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| Over the wreck of the S.S. Atlantic with Gary Gentile and John Moyer 1981 |
Over the wreck of the S.S. Atlantic.
Here, Gary Gentile first touted the phrase "If you can hook it, we can dive it". With breakers surrounding us and an alarmed captain manning the helm, we bowed out lest we sink our boat over the wreck. It doesn't get much better than this when creating a legendary adventure...
I thank you Gary for that invitation on a that first "once in a life time" adventure, that happened over and over for the past few decades of our returns.
North Atlantic Adventures....since 1981
Atlantic Divers has been exploring remote Northern Maine and Canada for more than 3 decades!
North Atlantic Adventures to the edge and beyond...
An annual expedition that combines camping, exploring and wreck diving.
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| photo by Mike Boring on 2010 30th Expedition |
Some more great Mike Boring images...
Some bottles and clay pipes from past Northern Adventures
Atlantic Divers 30th North Atlantic Anniversary Expedition:
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| The White Star Line steamer Atlantic which sank near Halifax in 1873. With over 500 fatalities, the Atlantic wreck was one of the worst shipwreck disasters prior to the Titanic. |
Here wolf fish postured themselves at high points on the rocks where the broken hull extends from the waist high shallows to depths less than 90 feet. Piles of broken china lay strewn mixed throughout the rocks and wreckage. Occasionally an intact piece or a crest is found digging beneath ths sands. Dead eyes, portholes, marble decorations, organ keys, assorted brass valves and parts have been found in the rock crevices. Ironically a number of St. Christopher metals have been recovered. The most exciting discoveries have been the occasional gold coins. Over the years I have returned to the wreck on several return trips. Surprisingly little has changed. Although Harry has retired from the fishing and dive charter business, he still remembers the divers from Jersey.
Today the visibility is clear. The water cold and the wolf fish remain intimidating.
Good Northern Wrecking!
The history of the S.S. Atlantic
Diving the S.S. Atlantic September 1981 John Moyer, Gary Gentile and I boarded the lobster boat owned by Harry Bartlet in Propect cove. I researched the Atlantic’s sinking and traveled over 1200 miles to this remote harbor. I was anxious to see the wreck site of the once luxurious White Star liner that lies in these shallow waters. Harry Bartlet’s boat was unique. Unlike the typical dive boats of modern times, Harry’s boat had little in the way of comfort and space. It featured a sapling ladder, a moss-covered bow and a weathered life ring for safety. Harry would often tow a smaller skiff, just in case this sturdy craft foundered. The best thing about Harry’s boat was the location. It was a 15 minute ride to the wreck of the Atlantic and a buoy was in place marking the site.
We dressed at the dock, lowered our gear with a hoist, donned our doubles at the dock and enjoyed the short ride. After Harry lassoed the buoy, we rolled off the stern and plunged to the wreckage scattered below. Here wolf fish postured themselves at high points on the rocks where the broken hull extends from the waist high shallows to depths less than 90 feet. Piles of broken china lay strewn mixed throughout the rocks and wreckage. Occasionally an intact piece or a crest is found digging beneath ths sands. Dead eyes, portholes, marble decorations, organ keys, assorted brass valves and parts have been found in the rock crevices. Ironically a number of St. Christopher metals have been recovered. The most exciting discoveries have been the occasional gold coins. Over the years I have returned to the wreck on several return trips. Surprisingly little has changed. Although Harry has retired from the fishing and dive charter business, he still remembers the divers from Jersey.
Today the visibility is clear. The water cold and the wolf fish remain intimidating.
Good Northern Wrecking!
The history of the S.S. Atlantic
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| Costarican Trader |
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| A.W. Perrry wrecked on Chebucto Head |
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| S.S. Deliverance sank off the entrance to Herring Cove. It was a steam-engined diving tender that sank after a collision with the steamer Regin in 1917. |
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| washed ashore from Halifax explosion. |
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| Kenkerry AGROUND AND WRECKED AT BLACK ROCK POINT, NEAR PORTUGUESE COVE, NOVA SCOTIA, JANUARY 17, 1935, IN BALLAST FROM HAVANA, CUBA. The captain was lost when the breeches buoy line broke and he fell into the water. |
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| The British Freedom and the Athelviking, both tankers, were torpedoed by a German U-boat on the same day in 1944 off the mouth of Halifax Harbour. The British Freedom sank off Chebucto Head on January 14, 1945 . |
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| Letitia was grounded hard on Portuguese Cove Shoal while on route from Liverpool in July of 1917, carrying a full crew of 137 as well as 74 hospital staff and 546 wounded Canadian soldiers. A call for assistance to help with the evacuation of passengers was made and all were disembarked without incident onto nearby ships. |
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| Martin Van Buren |
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| Daniel Steinman, a 1790 ton steamship that struck Mad Rock Shoal in 1884 |
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| Halifax explosion remnants after disaster |
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| Uranium off Chebucto Head |
Making it happen in between huricanes: http://atlanticdivers.websitetoolbox.com/post?id=3644713
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| harbor gun emplacements |
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| Searching off Mad Rock |
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| Sambro Light |
Beyond the edge of the North Atlantic Adventures
No Man is an Island
I shared an unique and memorable experience this summer on St. Paul’s Island, Nova Scotia which is located in the Cabot Strait. An abandoned island where numerous shipwrecks were lost and hundreds lost their lives conceding to the elements. Our group was briefly marooned on this deserted island when a violent storm engulfed us. We were battered by 60 mile per hour winds with seas breaking over 20 feet, that surrounded the small island. Read more of this adventure.....
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| rocky coast of a lonesome island in the Cabot Straits |
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| Mighty John Galvin |
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| landing party |
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| self sufficient |
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| no cell service here |
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| camp |
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| dramatic jagged shore line approach |
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| enjoying the peace |
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| new adventurers.... |
