Hey guys, new member here. I just bought a 24 foot sailboat and my buddy and I are are interested in diving some of the Blakely Harbor dives this weekend. I've never dove off my own boat before so we are looking for something that's a little chill to get our feet wet. I've been doing some research and Blakely Harbor / Rocks seem great... Assuming the mooring buoys are still intact. I can't seem to find the up-to-date info about their statuses. Anybody know?
Thanks,
Stephen
Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
Are you inquiring about the buoys on Blakely Rock (China Wall & Shangri-la)?
As of a month ago there was a buoy on both sites. whoever put them in did a nice job with 3/8in line and chain so I would expect that they are probably still there unless someone pulled them out. The one on China Wall (west)is a regular mooring buoy and the one on Shangri-la (east) is some type of thick rubber inner tube set-up.
As of a month ago there was a buoy on both sites. whoever put them in did a nice job with 3/8in line and chain so I would expect that they are probably still there unless someone pulled them out. The one on China Wall (west)is a regular mooring buoy and the one on Shangri-la (east) is some type of thick rubber inner tube set-up.
Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
As of a few months ago they were still there but I didn't dive those sites so I have no idea about condition. How much does your sail boat draw? Weight? Windage?
I would advise against using those buoys if its remotely windy. They are not engineered anchors or chain etc. At least one of them is old chain wrapped around a big boulder. The boulder isn't going anywhere but the chain is almost impossible to inspect even if someone was tasked with checking it. Basically they only get maintained by a random person when they break... Do you trust your boat to that?
With a small boat its no big deal, my RIB only weighs 800lbs and has miniscule windage. I can check the line/chain on the way down. A sailboat on a windy day is a different story.
I would advise against using those buoys if its remotely windy. They are not engineered anchors or chain etc. At least one of them is old chain wrapped around a big boulder. The boulder isn't going anywhere but the chain is almost impossible to inspect even if someone was tasked with checking it. Basically they only get maintained by a random person when they break... Do you trust your boat to that?
With a small boat its no big deal, my RIB only weighs 800lbs and has miniscule windage. I can check the line/chain on the way down. A sailboat on a windy day is a different story.
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Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
The Blakely Rock mooring balls are more robust?
Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
You mean the one on China Wall? Maybe. These aren't State Parks maintained or anything like that. They are built with whatever people have on hand. They rust and the lines abrade and fray. Eventually they break (usually in winter). Only at that point do they get replaced and they last a few years before the cycle repeats itself.smattiso wrote:The Blakely Rock mooring balls are more robust?
Sounder wrote:Under normal circumstances, I would never tell another man how to shave his balls... but this device should not be kept secret.
Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
Like I mentioned, the China Wall and Shangri-La moorings seem to be very well constructed. That said, it's good SOP to inspect them as you descend to make sure that they are in good working order and secure. If you have any doubts you could run your own line.smattiso wrote:The Blakely Rock mooring balls are more robust?
Re: Blakely Harbor mooring buoy situation
China Wall (West) and Shangri-La (East) are great dives but in my limited diving experience the East reef is one of the best dives in the Sound.
Ohopdiver posted about his experience with a mooring bouy on China Wall. So they do break while you're using them. Not fun if it happens when you're not on the boat.
In the linked thread CaptnJack also schooled me a bit on anchoring or at least what he uses. To be safe you should have someone in the boat. If not, you should be prepared for what happens if you can't find the anchor or the boat isn't there when you return. Could happen. There are a lot of people (smart ones?) that won't leave the boat unattended.
I wouldn't do Shangri-La this weekend as it is current sensitive. The reef runs West-East so on a flood you're pushed into the reef which is annoying. It's best to dive Shangri-La at slack or a mild ebb current.
The more experienced boat divers here have much more knowledge than I do. I will say that diving off an anchored or moored unattended boat is hard. Much easier to have a live boat with someone to pick you up.
Ohopdiver posted about his experience with a mooring bouy on China Wall. So they do break while you're using them. Not fun if it happens when you're not on the boat.
In the linked thread CaptnJack also schooled me a bit on anchoring or at least what he uses. To be safe you should have someone in the boat. If not, you should be prepared for what happens if you can't find the anchor or the boat isn't there when you return. Could happen. There are a lot of people (smart ones?) that won't leave the boat unattended.
I wouldn't do Shangri-La this weekend as it is current sensitive. The reef runs West-East so on a flood you're pushed into the reef which is annoying. It's best to dive Shangri-La at slack or a mild ebb current.
The more experienced boat divers here have much more knowledge than I do. I will say that diving off an anchored or moored unattended boat is hard. Much easier to have a live boat with someone to pick you up.