Get Charter - The Clutha
By Mike Clark
The Clyde Estuary is one of Scotland's favourite wreck-diving spots. Mike Clark checks out a boat which has been purpose-built for diving the area
SKIPPER: Elaine Watt
The Clutha(Pic: Mike Clark)
Back in 2001, Clyde Diving said goodbye to its faithful old dive vessel Westering Home and ushered in the purpose-built dive vessel MV Clutha (which means 'spirit of the Clyde' in Gaelic). The Clutha sails from Inverkip Marina and is owned and skippered by Elaine Watt, who started the family business in 1996.Elaine has been a qualified RYA/DOT skipper for 21 years. She has
cruised the Clyde Estuary all this time and her knowledge of the area is comprehensive. Elaine and crew member Neil are also both active divers with the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club, so there is a genuinely diver-orientated service provided. The pre-dive briefings are excellent, with good underwater drawings of all the wrecks. Elaine points out exactly where the shot will be dropped and features that can be identified. This is crucial information when diving wrecks such as the Wallachia, with its varied points of interest.Technically a 10m-long trawler, the Clutha has been fitted by divers for divers. What would have been the fish hold has been designed to house the 18cfm compressor. Oxygen is also stored down here. The deck space of the Clutha has been developed with seating and storage benches for 12 divers, all under sheltered decking. It's very user-friendly - once you are helped up the excellent ladder by Neil, it's just a short distance to your bench, where you can sit down to de-kit. Bungy loops store your cylinders securely, while long hoses are attached to the compressor so there is no need to move cylinders about: they can all be filled in situ on the benches. It really is ideal and all the bags and clutter can be stowed nicely away under the bench, maximising space.The wheelhouse is fitted with all modern navigation equipment, which easily locates the wrecks the area is noted for. Forward of the wheelhouse is the galley where the hot tea and coffee or - if you're lucky - Elaine's home-made soup is dished up to warm up the cold diver.The back of the boat is open to the elements, so when the weather permits divers can drink their refreshments here and savour the majestic scenery of the Clyde Estuary, always keeping a lookout for seals and porpoises. There is a standard marine head in a spacious toilet area.Finding points to criticise is tricky with such a diver-friendly boat, apart from a noisy compressor when the hatch is open and a smelly corner near the diesel hatch, which can be quite unpleasant.The Clutha is available to charter all year long. The moderate cruising speed of 9 knots is suitable for the sheltered waters of the Clyde, where the key wrecks are located close to each other. On my last trip we dived the wreck of the Beagle and the Akka.What we likedExcellent seating and stowage. Protection from the elements. Long whips on compressor eliminate need to lift cylinders about.What we didn't likeSmelly corner near diesel hatch. Noisy compressor when hatch is open.Boat: purpose-built for divers, modelled on a trawlerMoored: Inverkip MarinaEngine: Daewoo MD136TCruising speed: 9 knotsHead: one standard marine headMax passengers: 12, smaller parties welcomeCompressor: 18cfm onboard compressorRates: £24 per person per day. Air is £3 per fill and nitrox is available at nearby Largs Marina.
By Mike Clark
The Clyde Estuary is one of Scotland's favourite wreck-diving spots. Mike Clark checks out a boat which has been purpose-built for diving the area
SKIPPER: Elaine Watt
The Clutha(Pic: Mike Clark)
Back in 2001, Clyde Diving said goodbye to its faithful old dive vessel Westering Home and ushered in the purpose-built dive vessel MV Clutha (which means 'spirit of the Clyde' in Gaelic). The Clutha sails from Inverkip Marina and is owned and skippered by Elaine Watt, who started the family business in 1996.Elaine has been a qualified RYA/DOT skipper for 21 years. She has
cruised the Clyde Estuary all this time and her knowledge of the area is comprehensive. Elaine and crew member Neil are also both active divers with the Scottish Sub-Aqua Club, so there is a genuinely diver-orientated service provided. The pre-dive briefings are excellent, with good underwater drawings of all the wrecks. Elaine points out exactly where the shot will be dropped and features that can be identified. This is crucial information when diving wrecks such as the Wallachia, with its varied points of interest.Technically a 10m-long trawler, the Clutha has been fitted by divers for divers. What would have been the fish hold has been designed to house the 18cfm compressor. Oxygen is also stored down here. The deck space of the Clutha has been developed with seating and storage benches for 12 divers, all under sheltered decking. It's very user-friendly - once you are helped up the excellent ladder by Neil, it's just a short distance to your bench, where you can sit down to de-kit. Bungy loops store your cylinders securely, while long hoses are attached to the compressor so there is no need to move cylinders about: they can all be filled in situ on the benches. It really is ideal and all the bags and clutter can be stowed nicely away under the bench, maximising space.The wheelhouse is fitted with all modern navigation equipment, which easily locates the wrecks the area is noted for. Forward of the wheelhouse is the galley where the hot tea and coffee or - if you're lucky - Elaine's home-made soup is dished up to warm up the cold diver.The back of the boat is open to the elements, so when the weather permits divers can drink their refreshments here and savour the majestic scenery of the Clyde Estuary, always keeping a lookout for seals and porpoises. There is a standard marine head in a spacious toilet area.Finding points to criticise is tricky with such a diver-friendly boat, apart from a noisy compressor when the hatch is open and a smelly corner near the diesel hatch, which can be quite unpleasant.The Clutha is available to charter all year long. The moderate cruising speed of 9 knots is suitable for the sheltered waters of the Clyde, where the key wrecks are located close to each other. On my last trip we dived the wreck of the Beagle and the Akka.What we likedExcellent seating and stowage. Protection from the elements. Long whips on compressor eliminate need to lift cylinders about.What we didn't likeSmelly corner near diesel hatch. Noisy compressor when hatch is open.Boat: purpose-built for divers, modelled on a trawlerMoored: Inverkip MarinaEngine: Daewoo MD136TCruising speed: 9 knotsHead: one standard marine headMax passengers: 12, smaller parties welcomeCompressor: 18cfm onboard compressorRates: £24 per person per day. Air is £3 per fill and nitrox is available at nearby Largs Marina.Bookings: 01475 522930
website: http://www.clyde-diving.co.uk/
No comments:
Post a Comment