Lana Carol - April 28, 2007
Spring weather and the wreck diving season have finally arrived. The John Jack, sporting a fresh paint job, left its new home in Pt. Pleasant, NJ for a shake down dive with eight divers, most of whom were representing either the Thursday Night Irregulars, the Berk's (PA) Divers Assoc., or both. In attendance was Rick Rupp, Bill Jeter, Charlie Haldeman, Dave Wall, Greg Kulp, Dave Katz, Tim BarowS, and yours truly. The five crew included Gerhard Maree, Dave Hoshauer, Darth Vern Heagy, Captain Steve Ursamano, and Captain Zero. Plans to do a "numbers dive" didn't pan out so we steamed to the Lana Carol, a scallop dredge lying in 90 fsw that sank in 1976 when an open hatch did what open hatches do best: take on water. Lana Carol. The Lana Carol sits upright, is mostly intact, and has more than its fair share of heavy netting and marine life – although lobsters were pretty scarce. Vern tied us into a long piece of mast or scallop rigging that had only a casual relationship to the main wreck. Even though the seas were only 2 ft, there was considerable surge on the wreck, and for such a shallow wreck, it was pretty dark. The surge and mild seas were body slamming the ship remnant we were tied into, but it held. Viz was 15 ft and the 43 degree water was a little cold with wet gloves - but, "that's diving!" Besides annoying the crew and my fellow divers, I pestered one lobster so much he left his premium burrow for second class accommodations under the hull. Bad move; he's now chillin' in my fridge. And a good time was had by all. Get out and dive!

Doc Tom