Since Beaufort North Carolina got blown and I figured that none of the East Coast boats were getting out either, I decided to book 2 spots with Sea And Sky Charters out of Prescott, Ontario Canada. Sine my good friend and usual dive buddy Uptown Jim Brown had to cancel to pack and move I had to either find a "new sucker to put up with me" and accompany me or make the journey myself. So I called my new friend Jim "Big Jim Wabank" Brubaker [BJW]. He eagerly accepted not knowing how hard it is to deal with me for an extended amount of time and we were off to Canada on Friday [Sept12] around 12:30ish!! We arrived in Prescott around 6:30, thanks to my lead foot and V8 Magnum Durango!!!


Saturday 13th
We showed up at the Rockport at 8:00 am and loaded our gear. We found out there was only 5 divers other than ourselves and that they were all Tri-Mix divers. Tom Knott from New Jersey, Nelson Perry from Massachusetts, Jeff Szurkowski from Illinois, Tony Balzano from Illinois and Brooks Mitchell from Vermont. After we met everyone we realized BJW forgot his birth certificate at the hotel. So I had to make the usual 45 minute drive in about 30 minutes so we could still leave by 9:30! I made it, but just barely! and we were off to the Oconta!

The Oconta
A wreck that is very seldom dove due to its depth and current, it was believed to be 140' at the bow and 180' at the stern. The only marker for it was a big concrete abutment and the only direction was to follow a v-shaped contour down. Well once we were in the water BJW decided he didn't like the current, not that I can blame him, it was very swift. I found the contour and headed down the wall like Spiderman, but was blown off the wall around 130' I got back on the wall [no small feat] but I must have passed the wreck above it. I descended to 165' but never saw it. I ended up drifting about 50yds down from the boat. They already had the chase Zodiac down to chase another diver and came to get me. I had to take all my gear off and load it in the Zodiac before I could get in, not to easy to accomplish! But back on the boat safely. Only 2 of the 7 divers saw the wreck. Total run time 47 mins with a max depth of 166' on 21%, with a deco mix of 64%.

A.E. Vickery
Our second dive of the day was the A.E. Vickery, it was located just across the shipping channel from the Oconta. It is an intact wooden wreck running from 65' down to about 115' in a really swift current. We moored to a buoy and dropped in the water to a shelf about 30' deep. We then headed out to the edge of the shelf, where could see the wreck straight ahead about 30' away. The trick was to leap of the shelf and "kick as fast as hell" to grab the wreck before you were swept past it. It was quite the ride. But once on the wreck you dip inside it and get out of the current. I got some decent pics and explored all the "nooks and crannies". I also took a few macro shots of Zebra Mussels that came out pretty well, for all those who never saw them. Then it was the ride back to the shelf to exit up the down line. Total run time 50 mins with a max depth of 115' on 21% and no deco mix.


Sunday 14th
We ended up leaving the dock in Brockville around 8:30, fully geared. Our first dive was only 10 mins away. We decided to leave early to get an early start home after diving that day. The 6 1/2 hour drive home is long after a full day of diving.

J.B. King
Sunday we were introduced to a new way to enter the water - a "livedrop." This involved the boat going upcurrent and floating down and when everyone is up and ready you jump in the water one after the other while the boat is moving, quite fun!!!! We dropped in and as luck would have it, the current ripped my mask off my head. As I popped back up, I yelled and they threw me another one out of my box [a good reason to always have 2 masks with you]! After putting it on, I found my first mask on rocks about 20' deep! BJW was kind enuff to keep it in his drysuit pocket for me!! We "spiderman-ed" our way down the rocks to the wreckage that started around 100' and extended down to 150'. I dropped down to the bottom and there were huge pieces of wreckage everywhere. The way they fell left small passages inside the huge piles. But I did not enter any, they didn't look totally safe. I wish I would have taken my camera on that wreck, 50-60 of viz and light as bright as day on the bottom. A wreck well worth seeing, if you are up for the depth! Total run time 43 mins with a max depth of 151' on 21% with a 64% deco mix.

Lillie Parsons
This is one my favorite dives in Canada and regular for most trips. We parked on the island and Tom Knott who did not dive the JB King decided he wanted to dive earlier and not wait out our surface interval. So we lowered the Zodiac and for whatever reason Kevin [the Owner and Captain] decided to let me livedrop Tom off the Zodiac. What a fun idea that was! We circled the island and we drifted east of the wreck, Tom dropped over and I drove back. Kinda anti-climatic but fun since I never did it before and I didn't screw it up, who would have imagined that!!!! We did the usual dive on this wreck. We live dropped and descended to the wreck. Made out way to the stern and up into the wreck. I took some pics and headed to the bow. I then turned and headed aft to the stern when I met Jeff coming my way. A very tight squeeze for 2 divers not trying to kick up the bottom or top. But we made it and I was out and down the masts. I shot a few pics and circled the wreck again so I could drift down the inverted hull and down the river to the exit point. Great dive as always!! Total run time 63 mins with a max depth of 78' on 21% and no deco mix.

ALL IN ALL A GREAT DVING WEEKEND and I would recommend St Lawrence diving to anyone. There are many diff skill level of wrecks to dive and many new experiences for newer divers. I am heading back up in October the weekend of 24-26th to dive the Eastcliffe Hall. The Eastcliffe Hall is a 350' steel freighter that lies in 70' of water with a very swift current. Anyone interested drop me an email or if you just want general info I am always willing to help, but Dennie Leese is probably a better source of info than me, since he has been diving there longer!!! AND A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL!!!