Improvements for Supporting Diving from RIB

[po2watch]

I wonder if any members can offer advice? I'm running a 7.8m Ribcraft that I use for diving and three things are causing me problems.
1. Often setting a c 50 to 70kg shot line which is a real pain (literally!) to manhandle back to the surface. What are the best options for a winch or capstan?
2. Handling these shot lines so that they don't dig in and damage the tubes makes for a lot of back strain (even using the bow lead) - does anyone have any ideas how to better manage this? I'm thinking that a stainless sleeve that can be slipped over the tubes in way of any line handling would work but wonder how others have addressed this?
3. Last but not least - ladder arrangement for boarding. The tube diameters make for some interesting gymnastics getting aboard. Anyone have any good suggestions re ladder design / sourcing?
Thanks in advance.

[Pikey Dave]

We used to use a system for shot handling that went on the lines of:-
Prepare the shot with the correct length of line (nothing worse than descending a shot & finding loads of slack on the bottom)
On the end of the shot rope, tie a 2m long waster line, we used 6mm blue polypropylene.
Shot your wreck.
The first diver down ties the waster to the wreck & blows the weight up on a bag. When the bag comes up, the surface party know that the shot is secure to the wreck. Rest of divers descend.
At the end of diving ops, clip the shot to the transom rings & give it a tug with the boat, the waster snaps & up comes the shot line, no trauma, no damage to boat or back.
You can adapt the system to suit your situation. If it's a deep dive, you can sent the first diver in with a 3l pony to blow the shot & save his own gas. We used to have a lifting bag permanently rigged to the shot, all the first man had to do was unroll it & fill the bag.


.....sh1t happens.......

[po2watch]

Many thanks for the quick reply. Yes, we've been using that system too and may just have to continue doing the same but on a few occasions (for various reasons ...... ) have come unstuck and had to resort to manhandling the shot - so trying to cover that eventuality!
Thanks again.

[Pikey Dave]

For a cheap tube protector, try & get hold of a piece of conveyor belting.


.....sh1t happens.......

[Jacko9370]

Originally Posted by Pikey Dave

For a cheap tube protector, try & get hold of a piece of conveyor belting.


.....sh1t happens.......

How much conveyor belting would you like? I have loads spare

[po2watch]

Cheers for that Pikey Dave

[po2watch]

Many thanks Jacko9370 - I might be able to get some locally but will give you a shout if i come unstuck

[Wightdiver]

Originally Posted by po2watch

I wonder if any members can offer advice? I'm running a 7.8m Ribcraft that I use for diving and three things are causing me problems.
1. Often setting a c 50 to 70kg shot line which is a real pain (literally!) to manhandle back to the surface. What are the best options for a winch or capstan?
2. Handling these shot lines so that they don't dig in and damage the tubes makes for a lot of back strain (even using the bow lead) - does anyone have any ideas how to better manage this? I'm thinking that a stainless sleeve that can be slipped over the tubes in way of any line handling would work but wonder how others have addressed this?
3. Last but not least - ladder arrangement for boarding. The tube diameters make for some interesting gymnastics getting aboard. Anyone have any good suggestions re ladder design / sourcing?
Thanks in advance.

We used to have a large buoy with a 4 inch stainless ring attached. Run the shot line through the ring, attach it firmly to the back of the boat and then gun it. As the buoy move away from the boat the it drags the shot upwards, you then need to quickly pull in the slack before the shot sinks again. I think our shot was only around 25kg.

We did have some success with an arrangement of 4 carabineers just above the shot with the mouths all facing different directions, the 4 inch ring would get caught in one and the shot would float, sometimes!!

Andy

[po2watch]

Cheers Andy - the adrenalin approach!

ATB,
Rob

[jeffstevens763@g]

ladder pics.
worked really well doesn't go under the boat can be dismantled easily i had the steps set to suit me 2 on the bottom next one up 1 on the right next one up again on the left to allow me to swing my right leg in to the boat, handle on the A frame a must, climbed in with all dive kit on except fins the missus took them off first.
cost was £350 from boat supplier.
cheers

[po2watch]

That looks like a great solution. Thanks for pictures - makes it easy to see just how neat this is. I like the idea of it being able to be dismantled. There are some good fabricators around here that I'm sure could do a good job of making something similar. What I might to is look at having a shoe type plate fixed across both A Frame uprights so that the ladder can then simply slot in. Well noted re your comment on the A Frame handle being a 'must' - I can see why. Does the ladder simply rest across the top of the tube and is that what stops it going under the boat?

[jeffstevens763@g]

Originally Posted by po2watch

That looks like a great solution. Thanks for pictures - makes it easy to see just how neat this is. I like the idea of it being able to be dismantled. There are some good fabricators around here that I'm sure could do a good job of making something similar. What I might to is look at having a shoe type plate fixed across both A Frame uprights so that the ladder can then simply slot in. Well noted re your comment on the A Frame handle being a 'must' - I can see why. Does the ladder simply rest across the top of the tube and is that what stops it going under the boat?

the ladder upright presses onto the rubbing strake much stronger there, it does give a slight indentation of the strake but you can overcome that by having a spreader plate but mine hasn't been a problem make sure the ladder is long enough so you just swim up and put your feet on the bottom rungs without having to climb much easier in a swell then its a straight climb.
you could design it so as it locks before it touches the tube possibilities are endless it just gets more expensive the more complicated.

cheers

[Phil M]

Originally Posted by Wightdiver

We used to have a large buoy with a 4 inch stainless ring attached. Run the shot line through the ring, attach it firmly to the back of the boat and then gun it. As the buoy move away from the boat the it drags the shot upwards, you then need to quickly pull in the slack before the shot sinks again. I think our shot was only around 25kg.

We did have some success with an arrangement of 4 carabineers just above the shot with the mouths all facing different directions, the 4 inch ring would get caught in one and the shot would float, sometimes!!

Andy

A friend of mine uses a climbers "ascender" instead of the ring or carabiner. That way the shot line only goes one way and you don't need to pull in so quick.

Phil M

[treerat]

It would be possible to fit a battery or small petrol winch onto the consolidation or some where up front where there is space, run the line over a roller on the nose and it'll run nicely.

A Google search brings up various options.

[Brian]

Re The Ladder
How about one of those with a just central vertical spine and horizontal bars going out to each side.
I have found these much easier to mount especially with fins on.

[jyasaki]

Originally Posted by Wightdiver

We used to have a large buoy with a 4 inch stainless ring attached. Run the shot line through the ring, attach it firmly to the back of the boat and then gun it. As the buoy move away from the boat the it drags the shot upwards, you then need to quickly pull in the slack before the shot sinks again. I think our shot was only around 25kg.

I use a similar method for crab trap retrieval. A 12" or 14" (don't remember) Polyform ball buoy with a 6" ring goes on the trap line, then motor off about 45 degrees away from the trap direction (i.e. if the trap buoy is hanging due south, you head towards the traps, but 45 degrees off, so either a 045 or 315 heading.) The drag of water on the buoy will suck the buoy under, which will raise the trap (it does put a lot of stress on my wire traps, though; they're only like $29 though, so are replaceable to some degree.)

You can get a better explanation by searching "ball buoy anchor recovery" or similar.

jky

[diver 1]

Here most of the scuba diving I do is shallow (<40m) so we just use a nice light shot weight about 10-15kg, but shaped like a large fishing weight so it sinks quickly and tied to some fairly thin rope so not too much tidal drag if shotting before slack. Never missed a target yet. Simply move it down tide of the wreck / obstructions when you hit seabed. The method for lifting heavy items off the seabed, alderney ring if you don't want to get wet or lift bag if using divers. Alderney ring works well with plain rope and a clogger as suggested or a short length of rubbish chain at the end of the rope, the chain links catch on the alderney ring and tend to stop the weight slipping back through in my experience.