The Accident of the Rhone
The RMS Rhone is a famous ship wreckage that has actually given birth to a stunning aquatic park. It is among one of the most popular dives in the Caribbean. Its awful tale continues to amaze and astound us.


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

The History
During the yellow fever epidemic of the 1860s, transatlantic passenger ships quit regularly at Roadway Harbour, Tortola and Great Harbour on Peter Island to move guests and freight between them. Master Frederick Woolley of the Rhone had been warned by a going down measure that a tornado was coming, however believing that the typhoon season mored than, he determined to remain at Great Harbour for the transfer with one more RMS ship, Conway.

Just as they were passing Black Rock Point in between Salt and Dead Upper body islands, the climate unexpectedly altered direction. The initial stumble captured the Rhone on her side and she shattered against the rocky coral reef. Tale has it that Captain Wooley was utilizing a silver teaspoon (which continues to be dirtied in the coral reefs today) to stir his cup of tea at the time. The wreckage 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 apart at various depths.

The Wreck
The Rhone relaxes under the warm clear waters of the Caribbean Sea and is a well known dive website today. Site visitors can check out the remarkably undamaged bow area, see where scenes from the 1977 film The Deep were fired, and swim under the demanding near its large 15 foot prop. This bursting marine park is a reminder of the fragile balance between male and nature.

On 29th October 1867 as Captain Wooley was preparing to anchor the Rhone in Road Harbor, the wind and waves changed and he made a decision to try to defeat the approaching storm out into the ocean blue. He steered the ship to Black Rock Point in between Dead Chest and Blond Rock, a set of rocky peaks rising up from the water. The ship struck the rocks and sank in two areas with the cold water of the incoming trend calling the hot central heating boilers triggering an explosion and sinking the vessel with all 123 guests still tied to their beds.

Snorkeling
Among one of the most famous wreckage st martin sailing itinerary dives in the Caribbean, snorkelers can quickly discover much of the Rhone by just 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 also where scenes from the 1977 flick The Deep were shot.

The stern and stomach are more separated, but they supply a haunting peek of a past age. Divers must plan on at the very least two dives to totally experience the Rhone, especially given that exposure can occasionally be difficult. Emphasizes include the fortunate porthole, which divers massage permanently luck, and the renowned bronze propeller. The rusting skeletal system of the Rhone is a renowned view in the BVI and is a must-see for any type of diving or boating fanatic. The ship is open to the public for expedition, and many neighborhood dive boats check out daily. The Rhone is protected by the National forest Solution, and entryway is free of charge.

Diving
One of the Caribbean's most popular wreck dives, Rhone is a desirable site for its historic attraction and brimming aquatic life. It's open and relatively risk-free, making it suitable for divers of all experience degrees.

The story behind the accident is unfortunate: as she was transferring guests to another ship, Conway, at Road Harbour on Tortola, Rhone rounded Black Rock Factor and ran into it at full speed. Warm central heating boilers smashed versus cool seawater and blew up, sending out the Rhone crashing right into the rocks and sinking in mins. Only 23 of the 146 people aboard endured. Their bodies were buried on Salt Island.

The accident split in two when it sank, and the bow area drifted to deeper waters, while the demanding settled at about 80 feet. Both are swallowed up in reefs and occupied by aquatic life, consisting of schools of yellowtail snappers, sennets, jacks and grunts. It takes a minimum of 2 dives to discover the entire accident, however, since the bow and demanding areas are divided by about 100 feet of water.