HMS Scylla
is a broadbeamed Leander class frigate, the last frigate
to be built in Devonport Royal Dockyard in 1968. Scylla
is 113m long with a displacement of 2500 tonnes.
In 1993 she was decommissioned and in 2003 was bought by
the National Marine Aquarium to be placed on the seabed
as a reef. |
Having a free weekend recently, I checked out Divernet, and
found space on a RIB, Blue Raider, from Plymouth, diving the
HMS Scylla, and the James Eagan Layne. I met the skipper,
Danny at the pontoon of Mountbatten Watersports Centre, aboard
a new 8m rib, fitted with a 250 hp 4 stroke outboard. Whilst
very quiet (you had to touch the cowling at idle, to check the
engine was running!), it was easily the fastest vessel leaving
Mountbatten. This meant that you were always the first on
site, at any chosen wreck in the area, even if you left
10-15mins after everyone else!
The HMS Scylla was sunk earlier this year in Whitsand Bay,
about ¾ mile from the site of the James Egam Layne. The
project was funded by the National Marine Aquarium in
Plymouth, as both a diver attraction and artificial reef. The
aquarium is planning to site webcams on the wreck and also to
use a submersible to show non-divers the process of nature
taking hold of the wreck. 3 Large yellow buoys mark the bow,
bridge and stern, and are secured to the wreck by chains.
 Our first dive was on the slightly deeper bow section.
Depth to the sea bed was around 24m, and being the first
divers on the wreck, the visibility was a pretty respectable
8-10m. This gave a good impression of the size of this ship.
Swimming along the sea bed, the ship lies almost on an even
keel. Large square sections of the outer hull have been
removed above and below the waterline, allowing easy access to
all areas of the ship. At every penetration inside the ship,
there is visible light guiding you to an exit point. This is a
good way to practice wreck penetration in a fairly safe
environment.
There are two corridors accessible, which run the entire
length of the ship. Off each of these can be seen bunk rooms,
machine rooms, bathrooms, mess, offices and command centre.
Towards the stern, access can be gained inside the ship
through the large helicopter hanger, where safety notices can
still be read attached to the walls. The engine room and
steering gear can be accessed through openings in the hull,
and further access to the bilges is prevented by welded bars
over the hatches. The props have been removed, however a swim
under the stern is worthwhile to check out the twin rudders
and empty shafts.
Although the ship has only been down a few months, there
are a few fish frequenting the wreck. Tube worms have also
established themselves on the flat superstructure. I was
surprised how quickly some areas of the ship are
deteriorating. Much of the superstructure is aluminium, and
where this meets steel, the aluminium is corroding into a
white crusty oxide.
 We dived the Scylla twice, the second time being in the
afternoon, with a mass of lesser-experienced divers bouncing
off the hull! The vis by this time had deteriorated
noticeably! In some ways diving the Scylla is a bit like the
diving the Stanegarth at Stoney Cove. It is a contrived wreck,
sanitised of all the nasty bits and shiny parts. For training
and novelty value, it is however worth a dive. I had
originally planned to shoot some video, and return in the
future to compare the results, only to be thwarted by a
technological breakdown.
Still it is a fun dive and quite interesting, after all
where else can you dive an intact warship? There's Bikini of
course, but that's another story……
Chris Storey
British Sub Aqua Club, Branch 14.
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Scylla In
Greek Mythology
SCYLLA was a DRAKAINA (A She-Dragon) with the
upper body of a beautiful woman but around her waist grew six
fearful serpents with dogs heads and razor-sharp teeth. A long
coiling serpentine fish like tail took the place of her legs.
A fearful creature indeed.
Scylla (the she dragon) is said to live in a cave under a
rock on one side of the Strait of Messina. On the other side
lives Charybdis who created a terrifying whirlpool.
To pass between between Scylla and Charybdis was to pass
between two equally perilous alternatives, neither of which
can be passed without encountering the other; to pass
between a rock and a hard place.
FOOTNOTE: John Dunwell, club member and ex
RN diver served on the HMS Scylla for 18 months.
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