Wil
Contributor
We dived today on the Schooner (North of the Triangle Reef project). It was too perfect of a day to pass up! Joe and Matt from Dive Quarters, Stan and I took advantage of the day and departed Taylors Landing Marina at 0700.
Sea State was 1-2ft swells from the South with Wind from the West at 5-10kts. Surface water temp 60 deg, a thermocline at 54fsw, and the Bottom temp of 47deg. A moderate surface current all but disappeared at 18fsw. On the bottom we experienced a slight current which served to stir up the sediment and leave it hanging around. Visibility was about 10-15 ft. Max depth 107fsw. The Schooner can be difficult to snag with a grapnel, the low profile makes it very challenging to see on a depth sounder, our side scan helped greatly but with the sediment stirred up from a bottom current, it still can be frustrating.
Spotted a few lobsters (too small), a number of undersized sea bass, a few taugtogs, and NO flounder. It's still too cold to see them on the wrecks. In another month we might find a few. In the last three weeks the bottom temp has risen about 7 or 8 degrees.
The wreck is still intact with no new additions (sea bass traps or fishing nets). We hooked in the portside bow area, near the anchor. A survey around the perimeter found the hull extending 4-6 feet above the sand in areas. The highest relief is still the Bow and Stern section. We found an area of large deck beams exposed near the stern, not previously seen. During the first dive we located two more deadeyes along the portside amidships and further aft, we marked them to retrieve on the next dive. Matt and Stan during their second dive brought the deadeyes, which had considerable encrustation and cable adding to their weight, to the anchor line. Anyone who has brought up deadeyes knows they always seem to come with extra stuff attached and can be quite heavy. Always best to have a heavy lift bag (200lbs) available and exercise absolute safety when working with something that big. Never use your BCD for a lift bag - that bouyancy is for you, not cargo. The reason retrieved them on the second dive - only had 50lbs lift bags in our kit. Matt and Stan did a great job moving them and preparing for the ascent.
During the second dive (last divers in) Joe and I took a scooter to the portside bow interior. Exposing an area 2-3 feet deep and 6 feet long we burrowed until we hit a soft clay. It was just a test dig but we were hoping to find reminants of a cabin - no such luck. Visibility was already not the best, made worse with the scooter. Time passed quickly and it was time to stick to our dive profile. We gather the gear, set free the grapnel, and brought the deadeyes to the surface.
Safe Diving,
Wil
Sea State was 1-2ft swells from the South with Wind from the West at 5-10kts. Surface water temp 60 deg, a thermocline at 54fsw, and the Bottom temp of 47deg. A moderate surface current all but disappeared at 18fsw. On the bottom we experienced a slight current which served to stir up the sediment and leave it hanging around. Visibility was about 10-15 ft. Max depth 107fsw. The Schooner can be difficult to snag with a grapnel, the low profile makes it very challenging to see on a depth sounder, our side scan helped greatly but with the sediment stirred up from a bottom current, it still can be frustrating.
Spotted a few lobsters (too small), a number of undersized sea bass, a few taugtogs, and NO flounder. It's still too cold to see them on the wrecks. In another month we might find a few. In the last three weeks the bottom temp has risen about 7 or 8 degrees.
The wreck is still intact with no new additions (sea bass traps or fishing nets). We hooked in the portside bow area, near the anchor. A survey around the perimeter found the hull extending 4-6 feet above the sand in areas. The highest relief is still the Bow and Stern section. We found an area of large deck beams exposed near the stern, not previously seen. During the first dive we located two more deadeyes along the portside amidships and further aft, we marked them to retrieve on the next dive. Matt and Stan during their second dive brought the deadeyes, which had considerable encrustation and cable adding to their weight, to the anchor line. Anyone who has brought up deadeyes knows they always seem to come with extra stuff attached and can be quite heavy. Always best to have a heavy lift bag (200lbs) available and exercise absolute safety when working with something that big. Never use your BCD for a lift bag - that bouyancy is for you, not cargo. The reason retrieved them on the second dive - only had 50lbs lift bags in our kit. Matt and Stan did a great job moving them and preparing for the ascent.
During the second dive (last divers in) Joe and I took a scooter to the portside bow interior. Exposing an area 2-3 feet deep and 6 feet long we burrowed until we hit a soft clay. It was just a test dig but we were hoping to find reminants of a cabin - no such luck. Visibility was already not the best, made worse with the scooter. Time passed quickly and it was time to stick to our dive profile. We gather the gear, set free the grapnel, and brought the deadeyes to the surface.
Safe Diving,
Wil
