Mobile Marine
Mobile Marine
Yesterday I had my boat winterized and tried out a new company called Mobile Marine. I had a better experience with them I could have ever asked for. They came to my house to work on the boat, and did an excellent job. Their cost is the same as taking it somewhere... but they take care of everything right there on your dock on in your drive way. If you'd like their contact info, PM me.
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I use a guy that provides the driveway treatment too. Definately better than trailering the boat into town. I want to get on the water at least one more time, if not more..
Not for a little bowrider skiboat - the days are getting shorter, the water is cooling off, and I wasn't able to really enjoy it this year because of my car accident... couldn't take the boat out and bang my spine up. They said I was the first winterization this season.
Anyway, they did a really spectacular job, were very professional, and I firmly believe in spreading the word about exceptionally good, or bad, companies to my friends... these guys are top shelf.
Anyway, they did a really spectacular job, were very professional, and I firmly believe in spreading the word about exceptionally good, or bad, companies to my friends... these guys are top shelf.
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
I'm sure it is, but I'd rather dive off yours! I've thought about how to use my boat to dive from, and I just can't really figure it out... I would certainly NOT need to winterize it if we were using it during the winter... just get it serviced (cheaper too!).
So it's a Larson 17' bowrider with a V6 Mercruiser sterndrive. It could probably take 4 divers with gear for 2 dives comfortably. It could manage calm to medium (not threatening) water.
Here's my question... solve the problem and we've got ourselves another dive boat!
There's no functional swim deck (there's a strip about 8" wide at the back that is textured to stand on), so getting in the water would involve striding off the stern (I'd have to see about rock boots - they might tear up the seat-back. Maybe we go with a "no boots" rule... don't need them).
Getting back in the boat at the end of the dive is a completely different story... there's a tiny little swim ladder at the back that someone could climb up without their gear on, but I'm not sure someone with gear could get up. I thought about making a knotted bungie where inflated BC's could be attached to the boat when the diver took them off and then they could be hoisted onto the deck from the deck. I think the diver would need to inflate their drysuit to keep buoyant after the BC comes off while still wearing their weights.
Other than that, I don't know much of how to make it more accessible and usable as a dive boat. If you wanted to waterski back to the dock, we could make that happen!!
So there's your challenge... make Doug's lake boat, a dive boat. The winner gets to be on the first trip out!
So it's a Larson 17' bowrider with a V6 Mercruiser sterndrive. It could probably take 4 divers with gear for 2 dives comfortably. It could manage calm to medium (not threatening) water.
Here's my question... solve the problem and we've got ourselves another dive boat!
There's no functional swim deck (there's a strip about 8" wide at the back that is textured to stand on), so getting in the water would involve striding off the stern (I'd have to see about rock boots - they might tear up the seat-back. Maybe we go with a "no boots" rule... don't need them).
Getting back in the boat at the end of the dive is a completely different story... there's a tiny little swim ladder at the back that someone could climb up without their gear on, but I'm not sure someone with gear could get up. I thought about making a knotted bungie where inflated BC's could be attached to the boat when the diver took them off and then they could be hoisted onto the deck from the deck. I think the diver would need to inflate their drysuit to keep buoyant after the BC comes off while still wearing their weights.
Other than that, I don't know much of how to make it more accessible and usable as a dive boat. If you wanted to waterski back to the dock, we could make that happen!!
So there's your challenge... make Doug's lake boat, a dive boat. The winner gets to be on the first trip out!
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
Have Swim step installed.
Have step through door installed on back of boat (the kind that seal when closed for higher speed running).
Have beefy retractable Dive ladder installed.
Voila! Ski boat becomes Scuba boat. All it takes is Scuba units and a Marine place that knows what they're doing!
Or you could just buy a new dive boat! Trade in perhaps?!?
Come on Sounder, you can do it!
Have step through door installed on back of boat (the kind that seal when closed for higher speed running).
Have beefy retractable Dive ladder installed.
Voila! Ski boat becomes Scuba boat. All it takes is Scuba units and a Marine place that knows what they're doing!
Or you could just buy a new dive boat! Trade in perhaps?!?
Come on Sounder, you can do it!
Mrs. Sounder is going to be very angry with you! You're a bad influence!!!
I forgot to add - "your challenge is to do it where we don't have to count in too many scuba units."
I forgot to add - "your challenge is to do it where we don't have to count in too many scuba units."
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
I can sell just about anything to anyone (apparently I'm humble too ) but I don't think Mrs. Sounder would BUY off on this one... the wheels are turning though... Hmmmmm, I'm having bad thoughts. "What if she didn't know? She'd learn to love it..." 
) but I don't think Mrs. Sounder would BUY off on this one... the wheels are turning though... Hmmmmm, I'm having bad thoughts. "What if she didn't know? She'd learn to love it..." GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
I suggest entering by back rolling off the gunnel - ala Jaques Coutseau. Standing and giant striding is a nightmare on a small boat.
Attach some 6' long lines to an amidships cleat. With SS bolt snaps on the ends. You can attach you BC here at the end (I have 4 of these).
Most people shouldn't sink like a rock with a drysuit and weightbelt on. If they do, they are probably overweighted. Its never happened off my boat. So after ditching the BC the exiting diver moves to the tiny swimstep and removes their weights and puts them on the step.
Climb up the ladder and once up, pick up your weights and board.
Then move around to the side and retrieve the BC from above.
Not having ever seen your boat, that's how I'd approach it. Just remember, every boat is a dive boat at heart!
Richard
Attach some 6' long lines to an amidships cleat. With SS bolt snaps on the ends. You can attach you BC here at the end (I have 4 of these).
Most people shouldn't sink like a rock with a drysuit and weightbelt on. If they do, they are probably overweighted. Its never happened off my boat. So after ditching the BC the exiting diver moves to the tiny swimstep and removes their weights and puts them on the step.
Climb up the ladder and once up, pick up your weights and board.
Then move around to the side and retrieve the BC from above.
Not having ever seen your boat, that's how I'd approach it. Just remember, every boat is a dive boat at heart!
Richard
That's kind of what I was thinking, but I've never seen it actually in action so I was afraid of one of those "it sounds like it's going to work... but didn't when we tried it" situations.
The bost IS a dive boat at heart... it's even red & white. I would also want to rig a full-size diver down and blue/white non-manuverable boat flag from it too.
There is much more I would need to do to make it ready to dive from (including being sure I've got everything the Coast Guard requires) but I'm getting more and more interested in making this a reality.
If I can do it cheaply, Mrs. Sounder will sign off on it. I need to figure out how to secure tanks in the boat too... I think a little bungie cord would work for that though.
Ok, now I'm really thinking about this...
The bost IS a dive boat at heart... it's even red & white. I would also want to rig a full-size diver down and blue/white non-manuverable boat flag from it too.
There is much more I would need to do to make it ready to dive from (including being sure I've got everything the Coast Guard requires) but I'm getting more and more interested in making this a reality.
If I can do it cheaply, Mrs. Sounder will sign off on it. I need to figure out how to secure tanks in the boat too... I think a little bungie cord would work for that though.
Ok, now I'm really thinking about this...
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
Get a BIG anchor. Anchoring on a dive site by definiton means its almost always deeper than the West Marine monkeys even think about. So even if you have 200' of line, your scope can be pretty minimal. So you want weight down there. I have a 10 lb navy anchor with 5 feet of heavy chain on 200' of 3/8" line. And my boat only weighs 350 lbs engine and boat combined.
I just lay tanks down on my floor, not enough room for a rack.
All the marine stores have booklets on equipment requirements which really are the bare minimum. E.g. be sure you have a VHF radio. Binoculars help in finding a missing diver. And an O2 kit is a good idea, although help isn't that far away around Puget Sound.
Richard
I just lay tanks down on my floor, not enough room for a rack.
All the marine stores have booklets on equipment requirements which really are the bare minimum. E.g. be sure you have a VHF radio. Binoculars help in finding a missing diver. And an O2 kit is a good idea, although help isn't that far away around Puget Sound.
Richard
This is going to be a fun project.
First is to get in compliance with Coast Guard (I think I have most of it), then will be rigging some bungies along the inside of the boat to hold tanks, then rigging appropriate flags, then the cord for clipping BC's on... perhaps something for weight belts too (to prevent dropping), an O2 bottle/kit, GPS, Marine and HAM radio (I have those), cell phone (of course), binoc's (got those too), and other helpful stuff for being out in the Sound. The wildest water I'm willing to put my little boat in is around the San Juan Islands, but if it's windy and nasty, I just won't take it out!
So this is looking like a great winter project!!! The boat is out of the water for several months so I should be able to get everything set up! Not knowing if I'll actually use it over the winter too much for diving, I'm going to leave it in the garage and plan to try the maiden voyage next spring (but perhaps this will give me a reason to de-winterize it earlier).
The boat will also be in need of a name too... I'm taking suggestions!
Captain... yes, I would like to buddy-boat with you on the first trip. I want to ensure I've got some redundancy built in for the off chance that Murphy shows up.
I WILL be in need of some divers for that voyage of course... anyone know where I can find some divers willing to break-in a boat?
First is to get in compliance with Coast Guard (I think I have most of it), then will be rigging some bungies along the inside of the boat to hold tanks, then rigging appropriate flags, then the cord for clipping BC's on... perhaps something for weight belts too (to prevent dropping), an O2 bottle/kit, GPS, Marine and HAM radio (I have those), cell phone (of course), binoc's (got those too), and other helpful stuff for being out in the Sound. The wildest water I'm willing to put my little boat in is around the San Juan Islands, but if it's windy and nasty, I just won't take it out!
So this is looking like a great winter project!!! The boat is out of the water for several months so I should be able to get everything set up! Not knowing if I'll actually use it over the winter too much for diving, I'm going to leave it in the garage and plan to try the maiden voyage next spring (but perhaps this will give me a reason to de-winterize it earlier).
The boat will also be in need of a name too... I'm taking suggestions!
Captain... yes, I would like to buddy-boat with you on the first trip. I want to ensure I've got some redundancy built in for the off chance that Murphy shows up.
I WILL be in need of some divers for that voyage of course... anyone know where I can find some divers willing to break-in a boat?
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
I WON'T be spending a scuba unit on a book... I only spent $100's on books in college - and I KNOW I'd use that one more!!! That's a whole other thread though...
Yes, I will check at the local libraries, LDS's, and around to try to get one. GPS would be quite helpful, but I'm sure they're available elsewhere too. Thanks for the heads up - I'll watch for it.
Yes, I will check at the local libraries, LDS's, and around to try to get one. GPS would be quite helpful, but I'm sure they're available elsewhere too. Thanks for the heads up - I'll watch for it.
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!
There are a few sites which don't require GPS, but not many.
There are some sites with bouys (placed by Alan Gill of Spirit Diver I believe) or identifiable from landmarks in the Blakely Harbor area. Otherwise most require GPS and a depth sounder.
I have an el cheapo fish finder and it works fine (with practice). Cost me about $100, but prices have come down in recent years and you can get something functional for ~ $80 nowadays.
There are some sites with bouys (placed by Alan Gill of Spirit Diver I believe) or identifiable from landmarks in the Blakely Harbor area. Otherwise most require GPS and a depth sounder.
I have an el cheapo fish finder and it works fine (with practice). Cost me about $100, but prices have come down in recent years and you can get something functional for ~ $80 nowadays.
Aaah HA! I KNEW there was going to be something to buy! I'd have to learn what to look for on the depth sounder, how to mount it, etc. I suppose getting the boat ready is only the first battle... Learning how to guide my own charters is a whole other story. How hard is it to use the GPS and fish finder to locate the site? I'm sure having someone experienced at the sight would help a lot too.
GUE Seattle - The official GUE Affiliate in the Northwest!