Chester Poling


Valve on the Poling


The Wreck ~ January 10, 1977
Early on the morning of January 10, 1977, the coastal tanker Chester Poling was headed north along the coast of New England for Newington, New Hampshire. The weather forcast that day called for 10-15 foot seas but, as Captain Charles Burgess passed Gloucester Harbor, it appeared much worse. The ship was hit by a huge wave and broke in two. Over the next few hours, a heroic rescue effort would be launched involving ships in the area and Coast Guard helicopters. As the Poling slipped beneath the sea, six of the seven member crew would live to tell the story. There was but one casualty; seaman Joao DaRosa.

For a more detailed account of the tragedy, please visit the Mass Coastal Zone Management's Chester Poling Webpage.

If you really want to be informed, check out the complete Chester Poling Marine Disaster Report by the US Coast Guard.



Dive 1 ~ July 8, 2001

Dive Time: 24 minutes
Max Depth: 91 feet
Avg Depth: 62 feet
Min Temp: 41 degrees F

Today was my first visit to what has to be the most visited wreck in the Northeast. Fortunately, there was only one other boat moored and their divers were on deck for surface interval. We anchored off the other boat (because the mooring at the break had broken free) and went down the stern mooring line. It was cool just floating down and down and down and then all of a sudden, you can make out the deck.

Almost instantly, I began to imagine what might have been happening at the spot I was hoovering over on that fateful day. I swam over the starboard side down to the sand line. You can see into the portholes but you need a very good flashlight. Since this was a photomission, I took my camera, held it inside the wreck, and snapped off a picture; not sure of what would be on the print when I got the roll back. Soon, I turned the corner where the ship broke into two. You can see piping, ropes, valves and other debris that was once the interior of the ship.

I started to swim along the port side, coming back up on deck. I checked out the hatchways, the catwalk, and all the broken capstans. There is quite alot of sealife on the wreck but not so much that it loses it's indentity as a shipwreck. Lots of different types of fish now call the Poling home.

Before long, I was back at the stern mooring. A quick check on air told me my first visit to the Poling was coming to an end. One last look around, a silent prayer for the lost deckhand, and I was heading back the surface.



Come dive on the Chester Poling!
Here is a sketch, provided courtesy of Jeff Hannigan of Hannigan's Charters, of the Chester Poling as is now rests on the bottom of the sea. Each dive flag is a clickable link to an image seen at this approximate area. Click on this link to dive the Poling!:



Chester Poling Interactive Sketch

PLEASE NOTE!

This information is provided solely for the enjoyment of viewing my pictures and is NOT intended to be used for diving this or any other wreck. Wreck diving is an EXTREMELY dangerous activity and should only be done by certified divers that have received special training and have the necessary equipment!


Back to Cape Ann Page

This page hosted by GeoCities
Get your own Free Home Page