BAREG 2024 Summer Update

1. U-1105 Dives
On Saturday, 29 June 2024, six BAREG divers dove the U-1105 in the lower Potomac River from the M/V My Purpose Holds. Conditions topside were good, much better than the NWS forecast (10-15 knots gusting to 20, seas two feet), with seas running about one foot and 5-10 knot winds out of the SE. Viz in the photic zone was about one foot due to the summer algae bloom, but it opened up to almost two feet at 65 fsw on the U-boat’s bridge.

The dives were conducted as familiarization dives for new BAREG members who had not dove on our backyard U-boat. For three of the six divers it was their first dive on a U-boat. It was also their first dive with BAREG, and by diving the U-1105 they enjoyed one of the benefits of BAREG membership (i.e., only BAREG members and selected guests dive from the M/V My Purpose Holds). Each new U-1105 diver was buddied with an experienced U-boat diver who guided them on the wreck. We plan to return to the U-1105 the weekend of 27&28 July.

2. BAREG 2024 Atlas Project – After Action Report
During the week of 16 June 2024, seven BAREG divers resumed work on the SS Atlas survey. This year we focused on traditional tape and slate underwater archaeology and made progress on mapping the high relief section of the wreck.

We chartered Eastern Carolina University’s (ECU) dive boat, the R/V Cutting Edge, and we operated out of Discovery Dive Center’s marina in Beaufort, NC. Our thanks to Discovery for making a slip available for mooring Cutting Edge and for the excellent support with fills and other logistics.

ECU’s Captain Eric took us out and back to the dive site safely and efficiently despite the sea conditions. This was our eighth year diving with Captain Eric and he is the most capable, competent, and professional dive boat captain I’ve worked with. We can never thank Eric enough for taking care of BAREG divers in all conditions fair and foul.

As is always off the Outer Banks, the weather limited our access to the wreck site. For the entire week, high pressure offshore generated non-stop easterly winds that ranged from 10 to 15 knots, gusting to 20, and these winds drove four to five foot seas with a three to four second period. Though the conditions were not impossible for diving, it was always a challenge recovering divers in those seas. Toward the latter part of the week the easterly winds increased to 15 to 18 with gusts over 20, just enough to make us call the dives off. Due to weather, we only dove on Atlas on three of the six planned survey days.

When not on Atlas, we took time to dive the SS Suloide, a wreck SW of Cape Lookout in less exposed waters. However, on Suloide, strong surge kicked up sediment and on the bottom, viz was as low as one foot. The visibility in the upper water column was 20-30 feet, but a turbid layer lay below starting at 20 feet off the bottom. The turbid conditions contributed to one diver inadvertently head butting a large sand tiger shark’s tail fin, startling both the diver and the shark.

On one of our off days we visited Shackleford Bank, an island in the Cape Lookout National Seashore known for its feral mustangs.

3. Fall 2024 NAS Training
BAREG will conduct hands-on and in-water Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS) training the weekend of 5 & 6 October. Training will be held at Tall Timbers Marina in St Mary’s County, and on a shallow wreck in a nearby creek.

BAREG is an international training partner with NAS and on-line training must be completed prior to the hands-on and in-water part of the course. For information regarding the NAS on-line training go to https://www.nauticalarchaeologysociety.org/international-training-partners

Payment for the on-line part of the course is made directly to NAS. Payment for the hands-on in-water training is $100.00 and made directly to BAREG.

4. BAREG Apparel
After a long wait, BAREG apparel is now available to members again at Lands End. Attached are the instructions for accessing our business account and placing your orders. Many thanks to Jay Lytell, Deputy Ops Coordinator, for taking point with Lands End and setting up member access.

5. 2024 Activities Remaining
13 &14 JUL: U-853, Point Judith, RI – Status: Confirmed, one spot open
27 & 28 JUL: U-1105 – Status: Confirmed, spots open
10 & 11 AUG: U-853, Point Judith, RI – Status: Confirmed
25 AUG: U-869, Point Pleasant, NJ – Status: Confirmed/full
5&6 OCT: NAS Training, Tall Timbers, MD – Status: Confirmed
27 OCT-2 NOV: Scapa Flow – Status: Booked/full
16 NOV: Business Meeting – Status: Confirmed, location TBD
7 & 8 DEC: U-1105 Buoy Ops – Status: Confirmed/working dive, invitation only.

6. 2025 Planning
We are developing our plans for 2025 and we’ve heard from several members there’s strong interest in another BAREG trip to dive the Conception Bay wrecks off Bell Island, Newfoundland. Charters for the Conception Bay dives book a year or more in advance, and so if we’re to travel to Newfoundland next year we have to lock in dates now. We need to know now how many members are serious about making the trip to Newfoundland next summer. Please respond to me soonest and I’ll follow up with Ocean Quest to find out what dates are available.

7. Dues
As a reminder, again, some of you all have not paid your dues for 2024. I hate to sound like a PBS pledge drive, but we depend on your dues to pay for our DAN insurance, TDI/SDI membership, Zoom account, and other incidentals (e.g., supplies for our surveys). Please submit your dues payments via paypal or by check made out to BAREG and mailed to:Battle of the Atlantic Research & Expedition Group
PO Box 17302
Alexandria, VA 22302

Please let me know if you have any questions regarding this update.

Fred Engle
Ops Coordinator
BAREG