On Monday, 25 May, four BAREG divers conducted working dives to closely inspect the U-1105 mooring buoy chain. When we placed the buoy on station in April we noticed the chain had corroded since last year and we decided a closer inspection was needed. On Monday, we cleaned the chain of all marine growth and visually inspected for corrosion and wear. We assess the chain as being in poor condition and we are preparing a report to MHT on our findings. In 2021, we conducted an in-water chain replacement and it’s possible replacing the chain on-site may be required this year. If that decision is made, we will need working divers to support the task.
After assessing the chain we dove the U-boat and found lots of monofilament. We cleared the fishing line and removed some old guideline remnants from the stbd exhaust manifold. In my previous update I mentioned the U-boat being covered in sea grapes two years ago, but these tunicates had not been seen on the wreck lately. We observed clusters of sea grapes on the Uboat when we dove on Sunday, but they were not covering the wreck. The presence of sea grapes indicates higher salinity, possibly due to the recent drought in the Mid-Atlantic region.
We also saw several migratory American eels on the U-boat.
BAREG 2026 Activities
Past
- 31 JAN & 1 FEB: U-1105 & Potomac Wrecks – canx due to WX
- 7 FEB: BAREG Symposium – Location TBD – canx due to WX
- 11 & 12 APR: U-1105 Buoy Ops – complete
- 25 MAY: U-1105 Mooring buoy chain close inspection & U-boat dives
Upcoming
- 31 MAY: U-1105 & Potomac Wrecks – one open spot
- 3-5 JUL: Pax River & Chesapeake Bay Wreck Dives – open
- 11 & 12 JUL: U-853, Point Judith, RI – pending date confirmation from charter operator – full
- 25 & 26 JUL: U-853, Point Judith, RI – pending date confirmation from charter operator – full
- 23 – 29 AUG: Scapa Flow, Orkney Islands, UK – booked, full
- 12 & 13 SEP: U-1105 & Potomac Wrecks – open
- 14 NOV: Business Meeting
- 5 & 6 DEC: Buoy Ops
Patuxent River & Chesapeake Bay Dives
In July, we will explore wrecks in the lower Patuxent River, and weather and time permitting, wrecks in the middle of Chesapeake Bay. Our objective is to collect information on the wrecks and provide notes and photos/video (if any) to the Maryland Historical Trust. This may include a dive on the S-49, a challenging wreck to dive given its location in the Patuxent. The site is known for its strong current and visibility far worse than what we find in the Potomac. The dive boat will be operating out of a marina in Solomons Island.
Fred Engle
Ops Coordinator
BAREG
WBA
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