Almost Dive Report: U-853 sort of.....

[RIOceanographer]

3-4 is definitely common for that wreck. A low transom combined with a heavy load could definitely cause the waves to spill over. If his scuppers were plugged and or if the bildge was not working that is definitely a recipe for trouble. The current would typically have to be smokin' to counteract the force of the wind turning the bow into the seas. Crazy stuff definitely happens on the ocean.

--Matt

Yeah, I agree it was very unusual for the stern to turn into the waves like that. And you are right I suspect there probably was some contributing factor I am unaware of like a problem with the bilge pump or scuppers causing some of the spray from earlier to build up in the bilge.

 

[RIOceanographer]

But it makes the story better. :11:

Next time I tell the story I'll spice it up a bit. Maybe add some sharks, gale force winds.... no better yet a water spout..... and some angry lobstermen firing torpedos at us.

 

[Charlie99]

Yeah, I agree it was very unusual for the stern to turn into the waves like that. And you are right I suspect there probably was some contributing factor I am unaware of like a problem with the bilge pump or scuppers causing some of the spray from earlier to build up in the bilge.

It doesn't take much free water surface area to really mess up your stability. Something as simple as forgetting to turn on the bilge pumps can ruin your whole day.

 

[Diver Dude]

Going out on a larger charter boat might help too.

 

[RIOceanographer]

Going out on a larger charter boat might help too.

It was a 27 footer, it wasn't that small.

 

[Charlie99]

It was a 27 footer, it wasn't that small.

How about one that has a below deck engine,with engine and below deck spaces enclosed, and all exposed surfaces high enough that they are self bailing.

When I asked earlier in this thread about open hatch covers I didn't realize it was an open boat with exposed spaces below the waterline.

Self bailing is a really nice feature, as I found out a few minutes ago while taking my little sailing dinghy for a spin. It was dead calm earlier, but right now there is some pretty good chop on Buzzards Bay and as my boat pounded, a lot of water was coming aboard. But as the cockpit is above the waterline, it just rolls on back out.

 

[RIOceanographer]

How about one that has a below deck engine,with engine and below deck spaces enclosed, and all exposed surfaces high enough that they are self bailing.

Under the circumstance I don't think I can dispute that......

 

[Diesel298]

absolutley nothing aganst any of the various charters in the area, but for the offshore suff maber using a bigger charter boat would be in the best intrest of saftey and reliablability

 

[mstudley]

A larger boat would have been nice.... along that line of thought, has anoyone considered marking the wreck with a larger marker/buoy? Just a guess but I imagine larger boats must put considerable strain on that line... and making it larger would make it easier to spot...

 

[Northeastwrecks]

To quote a movie, "Looks like we gonna need a bitter boat..."

I've been out on the U-853 several times (at last count, I've got 13 dives on the wreck). I've used boats that were less than 30 feet; however, I stopped because the trip was difficult and it was frequently cancelled due to rough seas. Now, I use a captain with a 36 foot boat. We seldom cancel and usually have a much smoother trip.