Our trip was arranged by our club treasurer Ian Hodgkinson. Saturday 15th May was the day we flew out. Ian ordered two mini buses, each to collect 7 of us directly from our homes. Those of us lucky enough to be on the same bus as the club secretary were greeted with bacon and egg buttys and bucks fizz. A grand start to the trip. The rest of us on the other mini bus had to make do with a couple of bottles of Stella each. We duly arrived at Manchester Airport and joined the boarding queue. Ian arrived with the new York Sub Aqua Club printed T-Shirts, freshly off the Peter Dalton manufacturing line. Map of Gozo on the back and York Sub Aqua Club embroidered logo on the front. Very nice. Well back to the boarding queue a quick clothes change and on with the t-shirts. With a few bemused onlookers. Through to the passport control and security checking. Well the Diving Officer brought his adjustable spanner and spent half an hour arguing the toss with security guard. But Sir you might take the aircraft apart with your adjustable spanner. "Oh bo***cks have it if you must" Well the rest of the trip was uneventful. We arrived at Malta International Airport ready for our onward trip to Gozo on the local helecopters. A quick 15 minute flight and we were there in Gozo. Our jeeps were waiting at the hele-port and off we were to Franki's Gozo diving place. Ian had arranged for us to shore dive using the Jeeps, so we had to just check the paper work out and get ready. Oh and we had to fill the jeeps with petrol and then go to the supermarket to get some stores as the shops were going to be shut on the Sunday.

 

Sunday morning and we were off to Frankie's place to fill a bit more paper work. Then in to the jeeps with the full bottles and weight belts. Yes we were off to dive the Xlendi Ferry, which is not that close to Xlendi. Xlendi Ferry is a shore dive. The wreck of the ferry is in about 35 metres. It is an upturned Ferry. Cathy had bought a book at the Dive show and it gives most of the dives in it. We got the approximate position and dropped on to it. Straight on to the propeller. We wreck is upturned so there is not much to see on the outside. We then swam through a door on the side and in to what looks like a lorry deck. Had a nice swim round that and then up along the side of the wreck. Lets have a look at the bow. Oh its the propeller again. Could I have come out of the wrong side. Turns out the Xlendi Ferry is double ended with a prop at each end. We then swam back to the other prop and back on to the reef. The Xlendi ferry was ok but a bit lacking in detail. It has been sunk on porpose several years ago and there wasn't much life on it.