BC's next new dive site ...

[Grateful Diver]

This past week-end I travelled to Vancouver with Cheng and a few fellow members of our dive club to spend a day working on the next ARSBC wreck ... the HMCS Annapolis. She's a 377-foot destroyer with a helicopter pad and hangar that is scheduled for sinking in the summer of 2009. They'll be putting her down in Howe Sound ... so for once you won't need to take a ferry ride over to Van Isle to dive one of these cool wrecks. The exact location hasn't been determined yet, from talk amongst the crew yesterday it sounds like they want to put her down in somewhat shallower water than the Nanaimo wrecks ... to make it more accessible for recreational diving.

This wreck will be a hoot to dive ... there's long, covered decks on both sides that will make nice swim-throughs, and there's a large, open helicopter hanger just forward of the helicopter deck toward the stern of the ship that'll make a great place to practice overhead drills.

Cheng and I spent the day working in the ops room, removing the ceiling and pulling fiberglass insulation. Others were busy with sawsall's taking out fixtures that might pose hazards to divers, removing insulation from pipes, taking down walls, and removing furniture from dozens of rooms and offices. It was an eye-opener seeing how much preparatory work goes into an undertaking like this getting it ready to turn into an underwater playground.

I'll post some pics in this thread later this evening, to give y'all an idea what she looks like, and also what sort of work goes into getting her prepped as a dive site. Yesterday we had 11 workers on board.

We're planning week-ends in November and December to go back and work on her some more. Next time, we'll probably also be checking out some of the local dive charters and hopefully (at least one week-end) spending a day checking out some of the other dive sites in Howe Sound.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Grateful Diver]

Here's a quick slide show I put together from yesterday ...

http://photoshow.comcast.net/watch/gx6uj5RU

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[spatman]

that's really awesome of you guys to volunteer to do this. seems like a lot of work, but what a great payoff when the time comes to sink it.

do you get to keep any cool souvenirs that you remove from the ship?

[scottsax]

How would someone like me get involved in helping with the demo on the boat? I'm pretty handy with a reciprocating saw, if I do say so myself, and what a great opportunity to get to know the layout of the ship before she's sunk!

[Grateful Diver]

that's really awesome of you guys to volunteer to do this. seems like a lot of work, but what a great payoff when the time comes to sink it.

do you get to keep any cool souvenirs that you remove from the ship?

I hadn't really considered it ... mostly I just want to contribute something to the dive community. I've been hoping we'd have the opportunity to do something like this in Puget Sound ... but it doesn't seem likely.

It would be kinda cool to be one of the first divers on this ship after they sink it. I'm looking forward to diving it now that I've got the opportunity to familiarize myself with it before it goes down.

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Grateful Diver]

How would someone like me get involved in helping with the demo on the boat? I'm pretty handy with a reciprocating saw, if I do say so myself, and what a great opportunity to get to know the layout of the ship before she's sunk!

They welcome people to work on the ship ... click this link for info on how to volunteer ... http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/OurReef ... /index.htm

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[defied]

I'm pretty handy with a reciprocating saw, if I do say so myself.....

Hmmm.....if you're volunteering your services, I could use some help with a kitchen & bath remodel

Are we going to submerge your kitchen!?! That would be an awesome reef!

[defied]

How would someone like me get involved in helping with the demo on the boat? I'm pretty handy with a reciprocating saw, if I do say so myself, and what a great opportunity to get to know the layout of the ship before she's sunk!

They welcome people to work on the ship ... click this link for info on how to volunteer ... http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/OurReef ... /index.htm

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Roadtrip anyone? 0]

[scottsax]

How would someone like me get involved in helping with the demo on the boat? I'm pretty handy with a reciprocating saw, if I do say so myself, and what a great opportunity to get to know the layout of the ship before she's sunk!

They welcome people to work on the ship ... click this link for info on how to volunteer ... http://www.artificialreef.bc.ca/OurReef ... /index.htm

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

Roadtrip anyone? 0]

I'll chip in for gas!

[Grateful Diver]

For anyone who might be interested in helping out on the Annapolis, I'm organizing a work day on Sunday, November 23rd. Tentative plans are to go up for the week-end and either dive a charter or Whytecliffe Park (which is nearby) on Saturday.

Let me know if you're interested, and I'll put you on the mailing list I'm creating to coordinate the week-end ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

[Sounder]

For anyone who might be interested in helping out on the Annapolis, I'm organizing a work day on Sunday, November 23rd. Tentative plans are to go up for the week-end and either dive a charter or Whytecliffe Park (which is nearby) on Saturday.

Let me know if you're interested, and I'll put you on the mailing list I'm creating to coordinate the week-end ...

... Bob (Grateful Diver)

That might be a fun trip for the Sounder family. Let me see what it'd take to get the little one across the border and discuss it with the commander.