Depth Charge 2001 Carolina I

The SS Carolina was a 380 foot long passenger liner sunk in WWI by the U-151 on "Black Sunday", June 2, 1918, along with five other ships, including the freighter Texel and collier Winneconne. The wreck was discovered and dived in 1995 after extensive research by John Chatterton and John Yurga. The Carolina lies in 250 feet of water approximately 65 miles east of Atlantic City, New Jersey.

The following pictures (all images from video) are from the voyage of the Depth Charge to the SS Carolina, Sunday, July 22, 2001.

Bill Cleary pilots the Depth Charge out of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey, and heads southeast to the wreck, almost 75 miles away. We leave just after 11 pm in the evening.
	We drive all night, and arrive on site early the next morning.
Once we're there, John Chatterton helps Petey Wohlleben suit up to go tie a shot-line into the wreck.
	John helps Graig Gutowski gear up.
Bill Cleary and John Chatterton.
	Petey helps Billy gear up. Billy hasn't been diving as much this season as he would have liked, since he has been busy setting up a new wreck diving theme restaurant, the Shipwreck Grill in Brielle, New Jersey. It will open up soon, and promises to be a Mecca for wreck divers along the east coast looking for some great seafood.
I pass Billy on the way down to do my dive. He's at his 20 foot deco stop. The water on top is gorgeous.
	Here's the strobe telling me I'm almost down to the wreck.
A piece of wreckage near the anchor line. The Carolina is a very picturesque wreck around the boilers, engine and fantail, but it looks like a junkyard everywhere else. It's such a great wreck because it's a fantastic artifact producer.
	Some more non-descript wreckage. There are broken beams, wood and hull plates everywhere, and china and other cool artifacts under almost every one of them. You just have to dig.
A broken porcelain sink. On some other wrecks, this would be a prime artifact. On the Carolina, there's enough intact stuff that you just leave it alone.
	Here's a loose brass deadlight panel. Since I left my big goodie bag up on the boat, I'll just have to be content with china or other artifacts that will fit in my smaller bag. There are quite a few of these laying around on the Carolina.
I'm diving with John Chatterton today, who dives a Buddy Inspiration. I'm on a Mk-15. Since we are the only ones down on the wreck at this time, there are no annoying bubbles to obscure our view of all the artifacts. ;-)
	I pick a beam to dig under, set the camera down (sideways), and go to work.
Beautiful, intact dinner plates start coming out. Carolina china is characterized by a red stripe around the rim, and the logo with "New York and Porto Rico Steamship Company" and a red pennant (which is obscured by dirt in this picture). John found different, oval plates in another spot close by.