Wolfe Islander II available to divers...

I had the chance to work on the mooring for the Wolfe Islander today. Pat Coyne (Pat's Charters) was good enough to take his boat out and dive with me. Finding the Wolfe is never too difficult, but we faced a couple of challenges raising the two lines. The bow line, the first we raised, had become twisted round a forward mast during the winter. That took a bit of work to untangle, then a lift bag sent it up without any further fuss. The stern line (with the Preserve Our Wrecks buoy) took a little more work. A completely new line had to be installed after we lost the previous buoy and line late last year. Fortunately, a little bit of brainstorming and a quick rehearsal at the surface allowed us to work together smoothly below. Conditions couldn't have been better on the Lake - and the presence of a few power boaters and at least one sailboat proved the point. The only issue we had was with swarms of mayflies. Small price to pay for two really enjoyable dives...

'Ducking' and Diving...

Dodgy title refers to the fact that this morning the opportunity was presented to accompany Harold, POW's Mooring Director, and Tom Rutledge on a working visit to the Annie Falconer, which lies close to the False Ducks Island. A bumpy passage out and back was a small price to pay for a textbook dive on one of our signature wrecks. With a bottom temperature of 55F (13C) and visibility in excess of 60 feet (20m), there was plenty of time at the max depth of 78 feet (24m) to complete the replacement of a temporary mooring line, tour the site and find an abandoned mooring block just off the wreck to the NNE. Tom took some great shots, which are accessible on Ontario Diving Forum. BTW - for those who are wondering - Harold doesn't wear his drysuit constantly - just about 80% of the time....

Alexander Henry makes its move..

The move of the Alexander Henry into the dry dock was accomplished very smoothly this morning by 7am. A few members of the Club participated in the work, handling lines or providing nourishment to the work parties. Pictures from the event are accessible on my Flickr site.

Dead reckoning with the Deadman..

Three of us returned today to Deadman Bay with twin aims. The first was to satisfy a request from the CFB Yacht Club for work on a mooring in mid channel; the second to make another pilgrimage to the beautiful wreck that lies just South of the Marina. We didn't reckon on being approached by another couple of sailors, who, before the season has started in earnest, had already lost items over the side of the docks. Long story short - we retrieved a fancy knife clip and a $600 GPS set from the bottom.

The mooring work was fun - especially when we discovered, on the first attempt, that the pin on the clevis provided wouldn't fit through the links of the new chain. An added ingredient in an entertaining mix was using a lift bag to take out said chain - and to bring back the old one for inspection and disposal. Useful exercise.

Once we had completed the work for the day, it was time to play. We meandered down to the wreck site - with brilliant sunshine streaming through the shallow water. Huge shoals of Perch were spotted and the water is full of what we believed to be Frog Spawn. Great strands cling to the few standing weeds every couple of feet in the shallows.

Total time in the water - a new personal best for this year - 1 hour 27 minutes. It must be getting warmer. The thermometer suggested 41F (5C) at the coldest point, but much of the water was warmer. Visibility was at least 50 feet - and probably better. Air temperature, despite a chilly Northerly breeze, 17C (63F).

Down Home - Down River...

I took up a welcome invitation from Wayne Green of Thousand Islands Pleasure Diving to go out and assist with the raising of lines on some of the River's most popular wrecks today. Working with other dive regulars on Wayne's charters, I participated in work on the Oconto, the Vickery, the America and the Keystorm. We also raised a buoy on the Twisted Sisters wreck site.

Most of the diving was pretty straightforward, involving finding, checking and then lifting lines from the baskets that tether guide lines to the various wrecks. It provided an opportunity to see several sites, practice lift bag deployment and enjoy the waters of the River, which always presents some current to play with.

The penultimate stop - on the Keystorm - was an opportunity to enjoy a prolonged, recreational dive. I did 40 minutes exploring the outside of this remarkable site, dropping to about 80 feet. The water temperature was 41F (5C). Topside conditions were great, with brilliant sunshine all day and an air temperature of 17C (63F).

Deadman ? - not quite...

Dianne, Malcolm and I made a trip into Deadman Bay today to find and explore the wreck usually known as the HMS Psyche. This proved to be a minor challenge in viz that was only about 15 feet, but we succeeded. Measurements were taken for the record; Length overall 156 feet, Beam couldn't be accurately assessed - she's too broken up. The Keel timber was 15" deep by 12" wide and the ribs 12". She lies pointing down the Bay at 230 Magnetic.

A huge Pike was spotted on the journey back down to exit at the CFB Marina and Malcolm spotted a Turtle close to the wreck. Around the Marina, there were also large shoals of Perch (literally dozens of fish).

Preparing to exit at 71 minutes - Dianne and I were prevailed upon to assist with a mooring task for the Sailing Club. This proved moderately interesting - especially fingertip searching for a Clevis I dropped at one stage. Total time for all the elements of the dive - 1 hour 49 minutes. It's clear the water is warmer. We recorded 42F (6C). Of course, it takes the chill off when you're hauling chains around too...