Spent a whole shift trying to free a stuck anchor chain in zero vis

Honestly, I figured a simple anchor recovery job in the harbor would take maybe two hours. The chain was wrapped around some old concrete debris, and the water was so murky I couldn't see my hand in front of my face. I spent the first hour just feeling my way along the links with thick gloves, trying to figure out the wrap pattern. Every time I thought I had it, another section would bind up. My tender topside kept asking for updates, and I just had to say 'still working on it.' It took me over five hours of cutting small sections of rebar with a hydraulic saw and using a come-along to slowly winch the chain free. I was so beat after that dive. Has anyone else had a simple job turn into a full day because of hidden junk on the bottom?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_garcia8d ago

Five hours just to free an anchor chain? I got stuck on "zero vis" and couldn't see your hand. How do you even keep your cool down there when you're basically working blind? That sounds like a nightmare of a shift.

henryp408d ago

Ever try to find your keys in a dark room, @william_garcia? It's like that, but your keys are a ton of metal and the room is trying to drown you. You just have to feel your way through and not think about it too hard.

grays138d ago

Honestly that kind of focus sounds weirdly peaceful to me. You're just in the moment feeling everything out, no other distractions. The real nightmare shift is up here with three kids screaming lol.