Thursday, May 4, 2023

Installation of Anchor Pin Structural Enforcement of U-anchor

The team was picked up again by Ms. Howell in St. James at 9:00 am and they proceeded to Port St. Louis. A new air pump had to be bought to pressurize the electric underwater drill on the way.  The group was met at the marina by the Folkstone Marine Park Rangers and a fisherman, who was captaining the second boat. The gear was loaded onto the two boats. To leave the option open to install a cement anchor, favorable for limestone substrate, the first group drove by boat to Holetown to purchase cement that could be used underwater, while the other group picked up cement and epoxy anchors, as well as “Liquid Rock” two-component epoxy at the Folkstone Marine Park office. When the two groups met at the installation site, two dive teams were formed:  one to install a new anchor, and the second one to reinforce the North U-anchor. The dives went as planned, without any major issues. The park rangers were cautioned not to untie the boat until all divers had safely exited the water.  As on the previous day, upon return to the marina, the SCF crew was dropped in St. James, where all equipment was rinsed and prepared for the next deployment. The underwater footage was transferred to hard drives and batteries charged for the next day.