The Albatross

The dive
Situated a few miles off the spectacular Maughold Head on the northeastern corner of Isle of Man, the Albatross has been well known to Manx divers for a long time and was certainly visited by Ramsey Sub-Aqua Club in the mid-1980s. However, like many dive sites off the remote north of the island, the Albatross is rarely visited by divers from the island and has a reputation among them for being a murky dive site, which no doubt has kept many away. As the wreck had been so ignored, we had difficulties relocating it, but our perseverance paid off. Not only did we find the wreck, but also we discovered that its ‘murky’ reputation is definitely unfounded. The bright, firm sea bed- and relatively shallow water work in a diver’s favour here, and this is a guaranteed pleasant and easy dive in summer conditions.

Don’t expect an intact shipwreck, though. Having sunk in 1894 the sea has had more than a hundred years to eat it away and the wreck is definitely showing its age. The iron hull has all but disintegrated and the remains of the deck now lie just above sea-bed level. The bow is reduced to ribs sticking up from the sand, but the stern is in better shape and stands well proud of the sea bed. The highest part of the wreck is the boiler, which is quite a size and confirms that this is the wreck of a large steam trawler. Between the boiler and the stern lie the remains of the fishing gear and engine, somewhat obscured by modern (but safe) netting.

It’s not just the years of seawater that have destroyed the Albatross. The collision which sank her was so catastrophic it virtually cut her in two, and claimed the lives of five of her eight Manx crew. In the very early hours of 6 November 1894 the Albatross was trawling with a Captain Shimmin at the helm when he noticed the larger steamship, SS Duke of Clarence, heading straight for him. Unable to manoeuvre, Captain Shimmin continually sounded the ship’s whistle and tried to set off flares to try to attract the attention of the Duke of Clarence. But nobody on the larger ship reacted, and she ploughed right into the beam of the Albatross without even slowing or altering course. The bow of the Duke of Clarence cut through to within a foot of the far side of the Albatross, and she was clearly doomed. Immediately, the crew tried to climb aboard the Duke of Clarence. Captain Shimmin made it, but then the Albatross recoiled from the collision and other crew members were thrown into the sea. The Albatross was so damaged that she sank immediately, leaving just Captain Shimmin safe on the Duke of Clarence. The ship’s boat was launched to look for survivors and two were picked up alive, staying afloat by clinging to fish boxes. Other crew members in the water were drowned. Two Albatross crew members who chose to stay in their bunks when the whistle sounded were never seen again, despite lengthy searches by several vessels, and were presumed drowned where they lay.

The appeal of the Albatross is more as an artificial reef than as a hardcore wreck dive. As summer progresses the wreckage becomes increasingly covered by shoaling bib, which sometimes pack together tightly in their hundreds – a spectacular sight when visibility is at its best. Within the crevices and darker recesses of the jumbled wreckage there’s plenty going on, with an abundance of lobsters, crabs and conger and the occasional large ling. The Albatross is a great place for the budding underwater photographer, although being quite a small site, any more than a RIB-full of divers makes things feel overcrowded with too many patches of ‘fin fog’.

Finding slack
The Albatross works as a second dive when low water (LW) slack occurs fairly early in the day. That way, you dive one of the larger, deeper wrecks off the north of the island at main LW slack, but then in the afternoon dive the Albatross at high water (HW) slack. When in a RIB, a good plan is to go into Ramsey for lunch, then head out to the Albatross, which lies 9.5 miles southeast of Ramsey. If in a hardboat you could simply stay out for lunch and let the tide drift you southwest down towards the wreck between dives. This area is not too tidal, and much more forgiving than the deeper wrecks in the north of the island. The current eases enough to allow diving to start at HW and slack lasts for two hours, more on a neap tide. If doing the wreck at LW slack then the slack window is from 75 minutes before LW, to one hour after LW. Maximum depth is 29m at HW and 25m at LW.

Launching and dive planning
From England, recommended launching is at Whitehaven marina (30.5 miles away from the wreck), which is easy launching at all states of the tide. Hardboat diving is also available out of Whitehaven. In calm conditions, launching at St Bees beach is possible and puts you 27 miles away from the wreck. On the Isle of Man, Douglas offers round-the-tide launching (15 miles away) but Laxey and Ramsey are also options for HW slack, both being about 9.5 miles away. The nearest point of land to the wreck is the spectacular Maughold Head on the Isle of Man, being five miles to the west. The wreck is pointing towards Maughold Head and the tide runs perpendicular to the line of the wreck, SSW on flood.

CHARTER BOAT
Pete Bassill, Solway Charters (based in Whitehaven), tel: 07719 624735
website:http://www.solwaycharters.co.uk

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS
Thanks to Adrian Corkill for allowing the use of extracts from his Dictionary of Shipwrecks off the Isle of Man. Adrian’s website is recommended viewing.
(1752 663247/07702 557317
Website: http://www.iomshipwrecks.com).

USEFUL CONTACTS
You will get helpful advice about diving out of Whitehaven from the following: James Tyson, Solway Branch Diving Officer, tel: 01946 67928
Alan Goodwin, Solway Branch Training Officer, tel: 01946 690656
Peter McLean, Solway Branch Boats Officer, tel: 01946 822265
Phil Hutchinson, tel: 01946 590866.
Whitehaven Harbourmaster, tel: 01946 692435