Active Lakers and Expensive Mistakes

[FishnChef]

Geez, turning into quite the odyssey

[keithm87]

Haha right? At this point I have already bought the new gear. It’s really no longer about the gear so much as the story, and principle.

[keithm87]

Soooo!!! Seems we will have a happy ending to this story. Took some work on my part, and a couple of times where it seemed hope was lost, but today I contacted Larry Boivin of Larry's Dive Service and confirmed he had found the gear. He was initially hesitant to return it as where I was fishing is apparently off limits, and someone else last week had managed to cut a guide rope on one of the other wrecks on Champlain. After a discussion about it he has agreed to return the gear, and I have agreed to make sure people are aware of what those buoys mark and what caution they should take. People should not be going within 200 ft of those Yellow buoys at any time while fishing. The risk of fishing gear hanging up is 2 part: 1st most all of the wrecks are wood and lead balls damage the historic sites, 2nd the gear itself can be a danger to the divers, especially downrigger cable (which I left 65ft of as I cut off) So I have learned my lesson, and hope to inform others of that lesson to avoid these things in the future. I also in this process happened across a bunch of really cool videos of these groups diving these historic wrecks in champlain. Prior to this I had no idea that people scuba dove champ (other than to set moorings) so that is cool that there is a whole group of people who are experiencing and enjoying the lake that I had no idea about. We all use the resource for our own pleasure, but I have a new found respect for how my pleasure of the lake may impact other peoples. Now if only the sail boats that decide to cut through planer board sets would recognize the same.

[drachma]

Hi Keith,

Like I said, I had been a Scuba Instructor for over 10 years and I know a lot of people don't know about the yellow bouys. However, at the Perkins Pier Marina they use to post a statement about those bouys, what they are used for, and what people navigating in their proximity need to know. There are two more wrecks just outside the Burlington harbor. One just on the other side of the breakwater and the other north toward the point. I remember diving wiith a class close to (within the 200 foot demarkation) but not on the wreck you got caught on and saw a cannon ball go over head. I knew Larry when I worked at the dive shop at its old location on Main Street. I am glad he was willing to return the stuff to you. Having an extra set of gear isn't so bad since things can happen right?

Michael

[keithm87]

Success! Big thanks to Larry boivin of Larry’s dive service!

[tmcaul]

A happy ending, I believe. And deserved, Keith.

I hope the replacement probe is still NIB and can be returned.

Tom

[keithm87]

Yup in box unopened... gonna get an RmA tomorrow And send her out Monday after I make sure this one still works... out it in water and it turned on so I think I’m good

[Cas]

A diver friend of mine is involved in the raising of the Spitfilre on Champlain. There's some interesting and historical wrecks out there, for sure. The wrecks should be on Navionics (or maybe they are?) - there are GPS locations for them.

Although that could be counter productive, as I'm sure some people would think the wrecks might hold fish, giving them "structure" and some would actively target them to fish...

Good thread, glad you got your gear back.

[keithm87]

Yeah the wreck is on navionics, about 200 yds from its actual location. On navionics it lists coal barge and has 2 yellow markers for a caution zone, I was 594 ft from the closest mark on the navionics map when I hung up, but only 100ft from the actual buoy on the lake, which I had never gotten close to read, always assumed it was something related to yacht club or something since they are really active in that area.