Harper Pier / Barbara G

[CaptnJack]

FYI
They are almost done with the replacement pier. The barge and crane are gone now, so diving the Barbara G is viable again. It looks like they just need to finish off the railings of the pier on the landward side. Someone (me?) should put in a line from a pier piling to the Barbara G and the rowboat so they are easy to find for beginners and in blooms...
-R

[Rooinater]

That's good news, I was hoping to take someone out there soon. If the line isn't installed, what is the rough bearing from the rock wall? I haven't been out there in years...

[FlyinV]

Did they build some easier access down to the beach?
If I remember from the 1 time I went there it was a climb down.

[CaptnJack]

I have not seen any beach stairs. The immediate area where the pier meets the seawall is still fenced off (4ft either side of the pier). I can check later this week to see how the access might be different.

[BillZ]

If you're available this Saturday (3rd) I could help you put the line in. We're visiting Friends that live on the waterfront directly in front of the Barbara G.

I could also donate about 400 ft of line.

[CaptnJack]

Its 55 deg or so from the light post at the seawall. I don't know the heading from the end of the pier. Easiest thing to do would be to wait until the pier is open to the public and walk out to the end with a GPS.

How thick is your line Bill? I was thinking roughly 1/4" rope held down with cinder blocks. I have a bunch of junky cinder blocks at my house.

[BillZ]

Its 55 deg or so from the light post at the seawall. I don't know the heading from the end of the pier. Easiest thing to do would be to wait until the pier is open to the public and walk out to the end with a GPS.

How thick is your line Bill? I was thinking roughly 1/4" rope held down with cinder blocks. I have a bunch of junky cinder blocks at my house.

I was thinking cave line. I do have a few hundred feet of crab pot poly line that we could use.

[Rooinater]

I have a few hundred feet of harbor freight yellow poly line I could donate. We were looking at Saturday or Sunday heading out that way to dive. I won't be much help for installing the line this weekend. I'll be diving with the fiance who is getting used to a new drysuit, and a couple new pieces of gear she bought this holiday season.

[CaptnJack]

OK this could be fun

How about Saturday? Roughly 10am?

[BillZ]

We'll probably take the 10:05 Fauntleroy - Southworth ferry which has a stop at Vashon so how about 11:30?

I'll bring the line is there anything else we need?

Jared, if you're out there and see my 4Runner drop by and say hello.

[CaptnJack]

The 10:05 gets you to Harper about 10:55 (its only a mile from Southworth) Assuming its on time.

I will plan on 11am Sat mate!

[BillZ]

The 10:05 gets you to Harper about 10:55 (its only a mile from Southworth) Assuming its on time.

I will plan on 11am Sat mate!

Sounds good! - You can park at the dead end of the private street that parallels the waterfront, our friends own that property.

[CaptnJack]

Yeah the grumpy husband of the coffee shop lady committed suicide a year or so ago. Still only space for about 3 cars though and there might be a class going on. I will bring cinder blocks and a float to ferry them out there with. Perhaps we should bring scooters to tow them out on the surface?

I figure 8, maybe 10 cinder blocks should be enough I guess we lay a thin temp line, then shoot some SMBs to mark the block positions before swimming them out and dropping them? Perhaps some Cove 2 line people could offer some tips here. I think I will dive OC for this effort...

[Rooinater]

I'll definitely stop by and say hi if I see your vehicle Bill. If you see a roll of poly rope on the roof of a blue Subaru, go ahead and grab it. We've got to find fills Friday night or Saturday morning before I can head out to dive.

[BillZ]

Yeah the grumpy husband of the coffee shop lady committed suicide a year or so ago. Still only space for about 3 cars though and there might be a class going on.

The lady is actually really nice but he was a real piece of work. Our friends are their next door neighbors.

I will bring cinder blocks and a float to ferry them out there with. Perhaps we should bring scooters to tow them out on the surface?

I can bring the scoot - no problems. I also have 3 or 4 SMBs we can use. Do you have any lift bags?

I figure 8, maybe 10 cinder blocks should be enough I guess we lay a thin temp line, then shoot some SMBs to mark the block positions before swimming them out and dropping them? Perhaps some Cove 2 line people could offer some tips here. I think I will dive OC for this effort...

I ran by Harbor Freight this afternoon and picked up a 600 ft spool of yellow 1/4 in poly line, at $12 for the spool it's actually cheaper than cave line and I figured it would be easier than cobbling together a bunch of the crappy old poly line I have.

[Desert Diver]

You peeps that are always doing the hard job of laying out lines are appreciated. I have a reel that is supposed to be 1500' of about 1" rope. It is some kind of synthetic in an off white color. I'd donate it to a good project. Anybody got one?

[BillZ]

Along the same lines as what you were thinking Richard....

First dive
1 - Run a line from the Pier to the Barbara G
2 - Backtrack along the line and shoot SMB's at the intervals where we want the cinder blocks located

Surface
3 - Tow the blocks out and drop them near our SMB markers. We could either use a lift bag or I have an inflatable boat that we could swim them out on. We could use the scooters to tow the inflatable out.

Second Dive
4 - Run the poly line from block to block
5- Retrieve our reel and the SMBs

[ratfishlvr]

I don't have a scooter but I would like to head out there with you guys if that's OK? I can help with the work or shoot a video .. whatever is preferred.

[CaptnJack]

We could put the cinder blocks on the boat and bring then around from Manchester? Then just drop them at the SMBs. Easier than walking them down the bulkhead and across the shallows until they can be floated. The boat can carry 12 to 15 cinder blocks no problem (just not that many divers at the same time).

I have a couple of larger SMBs that can sorta work as lift bags. Plus 3 smaller SMBs.

Thanks for picking up a roll of poly line It will wear and/or break over time but the cinder blocks should stay put and allow more to be added as needed. When the vis is bad the Barbara G is and especially the rowboat are surprisingly hard to find!

[BillZ]

We could put the cinder blocks on the boat and bring then around from Manchester? Then just drop them at the SMBs. Easier than walking them down the bulkhead and across the shallows until they can be floated. The boat can carry 12 to 15 cinder blocks no problem (just not that many divers at the same time).

I have a couple of larger SMBs that can sorta work as lift bags. Plus 3 smaller SMBs.

Thanks for picking up a roll of poly line It will wear and/or break over time but the cinder blocks should stay put and allow more to be added as needed. When the vis is bad the Barbara G is and especially the rowboat are surprisingly hard to find!

Sounds good Richard, the boat will make it way easier. One thing to figure out- This is a fishing pier so we need to place the line far enough away so that it doesn't get snagged by casting fishermen.

[CaptnJack]

There's crap all over the bottom already lol. I was just imagining running it perpendicular to the pier starting at a piling. Say the 2nd piling landward from the end. Perpendicular = least likely to get snagged.

The new pier is steel and there are actually surprisingly few pilings holding it up. The old pier had so many piles it was easy to navigate from one to another even in poor vis, this one only has about 6 pairs of piles from start to the end. There's also a boat landing float out there fyi, not sure why or how it will get used yet. Perhaps for kayaks to tie up or??

[CaptnJack]

Meeting at the Manchester Boat Ramp around 11:15 Saturday. So far I have me, BillZ and ratfishlvr plus a bunch of cinder blocks so my boat will be full. If anyone else wants to join the party head to the Harper Pier about 12:30, we will be in the vicinity putting down a guideline to the Barbara G and the rowboat. Look for a red RIB and wave us down.

[BillZ]

Meeting at the Manchester Boat Ramp around 11:15 Saturday. So far I have me, BillZ and ratfishlvr plus a bunch of cinder blocks so my boat will be full. If anyone else wants to join the party head to the Harper Pier about 12:30, we will be in the vicinity putting down a guideline to the Barbara G and the rowboat. Look for a red RIB and wave us down.

Hey Richard - If you have Ratfishlvr to help you with the boat at the ramp I'll meet you on shore at the site. I have the family with me and it'll make it a bit easier for me. There should be a mooring right out front of the first house north of the pier that you can use to tie up.

[CaptnJack]

Ok will do, see you there about 12:30

[mrtheandrew]

Myself and brother-in-law are likely going to come, if thats okay. We don't have scooters or boats, but we do have a 10x10 warming hut with a propane heater and table/chairs we can contribute for anyone who gets chilly (which may just be us since we dive wet).