I have literally JUST stepped off the boat and am dripping water all over the kitchen floor. My cheeks and eyelashes are a little bit crusty with salt but I'm on a high right now because I just returned from a great dive on the cement wreck That's the Oost Vlaanderen for the non-maritime folk reading this. It is one of the closest wrecks to St Peter Port here in Guernsey, sunk in 1943 after a life of transporting guns and cement for the German fortifications.The poor Ship suffered it's demise at the hands of Avengers of 850 squadron, Fleet Arm and is now one of the many wrecks that lies upright on the ocean floor.
Enough of the history lesson!
Lobsters and congers have made a comfortable home of the deck along with a shoal of pout. There are several factors that account for the Vlaanderen popularity. The first is proximity—the ship lies just a mile and a half offshore and less than two miles out of St Peter Port within easy range of most dive boats. In addition, it is a proper-looking shipwreck, with a classic profile that transitions from a raised foredeck to a stern wheelhouse and two cargo holds midsection, then tapers to a fantail stern. This layout provides plenty of interesting real estate to explore on the outside and inside.
Depth and layout combine to make the Wreck ideal for a wide range of divers. Anyone comfortable in mid-range depths can peer into the open cargo holds and explore the upper deck without dropping below 25 metres. And unless you feel the need to examine the rudder, it’s possible to investigate the main deck and swim into the shadow of the covered bow without seeing 32 metres on the depth gage.
The day keeps getting better. I just got a facebook message from Mat saying he's just posted some gopro footage of today's dive .
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