Nekton's SWATH ships 10/2009, Part 1

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Doc

Was RoatanMan
Scuba Instructor
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Location
Chicago & O'Hare heading thru TSA 5x per year
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Nekton Rorqual 9/27-10/04/09, thoughts about ship operations

This is a very unique ship that is one of three US Flagged week-long liveaboards of which I am aware. (two are in the Nekton fleet)

We have been aboard (either to dive or tour) most all other liveaboards operational (and past) in the Caribbean, plus many others worldwide.

My reason for using a liveaboard is that it can take you to dive sites not frequented or accessible by using land based dive ops. On this trip, I expected nothing special in terms of St Croix diving, but for the low special offering price, we wanted to see if my wife could get past her seasickness aboard a SWATH Vessel. The verdict is in- she did not get queasy. The SWATH "no seasick" design met it's promise.

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My wife (aka: Herself) agrees that the rest of the boat's operational process met her needs and expectations for a week of diving. She developed ear issues on day one, so all she had to do to occupy her time was to observe vessel operations. She watched divers prepare to enter the water, make entry, and re-board... all day long. She has seen a lot of dive-ops, she knew what she was seeing.

This is a specific-use designed machine. It is a dive machine first, a boat second. Form follows function.

Other dive boats are converted from cabin cruisers, some from oil platform supply ships. The Nekton fleet (Rorqual and Nekton, both names of Whales) were designed around the diving process itself.

They look like catamarans, but the SWATH vessel is quite different. Cats have "deep vee" hulls that slice through the water. SWATH vessels
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look similar, but underwater, they have huge torpedo-like hulls- as big as the NR1 nuclear research submarine! These submarine hulls displace huge amounts of water, making the ship ride like she is 300' long. Instead of rocking, the boat in rough seas occasionally feels as if it were surging, much like a 70' sailboat would handle in similar conditions.

Because of this huge displacement, the boat is very slow. On the other hand, because of its stability, they can move it while you are eating, walking or sleeping- and you aren't sure that it's moving. And move it, they do! The slow speed is only an issue to the crew members that have to drive this odd ship.
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As the saying goes, "They bought a ship and kept the box".

The tables in the dining salon
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tell the tale- no rails to keep things from sliding off.
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Things you put on your window ledge, vanity mirror,
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or sink edge... stayed right where you put them.
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It is wide and open, the main salon is wheelchair friendly. The upper sun deck
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could serve for a half-court basketball game.
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"They bought a ship and kept the box". It is a huge rectangular box
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a Borg-like starship. You will be assimilated.

It is a dive-op with a ship built around it. It is a machine, just as any Naval vessel is a machine.
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Haze Grey and Underway is a thought that kept running through my mind. It is not a fancy fiberglass and teak cruiser with sleek lines and curves.

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It is not pretty, it is not sexy, it is pure function.

continued on next post.......
 
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Photographers are well cared for as well. Lots of space, towels, 3 separate rinse tanks and pressurized air.
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Many people try to compare it 1 for 1 to other liveabaords in their experience or from what they have heard. It is in a class by itself, defying direct comparisons. You can decide which one you might like better, but you really can't say which type is better. Me? I go for dive-dive-dive.
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Just as CoCoView suits my needs for Caribbean land based diving, Nekton is like CCV without having to fly TACA. Comparisons are difficult.

The dive deck is open and wide.
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If you insist on running down when the briefing
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is over, yes- there will be a crowd.] Give it 5 minutes and you'll have free run.
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They are now running Alu80's on the Rorqual, instead of the big steels that gave so many divers the confusion fits.

How I get into the water:


Some people have commented in the past about the physical condition of the boat in a mildly (and worse) negative light. If I had 6 skilled guys and 1 week, plus about $5000 in supplies, I could make it visually sparkle... just until the next trip, a week in the salt air- and guest's bashing took place. What's the point? It will get that shipyard re-make soon enough. In the mean time, it looked great to me, and it just passed USCG Inspection... remember how unique that US Flagging is in this business?
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The important stuff is nailed down tight... per the Coasties.

When you have a steel hulled ship, all bulkheads are steel, the metal doors are fireproof, things are going to corrode. When you add aluminum and stainless, dissimilar metals- electrolysis occurs as a natural phenomenon. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galvanic_corrosion This results in oxidation- which "looks" ugly. There isn't much of it to see, but it can be disconcerting to the landlubber's eye. Each doorway has an elevated thresh-hold. This is a toe-stubber to you, but to the ship's designer's it was a necessary design feature to ensure her safety and inspection certification. When the door rubs on this, it looks icky. When you sit on the toilet (head) and stare at it, it can make a negative impression while you are lost in deep-thought mode.

Overall, the boat seemed to be in fine shape.
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Our cabin was on the main salon deck and after we let the AC run for two days, the room lost it's mildew scent. I inspected another two empty cabins during the trip. They both smelled moldy, but after I turned on the AC and returned the next day, they smelled fine.

The crew reminds all to re-fill the head with water and leave it standing when you are done. This acts as a "plug" for any odors. I understand that on a previous trip, someone did have an overflow, and this kind of thing is directly traceable to a downstream blockage- someone flushed something that they had not first eaten~ it apparently affected at least one or more toilets on that trip. The crew noted that when they clean the rooms, it is almost a universal that the guests do not heed the advice to leave water in the heads after flushing. This keeps any odors in check. We followed their advice and the room smelled okay.

The food on our trip, we believed, was remarkably good~ that's an opinion.
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I was pleased to have lost weight on my special request no-carb diet, my wife was appropriately dismayed at her 2# gain what with the treats that kept appearing after each dive session~ that was a fact.

On our trip, the crew worked well together, even though short handed, and exhibited a good spirit and desire to work together to make this a good trip for the guests... and themselves, too. This is not an easy gig, and they did a superior job in all respects.

I can't safely climb a ladder with full gear (52 years of skiing will do that), so with a quick chat with the crew, they were always there to grab my rig.
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They were always a hand-grab away from me as I was walking, they took care of me like a mommy cat would her kitten. They watched over other guests as well, most times without the diver even being aware of it.
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They ran the appropriate lines to keep divers on course in the water, the manned the pick-up boats instantly when needed. A very professionally run operation, top down.

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We'll be back.

More pix here: Nekton pictures by Doc_Adelman - Photobucket
 
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Thanks Doc...I am happy Pam did not get seasick...sorry though she couldn't dive because of ear problems...sounds like you had a great trip...
 
Hey Roatanman. Are the 95 lp tanks still available for use on the rorqual??? Also, what kind of "confusion fits" were they causing? I have always enjoyed the extra volume they afford.
 
Hey Roatanman. Are the 95 lp tanks still available for use on the rorqual??? Also, what kind of "confusion fits" were they causing? I have always enjoyed the extra volume they afford.

They are trying to get some back from the Pilot as it is in shipyard for the next month.

I did specifically ask about this while I was aboard.

The "confusion fits" were a crew observation of a sizable majority of the guests going through paroxysms in regards to using the heavier, wider 8" steel 95's at a lower pressure versus the 7.25" alu 80's that they were always used to.

No one could tell a newly arrived diver fussing with their gear that the steel 95's at 2650psi closely equates in BT to the 80's at 3000psi. It was easier on the compressor for Nekton to pump a greater volume of air at a lower pressure. It also meant that less lead was needed (or liable to be lost).

Conversely, the convulsions that resulted from all of the mental math and cyphering trying to decide how much weight was going to be needed to overweight one's BC for the big first dive. Too much angst.

The crew also knew that the steel tanks required a lot more maintenance as well as fussy external grooming so as to not look like the tank from hell. I think that was the deciding factor- when the steels need to be replaced, the crew was asked what they wanted and for all the above reasons- there you have it.
 
Unfotunate that Nekton continues to slide toward mediocrity. In my 22 trips with them, nobody seemed to have trouble with the steel 95 tanks. Most divers really liked them. They must cost more to service. If they still have only 80's in March, I will be cancelling my Nitrox.
 
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I admit I'm very disappointed to hear they no longer have the Steel 95s too. Loved not having to wear so much lead, and having a bit of extra air.

Agree about the SWATH design, IMO the BEST design for a liveaboard dive boat. Hope they are spending the money to refurbish the Pilot (and I don't mean just cosmetically), she's been long overdue for an overhaul IMO.
 
Great report on the boats, but how was the diving? What dive sites? What did you see? :D more more more!

Glad the wife got to do a liveaboard that didn't make her seasick! Sorry she didn't get to dive though.


I admit I'm very disappointed to hear they no longer have the Steel 95s too. Loved not having to wear so much lead, and having a bit of extra air.

Agree about the SWATH design, IMO the BEST design for a liveaboard dive boat. Hope they are spending the money to refurbish the Pilot (and I don't mean just cosmetically), she's been long overdue for an overhaul IMO.



yeah, we liked the 95s, but we did see other divers having problems figuring out how much lead they needed. My first trip I had the same issue, jumped in with waaaay too much and sank like a rock, I ended up cutting it by half to get neutral. :shocked2: Our next trip was easier as I had logged it in my dive log.
And the SWATH design rocks! No, not that kind of rocks, it doesn't rock, that's why it rocks! :D
 
Great report on the boats, but how was the diving? What dive sites? What did you see?

A fellow passenger (or three) already has that well in hand: http://www.scubaboard.com/forums/cr...-boats/306575-just-back-st-croix-rorqual.html

I began this thread specifically about the dive op and boat.

See a few pix at Nekton pictures by Doc_Adelman - Photobucket

The deciding factor for us was the price. A $1100 (all inclusive price) trip on the Nekton plus the cheap air to Puerto Rico was an easy way to test if Herself would be happy... or feeding the fishes over the lee side rail. It worked- she was not sea sick.

I really can't get excited over the minor amt of extra air in the 95's. I was getting 1:30 BT's out of the Alu80's, but I do tend to not move around much and stay comparatively shallow. (Go slow, Seymour)

On one dive, after an hour and forty minutes, one of the Nekton DM's actually put on gear and came looking for me. He reported later that he saw me lying motionless and not breathing on the sand at a coral head in 40fsw. As he streaked towards me, he saw the camera flash, I took a breath, thus causing him to laugh and turn around.

This is what I was shooting:
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I am easily distracted.
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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