Divers Find 162-Year-Old Guinness in Shipwreck off the English Coast

Sealed Guinness bottles discovered on a shipwreck in the English Channel could provide researchers with a rare insight into nineteenth-century brewing. Scientists are now preparing to analyse the contents, in the hope of learning more about historic brewing techniques and the ingredients used more than 160 years ago.

Bottle of 162-year-old Guinness
Wrecks & Archaeology

A team of wreck divers discovered up to 20 Guinness bottles on a shipwreck off Dover. The divers believe the wreck is the barque Mindora, which sank on 27 November 1864 after a collision. Lloyd’s Register Foundation has not yet officially confirmed the vessel's identity, but historical survey records strongly suggest that the wreck is Mindora. Several of the bottles remained sealed despite spending more than 160 years on the seabed.

Identity of Devon’s Famous Gold Wreck Finally Solved

Nearly three decades after divers discovered hundreds of Moroccan gold coins off the Devon coast, researchers have identified the wreck as the Dutch merchant ship Dom van Keulen, shedding new light on seventeenth-century trade between North Africa and northern Europe.

Gold coins and recovered jewellery from the Dom van Keulen wreck site.
Wrecks & Archaeology

For more than 30 years, one of Britain’s most enigmatic shipwrecks has challenged maritime archaeologists. Since its discovery off Salcombe, Devon, in 1995, the site has yielded more than 400 Moroccan gold coins, jewellery, ceramics, pewter objects and other artefacts, but the identity of the vessel remained uncertain.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

SS Toward: New “Treasures” Unveiled

Stefan Panis recounts his adventure revisiting the wreck of SS Toward, a victim of the WWI minefield at Foreland near Dover in the United Kingdom.

Words:
Stefan Panis
Images:
Stefan Panis
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Wrecks & Archaeology

Over the summer, I met up with my buddy Eddie Huzzey in Dover for a week of wreck exploration. I was super excited, as Eddie had marked some new sites that had not been dived before.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Hospital Ships: Casualties of WWI

In World War I, unrestricted warfare meant ships that were traditionally off limits became targets for surprise attacks by German U-boats. Steve Jones visits two of the most endearing wrecks in the English Channel that were a direct result of this highly controversial policy.

Words:
Steve Jones
Images:
Steve Jones
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Wrecks & Archaeology

An upright stern emerged through the grey-green water around 10m below me. The last time I visited this wreck on a cold October day, I was in total blackness at this depth, but today was different and the high sun overhead at last revealed the HMHS Lanfranc in its full glory.

Afterthoughts

Thirteen allied hospital ships were torpedoed in World War I, along with several more on all sides lost to mines, including the most famous of them all—the Britannic. Yet even after Germany declared its intentions to target these ships, there were several examples where U-boat commanders chose not to attack, as humanity prevailed against their orders.

The author gives special thanks to Terry Ayling for his tireless modelling, lighting assistance and endless patience. Steve Jones is an underwater photographer and journalist whose award-winning work has been published in over 30 countries during a career spanning three decades.

 A true all-rounder, his assignments have included colossal battleship wrecks in the deep north Atlantic and sub-zero encounters with apex polar predators to equatorial seascapes awash with strong currents.

References and further reading:

  • McGreal, S. (2009). The War on Hospital Ships 1914-1918. Pen and Sword Maritime. ISBN-13: 978-1844158584
  • McCartney, I. (2002). Lost Patrols: Submarine Wrecks of the English Channel. Periscope Publishing Ltd. ISBN-13: 978-1904381044
  • Young, R. and Armstrong, P. (2009). Silent Warriors: Submarine wrecks of the United Kingdom, Volume. 2. The History Press.
X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Kyarra Wreck Turns 100 Years Old

“Crikey,” I thought, “one hundred years ago today that German U-boat was awfully close to the English coast.” I suddenly felt a bit vulnerable. World War I happened right here—just off the peaceful Dorset shore, not in some far-off French trench. A century ago today, I could well be on a sinking ship. Or dead.

Words:
Rosemary E. Lunn
Images:
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Wrecks & Archaeology

Dateline: Saturday, 26 May 2018

Destination: SS Kyarra

Chart co-ordinates: 50°34,90N; 01°56.59W

In reality, I was sitting, fully kitted up, on Spike—a British dive charter boat—waiting for Pete, the Skipper, to yell, “It's time to dive!” The journey out from Swanage Pier and across the bay had taken 20 minutes, and now we were bobbing up and down over the wreck site, waiting for slack water. I stared across the sea to land and Anvil Point, a mere mile away, thinking about the ship I was about to dive.

Diving Guernsey? Be insured!

The government of the Island of Guernsey has confirmed they will charge divers for recompression treatments.

Hyperbaric chamber, Guernsey, X-Ray Mag, Rosemary E Lunn, Donkey Divers, Steve Bougourd, DCI, DCS
Travel & Trips

All divers intending to dive within Guernsey's 12-mile limit—both commercial and recreational divers—who subsequently require the use of the local hyperbaric chamber, will be charged GB£30,000 per treatment by the States of Guernsey.1 It should be noted that this fee does not include accident and emergency consultation charges (these are billed separately).

Closed Channel Island recompression chamber to be replaced

The chamber on Guernsey in the English Channel used to treat divers with decompression sickness, had been operated by St John Ambulance until April. The new chamber is expected to be operational by June, according to the Health and Social Services Department.

Dive Industry News and Matters

he old chamber which is over 40 years old, was run by St John Ambulance & Rescue Service and used to treat divers with decompression sickness until it was closed in April. It was solely funded by public donations and located at the Ambulance Station on the outskirts of Guernsey’s main town, St Peter Port.

X-RAY MAGAZINE FEATURE

Achim Schloffel

The founder of Innerspace Explorers (ISE), Achim Schloffel, talks to X-RAY MAG about diving across the English Channel, explorations and running a dive training agency.

Words:
Peter Symes
Images:
Peter Symes
Tourism Unlimited
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Profiles & Interviews

X-RAY MAG: You have announced that you are going to cross the English Channel underwater. What is the status on that project?

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