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• The Halton
• Layout and plan of the Halton
• The skipper, Bob Anderson
• Ship's complement

The layout of the Halton

Main deck	Below deck

Above deck

The main accommodation above deck comprises of a combined galley and saloon with seating for all the group around a central table. Heating and cooking is on an oil fired Rayburn and food can be stored in either the fridge or freezer. For those that wish to self-cater, all the necessary implements are provided (pots, pans and cutlery etc). Most nights, the Halton is moored a stones throw from a pub so that those of a less culinary bent need never venture too close to the chef type bits.

The galley and topside accommodation.

The deck is laid out with benches down either side to allow divers to kit up whilst seated with the minimum of moving bottles when it comes time for a fill: the boat charging whips are around 5m long and can reach most of the nooks and crannies available for hiding bottles in. Entry to the water is through an opening cut into the side of the boat at deck level and after the dive, divers climb a central spine ladder.

On deck

The wheelhouse sits in the centre of the boat which divers are welcome in anytime. Behind the wheelhouse sits a combined toilet/shower.

Below deck

There are six twin berth cabins below deck, three on each side of a central corridor with the bunks against the hull. At the forward end of the corridor is a shower/loo.

Forward of the sleeping quarters is the skipper's cabin and then a changing area with room to don suits then hang them to dry at the end of a dive.

Time for a snooze.

Oily Bits and things that go beep.

The main engine is a 232hp Gardner diesel that pushes the Halton through the water at a steady 7kts. The engine room also houses the compressor and silent running generator. The wheelhouse is fully equipped with the usual electronics, including colour sounder, GPS, radar and VHF.

Emergency and first aid gear (including oxygen) are carried on-board as a matter of routine, though divers are advised to bring their own emergency oxygen.

The boat complies fully with the The Brown Code of Practice for the Safety of Small Workboats and Pilot Boats as required by the MCA, certified to 60nm Cat 2. See MCA listing here

Reading up on the next dive.