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Conditions are variable on August 8. The wind is strong and chilly
but we are lucky - there is only one ship arriving at 8.30 and then no
more movements till the afternoon. We hooked in first time despite
the strong winds. We had chose to do a long dive on twins.
We were also testing some changes to our deco bar which we were keen to
try. Viz was good but not exceptional at the bottom and we slowly
same along to the front of the wreck. The sand has moved quite a bit at
the front and exposed more the bow than I had seen previously. We
headed across the bow and then back along the starboard side to the rear
section and the engine. At 40 mins bottom time on 27% we prepared
to ascend to start our decompression. As Wayne was preparing to lift the
anchor another anchor came down, nearly hitting him on the head.
He actually secured the anchor to the wreck and we continued to prepare
our anchor. At some point their anchor came loose and as they
pulled it up it became entangled in our anchor rope.
At this stage we had the anchor about 5m off the bottom on suspended
under the lift bag. Their attempts to lift their anchor was also
lifting ours with us hanging onto it. Dumping air out of our BCDs
we managed to stop the ascent but then had to dump the air out of the
lift bag as well, leaving the anchor on the bottom. We had a long
series of deco stops and I started to get cold regardless of the dry
suit I was wearing.
This goes to show how dangerous it can be to drop an anchor where
dives are under the water. Sadly, the other boat was not a rogue
fisher but a local dive boat operator.
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