The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship accident that has brought to life a lovely marine park. It is just one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking story remains to captivate and astound us.
Captain Woolley opted for the closest route to open sea through the channel between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to come close to the factor the tail end of the typhoon threw her onto the rocks.
The History
Throughout the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic guest ships stopped routinely at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer guests and cargo in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been alerted by a dropping measure that a storm was coming, but believing that the storm season was over, he made a decision to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.
Just as they were passing Black Rock Point in between Salt and Dead Upper body islands, the climate all of a sudden altered instructions. The first lurch caught the Rhone on her side and she shattered versus the rough coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was using a silver teaspoon (which stays dirtied in the reefs today) to mix his favorite at the time. The wreckage is now a popular dive website, home to a remarkable range of marine life. The majority of people agree that a full expedition of the website requires 2 different dives, as the bow and stern areas are spread out apart at various depths.
The Accident
The Rhone relaxes beneath the cozy clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive site today. Visitors can discover the remarkably undamaged bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were shot, and swim under the strict near its large 15 foot prop. This bristling marine park is a tip of the fragile balance between male and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he made a decision to try to defeat the coming close to storm out right into the open sea. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point in between Dead Chest and Blonde Rock, a set of rough peaks rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in 2 sections with the cold water of the incoming tide getting in touch with the hot boilers causing an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 travelers still connected to their beds.
Snorkeling
One of the most famous wreck dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by merely drifting on a mask and breathing via the sea. The deeper bow section is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange cup corals teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were filmed.
The stern and midsection are more broken up, but they offer a haunting glimpse of a past era. Scuba divers need to intend on a minimum of two dives to fully experience the Rhone, especially since presence can occasionally be difficult. Highlights include the lucky porthole, which scuba divers rub forever luck, and the renowned bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is a renowned sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the general public for expedition, and lots of regional dive boats visit daily. The Rhone is secured by the National Park Service, and entry is for free.
Diving
Among the Caribbean's most renowned accident dives, Rhone is a coveted website for its historic allure and teeming aquatic life. It's open and fairly risk-free, making it suitable for scuba divers of all experience levels.
The story behind the wreckage is awful: as she was transferring guests to one more ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone meltemi wind rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm central heating boilers smashed versus chilly seawater and took off, sending the Rhone collapsing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Just 23 of the 146 people aboard made it through. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.
The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section drifted to deeper waters, while the strict worked out at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in reefs and populated by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to discover the entire wreckage, though, considering that the bow and stern areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.
