Pinta November 11 2007

It is getting chilly out, no two ways about it. During the drive down and ride out I couldn't wait to get into the water to warm up. With the seas kicking we decided to stay inshore, and parked above the Pinta right off the Atlantic Highlands. On May 8, 1963 the Pinta had the misfortune (well, the incompetence, really) to collide with the City of Perth. Clear skies, moderate seas, 14 miles of visibility, but still they hit each other, with the Pinta sinking in 48 minutes. There were no fatalities, so at least they abandoned ship in good order. It was my first time on this wreck. It has been very quickly deteriorating in recent years, so I was glad to see it sooner rather than later. The Independence had a full charter, a nice mix of newcomers with the regulars. Just goes to show how avid people are to dive around here, even late in the season.

The Pinta was carrying a load of pecky cyprus, which becomes obvious as soon as you descend onto the wreck. Board lengths are scattered every which way, all more so now that it is falling apart. Dave O had us tied into the stern, so I started by spending a few minutes working my way into the engine compartment. Viz was pretty punk, 8' or so, with an intermittent surge that was occasionally impressive. Over the course of nearly two hours I swam stem to stern, out into the sand, and wiggled into as many holes as I could fit into. One of the forward holds teased me terribly. The decking is just starting to really go, and through the gaps I could see undisturbed silt. I even considered, then rejected, ascending to fetch Fat Max the wrecking bar from above. After 90 minutes I finally found a keeper bug, and that one was wedged deep inside. Catching it involved completely silting out the hold and coating myself in rust, but I got it, puny one-clawed thing that it was. Max depth was only 89 feet, my shallowest in a long time. I had no complaints though, only having 20 minutes of deco was a real treat. The only hiccup, so to speak, was a brief but bizarre reverse block in the last 10 feet. I had made a choucroute for a little dinner party the night before, an assortment of sausage and smoked meat buried in sauerkraut. Note to self: go easy on the kraut the night before diving!

Not much more to tell, just a nice, moderately bumpy day on the ocean. Getting back at 2pm was a treat, so a few of us went to Europa for lunch. Good food, decent prices, and despite the fancy decor they didn't turn their noses up at a bunch of fleece-clad divers with salt-spiked hair.