The Basin Harbor Club is a lovely facility and the hospitality is wonderful … but that is not why we are here diving. Under the cold water of Lake Champlain, resting quietly, are the remains of a nearly 90-foot wooden ship. Today’s dives focused on measurement of exposed sections of the wreck. This information will be used to develop a map of the site, down to the location of the iron fasteners that, after all these years underwater are still holding her together.
Diving here is not for the faint of heart, the weather topside is windy, rainy, and there is a chill in the air, the water is about 52 degrees and the visibility underwater is about four feet until we start to work and it becomes inches. We work in buddy teams and each team can work for about an hour before we start to get cold. We share what we have learned with the next team when we get out of the water. Our time on the surface passes quickly and just as we get warmed up and our notes written it is time to get back in the water. We manage two dives per team most days, so progress is slow.
If you happen to see us working you are most welcome to stop by for a quick visit (especially if you bring coffee or tea), we love to talk about what we are doing and why it is so important to preserve this unique cultural heritage.