Solo Diving in the ocean in your own boat?

[KathyV]

More curious than anything - did the mooring line look rotted or frayed? Hard to believe a newer line would break but anything is possible and it was a good reminder.
Thanks

I don't know why the line broke. It was a little rough that day but not bad. I just checked my log book and I had written "slightly choppy" for the water condition. We were at a dive site called "Middle Chute". One of the divemasters told me that all of the moorings are routinely replaced once every year - so maybe it was getting near time for replacement? There are only 2 dive operations on Cayman Brac, and lots of dive sites, so you wouldn't think that their permanent moorings would get as much of a beating as locations with lots of dive boats. The line looked like most other mooring lines, a bit fuzzy with growth, but I didn't notice anything unusual; but it sure was a surprise!

BTW, I thought that the divemasters from Reef Divers handled things very professionally and all of the divers stayed cool and calm. The divemaster in the water (Barb) made sure that she had everyone on the surface and that our BCs were inflated, and she was very clear and calm when she informed us of the problem and the plan.

After we made over it to the boat's new location we found that the divemaster on board (Jeff) had put out a line so we could all line-up to re-board. Barb made sure that everyone had made it back before she got out of the water to join Jeff in helping us get onboard. It was the first dive of the day and so we headed over to the next spot (Charlie's Reef) like it was no big deal; but we all had a good story to talk about at the bar that night! Everything was fine, but the ending of the story could have been much sadder if things had been handled differently!

The Caymans are a wealthy country and they spend money on their islands, citizens, and tourist industry IMO - so if a permanent mooring line could break there then I figure that a line could break anywhere. I remember when we dived the Thistlegorm Wreck in the Red Sea - our liveaboard was the first boat on the site early in the morning and I believe that we were tied directly onto a line on the wreck, but when we came up from the first dive we saw many, many other boats tied to each other - now that's seems like a lot of strain on a line!

 

[vincent54]

Reef Divers seems to pull a lot of the moorings on Brac. Cayman/DOE doesn't replace the mooring lines and they are frayed and ready to break in certain places. I would never trust a mooring, especially for solo, unless it were inspected top to bottom. Here's Burt's mooring, about as bad a shape as you can get. The outer mooring is rotted and gone.

 

[KathyV]

Reef Divers seems to pull a lot of the moorings on Brac. Cayman/DOE doesn't replace the mooring lines and they are frayed and ready to break in certain places. I would never trust a mooring, especially for solo, unless it were inspected top to bottom. Here's Burt's mooring, about as bad a shape as you can get. The outer mooring is rotted and gone.

That is surprising because they are supposed to be maintaining and replacing the moorings. And if they are not being replaced then somebody is not meeting his/her budgeted work goals. Or perhaps the budgeted funds are inadequate to reasonably achieve the goals. Is Burt's mooring in the waters around CB?

The link below is for the current budget statement for the Cayman Islands, and if you search the document for the keyword "moorings" on page 303 you will find the budget and goals for maintaining/replacing marine park markers and public moorings. It says that they maintain 300 moorings and it lists aggressive goals for inspecting, fixing, and replacing moorings. It says that that 95% of moorings should be in "safe and functional condition" and 90% of single pin moorings are to be replaced by end of the calendar year.

But the budgeted amount of $177,445 seems awfully low for all that work; is that supposed to include salaries too? I've always felt that the Cayman government does a good job of maintaining public health and safety and the environment - like good roads and mosquito abatement - but it seems that moorings are not a big priority.

And I wonder if Cayman Brac is the "poor step-sister island" that gets less attention than busy Grand Cayman and the more popular dive sites of Little Cayman's Bloody Bay Wall? I was talking to a local when we were on CB and she told me that the island receives a supply barge once a week but often the goods, especially fresh foods and produce, are "picked over because they keep the good stuff for themselves on Grand Cayman!"

If someone is skimping on mooring maintenance, or the budget is just too small to do a good job, maybe CB is being shorted again, that's too bad. I see from your profile that you spend a lot of time on Cayman Brac so I totally believe your information that the moorings aren't being maintained - you would know far better about what is going on than me. Well, that would explain why the mooring line broke and why the Reef Divers staff were so adept at handling the situation - but I am grateful for their skills - and I still wouldn't want to leave the boat unattended while I was diving.

http://www.legislativeassembly.ky/p.../REPORTS20142015/2014-15 ABS - LA - FINAL.PDF

 

[oldschoolto]

But the budgeted amount of $177,445 seems awfully low for all that work; is that supposed to include salaries too? I've always felt that the Cayman government does a good job of maintaining public health and safety and the environment - like good roads and mosquito abatement - but it seems that moorings are not a big priority.

I don't think $591.00 to put a rope mooring line on is cheap... Sounds like good money to me...

Jim....

I may have found my retirement job..... Year round job of checking and replacing mooring lines...

 

[vincent54]

Government mark up. That's about 10 per foot of rope. It's not Reef Divers fault, they just have the biggest boats and use the moorings almost every day. They are an awesome dive company. Cheers

 

[oldschoolto]

Government mark up. That's about 10 per foot of rope. It's not Reef Divers fault, they just have the biggest boats and use the moorings almost every day. They are an awesome dive company. Cheers

I think I'll put a bid in ..... :blinking:

 

[KathyV]

But the budgeted amount of $177,445 seems awfully low for all that work; is that supposed to include salaries too? I've always felt that the Cayman government does a good job of maintaining public health and safety and the environment - like good roads and mosquito abatement - but it seems that moorings are not a big priority.

I don't think $591.00 to put a rope mooring line on is cheap... Sounds like good money to me... Jim....I may have found my retirement job..... Year round job of checking and replacing mooring lines...

That figure also includes 110 marine park markers too, and if they are supposed to replace 90% that makes the price $448 per job. It sounds reasonable per job, but I was thinking of the annual costs of maintaining a boat(s), fuel, ropes (and some new buoys and replacing some pins) along with salaries and overhead (insurance, databases, etc.) and it seemed light to me, as there are probably at least 2 to 3 people on the boat (to spread the workload and make sure that the boat is not left unattended.) But maybe they contract boats and divers do the work part time; instead of maintaining a full-time staff and boat(s) which would reduce the costs.

I don't really know the amount of work involved - so maybe it is a good fee; but anyway, they do have a budget and a plan so the moorings are supposed to be well-maintained.

---------- Post added February 1st, 2015 at 07:32 AM ----------

Government mark up. That's about 10 per foot of rope. It's not Reef Divers fault, they just have the biggest boats and use the moorings almost every day. They are an awesome dive company. Cheers

I agree, Reef Divers are our all-time favorite dive operation, great boats and professional staff, and awesome service! I am certainly not blaming them for the broken mooring line! In fact, I seem to remember that they went back and retrieved the buoy to make things cheaper and easier for the repair crew; they are good people.

 

[vincent54]

ten minutes to unscrew a turnbuckle, replace with new one. All in 86 degree, crystal clear, 50 foot water. 500 dollars sound fair.
The rope at Tibbet's is about a buck a foot.

 

[KathyV]

ten minutes to unscrew a turnbuckle, replace with new one. All in 86 degree, crystal clear, 50 foot water. 500 dollars sound fair.The rope at Tibbet's is about a buck a foot.

Is that all that is involved? It sounded more difficult to me. Okay, I agree, the budget is padded; those moorings should be in excellent shape all year long!

I didn't mean to highjack this thread, sorry! And I still don't want to be in the water while the boat is unattended!

 

[oldschoolto]

I'll take a risk.... It would be a hell of a retirement job.... And I'll leave the wife in the boat to watch me.... Or maybe SHE'LL leave me in the boat.... If you clear $75.00 bucks a job thats about $30,000 a year plus my IRA and SS... That would be about $85,000 a year for the wife and I....

Jim...