Home USS Monitor 2000 Phase III – July 26

Phase III – July 26

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Gary Byrd after returning from a dive

Kyle Creamer and Terrence Tysall after their dives

Ray and Cyndi Blanchard review their dive slates




Rock and Roll Is Here To Stay

Wednesday, July 26, 2000 – Today’s participants:
  • Team 1 – Kyle Creamer
  • Team 1 – Chris Cote (NURC)
  • Team 1 – Gary Byrd (ECU)
  • Team 1 – Tane Casserley (ECU)
  • Team 2 – Ray Blanchard
  • Team 2 – Cyndi Blanchard
  • Team 2 – Grant Graves
  • Team 2 – Michael Barnette
  • Support – Terrence Tysall
  • Support – Andrew Donn
  • Standby Diver – John Barone
  • Chase Boat Support – Michael Ott
  • Diving Supervisor – Tim Gallagher
  • DMT – Doug Kesling (NURC)
  • Dr. John Broadwater – Project Director and Chief Archeologist
  • Captain, R/V Cape Fear – Dan Aspenleiter
  • The Mate – Mike Rodaway
  • Shore Duty – Bob Beckner

The winds picked up last night and continued this morning. We left the dock at our usual time of 0800 and had quite the bumpy ride out to the site. The swells and choppy waves make you feel like you are on a three dimensional bumper car ride. Once we were in the lee of the barge, deployment was rather easy. We used the staggered deployment of our teams again today, with Team 1 on a 25 minute bottom time and Team 2 on a 20 minute bottom time so that both teams leave the bottom at the same time.

The first decompression stop is 110 feet where we switch from Trimix 18/50 (18% oxygen, 50% helium) to EAN36 (Enriched Air Nitrox, 36% oxygen). Stops continue every 10 feet, 1 minute each stop at first and progressively longer as we ascend. Pure oxygen is used at the 20 and 10 foot stops. The visibility on the bottom was about 30 feet and there was effectively no current again today. The teams worked in the engine/fireroom and on the lower hull where the Navy has cleared and removed some of the plates so that they can remove the engine.


Send questions or comments to the trilobite.
Questions and Comments To the Trilobite

Thanks for your daily field notes. It lets those of us at home know what is going on. Also, I wanted to tell you that the way you write the notes, or your style of writing, choice of words, whatever you want to call it, makes reading your field notes fun too!
Keep up the good work! I am looking forward to my Shawn coming home! I know he has had a good time. Thanks for letting him be a part of your project!

Thanks! I really enjoy diving on the Monitor and doing the updates. I’m glad others can have the opportunity to enjoy the Monitor as well.



Hi there…I was admiring your daily updates regarding the ongoing project on the Monitor. Informative and in depth, I have indoctrinated my coworkers in checking the page on a habitual basis…and reading about the project and its history.
We, actually I have just one request. There seems to be this hardworking ECU guy named Gary Byrd, always pictured filling tanks or putting on his gear. I would really like to see more of this guy, cute buttocks and all!! Please, if you can accomodate my request, it would be greatly appreciated, if not maybe the make a wish foundation can assist…
(Gary can explain who I am, but in the meantime, I wanted to let you know myself and everyone at the medical examiners office check the page or ask me how things are going on your project. Thanks for keeping it updated, allowing everyone, friends and family to learn as you go….)
PS Take care of yourselves…

Maybe you’d like some other choices?





Project Crew-
How exciting to follow your daily adventures. When you get back, John (Barone), we expect a couple of lunches describing your trip. Wishing you smooth seas for the remainder of the project.

John says to say hello to everybody and he’ll give you a call.



Please tell Ray & Cindy “Hi” for me. Hope the WX clears up for yall. Send some rain down here for us (Nawlins). Good luck, be safe and have fun. From your Cuz, Kevin & Baby Dawn…..

We’d love to send the weather your way. Thanks.

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