----- Original Message -----
From: "David Strike" <[log in to unmask]>


> On Thursday, August 10, 2000 2:50 PM, Mike Wallace wrote:
>
> > Ya know Clive sounds an awful like you.... :-)
>
> Check out his character Kurt Austin in his novel, 'Serpent'.  <BWG>  We
both
> share the same diving background and both have a collection of Gerry
> Mulligan (the jazz saxophonist) recordings.  The only area in which we
part
> company is that Kurt's more succesful with women ... and richer!  The
> bastard!  :-)

Cool. I'll pick that one up tomorrow. Heading down to one of the springs to
do my instructor course on the Dolphin Rebreathers this weekend and that
will make some good reading for the evenings!

You were very successful with the ladies too Bro.. I have heard about your
lovely wife! She must be a tough cooky to have put up with you!  :-)


>
> > Have you been following any of the reports of the Monitor recovery? Some
> > interesting stuff there. Almost a U. S. Navy vs. Technical divers kind
of
> > read....
>
> I haven't read or seen anything about that, but Garry Gentile gave a
> presentation on the Monitor at Oztek.  As well as detailing its history
and
> his legal battle to be allowed to dive it, he showed underwater film
footage
> of his first expedition to the wreck and followed that up with later
footage
> showing the deterioration that had taken place in just those few short
> years.

Do a search on Aquanaut. There have been some interesting reports from a
group, I think the Cambrian foundation, that has been diving and working it
in coordination with the Navy the last few weeks.....


>
> Apparently one of the conditions of being allowed to dive it was that no
> diver was to touch the wreck!!!  They even had an inspector aboard the
> mother ship checking the divers suits for any signs that they'd brushed
> against it!  :-)

That was my understanding too, but I think that that has been relaxed, at
least for the current group diving it as the reports have indicated that the
civilians have been helping to survey and recover parts of it..... I wish I
had saved the reports now..  There is a web link to them somewhere.. I'll
try to find it for you....

Mike


>
> Strike
>