Depth Charge 2000 Winneconne I

Welcome to New Jersey's fastest dive boat for deep exploration, the Depth Charge! The Depth Charge is a 42-foot Provincial, custom built to salvage the RMS Republic and other cool wrecks!

The Winneconne was a WWI-era collier which was sunk by the U-151 on "Black Sunday", June 2, 1918, along with five other ships, including the passenger liner SS Carolina and the freighter Texel. The wreck was the first of the Black Sunday wrecks to be discovered and dived in 1995 after extensive research by John Chatterton and John Yurga. The Winneconne lies in just under 210 feet of water approximately 80 miles out of Manasquan Inlet, New Jersey. For more information on the Black Sunday wrecks, see the Black Sunday Virtual Museum. For more Winneconne images, see the Seeker's Winneconne page.

The following pictures (all images from video) are from the voyage of the Depth Charge to the Winneconne, Wednesday, June 21, 2000. As far as I know, this is only the fourth time a dive boat has visited this wreck, and an artifact that would provide a positive identification has never been found.

It's a beautiful summer day as we pull out of Manasquan Inlet for the long ride to the Winneconne. There are just three of us who took this Wednesday off from work to go do this, Bill Cleary, Joe Mazraani, and myself (Christina).
	When we get to the wreck, Bill Cleary and Joe Mazraani work to hook it with the grapnel.
Joe Mazraani is going to go tie in after we hook the wreck. Bill Cleary helps him gear up.
	As I descend down the anchor line I pass Joe, who is doing his decompression.
From about the 150 foot level, I see the wreck almost 60 feet below me. Most of the Winneconne is broken up, flattened, and beneath the sand.
	Some wreckage on the Winneconne. There are debris fields everywhere.
Some more wreckage. Visibility is incredible this far offshore -- almost exactly opposite from Mud Hole diving!
	Swimming away from the tie-in point near the bow towards mid-ship, where the large debris field and boilers are.
The large debris field near the boilers (one boiler can be seen on the right). The ambient light at almost 210 feet is incredible out here!
	Another view. Are you sure this isn't the Caribbean??!!
The area between the boilers. One boiler (the one on the right) is standing on end, the other is on its side.
	The other boiler laying on its side.
More debris. There's cool artifacts in there somewhere!