SCUBA NOVEMBER 2024 issue 150 | Page 33

Sir John and Lady Lorimer in the pool
Training with ( l-r ) Lee Dixon , Richard Wild , John Kermode
I imagine there ’ s plenty of history about too ?
Lots of ships have bumped into the island over the years , including some very historic ones . The club owns one of the most historic wrecks in the British Isles HM Sloop Racehorse ( see below ), and we have many other wrecks at a range of depths we can dive on .
The Bottle Run is a dive we carry out a few times each year in search of ‘ treasure ’. In fact , the treasure is the bottles , jars , cups , plates , ashtrays that have been thrown off the ferries coming in and out of Douglas harbour for hundreds of years . There are always things to find .
Another historic site off the north-west coast is the old RAF bombing site we call Jurby Targets . Two anchored targets were used for many years by the RAF for bombing practice and the club dives there two to three times a year in search of the range of dummy bombs on the seabed , which we leave in place : look and don ’ t touch .
There must be the opportunity to get involved in some special projects ?
Members try to dive with a purpose whenever they can . As we have mentioned a few times already , we are proud to own an important historic wreck , HM Sloop Racehorse . This Royal Navy ship was wrecked on Langness Point in December 1822 and is regarded as a significant moment in the foundation of the RNLI by William Hillary . The
Sir John dives the Racehorse
A dummy bomb
Lee Dixon on the Racehorse
Photogrammetry with Jon Chamberlain
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