Titanic Diary - Part 2
2nd August 2000 1830 hrs
30 knot winds, white capped waves, 4 metre swells, grey skies. Ah yes, another fine summer day in the North Atlantic.
This is day six of TITANIC 2000. The two Mir submersibles are currently below us, 2.5 miles deep. Their mission today is to patrol the Titanic debris field and establish a baseline for artifact recovery. The two Russian pilots are accompanied by Ralph White and Jim Sinclair, a marine archaeologist, in Mir 1, and G.Michael Harris, COO of RMS Titanic, Inc, and Dave Walker, RMST Operations, in MIR 2. At 1800 hrs we are expecting the Oceaneering vessel, Intervention, to transfer 5000 metres of Kevlar cable to our ship, the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. This will be an interesting operation in these high seas… Oops, I thought YOU were holding the rope. At 2100 hrs we expect MIR 1 to break the surface, followed 30 minutes later by MIR 2. The average trip is 12 hours, and there are no facilities on board. Guess where these guys run to the moment the hatch is opened?
Having arrived on station at 0600 on Friday 28 July, the day was spent transferring passengers and equipment from Explorer, our home for the previous two weeks, to the Keldysh, the mother ship. Not an easy operation with 10 foot swells making the RIB rise and fall against the entrance door in the side of Keldysh. Standing by was the Intervention, a supply vessel carrying a remotely operated vehicle, or ROV, for recovery works. It also had the equipment required for the immediate conservation work, logging and recording necessary for items that would be brought up from the bottom.
At 1700 hrs Sean and I said our goodbyes to the crew on Explorer and made our own transfer. Within half an hour of boarding I received a message that Arnie Geller, the company President, was asking for me. He had travelled out with us from St John's. Making my way to the after deck, I discovered a large group had gathered at the stern of the ship for a wreath laying ceremony. I was very surprised and honoured when Arnie asked me if I would say a few words on behalf of the people of Ireland because of Titanic's connection with our country. This was totally out of the blue, and gathering my thoughts for a minute, I recalled those 123 Irish people who had left Cobh, of whom only 44 survived the tragedy, the other passengers and the crew who had perished. In particular, I mentioned the fact that the day I was leaving Ireland, I was interviewed by Foyle Radio, and spoke to John Scott, who was 94 years old. His father was a stoker who did not survive the disaster. The last image of his father was seeing him go up the gangplank in Southampton and waving goodbye. He said that Captain Smith came down and patted him on the head. This was very real connection and I asked everyone to remember him and all who died on Titanic. Prayers were then said in both the Jewish and Christian faith, the White Star Line flag was unfurled and Arnie dropped a wreath into the sea. It was a moving moment. I hope that when we place the brass plaque that we have brought from Ireland on Titanic, the relatives and descendants of those who perished may feel that at last a permanent memorial has been made in their name.
The next morning we awoke to a flat sea and sunshine. A good omen, as this was day 1 of Sub Operations. Breakfast was at 0730, and at 0800 I attended the Sub Ops. brief, where the plan for the day was outlined. At 0930, Anatoloy, the chief pilot climbed into MIR 1, closely followed by Ralph White and David Concannon, the legal attorney for the company. David and I have known each other for nearly two years. Last year he visited Ireland for the first time and came diving with me to Inisboffin. His grandfather had left this island as a teenager and he was the first relation from America to return.
A few final photographs, and the lashings which held the sub to the deck were loosened, the crane hoisted it aloft and swiftly swung it out over the side of the ship, gently placing it in the water. The Russian support divers speeded in to the sub with their inflatable boat and quickly uncoupled it from the crane line. Gently bobbing in the waves the sub started to take on water in it's ballast tanks, and within 5 minutes disappeared from the surface to commence it's long drop to the bottom. This would take 2.5 hours. A half an hour later, MIR 2, with Mike Harris and Dik Barton on board, had followed MIR 1 to the bottom. Now the long wait began. We would not see the subs until 21.00 hrs. We eagerly anticipated their return.
In the meantime, Sean and I had a busy day doing safety cover for passengers commuting between all three ships. Boarding ships at sea from small boats is a hazardous task, and we were on standby in the RIB in case someone decided to go for an unauthorised swim. That afternoon we were called over to the Intervention with our diving kit, as a wire had got fouled around one of their four propellers. Following extensive talks and examination of the problem on a video camera, it was decided not to proceed due to the risk involved in the rolling sea. We had been looking forward to getting wet, but safety was the criteria we all had to take into consideration. We are a long way from land out here. As it turned out, the ship was eventually able to clear the foul by it's own means without the use of personnel in the water.
At 2100 we were all on deck waiting for the first sub to appear. Soon, a glow stated to appear in the water, getting brighter and brighter. With a gentle whoosh, like a whale blowing, MIR 1 bobbed to the surface, it's beacon light flashing in the failing light. Our Russian divers quickly zipped over. One jumped on top of the sub and fastened a tow line to it, the other end thrown to the Koresh, the small launch that tows the subs to position for recovery. Like a surfer on a giant board, the diver stood astride MIR 1 as he got it ready. The cable was swung out and with an expert hand the coupling was made. As she came out of the water we could see items in the recovery baskets. What had they brought back that was now going to see the light of day after 88 years?
Sean and I now have multi task roles in the expedition. Tonight we were doing security duties, ensuring that the artifacts were protected from over - enthusiastic personnel. The MIR still had to be secured and people were milling around wanting to have a look. It was important that they were immediately removed from the baskets and brought to the wet lab for initial examination, recorded and photographed, wrapped in protective covering and immersed again in salt water. Cameras flashed as the sub crew climbed out of the hatch, people cheered, the many items were examined by the crew and the management, and Sean and I beat a path carrying the china, glass and brass artifacts in their padded boxes up to the wet lab. There the scientific team carried out their duties, and we ended up assisting until 2am after MIR 2 had safely returned with their crew and recoveries. We then turned in for the night.
The morning of our second day of sub ops was in complete contrast to the day before: grey skies, and lumpy seas. The launch procedure was more precarious, and our respect for the Russian crew was increasing rapidly. It was to get better. That night we witnessed the most incredible display of boat handling, sub recovery and sheer bravery by these men. Many times the cowboy on the MIR was completely submerged by waves as he struggled to haul the quick coupling on to the sub. Finally, after several attempts he managed it, without losing any fingers. This was repeated later with the second recovery. The MIRs were swung up and landed home safely in their bays, fastened down, and the tired but relieved crews climbed out to applause. Their trip was very successful, producing some fine ships fittings: a ship's telegraph stand, tip up basins, cups, bottles and portholes. We repeated our storage procedure and the items were wrapped for analysis the next day.
After every second or third dive the subs need a shake down and complete recharge, so they had a down day on Tuesday 1st. Our day, however, was spent in transferring more personnel and equipment back and forth to the Explorer and Intervention. We had to hurry because a storm was brewing. Explorer was returning to St. John's with passengers and picking up fresh supplies. In the afternoon a tricky operation took place between Keldysh and Intervention. Big pick up baskets were transferred between the two ships. They were steered into position, their sterns facing each other. Lines were passed over and the huge crane on Intervention swung out the 1Ú2 ton steel baskets. More lines were attached and the winches on Keldysh slowly dragged them across the gap. Once again we were witness to another display of fine seamanship by all. Two hours later and the five baskets were safely lashed to the deck. A few more last minute changes and Explorer headed off to St. John's, taking some of our new friends home. It's funny how you bond quickly with complete strangers after a short time at sea. Perhaps it had something to do with the fact that we had been dressing and undressing them in their floatation suits and life jackets on quite a few occasions. There is no time for formalities on a rolling ship!
There is one important fact that has come to light from the first few visits to Titanic. She is rapidly disintegrating. Bulkheads and walls have collapsed, even in the last year since the Russians visited her. Anatoly and Ralph have, between them, over 70 dives logged on the site, and their estimation is that her form as we know it now will be gone in a few years, the weakened walls collapsed upon themselves. If anything, now is an even more important time to record for posterity all that was the Titanic.
This is day six of TITANIC 2000. The two Mir submersibles are currently below us, 2.5 miles deep. Their mission today is to patrol the Titanic debris field and establish a baseline for artifact recovery. The two Russian pilots are accompanied by Ralph White and Jim Sinclair, a marine archaeologist, in Mir 1, and G.Michael Harris, COO of RMS Titanic, Inc, and Dave Walker, RMST Operations, in MIR 2. At 1800 hrs we are expecting the Oceaneering vessel, Intervention, to transfer 5000 metres of Kevlar cable to our ship, the Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. This will be an interesting operation in these high seas… Oops, I thought YOU were holding the rope. At 2100 hrs we expect MIR 1 to break the surface, followed 30 minutes later by MIR 2. The average trip is 12 hours, and there are no facilities on board. Guess where these guys run to the moment the hatch is opened?
At 1700 hrs Sean and I said our goodbyes to the crew on Explorer and made our own transfer. Within half an hour of boarding I received a message that Arnie Geller, the company President, was asking for me. He had travelled out with us from St John's. Making my way to the after deck, I discovered a large group had gathered at the stern of the ship for a wreath laying ceremony. I was very surprised and honoured when Arnie asked me if I would say a few words on behalf of the people of Ireland because of Titanic's connection with our country. This was totally out of the blue, and gathering my thoughts for a minute, I recalled those 123 Irish people who had left Cobh, of whom only 44 survived the tragedy, the other passengers and the crew who had perished. In particular, I mentioned the fact that the day I was leaving Ireland, I was interviewed by Foyle Radio, and spoke to John Scott, who was 94 years old. His father was a stoker who did not survive the disaster. The last image of his father was seeing him go up the gangplank in Southampton and waving goodbye. He said that Captain Smith came down and patted him on the head. This was very real connection and I asked everyone to remember him and all who died on Titanic. Prayers were then said in both the Jewish and Christian faith, the White Star Line flag was unfurled and Arnie dropped a wreath into the sea. It was a moving moment. I hope that when we place the brass plaque that we have brought from Ireland on Titanic, the relatives and descendants of those who perished may feel that at last a permanent memorial has been made in their name.
The next morning we awoke to a flat sea and sunshine. A good omen, as this was day 1 of Sub Operations. Breakfast was at 0730, and at 0800 I attended the Sub Ops. brief, where the plan for the day was outlined. At 0930, Anatoloy, the chief pilot climbed into MIR 1, closely followed by Ralph White and David Concannon, the legal attorney for the company. David and I have known each other for nearly two years. Last year he visited Ireland for the first time and came diving with me to Inisboffin. His grandfather had left this island as a teenager and he was the first relation from America to return.
A few final photographs, and the lashings which held the sub to the deck were loosened, the crane hoisted it aloft and swiftly swung it out over the side of the ship, gently placing it in the water. The Russian support divers speeded in to the sub with their inflatable boat and quickly uncoupled it from the crane line. Gently bobbing in the waves the sub started to take on water in it's ballast tanks, and within 5 minutes disappeared from the surface to commence it's long drop to the bottom. This would take 2.5 hours. A half an hour later, MIR 2, with Mike Harris and Dik Barton on board, had followed MIR 1 to the bottom. Now the long wait began. We would not see the subs until 21.00 hrs. We eagerly anticipated their return.
At 2100 we were all on deck waiting for the first sub to appear. Soon, a glow stated to appear in the water, getting brighter and brighter. With a gentle whoosh, like a whale blowing, MIR 1 bobbed to the surface, it's beacon light flashing in the failing light. Our Russian divers quickly zipped over. One jumped on top of the sub and fastened a tow line to it, the other end thrown to the Koresh, the small launch that tows the subs to position for recovery. Like a surfer on a giant board, the diver stood astride MIR 1 as he got it ready. The cable was swung out and with an expert hand the coupling was made. As she came out of the water we could see items in the recovery baskets. What had they brought back that was now going to see the light of day after 88 years?
Sean and I now have multi task roles in the expedition. Tonight we were doing security duties, ensuring that the artifacts were protected from over - enthusiastic personnel. The MIR still had to be secured and people were milling around wanting to have a look. It was important that they were immediately removed from the baskets and brought to the wet lab for initial examination, recorded and photographed, wrapped in protective covering and immersed again in salt water. Cameras flashed as the sub crew climbed out of the hatch, people cheered, the many items were examined by the crew and the management, and Sean and I beat a path carrying the china, glass and brass artifacts in their padded boxes up to the wet lab. There the scientific team carried out their duties, and we ended up assisting until 2am after MIR 2 had safely returned with their crew and recoveries. We then turned in for the night.
The morning of our second day of sub ops was in complete contrast to the day before: grey skies, and lumpy seas. The launch procedure was more precarious, and our respect for the Russian crew was increasing rapidly. It was to get better. That night we witnessed the most incredible display of boat handling, sub recovery and sheer bravery by these men. Many times the cowboy on the MIR was completely submerged by waves as he struggled to haul the quick coupling on to the sub. Finally, after several attempts he managed it, without losing any fingers. This was repeated later with the second recovery. The MIRs were swung up and landed home safely in their bays, fastened down, and the tired but relieved crews climbed out to applause. Their trip was very successful, producing some fine ships fittings: a ship's telegraph stand, tip up basins, cups, bottles and portholes. We repeated our storage procedure and the items were wrapped for analysis the next day.
There is one important fact that has come to light from the first few visits to Titanic. She is rapidly disintegrating. Bulkheads and walls have collapsed, even in the last year since the Russians visited her. Anatoly and Ralph have, between them, over 70 dives logged on the site, and their estimation is that her form as we know it now will be gone in a few years, the weakened walls collapsed upon themselves. If anything, now is an even more important time to record for posterity all that was the Titanic.
