February Club Dive — the Wreck of the Orca 2/28/15

February’s club dive was an inspiration of the fact that our January speaker Jeff Carr is an avid wreck diver. The club hasn’t done a wreck dive in quite some time. If you have a desire to try out wreck diving or are just curious to get a taste this is a really great introduction. There are actually two dive profiles available on this trip, and they can both be done as a shore dive. The first is the wreck of the Comet, the second is the Orca. These boats are both located in Port Hadlock south of Port Townsend.

The Comet lies just off of the Port Hadlock boat ramp at the south end of Port Townsend bay. It is a 127’ tug lying on its starboard side and is fairly shallow. The bow of the Comet is in about 15’ of water, and the stern in about 40’. There are still large fuel tanks, hydraulic tanks, and hydraulic controls visible.   It is located on NOAA chart #18464 as Obstn(2).

The Orca is nearby in about 65’ of water. It requires a surface swim but is doable. It is marked as WK on the above mentioned chart. Some steering mechanisms including the rudder are still in place and visible. It is 45’ in length and provides a nice artificial reef.

Things to consider in this dive will be boat traffic (we’ll need a dive flag), surface swimming, and underwater navigation. Current is expected to be minimal.

We should meet at the boat ramp parking lot, which I believe is here at 8 a.m. on February 28th. It is a bit further afield than we normally go, however it is still accessible for a group and should provide for a unique dive that is not usually available. Please feel free to contact me about carpooling/hotel arrangements. I will most likely be driving up Friday and staying in a hotel somewhere nearby Friday night, then driving back after the dive Saturday.