Poling Bow

 The Chester Poling was a 282 ft. tanker that sank in a storm in January of 1977 after breaking in two near the bow.  The larger stern section sank just outside of Gloucester harbor in about 110 ft. of water and is probably the most heavily dived shipwreck in the area.  It's a perfect depth for recreational divers, and has a lot to offer in the way of penetration and sea life.  Something for everyone.  The bow section sunk in much deeper water to the east, and is available only to technical divers at about 190 FSW. 

The bow section is quite impressive at first sighting with it's large anchors still affixed but is also, in my opinion, quite boring.  The bow sank upside down and no penetration is possible at all.  It's just a big piece of metal on the bottom.  That said, I had very good visibility on my dives to the wreck, and saw some nice schools of cod.  Off the wreck, some very large tube worms created a virtual garden in one area that was well worth a look.  But the wreck...

The best part about this dive is that you can say you've seen both sections of the Chester Poling.