Okay so Josh explained the exciting part of the dive but he failed to post the trip report. so here is my attempt to trip report this past weekend. this way those of you who haven't seen it before can can feel as though they have
The day of the first dive started out with beautiful sunshine and a smooth sailing across on the ferry to kingston. Although the coffee stand by the ferry was closed the morning still seemed to be going nicely. I just waited for coffee on the ferry. once loaded up We worked our way to the dining area to get coffee and converse with the rest of the gang. That being the MDS crew, or most of it anyhow. we always have a great time talking about past dives on the SS Governor. this time due to fog on the horizon, thick soupy fog, a story came up from 7 or eight years ago. One of the first few people to dive the governor with Ron Akeson of Adventures down under and local boy Jerome Ryan, was no other than Rob Wilson. Who just so happens to be my partner in finding the bell. So the story is one I have heard before, but this time it was different. because it meant if it didn't lift we weren't diving.
The story was basically about how you don't dive in shipping lanes on a drifting decompression dive where you can't see shit. One time the fog came in so thick that the boat lost the bouy and the drifting divers were unseen by the charter boat for a few minutes. I'll save the story for someone to tell you all that was there. but as we chatted I just hoped the fog was lifting. I was not about to jump in and be run over by a Hanjin freighter because I had to do the dive. I knew it would be there again. by now the ferry has arrived in kingston and we are off to our favorite Breakfast place in Port Townsend.
Rob and I always order this custom scramble and two fried eggs on top, no matter what restaurant we are at, this place had our exact mix on the menu. We knew this was going to be a good weekend.
We loaded the boat and motored out into the fog toward Point wilson, it wasn't looking choice, and we all kinda knew today was not going to be a diving day. Everyone on the boat including the Captain had enough experience on diving in shipping lanes and doing deco to know this was not a good combo to throw in fog. It just wasn't going to happen. There was only a quarter mile of vis on the surface, not worth it. so we all left and Captain Phil putted up to the navy base for a splash on the reefer. In only 40 fsw there is a boat that is not in 400 fsw like some say it is. nice dive although some of us dived into beer and wine instead of the water.
Day two:
Rob and I started the day of with the same breakfast and coffee. Met at the boat at 9am, rob and I were buddied up. you never know the teams till the day of the dive. every camera team needs a reel man and a strobe man. well today rob and I dived as a pair, no camera, go figure cause we found THE BELL OF THE SS GOVERNOR, oh yeah baby, not a fork or a spoon or even a wine bottle, but the BELL OF THE SHIP. I remember as we swam up on it Rob and I (both MDS board members) both looked at each other as we scootered up to this strange shape. I thought to myself this isn't a natural shape, and the barnacles on it were not like the others around. So we started digging, in perfect trim of course knees never touched the ground
, and as the silt storm cleared in the ripping current, forgot to mention I went down the line on speed 7 of my Cuda. the silt revealed a Bell,
the Bell, a BRASS BELL OF THE SHIP. we both grabbed each other's shoulders and hooted and shouted so load the surface heard up i sure. we flashed our lights and dan was just taking his sweet ass time to come and film it. So i stayed put and Rob went to get Dan - only 30 feet away taking film of fish in a toilet for all we knew. When Dan and Paul arrived on the scene of the BELL they too were hooting and laughing. this was a great find, and for ROB and I to find it even cooler. Dan took some wonderful footage of it, and Rob and I moved it back into a cubby hole where only we know where it is. that's so that no yahoo's go and steal it from Bob Mester and Mark Allen. an hour of deco and then we shared the news with the boat crew and other dive team, and here we are now, talking about one of the richest finds of the GOV ever. Also one of the greatest finds ever For Maritime Documentation Society to date. so this was a big day for all of us, and made up for making a choice from experience not to dive in Shipping lanes in the Fog. WOOOOOHOOOOO MDS comes through for Bob an Mark
I hope you enjoyed reading I know I'm not the best writer, but hey we found the BELL
BJ-Maverick
thats cool though gives you something to watch since josh bought the last idive ever made
