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Scapa Flow Wreck Heaven
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With 15m Visibility on average, these historically important intact remains of the scuttled German Fleet of U-boats, steamers, tugs and Churchill's extraordinary 'Blockships' is within most divers top FIVE dive sites worldwide to dive. Suitable for both Recreational Divers with Advanced (30m) and Deep certification (40m), And also suitable for Technical Divers or Rebreather Divers.
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Liveaboard @£490 Half Board Twin Share
Scapa Dive report
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£490 includes; Acommodation on board, Breakfast, Lunch, 12L tanks, weights, air fills, 6 days diving with 2 dives a day, gas mixes and nitrox as extra paid on board. FB Option @£561 includes all of the above plus a 3 course evening meal. Please specify which option you require.
Non Club Members Rate Supplement £40
Extras;
Nitrox and Trimix extra.
Twinset £call per week,
3 Litre Pony £call per week,
5/7 Litre side mounts £call per week. (Please pre-book twins and side mounts). If you have your own SS Bands this is another option of twinning, tank numbers permitting. Tech and Rebreather courses available before or on trip and on request. Flights to Scapa via Glasgow to Kirkwall cost around £150. Driving will involve 750 miles and then a ferry to Stromness.
We will arrive on board day before diving commences and dive from the Sunday 26th August - Friday 7h September (6 Days). We can then have a return flight on the saturday late afternoon/evening or take the ferry from Stromness to Scrabster to collect your car that was parked for a week. Or stay in a B&B Saturday, enjoy Stomness for another day and fly on the sunday. The dives on the last day will be scheduled to take into account of 24hrs or more before we fly back.
Her vital statistics.
Construction – Larch on Oak
Length – 22.1m
Beam – 6.3m
Draft – 3.2m
Gross tonnage – 167 tonnes
Displacement – 53 tonnes
Fuel capacity – 12,000 litres
Water capacity – 6000 litres
240v Generators - 3
Main engine – 500hp Cummins Diesel
Auxiliary engine - 20hp Lister
Range – 3000km
Compressor 1 – 24cft Hamworthy
Compressor 2 – 12cft Hamworthy
Wheelhouse equipment
Olex plotting computer
Searchlight scanning sonar
Su 1019 look down sonar
Simrad c-map plotter
GPS x 3
Four VHF radios
Navtext - Nav warning receiver
Navitron Autopilot with GPS gyro compass
Furuno 24 mile Radar
Accomodation
The Valkyrie in her previous days as a trawler had a large fish hold to store ice and her catch. This was converted into six cabins which are accessed via the lounge area. Each cabin has two full size single bunks fitted with new memory foam mattresses in 2008. A small sink with hot and cold running water, a heater and two charging sockets and every bunk has a small reading light and main light.
All bunks come with a duvet and all bedding, plus two pillows. A small towel is also provided.
The lounge is situated midships and is accessed via a door into the shelter deck. It has seating with lockers underneath, a large widescreen television, DVD player, stereo, a large selection of DVD’s and books and a large table.
 
The galley is situated at the stern and is accessed via a watertight door on either side. It has two refrigerators, a cooker, microwave and the all important hot water urn which is on all day for as many cups of tea as you can drink. One huge table allows all 12 divers to eat at the same time in comfort.
There are two toilets (proper loos, not marine heads), one in the shelter deck, one on the port side. Two showers are also fitted, one below decks in the accommodation, the other with the port side loo, both are electric showers.
The boat sources most of their ingredients fresh each day and try to use local suppliers for their vegetables and meat. Indeed, their lamb, pork, eggs and venison (yes venison) are all bred by them on their farm on the mainland of Orkney or from other local producers.
Meals tend to be large and filling, with the evening meal being two courses. Typical meals are:
Home bred venison, diced into chunks cooked in rich red wine and caramelised onion gravy, served with seasonal vegetables and creamy mash.
Shepherds pie made with home bred Orkney lamb, Orkney potatoes and topped with Orkney cheese, served with vegetables.
Made from scratch Thai Green curry, with lemongrass, nam pla, palm sugar and coconut milk.
Chilli con carne, a rich smoky sauce (not too hot) with lots of Orkney beef, chilli beans and diced peppers.
Chicken breasts stuffed with smoked cheese, diced spring onions and topped with bacon. Served with a creamy leek and mushroom sauce and tagliatelle.
Baked lime cheesecake, made with mascarpone cheese, double cream and fresh limes.
Banoffee pie 2 inches thick, loaded with cream and chocolate shavings.
Chocolate cheesecake. Should possibly be illegal. Made with mascarpone cheese, best quality dark chocolate, double cream, sugar and bourbon biscuits. A secret ingredient makes it even more indulgent and possibly a touch fattening.
Travelling to Scapa and Orkney
This is the most popular and most practical way to get to Orkney, by ferry. The route is Scrabster to Stromness. It is adviseable to book in advance.
Tel: 01856 851144
email: info@northlinkferries.co.uk
website: www.norhtlinkferries.co.uk
There are a number of other less convenient ways to get this far north, including fly take the train. Or even combine the two as the train journey from Scotland can be much cheaper than the second flight up. The best source of info is Orkney Tourist Board website. www.visitorkney. |
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Scapa Flow has been used as an anchorage since the days of the Vikings, and through two world wars. Situated on the north East coast of Scotland it is a large expanse of water surrounded by a ring of Islands known as the Orkney Isles. Scapa Flow is a natural harbour providing shelter to the worse of the weather, being blown out on a dive is rare, and Scapa Flow is with out doubt the finest wreck diving location in the UK. And here's why
On the 21st June 1919 Admiral Von Reuter ordered the high seas German Fleet to scuttle. This consisted of 74 ships being sent to the depths of Scapa Flow, 10 battle ships 6 battle cruisers 8 light cruisers and 50 destroyers. Out of the 74 ships 52 went to the bottom and 22 were beached or saved by armed naval boarding parties. Salvage operations by Messrs Cox and Danks and later by Metal Industries ltd and Scapa Salvage raised 45 ships.
The German fleet wrecks are great diving no doubt of that but that's not all what Scapa is about we have scrap sites from previously salvaged ships we have block ships in shallow fast tidal waters, wrecks like the Gobernador Bories a Chilean registered steamer sunk in Burra Sound in 1915 is the one for the photographer, this wreck is just teaming with life, the large Ballen and Cuckoo Wrasse really do expect to be fed with sea urchins from visiting divers, honest if you don't feed them they'll bite you. The average depth of this dive is around 15 meters, and the viz well, check it out.
There are seven ships from the fleet which are S.M.S Kronprinz, Koing, Markgraf, Dresden, Brummer, Karlsuhe, and Koln.
There is alot to dive and more than the German Fleet, from single cylinder air divers to deep mixed gas techie. Dive with the seals or a scenic drift around the Old Man of Hoy. |
The famous Seven Scapa Wrecks
| 1. *HB - Accom Twin Share cabin, Breakfast, Lunch, 6 days diving, air fills, tanks, weights |
£490 |
| 2. *FB - Accom Twin Share Cabin, Breakfast, Lunch, 3 Course dinner, 6 days diving, air fills, tanks, weights. |
£561 |
| Deposit per person will hold your space - required now |
£200 |
| Balance Due by 10 weeks before |
£290/£361 |
| *HB and FB costs will be finalised and could be subject to change. |
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Please contact us for more details.
Minimum diver qualification; Advanced Open Water with 20+ logged dives with Deep Diver Specialty
Specialy courses can be taught on trip i.e PADI Deep, Wreck, Enriched Air, Peak Performance Bouyancy, Boat, Drift and more.
Also Advanced Nitrox, Deco Procedures and Extended Range.
We advice you to have completed either a scuba review with us or have completed several practice dives before the trip. |
