Depth Charge 2001 Carolina V

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.

For additional information on the background about the SS Carolina, please consult the Seeker's Carolina page.

The following pictures (all images from video) are from the voyage of the Depth Charge to the SS Carolina, Saturday and Sunday, September 8-9, 2001 (continued from a previous trip on Page IV).

Bill Cleary drives the boat out of Manasquan Inlet on a warm Saturday afternoon in September. Our target, the SS Carolina, is almost 80 miles away.
	The sun is getting low in the sky when we reach the wreck about 4 hours later. Here Petey Wohlleben and John Chatterton suit up, assisted by Mike Trapani. We did a beautiful night dive on the Carolina (which I did not video).
Early the next morning, I spot a beautiful monarch butterfly taking refuge on an oxygen bottle. It's a long way from home out here!
	Billy stares down John Chatterton's 15 pound lobster... ;-) We grow them big here in Jersey!
Billy Cleary explores the wreckage of the SS Carolina.
	This is a brass wall lamp amongst the wreckage, just like the two that Paul Whittaker got earlier in the season. These lamps had ornate glass globes and lined the hallways of the ship.
This assembly looks almost like the remains of a cappuccino maker! There are brass valves going into a large, crumpled copper container.
	This is looking up at the fantail. It rises quite high off the main wreckage. What you see here are several collapsed decks on top of each other.
A closer inspection at some of the fantail wreckage. There are many artifacts to be found in here, but care must be taken around precarious beams and hull plates.
	This is an opening into one of the collapsed decks. We actually think that this leads into a coal bunker that was used before the Carolina's engine conversion.
Another one of the many intact portholes laying around. Here you can see the open swing plate.