Rigging a small boat for diving

[Mo2vation]

I'm not currently a boat owner - but I will again be one day. I fish, and have only been diving for the last 4 years or so.

I think this is really interesting - in So Cal we're a trailerable center console, stand-up fishing kinda place, and any boat I have will now surely need to serve double duty.

The dream rig will be the 20' aluminum Baja, rigged center console. Add a step or ladder, a rack and a bench and it'll be perfect for the inshore kelp jaunts, the Oil Rigs, wreck alley, trips to Catalina, etc.

Very cool stuff here. If not now, surely for one day.

K

 

[WreckWriter]

18 foot is pretty much the minuimum size boat you should actually go to sea in. You won't be able to comfortably dive 4 people off of an 18.

You NEVER go to sea without a VHF radio in good working condition. Don't consider it insurance, consider it mandatory.

I strongly recommend against leaving the boat unattended while diving but people do it and get away with it all the time. You can play the odds but I don't recommend it.

WW

 

[Joe R.]

You can get those super tank holders through your dive shop or the marine supply catalogs. I use bungies (their real purpose) along with the tank holders for long rough runs. A cell phone is nice insurance too.

 

[Stone]

The plastic fold down tank holders are made by "Roll Control", and can be found on Leisure Pro. I mounted a 4-tank holder in the stern, and cut another aluminum stip in half to hold two tanks each on port and starboard.

In the attached picture, you can see how the racks fold down to make room for a cooler.

 

[100days-a-year]

Or you could give Stone a few$ and let him rig it for you.His boat is a perfect example of what TO do.

 

[Cave Diver]

100days-a-year once bubbled...
Or you could give Stone a few$ and let him rig it for you.His boat is a perfect example of what TO do.

Better yet, just buddy up with him and use HIS boat. Sure looks a lot nicer than mine...

 

[Genesis]

I've got two Roll Control racks (one on each side of the cockpit) set up for 8 tanks, and typically stuff another 4 or sometimes more in the salon, depending on how many are on board

I've left a boat unattended, but be careful. Don't do it if the current or wind is blowing offshore or you're out far enough for exposure to get you if something happens, and don't do it in dicey surface conditions or if they could BECOME dicey while you're down. Consider that if you come back to the anchor line and find it horizontal, you now need to manage to survive so you can call the insurance company.

This is going to be tough if you're 20nm offshore with a wind blowing you towards Cuba!

I consider a VHF essential at any distance from land and an EPIRB essential if you're going to be more than 20 miles from the nearest USCG (or other "highpoint") marine station. The latter will save your bacon if the boat goes out from under you.

Oh yes, whoever you leave on top has to know how to OPERATE said boat. Well enough not to chop you up or run you over if you manage to get away from it and can't get back to the boat under your own power for some reason (ripping currents, etc) They also MUST know how to operate ALL the safety systems (radio, where the raft is, etc)

 

[Tommed]

Thanks again for all the great ideas. I have picked up some great rigging tips and some good ideas on how to deal with an unattended boat. Obviously it is best to leave a competent driver on board, but I know many folks often break this rule, and I appreciate the everyone thoughts as to how to deal with a less than perfect or safe circumstance.
As far as boarding options go, I have a small transon mounted platform on the port side. I have been thinking about mounting a Garelick platform mount with the breakway bracket and a four step dive/sport ladder. Any opinions on this setup?

Tommed

 

[sailnj]

First off, whoever said to set two anchor lines - a bow and a stern - totally disregard that unless your diving on a small pond. Setting a stern anchor, especially on a power boat (ie planing hull) offshore you might as well send out the sos before you dive - a change in the wind/wave direction will send a good wave right through the transom motor cutout and sink the boat fast. (They pulled two bodies out of the water a mile or so from out shore house that dropped a stern anchor in the inlet off a similar sized boat.

The other thing that people mention is also correct that four divers plus their gear is too much weight for almost any 18' boat built - you just can't get enough displacement to make it safe.

As far as leaving the boat unattended - forget it - at least here in NJ most other boaters either don't know what a diver down flag looks like or dont care. I either case you need someone on deck, preferably with a good VHF radio and a loaded flare gun in hand ready to scare off some idiots.

As to my dive platform, its a little unconventional - a 28' sailboat (ie displacement hull, built for the open ocean) I have what West Marine terms a dive ladder - a removable one piece four step ladder with the vertical support up the center - easier to accend and supports 400lbs of weight. Equipment is stored in rubbermaid boxes in the main cabin and the tanks are stacked in one of the v bottomed cockpit lockers. Because of my slow speed I always have in the water a 10' zodiac with a 6hp merc. that I either tow or store on deck depending upon the weather conditions. Not only is this a backup lifeboat but also is good for retrieving divers and is an easier platform to gear up and enter the water off of. Also, by extending the tow line you can keep a fairly large portion of the surface free from fishermen and other boaters, Also - a good VHF, GPS, EPIRB, and a fishfinder. I have a built in depth finder that is permanent but only tells the depth - a secondary fishfinder with a temporary transom mount (the boat heels when sailing so it's only useful under power) is good for bottom contors.

 

[Cave Diver]

Tommed once bubbled...
Obviously it is best to leave a competent driver on board, but I know many folks often break this rule, and I appreciate the everyone thoughts as to how to deal with a less than perfect or safe circumstance.

I'm not sure the diving competence of the person left on board should be the issue. Rather, that the person is a competent operator of the boat and the equipment on it.

I have heard several stories of divers taking along a non-diver to "watch the boat" but failed to instruct the person on how to untie, pull up anchor, start/manuever the boat, or operate the radio.