Morrison Re-lining

[d33ps1x]

For all you divers and dive shop owners that use the Morrison wreck in Barrie:

I noticed serious deterioration of the line leading out near the end of last season.

I heard a couple of local DMC's went out and redid some of the line but in all honesty it was a horrible job (No offense Tim) and sections of the line have become a nasty entanglement hazard with bits of rope float up all over the place. It was actually better beforehand. This thing really just needs re-lined before someone gets hurt.

The fact of the matter is that a LOT of amateur divers and stores use this wreck and the is a lot of pulling and yanking on the line. The existing blocks don't have the weight to support this level of abuse throughout the season. They end up shifting, abrading the rope, etc. The very thin line for the first 70 feet also get snapped and ruined a lot because divers try to hold onto it to prevent floating up while underweighted with not much gas in their tanks.

I'd be happy to volunteer my time to help out with this.

Some of my thoughts were:
-Pouring wide base triangular concrete blocks with eye bolts in them that would be less abrasive on the line and allow it to stay more than 8 inches off the bottom Run them all the way out about 20 feet apart.
-At the bottom of the first slope put a heavy block with a decent gauge upline and float to help people practice their stops in 20 feet of water (close to shore) without hurting the primary line.
-Run the line in a circular circuit starting where the current float is tied to the wreck and have it run around all the features and then back on itself.
-Put another heavy block there instead of tying the float to the wreck as it is now.

Any ideas on how to pull off something like this? Suggestions on making it better...Money, materials, etc... Getting the city involved...

 

[Eric__U]

if you need help just pm me and il come out forsure.
eric

 

[R_Deluca]

I'll lend a hand. But you'll owe me a beer d33!

 

[Marvintpa]

Actually, I believe most of the damage done to the line is from the boaters catching their anchors on it (have seen this twice myself while underwater). I'm guessing that raising the line further off the bottom would unfortunately make the situation worse.

 

[wetbehindtheear]

I've got about 400' of bright yellow used 1/2" polypro rope if you want it.

 

[amobeus]

That sounds like a great idea, I've been diving that wreck and the cabin cruiser for 10 years and every season one or two divers replace that line at there own expence only to have them cut, alterd or re routed. Yes! New heavier blocks are required and should placed along the pathway out to the wreck as well. I remember years ago ACUC and a certain dive shop kept the lines in good condition, but those days are gone as is the club and shop. The city of Barrie has begone to flow more rain water into the barrie basin and as you probably noticed last summer the water was some what more cloudy than years past because of the stired up silt. A new firm line would greatly help new divers get out to the wreck with out getting lost and spooked.

Amobeus :07:

 

[d33ps1x]

I imagine it would greatly increase the cost to section the line by having double blocks every once in a while to segment the line sections to lessen the damage by boat anchors but perhaps that would be a reasonable solution?

400' of 1/2" polypro would be a great start I imagine.

Marvin. Any way to encourage the city of barrie to keep boaters away from what in my mind is a piece of history? One of the biggest issues all summer is boat and especially seadoo traffic over the buoy. They have no trouble roping off a swim area.

With that said is there any reason not to propose to the city to get their public works dept involved pouring blocks from a form?

For a little reference as to the scope of this project the buoy on the wreck is 459 feet from the concrete block on shore. The main hull is 75' long from this point. The paddle wheel is 105' from this point and 20' in circumference, and the old capped sewage outlet (which I thought was a boiler at one point hehe) is 135' from the mark.

I'm not giving compass headings so DMC's can't completely cheat on their mapping projects! Ok one little secret. Hit the "boiler" and head out at 60 degrees for a long while. There's a really cool hot spring out there that keeps you nice and warm.

It's a lot of line either way. To go out...circumnavigate the wreck and return to the wrecks marker you are probably talking 750 feet of line.

It's great to hear people think this is something worth doing though. Any ideas on how to involve the city of Barrie?

 

[R_Deluca]

Hit the "boiler" and head out at 60 degrees for a long while. There's a really cool hot spring out there that keeps you nice and warm.

Hehe, very warm!

 

[d33ps1x]

Shhh...The best is that people think you need to go to Brockville for a good current.

 

[Tom R]

You should involve Scuba2000 (Seahunter on the board) and the other stores that use the Morrison for a dive site training groung.

Great idea, when you guys start putting it together send me some pics for the website.