A joint SREU/UASBC project this weekend to locate, explore and document the remains of the steel, steam-screw freight last called the Famous was a success!  Well, that is to say that the project was successful in achieving its objectives.  Jacques Marc, the UASBC Exploration Director, feels that it is unlikely that the wreck we visited was the SS Famous.  The project, which was likely the most ambitious in the DIR Project's short lifetime, had divers taking measurements and shooting video of the wreck site, which lies in 230' of water. 

The project included: five gas divers (Mark Gottfried, Guy Shockey, Alan Johnson, Kim Anderson, Chris Fenton); two support divers (Dave Healy, Richard Parker); and a surface manager (Jeremy Hoey).  This project represented an opportunity for the UASBC to have divers visit a wreck that had only previously been visited by ROV.  For the SREU this project represented an opportunity for the team to further develop its operating procedures and execute a relatively complex series of dives.  The team conducted four dives (total bottom time of 90 minutes) over a two day period.  A detailed Project Report can be found in the "recent dive reports" section of this website.

The Indian Arm Mystery Wreck Project team would like to thank: Cheers Diving and Eco Tours for an excellent job as charter boat for the project; International Diving Center for helping with the filling and repair logistics; and the UASBC for the opportunity as well as the financial support.

Over the past year members of The DIR Projects SREU have been discussing with the Underwater Archaeological Society of British Columbia the idea of our team working on deep water projects.  

In the mean time a number of our divers have gone through the UASBC taught Intro to NAS and NAS 1 curriculum.  This has given us the opportunity to learn about underwater archaeology, survey techniques, and to get some experience doing simple surveys.  In July of 2009 our team had its first success in this partnership when we physically located a target that was believed by the UASBC to be a ship in 240 feet of water.  A team of our divers, Mark Gottfried and Ray LeFrense, executed a successful dive onto what turned out to be an intact scuttled wooden sailing ship.  

In October of 2009 the UASBC Board confirmed support for a joint project to conduct a simple survey and video documentation of another wreck target in 240 of water.  This project will take place over a two day period.  In preperation for this our team will be conducting a survey project on a well known shallow wreck in Deep Cove, Victoria in February.

We are excited about the opportunity to take part in an archaeological project.  We hope that this will be the first in a long series of successful projects working with the UASBC.