Two of these were mounted in the bow below the waterline, four were placed in the sides of the hull, two on each broadside, and one in the stern. This 4600 ton three masted steamer was launched in 1853 and after serving in the Crimean war as a large troopship, was sold as a coal hulk. [28], The increasing threat of conflict with Germany before the Great War erupted saw the arrival of the Dreadnoughts in Portland, while seaplanes began to operate in Portland's skies. [8], The ship was powered by two 3-cylinder vertical triple-expansion steam engines, each driving one propeller. VII gun. PORTLAND, Ore. A driver died after crashing on NE Marine Drive early Monday morning, according to Portland police. MADELAINE (MAGDALENE) TRISTAN BEACHED AT CHESIL COVE SEPTEMBER 1930 FRENCH SCHOONER OF LORIENT. ALL CREW WERE RESCUED BY MEANS OF A LONG ROPE STRUNG FROM THE STEM OF THE SHIP TO A LARGE ROCK BY LOCAL FISHERMEN. [53] One of the most dominant of the defence structures is the Portland Breakwater Fort, located on one of the outer breakwaters. Advertisement. The heavy, old-fashioned type of turrets added to the amount of weight high up in the ship compared to barbettes and decreased the ship's stability. At the Breakwater Fort is a World War II 29 millimetre spigot mortar emplacement,[62] a pillbox,[63] and a battery observation post. [39] At the time, the Dockyard employed 'some 1,600 industrial and non-industrial staff'. Weymouth and Portland The Countess of Erne is probably the most popular dive-site in Portland Harbour. In its entirety, the Harbour is an ecosystem of very high importance including a number of nationally important habitats and species. Portland Harbour Project Baseline is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 88-0481587) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. The academy was established as a not-for-profit company in 1999, and originally operated from various disused military buildings and facilities. HE THOUGHT HE WAS ON THE NORTH COAST OF FRANCE. Her wreck became known as "Old Hole in the Wall". It is believed there have been at least 1,000 shipwrecks along the Dorset coast over the centuries. You can also find a detailed list of all inshore and offshore dive sites with their depths at the end of this page.? However at 03:45 on the 4 th November 1979 she took on too much water and sank 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, still 12 miles from the safety of Portland. The jetty is only a short walk from the car park and centre. Commercial activities on the water include specialist diving services for vessels and repairs & maintenance as well as a bunkering (fuelling) station. SAILORS PREPARING TO DESTROY BY EXPLOSIVES. Portland 35-40m RANGE: Pomeranian, Moidart, Ailsa Craig, Arfon, Frognor, P555, UB74. Despite her 1914 scuttling, the Royal Navy included Hood on its sale list in both 1916 and 1917. Bottlebank Drift (19m). [49] The victualling store was built around 1850. WebWith the weather at gale force, the tug started to tow the Aeolian Sky into the storm to try to make the shelter of Portland Harbour. She stands 15 metres and is a huge wreck with her bows broken off and amid ship and stern listing Starboard. Ideal for diving all season. [14], On 25 June 1903 Hood relieved the battleship Collingwood in the Home Fleet. WebPortland Harbour is located beside the Isle of Portland, Dorset, on the south coast of England. The combined closure of all Portland-based establishments was believed to have cost the area 4,500 jobs, along with a loss of 40 million in the area's economy, according to a study carried out for Weymouth and Portland Borough Council in 1995. WebThis is a documentation and monitoring programme to survey underwater sites around Weymouth and Portland, including the wrecks of Portland Harbo Private Only members can see who's in the group and what they post. Having defied an 11-month salvage attempt after its sinking, this undamaged and unique wreck has become a popular dive site in the waters of Lyme Bay. The liberation of Europe in 1945 was marked by a local ceremony in August that year, with the American Ambassador John D. Winant unveiling a stone in Victoria Gardens commemorating the harbour's efforts. Portland She took part in combined exercises of the Channel Fleet, Mediterranean Fleet, and Home Fleet off the coast of Portugal from 5 to 9 August 1903. Another good resource of dive site information can be found at the Dive Beyond Dive Sites page travelling from Castletown beach using RHIBs. WebThe Portland Harbor Museum's exhibit presents the variety of shipwreck causes, both man-made and natural that occurred over the years. A small Admirality trawler only 123 long that went aground on Blacknor Point in March 1920 in thick fog, slid off and sank there. Name last changed on November WebA significant number of UB-40s sinkings were in Dorset waters, including the LH Carl, sunk on the same day. In 2005 WPNSA was selected to host the sailing events at the 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Games. [43], Royal Navy operations ceased on 21 July 1995 and the harbour was sold on 29 March 1996. [86] In addition to this a World War II pillbox, with a possible machine gun post, is located at Upper Osprey. A major problem with the four of these guns mounted on the upper deck was that they were mounted low in the ship and were unusable at high speed or in heavy weather. A purpose-built pier projecting into the harbour from the factory was used for torpedo testing and practice firing. The stern is complete and amidship there is an engine and boiler. Portland Harbour The Countess of Erne is probably the most popular dive-site in Portland Harbour. There is some sea life amid the large rocks. [17], Captain Alvin Coote Corry was appointed in command of Hood in December 1898. WebPortland Harbour offers half a dozen of wreck sites, one of the most popular and intact of these is the Countess Of Erne ~ one of the most popular Portland Harbour wreck sites, Depth Max 16m. [5] Prompted by the expansion of the French naval port of Cherbourg, just across the Channel, the Royal Navy established a base at Portland in 1845 and a scheme for the harbour to be transformed into a refuge was granted parliamentary approval the year before. A new coaling pier was built between 1890 and 1896, and expanded coaling facilities were still being added in 1906. She measures 230 by 30 and is fairly broken up lying North to South with its highest point 6 to 7 metres off the sea bed. About 190203 the 6-pounders on the main deck were removed; two were remounted on the superstructure, but the other two were not replaced. The aft portion was salvaged and converted to a new ship. It is an interesting dive that leads to the wheel house and exposed engine at the stern. By the First World War the 12-pounder guns had been removed and replaced with a 6-inch breech-loading (BL) Mk. The wreck lies turtle, twisted, and her highest point off the sea bed is about seven metres. [18] She participated in combined exercises with the Channel Squadron and the Cruiser Squadron off the coasts of Cephalonia and Morea in late 1902. Declared a total loss in April 1945. As an Admirality armed trawler the Arfon sank in 1917 when she hit a mine. SMB Required. [40], The Harbour is the fourth largest as of 2016[update] human-made port in the world, after the Port of Jebel Ali in Dubai, the Ras Laffan Harbour in Qatar and the Cherbourg Harbour in France. With a long maritime history, the Portland coastline and harbour has seen many kinds of ships sail through its waters. A well-broken steamship of about 2000 tons standing 6 metres off the sea bed. These plans were not carried through, however a floating dry dock was introduced in 1914, enabling Portland to function as a repair and refit facility,[4] and by 1914 Portland was officially listed as a Naval Dockyard (remaining so until 1959). Five shipwrecks that haunt Dorset's underwater graveyard The liberation of Europe in 1945 was marked by a local ceremony in August that year, with the American Ambassador John D. Winant unveiling a stone in Victoria Gardens commemorating the harbour's efforts. In September 1914 while being towed to Portland she listed and sank with the loss of 21 souls. Its shore-based activities continued, moving from temporary accommodation in Weymouth to accommodation in East Weare, just south of the Dockyard. The wreck was blown by explosives to clear the way for the Winfrith pipeline. A small Admirality trawler only 123 long that went aground on Blacknor Point in March 1920 in thick fog, slid off and sank there. For details and photos visit our COUNTESS OF ERNE page. She measures 240 by 32. This is a WWII experimental wave breaking unit apparently made for the D-Day landings sitting off the Landing Craft and can be done as part of a Landing Craft dive. She displaced 14,780 long tons (15,020t) at normal load and 15,588 long tons (15,838t) at deep load. SMB and Torch Highly Recommended. [73] On the far end of the North Eastern Breakwater, on the Weymouth side, is the site of B Pier Head Battery. As part of the NRDA process, separate from the EPA cleanup process, NOAA and its co-trustees are conducting an injury assessment at the site. The wreck was discovered in 1998 some 7 miles sout of Worbarrow Tout. All boats and vessels including kayaks & boards within the harbour require harbour permits. [6], After the war, in 1946, ten Phoenix caissons of the Mulberry Harbour were towed back to Portland, eight of which were later given to the Netherlands to repair storm breaches in the dykes in 1953. a detailed report on this accident can be read by clicking here. This German submarine was sunk in October 1917 and lies on a north to south line, with a hole in her port side and a list to starboard. This 1154 iron sailing ship collided with the Forrest before sinking. The battleship Russell relieved Hood on 28 September 1904. 11 souls were lost on her. A British steamship of 4200 tons she was requisitioned by the government during WWI and was torpedoed and sunk on April 15, 1918 en route from London to Newfoundland with a loss of fifty lives. The tidal flow is limited to three areas through the breakwaters and at Ferrybridge where the harbour links to the Fleet. Portland Port Ltd, formed in December 1994, took possession of the site immediately and their purchase was completed on 12 December 1996. Having defied an 11-month salvage attempt after its sinking, this undamaged and unique wreck has become a popular dive site in the waters of Lyme Bay. This is a British MFV that sank while being towed to Poole and is now pretty much broken up. Features include an easily This was intended to allow them to reach a speed of 17.5 knots (32.4km/h; 20.1mph). PORTLAND, Ore. A driver died after crashing on NE Marine Drive early Monday morning, according to Portland police. Ideal for diving all season. Portland Harbor S.S. SANDAL ON FIRE PORTLAND HARBOUR 1907. She was built in the early 1880s and the conversion took place 1889. This small 127 ton ton motor stands 3 to 4 metres high in some areas and was carrying China clay when she sank after hitting an obstruction in September 1930. At the same time the above-water torpedo tubes were removed. Websince 2010 for the Portland Harbor site, to evaluate natural resource injuries incurred over time in areas contaminated with hazardous substances (such as DDT, PCBs, and others), and oil. CARGO GRAIN. WebIn total, 418,585 troops and 144,093 vehicles would embark from Portland and Weymouth Harbours. [19] On 2 April 1911 the ship was in Cork Harbour for the 1911 Census. [16] In 1892, the Verne High Angle Battery was built in a disused quarry near the Verne Citadel, but was decommissioned in 1906. She lies upright. Websince 2010 for the Portland Harbor site, to evaluate natural resource injuries incurred over time in areas contaminated with hazardous substances (such as DDT, PCBs, and others), and oil. (Harbour wall to 16m.) Portland Harbour This British submarine was sunk as a target after colliding with the HMS Hazard. The tidal range within the Harbour is small and in the order of 1.5-2.3m. Above 18m: The Countess of Erne - divernet.com a detailed report on this accident can be read by clicking here. Four of these were mounted on the main deck in casemates on the sides of the hull and suffered from the same problems as the six-inch guns. Construction of the harbour began in 1849; when completed in 1872, its 520-hectare (1,300-acre) surface area made it the largest human-made harbour in the world,[1] and remains one of the largest in the world today. The wreckage itself is pretty much broken up and is in two parts but offers good swim throughs and plenty of fish, squid? Her wreck became known as "Old Hole in the Wall". She is broken up and difficult to locate. Hood was used in the development of anti-torpedo bulges in 1913 and was scuttled in late 1914 to act as a blockship across the southern entrance of Portland Harbour after the start of World War I. Picking up and dropping off at Castletown Jetty just minutes away from all the harbour wrecks is Dive Beyond operating two diving RIBS with ladders. WebThis is a documentation and monitoring programme to survey underwater sites around Weymouth and Portland, including the wrecks of Portland Harbo Private Only members can see who's in the group and what they post. WRECK OF PATRIA 1903. WebFate: Sunk 04 November 1914 as a blockship for southern entrance to Portland Harbour, designed to stop U-boats entering or firing torpedoes into Channel Fleet anchorage. However at 03:45 on the 4 th November 1979 she took on too much water and sank 5 miles south of St Aldhelm's Head, still 12 miles from the safety of Portland. The commercial port has expanded since its initial establishment; the Britannia Passenger Terminal was opened by HRH Prince Philip on 14 July 1999. Commercial dive boats and club boats launching from harbour. The site was also the location of a coastal battery, known as A Pier Head Battery, which opened in 1901 and was armed with two 12-pounder quick-firing (QF) guns for anti-torpedo craft defence. However the opportunity did not develop until the end of the 20th century, with the withdrawal of the Royal Navy. She differed from the other ships of the class in that she had cylindrical gun turrets instead of barbettes and a lower freeboard. The inner breakwater, with its jetty, former victualling store and Inner Pierhead Fort, are Grade II Listed. This 1120 ton Norwegian cargo vessel was torpedoed and sunk in March 1919. This is a very rewarding dive with depths ranging from 16 to 25 metres maximum. [25], The Ministry of Defence continued to invest in HMNB Portland until the late 1980s; however in 1991 the closure was announced of both the naval base and the research establishments on Portland as part of defence spending cuts following the end of the Cold War. Weymouth and Portland LOST OFF OF PORTLAND WITH ALL LIVES JANUARY 26TH 1932, ITEMS RETRIEVED FROM WRECK OF HM SUBMARINE M2. MARBELLA TO ROTTERDAM. This site offers some of the most enchanting sea life scenes in the area and is the spot where authors of this site first witnessed the Dance of the Cuttlefish, an amazing scene involving a dozen cuttlefish swaying in one place replicating the colours of each other. She measures 260 and lies on her port side standing 5 to 6 metres in places. Please be careful while diving this wreck and do not touch artefacts as it is currently a study project. HISTORY. The sea bed, heavily silted, is littered with bottles, cups and plates with other oddities. Her highest point is at 47 metres and she is reported to be lying upside down against a high reef. The depth of this steamship varies according to sources (if you have updates please e-mail them to us). Ideal for diving all season. Dive Sites - Underwater Explorers This small landing craft lies beside the Breakwater wall and close to the Bombardon unit. THERE IS CONFUSION IN THE ARCHIVE WHETHER SOME OF THESE PICTURES COULD BE EITHER THE PATRIA OR THE ANN MARIA, PATROCLUS CAME ASHORE AT BORROWHILL PORTLAND 19 SEPTEMBER 1907, SALVAGING THE SS PATROCLUS SEPTEMBER 20TH 1907, ELEVEN PUMPS AT WORK TO REFLOAT HER. She served most of her active career in the Mediterranean Sea, where her low freeboard was less of a disadvantage. [74] The same site featured a World War I torpedo station. 215 TONS, 123X22FT. Shipwrecks - Geoff Kirby Project Baseline is a nonprofit, tax-exempt charitable organization (tax identification number 88-0481587) under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. [7] Her assignment to the Mediterranean Fleet was delayed when she sprang a leak in her forward compartments on 7 June 1893 as a result of faulty riveting and excessive strain on the hull when she had been docked. Tidal flow within the Harbour is generally anti-clockwise, sweeping away from the Fleet, through the Port area and through the South Ship Channel. She measures 182 by 19 and was subnk with depth charges dropped off the yacht Lorna. [11], In 1897 one of these 3-pounder guns was mounted on each turret top and, three years later, the 3-pounders in the fighting tops were transferred to the forward superstructure. [36], Having suffered bomb damage, the ARDU had transferred out to Fairlie for the duration of the war. [4] During the 20th century the harbour increasingly became an naval oiling depot and, beginning in the early 1900s, the tidal creek the Mere began to be filled in for a vast tank farm. Today, Salsette lies on her port side in 45m with her starboard rail around 32m. read more Shore Diving Portland offers one of the best shore on the South Coast with Chesil Cove being the highlight for many pleasurable scenic dives full of marine life. From scenic shore dives to passenger liners and U-Boatslying on the seabed theres a dive for every level of experience. Nearly 400 souls were lost on her. This 80 MFV was last heard of in 1974 and all crew were lost. The harbour was envisaged primarily as a coaling station for the Royal Navy, being conveniently equidistant from the Royal Navy's two principal bases at Portsmouth and Devonport;[3] however it was also where the Channel Squadron was based, newly re-formed in 1858. It is naturally protected by Portland to the south, Chesil Beach to the west and mainland Dorset to the north. WebPortland harbour wrecks accessible by boat only. The factory closed in 1997 and was cleared to make way for a housing development named Whitehead Drive, which includes a memorial stone and plaque to commemorate the factory. One vessel which experienced more than her fair share of bad luck was the Preveza. WebWith the weather at gale force, the tug started to tow the Aeolian Sky into the storm to try to make the shelter of Portland Harbour. WebDONATE. There are items of unexploded ammunition on her including depth charges.