Confession

[Extemporaneous]

So your not too dissapointed, I promise to have bigger screw-ups in the future. For now, I'll tell my tale of bad luck and I'm hoping that you can help me.

Today my boat came out of the water for winter . While at the docks, I was helping where I could (a lot of boat came out today). One Sailor was bringing his boat to the wall by himself and was headed for another boat and so I jumped from the wall to his boat so I could grab his lines to toss to the hired help. That was fine until I walk to the stern of his boat to get his stern line. At that point, my iPaq fell out of its case and into the water. Its never done that before. It's in about 15 feet of (not clear) water and I would like to try to retrieve it. The loss of the iPaq itself is of little consequence (about 5 years old) but I would sure like some of the info that's on it back.
Does anyone have a good idea for a simple, cheap grapple/closing claw type device that they have made/saw/purchased. I know pretty closely where it fell in.

Any help or other ideas would be great.

Thanks,
Extemp.

[paradix]

Would it not be easier to try a net on a long pole?

[rebel heart]

Depends on the bottom. In San Diego it's about 15' of silt; like some horrible quick sand out of a horror movie. Nothing is ever found again.

[TrevC]

If you find it, take the battery out and leave the whole thing soaking in pure isopropyl alcohol for several weeks, then let it dry out for several weeks more. Good luck

[Ocean Girl]

What about a casting net?

[cyclepro]

A similar thing happened to me when boarding my boat. Both my keys and a $30.00 ss. jaw slide dropped out of my shallow pockets. I could see them lying on the bottom of the marine but I didn't have a pole long enough to retrieve them. I contacted the local diver who frequently cleans bottoms and two days later I had both items back. Perhaps the yard knows of a diver that works near there.
BTW: PNW waters are pretty cold otherwise I would have retrieved them myself.

[Stillraining]

Bummer...I think you will discover that you I pod will plane a bit so you could be searching 10' every direction. Best bet is to snag a diver cleaning a bottom and see if he will spend 10 min looking for you.

[MarkJ]

What the hell's an iPaq?

A toothbrush?

A mobile phone?

Fake biceps?

What is an iPaq?????????????????????????

[Stillraining]

He ment Ipod

[MarkJ]

Originally Posted by Stillraining

He ment Ipod

Well he should leave it at the bottom of the ocean and get a life!


LOL


Probably listens to 1970's disco.....

[paradix]

No he meant iPaq. It's a kind of like having the funtionality of a laptop but more like the size of an iPod. Am I the only here with google???

[Stillraining]

Well I'll be..learn something every day here.

[roverhi]

I'be been the unfortunate klutz who has dumped a number of things overboard from my boat. Don't assume it's where you dropped it and spread your search area out quite a bit if you don't find it right away. Water is 15'-25' deep depending on the tide with only about 4' visibility under my boat. Fortunately, have a friend with a boat in marina who dives and cleans bottoms as a part time job. He's recovered everything I've dropped but usually not very close to where I've dropped them. The stuff seems to wander quite a distance on it's way to the bottom. The 8' section of genoa track went about 10' aft of the point where it went swimming and stuck in the bottom at an angle. If it hadn't stuck with one end off the bottom, it's doubtful he would have found it. He accidentally kicked it but never saw it even though he'd probably swum over it. The Manson anchor I dropped looked to be heading straight down but ended up about 6' to one side and approximately 8' behind where I last saw it.

[Extemporaneous]

Thanks for all (Mark) some of the replies.

Originally Posted by paradix

Would it not be easier to try a net on a long pole?

Might be, but I figure that what ever I do I likely have one shot at it and if I don't pick the right one first, I'll just end up burying it.

Originally Posted by rebel heart

Depends on the bottom. In San Diego it's about 15' of silt; like some horrible quick sand out of a horror movie. Nothing is ever found again.

Should be fairly firm.

Originally Posted by TrevC

If you find it, take the battery out and leave the whole thing soaking in pure isopropyl alcohol for several weeks, then let it dry out for several weeks more. Good luck

Thanks for that. Hope I get to try this!

Originally Posted by Ocean Girl

What about a casting net?

Don't know how that would work. Perhaps you can describe it?

Originally Posted by cyclepro

A similar thing happened to me when boarding my boat. Both my keys and a $30.00 ss. jaw slide dropped out of my shallow pockets. I could see them lying on the bottom of the marine but I didn't have a pole long enough to retrieve them. I contacted the local diver who frequently cleans bottoms and two days later I had both items back. Perhaps the yard knows of a diver that works near there.
BTW: PNW waters are pretty cold otherwise I would have retrieved them myself.

Lucky you for getting your stuff back. Don't know if I'll bother with a Diver? Water right now is 12 degrees Celsius.

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Bummer...I think you will discover that you I pod will plane a bit so you could be searching 10' every direction. Best bet is to snag a diver cleaning a bottom and see if he will spend 10 min looking for you.

Thanks.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

What the hell's an iPaq?
A toothbrush?

Nope.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

What the hell's an iPaq?
A mobile phone?

Nope.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

What the hell's an iPaq?
Fake biceps?

Nope.

Originally Posted by Stillraining

He ment Ipod

Nope.

Originally Posted by MarkJ

Well he should leave it at the bottom of the ocean and get a life!
LOL
Probably listens to 1970's disco.....

I have a life. And now it has purpose! To get my iPaq back !
What the hell is disco?
It's not that Head bangin music is it?

Originally Posted by paradix

No he meant iPaq. It's a kind of like having the funtionality of a laptop but more like the size of an iPod. Am I the only here with google???

Your right and apparently.

Originally Posted by Stillraining

Well I'll be..learn something every day here.

Me too. Just learned how to use multiple quotes!

Originally Posted by roverhi

Don't assume it's where you dropped it and spread your search area out quite a bit if you don't find it right away.

Got it, thanks.

Thanks all (yes even you Mark). IF I have any success, I'll let you know.

Best Regards,
Extemp.

[Solitude]

You can drop it in one of the new drying out bags. I read about in 48north.

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