Spectre
Contributor
For those of you not following the Cape Ann Day thread in the group trips section, this post starts up where my report for that dive leaves off.
After Shellbird, MSilvia and I went our seperate ways, I gave Bushman a call to tell him about the joys of surge diving. In our conversation he mentioned he lost another couple of traps this weekend, and we needed to plan sometime to go fetch 'em (Bushman has been getting a little daring with his trap placement now that we're getting good with fetching the ones that get lost!). Since I'm busy the next couple of weekends, I was awake, and I had one full tank left, I asked if the conditions had been decent down there. He said they were, and so I turned south instead of north, and headed off to Cape Cod for some trap salvage.
It was bleak and dreary but not raining as we loaded up the boat. The tide was coming in and the bay was glass where the wind wasn't hitting the water. We rigged up our gear while we waited for enough water to get the boat floating, and headed off for the Target ship [For those unfamiliar with the area, that would be the wreck of the James Longstreet, a liberty ship beached in 1950 and used as target practice for the next 20something years].
We anchored right by trap 3 and dropped in. The current was a little strong, but nothing we couldn't fight, and we made quick work around a piece of wreckage [which nicely cut down on the current]. Bushman made quick work getting the rope unwrapped from the wreckage while I rigged up the lift bag for the move, a few kicks later and we had a new home for trap #3. Back along the port side heading towards the stern we went, I snapped a couple of shots while Bushman checked trap #2 for bugs. Onto trap #1, which was a little more work freeing, but soon we were done with the work part of the dive.
So off we went continuing towards the stern, looking in all the nooks and crannies, snapping a few pictures while searching for a mid-afternoon snack.
About halfway down the length of the ship I found what would have made for an excellent lobster home. I peaked in, and sure enough... there was a bug that agreed with me. I then showed him the error of his choice. His house happened to have a front door, a back door, and a side window. So I knocked on his front door, which caused him to head backwards. I looked in the window and there were claws. So I put down my light, reached in the back door, tapped him on the tail, and off for the front door he went. His claws passed by the window, my hand went in, and came out with my second bug of the season.
We continued on for a little while longer, drift-dived our way back towards the boat, and we were done.
Now, for the best part! I actually got some pictures that I'm not so embarrassed about and can show 'em off!
Mid-Tide at the Target Ship - The two bouys in view are #3 and #2. #1 is off to the left.
Horseshoe Crab
Fish around Wreckage (There always seems to be one posing!)
More Fish & Wreckage (Yep...posing)
Overgrown steel slab (w/ posing fish)
Spool w/ rope
Swim Through (yep...poser)
Other direction from [not so swim-through] (I can't find the poser in this one!)
After Shellbird, MSilvia and I went our seperate ways, I gave Bushman a call to tell him about the joys of surge diving. In our conversation he mentioned he lost another couple of traps this weekend, and we needed to plan sometime to go fetch 'em (Bushman has been getting a little daring with his trap placement now that we're getting good with fetching the ones that get lost!). Since I'm busy the next couple of weekends, I was awake, and I had one full tank left, I asked if the conditions had been decent down there. He said they were, and so I turned south instead of north, and headed off to Cape Cod for some trap salvage.
It was bleak and dreary but not raining as we loaded up the boat. The tide was coming in and the bay was glass where the wind wasn't hitting the water. We rigged up our gear while we waited for enough water to get the boat floating, and headed off for the Target ship [For those unfamiliar with the area, that would be the wreck of the James Longstreet, a liberty ship beached in 1950 and used as target practice for the next 20something years].
We anchored right by trap 3 and dropped in. The current was a little strong, but nothing we couldn't fight, and we made quick work around a piece of wreckage [which nicely cut down on the current]. Bushman made quick work getting the rope unwrapped from the wreckage while I rigged up the lift bag for the move, a few kicks later and we had a new home for trap #3. Back along the port side heading towards the stern we went, I snapped a couple of shots while Bushman checked trap #2 for bugs. Onto trap #1, which was a little more work freeing, but soon we were done with the work part of the dive.
So off we went continuing towards the stern, looking in all the nooks and crannies, snapping a few pictures while searching for a mid-afternoon snack.
About halfway down the length of the ship I found what would have made for an excellent lobster home. I peaked in, and sure enough... there was a bug that agreed with me. I then showed him the error of his choice. His house happened to have a front door, a back door, and a side window. So I knocked on his front door, which caused him to head backwards. I looked in the window and there were claws. So I put down my light, reached in the back door, tapped him on the tail, and off for the front door he went. His claws passed by the window, my hand went in, and came out with my second bug of the season.
We continued on for a little while longer, drift-dived our way back towards the boat, and we were done.
Now, for the best part! I actually got some pictures that I'm not so embarrassed about and can show 'em off!
Mid-Tide at the Target Ship - The two bouys in view are #3 and #2. #1 is off to the left.
Horseshoe Crab
Fish around Wreckage (There always seems to be one posing!)
More Fish & Wreckage (Yep...posing)
Overgrown steel slab (w/ posing fish)
Spool w/ rope
Swim Through (yep...poser)
Other direction from [not so swim-through] (I can't find the poser in this one!)
