking at the original merchant ship registration document , handwritten , with all the basic details . nationalarchives . gov . uk
For details of wrecking events , the British Newspaper Archive is a great resource , as it often deals with the human stories that official reports leave out . There is a very brief free trial , then a range of subscriptions . From this source I learnt that my very special wreck , SS Faith , a very early steamship , had a reputation for having a mutinous crew ! It made the ship ‘ live ’ a little more . britishnewspaperarchive . co . uk
If wooden ships float your boat , then it is worth looking at Peter Holt ’ s Royal Navy Wooden Shipwrecks database . Free to see and download , it ’ s full of great information about some of the most historic vessels from the Royal Navy ’ s past . 3hconsulting . com / rnshipwrecks . html
These are great sites , but for those starting out in the whole learning process , it can be difficult to recognise particular features on wreck .
BSAC members can get to grips with metal wreck construction through viewing a webinar from a couple of years back . Then it can help to go to Wreck Tours on Divernet that clearly show what winches , deck coamings , boilers , engines , rudders and steering quadrants really look like by finding a number , then checking up on the written description . I learnt so much from this site in my early years of wreck discovery . divernet . com / category / scuba-diving / wreck-tours /
There are other places to go . For example , the Maritime Archaeology Trust ’ s Forgotten Wrecks of the First World War is a good online read with lots of detail , and some up-to-date information on the different ways in which old wrecks can be protected . maritimearchaeologytrust . org
Meanwhile , 3deep Media has a great visualisation of the SS Thistlegorm , a favourite Red Sea wreck , and there are other wrecks as well on their site . 3deepmedia . com / 3d-shipwreck-modelling-visualisations
All this research and finding stories about these wrecks can be an end in itself . My own group dives the HMT Arfon with more understanding because we have researched the story . We cannot dive HMS Royal Oak , but by looking at the 3D model we can look at the human story through artefacts left behind . The boots are still heart stopping . Is this enough ? For me the answer must be ... no way ! My point ( well buried , like a nicely preserved shipwreck ) is that by accessing all this material , by knowing where I can go to find out more , by passing this on to new divers , we continue to keep the wrecks we dive in the public eye .
By teaching the BSAC Wreck Appreciation and BSAC Wreck Course and the Advanced Wreck Diving course , perhaps joining up with another branch or centre , we pass on the wreck heritage that we have to our new divers . bsac . com / training / skill-development-courses
By having projects involving all our members we can continue to preserve the stories and physical condition of our wrecks . Oh ... and have fun as well !
49