New video shows off the Princess Charlotte..

The latest in a series of short, amateur videos showing off our wonderful wreck sites was completed today. It features the Princess Charlotte in Deadman Bay. Click here to view the film. Please advertise these short films to friends and colleagues who know little about our underwater riches, but probably have an interest in them.

The Charter Season comes to an end for 2010..?

The First Mate's smile says it all as Anne removes her dive gear after two great dives on the Munson today. The result - at last - the block has been re-positioned a little further off the wreck, where it will not drape the line across the wreck in any weather conditions (we hope!). The buoy was removed, effectively marking the end of the 2010 charter season. The last of Kingston's charter boats is likely to be removed to Winter storage in the next ten days or so. Great work from all concerned - and a really good way to mark one of the last boat diving opportunities of this year.

Most Moorings are down...

Hard work by our mooring team and local divers has resulted in the successful recovery of most buoys and the dropping of associated mooring lines. Only a couple of lines remain useable. These are on the KPH and the Munson. Expect them to be available for only a couple of weeks though.

Cris Kohl article featured in Lakeland Boating Magazine..

It's always good to see the boating community made more aware of the underwater environment and the fact that divers share the waters with them. Cris Kohl and his wife, Joan Forsberg are profiled in the latest, September, edition of Lakeland Boating. They have also contributed an excellent article on wreck diving in the Great Lakes. Click here to download the magazine and to enjoy the articles.

U-Boat Tales..

This weekend saw the long-awaited visit of a dive group from the Washington, D.C. area. Sea Ventures, a dive store based in Fairfax, Virginia, has a marvelous program that studies the German wartime U-Boats sunk off the US coast, and then dives the ones that are accessible. Members graciously invited us to join them on charters aboard Proteus and to hear a presentation about their U-Boat course. The talk was excellent. Video, still pictures and historical input were all combined to create a fascinating account of the Battle of the Atlantic, the U-Boat development program and the particular fate of the Boats visited by Sea Ventures.

There is an opportunity to join Sea Ventures for a dive on the U-1105 - off the Maryland coast - on September 18th. Please contact info@powkingston.org, if you are interested in this.

NAS Course a great success.. again.

Despite rather unhelpful weather, last weekend's Nautical Archaeology Society Level One Course in Kingston, was a great success. Very professional tutoring, combined with the huge enthusiasm of the eight students, made for a really good atmosphere and a great outcome. It was also rewarding to see several former graduates of this programme turn out to assist with the practical aspects. Full report forthcoming in the next Newsletter, which is very close to issue.

Wreck Discovery in Lake Michigan..

Information was passed this week about the discovery of a new wreck in Lake Michigan. I know this isn't strictly relevant locally, but it's always interesting to note that wrecks continue to be found in the Great Lakes. It's largely inaccessible to recreational divers at 300 feet, but there's some great footage in this video report out of Chicago.

Sponsored Dive on the Munson

The picture shows the 14 divers lucky enough to benefit from the generosity of Kingston Dive Charters last Sunday, June 6th. Anne and Harold provided free transport to the Munson for members of Preserve Our Wrecks, Kingston as an encouragement to those who are active in the Organization. It was a fun dive, albeit undertaken in conditions that included quite a bit more current than we're accustomed to in the Lake. Visibility though was excellent, as it so often is on this marvellous site.

A great event, with a great turnout from many locations. Thanks to all those who participated, not least of all for your clear support for POW and its aims and activities.

Diver Propelled?

Diver Propelled?
At the General Meeting the idea of a diver propelled vehicle race was floated. Is there anyone out there who can make an attempt at a neutral buoyancy, diver powered vehicle? The initial thought was to require a modified bicycle power drive.

If you are interested please let us know at:

http://powkingston.org/contactus.aspx

If there are no takers or too few then something else can be set up.

Thousand Islands Museum to present the 'Lost Fleet'

The Thousand Islands Museum in Clayton, New York is hosting an event on June 5th that will describe the 'lost fleet' of vessels sunk in the region over the centuries. The principal speaker is Skip Couch - well known to most as a great researcher and author on dive subjects in the Thousand Islands. More information in the document available for download here.

Dive Detectives visit the Hamilton and Scourge...

The Fletcher family, and others, familiar from Clive Cussler's Sea Hunters dive show, are featured in a new series on the History Channel. The show, Dive Detectives, will air an episode on the Hamilton and Scourge tomorrow evening, May 5th. Check out this link to get the details.

Mooring Season off to a great start..

Anyone living in and around Kingston will have noted that conditions have been absolutely marvellous for several days. This has presented the opportunity this week to get out and lift some of the many moorings we maintain in local waters. The commitment of local charter operators to this effort is incredible, and immensely appreciated. Many thanks this week to Kingston Dive Charters and to Pat's Charters. The pic shows Anne, of the former, and Pat of the latter, enjoying a lighter moment on one trip to service the moorings.

For the record, lines and markers are now up on the following wrecks: The Frontenac, Marsh, Comet, Douglas, Davie and Mapleglen. Look out for more to follow in short order, particularly the Wolfe Islander, on which a buoy is likely to appear later this week.

Annual Scuba Swap..

It may be of interest to our members and readers that the Ontario Underwater Explorers are once again holding a Scuba Swap Meet in Etobicoke on Saturday, April 17th. Full details downloadable by clicking here.

Spring Newsletter online...

The Spring Newsletter of Preserve Our Wrecks is available for download now. Just click here to open the document. It's to be hoped that you'll find something interesting in the contents. If you don't - then please consider dropping us a line to suggest what would be more appealing to you - or perhaps even to contribute an article for the next edition.

FREE dive on the Munson - June 6th...

Kingston Dive Charters have generously offered Preserve Our Wrecks 14 places for a dive on the Munson on the afternoon of Sunday, June 6th. Members in good standing can send bids to benefit from this great deal to me now. If you've been holding off on renewal - or considering becoming a member of POW for some time - now's the time to get cracking. Mail me now to reserve your seat. Membership renewals can be done online...

I will register responses in the strict order of receipt and advise successful applicants immediately.

Nautical Archaeology Training Opportunity...

Preserve Our Wrecks has negotiated with Save Ontario Shipwrecks for delivery of a Nautical Archaeology Society Level One course over the weekend of August 13-15 this year. The course will be held in Kingston and is expected to cover all aspects of Level One certification, including the Open Water component. The weekend may also provide the opportunity for those who still require Open Water work from last year's course to fulfill the obligation. Please contact me directly to register for the August course or to learn more about it.

Check out the Marine Museum on Facebook...

POW has always had close ties with the Marine Museum of the Great Lakes in Kingston, so members may want to be aware that the Museum has an active Facebook page. This is the go-to site for up-to-date information on all the Museum's activities. Highly recommended.

President speaks to Canadian Sport Divers..

Following up on an earlier visit to Belleville to speak to the Canadian Sport Divers, a visit was made recently to review POW's work over 2009 and to look ahead to this year's activities. The Belleville-based Club is very active and very committed to protection of the marine environment. There was a good turnout and a lot of interest in our work, which is very heartening. A couple of divers declared interest in the Nautical Archaeology Course that we're to hold in August. All in all, a very enjoyable and rewarding evening.

What does Nautical Archaeology Training look like..?

Check out the excellent video prepared by Save Ontario Shipwrecks and posted to YouTube showing scenes from last year's NAS 1 conducted in Brockville. Don't be intimidated by all the double-tank rigs. This was an unusual course featuring a class of mainly technically-trained divers. The study subjects and exercises though apply to all training regimes.

Annual General Meeting Confirms the Board Line-Up

The 2010 Annual General Meeting passed this afternoon without any great excitements. About 18 people were in attendance. This was a good turnout for this time of year and considering how many members actually live some distance away from Kingston. The formal proceedings took just under an hour. Then, everyone was treated to an excellent, illustrated talk on Kingston's Naval Dockyard and its development over the years by Sue Bazely, Executive Director of the Cataraqui Archaeological Research Foundation.

There being no opposing nominations, and with the agreement of the volunteers concerned and the approval of the Meeting, the entire Board of Directors was voted in for another year of service. The Board members are:

Mike Hill - President
Steve Chew - Vice President
Marg Barker - Secretary
Dianne Groll - Treasurer
Harold Vandenberg - Mooring Director
Kevin LeBlanc - Director


Ken Mullings

It was announced that Ken Mullings had been awarded the Thibault Award for 2010. A citation outlining his remarkable work for POW can be read by clicking here.

Thank you to everyone who was able to attend - and to Sue for the courtesy of making the premises available and an excellent address.

Come along and find out who's the new Thibault Award Winner..

Don't miss the announcement of this year's Thibault Award winner at this Sunday's Annual General Meeting. After a year in 2009 when no nominations were considered, your Board had a clear outcome in this year's process. The worthy recipient will be identified on Sunday, at the AGM, which starts at 2 pm at the Kingston Archaeology Centre at 611 Princess St. Celebrate afterwards with light refreshments and exercise your right to challenge the Board on their work...

Tax Receipts are on the way...

Part of this weekend has been dedicated to preparing and despatching the POW 2009 Income Tax Receipts for members. If you don't see yours in a few days (most will be sent by e-mail) please mail me to let me know. The support of members is invaluable to the Organisation and this is one of the only ways that we can give you something back.

Don't forget - the Annual General Meeting takes place at the Kingston Archaeology Centre on Sunday, January 24th, starting at 2pm. Besides the necessary business, there will be an introduction to the Centre and a talk on a topic of particular pertinence to the City's Marine Heritage.