Harbour diving
15/04/07 18:22 Filed in: La Coruña
Another beautiful day. Yesterday saw a VHF Aerial removal malfunction when the aerial plumeted from the masthead into the water around amidships.
Although the water is very clear I cannot see the aerial so the only way to recover it will be to do a snorkel dive at low water around 10:00 when the water will be about 4m deep. It will be a chance to use my new fins/snorkel/mask. I don the kit and jump in. It's cold, very cold but pretty clean and clear. I swim round to where I think the aerial fell in and wait a few minutes till my breathing returns to normal and I have got used to the water temperature.
On the first dive I reach the bottom but return straight to the surface. On the second I stay down longer and swim along the bottom about 20ft. No luck. I surface and while most of me has adjusted to the temperature my head has not. I must get a hood.
Retracing my path on the third dive I find the aerial and bring it to the surface. I quickly get out of the water and depart for a hot shower.
Two remaining halyards are washed which completes the running rigging. If I get time I will do the mooring lines as well. A lot of boats are out sailing today so there are a few vacant berths nearby. I take the opportunity to inflate my tender "Kiriwini" launch her and row around to where I can start cleaning off the weed along Kiriwina's waterline. I can access about half the area I need to and using a wooden scraper and sponge the weed comes off quite easily.
The water being clear I can see down to the propellor and rudder heel. Both heavily overgrown with weed. The propellor was polished during the haul-out in September and clearly not enough antifoul was put on the heel. This is a good opportunity to test my new underwater camera.
Weed encrusted propellor. Taken with Olympus 725SW about 0.5m below the surface.
An OK first attempt. Afterwards the camera is simply rinsed in fresh water and dried.
Weed encrusted rudder heel.
Kiriwina after the port side was cleaned.
I find that the VHF Aerial/Windex is not a Windex but a UK made VTronics unit. The arrow at the top is missing.
I don't have time to source a new VTronics unit so I jury rig the arrow from the Windex to fit the Vtronics. Eventually the Vtronics will have to be replaced because corrosion on the rod has caused the plastic fixed indicators bracket to crack.
Later in the afternoon Jose-Ramon who owns the boat next door arrives with two volumes of El Litoral De Galicia which cover the entire coastline of Galicia in amazing detail. Essentially they are a series of aerial photographs superimposed with useful features including hazards, anchorages, tourist routes, walks, points of interest, beaches and much more. he leaves them with me for a few days.
Although the water is very clear I cannot see the aerial so the only way to recover it will be to do a snorkel dive at low water around 10:00 when the water will be about 4m deep. It will be a chance to use my new fins/snorkel/mask. I don the kit and jump in. It's cold, very cold but pretty clean and clear. I swim round to where I think the aerial fell in and wait a few minutes till my breathing returns to normal and I have got used to the water temperature.
On the first dive I reach the bottom but return straight to the surface. On the second I stay down longer and swim along the bottom about 20ft. No luck. I surface and while most of me has adjusted to the temperature my head has not. I must get a hood.
Retracing my path on the third dive I find the aerial and bring it to the surface. I quickly get out of the water and depart for a hot shower.
Two remaining halyards are washed which completes the running rigging. If I get time I will do the mooring lines as well. A lot of boats are out sailing today so there are a few vacant berths nearby. I take the opportunity to inflate my tender "Kiriwini" launch her and row around to where I can start cleaning off the weed along Kiriwina's waterline. I can access about half the area I need to and using a wooden scraper and sponge the weed comes off quite easily.
The water being clear I can see down to the propellor and rudder heel. Both heavily overgrown with weed. The propellor was polished during the haul-out in September and clearly not enough antifoul was put on the heel. This is a good opportunity to test my new underwater camera.
Weed encrusted propellor. Taken with Olympus 725SW about 0.5m below the surface.
An OK first attempt. Afterwards the camera is simply rinsed in fresh water and dried.
Weed encrusted rudder heel.
Kiriwina after the port side was cleaned.
I find that the VHF Aerial/Windex is not a Windex but a UK made VTronics unit. The arrow at the top is missing.
I don't have time to source a new VTronics unit so I jury rig the arrow from the Windex to fit the Vtronics. Eventually the Vtronics will have to be replaced because corrosion on the rod has caused the plastic fixed indicators bracket to crack.
Later in the afternoon Jose-Ramon who owns the boat next door arrives with two volumes of El Litoral De Galicia which cover the entire coastline of Galicia in amazing detail. Essentially they are a series of aerial photographs superimposed with useful features including hazards, anchorages, tourist routes, walks, points of interest, beaches and much more. he leaves them with me for a few days.