Anchoring On Wrecks?

[Thunder Bay Minnow]

Prohibited Activities:
Users of the Thunder Bay National Marine Sanctuary are prohibited and therefore restricted from conducting or organizing others to conduct the following:

• <LI class=ecxMsoNormal>Recovering, altering, destroying, possessing or attempting to recover, alter, destroy, or possess an underwater cultural resource (shipwrecks, prehistoric sites, piers and other structures) <LI class=ecxMsoNormal>Altering lake bottom, such as drilling or dredging, constructing or abandoning any structure including signs etc. relating to underwater cultural resources except as accidental result of:
  1. <LI class=ecxMsoNormal>Anchoring vessels <LI class=ecxMsoNormal>Traditional fishing operations
  2. Minor projects that do not adversely affect underwater cultural resources
  <LI style="COLOR: red" class=ecxMsoNormal>Using grappling hooks or other anchoring devices on any underwater cultural resource sites.
• Interfering, obstructing, delaying, or preventing an investigation, search, seizure or disposition of taken property in connection with enforcement of the Sanctuary Act or any other regulations issued under the Act.

Prohibiting the use of “anchoring devices” on shipwrecks not buoyed flies in the face of past practice, the original management plan, and the current final management plan http://thunderbay.noaa.gov/pdfs/management plan_final.pdf (page 7 sidebar). I hope the above regulation is an inaccurate interpretation by TBNMS’s web designer and is promptly changed, otherwise we should be preparing an appropriate response. Such a regulation would effectively prevent diving any shipwreck not buoyed and remove any motivation for the Sanctuary to get a buoy’s on any wrecks lacking them. Due to varying bottom types some wreck sites just do not support anchoring to the bottom and it is common to motor up current from a site, drop the anchor until it just reaches the bottom and wait to feel it has drifted into the wreck or debris field then paying out the remaining anchor line to allow time for divers to get in the water. Usually the first divers down are asked to secure the anchor to some substantial structure to prevent the boat from drifting away before they surface. In poor visibility it is necessary to insure your anchor is placed as close as possible to the wreck for the safety of those diving the wreck by allowing them to find the anchor line to ascend back to their boat. Any regulation preventing this process will chase both commercial and private dive groups from our Preserve and must be addressed! We cannot afford to gain a “Come on vacation, leave on probation” reputation that this regulation would create if enforced.