Chesapeake bay shipwrecks continue to lure serious shipwreck hunters and hobby divers. The challenge of very low visibility does not impair their search, extending from the mouth of the Susquehanna to Virginia Beach. More than two thousand have been found. There is a strong chance, with helpful technological improvements, many others could be waiting for their discovery.
There are a number of explanations for the sinking of these vessels. Most noteworthy causes are natural causes, impaired judgment, wars, pirates and mutinies. For sailors in the eras of wooden shipbuilding, fire was most feared.
Some areas of this estuary are known for the presence of dangerous shoals and their susceptibility to dangerous storms. The area identified as the Middle Ground is among these places. It is located between Cape Charles and Cape Henry at the mouth of the estuary. Ships had a tendency to get stranded because of the shifting sandbars underneath. After a while, they would split open with the thumping force of waves. Their cargo would get disgorged in the water. At the mouth of the James River, Willoughby Spit has witnessed the destruction of many vessels.
The crossing risk was elevated during wars. Many wrecks were sunk during battles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and in the War of 1812. Some sank during the World Wars as well. Among these was the Portland, a wooden ship commissioned in 1917. It was among about one thousand such vessels commissioned fr the First World War. These vessels were so faulty, many sank before they were even used for their intended purpose. In Curtis Creek, in the neighborhood of the Portland lie Fort Scott Ashland and Dover. Fifteen more sank in Curtis Bay waters.
Its reputation for deceptive shoals, shallow waters and bottom condition is well earned. These perilous conditions have given the waterway dangerous repute. The Shipwrecks of Delmarva, a National Geographic production compiled by a marine archaeologist has identified more than 2,400 wrecks. The beautiful publication also has historical and other details of interest to divers.
This graveyard of ships has many of Spanish origin that traversed the waterway searching for gold and silver in the colonies. The Middle Atlantic was also a route for Spanish trade ships returning home. When they sank their cargo would leak. Gold and coins from these vessels have made beachcombers very happy on the beaches of the Indian River Inlet.
Contemporary technological innovations, like side scan sonar, are bringing awareness of more sunken ships. There is a lot of ground to cover in the biggest estuary, a partially enclosed water body with an open passage to the sea, in North America. It stretches for about two hundred miles from the Susquehanna River to the Atlantic Ocean. It has 419 tributaries, but the main ones are the James, Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers. Its drainage basin covers 64,299 square miles in the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.
The dive season for Chesapeake bay shipwrecks begins in May and lasts through October. Boat fees can differ in prices. A SCUBA certification is a mandatory requirement. Different states may have differing regulations and charges. There is plenty of information available on shipwreck locations. Generally, location depths can extend from sixty feet to over a hundred feet. Divers are encouraged to select wreck sites that are suited to their own skill level.
There are a number of explanations for the sinking of these vessels. Most noteworthy causes are natural causes, impaired judgment, wars, pirates and mutinies. For sailors in the eras of wooden shipbuilding, fire was most feared.
Some areas of this estuary are known for the presence of dangerous shoals and their susceptibility to dangerous storms. The area identified as the Middle Ground is among these places. It is located between Cape Charles and Cape Henry at the mouth of the estuary. Ships had a tendency to get stranded because of the shifting sandbars underneath. After a while, they would split open with the thumping force of waves. Their cargo would get disgorged in the water. At the mouth of the James River, Willoughby Spit has witnessed the destruction of many vessels.
The crossing risk was elevated during wars. Many wrecks were sunk during battles in the Revolutionary and Civil Wars and in the War of 1812. Some sank during the World Wars as well. Among these was the Portland, a wooden ship commissioned in 1917. It was among about one thousand such vessels commissioned fr the First World War. These vessels were so faulty, many sank before they were even used for their intended purpose. In Curtis Creek, in the neighborhood of the Portland lie Fort Scott Ashland and Dover. Fifteen more sank in Curtis Bay waters.
Its reputation for deceptive shoals, shallow waters and bottom condition is well earned. These perilous conditions have given the waterway dangerous repute. The Shipwrecks of Delmarva, a National Geographic production compiled by a marine archaeologist has identified more than 2,400 wrecks. The beautiful publication also has historical and other details of interest to divers.
This graveyard of ships has many of Spanish origin that traversed the waterway searching for gold and silver in the colonies. The Middle Atlantic was also a route for Spanish trade ships returning home. When they sank their cargo would leak. Gold and coins from these vessels have made beachcombers very happy on the beaches of the Indian River Inlet.
Contemporary technological innovations, like side scan sonar, are bringing awareness of more sunken ships. There is a lot of ground to cover in the biggest estuary, a partially enclosed water body with an open passage to the sea, in North America. It stretches for about two hundred miles from the Susquehanna River to the Atlantic Ocean. It has 419 tributaries, but the main ones are the James, Potomac and Susquehanna Rivers. Its drainage basin covers 64,299 square miles in the District of Columbia and parts of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, as well as in Delaware, Pennsylvania and New York.
The dive season for Chesapeake bay shipwrecks begins in May and lasts through October. Boat fees can differ in prices. A SCUBA certification is a mandatory requirement. Different states may have differing regulations and charges. There is plenty of information available on shipwreck locations. Generally, location depths can extend from sixty feet to over a hundred feet. Divers are encouraged to select wreck sites that are suited to their own skill level.
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