The RMS Rhone is an epic ship wreck that has given birth to a beautiful marine park. It is just one of one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its heartbreaking story continues to interest and astound us.
Captain Woolley went with the closest course to ocean blue with the network between Dead Breast Island and Black Rock Point on Salt Island. As Rhone came around to approach the point the tail end of the storm threw her onto the rocks.
The Background
Throughout the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic traveler ships stopped routinely at Road Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to transfer guests and freight in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been cautioned by a dropping barometer that a tornado was coming, yet thinking that the typhoon season was over, he decided to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with an additional RMS ship, Conway.
Equally as they were passing Black Rock Point between Salt and Dead Upper body islands, the climate unexpectedly altered direction. The initial stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered against the rocky coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which continues to be dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreckage is currently a prominent dive site, home to a remarkable variety of marine life. The majority of people agree that a complete expedition of the site requires 2 different dives, as the bow and stern sections are spread out apart at different depths.
The Wreckage
The Rhone relaxes below the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a popular dive website today. Visitors can discover the incredibly intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were shot, and swim under the stern near its huge 15 foot propeller. This teeming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate equilibrium in between man and nature.
On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to secure the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he determined to try to beat the coming close to storm out into the ocean blue. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point in between Dead Breast and Blonde Rock, a set of rocky pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the inbound tide speaking to the hot central heating boilers triggering an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still connected to their beds.
Snorkeling
One of one of the most well-known wreckage dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly 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 reefs teeming with yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's also where scenes from the 1977 motion picture The Deep were filmed.
The strict and belly are extra broken up, but they use a haunting glimpse of a previous era. Scuba divers ought to intend on a minimum of 2 dives to completely experience the Rhone, specifically because presence can often be tricky. 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 a legendary sight in the BVI and is a must-see for any kind of diving or boating enthusiast. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and lots of local dive watercrafts see daily. The Rhone is safeguarded by the National forest Service, and entry is for free.
Diving
Among the Caribbean's most well known wreckage dives, Rhone is a coveted website for its historic allure and bristling marine life. It's open and fairly secure, making it appropriate for scuba divers of all experience levels.
The story behind the wreckage is terrible: as she was moving passengers to one more ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and encountered it at full speed. Warm boilers shattered versus cold salt water and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.
The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the yacht charter service bow area drifted to much deeper waters, while the strict settled at regarding 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and occupied by aquatic life, including institutions of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to explore the entire wreckage, however, since the bow and demanding areas are separated by about 100 feet of water.
