LakeCumberlandBoaters.com

Mid October 1988 British sector of the North Sea, 120 miles south of the artic circle.

This is a DSV (diving support vessel) the "Stenna Seaspread". 280' X 68' beam. Fully equiped for mixed gas saturation diving to 500' and air diving to 250'. The saturation system can hold 16 divers at once, with a 3 man bell that is deployed thur a central moon pool located midship directly behind the forecastle and heli-pad. It is equiped with a 200 ton "wishbone Crane" on the stern and 50 ton "cherry pickers" port and starboard. Each of the bow anchors in the cradles weigh 20 ton.

The smoke in the background is two oil production platforms burning excess gas on their flairs. We were there for inspection, marine growth survey and removal, and anode replacement on the well heads and sumerged pipeline connecting the two platforms.

Ah yes the good old days when I thought I was "10 feet tall and almost bullet proof". I sure have mellowed a lot since then.

I found this photo the other day stored in my barn stuck to the glass it was framed in. I tried to mend it with photo shop hence the blured and blue spots. One day I will find the kodachrome it was filmed on.

That is AWESOME! Keep em coming!

OK here is another.

I am ready for about 3 hours in the 40 degree water, down to about 120', wearing a KMB 18 mask and a hotwater suit. It was during a spring tide (full Moon, [neep tide new moon]) and the current was ripping!!

We didnt do any "in water decompression" we decompressed in a chamber on deck. This type of diving is call sur-D-O2 ( surface decompression using oxygen). You get the bends everytime you leave the water (very bad for your health by the way) but you are zapped back down to the depth your were at and allowed to decompress in a chamber while a new set of fresh divers were back in the water.

Relax, I hope you are scanning some pictures this summer to share with us this winter!

Very cool! Thanks for sharing. What kinda critters did you encounter down there?