Coron, Pinoy liveaboard style

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Hank49

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Location
Sittee River, Stann Creek, Belize
Here's a few shots taken on my last trip. We took the Fisheye boat, Maruha, which is an 80 foot, local design and constructed bangka. If you've ever been to Boracay, it's the same builder that made the Victory Dive boat, Isla. I'd been on that boat on it's maiden voyage in 1998 from Iloilo to Boracay and it handled some big seas. No problem.
The boat is very comfortable. The knife like hull cuts through chop for a pretty smooth ride, but we only had a bit of chop on the way back to Boracay.
Fresh water shower and toilet on board. Great food. Carlos, the owner of Fisheye knows all the wrecks and dives, not to mention that he's a great cook.
The wrecks of Coron are all that I'd heard. When you're sitting there in the calm of the bays, it's hard to imagine the carnage that occured there not so long ago as all the American figher planes (350 or so) attacked and sank all those Japanese ships in about 45 minutes.
I almost got to meet Rhadamantus and Zeeman but we'd left Coron the morning they arrived.
On the way out and going home, we also got to dive Panagatan. Very nice, but pretty deep wall. Very active. White tip sharks, jacks, snappers and 100 foot vis.
Very nice trip. No aircon rooms. We slept out on the bamboo decks most nights. So many stars when you're out away from the city lights. Truly a dream dive vacation.
That's Carlos standing on the fordeck. We also got some fresh red snapper a couple times for a nice dinner. The other one of us getting ready to dive is Panagatan I think. Notice the spaced out look on Boy and my faces....after 4 nights on the boat and multiple diving....who needs drugs or beer?

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nice pix
 
great pics Hank. I wanna save up and buy a boat like that. :)
 
great pics Hank. I wanna save up and buy a boat like that. :)

On a per foot basis, those are very cheap boats, but pretty high maintenance in bamboo and fishing line replacement. I'd love to have one in Belize. You can move a lot of divers on a little bit of fuel. Problem is, I haven't seen big enough bamboo for the outriggers here. Plus I'd have to get a visa for the designer....and have to import 30 or so cases of San Miguel to keep him going during construction.
Imagine seeing a tourist brochure shot of a boat like that sitting at the Blue Hole. :D
 
would spending a bit more on marine epoxy to coat the outriggers make them last significantly longer? or is it an issue with the bamboo rotting from being half-exposed to the air?

Jag
 
would spending a bit more on marine epoxy to coat the outriggers make them last significantly longer? or is it an issue with the bamboo rotting from being half-exposed to the air?

Jag

Good question. I think marine epoxy is pretty rigid when it dries. The bending and flexing of the bamboo would most likely crack it. Or, make it too stiff, which isn't good. I knew a guy who built a bangka and used oak wood (American engineer who was FAAARRRRR smarter than the local boat builders....in his opinion anyway) for the cross pieces and 12 inch PVC pipe for the runners on the outriggers. It looked good....but he almost sank in a storm. The oak didn't bend and the pvc was too buoyant and wouldn't sink in the cross seas the way the bamboo does. The oak cracked and broke. Lucky the US Airforce found him floating at sea and rescued them
 
Good question. I think marine epoxy is pretty rigid when it dries. The bending and flexing of the bamboo would most likely crack it. Or, make it too stiff, which isn't good. I knew a guy who built a bangka and used oak wood (American engineer who was FAAARRRRR smarter than the local boat builders....in his opinion anyway) for the cross pieces and 12 inch PVC pipe for the runners on the outriggers. It looked good....but he almost sank in a storm. The oak didn't bend and the pvc was too buoyant and wouldn't sink in the cross seas the way the bamboo does. The oak cracked and broke. Lucky the US Airforce found him floating at sea and rescued them
you're right... if it ain't broke, don't change the design...

Jag
 
https://www.shearwater.com/products/swift/

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