SHIPWRECK OF THE TRANSFER & THE GILLEN TUG
July 13, 2012
Another early morning
start from Chicago as I wake up in a sweltery summer humid morning street
lights still on and very few cars on the road to give suspension to anyone
driving around at this hour in Chicago.
The drive is 70 miles to Milwaukee to meet up with Jerry Geyers Len-Der
charter and get on the lake once again before afternoon storms roll in. I always enjoy Diving the great lakes yet to
many people it sounds like a terrible place to be, deep underwater, water temp,
45 degrees or less, and the creepy mystery of the great lakes, but I find it to
be fascinating and rather relaxing to be in the clear water heavily protected
with a thick exposure suit and a overfilled tank of air for the dive. I love it!!
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| Shipwreck of the Transfer Milwaukee |
After dodging drunk
drivers, weary late night trucks, and police speeding traps, I made it to the
loading dock in the city of Milwaukee.
Jerry always seems to manage to get a lot of divers to join him on his
dives which is good business form him and a great opportunity for me to meet
other like minded shipwreck cold water fanatics.
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| Shipwreck Of The Transfer |
We get the diesel
powered steeler out past the break wall and onto the lake. We had 1’s and 2’s as we made our way out to
the Shipwreck of the Transfer
Barge Transfer (80268) – Built 1872 at Gibraltar, Michigan by Linn & Craig as sch. bge. William McGregor - 200.0 x 33.9 x 13.7 ft., 732 gt., rebuilt as barge Transfer at Milwaukee, 1910. - The big barge Transfer had been owned by the Milwaukee Western Fuel Co, who abandoned her in 1910. After many years, she was towed out into the lake and intentionally sunk on December 6, 1923. Her unloading machinery was removed prior to her scuttling and placed in the EMBA. Her possible remains are believed to have been located by Jerry Guyer. (Runge Card File) ( http://www.baillod.com/wuaa/Milwaukee3.html)
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| Shipwreck of the Transfer Milwaukee WI |
I just got all of my
technical dive gear trim fitted to what I thought was my liking and got in the
water for the first time with it. I
tried it all out in a pool at first but now I took the plunge to drop down to a
depth of a 100ft and swim around the wreck.
She was pretty badly broken up and was not much to see other than the collapsed
deck, haul planking and the skeletal remains of the haul. There were some other artifacts around the
debris field.
Even though it may not sound too interesting in words, the clear 60-80 ft. of viz makes it look like you are starting out into a blue hazy desert with an old relic in the middle of nowhere. I find it interesting to dive these shipwrecks and fully support the preservation of these important artifacts.
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| Shipwreck of the Transfer Milwaukee WI |
Even though it may not sound too interesting in words, the clear 60-80 ft. of viz makes it look like you are starting out into a blue hazy desert with an old relic in the middle of nowhere. I find it interesting to dive these shipwrecks and fully support the preservation of these important artifacts.
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| Shipwreck of the Transfer Milwaukee WI |
The next thing I made sure I did was register for a intro to tech diving class so I could prepare for the advanced nitrox/decompression procedure class.
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| Shipwreck of the Gillen Tug Milwaukee WI |
The Tug Boat foundered on June 3, 1981 as it capsized and sank 2 1/2 miles east of Milwaukee, Wis. while testing a towing winch on the U.S.C.G. cutter Westwind.
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| Shipwreck of the Gillen Tug Milwaukee |
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| Lower level of the Gillen Tug Shipwreck Milwaukee WI |
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| Shipwreck of the Gillen Tug Milwaukee WI |
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