The Accident of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a famous ship wreckage that has brought to life a beautiful marine park. It is just one of one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its unfortunate story continues to interest and astound us.


Captain Woolley chose the closest path to open sea through the channel between Dead Chest Island and Black Rock Factor on Salt Island. As Rhone occurred to come close to the factor the tail end of the cyclone threw her onto the rocks.

The History
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships quit consistently at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move travelers and cargo in between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had actually been advised by a going down barometer that a storm was coming, but thinking that the storm period was over, he chose to stay at Great Harbour for the transfer with another RMS ship, Conway.

Equally as they were passing Black Rock Factor between Salt and Dead Chest islands, the weather instantly transformed instructions. The preliminary lurch captured the Rhone on her side and she wrecked versus the rocky reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which remains dirtied in the reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreck is currently a prominent dive site, home to a fascinating selection of aquatic life. Lots of people agree that a full expedition of the website requires two different dives, as the bow and demanding sections are spread out apart at various depths.

The Wreck
The Rhone relaxes underneath the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a celebrated dive website today. Visitors can explore the extremely intact bow section, see where scenes from the 1977 movie The Deep were fired, and swim under the stern near its huge 15 foot prop. This brimming aquatic park is a tip of the delicate balance in between guy and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Roadway Harbor, the wind and waves shifted and he decided to attempt to beat the coming close to storm out right into the open sea. He guided the ship to Black Rock Point between Dead Upper Body and Golden-haired Rock, a set of rough pinnacles rising from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the inbound tide speaking to the hot boilers creating an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still connected to their beds.

Snorkeling
One of one of the most well-known wreckage dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly explore much of the Rhone by merely floating on a mask and breathing via the sea. The deeper bow area is especially well-preserved, a kaleidoscope of orange mug corals including yellowtail snapper, sennets and jacks. It's likewise where scenes from the 1977 best yachting destinations for couples flick The Deep were shot.

The stern and stomach are much more separated, but they supply a haunting look of a previous age. Divers must plan on a minimum of two dives to completely experience the Rhone, especially given that visibility can occasionally be challenging. Emphasizes include the fortunate porthole, which divers scrub for good luck, and the popular bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is an iconic view in the BVI and is a must-see for any diving or boating lover. The ship is open to the general public for exploration, and several regional dive watercrafts go to daily. The Rhone is secured by the National Park Solution, and entry is at no cost.

Diving
Among the Caribbean's most well known wreckage dives, Rhone is a sought after website for its historical appeal and bristling marine life. It's open and fairly safe, making it appropriate for scuba divers of all experience levels.

The tale behind the wreckage is terrible: as she was moving passengers to one more ship, Conway, at Roadway Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Point and encountered it at full speed. Warm boilers shattered versus cold salt water and took off, sending the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in minutes. Only 23 of the 146 individuals aboard survived. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.

The wreckage split in two when it sank, and the bow section drifted to much deeper waters, while the strict worked out at regarding 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in coral and populated by aquatic life, including institutions of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes at the very least two dives to explore the whole wreckage, though, because the bow and strict areas are separated by regarding 100 feet of water.