Shot of Brandi: Wreck of the Rhone

The wreck of the Rhone, a British steam ship that sank in the 1860’s, is known as a good dive spot. But when the water’s exceptionally clear, it’s not a bad snorkel either.

Captain John Brandi tells us the story of the sinking of the RMS Rhone, below…

10 Responses to “Shot of Brandi: Wreck of the Rhone”

  1. Colleen
    March 11th, 2009 06:01
    1

    wicked cool~

  2. teefal
    March 11th, 2009 06:01
    2

    “The records are not clear, but it would seem that approximately 120 passengers and crew perished while only 24 or 25 survived. Captain Robert F. Wooley went down with his ship.

    The villagers on the Island managed to recover only 8 bodies from the water and gave them proper Christian burials.”

  3. teefal
    March 11th, 2009 06:04
    3

    more from wikipedia:

    “Due to her mast sticking out of the water, and her shallow depth, she was deemed a hazard by the Royal Navy in the 1950s and her stern section blown apart.”

  4. Jason
    March 11th, 2009 08:56
    4

    A Shot of Brandi is by far my favorite segment! One of these days we should ask Captain Brandi about a story that is not true.

  5. SteveV
    March 11th, 2009 13:28
    5

    Cap’t Brandi’s the best! I’ve never met the man, but I can tell he’s the best!

  6. Homer Hickam
    March 11th, 2009 17:42
    6

    After a gap of twenty years, I was on the Rhone last week and was unhappy to see its collapsed condition and scarcity of fish. Everything changes, of course, and wrecks do tend to deteriorate with storms helping to flatten them, but the lack of fish was disturbing. I’m hoping it was just the season. It was summer way back when I dived on it last. To confirm, I’ll go have a look this July. After all, any wreck that once had Jacqueline Bisset diving on it in a wet t-shirt must be preserved for future generations!

  7. Lynn Blaisdell
    March 12th, 2009 22:39
    7

    Love this segment! Captain Brandi is as real s it gets down there on St John!!

  8. GARY
    March 13th, 2009 11:56
    8

    “any wreck that once had Jacqueline Bisset diving on it in a wet t-shirt”
    Actually it was Jackie Kilbride, Bert Kilbride’s 3rd wife, she was the underwater stunt double for Jacqueline Bisset.

  9. Homer Hickam
    March 13th, 2009 14:07
    9

    That’s not what Miss Bisset told me! She said it was all her in the close-ups. Either way, the first three minutes of The Deep that includes shots of Miss Bisset/Kilbride are a classic. The rest of the movie? Was there a rest of the movie?

  10. Dolores Tuthill Jacobs
    March 21st, 2009 08:24
    10

    Well John you are indeed a true historian but I don’t remember you loving history that much in high school. Your story gave me the goose bumps. Keep up the good work. I’m glad that this was a trueeee story!!!!!

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