With the dive proper yet to commence, the Timewatch film crew spent day one familiarising themselves with Alderney and its famous Elizabethan wreck site.
Located about half a mile off the island's northern coast, the wreck is embedded in a sandbank some 30 metres below the surface. These banks are constantly reforming due to the force of the tides in the area - making excavation even trickier. The tides in this area are among the strongest in the world, and still present a threat to anyone navigating these waters.
"There's very little visibility down there, and there are also the cold conditions," expedition leader Mensun Bound explains. "There is also the fact that we're working with a sandbank that is completely shifting. You can excavate an entire area, and an hour later it can be completely backfilled."
The Timewatch crew were in safe hands for the reconnaissance mission on day one. Their transport is Alderney's Royal National Lifeboat Institute. In spite of constant advances in nautical technology, this team still receives up to 30 calls a year to this area to deal with ships in distress, so they know these treacherous waters better than most.
The weather has been kind so far and tomorrow brings an important meeting with the expedition leader Mensun Bound, followed by a visit to the Alderney Maritime Museum, which for the last 30 years has managed the recovery and conservation of all the wreck's treasures. The dive is then set to kick off on day three, pending the arrival of the Cdt Fourcault - a 55-metre Belgian dive vessel with the latest in magnetometer and side-scan technology. It will become our home when the all important dive stage begins.
Published: June 2008