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TRIP REPORT September 14-15, 2007
Well, Mother Nature really put it to us this weekend with the wind and seas. ABDS welcomed back two of our favorite groups, Chesapeake Bay Diving from Chesapeake, VA (celebrating the birthday of my favorite instructor, Dan Yuchnovicz), and Commonwealth Dive from Newport News, VA. Both of these groups routinely bring us strong, competent divers. While the offshore wrecks were squarely out of our reach this weekend, the Mutiny headed southwest to some of our favorite inshore destinations.
Friday, September 14 brought us winds out of the northeast, 15-20 mph, with seas 3-5 fairly close together. Our adventurous group was medicated and ready to get wet, so we headed to the Indra for two dives. Captain Al enjoyed a bit of a rest after a long drive from Maryland, and Captain Amy had the helm (note to self: do not play with noisy electronics or Garmin products while Captain Al is trying to snooze). We chugged out at 10 knots to allow us as comfortable a ride as the seas would afford. Will tied us in at the stern, and our divers headed over the side like they owed us money. The reports were awesome! The visibility was a respectable 25-30 with a bottom temperature of 81 degrees, and the marine life was in abundance: three octopuses, baby trigger fish, arrow crabs, barracudas, a southern stingray, toad fish, high hats, a conger eel, and I was fortunate enough to get a close look at the resident sandbar shark and her entourage of cobia and other fish, AND collect one of her teeth from the deck.
On Saturday, September 15, we headed for the Titan, one of my favorite wrecks. Weather conditions were the same as the day before with winds out of the northeast gusting to 25 knots, so our trip out was slow and determined. Again, we were blessed with visibility in the 30 foot range, and water temperature of 81* top to bottom. Once in the water, many of our group headed out to the pipes to look for shells and sand dollars. If you were quick enough, you could see the skittish grouper congregating out there before they took off for the wild blue yonder (Will’s reputation precedes him). Again, the marine life was plentiful: high hats, toad fish, a helmet conch, amberjack, arrow crabs, grouper, and barracudas. Everyone surfaced happy and began the challenge of changing out their gear on a rolling boat while we chugged over to the Suloide, where conditions were nearly identical to those of the Titan. On a personal note, this wreck has always been hit or miss with me, but this dive was a home run. I spotted a juvenile tang (bright yellow!) and a beautiful juvenile queen angel that were just stunning. Also in numbers were spades, triggers, wrasses, lizard fish, Christmas tree worms, and again, high hats. All in all, a spectacular weekend of diving and a real gift given the state of the seas.
I just can’t say enough good things about our divers this weekend. They were patient and sturdy, with exceptional skills. Many heartfelt thanks to Michelle Yuchnovicz for organizing the gang from Chesapeake Bay Diving, and many happy returns to Dan on his birthday…I hope they celebrate every year with us. Thanks also to Dale Wichman of Commonwealth Dive for returning again and again to dive with us, and entertaining us with his stories and antics (what a guy, that guy). Divers like these make it a great pleasure for us to do what we do.
Submitted by Captain Amy Broughman
TRIP REPORT September 22-23, 2007
Finally! Our good weather returned to us. We had an absolutely brilliant weekend in Morehead City this weekend, celebrating the birthday of my favorite parrothead and Jimmy Buffett lookalike, Oyster Joe Gay. He brought three of his brood with him, and was also joined by a few hardcore Chesapeake Bay Diving divers and a brand new addition (I hope) to our regulars, Frank and Stephanie Newsom, who had the good taste to celebrate their anniversary with us. Oyster Joe received a year’s supply of Margaritaville tequila from various crew members, including webmaster and divemaster Clint Babcock, but was disinclined to pour us all a shot to celebrate. Something about boats and safety…something like that.
The prior week’s rough weather kept most of the local dive boats in their slips. On Saturday, not knowing what to expect in the way of visibility, the Mutiny headed out to the wreck formerly known as the Papoose. We were pleasantly surprised…ecstatic, in fact…to find 60+ feet of visibility on the bottom, and temps anywhere from 79 to 81, depending on the computer. Reports from various dive boats on other wrecks were detailing less visibility, so we opted immediately to stay for two dives. Will tied us in at the break, and there was a slight current running the length of the wreck. Divers reported seeing grouper, amberjacks, cobia, wrasses, a couple of rays, lionfish, queen angels, file fish, spades, bristle worms, christmas tree worms, toad fish, pompano (one of whom was unfortunate enough to come too close to Will’s spear gun), and morays. I found several sandbar shark’s teeth on the overturned hull, and while searching, saw my dive buddy Malena Sharkey upside down, fins just a’flailin’. I swam over to assist, and found her engaged in mortal combat with a large lobster. I was afraid to enter the melee, however Malena emerged victorious by a narrow margin, and the unfortunate bug was big enough to feed the residents of Captain Al’s House of Mirth.
On Sunday, we decided to try the Schurz, hoping we’d have the great conditions we’d had the day before. On our first of two dives, vis was about 30 feet, even with the complement of bait fish that usually cover the wreck. However, during the surface interval, dirty water rolled in and vis dropped to 20 feet or less. In spite of the cloudy water, we still saw sharks, toad fish, pompano traveling in pairs, the usual lion fish in large numbers, and I spied a good sized octopus on the way to the anchor line. One diver found several tiles lying about as well.
The weekend was a welcome respite from the difficult weather of the preceding 10 days. Thanks to all the divers who turned out to help Oyster Joe celebrate another trip around the sun! Our happy group appears below (Oyster Joe not pictured).
Submitted by Captain Amy Broughman
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