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Trip Report June 7-8
The crew of the Mutiny (minus a few who could not reschedule their activities) gathered in good old Morehead City this weekend for the second annual Mutiny crew trip. Each year, the crew gathers for a weekend of preparation, training, and good times before we start hosting passengers. After the diving season gets into full swing, we often work with different crew members and this weekend is designed to touch base with each other as well as sharpen skills to run a smooth operation regardless of the pairings of the crew members. We were delighted to be accompanied on Saturday by three young travelers from the Soviet Union who called Capt. Al and expressed their desire to do some diving while passing through Morehead City. They turned out to be the hit of the day as they related endless stories of their travels.
Saturday found the seas in a very pleasant state with a 5-10 knot SW wind creating only minor swells in the 1-2 foot range. John Vogt (Capt. Al’s brother who apparently inherited most of the family genes for good looks) as well as the female contingent of the traveling Russians (Sarit) were both celebrating their birthdays and wanted to see the sub. Each of the Captains took turns steering the course to the sub and Capt. Mike Daniel, who showed no sign of winter rust, dropped me in about 20 feet forward of the conning tower so I could tie into the bow section. Vis was about 80 ft. and the conning tower was clearly visible from the tie in. An unusual sighting on the sub, a pesky 5 ft. sandtiger, made things interesting for several of the divers as she bounced from diver to diver looking for the grouper I speared and later lost. With bottom temps in the mid 70’s, the dive was a pleasant break from the cold winters in central PA for me. The wreck was literally crawling with lionfish, several as big as a basketball, and the wreck seemed home to more spotted moray eels than usual. A big baitball swirled the sub as the jack-pack attacked. I never cease to appreciate how lucky I am to be hanging on the line safely, 40 feet from the wreck and watching the spectacle unfold as other divers’ bubbles create a champagne-like appearance to the crystal clear blue water. Sarit, Vladamir, and Alex did not yet have their fill of sharks, so after checking with the other operators in the area and hearing several good shark reports from the Spar, we plugged it in and again, Capt. Mike Daniel dropped me squarely on the bow for the tie in. I immediately saw several dozen sandtigers lazily swimming against the mild current around the bow section near the sand. More than one pregnant female was seen in the 9+ foot range with multiple lacerations around their heads and ventral fins from the teeth of mating males. Despite a hearty search by all crew, no real haul on avulsed teeth was made and Sarit had to settle for a small tooth found by Capt. Amy. With all the sharks around, spearfishing activities were suspended by all but the bravest (or dumbest) divers. Again the temps were in the mid 70’s and vis 70+.
Sunday found nearly identical sea conditions for the day and we decided to make our first visit of the year to the Schurz, minus our new Russian friends. Capt Al. dropped me near the stern and I tied into the rearmost lifeboat davit. The vis exceeded 70 feet unless you were in the baitball layer, at which point you could barely find your buddy. Several large sandtigers ran interference for the mass of big groupers just off the bow and again no fish were taken. A large ray was spotted in the sand as well as another batch of lionfish numbering in the 50’s. The Aeolus was plugged in for our second dive and Capt. Amy dropped me on the bow where I quickly tied in and headed aft to the break to find some flounder. I spotted several who would barely make the new legal size of 15 ½ inches but did manage to find two that exceeded that length and quickly had them in the bag. It didn’t take long for the sandtigers to discover the source of all the commotion, and approaching my deco limit, I decided to bow out and let the other hunters scour the debris field. Again the vis was 60+ and temps in the 70’s. The ride home was uneventful and we all parted to return again soon. The ride out however was highlighted by Capt/Instructor Al recertifying everyone in CPR/First Aid as well as reviewing various safety procedures.
Submitted by Captain Jim Smith
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