Laurel Divers, Monthly Newsletter, July 1999

Laurel Divers
Monthly Newsletter

July 1, 1999

President:	Diane Turcovsky	(814) 695-6878
Vice Pres:	Barb Wyland	(814) 344-8081
Secretary:	Denny Beecher	(814) 472-5776
Treasurer:	Donna Bender	(814) 472-9796

NEXT MEETING

The next meeting will be on August 5, 1999. The meeting will be held at the Penn Gables Restaurant in Ebensburg at 7:30 P.M. JUNE MEETING We had 31 members present. The door prize was an SSI water bottle won by Sam Ferra. The daybook had a $31 balance, and was won by Joe Jenkins who was not present. This money will be carried over to the next meeting.

THIS & THAT

Visual Plus Tank Inspections can now be done at Maurer’s Dive Shop. Since a growing number of dive stores are now requiring this additional inspection before filling a tank, Bob Maurer has purchased the necessary equipment to perform the inspections.

The 1999 edition of the Blue Hole Quarry T-shirts has been released! Cost for the shirts are $15 for club members, and $18 for non-members. See Donna Bender to order.

Laurel Diver Glass Mugs are also available. The mugs are hand-etched by Mark Hooper with the Laurel Diver logo. Call Mark at 942-6666, or let him know at a meeting if interested.

Quarry Update: We still need maintenance men and women! The next grass cutting day will be on Friday July 16th--the beginning of Treasure Dive weekend. We’ll be putting up the tent, cutting the grass, and still finding time to get wet. If you have a lawn mower or weedeater, please bring it along and meet at the quarry around 6:00.

PAST EVENTS

11 Club members traveled to Lake Erie on June 5th and 6th. We dove the wrecks of the Indiana, S.K. Martin, Charles Foster, and Phillip D. Armour. The visibility was 50’+ on the deeper wrecks, and considerably less on the shallower wrecks. The water temperature was about 60 degrees on the surface and 42 degrees below 50 feet.

5 Club members traveled to Panama City, Florida on June 13th – 18th. Three days were spent diving freshwater springs and caverns, and the others wreck diving in the Gulf of Mexico. Ron Peterson reported logging 21 dives on the trip!

The dive season has been active so far, and a number of club members reported on trips they’ve taken over the past month:

John Augustine reported on a trip to the Dominican Republic. The oversized-john boats used to transport divers redefined the term “dive boat”, the coral appeared somewhat damaged, and the marine life was less than what was expected, but the weather, water, and island hospitality all more than compensated.

Bert Sharbaugh went lobster hunting in New Jersey. The wrecks were deep, recently sunk, intact, and the lobsters were plentiful—but hard to catch.

Bill Kimmick made a trip to the Saint Lawrence Seaway. The seaway is topwater fed, and the water temperature was still over 60 degrees at 100 feet! 50+ foot of visibility, only a moderate current, and excellent wrecks made for a great trip.

UPCOMING EVENTS

The Treasure Dive will be held on Sunday July 18th from 1:00 to 4:00. Festivities will begin on Friday night with grass cutting and the tent erection party. Plenty of members will be at the quarry for a full day of diving followed by a campfire social on Saturday. The club will supply hamburgers and hotdogs on Sunday. Cost for the Sunday Treasure Dive is $15, and the last day for sign-up is July 8th. Please call Donna Bender immediately if you plan on attending and have not yet registered.

The Tobermory trip is full. Anyone attending should meet at Ron Peterson’s house at 8:30 P.M. on Thursday the 29th for departure. Call Ron at 472-2144 for directions.

A day trip to Mount Storm, West Virginia is being planned for Sunday August 8th. Call Barb Wyland at 344-8081 for details.

A drift dive on the Niagara River will be held on August 21st and 22nd. We’ll be staying at the KOA campground in Grand Island, NY, and diving on Saturday and Sunday. The location is only about 20 minutes from Niagara Falls. Call Denny Beecher at 472-5776 for details.

The Annual Raystown Picnic will be on Sunday September 12th at the Oak Pavilion near Seven Points Marina. The club will be renting a pontoon boat to shuttle divers to and from the dive sites, and will supply hamburgers and hotdogs. More details at the next meeting.

A trip to Dominica will be held from December 4th to 11th. Accommodations will be oceanfront at the Anchorage Hotel and Dive Center. The trip will include five 2-tank morning dives, one night dive, and unlimited shore diving. Trip cost is $785 per diver and $445 per non-diver, plus airfare (about $690). For more information call Dee Montgomery at 944-8521 or Maurer’s Dive Shop at 344-6641.

A trip is being planned for the Florida Keys during the 3rd week of January. More details will follow at upcoming meetings. Please call Donna Bender at 472-9796 for further information.

Our July Every Other Friday Night Dives (EOFND) will be held on the 9th and 16th. These dives are a gathering of our club members for diving and socializing, and are always held at Clover Creek Quarry. Members generally arrive anytime from 6:00 P.M. on.

AROUND THE CLUB Please keep the information coming. Let me know at a meeting, call me at 472-5776, or e-mail me at Mosskeetoe@aol.com.

A big welcome to the Laurel Diver’s newest members: Chester Sciechowicz, Conrad Pfeifer, Michael Urbano, Charles Zupon, and Pam Pellas. Welcome aboard!

Congratulations to Ron Peterson, Lois Keegan, Donna Bender and Tim Laurito for receiving their Cavern Diving Certification.

DIVE DESTINATIONS—TOBERMORY, CANADA

As the logging and lumbering industry began to prosper around the Georgian Bay area of Lake Huron in the 1850’s, ships coming to and from the developing towns became a common site. The early ships were schooners carrying supplies to the towns, and then leaving with lumber destined for other parts of Canada or the United States. By 1890, propeller-driven steamers began to replace the older sailing vessels.
An increasing number of shipwrecks spurred the construction of three area lighthouses, and the first-ever complete survey of Georgian Bay which was completed in 1888. Even with the development of improved navigational aides however, a large number of vessels made their final resting place within the area now designated at Fathom Five National Marine Park:
The Arabia: This 131-foot vessel was a three-masted wooden schooner built in 1853 at Kingston, Ontario. While enroute to Midland, Ontario with a load of corn and grain, she was blown ashore by a gale on October 5th, 1884. Her crew abandoned the ship in the yawl boats, and were later picked up by a passing tug. The wreck was eventually washed into deeper water and now rests at 120 feet.
The Forest City: This vessel was named for the port of its construction—Cleveland Ohio, known as Forest City since its earliest beginnings. The ship was a wooden steamer, 216-feet in length, and was built in 1870. She sank on June 5th, 1904 after colliding with Bear’s Rump Island in dense fog. The shattered bow of the wreck now lies in 60-feet of water, with her propeller resting at 150-feet.
The Niagara II: Originally named the Rideaulite, this is Tobermory’s newest wreck. This 182-foot steel freighter was built in England in 1930 for the Imperial Oil Fleet. The ship was purchased by the Tobermory Maritime Association to sink as an attraction for divers, and was sunk on May 15th, 1999. It now rests in 90 feet of water with the wheelhouse at 50-feet.