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 SCUBA diving from a sailboat		  New Topic  Topic Locked
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windsong
Captain

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USA
318 Posts
Initially Posted - 06/17/2009 :  09:54:56  Show Profile
Anybody ever SCUBA dive off their Catalina? What precautions do you take? Unfortunately, most of our wrecks and reefs are a few miles out in 30-50' of water in the ocean. I've never anchored with over 300' of rode before. My idea was to have at least one competent sailor on the boat at all times, in case the anchor drags, which seems like a real possibility. I suppose I could dive down with the anchor line and tie it off to the wreck - that would be another "first" for me.
Thoughts?

Michael Hetzer
"Windsong"
2009 Catalina 250 WK HN984
Myrtle Beach, SC
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Steve Milby
Past Commodore

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USA
5906 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  10:53:22  Show Profile
Jacques Cousteau once anchored Calypso in the mid-Atlantic in over 25,000 ft of water on a 5 1/2 mile long, 3/8" nylon anchor line. The following hyperlink will take you to a story about it. Maybe it'll give you some ideas. http://ca.encarta.msn.com/sidebar_761593515/cousteau_explores_an_underwater_canyon.html
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glen
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359 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  11:05:14  Show Profile
Like you said have someone on board, and have them hand you your equipment, after you (and your partner) are in the water. Except for the wet suit I don everything in the water. I can’t help you with the anchoring part, but I would never secure or moor my boat to a wreck
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windsong
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USA
318 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  11:11:01  Show Profile
Tying the anchor line to the wreck is actually what the dive boats do. Just a thought.
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Nautiduck
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
3704 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  12:47:52  Show Profile
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by Steve Milby</i>
<br />Jacques Cousteau once anchored Calypso in the mid-Atlantic in over 25,000 ft of water on a 5 1/2 mile long, 3/8" nylon anchor line. The following hyperlink will take you to a story about it. Maybe it'll give you some ideas. http://ca.encarta.msn.com/sidebar_761593515/cousteau_explores_an_underwater_canyon.html
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">
I wonder how much chain I'd need on that 5 1/2 mile rode? With my luck the anchor would get stuck and we'd have to cut the line.
Edited by - Nautiduck on 06/17/2009 12:48:18
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ruachwrights
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USA
258 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  12:59:06  Show Profile  Visit ruachwrights's Homepage
At that depth I'd get an anchor alarm for sure. Hate to surface far away from the boat. You can get them for the i-phone pretty cheap. Surely, since this is your first time, you can find something a little closer to home in shallower waters.
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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  12:59:23  Show Profile
I have done some diving offshore in the Gulf but never in the Atlantic. I think there are 2 lines of thought. 1. nothing to it 2. If you’ve never done it then you are in for a long learning curve. We dove off a 30 Catalina, but not far offshore and most of the powerboat diving was in about 70 feet of water.

Anchoring is almost an art. We run offshore and dive on debris fields rather than a specific wreck just because we don’t hafta worry about anchor placement. The structure that we do dive on is often something as big as a bridge span. Then we go down and secure the anchor to the bridge.

We use little rhode as we are securing the anchor when we go down. We keep someone on the boat while we are down. We are in the gulf and this is different than the Atlantic. You’d need to go with a diver in that area to give you the local information.

The best insight I have is Weather, Weather, Weather.. I abort the drive out is the weather is not what they predicted!

&lt;&lt; I could dive down with the anchor line and tie it off to the wreck&gt;&gt;

Yepper you could but you’d probably drift off before you got to the bottom. Or get the line in the prop. Better drop the hook first.

&lt;&lt; I've never anchored with over 300' of rode before &gt;&gt;

You are just there for a dive, not anchored up for the night.
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redeye
Master Marine Consultant

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3476 Posts
Response Posted - 06/17/2009 :  13:23:58  Show Profile
That is a lot of gear for a Catalina 25 and access is difficult. I put out a floating nylon line with a float and snaps for the scuba gear and let it out to stream behind the boat. Then we get in and get our gear on in the water. I've been diving for 32 years and I still find it a lot of work to dive with my own boat offshore. We have good dive operators in the gulf, and BIG boats, so now I just dive with them most of the time.
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ilnadi
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452 Posts
Response Posted - 06/19/2009 :  13:56:47  Show Profile
<blockquote id="quote"><font size="1" face="Verdana, Arial, Helvetica" id="quote">quote:<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"><i>Originally posted by redeye</i>
<br />
&lt;&lt; I could dive down with the anchor line and tie it off to the wreck&gt;&gt;
Yepper you could but you’d probably drift off before you got to the bottom. Or get the line in the prop. Better drop the hook first.
<hr height="1" noshade id="quote"></font id="quote"></blockquote id="quote">This is tough even for the divemasters who dive the same wrecks every week.

One reason the diveboats tie to the wreck is so they do not have to worry about scope (actually most I know hand-pull the line until just enough slack to handle the waves). Most divers (myself included) would not be thrilled about swimming along a 7:1 scope. I am more used to 1:10 scope, which you can only accomplish by chaining yourself to the wreck. In fact they use tiny anchors so the divemasters can swim the anchor around. If you cannot tie to a wreck, you'd be better off anchoring so you lay over the wreck.

In keeping with the disclaimer: Before you think this is good advice, imagine if the wind shifts, oops, can you say 14:1?
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Notice: The advice given on this site is based upon individual or quoted experience, yours may differ.
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