The RMS Rhone is a legendary ship accident that has brought to life a gorgeous aquatic park. It is just one of the most prominent dives in the Caribbean. Its tragic story remains to attract and captivate us.
Captain Woolley opted for the closest course to ocean blue via the network in between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to approach the point the tail end of the hurricane threw her onto the rocks.
The Background
Throughout the yellow high temperature epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped routinely at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer guests and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been cautioned by a dropping barometer that a tornado was coming, yet thinking that the typhoon season was over, he decided to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.
Equally as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the climate instantly transformed instructions. The preliminary lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rocky reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was making use of a silver tsp (which stays encrusted in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a preferred dive website, home to a remarkable variety of aquatic life. Lots of people agree that a full expedition of the website needs two different dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread apart at various midsts.
The Accident
The Rhone rests under the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive site today. Site visitors can check out the incredibly intact bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the strict near its big 15 foot propeller. This teeming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate equilibrium in between man and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he decided to attempt to beat the coming close to storm out right into the open sea. He guided the ship to Black Rock Factor between Dead Upper Body and Golden-haired Rock, a pair of rough pinnacles rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 sections with the cold water of the inbound trend contacting the warm boilers causing a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still tied to their beds.
Snorkeling
Among the most renowned accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow area is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were shot.
The stern and waistline are much more broken up, however they provide a haunting glance of a past period. Divers should plan on at least 2 dives to fully experience the Rhone, specifically because presence can in some cases be complicated. Highlights consist of the lucky porthole, which scuba divers scrub forever luck, and the well-known bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a legendary sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any kind of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and lots of local dive watercrafts go to daily. The Rhone is shielded by the National Park Solution, and entrance is cost free.
Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular wreck dives, Rhone is a desired site for its historical attraction and brimming aquatic life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it ideal for divers of all experience degrees.
The story behind the accident is tragic: as she was transferring guests to another ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm central heating boilers smashed versus cold seawater and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were hidden on Salt Island.
The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section wandered to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral reefs and lived in by marine life, including colleges of yellowtail yacht charter georgia snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at least two dives to check out the entire accident, however, since the bow and demanding areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.
