Divers Down - Page 4

Downhilldai · 15 February 2010, 23:19

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

no 3 the older one

Is she alive?

chewy · 15 February 2010, 23:24

Quote:

Originally Posted by Downhilldai

Is she alive?

Still warm so fair game my Welsh friend, one she's in a bag though its off game warm or not.......... honest!

m chappelow · 16 February 2010, 11:32

with regards to keeping a clear distance ,,looking on the net, it looks like the law in most states of the usa say that ,the A alpha flag is to be flown to indicate that ,,i have a diver down and i am restricted and unable to manouver,the diver must keep within a 100 ft radius of that flag ,and any free divers away from the boat ,,scuba .. snorkel should then use a s.m.b displaying the red/white diaganal stripe and keep within 100 ft radius ,,,Newyork state section 45 1a state navigation law then states that other boats must stay at least 100ft away from the diving flag ,,even though the red/white diag stripe is not an offical maritime flag ,,, the main primary use of the A flag is to prevent colisions between boats ,

Razorbill RIBs · 16 February 2010, 16:26

We went out to dive on a wreck on Sunday (when charging prob started). Hadn't been on it for a while and the co-ords were slightly out, so put in a couple of passes to pick it up on the depthsounder....

Dropped anchor, liftted the A flag, got divers into the water....(when we stopped we realised that someone else had buoyed the wreck at it's mid section).

Whilst divers were down we were approached by a couple of blokes in a dory who came right over to us to tell us that the wreck was buoyed /show us the buoy...."if that's what we were looking for"

D.

wavelength · 16 February 2010, 16:57

Quote:

the law in most states of the usa

not relevant internationally esp when they can't even get their buoyage the right way round

sorry boys or should it be boooies?

Simon B · 17 February 2010, 11:30

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

what has pissed me in the past is when you are pulling a fleet of pots that have been there all night all bouyed and flagged and and some orange rib stops about 50 yards in front of you and the D.O starts shouting in a posh voice and waving that they are diving a wreck and to keep clear, like its some sort of piss take .or when they pull up and start diving when there is a group of angling boats perhaps fishing a wreck expecting everyone to pack up and go elsewhere,

I have once polled up at a wreck with a boat of anglers already on it, talked to them about what we wanted to do and they moved, all quite amicable being as he was there first. I also try to be aware of other users who earn a living and will wait till they finish what they are doing. Similar picture with charter dive boats if they arent idots and faff about to much they can put their divers in first - they usually have all the people kitted and then dropped in neatly and quickly. There have even been times when a charter boat has used our shot so it can all work out.

Trying to work out how to rigidise our A-flag now, might even get a "you are running into danger" flag - though it's use may not be understood....

chewy · 17 February 2010, 13:43

Quote:

Originally Posted by m chappelow

no 3 the older one ,,bet she doesent do boats though ,, well our type anyhow,,,,,you can have the middle one Bruceb,,,,,,ive got a red haired 23 year old daughter were trying to get married off ,,she doesent do boats either ,

Tell JSP.

BruceB · 17 February 2010, 16:56

The only time (twice that I can remember) having an argument about access to a wreck (ie who was going where) was not with potters or fishermen but dive charter vessels.
Both times I tried to talk to the charter vessels about working out how, who and when to get divers in, once even offering them my shot, and was rebuffed and told basically they had precedence over everyone.
Both times we ended up giving them the finger and getting in before them, its less faff on a RIB and with the folk I know to get in very quickly.

Generally charter vessels are not like this but if they won't even talk to you (one told me to F**off when I went to talk to him) then sod 'em!
My dive flag was taken from a sunken ship, if you know what it means you can't miss actually seeing it.
BTW 23 year old redheads are just my thing, fancy swopping for a 38 year old redhead with some cash to even out the trade

Andy Gee · 17 February 2010, 18:21

The Blue white "A" flag means I have divers down please pass wide and slow. It is recommended that you pass at least 500m clear of any vessel showing the flag. Vessel should also, where practical, display day/night signals showing her as a Vessel Restricted in Manouverability. It is also prudent to put out a safety broadcast.

I've been there and done that with the MCA/MAIB/Yachtie.....Yachtie lost face, I lost loads of sleep!
Andy

Poly · 17 February 2010, 18:34

Quote:

Originally Posted by Andy Gee

It is recommended that you pass at least 500m clear of any vessel showing the flag.

I doubt that a 1m flag is particularly obvious at 500m away.

Heart-trouble · 17 February 2010, 20:38

true, but i've got three words for you. Bin ocu lars! In the event that you cant use your binoculars then i think as soon as you see the flag, slow down and keep as far away as practicable. So if you can 500m away is about right.

chewy · 17 February 2010, 20:39

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heart-trouble

true, but i've got three words for you. Bin ocu lars! In the event that you cant use your binoculars then i think as soon as you see the flag, slow down and keep as far away as practicable. So if you can 500m away is about right.

How many people have binoculars on their boat, do you get them out when you pass every that has some form of flag flying?

Heart-trouble · 17 February 2010, 20:41

i've got some in the house, too good to take out on the boat! (If the flag says get yer tits out then i do get them out!)

Poly · 17 February 2010, 20:47

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

How many people have binoculars,

I do

Quote:

do you get them out when you pass every that has some form of flag flying?

no I generally use them when I'm looking for something. A dive boat looks much like a fishing boat or someone having lunch on the hook - so in all honesty I'm unlikely to give it much thought if its 1/2 km away. At 20 knots they're pretty much impossible to use anyway.

willk · 17 February 2010, 20:58

Quote:

Originally Posted by chewy

How many people have binoculars on their boat

'Fraid I do too, me and Peeping, erm, Polwart.

If I saw a boat flying a flag round my stretch, I'd have a quick butchers to check that it wasn't Tonymac contravening the Flags & Emblems Act.

chewy · 17 February 2010, 21:00

Only time I tried to use them every thing was a blur!

m chappelow · 17 February 2010, 21:20

All in all speaking both as an ex diver and inshore fisherman i can sypathise with both partys , most dive boats both clubs/charter seem to frequent the same areas regular so it should be no suprize to see boats at a particular site be it a wreck or some other welknown intrest ,,if its a commercial operation it should normally be in the,, Notices to mariners postings,,or broadcast on vhf as a navigational warning at regular intervals ,. In the past we have had crab pots cut open by a minority of private individual ,,eco,, divers ,,know seals have sharpe teeth and its not uncommon for killer whales to be in our part of the north sea but these were done with a knife ,investigation sused them out and we gave them the,, scarbrough warning,, ...on the otherhand ,,i can see how frustrating it must be for a dive club to want dive a particular wreck and has planned it for weeks, driving perhaps a hundred miles or so then gets out there and someone else is on it .,,as for divers running about with the A flag flying when not diving its as bad when fishing boats have 2 inverted cones or a basket up permanantly when not actually fishing .,,,,,,ChewyPhil ,,did you get your sr4 back in the harbour today,

Bigmuz7 · 17 February 2010, 21:29

Quote:

Originally Posted by willk

'Fraid I do too, me and Peeping, erm, Polwart.

If I saw a boat flying a flag round my stretch, I'd have a quick butchers to check that it wasn't Tonymac contravening the Flags & Emblems Act.

hehe

Binns are alright when you are on the 'lookout' , but what I'm worried about is the casual dayboater in his overpowered bath tub doing a Miami Vice move next to a pier or something .. when he should be paying attention to whats going on around him ..

Thats another topic

Ribsters pulling hole shot 'wheelies' next to piers and the like

.....

chewy · 17 February 2010, 21:29

Quite a few boats are apparently fishing on their moorings......

What was the Scarborough warning?

Andy Gee · 18 February 2010, 11:49

Quote:

Originally Posted by Polwart

I doubt that a 1m flag is particularly obvious at 500m away.

Really, During the "trials" that were carried out a rigid 1m flag, that is what after all is recomended, was obvious at a distance of 1.5kn. Obviously this was fitted to a hard boat however I did have a slightly smaller rigid flad that we used on a Rib.

The main problem is the Yacht that seems to think that because he is under sail then he has priority over everyone, regardless.
Cheers,
Andy