It's been a busy few days here at Vobster Quay, not least with the arrival of a new dive attraction on site - the Ael-y-Bryn. Kindly donated by Tim Horler of Coleford, this compact little cabin cruiser has now taken its place underwater in anticipation of its first visitors this coming weekend.
Our plan was to sink this newest attraction at a depth of 32 metres immediately below the trapeze attatched to the line that runs between the rocks near the back of the Jacquin down to the pit (refer to our
site map to get your bearings). Thanks to a lot of careful planning and positioning, Tim's deft boat handling and, dare we say it, a little bit of luck, we're pleased to report that she now lies exactly where we planned. Result!
Whilst our newest attraction may not be on the same grand scale as the erstwhile Jacquin II, we think divers will find it to be a useful navigation aid underwater whilst also adding a little interest to deeper training dives in the lake.
For those in the know, Ael-y-Bryn (which we're reliably informed is Welsh for 'Brow of the Hill') is based on a Shetland 535 hull - a popular small craft favoured by fishermen. As the name suggests, it's 5.35 metres long with a 2.02m wide beam and 0.65m draft. As you would expect, it was given a thorough clean both inside and out before being placed into the lake.