Max Bottompaint

[MaxBottomtime]

Our boat, No Pressure has been in limbo for two months. We needed new bottom paint and some Tender Loving Maintenance
but had to wait for the mechanics and the boat yard to synchronize their schedules. During the interim Merry and I worked on the
house and I even resorted to beach diving. I plead temporary insanity.
of
We weren't sure how long the boat would be out of service, so we got a couple spots on the Magician for Santa Barbara Island
while Kevin Lee booked passage aboard the Giant Stride. Both trips were canceled, but our boat was back in the water just in
time to make a run to Golf Ball Reef this morning. Kevin was dreading the climbing of the Giant Stride ladder. His knees haven't
completely healed, so he was thrilled to have the use of our handicap rails once again.

The ocean was a little bouncy but we had surprisingly good conditions on the reef. It was the best visibility we've experienced at
Golf Ball Reef. Life was sparse compared to our earlier dives here. There were no tiny nudibranchs in the kelp nor shrimp on the
barrel, but life on the reef was plentiful.

Now that Spring has arrived the water around Palos Verdes has dropped to its usual 52° but it felt refreshing to finally be back in it.

Report and photos at Wreckreational Diving - Max Bottompaint

 

[drbill]

Bottom paint? What's that? Back when I had my boat (early 70s) I rarely hauled it out... it was "big" and we had no facilities where I lived (Toyon Bay). Once I did haul it out to rebuild the engine, it had so much growth on the hull I practically needed a nuclear weapon to blast off the barnacles. Prior to hauling it out, one of my college roommates visited with his wife. He had to get back to San Diego (he was in the Navy) so we all jumped into my boat and I cast off. The boat kept going in circles... the prop was so fouled with barnacles it was like a ball. After I hauled it out, rebuilt the engine, repainted everything and launched it it took just a few months for it to sink in a storm!

 

[MaxBottomtime]

I bought an old sailboat once and had to give the bottom a marine haircut with spatulas! The growth was at least six inches thick. I wish I had taken a camera with me first. It was like an inverted reef with dozens of pipefish. I actually felt bad about cleaning it, but it barely moved in the water dragging that reef around with it. No Pressure didn't have much growth, but it was getting to the point that I had to clean the bottom every time I got in the water or we would have algae circling the wagon.

 

[mangoconchile]

thank you for the report. do you know if the red buoy is still directly over the marineland platform? i'd like to dive it some day but im not very good with navigation. i went this morning to go dive long point but didnt see it.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Someone removed it last year. Now that the area is part of the Abalone Cove State Marine Conservation Area I don't know if they would allow me to place another buoy there. The line is still attached to the platform but that doesn't help locate it.

 

[mangoconchile]

That sucks! Guess ill just have to try and find it. I just started diving PV and found it my favorite dive site in Socal. Iv'e only explored 'The Garden' and 120 reef at OML but am looking to try all of the other sites. Bought your book too.

 

[MaxBottomtime]

You might be able to get lineups from this screen capture.


Go to https://www.flickr.com/photos/7270951@N07/13654632815/ for large file