Visit us on the Internet: www.cawreckdivers.org for the web version of our newsletter

To perpetuate the awareness of maritime history through organized exploration, research, restoration, and display..."

January 2020 Vol.50 No. 1

Wednesday January 22nd is our GENERAL MEETING

We'd like to hear from our members with ideas on topics you'd like to see at our-monthly meetings. Please contact any of the club offi cers on page 2.

2019 XMAS Dive Photo - Bottom Scratcher / Valiant Shipwreck!

January is Renewal Time! Our January Meeting is our

2019 Brass and Photo Contest

NEED A SHIPWRECK PRESENTATION?

If your dive club or other organizationwould like a free presentation, contactDavid Finnern. As an award-winningauthor, he will regale your group withstories and photos; from treasure-ladenshipwrecks and long-lost aircraft tosubmerged trains and sunken cities, hispresentation will leave no doubt whysome divers choose to explore thatwhich is lost below.

(949) 735-6396

Email: dafi n1@hotmail.com

Porthole January 2020 2

GENERAL MEETING

Meetings are held the fourth Wednesday of every month at Round Table Pizza, 4330 Redondo Beach Bl., Lawndale. All are welcome. A social hour begins at 7:00, and the formal meeting begins at7:30.

Porthole Problems? If you are having problems receiving your Porthole, contact Mike Reinboth at (310) 370-3411. If you get an answering machine, please leave your name and address corrections and the update will be made before the next issue is mailed. It is important to notify us of any changes because the subscriptions of all returned newsletters are cancelled.

Mike ReinbothPorthole EditorMembership(310) 370-3411

Jocko RobinsonVice-President, Program Chair

Jim VidmarPresident

Steve LawsonTreasurer(949) 433-8030

Eric FrascoDive CoordinatorSecretary(310) 489-3495

ROUNDTABLE PIZZA

ARTESIA

Porthole January 2020 3

EVENT SCHEDULE 2020PLEASE ARRIVE PROMPTLY AT

LEAST 1/2 HOUR PRIOR TO DEPAR-TURE TIME Call ERIC FRASCO at (310)

489-3495 to sign up or for further info. *****************************************************************

CWD Wreck Diving Activities with:channelislandsdiveadventures.com

Date, Boat, Destination, Depart from, Boarding time, Departure & return time, Whats included, Cost.Dives:

Reservations through Eric Frasco at 310-489-3495 or email me at underwater39480@yahoo.com- you will get confi rmation within 48 hours.************************************

Brass for Travis! Its for a great cause!

We are still collecting: Scrap Brass and Copper for the benefi t of Travis- We'll be ready to make a run soon. Bring anything you don't want to the meeting or Mike's house. Please see any full member for details.

***********************************

See our Banquet Flyer on Page 4 - We are excited again to return to The Lane Victory. We have Capt. Richard Abele USN (Ret.) bringing a great story about searching for a long lost WW2 Submarine wreck, originally commanded by his cousin and found 60+ years later in Alaska.

From the Helm

by Jim Vidmar

CWD T-Shirts and CWD Challenge Coins are available at the Wed. General Meeting.

Our January meeting will be our annual renewal and Brass Con-test. Hopefully you've found some great artifacts this past year and you'll be there to 'Wow' your fellow club members with your displays. As a reminder, the competition rules were included with the November Porthole.****************************

Membership Renewal (E-mailed Porthole) $25* (US mailed Porthole) $35 New Associate Membership (E-mailed Porthole) $30* New Associate Membership (US mailed Porthole) $40Renew your membership at the next meeting or Online via PayPal at:

CAWreckdivers.org/join

Porthole January 2020 4

Installationof Officers

Mail to:CWD Banquet Tickets22711 Via Santa Maria

Mission Viejo, CA 92691

To purchase tickets, simply fill out this form:

Roast Beef dinner (s) @ $60* each =

Chicken dinner (s) @ $60* each =

Total =

Don'tm i s sit!

Giant Raffle!Shipwreck Diving!

Name Address Apt.

City State Zip

GiantRaffle

The Ca l i for n ia Wreck D iv er s pre sen t s i t s :

*CWD Members receive $5 off

Join us in welcoming global adventurer, Rich Abele, as he presents the search anddiscovery of the submarine USS Grunion (SS-216), lost in the early days of World WarII. Under the command of Rich Abele’s cousin, LCDR Mannert L. Abele, the sub wason its first wartime patrol off Kiska in the Aleutian Islands when it encountered aJapanese cargo ship. During the ensuring torpedo attack and surface engagement, thesub went down, never to surface again. Commander Abele had three sons who spentdecades searching for information about this encounter and the whereabouts of theirdad’s submarine. In 2006, an initial search by side-scan sonar revealed a possible imageof the sub and in 2007 a more thorough search was undertaken using a remotely operatedunderwater vehicle (ROV). Rich was on this expedition and will tell us about theGrunion’s discovery and explore the possible reasons for its loss. This is a presentationthat you will not want to miss.

Rich Abele is a is a retired US Navy captain and served two tours of duty in Vietnam and later commandeda minehunter. As a world traveler, he has visited all seven continents at least five times including over 200countries and remote destinations. Currently he is a tour guide aboard the museum battleship USS Iowa.

Admission only @ $25 each =

Capt. Rich Abele on board the USS Iowa

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Many of us made our last dive with Jimmy Dunn on the XMAS Dive. We remember Jimmy as an all around great guy, full of stories and always fun to be around. His daughter and grandkids were on the boat with us to send him off .

Dated First Class Material!

If you would like to become an Associate member of the California Wreck Divers, Inc., you do not have to be a scuba diver to participate. There are many activities you may enjoy. However, you must be at least 18 years of age. The fi rst year's dues are $40. You will receive a membership card, club patch, and a year's subscription to the Porthole. Membership renewal is just $35 for mailed news-letters, and $25 for electronic newsletter distribu-tion. If you are interested in a new way of having fun and entertainment, contact one of our offi cers listed on Page 2.

PortholeCalifornia Wreck Divers,Inc.P.O. Box 3042,Manhattan Beach, CA 90266Address Correction Requested

The California Wreck Divers, Inc. meet at 7:30PM, the fourth Wednesday of each

month at Round Table Pizza located at 4330 Redondo Beach Bl., Lawndale."S

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California Wreck Divers' 2019 Calendar of Events

Wed. Jan. 22nd General Meeting at Round Table Pizza

Mar 21st Annual CWD Banquet and Giant Raffl e