“Lockdown Lusitania 2020” - A special shared video

The following video upload & description has been shared with Titanic Connections courtesy of Mr. Peter McClamley. Shoutout to him and all other members of "Project 17" for the incredible work being done!

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Sunday 31st Aug seen the last dive of this years expedition to Lusitania by Project 17.

We had been on site for a total of 15 days and carried out a total of 7 dives, with bottom times between 30 and 65 mins, resulting in run times of between 3 and 5 hours.

This was our fourth year that Project 17 have been on-site and it was the first time where we turned up and went diving the next day.

It was also the first time where we had to prepare risk assessments and method statements for the dive team to follow when they were not in the water, due to the potential risk of Covid.

For three days, we had the best diving conditions that we had experienced to date, with the visibility in the shallows at around 25m, with at least 15m on the wreck. With these conditions, it allowed team members, using DPV’s to travel stern to bow and back, all of which has been recorded.

It was around February that news began to filter through where some key team members advised that due to Covid and it's impact, that they would be unable to make it. Between that date and July we received news that although it was not definite, there was a possibility that we could lose up 9 Team members, 4 of which were Core Members from Day 1.

This news was devastating to hear, however, the possible loss of such valuable team members made us all more determined than ever that the Expedition would continue and we would achieve our objective.

It was the general consensus amongst us that when a project is halted and the momentum grinds to a halt, like a train pulling out of a station, it takes time to get up to speed.

This years work where we concentrated on the stern, seen photogrammetry and data collection relating to a full ecological survey carried out by Dr Clare Fitzsimmons and data collection which will be used for the photogrammetry model.

The rest of the team concentrated on data collection using photographs and video to carry out comparisons on imagery supplied by Stuart Williamson and we are hopeful that with the imagery supplied, we can make use of this within the photogrammetry model.
Presently the stern section rises some 18 off the seabed.

One area that has collapsed allows access to the engine room, which shows various levels within.

On behalf of project 17, we would like to thank all the members of the Lusitania Old Head Museum, The Archaeological Unit & all the divers, researchers and those that helped make all that happened possible.

This video is a record of some of the events during our time on site.


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