February 07, 2006
Doterel From Every Angle
Earlier you saw Warren just after he found the bow of the Doterel, by accident, now see how it appears in the actual show.
Posted by victoria at 08:28 AM
April 20, 2005
Focus on Warren
Watch Warren make a remarkable find under the waters of the Straits of Magellan.
Have a nice day!
Posted by victoria at 03:28 PM | Comments (1)
April 18, 2005
Good Times On Board the Chonos
Watch Mike Fletcher, on board the Chonos, suit up to dive with the hard hat .
Posted by victoria at 08:44 AM | Comments (0)
April 12, 2005
Mike Fletcher: One on One
Learn more about Mike Fletcher with an interview by Christine on the deck of the Chonos.
Posted by victoria at 07:54 AM | Comments (0)
April 11, 2005
Most Recent Shipwreck on the Strait of Magellan
Now on land, watch Mike and Warren show Christine around their island home away from home.
Posted by victoria at 08:18 AM | Comments (0)
April 05, 2005
Learn More About Mike Fletcher
While in Chile Christine had some one on one time with Sea Hunters diver, Mike Fletcher, and Chilean shipwreck authority, Francisco. We hope you enjoy it! If you have questions for Mike or any other member of the Sea Hunters or Shipwreck Central then all you need to do is sign up in the community and ask.
Posted by victoria at 08:29 AM | Comments (0)
April 04, 2005
Christine and Jim's Helicopter Ride
As exciting as it is under the water's of the Strait of Magellan, taking a helicopter ride over those waters is also pretty cool. Then, add to that flight Jim Delgado, and you’ve got a once in a lifetime experience that we are happy to share.
Posted by victoria at 09:15 AM | Comments (0)
April 01, 2005
50 knots = 92.6 kilometer/hour
The Sea Hunters got to experience everything the Straits of Magellan have to offer including the famous bad weather. As a reference for after the video 50 knot winds are consider storm force according to the, Beaufort Wind Scale. Effects observed on land would be very high waves with overhanging crests; sea takes white appearance as foam is blown in very dense streaks; rolling is heavy and visibility is reduced. In fact this speed of wind is seldom experienced inland; trees can be uprooted and considerable structural damage occurs.
Posted by victoria at 02:50 PM | Comments (0)
March 29, 2005
Prepare for a Flood of Video
With the Sea Hunters team well into post production more clips are showing up at Shipwreck Central Headquaters. In the coming days and weeks check Live from the Dive or get our RSS feed so that you will know when the newest clip is posted. If you have questions for the Sea Hunters team or Shipwreck Central post a comment here or in the community. We would love to hear from you.
This video is of the Team on board the Chonos being joined by some fast friends.
Posted by victoria at 12:04 PM | Comments (0)
February 11, 2005
Sea Hunter Suits Up
If you liked the images in the last post take then a look at this video of the divers, down in Chile, trying to get their gear ready and in the water.
Posted by victoria at 02:32 PM | Comments (0)
Suited Up
As the last Sea Hunter arrives home from Chile, more images and video start to appear on SWC. The images below show Mike Fletcher suited up in his dive gear, including a helmet and Doxa watch. Stay tuned for more.
Posted by victoria at 01:00 PM | Comments (0)
January 31, 2005
Releasing the Penguins
The crew has left Punta Arenas and is currently in mid-air, expected to arrive home at their various base camps later today.
Our first attempt at shooting and blogging Live from the Dive was a success, albeit a somewhat mixed one. The video's were pretty awesome but various little snafu's with missing gear, separated crew, and troublesome hotel internet connections meant we weren't able to get up quite as many reports as we would have liked. For a first attempt at it though we take our hats off to Christine, and we can't wait to see the other footage she and Chris Kingston shot for us so we can share it here with you in the coming weeks.
The job sounds like it's a lot of fun, and it is, but it's also one of the toughest ones going, long hours under difficult circumstances doing something that is very rarely done, reporting here back to you "Live from the Dive". One of Christine's many tasks is to take the stack of release forms we gave her and make sure that everyone included in her videos signs one. It's one of the joys of the job, endless paperwork and legal clearances. After watching this clip though we're starting to wonder if maybe we should have been a bit clearer in our instructions regarding releases... No doubt about it, Christine is giving us 300%.
Posted by administrator at 10:57 AM | Comments (0)
January 29, 2005
In Memory of the Officers and Ship's Company of the HMS Doterel
There is a memorial plaque to the Officers and ships company of the HMS Doterel in Punta Arenas.
You can also find a very interesting discussion about the Bibles that were given to the families of the victims, and the fact that the plaque apparently contains some inaccuracies over in the Shipwreck Central discussion forums.
Posted by administrator at 05:45 PM | Comments (0)
The Penguins of Magellan
Our friend, the Penguin.
The Chonos is back in Punta Arenas and Christine has been able to spend time with the Sea Hunters as Mike and Warren made some night dives on the wreck. Their Internet connection closes for the weekend at noon today, (thanks Austro Internet!), but hopefully Christine will have some time to text blog later today and tomorrow from the dial up connection at the hotel.
Earlier in the trip Christine and Jim Delgado had a chance to visit a penguin colony, and in a change of roles it was Marine Biologist Christine who was able to point out some interesting things about the Magellan Penguin to Archaeologist Jim.
Posted by administrator at 05:36 PM | Comments (1)
Take a Bow Warren!
The last couple of days have been full of intense action as the dive of the Doterel winds down. Yesterday, Mike and Warren dove in the afternoon and at night, and again this morning. As chilly (ha ha don't go there) as it is on shore, the weather on the water is unforgiving. Yesterday the divers experienced sun, then rain and finally a pelting hailstorm... this is not a mission for the weak of heart!
Yesterday while prepping for a dive Warren's bottom timer/depth gauge snapped off his wrist and catapulted into the ocean. When scouring the bottom for it a few minutes later, in an exciting turn of events he found the bow of the ship. Francisco, one of Chile's most notable commercial divers and the owner of the Chonos was thrilled with Warren's discovery. To his knowledge, Warren is the first diver to have found the bow of the ship.
Jim was busy conducting his own investigation into the mysterious sinking of the Doterel through interviews and in the Museums of Punta Arenas. When it originally went down here far from it´s British roots, a radical Irish group called the Fenians took credit for the explosion that sank the ship. Jim has made his own exciting discoveries while here however, and the history of this wreck is indeed a tangled web of intrigue. Those details will be revealed in a later episode, friends!
Francisco and his wife Eliana hosted a dinner for the entire crew last night at their beautiful home overlooking the Straits of Magellan. In conversation it came up that their son is a pilot, and ironically he will be the pilot on my Lan Chile flight back to New York Sunday. Maybe I should talk to him about that luggage, I’ve been wearing everybody else’s clothing since we got here.
Keep checking in, we’ve got lots more photos and footage to share from this latest Chilean dive adventure!
Posted by Christine Barker at 04:38 PM | Comments (0)
January 27, 2005
Quick update
Quick note to let you know that Susan (producer linea extraordinaire) and I are off to meet Mike, Warren and Jim as they steer the Chonos into the historic port of Punta Areanas. I´ll be sure to get reports about the wrecks they´ve looked at in the last two days!
Posted by Christine Barker at 08:15 PM | Comments (0)
January 25, 2005
Live Dive Update - Jan. 25, 2005
What a trip. If you've been reading along you are no doubt aware of the "exciting" start we had to this dive. All of our luggage was delayed in Canada due to a wildcat walkout by Air Canada employees. We're happy to report that thanks to the hard work of line producer Susan MacDonald and others, the luggage did arrive very late on Friday night, so work has been proceeding. Not so lucky was Christine Barker, whose own luggage, including some camera gear, was also lost coming from New York in a totally unrelated incident. When it rains...
Mike and Warren Fletcher, (along with Shipwreck Central cameraman and "man about town" Chris Kingston), boarded the "Chonos" and travelled up the west coast of Chile to the location of their first dive target. They have been diving targets along the way and will return to the most promising targets when they come back south to dive the Doterel later this week. The underwater video they are shooting will eventually show up here, but not until Christine has been able to rendezvous with Chris and get some of those tapes. Then of course they have to digitize and upload it to here, so you can expect some dive video later in the week or early next. We'll keep it coming.
Speaking of rendezvous. Today Christine and Jim are making another attempt at meeting the Chonos via helicopter. Unfortunately there is limited space on the boat, so Christine will be returning to Punta Arenas, meeting up with them again when they arrive to dive the Doterel. She has some interesting plans for how to spend those few days, more on that later.
How would you spend a couple of days in Punta Arenas? Feel free to use the comments below to let us know.
Posted by administrator at 04:55 PM | Comments (2)
So Who the Heck is Christine Barker?
As we await new video this afternoon from our intrepid videoblographer Christine Barker, it might be a good time to share with you the video that Christine first sent us as part of her job application.
(It originally had some pretty cool music with it as well, but due to rights restrictions we had to ask Christine to remove it so we could post it here. Just think "Bossa Nova")
You'll be seeing a lot more of Christine from now on, but until then you'll have to make due with this. We think you are going to like her as much as we do.
Posted by administrator at 09:18 AM | Comments (0)
January 24, 2005
Now We're Rolling
Okay, now we´re rollin! The hotel´s internet service couldn´t handle the photos, and the last place I went to only had floppy drives in their PC's (que?). I´m writing from an internet cafe (sans the cafe) across the street from the Museo de Magallenes where Jim is researching the wreck of the Doterel. I´m heading over there after I share some of yesterdays´adventures with you to interview him about his discoveries there.
Jim and I headed to the airport yesterdy to board a helicopter which was to take us to meet Mike and Warren aboard the Chonos. The plan was to land on the shore of the Straights of Magellan, where Mike would retrieve us by Zodiac. We got a taste of why the region has such a formidable reputation....forty minutes into our helicopter ride Mike called the pilot´s cell phone from a satellite phone aboard the Chonos and directed the pilot to turn back.
Though the weather appeared alright where we were, further down the straights the wind, waves and rain were gale force. It´s exactly this reason that the Straights of Magellan and the Cape Horn passage are infamous among mariners and home to countless wrecks. Even here in Punta Arenas, we´ve seen the wind pick up considerable force in a matter of minutes in the few days we´ve been here.
Mike called this morning at 5:30 am. We were up and ready to go, but he determined that tomorrow the weather should be more suitable for the helicopter trip to meet the Chonos. He and Warren have been diving wrecks along the Straights en route to the wreck of the Doterel.
Yesterday was actually my first ride in a helicopter, and it was great. I saw no less that five rainbows appear over the straights, it was an exciting ride.
Off to the Museum to meet up with Jim Delgado!
Posted by administrator at 09:55 PM | Comments (0)
January 22, 2005
Helicopter Ride Tomorrow
What a great day! I picked up Jim Delgado from the airport and he and I will be joining Mike and Warren on the Chonos tomorrow via a helicopter drop off on the banks of the Straights of Magellan. They´ve been navigating the Straights, diving various shipwrecks as they make their way to the Doterel.
Jim brought me to a beautiful tea clipper beached on on the straights about an hour north of Punta Arenas. The Ambassador was a tea clipper built in the spirit of the Cutty Sark. The wreck sits like a majestic monument to the past, I was amazed at how much Jim could tell just by looking at it. The footage from that will be up soon, keep a eye out for it! I didn´t want him to leave the area without seeing it´s most charming inhabitants, the Maggellenic penguins, so the Oslo Notway adventure will be up as soon as I can find an ethernet connection in the Southern most city of continental America!
Did I mention that Americana music outdated by twenty years is all you hear here in Punta Arenas? Quite a blast from the past...I feel like I´m six years old again :). Susan and I passed a karaoke bar today, maybe we can get our musical sound man John to sing us a song when he gets back form the Doterel dive!
Logging off, your faithful Videoblographer,
Christine
Posted by Christine Barker at 08:32 PM | Comments (0)
January 20, 2005
Welcome to Punta Arenas
After a relatively uneventful passage to Santiago, all hell broke loose. At approximately the same time yesterday evening, I boarded a flight to Punta Arenas, concerned that the rest of the crew was conspicuously missing from the flight. At the same time, somewhere else in the twilight zone vortex that is the Santiago airport, the rest of the crew was boarding a plane to Punta Arenas and wondering what had happened to me.
Why there were two planes to the same destination at the same gate numbers but on different floors remains mysterious, as does the ongoing mystery of the whereabouts of my luggage.
I grabbed a cab from the aero Puerto to meet the crew at our hotel after we just missed each other at the airport (I know this because two members late reported seeing a woman dressed just like me and wearing the same clothes. At the time, they commented that the woman looked like me...it was me). I entered the cab to a blaring Spanish rendition of the Captain and Tennille’s "Love will Keep us Together". Toni screaming¨"I will, I will I wiiiiill...." was replaced by "Yo soy, yo soy, yo sooooooy......" Perhaps it was the sleep deprivation from traveling 26 hours straight but I found it very amusing.
I arrived at the hotel moments later just thrilled to finally meet Mike, Warren, and the rest of the crew. My flight blunder was topped by the fact that the airlines had misplaced all sixteen cases of the film equipment that should have left Halifax. Susan had already leaped into action and was making calls to trace the equipment. Without it, our shoot is shut down. I met the Sea Hunters crew in the midst of madness, after all having traveled far, and it was clear to me that I am joining a great and capable crew of people. Amidst it all they were cheerful and composed. Nothing like a crisis to see the salt of a Sea Hunter.
Posted by Christine Barker at 09:35 PM | Comments (0)
Luggage Woes Explained - Wildcat Strike
A wildcat strike by Air Canada employees in Toronto is apparently the reason we have no luggage. How long before Air Canada has no passengers?
Posted by administrator at 10:04 AM | Comments (0)
More Luggage Woes
We heard from Christine last night at 10:55 pm AST, 11:55 in Punta Arenas, and the luggage woes continue. Not only are the Sea Hunters looking for 16 bags of camera equipment and dive gear that apparently never left Halifax, Christine is also looking for her own bags that never made it to Punta Arenas. This morning they were scheduled to unpack the gear and get down to "Chonos", the boat they've chartered. Something tells me that the morning is going to be spent doing triage and tracking down luggage. We'd love to be able to share some of John Davis's thoughts here, but unfortunately most of them are unprintable. You've gotta love it. Hopefully Christine can get her hands on the powerbook and camera that we sent down for her, and be able to report here herself soon. Do you have any lost luggage stories of your own? Feel free to use the comments area below to share them.
Posted by administrator at 12:55 AM | Comments (0)
January 19, 2005
The Bag Hunters
Well we told you it was going to be exciting, but we were hoping it wouldn't be this exciting.
We have learned by phone that the Sea Hunters have arrived at the Santiago airport, but 16 bags of luggage and equipment have not. We won't name the offending airline, but it rhymes Air Canada.
As you can imagine this throws a major wrench into our plans, but this isn't the first time this has happened to the Sea Hunters, and with the amount of travel we do it probably won't be the last. If you want a lesson in how a documentary production team triumphs in the face of adversity you've come to the right place.
The team is now on a 5-hour milk-run flight from Santiago to Punta Arenas, the base for this expedition, and will be checking in to their hotel well after midnight. At least they don't have to worry about excess baggage costs, or finding the time to unpack.
We can't wait to get Christine's report., at least her camera and laptop were taken as carry on.
Posted by administrator at 05:49 PM | Comments (0)
Hello from Santiago
(Christine Barker left from New York last night and will be joining up with the Sea Hunters at the Santiago Airport today. When they do get together Christine will be handed the LiveDive Powerbook and the rest of the Videoblographer gear, which will allow her to post here directly. Until then, here is an email we just received from Christine.)
Hello!
I'm in Santiago airport waiting for the Sea Hunters!
Packing, as you know, is an underestimated skill. It is decidedly an art that I have yet to master. I realized in the "limo" to the airport that I had neglected to pack a hairbrush or a strap for my sunglasses. I use the term limo loosely...it was a classic NYC version, rattling, circa 1970, cigarette holes in the velour burgundy upholstery...you get the picture.
The thing with etickets as that they really give you very little information. As my eticket said I was to be on an American Airlines flight, I foolishly went to the AA international departures terminal. Having been victimized at JFK before, I asked the limo driver to wait while I went to check if we were indeed at the right terminal. Note to self....check terminal first, pay limo driver after. Yup, wrong terminal, no driver.
It's wonderful that in the renovated terminals of JFK you can buy booze, makeup, perfume, Swarvoski crystals, an entire iZod wardrobe and a large bronze cast replica of Jane Poupelet´s sculpture "woman bathing", but God help you if you want to buy a hairbrush. Or sunglass straps. I've lost more sunglasses leaning over the sides of boats...I dread that blopblupe sound they make as they disappear into the sea.
So I've been on two planes so far, and each time when we landed, albeit shakily, people clapped. Did they expect it not to land? The planes did seem a little ancient, there were ashtrays in the bathrooms. Really. And the Chilean immigration card asks you very few things, but they want to know your marital status (que?) and what you do for a living. Oddly, I did not tempt fate by writing "Videoblographer".
I´ll go write my bio now and send that off later.
Ciao!!
Christine
Posted by administrator at 04:06 PM | Comments (0)
November 25, 2004
Target: HMS Doterel, Location: Straits of Magellan
The Sea Hunters have confirmed the location and target for their first expedition of 2005. This January the Sea Hunters will travel to the rugged and stunning Southern reaches of the planet, dive wrecks from different centuries, travel the winding channels and inlets surrounding the Straits of Magellan and visit the 120 year old wreck of HMS "Doterel" to see the story it has to tell about the explosion that killed 143 men and took a new British Corvette to an untimely grave.
For more information on HMS Doterel find her on the Interactive Map.
Also on the map: the wreck of her sister ship HMS Phoenix.
Posted by victoria at 11:31 AM | Comments (0)
