Dive the Monitor - Tech Diving Limited 928-855-9400


The Return to the USS Monitor Project is a huge undertaking. Logistics, operations, staffing and dealing with the weather each day can become quite challenging. Each day we will post some information and some photos of what transpired that day. Check back daily as to what's been going on.
August 16, 2008 Joel, Ric, and David arrive at the base camp house in Cape Hatteras. David has been here for the past week shooting some shark footage for the 2009 "Shark Week" Joel and Ric have been driving for three days from Arizona with all the gear for Joel, Kathy, Ric, Tyler, Carlos, and Paul. Plus, they had to get all the provisions. Unloading and getting the house set up before the rest of the team arrives takes many hours. Over the rest of the day and evening people will be showing up. Joe Poe is due in about 6. Kathy, Jane and Jona about 9. To give you an idea as to what we are working on this year visit the Downloads section and look over the operations manual. By Sunday most everyone should have arrived and begin getting gear together. We will have an Operations Meeting at 3 pm. Sue Smith did a 16 hour straight through drive from Michigan today. She brought a few cases of local micro brews from there and it seemed like she was playing Smokey and the Bandit. When she arrived at Base Camp this evening one of Dare County's Finest pulled her over and asked to do a breath-alizer test. Fortunately she was able to talk herself out of that procedure. August 17 2008 Sunday - everyone has arrived sans Carlos. He will be here Monday night. Today was filled with introductions of new people, gear set ups, boat set ups and operations meetings. A full day all around. Below is Dave Sutton's view of his first day with us on this project. A new way to celebrate my birthday! I arrived at about 10:30AM to join the crew at the house. After introductions, Joel and myself drive down to Teach's Lair Marina to see Capt. Art and get the boat set up. Capt Artie and I go back to when I was 14 and a brand new diver: He literally held my hand on my first open water checkout dive on the SS Delaware, off of the Sea Lion out of Manasquan NJ. All these years later here we are again. Artie, Joel, and myself rig the mooring system for tomorrow. I've been blessed with the honor of setting the mooring with Tyler Stalter, the next generation of hot wreck divers who hails from San Diego. We will shot-line the wreck and then slide a pair of milk-crates tie-wrapped together to form a basket, with a length of chain, a carabineer, 300 feet of line, and a 250 pound lift-bag down the line. Tyler and I will carry the basket to a mooring point located off of the wreck, snap the chain to the mooring, and inflate the lift bag to carry the line to the surface. Capt Artie will pick up the lift bag and then moor the boat to that line. This procedure is used as we cannot moor directly to the wreck. Everything we do is mindful of the fact that this shipwreck is likely the most significant underwater cultural resource in the United States. The wreck is the property of the citizens of the USA, and we are honored to be their eyes to look and see how the wreck is faring in its watery grave. Both Tyler and I are using rebreathers, he is on a rEvo and I am using my CisLunar. We expect our bottom time to be about 20 minutes and our decompression will take another hour and a half or more. The establishment of the mooring is critical to the ongoing success of the week. If Tyler and I blow it then Joel will have to show us both up-he's done it many times and always gets it done. Joel and I go back to base-camp, a beautiful three story house, and prepare our gear, make final checks, service the gas and C02 scrubber for our rebreathers, and generally fettle our equipment for a few hours. At 3:30 the entire team has assembled, and we brief the expedition. Joel leads the discussion, and when it's completed there are no questions. The weather for tomorrow is checked, and all looks OK. Capt Artie is concerned about the current conditions however, and this is really the only unknown for tomorrow. Too great a current and we will postpone the mooring work and dive elsewhere. At the house we have a feast for dinner, and good conversation and cheer prevail. Day number 1 is coming to a pleasant end, and all is well. Capt. Dave Sutton, Cape Hatteras NC, August 17, 2008 --- Jump over to the download section to visit today's Video Clips. Day 2: August 18, 2008 After a great dinner last night and conversation and drinks until we crawled into our bunks, the alarm clock went off far too early. Out of the bunks, up to the kitchen for coffee and a light breakfast and we are off to the boat. Arrive and load gear, all securely stowed and strapped down, and then it was time to check the current reports. Capt. Artie has been watching the current from the Gulf Stream for days, and has arrange to talk on the radio to the commercial fishing boats working in the areas near the Monitor. He receives the news: Current is running at two and a half knots, far too strong to safely do the work of the tie-in and subsequent dives. There is no decision to be made, it's simply unsafe. We do the right thing, which is to go get coffee and think for a bit. The decision is made that we'll go and do a work-up dive on the wreck of the Dixie Arrow. The Dixie Arrow is a Socony Vacuum oil tanker torpedoed in 1943 by U-71. Photos of her being incinerated by her cargo as she burned are classics of WW-II photography. She lays in about 100 feet of water a two hour ride offshore. Loaded with trimix cylinders to dive deep, we re-sort some air cylinders for our open circuit divers and we were off. A pleasant boat ride and we are on the site before we know it. Tyler Stalter and Dave Sutton suited up and do the tie-in. As Dave reaches the wreck he begins to see shapes below, and thinks its just the wreck. Wrong! He is seeing the backs of a group of very large sand tiger sharks. They are hovering about thirty feet above the wreck and are slowly circling, there must be a dozen of them. They barely part. Passing them he still can't see the wreck as its absolutely shrouded in fish, millions of them of dozen of varieties, most notably an absolutely huge barracuda that looks at the tie-in team before passing out of sight. Once Dave and Tyler has the tie-in completed and sends up the "cups" it's Play-Time! One by one divers roll over and enter the azure water and alnd all are awestruck by the variety of fish we see, ranging from tiny blennies to the large sand tiger sharks that shadow us constantly. We see a very large southern stingray finning slowly across the bottom, jacks in abundance, baitfish by the billions, and finally the highlight of the dive, a large sea turtle that quickly decides that Tyler should be the recipient of turtle amorous advances. Tyler rebuffs its designs and embarrassed, the turtle slowly swims off. Soon he is back and follows us like a pet dog for much of the dive. Slowly other dives join us, and soon we are a merry group, pointing in wonder at all we see, eyes wide with awe at the beauty of what we are seeing. The odd rebreather diver can be heard talking to a buddy thru the mouthpieces: "Look at this!" We hear in a helium-squeak as Tyler points out yet another item of interest. All too soon it's time to leave, and we slowly make our way back to the anchor line. Even more slowly we ascend the line, pausing to look back at the beauty of the wreck, guarded by sharks, home to teeming masses of fish. How far removed from the black and white photographs of Dixie Arrow being immolated by her cargo after being turned into an inferno by three G-7 torpedoes. Back on the surface, soon joined by the other divers, it's obvious that a good day has been had by all. No, not the Monitor, but we're hopeful for tomorrow. This was a worthwhile day even so, we all got to get into the swing of diving off of the boat, got all of our gear wet, and had a great dive. Back at the house for lasagna, videos of the days diving on the TV, a drink, and conversation that I am sure will again go into the wee hours. Day 2 is coming to a close. Tomorrow we will check the current again and do our best for the Monitor. --- Jump over to the download section to visit today's Video Clips. Day 3: August 19, 2008 - Today's the Day ! Breakfast talking about the day to come, down to the boat to load gear, and we're off. Just outside the inlet we stop for a moment so Capt. Artie can get a current report from a friendly fishing boat Captain who's out near the wreck. Great news, the current is light and we're going to the Monitor. We arrive on site and run a few passes over the wreck with the bottom finder and mark a sand spot to drop the shot line. From there we dropped Tyler and Dave in to then set a mooring for us on an old Navy barge tire that's about 10 feet off the bow. This is a pretty critical part of the operation. The first two tie-in divers, Dave Sutton and Tyler jump and make their way to the buoy marking the sand anchor. Descending to within forty feet of the bottom they do not see the wreck, with over 100 foot of visibility the shot line must have drifted a bit to far behind the Monitor. Rather than do a line search they abandon the drop and we will reset it with another team. (See Day 1 comments). Capt Artie determines that the current has carried the falling anchor downstream a few hundred yards, so after retrieving the sand anchor and the weight of the basket carrying the mooring that is resting on the bottom, a second attempt is made. This time Joel Silverstein decides to take the honor of making the tie in, and accompanied again by Tyler. They get on the bottom and the shot line is about 75 feet aft of the "sectioned" armor belt that was removed to get the turret back in 2002. From there they need to move the up-line about 350 feet against the current to the mooring location. In they jump, and eighteen minutes later two lift bags break the surface carrying the end of the newly established mooring. Art motors over to the mooring, the end is retrieved aboard, and we're in business. Joel seems to revel in the ability to tie-in to the big wrecks. We wait until they are up to give us a clear report of the conditions. Joel looks at us all and says "Get your crap on and get in the water." Two by two they go, spaced out at about five minute intervals. On the bottom conditions are absolutely fabulous. Every diver sees the wreck from about eighty feet above the bottom, and the view is fantastic. The outline of the Monitor is so distinctive that it's breathtaking. Fish shroud the wreck, a patrol of Barracudas stand guard, and the time is racing by. Down onto the wreck, a quick check of gauges, and then a too-short glimpse into history. The wreck is very identifiable, with the armor belt clearly visible, and many major and minor features visible. The marine life is equally fascinating, but we're not here to watch fish. All too soon back to the mooring for the long decompression, done in a strong current with the divers looking like flags on a flagpole. Oxygen is rigged for use at twenty feet, and the divers are able to maintain a grip on the crossover and ascent lines continuously until they make contact with the ladder. Once on the ladder every reaction is the same: "That was WONDERFUL" is a typical comment. We are on station until about five PM, and are back at the dock by seven. A long but productive first day on the wreck of the USS Monitor. If all we got in was this one dive it would have been worth all the effort. It's such a privilege to be one of the very few civilians to have ever seen the Monitor with their own eyes. Back to base-camp without delay, as it's Kathy and Joel's daughter Jane's 10th Birthday! And we want to celebrate with dinner and a cake. What a cool place to have your birthday at 10 on an Expedition with mom and dad. After that is completed we debrief the day, brief tomorrow's goals, and then do our gear prep for tomorrow. That done it's time for bed for most of the crew, as we are exhausted and have three more days to go. So far all is well, we are in superb spirits, and making a team out of a group of former strangers. I hear one team member say to another "It does not get better than this." I agree, it doesn't Capt. Dave Sutton, Cape Hatteras NC August 19, 2008 VISIT the rest of Today's Gallery at this LINK Video Clips in a few days. We have to download and edit. Day 4: August 20, 2008 The operative word is "Clockwork." By now we have the routine down pat. Up at six, a quick breakfast make a lunch, and the short drive to the dock. Meet there at seven, load cylinders and rebreathers, and cast off at seven thirty. Out onto a flawless blue sea, and we're underway. The ride out is filled with conversation about yesterday, hopes for today, and perhaps a quick nap for those who were up late servicing equipment. Arrive on the wreck site at 10:30, and we find the mooring that we left yesterday bobbing serenely, the current that we fought yesterday has gone and the water is still. Absolutely perfect conditions are available. Within five minutes of arrival on site the first two divers splash, followed at ten minute intervals by the other team. No need today for the traverse line to the anchor line, the water is like a swimming pool. On the bottom the conditions are equally ideal, with absolutely no current and superb visibility. On the drop, the wreck comes into view about eighty feet before the bottom, and the view is again stunning. This is the second day of diving the wreck, and now that the teams have taken a basic orientation dive, details begin to emerge: Midships bulkhead with the remains of an oval air-tight door. The galley stove. The H-Beam that once supported the weight of the turret. The boilers. One can clearly see the outline of what were once individual compartments of the ship. A shoe lays partially hidden in the debris, and the mind reels at the knowledge that there are literally tens of thousands of details and objects to see and encompass. A lifetime would not be enough, never mind a half hour or so. Once again, far too soon, it's time to make the slow ascent thru decompression to the real world. Back on the boat for the animated discussions that follow, and a perfect ride back to the dock. Unload the boat, back to the house, a drink and Ever since Weydig and Silverstein began the "Return to the Monitor" research expeditions they gather the group one evening during the expedition week for the official portrait taken at the Monitor Memorial at the Graveyard of the Atlantic museum. A memory of each team and the work they have completed and the friendships they have created. Back to the house for a fabulous steak dinner and drinks, and an all-hands review of the days video and still documentation. Tomorrow the weather looks a bit iffy, but that's to be expected: That's exactly why this is the Graveyard of the Atlantic. This was a day to be remembered, an absolute pinnacle dive insofar as history and conditions are concerned. In short, a fabulous day. I am honored and humbled to be part of this trip, and to have seen and visited, if only for a second, this time capsule of history. Capt. Dave Sutton, Cape Hatteras NC VISIT the rest of Today's Gallery at this LINK Video Clips in a few days. We have to download and edit. Day 5: August 21, 2008 e awoke today to high winds, a rough ocean, and small craft warnings. (Having the Monitor Buoy on internet connection helps us a lot.) There is a reason that the Wright Brothers flew the first airplane just north of here: There is predictably strong wind here more often than not. We have budgeted for weather days, so this is not unexpected. We take the opportunity to sleep in, have a hearty breakfast, and to clean up and adjust gear. Some of the team is off doing surface video interviews, others are editing and reviewing the last two days of material, and others are off running errands. Two of our team are off fishing, and even though it's a slow diving day, we all stay busy, occupied, and cheerful. Much of the late afternoon is spent with our NOAA Observer, Jeff Johnston, who is the world leading expert on the Monitor, is involved with the conservation of the artifacts that have been recovered and are slated for display at The Monitor Center located at The Mariners Museum in Newport News, Virginia. The hours spent in conversation about the details of the Monitor, done over hours-old videos of the wreck site are an education worth its weight in gold. His excellent descriptions of other Civil War battles and strategies help us understand the bigger picture surrounding the battle in which the Monitor and CSS Virginia engaged each other. Dinner tonight was superb (Clams Casino, Yum!), and now as I write this conversation, drink, and good cheer abound around the dinner table. Capt. Artie is engaging us with endless stories, and morale is high. Tomorrow we're still hopeful for another decent day, but the forecast is not good. In any event we have built a group of friends out of a group of strangers, and diving or no-diving, we have had a great day. Capt. Dave Sutton, Cape Hatteras NC Day 6: August 22, 2008 Break-Down day. There is a hurricane down off the Florida coast, and we are being hammered by winds. The sea buoy which is stationed just a few hundred yards from the wreck site of Monitor shows six foot seas and winds of 20+ knots. Capt. Art offers to take us to an inshore shallow wreck so we can get wet, but the team is loaded for deep water and our open circuit divers are rigged with helium mixes that they don't feel like wasting on a shallow wreck while getting hammered on the boat for entry and exit. The decision is made to break down camp, pack the gear, and bring together all of the loose ends needed to wrap up the expedition. The expedition is declared a success: No injuries, no lost gear, no damage to the boat, or any of our support equipment. Every every diver got in outstanding dives on the USS Monitor. The weather-gods have not been all that cooperative, but that is just part of expedition work: Not every climber who approaches Mount Everest Base-Camp get to the top of the mountain, and similarly not every day at the back of the boat with gear loaded results in the destination being reached. From my personal viewpoint, not speaking for the team: This has absolutely been one of the best weeks of my life. Never mind the diving, the team building and friendships gained are the stuff that we live for. The diving was great: The conversation and camaraderie even better. As a dive boat Captain and Expedition Team-Leader myself, I am not generally used to being the subordinate on expeditions of this sort. Working as Ops-Manager under Joel has been a pleasure: Everything I would have done myself to make this a safety-first trip has been done by him almost exactly as I would have done myself. My comfort level for safety, operational integrity, and professionalism is complete. I can say with 100% certainty that I will be back next year to be a part of this again. Working again with Captain Artie has been a pleasure, both aboard the boat and ashore, where many sea stories of "The Old Days" have been shared. After I close this note, I will pack my truck and begin the drive home, but not before stopping at The Monitor Center at The Mariners Museum. There they have a full sized steel mock-up of the deck of the Monitor, as well as her original turret, guns, anchor, propeller, engine, and artifacts. I'm going to walk that deck later today, ring her bell, and dream of what I saw just a few days ago. There will be hundreds of other people at the Monitor Center: and I will have that little grin on my face to be the only one standing there who will be able to say "Two days ago I was swimming over her wreck." What is the value of that? It's absolutely priceless. To Joel and Kathy: THANK YOU! It's an honor to be welcomed aboard the team. Capt. Dave Sutton, Cape Hatteras NC August 22, 2008	The White Board will have daily announcements on it for the team.
	Joel and Ric unloading one of the many crates and coolers.
	Ric with what was left of the tanks. He already hauled out all the gear, and provisions.

	Sunday morning with the kids. Joel, Jane and Jona. Joel explaining mooring set up on the Monitor to Jona and Dave. Listen up. Don't let go of the anchor line ! Sue, Joel, David and Dave looking at the big Panasonic HiDef broadcast quality video camera in the big Gates housing.

	The Ball Drop .......... Tyler Stalter about to roll in. Michael Schlink gearing up. Sue Smith about to splash. Joel Silverstein and David Ulloa on their 4th expedition together.
	Top Row Left to Right - Tyler Stalter, Carlos Aguilar, Paul Kim, Capt. David Sutton, Joe Poe, Michael Schlink, Capt. Art Kirchner - " The Legend", Jeff Johnston (NOAA). Bottom Row Left to Right: Joel Silverstein, Capt. Kathy Weydig, Jona Silverstein, Jane Silverstein, Sue Smith, Ric Johnson, and David Ulloa. From 160 feet looking down. View of the Monitor Boilers. It's upside down. The oval openings are the ash-pits. Here is where burned coal ash