Titanic Diary - Part 3
8th August 2000
20.00 hrs.
Both MIRs are scheduled to return between 21.00 and 22.00. Dik and Dave are crewing with 2 Russians in each sub. The day has been spent chilling out, as the artifacts from the three previous trips have been finally stabilised and stored. Sean and I may not be doing much diving in the Atlantic, but we are getting just as wet in the labs, hosing down large ships telegraphs, bridge telephone holders, portholes, officers quarters window, capstans, and a significant find, the ship slave steering column. Yes, once again Ralph, aka Captain Hernia, came home three nights in a row with the heaviest and largest pieces from the debris field. We all scatter now when his sub swings up out of the water, tilting over with the excessive weight. It's funny how there is suddenly something to be done in the lab at this time.
Today we also said goodbye to eight more of our friends who were sailing back to St John's on Explorer. She is due back by Friday with 13 more visitors and supplies, including timber to pack up the large objects safely for their next stage of transportation to the conservation labs in America. Letters and postcards are handed over for posting to family and friends. Yesterday we had a group photo session and the Tricolour was proudly displayed on the bridge deck along with the Stars and Stripes, the British Ensign, Russian Flag and White Star Line Flag.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday last, six dives in total were made, all successful in their own right and all subs safely recovered. Apart from the major items recovered by the aforementioned Captain Hernia, there have been significant smaller ones, like the First Class cups and saucers, light fittings, more bathroom fittings and tiles. We now nearly have enough to make up a suite. Crystal decanters, bowls, engine parts - two wrenches, one half corroded, the other complete. An historic find - it has the number 401 stamped into it. This is Titanic's ship yard number. Someone makes the observation that we are definitely on the Titanic site - here's the proof! This is the only artifact ever recovered that actually has Titanic's number on it. A major find indeed. Chamber pots, door fittings, bulkhead lights, glass bottles, the items become a blur, there are so many of them.
There have been some funny moments, like the evening I was clearing a basket from the front of the MIR and found a leathery cylindrical object, about 4 inches high and 56 inches diameter. Calling Jim, the archaeologist over, I commented on it's condition as being very good. He agreed and we set to putting it in water straight away. "Niet, niet" came a cry from the crowd, Liev a crew member taking it from my hand and amazingly fitting it over one of the sub lights to much laughter. It was a lens cap that had not been removed at the beginning of the dive. At this point Jim and I quickly decided that there was something urgent to do in the lab.
23.05 hrs.
Both subs have successfully returned with some fine items. We are all tired and are now hitting the sack. There is a tummy bug doing the rounds and it's knocking us down like flies. Tommorrow, we think Denis Cochrane, Titanic collector extraordinaire, fulfils the ambition of a lifetime and makes his descent. Denis lives in Chiswick, London and has amassed what is probably the world's biggest collection of Titanic memorabilia. Most of it is on display in Orlando, Florida at the Titanic, Ship of Dreams Exhibition. His mother was from Mallow and he was educated in Rockwell College, so needless to say there has been serious slagging going on between us all. He's terribly Anglo Saxon in a very endearing way. Every night he posts up the evening meal on a White Star Line Menu. He is a frequent visitor to Ireland and we know that we have made a very good friend. He is a retired teacher and choirmaster, and was astonished to learn of my previous career with Virgin Records as he taught Richard Branson's son music for years. He is convinced that we were destined to meet. Denis is yet another example of the wonderful variety of people that we are constantly meeting. From the salt of the earth deckhands to multi - millionaires, that's Rory and Sean……
20.00 hrs.
Today we also said goodbye to eight more of our friends who were sailing back to St John's on Explorer. She is due back by Friday with 13 more visitors and supplies, including timber to pack up the large objects safely for their next stage of transportation to the conservation labs in America. Letters and postcards are handed over for posting to family and friends. Yesterday we had a group photo session and the Tricolour was proudly displayed on the bridge deck along with the Stars and Stripes, the British Ensign, Russian Flag and White Star Line Flag.
On Friday, Saturday and Sunday last, six dives in total were made, all successful in their own right and all subs safely recovered. Apart from the major items recovered by the aforementioned Captain Hernia, there have been significant smaller ones, like the First Class cups and saucers, light fittings, more bathroom fittings and tiles. We now nearly have enough to make up a suite. Crystal decanters, bowls, engine parts - two wrenches, one half corroded, the other complete. An historic find - it has the number 401 stamped into it. This is Titanic's ship yard number. Someone makes the observation that we are definitely on the Titanic site - here's the proof! This is the only artifact ever recovered that actually has Titanic's number on it. A major find indeed. Chamber pots, door fittings, bulkhead lights, glass bottles, the items become a blur, there are so many of them.
There have been some funny moments, like the evening I was clearing a basket from the front of the MIR and found a leathery cylindrical object, about 4 inches high and 56 inches diameter. Calling Jim, the archaeologist over, I commented on it's condition as being very good. He agreed and we set to putting it in water straight away. "Niet, niet" came a cry from the crowd, Liev a crew member taking it from my hand and amazingly fitting it over one of the sub lights to much laughter. It was a lens cap that had not been removed at the beginning of the dive. At this point Jim and I quickly decided that there was something urgent to do in the lab.
23.05 hrs.
Both subs have successfully returned with some fine items. We are all tired and are now hitting the sack. There is a tummy bug doing the rounds and it's knocking us down like flies. Tommorrow, we think Denis Cochrane, Titanic collector extraordinaire, fulfils the ambition of a lifetime and makes his descent. Denis lives in Chiswick, London and has amassed what is probably the world's biggest collection of Titanic memorabilia. Most of it is on display in Orlando, Florida at the Titanic, Ship of Dreams Exhibition. His mother was from Mallow and he was educated in Rockwell College, so needless to say there has been serious slagging going on between us all. He's terribly Anglo Saxon in a very endearing way. Every night he posts up the evening meal on a White Star Line Menu. He is a frequent visitor to Ireland and we know that we have made a very good friend. He is a retired teacher and choirmaster, and was astonished to learn of my previous career with Virgin Records as he taught Richard Branson's son music for years. He is convinced that we were destined to meet. Denis is yet another example of the wonderful variety of people that we are constantly meeting. From the salt of the earth deckhands to multi - millionaires, that's Rory and Sean……
