It doesn't get a lot nearer than this

[BrotherBear]

I was doing a shore dive this morning in Rockport, MA with my nephew as my buddy (he is newly certified, this was dive 5). We were about a quarter mile offshore in about 50' of water when we decided to surface to check our location. As we were sitting on the surface I noticed a rather large boat apparently bearing down on us, it was some distance off but heading directly toward us

at speed. I should mention at this point that it was bright and sunny and the water was dead calm.

My first thought was that it was the harbor master checking us out but when it got within 100 yards with no change in course or speed I got nervous. I called to my buddy to swim to me and we started moving 90 deg from the boats bearing. As we swam I picked the flag out of the water and started waving it over my head while yelling a screaming. My buddy is pretty certain that the boat altered course with us. Literally yards from us the boat veered slightly starboard away from us and passed within 5 feet!!!!

I know this because his bow wave washed over our heads.
I should mention that I could have descended to a safe depth once we were sure he was going to continue to bear down on us but chose not to because, in addition to being inexperienced, my buddy was having minor bouyancy issues. Not a big deal in the course of the dive but I couldn't be sure he could crash dive fast enough. I chose the waving the flag and screaming route instead.
I did get the name of the boat and saw him continue on to somewhere in Rockport but I don't think it will do me any good. It was my buddy's and my word against his and Rockport is a small close communtity, I doubt the harbor master would do anything if I reported it with no evidence but our word. BTW, buzzing divers is not uncommon behavior among fishermen and lobstermen in Cape Ann but this was EXCEEDINGLY close.

My lesson learned? I will never again dive in Rockport without my GoPro which I wear on a helmet. If this happens again the video evidence goes straight to the harbor master with cc:Coast Guard.

BTW, otherwise it was a GREAT dive!

 

[ktomlinson]

Regardless of your word against his, make a report, follow up and tell them you want something done about it. It's not just your word, it's your buddies word too.

 

[mala]

maybe it was a bad idea to take a new diver to a place with high boat traffic.

getting lost and having no surface marker probably didnt help.


but hey-
maybe it was the other guys fault?

 

[AfterDark]

I was doing a shore dive this morning in Rockport, MA with my nephew as my buddy (he is newly certified, this was dive 5). We were about a quarter mile offshore in about 50' of water when we decided to surface to check our location. As we were sitting on the surface I noticed a rather large boat apparently bearing down on us, it was some distance off but heading directly toward us

at speed. I should mention at this point that it was bright and sunny and the water was dead calm.

My first thought was that it was the harbor master checking us out but when it got within 100 yards with no change in course or speed I got nervous. I called to my buddy to swim to me and we started moving 90 deg from the boats bearing. As we swam I picked the flag out of the water and started waving it over my head while yelling a screaming. My buddy is pretty certain that the boat altered course with us. Literally yards from us the boat veered slightly starboard away from us and passed within 5 feet!!!!

I know this because his bow wave washed over our heads.
I should mention that I could have descended to a safe depth once we were sure he was going to continue to bear down on us but chose not to because, in addition to being inexperienced, my buddy was having minor bouyancy issues. Not a big deal in the course of the dive but I couldn't be sure he could crash dive fast enough. I chose the waving the flag and screaming route instead.
I did get the name of the boat and saw him continue on to somewhere in Rockport but I don't think it will do me any good. It was my buddy's and my word against his and Rockport is a small close communtity, I doubt the harbor master would do anything if I reported it with no evidence but our word. BTW, buzzing divers is not uncommon behavior among fishermen and lobstermen in Cape Ann but this was EXCEEDINGLY close.

My lesson learned? I will never again dive in Rockport without my GoPro which I wear on a helmet. If this happens again the video evidence goes straight to the harbor master with cc:Coast Guard.

BTW, otherwise it was a GREAT dive!

To say the lobster fishermen in Rockport HATE divers would be an understatement. Most everybody in Rockport dislike divers but the lobstermen would rather see us in their pots as chum. Be careful.

 

[BrotherBear]

maybe it was a bad idea to take a new diver to a place with high boat traffic.

getting lost and having no surface marker probably didnt help.


but hey-
maybe it was the other guys fault?

Ummm...did you miss the part where we had a dive flag and I waved it over my head?
Old Garden isn't exactly a high traffic area and I sincerely apologize for wanting to check my bearings.
But, yeah, when a 40' boat bears down on me from hundreds of yards out while I'm in the water waving a dive flag over my head and THEN proceeds to pass within a few feet of me?
I consider it his fault.

 

[mala]

Ummm...did you miss the part where we had a dive flag and I waved it over my head?
Old Garden isn't exactly a high traffic area and I sincerely apologize for wanting to check my bearings.
But, yeah, when a 40' boat bears down on me from hundreds of yards out while I'm in the water waving a dive flag over my head and THEN proceeds to pass within a few feet of me?
I consider it his fault.

i take it you where responsable for your nephew with 5 dives?

maybe next time you will do things differently.

deciding where and when to dive ?


to be honest if a 40 " boat was coming at me from hundreds of yards away i probably would not wave a flag and hope he didnt kill me- i might have just dropped to the bottom untill he was gone.

 

[BrotherBear]

i take it you where responsable for your nephew with 5 dives?

maybe next time you will do things differently.

deciding where and when to dive ?


to be honest if a 40 " boat was coming at me from hundreds of yards away i probably would not wave a flag and hope he didnt kill me- i might have just dropped to the bottom untill he was gone.

Did you even read my post?

---------- Post added May 15th, 2012 at 08:29 PM ----------

 

[Kksmama]

Glad brotherbear and nephew are okay. I've known to teach my children defensive driving, didn't think I'd have to teach defensive diving. What is the lobsterfolks problem with divers? Do they think you steal from their traps?

 

[BrotherBear]

Glad brotherbear and nephew are okay. I've known to teach my children defensive driving, didn't think I'd have to teach defensive diving. What is the lobsterfolks problem with divers? Do they think you steal from their traps?

That's exactly what they think. I hear tell that not too long ago gunfire between lobstermen wasn't unheard of if one thought the other was poaching his traps.
Of course since poaching lobster by a diver will result in the summary confiscation of all your dive gear AND your car I don't know anyone stupid enough to pick them off the bottom, let alone poach from traps. It's an old prejudice that doesn't seem to want to die.
BTW, I googled the boat and the captain is in fact old school. He built the boat himself and is just this side of retirement. FWIW he's a fisherman and a researcher, not a lobsterman.

---------- Post added May 15th, 2012 at 09:08 PM ----------

 

[JamesK]

website?