Marineland Platform Buoy Back in Business

[Merry]

Last Sun., Phil discovered that the line holding the buoy was badly frayed. We removed the buoy temporarily and discarded the old line. We attached a new half-inch, 100' braided line that should wear well, and returned the buoy to the platform.







Vis was a cloudy 8' on the platform, but vis down to ~50 was remarkably clear. A few photos from the dive:



We didn't see any jellies, just salps with their hyperiid amphipod hitchhikers. Cyclosalpa bakeri










After the dive, we spotted a diver some distance offshore who was swimming in our direction. We don't usually see divers out that far, but we know of one particularly sturdy soul. I joking asked, "Wouldn't it be funny if that's Craig Hoover?" Well, it WAS Craig Hoover. He was on his way from Long Point to dive the Marineland platform. So we gave him a lift the rest of the way.




We hope that Craig had a good dive! Looking forward to seeing his photos, too.

 

[bperc]

That's funny. Picking up hitchhikers on the high seas. Nice photos too. Thanks for sharing them.

 

[keithbt]

Do you attach to the buoy with your boat or do you anchor and then swim to the buoy and descend ?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

We anchored next to the platform, then held the free end of the line while I descended to the anchor. Once on the bottom, I tied the frre end to the SW corner of the barge, removed the old line and took it back up to the boat.

 

[FrankPro1]

Glad to see the float is back. Very cool shots! Those salps are the same type which were present there this past Sunday. I got a shot of them on the way down the anchor line but it came out way over exposed and full of backscatter

 

[keithbt]

We anchored next to the platform, then held the free end of the line while I descended to the anchor. Once on the bottom, I tied the frre end to the SW corner of the barge, removed the old line and took it back up to the boat.

If I wanted to visit the platform by boat should I anchor near by and then swim to the buoy and descend or is the buoy for mooring also....I dont know the area real well and dont want to ruin any life with an anchor... When I anchor at most spots I anchor away from the dive spot (reef) and swim in.....but I ve noticed that on some of the dive boats I ve been on the captain will brag how they dropped the anchor right on the reef....I guess to help divers find the spot?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

If you have a fishfinder onboard you can see the platform and anchor nearby. I usually try to anchor as close as possible because the vis can be poor at many sites. I hate having to tie off a spool and go looking. I had to do that last week at the platform due to a current pushing us away as the anchor dropped.
The buoy is tied to the SW corner, so you could always anchor slightly west or south, then descend the buoy line. I don't think the 1/2" braided line would support the pull of a boat, so mooring might not be a good idea.

 

[keithbt]

Perfect.... thanks again...