Flower Gardens and Rigs on private boat?

[Isaac-1]

I recently bought a boat (28 foot sailboat) and I would like to do some diving from it along the SW Louisiana/ SE Texas coast (I know it does not make the best dive boat, but its what I have). It has been a number of years since I last went diving on the Rigs or the Flower Gardens. So I would like to ask what the current protocol is for diving from private boats on rigs. (is tieing up generaly allowed, etc.) Also any suggestion on good dive sites in the area, preferably with GPS co-ordinates.

Thanks Ike

 

[archman]

The charter boats I've been on don't "tie off" to rigs, but use homemade grappling hook thingies. The best one I've seen is a large metal U-shaped tube attached at one end by line to your boat. You throw the thing over a horizontal rig pipe at about head height, reel it up and hopefully "snag" the pipe. To unhook, motor close and simply push the metal tube off.

It's generally not polite to moor alongside crewed platforms. Unmanned platforms are far more common and nobody usually minds. Try and avoid the ones with automated horn blasts, they suck.

 

[IslandHopper]

we used to fish at manned platforms ... nobody cared, and more than once a couple guys came down to chat with us. ...

Definitely use a hook (as apposed to actually tying off) ... Our hook was a 10 foot pole with a J-hook on the other end (about 18inch diameter on that "J")... and 3/8" line on the boat-end. Hook the rig on the downwind or down-current side then pay out 30' of line and cleat it off. Now your boat bobs a comfortable/safe distance from the rig.
If you had to get close enough to actually "tie-on" the waves would easily put your bow or gunwales under the rig and then tear your boat up when the wave rises !

 

[HammerNoMore]

Unmanned platforms are far more common and nobody usually minds. Try and avoid the ones with automated horn blasts, they suck.

I thought the unmanned platforms had to have horn blasts?

 

[TwoBitTxn]

You can tie up to manned rigs. A few caveats though, get a radio frequency for the rigs and call them before you show up. If they are cleaning or sand blasting or something like that they will tell you. You should also let them know you are comming. Rig security is a big deal in the Gulf.

The Gardens you must tie up to a bouy. No anchoring. I would think the banks would be out of your range. I don't know about Stetson.

TwoBit

 

[Cudabait]

I recently bought a boat (28 foot sailboat) and I would like to do some diving from it along the SW Louisiana/ SE Texas coast (I know it does not make the best dive boat, but its what I have). It has been a number of years since I last went diving on the Rigs or the Flower Gardens. So I would like to ask what the current protocol is for diving from private boats on rigs. (is tieing up generaly allowed, etc.) Also any suggestion on good dive sites in the area, preferably with GPS co-ordinates.

Thanks Ike

28' sailboat should be pretty sea kindly. On a powerboat of comparable size I use a 8'-10' "rig hook". (That's what they're called) Measured from inside the bow to the end of the shank Mine are made from 1/4" aluminium tube 1-1/2" to 2" diameter. Find someone that can work with the aluninium and have then put an 18 to 20 inch bow in the tube. Cap it on both ends and then put an "eye" on the end of the shank. This rig hook is excellent. It will last for many years and the best thing about it is that it will FLOAT if dropped overboard.

The quickest way to get some good fishing and diving coordinates is at Academy. Get a "Hot Spot" fishing map for the general area you want to dive. They come loaded with GPS coordinates. Then expand from there. The maps are cheap and waterproof.

Regards,

 

[Isaac-1]

Thanks for all the tips so far, keep them coming.

Ike

 

[Aggie Diver]

I think they all have horn blasts, it's required as part of safety for boat navigation during inclement weather/fog.

 

[archman]

If they all had automated horn blasts, nobody would visit the things except for deaf people. The people on the manned platforms would go freaking nuts with that racket blaring constantly.

I've only seen (or HEARD) relatively few platforms with horns. I'm not quite sure why some rigs do it but most others don't. Fog signals for fixed platforms weren't covered in my Coast Guard class, even so the "horny" platforms shouldn't be blowing in clear weather if that's the case.

 

[Isaac-1]

On a side note, how do you get those custom tittles, and can I get one that says Ex-Scuba Instructor?

Ike
former PADI OWSI #47307