Dive Number: 211 07/11/11 9.10, Barwon Bluff – Charlemont
Wind: 5-10knot northerly
Tide: ???
Conditions: A lot of free floating weed in the water with a bit of surge.
Visibilty: 8m
Water Temp: 15.6c
Bottom Time: 62minutes
Max Depth: 4.5m
Air usage: 170bar/2500psi
SAC: ???? litres/min
Details: I was keen to get in and see the wreck of the Earl of Charlemont while the conditions were good. I met up with Phil and he was able to lead me straight to it from his previous visit. In a heavily sand affected area, the level of exposure of the wreck was amazing. The site gave a real sense of history with personal belongings and artifacts scattered amongst the brass-pinned timbers. The helm was visible together with the large anchor chain. Scouring the bottom, i found a wad of leather “straps” peaking out from the sand. They were stamped with “Patent C.Macintosh & Co”. These “straps” looked like some type of shoe maker accessory, and appeared to had never seen the light of day since the the vessel sunk in 1853. This lead me to the conclusion that this wreck has never been as exposed as it has over the last couple of months. My initial search for this wreck was spurred by the “50 year storms” we had back in July which battered the coast with monster swells, and gave me hope that the swell may have carved the wreck from the sand. In hindsight it looks like the media didn’t overhype this event, and it was historically significant enough to totally expose a wreck that has sat preserved beneath the sand for 157 years![UPDATE: The wreck is now buried under 2m of sand again.] Anyway, as i researched the makers marks on these leather straps, i came across references and advertisements in Melbourne’s “Argus” and Hobarts “The Mercury” to this London manufacturer of Garments. With one article proclaiming this manufacturer as “the Waterproof Kings of England”. Then it struck me…”A Macintosh!”..the colloquial name given to the english raincoat, after the manufacturer and chemist Charles Macintosh.
Here’s an interesting history on the Macintosh:
http://www.lakelandelements.com/rainwearhistory/macintoshfactory.htm
It seems the company manufactured many different types of items, so i’m no closer to working out what this was. Here’s some references i found around the net:
http://trove.nla.gov.au/ndp/del/article/9418163
http://en.wikisource.org/wiki/Page:Bradshaw’s_Monthly_(XVI).djvu/49
http://historicaltidbits.blogspot.com/2011/10/seasickness-how-to-prevent-it.html
I guess this is what makes diving wrecks so interesting.
NOTE: Please dont remove artifacts from a wreck site. Its inconsiderate, disrespectful and illegal.
Camera Details: Tokina 10-17mm , SS400/SS200 Strobes
Photos:
