Wreck Tie In

[cdreamer]

In Maryland and Delaware there are no mooring lines. We find the wreck, then we throw the anchor which is a grappling hook and we drag it over the wreck until it catches something. At this point the mate is ready and descends with a rope with a
clip on each end. The mate will check where the hook is at to see if it is a secure spot to tie to. If not, you move it to a more secure location, then you clip one end of the rope to the anchor chain and wrap the rope around the hook and the wreck and clip the other end to the chain. When untieing, don't get behind it so when you unhook it the current pulls it into your face. Unhook and wrap the rope around it or the anchor chain to foul it so it doesnt rehook into the wreck and put it in the sand if you can. You have to be careful moving the anchor very far because it can be very
strenuous sometimes. You have to watch your breathing. Good Luck.

Terri

 

[flw]

Come to NJ some time. If the line isn't attached to the wreck, chances are pretty good that you won't find the wreck when you go down the line even on a day with good vis and no current. When the current is ripping, if you're not tied in to the wreck the boat will for-sure be gone when the dive is done.

As to your point about missing he line on the way back up: chances of doing that are much lower if the line is attached to the wreck you're diving on.

The trick is simple, just lay the line over the wreck, so if anything it will drag into the wreck. Using a shot line is simple, as is using a 'live' boat. Shot's don't usually get pulled out unless people pull on them, which sometimes inexperienced divers do.
We dive in an area of high tides, where often there is not a chance you'd be able to hang onto a fixed line - the sounds locally run up to 12 knots.
People miss lines for all sorts of reasons, getting lost is only one of them, it may be there's a problem requiring an immediate ascent - when you really want a boat right on top of you.
An alternative is simply to use the line as a down line and all bag- off for the ascent very easy and stress free

 

[RJP]

The trick is simple, just lay the line over the wreck, so if anything it will drag into the wreck. Using a shot line is simple, as is using a 'live' boat. Shot's don't usually get pulled out unless people pull on them, which sometimes inexperienced divers do.
We dive in an area of high tides, where often there is not a chance you'd be able to hang onto a fixed line - the sounds locally run up to 12 knots.
People miss lines for all sorts of reasons, getting lost is only one of them, it may be there's a problem requiring an immediate ascent - when you really want a boat right on top of you.
An alternative is simply to use the line as a down line and all bag- off for the ascent very easy and stress free

Our boat carries 18 divers plus crew; I can't imagine having 20 or so people hanging deco on lift bags in a ripping current in 4ft seas. It would be a mess. Hell, you'd start running people over if you use a "live boat" approach. As someone said above, different areas adopt different protocols, but the way we do it here seems most logical to me:

There's 100-200' feet or so of line, with a boat tied to either end, one of which is at the bottom of the ocean, the other on the surface. As long as you know which way is up you've got no problem getting to the wreck and/or back to the boat. (Of course if at the end of your dive BOTH ends are tied to a wreck, there's a problem.)

 

[matt_unique]

There's not a single wreck off NJ with a mooring, and you'll never get a boat captain to willingly give up the GPS coordinates to anything good.

I initially encountered that issue too. Some boat Captain's seem to think they own the wrecks...they don't. They got the coordinates from other Captains. Now you can buy books or come to places like Scuba Board and get all the coordinates you want.

The most popular dive sites in Massachusetts have moorings. Cape Ann Divers (dive shop and charter boat operator) and other charter boats like Daybreaker maintain moorings on popular dive sites. I know there are others. It makes it easier and more efficient for them when running regular charters to these dive sites.

--Matt

 

[wreckedinri]

. . . The most popular dive sites in Massachusetts have moorings. Cape Ann Divers (dive shop and charter boat operator) and other charter boats like Daybreaker maintain moorings on popular dive sites. I know there are others. It makes it easier and more efficient for them when running regular charters to these dive sites.

--Matt

I must be diving in a different Massachusetts.

It's been my experience that other than the Poling your chances of finding a mooring are about one in ten. And I'm being generous. Yes, Fran, Heather and Dave, and Jim and Pat, among others, do put moorings on some of the wrecks, but they typically disappear in a week or two, or are rendered unreliable shortly thereafter. Just last Sunday we hit the Pinthis and the mooring that NADE placed there the week before was wrapped around wreckage and loaded with hooks. A good indication that it will either part soon or fisherman will cut it.

I think that when one heads to a site that they have to assume that there is no mooring and be prepared to find and tie into the wreck. Typically, we hook steel wrecks and drop shot lines on wooden or low-lying scattered wrecks.

 

[snepdiver]

(Of course if at the end of your dive BOTH ends are tied to a wreck, there's a problem.)

Big Problem indeed.

 

[matt_unique]

I must be diving in a different Massachusetts.....

Yes, RI is no longer part of Massachusetts. Ha ha!

The following are not all wrecks of course but the Poling, Paddock, Crane Wreck, Burnham's, sometimes SNL, years ago Halfway Rock (though not for several years now), in RI of course the U853, sometimes Bass, etc.

--Matt

 

[wreckedinri]

Yes, RI is no longer part of Massachusetts. Ha ha!
--Matt

You're right!

However, the last few years I've dived mostly in MA. The point I'm trying to make is that NE is not like Florida and other areas that consistently put moorings on their wrecks. Be prepared to do some work - and tying in is work - if you take a private boat to go wreck diving.

Besides the Poling stern, Salisbury stern, and the 853 which typically are moored, I've yet to find moorings on most of these:

Addie M. Anderson
Acid Barge
Alma E.A. Holmes
Alva (stern)
Andrea Doria
Annapolis
Aransas
Ardandhu
Argo Merchant
Baleen
Barge X Crane
Bass
Bayville Wreck
Belleville
Benj. F. Packard
Black Diamond
Black Point (bow)
Black Point (stern)
Cape Fear
Catherine Marie (FV)
Celtic/Cape Race (tug/barge)
Chelsea
Chester A. Poling (bow)
Chester A. Poling (stern)
City of Salisbury (bow)
City of Salisbury (stern)
Colebrook
Condor (tug)
Cormorant (FV)
Coyote
Cowin
Crane Barge (Samson)
Delaware
Dixie Sword
Dixon Chemicals (barge)
John Dwight
Essex (bow)
Explorer
Flyer (FV)
G-1
Grecian
Gwendoline Steers (tug)
Heckler (fishing vessel)
Hellcat
Henry Endicott (barge)
Herbert
Hercules
Heroine
Hilda Garston
Horatio Hall
Idene
James Longstreet
John Dwight
June K (tug)
Kershaw
Kiowa
L-8
Lake Crystal
Lansford
Larchmont
Lightburne
Lightship (Buzzard Bay)
Llewellyn Howland
Marise (fishing vessel)
Mars
Mary Arnold
Metis
Miss Jennifer
Montana
Mount Hope
Neptune II
Northern Voyager
Onondaga
Pendleton (stern)
Perkiomen
Pinthis
Port Hunter
Pottstown (coal barge)
Progress
P. T. Teti
Puszta
Regal Sword
Reliance
Romance (boilers)
Romance (bow)
Samson (Crane Barge)
Seaconnet
Snetind
St. Francis
Southland
Suffolk
Sweet Sue
Thames (tug)
Thumper
Trojan
Troydon
Two Anchor wreck
U-853
Uncle John (fishing vessel)
Vineyard Sound lightship
Volund
YSD-56
YF-415

Not trying to get into a pissing contest, but saying "most" wrecks are moored is not quite accurate.

Dennis

 

[WetDawg]

Here is a little more detail that will save you some frustration. However, I would first recommend diving on a local charter boat and ask to dive with the DM when hooking up and you will learn the procedure.

Before you plan to jump on any wreck it's critic to know the orientation of the wreck on the bottom - (i.e. the bow points North) this will help you on your approach with your depth finder, it's difficult to find a wreck even when you have good GPS numbers when you approach it bow or stern on. Also, it is critical to have a boat driver that knows what they are doing, it really helps if they have been down and seen the wreck before as well.

Next - the person jumping (you) should be fully geared up and slightly heavy (with no air in the BC) for a quick "negative" decent - standing on the rear of the boat ready to jump while the boat driver passes over the wreck a couple times to get the feel for the lay of the wreck.

When you pass over (into the current) your boat driver should yell for you to jump when they see the spike in depth indicating that you are passing directly over the structure.

If all goes well, you should land right on it if you are quick getting down, yes this means a head down power finning action on your part (ditch the split fins and get some long fins if you can, they will change your life).

No need for an anchor if you are tying off, simply take the anchor line (with the depth + 10% as a good rule for how much line you will need when diving - NOT the depth X 5 for anchoring rule). Also, some Capt's like to use a mooring ball on the top end of the anchor line so if they need to run and pick someone up they can leave the ball (and line tied to the wreck) behind and come back easily. Incidentally, this ball setup makes your job hooking up easier as you don't have to drag the boat behind you if you find yourself off the target on your decent and have to do a little searching you only have to drag the ball.

Last, but no least -- tie the last few feet of chain off with a large carabiner (or small shackle) after wrapping up on a solid part of the structure that does not look environmentally sensitive.

*** BTW *** Dragging anchors and grappling hooks are bad for delicate sea life that attach to wrecks, don't be lazy, get in the water.

 

[wreckedinri]

Here is a little more detail that will save you some frustration. However, I would first recommend diving on a local charter boat and ask to dive with the DM when hooking up and you will learn the procedure.

Before you plan to jump on any wreck it's critic to know the orientation of the wreck on the bottom - (i.e. the bow points North) this will help you on your approach with your depth finder, it's difficult to find a wreck even when you have good GPS numbers when you approach it bow or stern on. Also, it is critical to have a boat driver that knows what they are doing, it really helps if they have been down and seen the wreck before as well.

Next - the person jumping (you) should be fully geared up and slightly heavy (with no air in the BC) for a quick "negative" decent - standing on the rear of the boat ready to jump while the boat driver passes over the wreck a couple times to get the feel for the lay of the wreck.

When you pass over (into the current) your boat driver should yell for you to jump when they see the spike in depth indicating that you are passing directly over the structure.

If all goes well, you should land right on it if you are quick getting down, yes this means a head down power finning action on your part (ditch the split fins and get some long fins if you can, they will change your life).

No need for an anchor if you are tying off, simply take the anchor line (with the depth + 10% as a good rule for how much line you will need when diving - NOT the depth X 5 for anchoring rule). Also, some Capt's like to use a mooring ball on the top end of the anchor line so if they need to run and pick someone up they can leave the ball (and line tied to the wreck) behind and come back easily. Incidentally, this ball setup makes your job hooking up easier as you don't have to drag the boat behind you if you find yourself off the target on your decent and have to do a little searching you only have to drag the ball.

Last, but no least -- tie the last few feet of chain off with a large carabiner (or small shackle) after wrapping up on a solid part of the structure that does not look environmentally sensitive.

*** BTW *** Dragging anchors and grappling hooks are bad for delicate sea life that attach to wrecks, don't be lazy, get in the water.

I can see that you never dived in the northeast. Come and show me how it's done up here before you call someone lazy.

With our vis, your lucky to see the wreck if you land even 10 feet from it. I can hold over the wreck, but you better drop as fast as a shot line if you want to land on it. Then of course it's always fun landing in one of the many nets that adorn our wrecks while you're plunging into the blackness.

Each region has its own methodology which is correct for their particular conditions. I can no more tell a captain how to get his divers on a wreck in areas that I never operated in than he could tell me how to do so in my home waters if he/she has never been here.

Captain Dennis St Germain