Capilano 1" Wreck-by Richard Colwell

After loading the truck with the necessary gear for the trip, we were off to the ferries. We were about to go to Powell River which is just north of the Sechelt Penninsula on the coast of BC, Canada. We were going to spend a weekend up there, primarily for SCUBA diving.

The high point of the trip was to be a dive to the wreck of the "Capilano 1". She was a Union Steamship which was launched in Vancouver on Dec. 5 th. 1891. The ship was 125 ft. long and weighed 235 tons.. Fot the next twenty years it shipped cargo for small communities along the coast of BC... She sank on October 1 st. 1915, after she struck a submerged object near Texada Island in the Strait of Georgia. She lay undisturbed for 56 years until 1971 when a fisherman snagged the hull on Grant Reef where it had been resting. It is in quite deep water (120 ft.) and difficult to locate, even with depth sounder*. We were going to dive to it the next day with the help of Jim Willoughby, diving coordinator, underwater photographer and Diving Instructor at the Beach Garden Resort. He acted as the Dive-Master on board the " Underwater Sunshine" which had been chartered for our trip.

The trip to Powell River was very long, involving two ferry rides and long stretches of highway. When we got there we met the rest of our group, all divers from the Squamish area. We had planned this trip with the help of the local dive shop,weeks before; and we were eagerly anticipating the following day. My father and I went to our cabin for a well-deserved rest. We needed all our strength for the next day.

The next morning was bright but chilly because of the time of the year. We ate breakfast quickly and hurried down to the wharf where we loaded our gear on to the boat. With everyone aboard we made our way to the area where Grant Reef is located. Terry, the Captain, found the wreck in a short time using his sounder and some well-kept secrets involving land-marks.. He dragged a line,snagged the wreck and set the anchor.

Everyone was very anxious to get into the water. My dad and I suited up and were second to get into the water. We swam to the anchor line, gave the "OK" sign and descended down to the wreck.
The water was a transluscent green void in which the only way a diver could know where he moved was by the direction of the line and the way his air bubbles were rising. It took a long time to go down; and I was getting worried about whether or not we would reach the wreck. Suddenly I noticed a shape loom up from below. This was it! The water was now pitch black with only slivers of light reaching the hull. The ship was covered with giant white sea anemones and other incrusting life. We stopped at the bottom of the line to adjust our buoyancy and check our guages. We then started to explore.

The wreck was huge; a great steel hull full of old barrels and festooned with marine life. I spotted a ling- cod. It was the biggest one I have ever seen! It was about four feet long and nearly half of that length seemed to be the head! It was resting on the hull-bottom and looked like a bull ready to charge. When we got too close, however, it swam away, looking quite disgruntled. My dad was busy looking at some life on the hull wall and I could tell he was exited to see all of this. So was I!
Next, we went a the wall which led to an upper deck. We swam over the deck and down the side to look at the anchor. When I reached the sandy bottom where the ship was resting I looked up and gazed at a gigantic shadow nearly blocking out the sun. Although it was impressive I felt very relaxed and calm, almost feeling as if I could fall asleep. I realized that the nitrogen in my bloodstream was building up and affecting me. At great depths the nitrogen causes "nitrogen narcosis" which gives an effect liketr being intoxicated. Since I realized what was happening I went with my dad to a shallower point by going back up the wall of the hull. We both looked at our air-pressure gauges and decided to up to the surface.. We made our routine decompression stop at 10 ft. for ten minutes and then surfaced.

When all the groups were back aboard we had lunch and talked constantly about the dive. Everyone was very excited and happy. Jim told me that only a few people had dived to this wreck and he also said that I was the youngest person to do so (I was fourteen at the time). We dove the wreck again the next day and then we had to leave for home. It was a great weekend and one of the best times I have ever had. I felt very proud and pleased to be the youngest to have ever dived to the "Capilano 1".