gene parsons
New
I have been diving off/on for 25 years. I have been enlisted to
lift an old dock for my mother. The dock is hinged on a seawall.
In the late 1980s, we used to use 4 55 gallon drums and 2 nylon straps and lift an old fruit truck from 120 feet back to 30 feet at Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. It was fun and simple. Biggest trick was to be patient and NOT put too much air in the drums.
I tried out the drum trick last weekend. I got the dock off of the lake floor ( 8 feet deep at the end ) by placing a drum at about the 1/2 way point. I put another drum beside it and got it a little higher. Then I struggled but eventually got another drum about at the 2/3 's mark of the dock ( it is 3 layers of wood and metal welded structure that is the bottom ). I got the end of the dock to about 3 feet below the surface. At least, the dock handrails are now visible. No longer a hazzard to boats.
Not having the nylon straps or knowing where to get one, what do you suggest I do to get the dock to the surface where I can attach it to the old floating part of it that held it up until it broke apart in the winter. I do have a lot of chains and hoists around but I am not sure how to put this back together.
It was a fun diving experience as I learned to be VERY careful where I put the fingers and I learned another use for the BCD release and octopus regulator. Interesting checkout dive for my equipment eh ?
lift an old dock for my mother. The dock is hinged on a seawall.
In the late 1980s, we used to use 4 55 gallon drums and 2 nylon straps and lift an old fruit truck from 120 feet back to 30 feet at Possum Kingdom Lake in Texas. It was fun and simple. Biggest trick was to be patient and NOT put too much air in the drums.
I tried out the drum trick last weekend. I got the dock off of the lake floor ( 8 feet deep at the end ) by placing a drum at about the 1/2 way point. I put another drum beside it and got it a little higher. Then I struggled but eventually got another drum about at the 2/3 's mark of the dock ( it is 3 layers of wood and metal welded structure that is the bottom ). I got the end of the dock to about 3 feet below the surface. At least, the dock handrails are now visible. No longer a hazzard to boats.
Not having the nylon straps or knowing where to get one, what do you suggest I do to get the dock to the surface where I can attach it to the old floating part of it that held it up until it broke apart in the winter. I do have a lot of chains and hoists around but I am not sure how to put this back together.
It was a fun diving experience as I learned to be VERY careful where I put the fingers and I learned another use for the BCD release and octopus regulator. Interesting checkout dive for my equipment eh ?
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