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The programmes
During the winter of 1880, the first seagoing, mechanically-powered submarine foundered off the coast of north Wales on its maiden voyage. The Resurgam lay undisturbed for 115 years until local fisherman Dennis Hunt and British Sub-Aqua Club diver Keith Hurley discovered it eight miles from Colwyn Bay. Whether it sank as a result of human error or mechanical fault had never been determined. The Wreck Detectives teamed up with British naval experts and the great grandson of the submarine's inventor to find out if it was a vessel ahead of its time or a disaster waiting to happen.
The history
In the 1870s the race was on to build the first seaworthy submarine to strengthen the might of the British navy. With many eccentric and bizarre designs crashing on their first water tests, all hopes lay with two accomplished inventors, John Holland and Reverend George Garrett. In 1879, Garrett built his steam-powered submarine, the Resurgam, which was 13 metres long, 3 metres in diameter and weighed 30 tonnes.
Early water trials went well, so Garrett planned to pilot the Resurgam to Portsmouth for it to be evaluated by the British Admiralty. He left the dock of his base in Liverpool and headed for the south coast of England. However, navigation was hampered by an unforgiving blanket of fog covering Liverpool Bay, which forced the crew to dock in the coastal town of Rhyl, north Wales to rest. There it was decided that the best way to continue the journey was under tow. They set out, but the weather worsened. The Resurgam was swamped by high seas and sank.
Garrett's hopes and financial funds sank with the vessel. He later migrated to the US, leaving his rival John Holland to successfully produce the British navy's first fighting underwater submersible, the Holland, during Queen Victoria's reign.
The dive
After consultation with British naval experts, our Wreck Detectives team knew what information they had to bring back from a week's diving on the Resurgam wreck. Measuring the length, height, width and hydroplane shafts, combined with a detailed visual examination both inside and out, was key to establishing any differences between what the team found on the sea floor and the original technical drawings of the Resurgam.
Although the vessel is relatively small, and lies in only 18 metres of water, it could be a tough dive as it's very exposed to the elements. Our divers had to combat strong swells, changing currents and blustery winds to complete their assignment. Negotiating the surface conditions wearing heavy-duty dive gear and wire-laden underwater communication equipment is no easy task. Safety support on the boat had to cut the planned underwater time on a number of occasions and ask the dive team to surface before conditions worsened.
Another cause for concern for the underwater explorers were the shoals of jellyfish waiting for them just below the surface. A few members of the team were stung on their way down, including Miranda who had to brush a few stingers away from her neck seal.
A visual investigation of the outside of the sub was straightforward; however, exploration of the inside was a much trickier affair. As the wreck is protected for its historical importance, under the 1973 Protection of Wrecks Act, the team had to apply for a license, which was given by Cadw (the Welsh Heritage Board). Even with a license though, divers must stay outside the wreck and are not allowed to enter it; but they were given the go-ahead to feed a mini-camera through the wreck for archaeological research purposes.
With all this information, naval engineers were able to build an exact model of the Resurgam using the latest computer software for ship and submarine designs. The team hoped that this would eventually establish whether or not this antique sea vessel was a fully working submarine or just an eccentric inventor's idea.
Despite 124 years on the seabed, the Resurgam is intact, with just a slight dent in its small conning tower and corrosion of its wooden-clad mid-section. It only takes a few minutes to fin the 13 metre-long structure, which is encrusted with large white and orange plumose anemones. Marine life here is abundant and includes a plethora of fish such as bib, dogfish and the odd scorpion fish, as well as resident crabs and conger eels. Visibility is usually around 4 metres; however, if the sun is out it is possible to see right up to the conning tower looking from the sea floor.
Find out more about the wreck of the Resurgam.
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Location
Eight miles out of Colwyn Bay
Dive planning
The area is very exposed and must therefore be dived at the correct state of the tide in the Liverpool Bay area. It's best to avoid diving this site during spring tides.
Useful contacts
Welsh Heritage Board Cadw:
029 20500200
Boat charters
Quest Diving Services in Menai Bridge:
0151 6087901
ESP Boat Charter in Menai Bridge:
0151 6087901
AKS Diving in Conwy Marina:
01492 580300
» Find out more
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