The RMS Rhone is an epic ship accident that has given birth to a stunning marine park. It is one of one of the most preferred dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking tale continues to fascinate and astound us.
Captain Woolley selected the closest course to open sea with the network between Dead Upper body Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to approach the point the tail end of the cyclone threw her onto the rocks.
The History
During the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships stopped frequently at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move passengers and cargo in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been warned by a dropping barometer that a tornado was coming, yet believing that the typhoon period mored than, he decided to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with one more RMS ship, Conway.
Equally as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather condition unexpectedly transformed direction. The initial lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she shattered versus the rough coral reef. Legend has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver teaspoon (which stays dirtied in the reefs today) to mix his favorite at the time. The wreck is now a prominent dive site, home to a remarkable selection of marine life. Many people agree that a full expedition of the website needs 2 different dives, as the bow and strict areas are spread out apart at various midsts.
The Wreck
The Rhone rests beneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Visitors can explore the incredibly intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its large 15 foot propeller. This brimming marine park is a pointer of the delicate aeolus catamaran charter balance between man and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he decided to try to defeat the coming close to storm out right into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Breast and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rocky pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 areas with the cold water of the inbound tide contacting the hot central heating boilers creating a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still connected to their beds.
Snorkeling
Among the most well-known wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by merely drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow section is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were filmed.
The strict and waistline are a lot more broken up, but they offer a haunting glance of a previous age. Divers should intend on at the very least two dives to fully experience the Rhone, especially given that exposure can in some cases be challenging. Highlights consist of the lucky porthole, which divers massage completely luck, and the well-known bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a famous sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and lots of neighborhood dive boats check out daily. The Rhone is safeguarded by the National Park Solution, and entryway is for free.
Diving
Among the Caribbean's most renowned accident dives, Rhone is a coveted website for its historical allure and bristling marine life. It's open and relatively secure, making it appropriate for scuba divers of all experience degrees.
The story behind the wreckage is awful: as she was transferring travelers to one more ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm boilers smashed versus cold salt water and exploded, sending out the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 people aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.
The wreck split in two when it sank, and the bow area drifted to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at about 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral reefs and inhabited by aquatic life, including colleges of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at least 2 dives to explore the whole wreck, however, because the bow and strict sections are divided by about 100 feet of water.
