petrieps
Contributor
Met up with a good friend from work at 7:00 at the boat ramp behind the Gloucester HS.
We had been trying to get out since before Irene. I had brought him in a bag of scallops for him to try. He is a boat owner and an avid fisherman (my kind of guy). Within a couple of days he called me " I'll take you where ever you want, we gotta get more of those" I love when a plan comes together
Any way we headed out to one of my favorite spots, a place I've always done well. The first 10 feet vis was good. At 72 feet the vis was less than 1 foot. Trying to make the best of it I put my face down about 6 inches from the bottom and started my search. After 5 minutes, realizing the effort was pretty much futile I returned to the surface. We moved the boat and tried again. Spot 2 was pretty much the same 50 feet deep and about the same vis. Bottom time 10 minutes. Discouraged now, we moved yet again, this time into 35 feet of water and miles away. Visibility was slightly better but the bottom was covered with detached seaweed of all kinds, suspended 1 foot off the bottom. Any thing laying on the bottom was completely obscured. Another 10 minute bottom time.
Ron had afternoon appointments so we headed back. Sunday was The Gloucester Schooner Parade, We entered the harbor, the timing was perfect to see these magnificent ships under sail. A truly spactacular sight, what luck to be out there on that day.
We loaded the boat on the trailer and Ron took off. I still had not had my scuba fix. Knowing I would not be able to dive again during the day for atleast 2 weeks I decided to take a drive to Bass Rocks and have a look see. The waves were moderate, very doable. There were huge piles of seaweed at the shore line and lots in the surf zone. When I came out I must have looked like the creature from the black lagoon. I had atleast 10 pounds of the stuff covering me. I gave the fishermen on the rocks a good laugh.
The dive was great. Visibility was 7 to 10 feet, lots of bugs (a huge surprise to me). It was surgey,like being in a washing machine until I made my way to deeper water. On my way back in I came across a huge lobster, It had bands on it's claws. I spent the time to wrestle it out from under a rock. It was an oversized female with eggs. The bands were covered with algea, so it must have been like that for a while. I freed her, I bet that lobster had a good hunt last night. I would love to know how she came to have bands on her. I should have V nothed her too.
All in all a great day, 85 minute dive, lowest temperature was 55.
Happy Labor Day
We had been trying to get out since before Irene. I had brought him in a bag of scallops for him to try. He is a boat owner and an avid fisherman (my kind of guy). Within a couple of days he called me " I'll take you where ever you want, we gotta get more of those" I love when a plan comes together
Any way we headed out to one of my favorite spots, a place I've always done well. The first 10 feet vis was good. At 72 feet the vis was less than 1 foot. Trying to make the best of it I put my face down about 6 inches from the bottom and started my search. After 5 minutes, realizing the effort was pretty much futile I returned to the surface. We moved the boat and tried again. Spot 2 was pretty much the same 50 feet deep and about the same vis. Bottom time 10 minutes. Discouraged now, we moved yet again, this time into 35 feet of water and miles away. Visibility was slightly better but the bottom was covered with detached seaweed of all kinds, suspended 1 foot off the bottom. Any thing laying on the bottom was completely obscured. Another 10 minute bottom time.Ron had afternoon appointments so we headed back. Sunday was The Gloucester Schooner Parade, We entered the harbor, the timing was perfect to see these magnificent ships under sail. A truly spactacular sight, what luck to be out there on that day.
We loaded the boat on the trailer and Ron took off. I still had not had my scuba fix. Knowing I would not be able to dive again during the day for atleast 2 weeks I decided to take a drive to Bass Rocks and have a look see. The waves were moderate, very doable. There were huge piles of seaweed at the shore line and lots in the surf zone. When I came out I must have looked like the creature from the black lagoon. I had atleast 10 pounds of the stuff covering me. I gave the fishermen on the rocks a good laugh.
The dive was great. Visibility was 7 to 10 feet, lots of bugs (a huge surprise to me). It was surgey,like being in a washing machine until I made my way to deeper water. On my way back in I came across a huge lobster, It had bands on it's claws. I spent the time to wrestle it out from under a rock. It was an oversized female with eggs. The bands were covered with algea, so it must have been like that for a while. I freed her, I bet that lobster had a good hunt last night. I would love to know how she came to have bands on her. I should have V nothed her too.
All in all a great day, 85 minute dive, lowest temperature was 55.
Happy Labor Day
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