The RMS Rhone is a fabulous ship accident that has actually brought to life a stunning marine park. It is among one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its terrible tale remains to captivate and mesmerize us.
Captain Woolley went with the closest course to ocean blue via the network in between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone happened to approach the point the tail end of the hurricane tossed her onto the rocks.
The History
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped on a regular basis at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move travelers and cargo between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been warned by a dropping measure that a tornado was coming, yet thinking that the cyclone period was over, he chose to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with one more RMS ship, Conway.
Just as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the climate instantly altered direction. The preliminary lurch captured the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rough coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which remains dirtied in the reefs today) to mix his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is now a preferred dive website, home to an interesting range of marine life. Many people agree that a complete expedition of the site requires 2 different dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread out apart at various depths.
The Wreck
The Rhone relaxes underneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a celebrated dive website today. Site visitors can explore the remarkably undamaged bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were fired, and swim under the demanding near its big 15 foot propeller. This teeming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate balance in between guy and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves moved and he chose to attempt to defeat the approaching storm out right into the ocean blue. He steered the ship to Black Rock Factor in between Dead Chest and Blonde Rock, a set of rough pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two sections with the cold water of the inbound tide contacting the warm boilers creating a surge and sinking the vessel with all 123 passengers still linked to their beds.
Snorkeling
Among the most famous accident dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can easily discover much of the Rhone by just drifting on a mask and breathing with the sea. The deeper bow area is particularly unspoiled, a kaleidoscope of orange cup corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were filmed.
The strict and stomach are more separated, but they provide a haunting look of a past era. Scuba divers need to intend on at least 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, especially since presence can in some cases be complicated. Highlights consist of the lucky porthole, which scuba divers scrub forever luck, and the well-known bronze prop. The rusting skeleton of the Rhone is an iconic view in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and numerous neighborhood dive watercrafts visit daily. The Rhone is secured by the National Park Solution, and charter a boat entrance is free of charge.
Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular accident dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historical appeal and teeming aquatic life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it ideal for divers of all experience degrees.
The tale behind the wreck is heartbreaking: as she was transferring travelers to an additional ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Hot central heating boilers smashed against cool seawater and blew up, sending out the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.
The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section drifted to much deeper waters, while the stern cleared up at concerning 80 feet. Both are engulfed in coral reefs and lived in by marine life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to discover the entire accident, however, since the bow and demanding areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.
