TSS Coramba – Sunday 21st February 2016

Divers:  Ben, Youri, Keith & Mark
Surface support: Puspendu & Louise

After two or three false starts over a twelve month period,  todays dive was almost gone before it started. Fortunately,  Youri is an amazing boat mechanic and he was able to sort out a very minor issue in a heart beat, that could have kept us off the water again today, standing at the helm directing others with precise instructions the problem is soon solved. The Coramba is over 10 Nautical Miles from Western Port, but let me assure you the trip is more than well worth the effort. Descending down the shot line, the viz is not that great and we when get to 45m and a thermocline kicks in & drops the temperature by about 3 degrees, at 65 metres the viz clears up but it’s still chilly down here. At hte bottom of the shot line we have landed mid ships – this could not have been better – Keith & I enter into the engine room, exiting through a small opening in the deck head that takes us over the Engine Room Repeater. Making our way to the stern, our first job is to check out the props, then back towards the bow we come to the coal bunker, entering in here we swim to the boilers from the opposite side that we had seen them from the engine room. Then up to the bow, back to the funnel, we make sure the Steam Whistle is still in situ and then make our way over to the shot line. Ascending the shot line we transit the thermocline and the water now feels like a warm bath again, we’ll be back on the surface in just over an hour, then its off for a meal & a few beers to debrief over. Thanks very much to Lou & Push, as always without the full team putting in 100% then these dives don’t come off.  

Mark