Beach or Boat

This is a great beach and wreck dive. The British tramp steamer Wandby was bound from Algiers to Portland Maine, it ran aground under a full head of steam in a dense fog at Kennebunkport Maine on March 9, 1921. It was told by people from Kennebunkport that when the ship hit the rocks it shook the whole town. The vessel lay on the rocks for months. The hull was cut up for scrap, there is still big sections of hull, the boiler is fully intact the rudder lays propped up on a big ledge, there is a tank that lays near the boiler, there are many pieces scattered all over the wreck site. I have dove this site many times and I always find something different you really have to know where this wreck is to find it there is much kelp growth all over the pieces. You can swim over this site and not realize you swam past a large piece of the wreck, I suggest that you hire a guide for your first dive. Maximum depth around the wreck area is 20'' to 25'', You can reach 35'' to 45'' just beyond the wreck.

HOW TO GET THERE   * Get off Exit 3 on the turnpike, take a left out of the toll booth onto Rt. 35 keep going until you get to the intersection of RT. 9 and 35 take a left at the lights, go until you get into Kennebunkport dock square take a right just past the statue on to Ocean Ave. keep going until you see Walkers point just past the driveway you will find a dirt parking lot pull to the north end to park if you can this is the best entry point to the water.

Park at the north end of the parking lot near the stockade fence if you can.

The best place to enter this sight is at the north end of the parking lot there is a small path to the water. Once at the end of this you will find a small rocky beach to set up on. At low tide this site is very shallow so you will have to walk out a little ways to get to water that you can swim in. Don''t try to walk all the way out to the end of the rocks, snorkel out it is easier. To find the wreck stand on the beach and look at the cove in front of you, you will see large ledges in the middle of the cove. Stay to the left of those ledges and take a compass heading of 160 Degrees you will find that it gets shallow near the end of the ledges, there is a small slot that you can pull yourself through to get over the ledge. Once over the ledge you will start to find pieces of the wreck, follow these pieces down the ledge and you should find big hull sections, keep going and you will run into the boiler look closely because with all the kelp on it look like a ledge at a quick glance. The boiler is about 18'' high and 18'' long on the northeast end there 2 big holes the right hole will take you up inside the boiler, don''t enter unless you have a person out side of the hole you can get trapped inside if you are not careful. There is an air pocket at the top, a large lobster lives up there so watch yourself when you get up there. When you are facing the holes turn around 180 Degrees and 6'' away from the boiler is a big tank on the west end of the tank is a opening with 3 pipes about IO" in diameter crossing each other about 5'' inside, another large lobster lives behind those pipes. You must have a flashlight to see in both the boiler and the tank. To find the rudder line yourself up between the tank and the boiler take a compass heading straight out to sea stay close to the bottom swim until you see a ledge rising up, follow the ledge to the left and you will find the rudder propped up on the ledge. At this point I usually turn around and head back to the boiler and work my way back up the ledge to shore swimming back and forth on the hull plates. You can see large schools of Pollack, Stripped bass, lumpfish, crab, lobster, cunner, sculpin and sea raven at this site. Beyond the wreck it gets deeper the ledges rise and fall into deep crevasses with swaying kelp all around you. You must watch your air at this site because it is so amazing that you forget that you are so far from shore. Save about 1500 PSI to get back because it!

 can get surgey fast, getting over that ledge that you first went over can be tricky on the surface, you must stay on the bottom and grab on to the ledge on an out surge. I would consider this beach dive an advanced dive due to the distance from shore, if you dive the Wandby by boat I would consider it an open water level dive. RULES Stay close to your buddy on this dive you will need him if you get in trouble, watch your air, time goes by fast stay away from lobster traps you can look but don''t touch, don''t take pieces of the wreck once steel is out of the water it decomposes fast. Listen for boats there are many lobster boats that set traps in this area. Don''t try to get up on the rocks by George Bushs'' house, the secret service will turn you away, don''t think they won''t see you because there are cameras all around the compound. It is ok to dive in this cove as long as you stay away from Walkers point. There are trash cans on each end of the parking lot Don''t forget to clean up after your dive.

Information from The diverslocker.net