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Within an hour'sdrive of Boston,divers can explore wrecks and rocky drop-offsin the chillywater$ off Cape Ann. sv roM KEER
] TF Y O U , V E N E V E R riibeen diving off the coastof Massachusetts, the water that washesdown your spinewill seemnumbi n g l y c o l d - e v e n i n s u m m e r ,s u r f a c e water temps only get into the 6os. But afterthat initial rush, you can go about the businessat hand,becausein Gloucester and Rockport, Mass., collectively known as Cape Ann, there are dozensof (lt TJ fi 1J
optionsfor divers. The z5-mileCapeAnn coastlineis one of the Northeast'sfinest dive spots, and
i n g n o r ' e a s t e r s s, t r o n g c u r r e n t s a n d harshwinterstake their toll on Cape Ann wrecks, thesetwo, the oil tanker Chester Poling and trawler Nina T, are still in good shape. featuresrocks, ledges,reefsand inshore The ChesterPollngsankduring a januislandsthat appealto photographers,wreck junkiesand diversjustlookingto explore. i ary rg77 storm that split the hull in half and pushedthe sternsectioninshoreand the bow sectionseveralmiles offshore.I like the sterndive for its easyentranceand exit points.The steelhull hasn'tcorroded, C A P E A N N ' S R U G G E D t e r r a i nh a s and all the work machinery,namelychafclaimed hundreds of wrecks over the ing gearandwinches,is intact.Most o{ the past few centuries.Most wooden ships ship hasbeen salvagedoverthe years,but are now debris on the seafloor,but two
i The Wrecks
popular dives some8oo yards southwest of Gloucester'sEasternPoint are simple workboatsgone awry. Though pound-
personalartifactsare still found in the silt basin.An underwatergardenof kelp and seaanemoneshas formed on the Poling's
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Drive&Dive
DIVE CONDITIONS:
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*f Yanksediv*rs, the wiltlr is fi:rc-*.ii Tnrrn lnrelsui.tlarr tl'renc,rrnfirl sprinq, sum*rer *ncJ l'*ll diving. Dry *rils g*f ih* *w.I ir fh* wini:er; hut rnrnel clive,'rsrvr*rltlrr:rn y*er..rr:,unr:]ln thi,r rprirrg;,tonri:s ;rrc,in tiin 4(Ictfl liiils,ir the *urn. ln+i, in tlr* liil* f,::6ils,lnri in the {ali drt:6:tr,: iJr* 4fls;rnr 50s. Vl*ihiilty ru*r::h*s5fl l'qr*tin ifr+; '!5 c":nlctr+r tr: ii5 {ce{ in s,Lrffin"rer, nrnnths nnr f iclallari.lti*ru iril'edrolifici 10 fect dnrir:q quart*i nru#rrsanrJilp f$ l:i irr*[ durinLl 'fuil;lrrd neu,rrr{:r"rnsl)i$e *rr::r.rrrrJ tire high*r rvat*rmarlcr;rnr"^l entrlr an h*rrr hnforerhifih t;d$ nnctr*xit at sl*ck )rrEhticln wlr*n ttr"rcr:til"r'r:rnt is the 5o{iqst. W,rlclr thu {ci,urrru;ltc lcnqth cychirjorifl !v!ii\1e ii{:|}E}1rH[i*s|ir1lltlyl;rtc1*ttl,rnuxJ]r}|,Q5|,'rncigtlfin r.:an[.r* tricky, hnf lhey'll [rr;,th* rr,{1r:il:iJl $iil{";l{ tid+, whr:n i:hr: .$llr/r*{:r.rrrenlsi u,/;llflr isn"t rnc,viilc.|. WRECK
DIVING:
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;rnci i\in*r T: fiap* Arur Diver* {www.capeanndivers.corn) *ud []r:derr*;r Lliver:; ' www. und erseadiv e rs.com t {.-apcArin ["]rvrrr rr,tl'rc*:lcr*cttt$ 'sllthe spr:tr, ,:rrrcl nii tillii ,:c'rt lii,!.lillth u[h+dLil,j$r;:n lttl t,:,uttdun t.ltrlir ;rod th:llir[rc,uitr.Ji,ro sh*ps rll'{rl'rcrtal c"1u;rr, sr: i{ yt:u'r* tr;veling i'll*nr:, w*rll lil+s. Th*y;rlsr:rr:l{,:lrlr*r*;rt*il tll+r*r *"iivr*1, il:'*+:,;*sy ln ;.:airup u""ith;r ryr+lrp W E B E X C L U S I V E f i l r t l r : l oq L l rA , ; r r $ rFl , : r r l l sv' i d * u t r r r i i c t, r i h l t mVL.)"5ti|1nn 14srK+:+,rl; Tlr+ Le*gil:yft| th* {:h#s;l#rPrilinil" atwww. scubadiving.com/bonus-capeann
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catwalk,while healthypopulationsof fish, including cod, pollock,fluke and flounder,are reliablyfound here.The
Winches remainon the deck, and vises in the stern.
Poling restsupright in 95 feet of water on a sandand silt bottom. The Nina T is a scuttled fishing trawler, deliberatelysunk by divers in 1997.Its wooden hull is showing signsof deterioration,but on my last dive its mast was still erect, covered with barnaclesand mussels,and there
The ShoreDives
arepurple seastarsand yellow anemones galore.The aft deck is open and entranceto the wheelhouseis simple.
THERE ARE DOZENS of earmarked shore dive sites:Pick an interesting spot, get out and dive. Common activitiesarelobstering,reef or wall diving, and underwaterphotography. Two Cape Ann shoredives, CathedralRocks and Folly Cove, offer a bit of everything. CathedralRocksin Rockport offers
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a dramaticdrop-off to 75 feet.Lobstering is goodto excellent,and you'll find blackfish,stripedbass,pollock and bluefishswimmingaround.Barnacles, mussels,seastarsand variouscolored a n e m o n e sc l i n g t o t h e r o c k s . T h e green,brown and red seaweeds,and knonedwrack and rockweedfound at everydepth add a lot of color. The walk from the parking area t o t h e w a t e ri s n t l o n g . b u t c a r r y i n g tanks and weight belts make the dive bettersuitedto thosein good physical condition.Entrancesand exits are off the rocks.Look for a breakin thc rocks and ledges.Stepto the edgeof the rock, wait for the water to quiet down, and makea giant-strideentrance.Quickly swim away from shoreso the following wave set doesn'tknock you back. The entrancesaren'tdifficult,they just requiresometiming; that said,the dive is better suited to divers with at least intermediatelevelskills.Winds under rSknots and quartermoon tides make for softer surges,and currents run north to south. Commerciallobster boatsrun alongthe deep-wateredges, sobe sureto fly your flag. At Rockport's Folly Cove the cove cuts in aroundthe jaggedshoreline, and there'sa rocky beach that divers use for entriesand exits. The current slowsin thc protectedcove,and many dive shopsusethis sitefor certification dives.With the slowercurrent comes o u t s t a n d i n gs e a l i f e . I n t h e s a n d y centerof the covearehorseshoecrabs, sanddollars,skatesand evena torpedo ray or two. (Avoid thc ray; they deliver a zzo-vohshock.)I usuallysnorkelto the northwestpoint of the covewhere the drop-off slopesto depthsof about 40 |eet. Here you'll find abundant marine life, with brown, green and red seaweedand rockweed,sponges, urchins,lobsters,crabsand schoolsof fish,most notablytautog, stripedbass and pollock @
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obtained oriorto deoarture. . Hâ‚Źalth Risks: T h e r e a r e a n u m b e r o f h e a l t h r i s k sa s s o c i ated with travelto Indonesiaand precautions should be taken at least three weeks before departing. Malariais a year-roundriskexcept in Jakarta, other large cities and the tourist resorts of Java and Bali. The dengue fever mosquito is found throughout Indonesiaand t h e r e i s a s i g n i f i c a n t i n c r e a s ei n r e p o r t e d c a s e so f d e n g u e f e v e r t h r o u g h o u t a l l t h e country's provinces during the rainy season. Visitorsto Java and Sumatra are advised to e n s u r ea l l p o l i o i n o c u l a t i o n sa r e u p t o d a t e before travel. Outbreaks of bird flu have also occurred. Travelers are not at risk, but are advised to avoid close contact with caged, domestic and wild birds. and ensurethat all eggs or poultry dishes are thoroughly cooked as a precaution.Travelers'diarrheais a major risk;visitorsshould drink only bottled water and avoid dairy products, uncooked m e a t , s a l a d sa n d u n p e e l e d f r u i t . T h e s t a n dard of local medical care is poor and very e x p e n s i v e .l t i s e s s e n t i a lt h a t y o u t a k e o u t f u l l m e d i c a l a n d t r a v e l i n s u r a n c ec o v e r i n g all eventualities.A tetanus booster is recommended for alltravelers to tsunami-affected a r e a si n I n d o n e s i aa n d a n y c o u n t r y ,i f t h e i r last immunizationwas five or more yearsago. No vaccinesare required if arriving from the U . S .o r c e n t r a l E u r o p e . M a l a r i ai s e n d e m i c i n R a j aA m p a t , a n d n e c e s s a r yp r e c a u t i o n s MASS. , P. 21 .Shore Diving:How to get to Cathedral
should be taken. For the latest information
DRfVE & DIVE: CAPE ANN,
o n m a l a r i ap r o p h y l a c t i c s ,c o n s u l t a d o c t o r
Roqks:Take Rte. 128N through Blackburnand then through Grant Circle.At the light, take a left
who specializesin travel medicine. Also rec-
turn onto Rte. 127 to Rockport.At the 5 Corner intersection,stay on 127 by turning left. Follow
ommended but not required are vaccines
127 for about two miles, and turn right onto PhillipsAve. Continue straight to Cathedral Ave.
against hepatitis A and B.
Parkingis unrestricted,but limited. lt! best to stay on the public area of the street, and outside the landowners' private property signs on each side ofthe entry area. . How to get to Folly Cove: Take Rte. 128N to Grant Circle (the first rotary,at the Friendly's).Takethe third exit from the rotary,onto Rte. 127. After driving about five miles on 127, you'll passPlum Cove, Lanesville and signs for Annisquam Village. Folly Cove is on your left. There is a small parking area near
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the granite bench. . More Info: To get more informationon other shore dive sites closeto Cape Ann, check out www.shorediving.com. r Wreck Diving: For do-it-yor.rrself boat owners: Chester Poling stern, LaVLon: 42-34.25N/7O-40-15W; Nina I Lat/Lon: 42-34.133N/7O-40.522W. o On the web: Check out Dave Clancy! excellent site "Hunting New England Shipwrecks"at www. wreckhunter.net.o Lobsters and shellfish: lf you wantto hunt lobsters and shellfish,you must have a permit, and you'll need a gauge. Permits are availableonline through the Department of Fish and Wildlife, www.sport.state.ma.us.Individualregulationsapply to hard-shelledclams (littlenecks,cherrystones,quahogs and sea clams)as well as to scallops.
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