Havana Dive

[JEScholz]

A few of us are planning to hit the Havana and leave a marker on it this weekend.(weather permitting) If anyone is interested let me know. We will update the numbers and if everything works out, we may have a mooring on it later in the season.

 

[Dean810]

Wish it was a different weekend Jim!

 

[JEScholz]

Well, with some help from Bob, (bobmaggi), we located and put a marker on the Havana today. Surface conditions were flat with high 60's on the lake. Bottom conditions were less than optimal. 6' vis and 40F temps but the marker is there. I left my GPS on the boat with the latest numbers but I will add them to the post when I retrieve it. Hopefully, we will be be able to get a mooring buoy on in the next couple of weeks.

 

[Oldpirate]

Let me know if it's a lot different than the N 42° 11' 56" x W 086° 25' 80" that we have posted on the MSRA web site: http://www.michiganshipwrecks.org/havana.htm.

These numbers were gathered quite some time ago and I'd prefer to have minutes and 000's rather than minutes and seconds. Thanks!

 

[JEScholz]

Let me know if it's a lot different than the N 42° 11' 56" x W 086° 25' 80" that we have posted on the MSRA web site: http://www.michiganshipwrecks.org/havana.htm.

These numbers were gathered quite some time ago and I'd prefer to have minutes and 000's rather than minutes and seconds. Thanks!

The "mooring" is not set yet, but the numbers on my GPS for where we set the jug below the surface is 42.11.731 X 86.25.637.
If I convert it, the numbers are 42 11' 43.9" X 86 25' 38.2

I am told that there are multiple pieces of the Havana spread out on the bottom. The piece we are on I believe is the piece Valerie drew a few years ago. Once the mooring is set, we plan to do some line searches out a ways to see if we can find the anchor chain again and whatever else may not be covered with sand.

 

[JEScholz]

Well it is the end of the "normal" season so we went out to lower the mooring before the storms tear it off. Someone cut the surface float off but the line and the submerged float were still there. They have been lowered below the expected ice level and will serve as a big targert for the fish finder in the spring.

Does anyone know of any divers who used the mooring line this year? We would like to receive some feedback on how it worked out and If we should bother to repair / improve it for next year.

 

[Oldpirate]

I don't know of anyone who dove the wreck. My personal opinion would be to move your efforts to either the AnnArbor no. 5, the fireboat or the North Shore tug. All three are popular dive sites that are rarely buoyed. Your efforts are much appreicated!!

 

[UWDoc]

I agree, thanks for the effort. I hear via rumor that fishermen tend to cut the lines as the wrecks attract fish and they don't want others to have easy access to the sites. It would be nice to have a good mooring on the more popular wrecks in the rec diver depth range.

 

[Saint_Thomas]

Hi Jim,

Cindy & I (Tom & Cindy, we attended a MUD meeting this last spring) just started diving the South Haven area in August.

We dove the Grand Mere Rocks from St. Joe a few times, then the Clay Banks. When we decided to dive the Rockaway it was a wonderful thing to see that buoy as we approached the GPS coords. We dove the Rockaway 2 times and got some video.
(Also lost a mask & snorkel off the swim platform if anyone finds it). We are still diving out of our 16' runabout, but are close to getting something bigger and docking at South Haven. I've had 10 boats in my life. If i had known I would be diving, I would have kept the last one - a Marinette 32 @ New Buffalo.
It would have been a great dive boat.

Also want to dive the Verano and yes, the Havana. It was lower priority due to "Fine Sand" stated in description. Do you concur?

How's Donny's Reef or Pier Cove? Ever been there?

Are all the buoys removed now?

Would you like a DVD of our Rockaway dive ?- just home-video quality but you might enjoy. (free, of course). Vis was 20+
I use a JVC DV in a modified Ikelite case transferred to DVD.

Advise address to send to if you want the DVD.

Anyway, thanks for your work on the buoys.

 

[JEScholz]

Glad to year you have been getting wet. I find the Havana and the Rockaway about the same vis and bottom composition. I have not been to Donny's reef or Pier Cove. The MUD club is only maintaining the Havana buoy right now, If we could find more in the St. Joe area, we would buoy more so if you have any numbers, we will gladly check them out. I hear there are still buoys out but this is the time to start pulling them before the storms tear them up.

Thanks for checking in. The next MUD meeting is October 16 if you can make it!