Why we do what we do...


 Unknown Coaster (16m)
PL: Adam Clifton


Binnendyjk (29m)
PL: Adam Grumett


Salsette (47m)
PL: Liisa Wallace


U772 (54m)
PL: Tapsa Kaleva

There are 51,000+ maritime sites in England and Scotland
 There are only 6,092 "known" wreck sites in England
 Most wrecks are in the English Channel
 Most wrecks are vulnerable and enjoy no protection at all
 Wrecks are also natural reefs part of the eco-system
 There is a vast amount to learn of the past through wreck dives
 Projects will serve to study known wrecks and find new ones
 Findings will assist research and future generations
Findings could shed light on the environmental impact of wrecks

At the 2006 October NAS conference Adam Clifton and MDD were awarded a "Certificate of Merit" for their ongoing work on the Unknown Coaster project.

In 2004, divers from Underwater Explorers (UE) and the Dorset Gas Divers group (DGD) contacted the British Nautical Archaeology Society (NAS), to open the way for future expeditions and research on select Dorset wrecks. We believed that these would serve to record and safe-guard Britain's important maritime heritage while raising public awareness of an irreplaceable underwater inheritance allowing us to interpret the past.

Within months into launching this scheme to "adopt" wrecks for ongoing survey, the project expanded with support to encompass divers of Millennium Divers Dorset (MDD) promising to become a leading organised research project based
around selected wrecks
in the English Channel.

The Salsette, a passenger liner resting at 48 metres (157 feet) of maximum depth and the U772, a German U-boat, at an underwater operating depth of 54 metres (177 feet), were originally adopted by divers of the DGD who would conduct decompression dives using a combination of Oxygen, Helium and Nitrogen to explore, collect data and images at those depths. 

The Binnendjk, a Dutch Steamer resting at a more reasonable 28 metres (92 feet) and the "Unknown Coaster" resting at 16 metres (52 feet) -- depths regarded as safely obtainable on air or oxygen enriched air -- were adopted by teams of divers from MDD, UE and DGD.
Project Details

UNKNOWN COASTER. Depth 13-16m. Location inside Portland Harbour. Project Leader Adam Clifton. Project dives started March 2005. Dive type: Wreck, no deco. Identification of unknown wreck. Read More

BINNENDYJK (BENNY). Depth 25-29m. Location off Portland. Project Leader Adam James. Project dives started February 2005. Wreck, no deco and deco.  Read More

The SALSETTE. Depth 30-47m. Location off Portland. Project Leader Liisa Wallace. Project dives start March 2005. Wreck, deco. Read More

The U772. Depth 50-54m. Location off Portland. Project Leader Tapsa Kaleva. Project dives start March 2005. Wreck, deco. Read More