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Some of you may remember Michelle and Peter Wright who were members here a few years back. Michelle and Peter now live in Australia and have sent the following:

“G’day 
In less than 14 days we’ll be running the Noosa Half Marathon. But we thought, why run just for ourselves? So we’re trying to raise some money for the Cancer Council Queensland at the same time. Any contributions welcome!
Please click on the  ink below to visit our very own fundraising page to find out all about it. It only takes a few seconds.
You can visit our fundraising page at 
http://www.everydayhero.com.au/team_blackdogs
Spread the word and send to as many people as possible.
Thank you!
Love
M and P xxx”

To finish a quiz question:
You’re back at the club after a day’s diving. You find yourself clutching a sweaty item of underwear that you don’t want anywhere near sensitive parts of your body. Do you:

a. Take home and put through the wash (possibly several times) or
b. Hang up in the equipment room

The person who answers b. can expect a 10 Dirham fine on Tuesday!

A couple of wanderers (pun intended) have returned to the fold after brief absences. Mike has finished gallivanting on fast two-wheelers around South Africa and will be marshalling next Friday’s dive – destination to be announced. Geoff has dusted the ice off his boots and returned from his trip to Mount Everest base camp. He will have some pictures to show on Tuesday – maybe one or two can go to the web site.

Jutta has done some work on the web site which is improving all the time. Also we have reclaimed our old domain name which now directs to the new site. The “weebly” address still works and takes you to the same place but the address given below is simpler.

We went to the Taha to take a few more photos and hunt for the engine room entrance. The sea was reasonably calm but there was a strong current, this being only a day after the spring tides. Fortunately we hooked the wreck quickly without the need for anyone to chase the anchor down to secure it. The viz wasn’t the greatest we’ve had – it seems to get worse each time we go to this wreck. The best viz was the first time we found it.

Lamjed got his pictures on the second dive having “lost” his camera on the first. It was still attached to him but floating out of reach as he discovered on surfacing. Peter and Cathy came back with some cups and saucers from the galley which were cleaned up later by the Wanderers kitchen staff and filled with beer.

To repeat from last week: anyone who happens to have a copy of this month’s Outdoor UAE magazine will have seen a report on Geoff’s trek to Everest Base Camp. He’s raising money for cancer research and if anyone feels like supporting the cause contact him under his email “Geoffrey, Patch”: 
mailto:[email protected]

With a space to fill, I can instead write a few words about a new wreck we’ve dived several times recently. The MV Taha is located not far from the Neptune and it sank at the end of last year in circumstances currently unknown. It is an Iranian registered cargo ship of 54m length lying on its starboard side in about 20m of water. The vessel was carrying among other things a lot of car and truck tyres and a considerable quantity of diesel engine oil. Uwe and Lamjed are thinking of ways to remove the oil drums from the wreck – these would otherwise corrode over time releasing their contents into the Gulf.

The ship’s telegraph and steering wheel have been liberated and await restoration but anyone hoping for a festival of brass will be disappointed – the ship’s fittings are not so much “Harrods” but more “Pricebusters”. The viz has been pretty good on our visits so far and there has been plenty of fish life. It’s nice to have a new target and there’s still the engine room to find. Thanks to Cathy who originally found the co-ordinates.

If you’ve been reading the papers you’ll know where we were on Friday. A squad of 60 or so divers from BSAC406, DSDC and ADSAC turned up on Hamriyah beach to go out to the Dara. This was the long awaited 50th anniversary dive. It was 8th April 1961 in the early hours of the morning when an explosion ripped through the Dara causing 238 deaths and the ship’s sinking under tow two days later.

The objective was some form of commemoration of those that died but I must admit I originally saw it as a smaller scale event. But DSDC read the email and wanted to be involved as did ADSAC. Before I knew it numbers were multiplying and the press were interested. I have to say I was a bit nervous about this. Screw-ups can happen at the best of times but not usually with a reporter and photographer on hand to record the embarrassments which are now of course much more likely to happen. (“Tell me Mr. Hussey, is it normal to put on your fins after you’ve entered the water?” “Well to be honest…”)

There turned out to be no need of such paranoia. I’m happy to report that the event went off with only a few minor snags, the first and most awkward of which was flat batteries on SP 125 but there were three other boats and we managed. The first order of business was to hang a red ensign on the stern of the Dara as the intended mark of respect. This took around 20 minutes and Brendan has some excellent video footage that I’m looking forward to seeing on Tuesday. After this some normal diving followed with the boats shuttling back and forward to the shore. The viz was excellent (to start with at least) and I believe everyone had a good dive despite the current which was on the strong side. In particular the divers from Dubai and Abu Dhabi don’t get to the Dara as often as we do and seemed to enjoy themselves.

By 2.30pm the diving had finished, the buoys and anchors retrieved and we headed back to shore. Just in time too as the wind and waves picked up at this point. There followed two or three hours of relaxation on the beach enjoying a barbecue washed down with the odd beverage or two.

Thanks to everyone who turned up to support the event. Extra gratitude is due to Chris Head, Jim Darbyshire and Brian Lugg who organized the DSDC end and to Steven Winstanley who did a similar job for ADSAC and whose idea it was to fix the red ensign on the wreck. The ensign itself was a 1.5m x 2.4m flag which was very impressive both above and below the water. It was provided free of charge by Trident Support to whom we’re extremely grateful.

If you want to know what the press made of it all follow these links:

http://gulfnews.com/news/gulf/uae/general/fifty-years-on-the-tragedy-of-vessel-mv-dara-lingers-1.789262

http://www.thenational.ae/news/uae-news/saluting-memory-of-shipwreck-dead

The piece in “The Nationial” has a picture of the red ensign fixed on the stern of the Dara but the diver on the left isn’t Jane Taylor but Mike Murphy of this parish. Both articles are very positive in their treatment of this event, the British Sub-Aqua Club and divers generally. Thanks to both journalists.

A working party of Mike, Ian and Forrester spent Saturday changing the axles and wheels of the 312 trailer. The old ones were not really strong enough for the load they were being asked to carry with the consequent damage to tyres, hubs and wheels. The new ones are much more heavy duty although we’re now hoping the springs are up to the task!

Next Friday is Dara day – 50 years exactly since the explosion. Full details will be posted to those signed up but we will be meeting at Hamriyah beach, doing some diving followed by a barbecue later. DSDC and ADSAC are also involved and Steve Winstanley of ADSAC has acquired a red ensign to be placed on the wreck in honour of the 238 people who died. The National newspaper is sending someone and Dive magazine want  a report. Don’t miss this one.

If you want to know about the Dara try reading “Last hours on Dara”. It was written by PJ Abraham who was on board for the last voyage, travelling with his wife from Bahrain to Kerala. It’s been out of print a long while – the copy I read was priced at 30 shillings – but Peter Jackson got hold of it via Amazon. The first third of the book describes the event itself – both his experiences and those of some of his travelling companions. Some of the stories of overturning lifeboats, burnt passengers, lost children and people struggling to survive were quite harrowing. The last two thirds cover the enquiry that followed. This is a lot drier (no pun intended) and I wasn’t able to get through it to be honest. It’s worth reading for the first part.

Congratulations to Aaron, Jen, Jules and Matt who completed their Ocean Diver courses and promptly headed off to dive in Sri Lanka. We await an account of their adventures. Congratulations also to Maureen who has passed her PADI Open Water course with Janette.

The dive itself was memorable. Getting hooked on was a bit of a hassle with a strong current and no echo sounder, the transducer having fallen off. We threw the anchor at the zero coordinate and Mike jumped in and tied the anchor line to the stern end. The viz was excellent and there were monster barracuda, leopard rays, a large group of batfish and lots of other smaller fish. The wreck itself has only been down a couple of months but the fish have already found it. A return visit is planned next week weather permitting.

The week following, 8th April, will be the Dara 50th anniversary barbecue on the beach. DSDC and ADSAC are participating so it should be a good day. Don’t miss it!

“Just a quick update regarding my EBC trek. Just two weeks to go before my nephew and I set off for Nepal and preparations are coming along nicely! We depart from Sharjah on 8th April for Kathmandu, where we will spend the night before the short flight to Lukla (2800m) and the start of the trek in earnest. Day time temperatures in Lukla are currently hitting 2 degrees Celsius, dropping to -10 degrees at night and will only get colder as we gain altitude on the trek to Base Camp! Recent weekend hikes in the Hajar Mountains are helping with fitness and the ‘Altivit’ vitamin supplements I’ve started taking will hopefully help me cope with the altitude in Nepal. Headaches, nausea, sleep deprivation, fatigue – I’ll be glad to get away from that and start the trek! In all seriousness I am looking forward to breath-taking scenery, an amazing experience and raising money for a good cause.

I am hoping to raise some money for the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK and I’d really appreciate your support. It’s easy to donate online with a credit or debit card – simply go to my JustGiving page:http://www.justgiving.com/Geoff-Patch

JustGiving sends your donation straight to the Fund and automatically reclaims Gift Aid on all eligible donations, so what you give is worth even more.  I hope you’ll join me in supporting the Bobby Moore Fund for Cancer Research UK.

Through the generosity of family, friends and colleagues (many thanks to those of you who have already shown your support by donating), over £2,500 has been raised so far, which takes me closer towards my target of £5,000 (about €6,500 or Dhs 33,000). Some way to go yet, but heading in the right direction.”

As it happened, at least one of our number managed to get a dive in. Let PJ tell the story:

“Jutta and I were invited by the Environment & Protected Areas agency to join a group of officials and volunteers to visit Sharjah’s island of Sir Bu Nair for the weekend. As the island has no civilian facilities, this was an opportunity not to be missed. My diving gear went ahead by Police boat, while we all flew from Sharjah airport in an Air Force Casa military transport on Thursday afternoon. The island is approximately 4km in diameter with an area of 1,500ha. It houses a military base, police station (where we were most hospitably hosted) and a military airstrip. Next to the small fishing harbour is a small 10 year old prefabricated 2-bedroom chalet, home to EMEG – the Emirates Marine Environment Group, led by Major Ali Saqr Al Suweidi, who joined us for the weekend. The exceptionally stark moonscape interior is a salt dome, rising to 81m, very rich in igneous rocks and minerals, and extensive surface and tunnel mining has taken place over the years, in particular haematite (iron ore).

I made one shallow beach dive, accompanied by Laurence Vanneyre of EMEG, snorkeling above me, as I explored the outer side of the marine jetty rich with table corals, sponges and fish. three large black-spotted rubber-lips provided testament to the healthy state of the coral. Apparently the reefs to the north and west of the island are spectacular. The beautiful rocky and beach perimeter provide the largest turtle nesting area in the Arabian Gulf. We saw many gazelle, a colony of hooded gulls preparing their nests for the breeding season, as well as a Hawksbill turtle laying her eggs. From the beach we also saw a turtle apparently reconnoitering the beach, and a couple of black-tip sharks in the surf – one bay is famous for breeding, where up a 100 might be seen when the water is clear.

Very well worth the trip, we learnt a lot about turtle conservation and tracking by EMEG and WWF. We even brought back a 4 year old barnacle encrusted Hawksbill on the return flight for rehabilitation at EMEG’s centre at Ghantoot. If BSAC members are interested to spend a weekend camping and diving, permissions can be obtained, through Major Ali, or the Police. It is 120km i.e. a two and a half hour boat trip from Al Khan. (or 70km from the nearest slip just south of Taweelah) Worth considering – last year the Club went over for the day and had very good sightings of manta rays. I am now just awaiting the return of my new tanks, courtesy of Sharjah Police, as these cannot be transported by air!”

A few of us without access to military aircraft decided to take the opportunity to give the sand dunes a bit of a bash. Leading the party was a very familiar face in his blue Wrangler with the unfeasibly wide tyres – none other than Uwe Oldenburg, back in the UAE after an absence of several months. We toured round Fossil Rock, Shadow Rock and Dhaid dunes before emerging at Maleha to blow the tyres back up. Uwe marked his return by parking his car backwards against a rock in a bowl pointing uphill in soft sand. He was pulled out eventually but not before the whole episode had been witnessed by a large party of tourists who just stopped at this exact bit of desert at exactly the same time. The audience wouldn’t have looked out of place at Madison Square Garden. Welcome back Uwe!