Anybody know what's up with cove2?
I heard the kayaker protesters are wrecking up the bottom?
Anybody know what's up with cove2
Anybody know what's up with cove2
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Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Jen V. actually noted it, sent me pictures.
There were some GUE folks doing their Wednesday dive checking it out, but they reported that vis was pretty crummy and other than the big cable being wrapped around stuff up by the honey bear and wreaking a bit of havoc when the barge swings on low tide, catching the small i-beams, assorted piles and possibly bits of the Honeybear, there was not much going on.
I will get out with UW video cameras probably tomorrow. Today I was getting some topside interviews so that we have some 'story' to go with the visuals.
Other than some violations based on safety stuff on the barge itself, from what i've been able to find out from a mooring standpoint It sounds like the barge folks didn't do anything "wrong" per se, just as is normally the case, what is underwater is out of sight, out of mind.
Keeping that in mind, I think the community should really make a push to encourage the city/county/port/DNR/Parks/etc.. to consider making Cove 2 a park in the same way that the Edmonds Underwater Park is a divers park and marine reserve.
People could have gotten hurt. The barge folks apparently 'looked' for dive flags (which makes me a bit suspicious that they DID know it was a dive site as opposed to just a barren anchorage zone) and didn't see any so they went ahead and dropped in the two eco-blocks. Multiple people report having seen diver bubbles in the water, although luckily not near the deployment.
There was another team of divers out today that dove the site off a boat. It wasn't clear that they were with the barge people but that was the impression I got from the conversations going on nearby. Coast Guard showed back up and did whatever the coast guard does and left. The folks from the barge took a bunch of the safety supplies out to the barge to theoretically rectify the violations.
I don't think it is appropriate to vilify anyone in this mess. The best thing we can do is band together as a community and push for some positive changes. It won't be easy because there are numerous stakeholders involved and if we blunder along the wrong direction and make too much of a ruckus I could see accidentally getting the Coves closed which would be a travesty. I believe that Mike Racine and WSA have already been thinking about working for more artificial reef habitat in the area, and it seems to me this is the perfect catalyst to really get us all moving in the same direction and make some progress.
The bottom line is, divers are going to dive cove 2, that is a given, lets work towards the best experience for everyone. I got a couple interviews today (thank you Alex A. and Mike B.) just discussing what Cove 2 is for divers, why its heavily dove, and why we think it should be made into a marine reserve. I'd like to interview a few more people who are interested. This will not have anything to do with the protesters, shell, kayaktivists, etc... I just want to explain to the general public why we love Cove 2 so much, show them that the community has been maintaining it, and show them cool underwater video that will hopefully help build support. We have a unique opportunity here, there are eyes on the situation thanks to the protests, we should leverage that.
There were some GUE folks doing their Wednesday dive checking it out, but they reported that vis was pretty crummy and other than the big cable being wrapped around stuff up by the honey bear and wreaking a bit of havoc when the barge swings on low tide, catching the small i-beams, assorted piles and possibly bits of the Honeybear, there was not much going on.
I will get out with UW video cameras probably tomorrow. Today I was getting some topside interviews so that we have some 'story' to go with the visuals.
Other than some violations based on safety stuff on the barge itself, from what i've been able to find out from a mooring standpoint It sounds like the barge folks didn't do anything "wrong" per se, just as is normally the case, what is underwater is out of sight, out of mind.
Keeping that in mind, I think the community should really make a push to encourage the city/county/port/DNR/Parks/etc.. to consider making Cove 2 a park in the same way that the Edmonds Underwater Park is a divers park and marine reserve.
People could have gotten hurt. The barge folks apparently 'looked' for dive flags (which makes me a bit suspicious that they DID know it was a dive site as opposed to just a barren anchorage zone) and didn't see any so they went ahead and dropped in the two eco-blocks. Multiple people report having seen diver bubbles in the water, although luckily not near the deployment.
There was another team of divers out today that dove the site off a boat. It wasn't clear that they were with the barge people but that was the impression I got from the conversations going on nearby. Coast Guard showed back up and did whatever the coast guard does and left. The folks from the barge took a bunch of the safety supplies out to the barge to theoretically rectify the violations.
I don't think it is appropriate to vilify anyone in this mess. The best thing we can do is band together as a community and push for some positive changes. It won't be easy because there are numerous stakeholders involved and if we blunder along the wrong direction and make too much of a ruckus I could see accidentally getting the Coves closed which would be a travesty. I believe that Mike Racine and WSA have already been thinking about working for more artificial reef habitat in the area, and it seems to me this is the perfect catalyst to really get us all moving in the same direction and make some progress.
The bottom line is, divers are going to dive cove 2, that is a given, lets work towards the best experience for everyone. I got a couple interviews today (thank you Alex A. and Mike B.) just discussing what Cove 2 is for divers, why its heavily dove, and why we think it should be made into a marine reserve. I'd like to interview a few more people who are interested. This will not have anything to do with the protesters, shell, kayaktivists, etc... I just want to explain to the general public why we love Cove 2 so much, show them that the community has been maintaining it, and show them cool underwater video that will hopefully help build support. We have a unique opportunity here, there are eyes on the situation thanks to the protests, we should leverage that.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Thanks Laura!
A park would be good. I certainly hope they didn't wreck the site too bad, fingers cross they didn't knock down the "piling of life" aka warbonnet central.
Keep us posted! Let us know if there's anything we can do.
A park would be good. I certainly hope they didn't wreck the site too bad, fingers cross they didn't knock down the "piling of life" aka warbonnet central.
Keep us posted! Let us know if there's anything we can do.
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Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
The barge is being removed from Cove2 in the morning.
They are being extremely cooperative and share a similar "ecological conservation" mindset than most of us here. The organizers were unhappy that they caused any damage and want to do the right thing to move it with zero further impact and also work with the community to restore / rebuild any damage they may have caused.
They are being extremely cooperative and share a similar "ecological conservation" mindset than most of us here. The organizers were unhappy that they caused any damage and want to do the right thing to move it with zero further impact and also work with the community to restore / rebuild any damage they may have caused.
"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party" - Ron White
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Unfortunate mistake. I hope there's little or no damage and I hope their (good) message isn't tarnished.
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Pixelletch
- Getting To Know Folks
- Posts: 6
- Joined: Tue May 10, 2011 8:43 am
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Well, having been involved years ago in getting the city to recognize it as a dive "area", it's a tangled web. To give a little history...
DNR owns the bottom and some of the shoreland. The City has a long-term lease. The Coast Guard is responsible for activities on the water and has ultimate authority over buoys, control, anchorage, etc.
We (Seahorses & Marker Buoys) first just did a "midnight" establishment of the buoy & bottom lines with Parks permission. Those were sort of improved (I painted them) pool floats and some cable that we acquired from Parks. To try to keep the divers away from the pier. This lasted a little while, but conditions did them in over the course of a year or two. So we got some funds from King Co. from the "temporary" ferry $$ to put in better floats (and the shower). We also went to the SPD about establishing no boats buoys in Cove 1 & 2. They said for us to take it to the Coast Guard. That process went on for at least 2 years, then we had to get a DNR lease renewal, then the SPD's permission.
In the end SPD was great, helped JD Rowe & I place anchors and then put in the large "no-go" buoys.
Long story short, DNR is probably the responsible party here for any damage. But outside of the two white buoys it is a permitted anchorage and traffic area. You dive at your own risk. State law requires divers to have dive flags, even in 120' of water (I know, doesn't work).
Cathy Wittman at Parks Aquatics is great, loves divers, but probably not going to have any authority over too much other than shore activities. They are pretty big about groups getting permits. btw.
Jack Connick
DNR owns the bottom and some of the shoreland. The City has a long-term lease. The Coast Guard is responsible for activities on the water and has ultimate authority over buoys, control, anchorage, etc.
We (Seahorses & Marker Buoys) first just did a "midnight" establishment of the buoy & bottom lines with Parks permission. Those were sort of improved (I painted them) pool floats and some cable that we acquired from Parks. To try to keep the divers away from the pier. This lasted a little while, but conditions did them in over the course of a year or two. So we got some funds from King Co. from the "temporary" ferry $$ to put in better floats (and the shower). We also went to the SPD about establishing no boats buoys in Cove 1 & 2. They said for us to take it to the Coast Guard. That process went on for at least 2 years, then we had to get a DNR lease renewal, then the SPD's permission.
In the end SPD was great, helped JD Rowe & I place anchors and then put in the large "no-go" buoys.
Long story short, DNR is probably the responsible party here for any damage. But outside of the two white buoys it is a permitted anchorage and traffic area. You dive at your own risk. State law requires divers to have dive flags, even in 120' of water (I know, doesn't work).
Cathy Wittman at Parks Aquatics is great, loves divers, but probably not going to have any authority over too much other than shore activities. They are pretty big about groups getting permits. btw.
Jack Connick
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Thanks for the history Jack! Lots of hard work by a determined group that we are all benefiting from. 
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Shell protest barge off Alki had own environmental issues
(Seattle Times article at http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-new ... al-issues/)
Originally published May 22, 2015 at 8:58 pm Updated May 23, 2015 at 8:50 am
A “People’s Platform” protest barge that was anchored off Alki was moved Friday because it was over an area that is important to divers and where octopuses are protected from being harvested.
By Erik Lacitis
Seattle Times staff reporter
Things happen.
Last week, you decide to anchor a 4,000-square-foot barge, “The People’s Platform,” off Alki to protest the Shell oil rig that’s here.
But what happens?
Diver video of the anchors:
Video courtesy of Mike Bearda and Alex Adolfi of GUE Seattle.
You park in a site valued by divers and deemed off-limits by the state for recreational harvest of the octopus. You do this using a couple of concrete blocks, weighing a ton each, attached to an inch-diameter steel cable.
The cables and blocks were spread away from the octopus, so no problem there.
Still, the location of the protest didn’t sit too well with the local scuba-diving community ... (more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-new ... al-issues/ )
(Seattle Times article at http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-new ... al-issues/)
Originally published May 22, 2015 at 8:58 pm Updated May 23, 2015 at 8:50 am
A “People’s Platform” protest barge that was anchored off Alki was moved Friday because it was over an area that is important to divers and where octopuses are protected from being harvested.
By Erik Lacitis
Seattle Times staff reporter
Things happen.
Last week, you decide to anchor a 4,000-square-foot barge, “The People’s Platform,” off Alki to protest the Shell oil rig that’s here.
But what happens?
Diver video of the anchors:
Video courtesy of Mike Bearda and Alex Adolfi of GUE Seattle.
You park in a site valued by divers and deemed off-limits by the state for recreational harvest of the octopus. You do this using a couple of concrete blocks, weighing a ton each, attached to an inch-diameter steel cable.
The cables and blocks were spread away from the octopus, so no problem there.
Still, the location of the protest didn’t sit too well with the local scuba-diving community ... (more: http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-new ... al-issues/ )
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Zorb, the videos are just not working. However, following the second link shows the article and photos.
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AdrianSmith
- Avid Diver
- Posts: 55
- Joined: Fri Feb 03, 2012 11:02 pm
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
They work great for me. Just watched all of them.Gdog wrote:Zorb, the videos are just not working. However, following the second link shows the article and photos.
-Adrian
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
here you go:
[youtube]http://youtu.be/WDkREIqgHEk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/5OI2tBfx7gw[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/0mP8MAkxw_w[/youtube]
Video courtesy of Mike Bearda and Alex Adolfi of GUE Seattle.
[youtube]http://youtu.be/WDkREIqgHEk[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/5OI2tBfx7gw[/youtube]
[youtube]http://youtu.be/0mP8MAkxw_w[/youtube]
Video courtesy of Mike Bearda and Alex Adolfi of GUE Seattle.
"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party" - Ron White
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
are the barge and kayakers gone now? Just wondering if Cove 2 is more of a shit show than usual on a holiday weekend.
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Barge is gone.. they moved about 1000ft north of Marination (between Cove3 and Alki Boat ramp)Tangfish wrote:are the barge and kayakers gone now? Just wondering if Cove 2 is more of a shit show than usual on a holiday weekend.
"I believe that if life gives you lemons, you should make lemonade... And try to find somebody whose life has given them vodka, and have a party" - Ron White
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Here is a bit more footage of the mooring blocks now that vis has opened up somewhat.
----
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
"I survived the Brittandrea Dorikulla, where's my T-shirt!"
Re: Anybody know what's up with cove2
Nice video Laura, gives us a real look at everything.