Zeewijk wreck site?
Submitted by smash on Mon, 2011-10-17 20:54
has anyone here dived/snorkelled on the Zeewijk wreck site?
Im having a little trouble finding info on the actual bits still there if any?
Keen to do a trip over and dive it, done the Batavia and been to Zuytdorp site also.
A few weeks back I went over and spent a few hours on Gun Island.
Also havent been able to find any accurate co-ords of the Zeewijk site.
Below is a pic looking towards the guano jetty on Gun Island.
Image Upload:
Perry Home
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 07/10/10
Did you look here?
Smash
Hve you looked at this website
http://www.museum.wa.gov.au/maritime-archaeology-db/wrecks/zeewijk. Has coords & Google map - WA Maritime museum pretty much all over it. I did some research work when designing a unit for the kids I teach about the shipwrecks of Koombana bay. Also try the book series " Unfinished Voyages 1622 - 1850" by Graeme Henderson - there are two or three books in this series so make sure you get the right one !
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
not reliable I think
if you chuck the coordinates on your map (and zoom in on their Google map) that position is in about 35 meters of water, way outside the reef
Hugh Edwards snorkelled over it and found it, its in the shallows, less than 5 meters I believe.
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
Navionics
Has an unnamed historic wreck site(1 of 3) marked at s28 53.474 e113 49.681 which is pretty close to the museums co-ords. That said the trading wrecks i've dived have always been off their navionics mark. Don't have too much on the zeewijk but i'm pretty sure what Edwards found was the stern section of the ship which was carried over the reef in shallow water, the initial wreck site is on the leeward edge of the reef which is marked around 30m and is meant to be undivable for most of the year . The museum mark you have may be the initial site and worth searching north east from there?
Dave J.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
Ive got a copy of "The Wreck
Ive got a copy of "The Wreck on Half Moon Reef", and its fairly clear that it was wrecked in shallow water as some crew stayed aboard for months after the hull was breached.
Thats not to say it wasnt washed back into deeper water though.
Also wouldnt mind a dive on the Vegulde Draeck, maybe just to say Ive dived them all if nothing else.
Anyone else keen maybe on something similar?
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
Vergulde Draeck
Vergulde Draeck and Waeckende Boey is really where I'm a full bottle when it comes to dutch wrecks, I'm all in if your ever keen for a dive buddy been planning on getting out there for the last two years but timing and conditions have always kept me at home, its a bit of a mission for me. i"d have to launch from two rocks with a 2wd.
Tried to edit my post above but fishwrecked gave up on me multiple times. pulled out the books after i posted and your right, what i got was that the main site was found by Edwards, It lies under the breakers on the edge of the reef, assuming in shallow water as you said the wreck stayed intact for a few months until it was gradually dismantled to build the sloepie. Chart shows the depth to drop straight to 30m but nothing states that it lays in deep water. that was from "dutch discoveries of australia" written in 1976 only after the first less extensive excavations had been done.
Most recently published "A Windswept coast" has the site description described as two sites 300 meters apart with cannons scattered in between, one on the edge of the reef and dangerous diving conditons and another site "down current" with 12 canons,anchors and planking in shallow water where the rudder pintles were found.
Dave J.
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
might have to do you a swap-I
might have to do you a swap-I live in Gero so maybe a spin out to the VG and then one out to the Zeewijk in mine?
Ive got 4wd so can help get you out if need be?
With summer coming on (where the fuck is it?) an island trip is looking less likely until the new year, and I have to head off to work sometime soon. But Im home usually for 5 weeks at a time. Both these dives will need no swell or breeze I reckon.
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
Keen as
Yea swell would be the most deciding factor for the VD as well, wreck is right up against the reef shelf and in depths from 1-8 meters i believe. Would have to be a pretty last minute thing but when the weather happens I'll let ya know hopefully It comes together.
Dave J.
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
One handy book on Wrecks in
One handy book on Wrecks in WA is; "Wrecks on the WESTERN AUSTRALIAN Coast by Jack Loney.
isbn 0-646-16019-2
lonestone press.
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
More wrecks out there
The late Max Cramer has told me about another ship in the southern group he was searching for. Keep your eyes open when diving the islands, I found a big prop out there once buried in the coral and sand, its still there as far as I know, no shipwreck has been recorded in that particular area. (Long Island)
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
The Dutch VOC ships still
The Dutch VOC ships still missing that I know of are;
1; Ridderschap Van Holland anno 1694.
With 325 souls on board, left Cape of good Hope 09-02-1694
2; Fortuyn anno 1724.
3; Aagtekerke.
Sailed fron the cape on 29-01-1726.
For some great information on the Zuytdorp get the book "Carpet of Silver, the wreck of the Zuytdorp" by Phillip Playford University of Western Australia Press isbn 1-875560-85-8.
And the other book previously mentionmed a few months ago regarding the studies of the survivors and the inpact on the local indiginous population, : "And their voices can still be heard"
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
VOC lost 653 ships worldwide
http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php?topic=30320.0;wap2
A lot went missing between the Cape and Batavia
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
Just for the hell of it:
Max and I:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wfrzS0W5PgA
I'd be keen for a dive exploration, if you need a dive buddy/skipper let me know, have a few well kept secrets on the area.....ahem....if you know what I mean..:)
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
Keen to go back as well,
Keen to go back as well, been a member of the rebuilding of the batavia and Duifken for a very long time!
Captains room on the Batavia
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
Such a nice ass....I mean
Such a nice ass....I mean stern....thanks for the photos, now all we need is a major movie producer to re create what happened out there
Reefmonkey
Posts: 711
Date Joined: 22/09/08
thats pretty cool
one of the only two reasons i'd ever wanna go to amsterdam....
Dave J.
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
It's birth dock is actualy
It's birth dock is actualy Almere, same 'werf' where she was build where there is also a museum and another even bigger ship being build!
well worth going!
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
A trip to the Zeewijk isnt
A trip to the Zeewijk isnt hard, just weather permitting.
The Wallabies (Batavia) would mean a beach launch from Port Gregory and 2 boats. Still similar distance offshore though (35 nm or so).
Im probably off to work soon (for a month or so) but will keep this in mind and drop those interested an email if it looks good?
Who else has a boat to take over?
Mines a Traily with room for 3 to swag comfortably and 250litres, only used half this last time over for 3 days.
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
keen as mustard
keen as mustard
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
6.3 mtr Savage, with extra
6.3 mtr Savage, with extra tank, 400 liters capacity = 400 nm
smash
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 01/12/10
have any of you guys been to
have any of you guys been to the islands yet?
glastronomic
Posts: 892
Date Joined: 16/02/11
20 years ago with my 46 foot
20 years ago with my 46 foot boat all the way from freo and back, it had "cruisecontrol"
Fathom
Posts: 619
Date Joined: 18/04/08
Stopped counting after the
Stopped counting after the 20th trip, used to work as a decky for a charter operation and also financed a hell of a lot of my trips on several boats for a documentary I have produced on the area.....so yeah...I been there
Perry Home
Posts: 434
Date Joined: 07/10/10
What's it Called Fathom?
What's your doco called fathom - would love to have a look at it and update my knowledge about some of the wrecks and goings on that you would have put on it. Cheers