Michael McFadyen's Scuba Diving Web Site
Home · Contact Me · Sydney Reef Dive Sites · Sydney Shipwrecks · NSW Dive Sites · Australian Dive Sites · Overseas Dive Sites · Dive Accidents and Incidents · My Yachting Adventures · 4WD Trips · Weather · Search 30 May 2023 11:48
Navigation
Home

General
About Me
My Diving
FAQ
Downloads
Web Links - Dive Clubs
St George Scuba Club
Some of my Best Photos
Contact Me

Dive Sites
Sydney Reef Dive Sites
Sydney Shipwrecks
Sydney Dive Visibility, Swell and Temps
Kelly Talking on ABC Sydney about Shipwrecks
NSW Dive Sites
Sydney Shipwreck Summary
NSW Shipwreck GPS/Marks
Australian Dive Sites
Overseas Dive Sites
Aircraft I have Dived
Old Bottles
Free Shipwreck Books

Dive Related Equipment
Shearwater Predator and Heinrichs Weikamp OSTC 2N
Uwatec Aladin Dive Computers
Apollo AV1 Underwater Scooter
Bauer Compressor
DIY Oxygen Stick - Nitrox
GoPro HD Hero Video Camera
My Camera Setup
Purchase of New Dive Boat
My Dive Boat - Mak Cat
My Old Dive Boat - Le Scat
My Dive Gear
GPS and Diving
Make Your Own Car Tank Rack

Marine Life
Rarer Sydney Marine Life
Bare Island Pygmy Pipe Horses
Bare Island Sea Horses
Bare Island Nudibranchs
Bare Island Marine Life
Encounter with Southern Right Whale and Calf

Other Dive Info
How Weather Affects Diving in Sydney
Visibility and Wave Averages in Sydney
Waves and Diving
Diving Weather and Sea Conditions
Tide Tables
Dive Accidents and Incidents
Dive Book Reviews
Site Map
Noel Hitchins 1951-2005
Lloyd Bridges - Mike Nelson in Sea Hunt
My Yachting Adventures
Below is a list of links to the main pages about my yacht, Catlypso and My Yachting Adventures:
  • Purchase of Catlypso
  • Details about Catlypso
  • Cleaning/Repairing Catlypso
  • My Yachting Adventures.
  • Login
    Username

    Password



    Forgotten your password?
    Request a new one here.
    Michael's 4WD Trips
    Click here for a list of my Four Wheel Drive and Camping Trips.
    Home Brewing
    Click here for an article about Home Brewing.
    Sydney Dive Site Hints
    "Bare Island Isolated Reefs have sea dragons, red indianfish and sea horses"
    SS President Coolidge - ABC Decks

    ABC DECKS (Maximum depth 32 to 35 m)

    A Deck is the main deck of the Coolidge. It includes, technically, the foredeck and stern decks but this dive does not include those parts. B Deck is the next deck down and C Deck the one below that. As the Coolidge is laying on its port side, these decks run from right to left as you swim towards the bridge area.

    This dive is an afternoon dive, one that takes you on a zig-zagging tour of the three main decks of the ship. It goes in and out of the various levels and can be done in various orders or sections. The following is just one description of a dive to this location.

    The hatch to A DeckInside A Deck
    Kelly entering A Deck via the front hatchInside A Deck looking back at the hatch

    Starting from the shore, you swim across the sand to the bow and then between the bow guns and under the mast to the Bridge. A Deck is the left most section of the bridge. As you will almost certainly do this as an afternoon dive, you do not really want to go to the bottom levels of this deck.

    You enter A Deck via the top "window". In reality, this is a hatch that gave access from the deck to the foredeck behind Hold Two. It is in a straight line with what was the passageway along the entrances to the 9 cabins here (two were destroyed when the section past the Continental Lounge collapsed). You swim along this deck, going in between the many bathrooms. You end up coming out into the open at the end of the Lounge and in front of the Lobby.

    The Lobby from A DeckInside B Deck
    The Lobby Inside B Deck looking back from the Lobby

    From here you go into the Lobby and turn left. This is B Deck. If you have time, you can go a little to the right on B Deck through the bottom level. If you do, you will see that the "floor" has collapsed and you can see out. I think that this is actually the sides of the boiler hatch and you are looking out the boiler funnel. See the photo above.

    Backtracking, you head along B Deck towards the bow. There are more accommodation cabins along here. As well, there are lots of bathrooms. Inside these bathrooms, there are lots of artefacts. Things like rifles, shovels, helemts, gas masks, boots and more.

    Rifles and shovels on B DeckMore B Deck
    Rifles and shovels on B DeckLots of artefacts on B Deck
    Note the typewriter

    After going under and over bathrooms, you end up at the hatch that leads into Hold Two. This has even more artefacts. There are lots of bottles of different sizes, some of which look like they might have come from the Doctor's Office. Note that on this deck just inside Hold Two there used to be a Doctor's Office and the Crew Hospital.

    A bathroom on B DeckThe hatch to Hold Two
    Kelly swimming through a bathroom on B DeckThe hatch to Hold Two

    MORE TO COME

    Copyright © Michael McFadyen 1990 to 2023
    Non-commercial use of an article or photograph is permitted with appropriate URL reference to this site.
    Dive shops, dive operators, publications and government departments cannot use anything without first seeking and receiving approval from Michael McFadyen.
    This web site has been wholly thought up, designed, constructed and funded for over 25 years by Michael McFadyen
    without any help from the Australian Dive Industry since 1996!