Starting 2024 dive season on ‘City of New York’
The recent cold weather brought clear conditions with bright blue skies and frosty mornings. The lush green promise of spring peaking from the blanket of frost that lay on the ground. The air was still, grasses were frost kissed, plants were covered in beautiful sparkling ice crystals and all were bathed in a soft gentle light from the early mornings winter sun.
As the temperatures rose, the early morning frost scene slowly changed to one of muted winter tones.
Despite the frigid temperatures, a window of opportunity opened up for some of us to get out for the club’s first dive of 2024. Waters were still, mirroring the beauty of Cork Harbour in the glistening waters as we prepared to leave Aghada to go explore the ‘City of New York’ dive site off Daunt Rock.
Daunt Rock is a large submerged rock off Roche’s Point. The rock is named after a Captain Daunt, whose British man-of-war ship hit the rocks and sank in the earlier nineteenth century. A liner called ‘City of New York’ hit Daunt Rock in 1864 while on her voyage from New York to Liverpool via Cork. Approaching Cork the captain chose to take the inner passage between Daunt Rock and the nearest headland when the ship ran aground firmly on the rock. All on board were rescued, despite several attempts at salvage it wasn’t to be and the liner sank to its final resting place.
After this sinking, it was decided to anchor a lightship around the rock. Lightships were tough, very heavy ships, designed to withstand severe storms at sea. Usually lightships were moored near a marine hazard to warn ships of a danger lurking below sea level. The lightship moored on Daunt Rock was called “The Puffin”, but it was lost in a bad storm. A marker is now in place to warn ships instead.
Thanks to Finbarr Murphy who volunteered to be dedicated dry Coxswain for the day, each dive team kitted up and rolled into the inviting waters. Descending down the shot line, visibility was unfortunately poor, however we enjoyed the dive exploring parts of the wreck and the emerging beauty on Daunt Rock. Sea life underwater was minimal at the time which was to be expected so early on in the year, but it was great to get out for a dive.
As we made our way back to Aghada, several large pods of dolphins emerged, playfully jumping out of the waves and surrounding the boat. Graceful in manner and inquisitive in nature they hugged the coastline on our journey back in. Such a beautiful sight of nature to encounter and a joy to watch as they twinkled and glistened in the rolling waves.
Certainly, as the old saying goes ‘you start as you intend to go on’ and if this is the case we’re already getting excited at what 2024 is likely to bring us. Roll on!