Diving weekend around the Utö waters / Park Victory

New on our program 2016:

A weekend full of diving in the depths of the beautiful Southwestern Archipelago. The waters are known for the nice visibility and well preserved, impressive wrecks. The most famous of them all is definately The Park Victory, but also other excellent dive sites are found in the area as well.

The trip lasts from Friday to Sunday. The diving vessel will depart from Kaarina port on Friday evening and will return back to the same place on Sunday evening. Participants will receive a more detailed letter prior the trip.

The price of the trip includes:
• A weekend incl. accommodation on dive vessel Eva
• An experienced captain, who is also a diving professional (Joona Koski)
• Airfills onboard (200bar) 
• Food onboard (breakfast, lunch, dinner)

Prequisites to join the trip is to have a minimum certification of PADI AOWD, or a similar certification from another diving organization (CMAS P2, SSI Advanced Open Water Diver, NAUI Advanced etc...)

Please also note, that we require enough diving experience and good diving skills - also enough diving experience from cold and murky waters, preferably with a dry suit. Please do not hesitate to contact us and ask more if there are any questions.

Below you will find a short introduction of the most famous wreck on the area, The notorious Park Victory.

Park Victory, source hylyt.net:

Type Steam ship 
Home port USA
Sank 25.12.1947, Utö

Length 138,7 m
Width 18,7 m
Posiotion Park Victory lies on her right way, straight on the bottom. The front bow has taken some 18m to the right side. 
Minimum depths The rear masts come up to the depth of 8m, The most shallow part of the bow rises up to 13m and the rear end rises to 23m.  

Condition The steel-built cargoship has had 3 cargo hulls on the front and 2 at the back. The bridge is located in the middle of the ship. Park Victory has broken from the front side of the bridge.
The masts are still standing, except for the front one. The deck structure is on its place. On the port side is a big tear on the side. Diving inside the wreck or diving under its constructions is not recommended as the wreck has been suffering from corrosion during time and penetrating the wreck or doiing swim-throughs may be a fatal hazard.

Bottom 27-36 m
Bottom structure clay, gravel
Visibility 5-15m

The SS Park Victory was a Victory-class cargo ship built during World War II. The ship's military service is uncertain as it was launched on April 21, 1945, very near the end of the war.

The ship was named in honor of Park College (now Park University), one of 150 educational institutions that had Victory ships named after them. Park College was selected as a training center for the V-12 Navy College Training Program from 1943 to 1945. This partnership between the Navy and Park College may have led to the naming of a ship in the college's honor. In reciprocation, Park College donated $300 to buy 120 books for the library aboard the SS Park Victory. The launching ceremony on April 21, 1945 was attended by several Parkalumni.[1]

SS Park Victory sank in the Gulf of Finland near Utö on Christmas Night, about 02.15 AM local time (UTC+2), December 25, 1947 after accidentally running aground on rocks in a storm. The Master of the ship, Allen Zepp, initially lost his license when a Coast Guard examiner said that Zepp failed to maintain an adequate anchor watch. The decision was overturned on appeal.[2]

38 crew members of total of 48 outlived the ordeal. Those 38 along with 2 bodies left Utö island on December 26 headed back to the United States. After the crew returned home, the helpful islanders were sent coffee and sugar to thank the people who brought them to the shore and took them to shelter in their homes. The villagers sold the gift sugar and coffee, which was scarce just after the war, and with the money, they went on to order a special commemorative silver candle holder that holds 10 candles. On the candle holder are engraved the names of crew members who perished in the accident. Every Christmas Eve, the candles are lit in the Utö church chapel in memory of the accident and the lives that were lost in it.


What if the weather is terrible during our weekend?
If the wind disables our dives at Park Victory, do not fall in despair: The area is full of interesting and impressing sights that can be found around the archipelago always in shelter of the wind. We will definately get some seriously cool dive sites and wrecks during the weekend.


What kind of ship are we travelling with and who is in charge of it?

Motorship Eva:

• Lenght 16 m, width 4 m, draft 1,9 m, displacement 21 tons
• Built 1958 and modified to diving purposes in the early 80's
• In-built air compressor (230 bar)
• 230V electricity for charging torches and such
• Complete navigation and search equipment onboard
• The vessel is inspected and equipped with a life raft
• The vessel has a motored zodiac as its assistance
• Central heating, sauna and a fully equipped kitchen

Captain Joona Koski:

• Over 30 years of diving experience, Diving instructor (CMAS, Padi)
• Dive vessel Eva's captain from the year 1980.

Please note, that the credentials of the pictures of this trip presented on our pages belong to:
• http://sukellusretket.com /© Joona Koski