Save Our Pontoon!

[samdive]

As you all know, the pontoon was made out of chip board and is dissolving to the extent that it is no longer really safe to use.

We have had a quote to mend it with proper wood of around £1000. The NDC have offered to cover the bulk of this if saltFree contribute £250.

So... if you like the pontoon (and you will in the depths of winter) - and you dive regularly with saltFree, please could you consider making a donation towards its repair. For regulars I recommend a donation of £20, for those of you who don't come so often, how about £10. Anything is better than nothing.

You can either give me the cash when you next see me or even better wire it into the saltfree account. The details are

Account Name: saltFree Divers, Account No: 60158186, Sort Code 20-13-34

(please call the transfer by your name and pontoon eg Sam Pontoon so I can identify it)

If by some miracle I get too much, I will put it back into the big FHOFs we now need for the deep guys, if we don't get enough I will cover the difference for now.

ALSO - if you are around Chepstow next week in the evenings and would like to help get down and dirty building the new pontoon, please let me know. We urgently need as many labourers as we can get.

Thanks
Sam

 

[Alun]

good luck Sam. hope you get it sorted.

 

[Rémi]

Hi Sam
I am just back from some good time in Nice

I'll give you 20 at the september meet

Cheers

 

[Stephan Whelan]

Best of luck Sam. Let me know how it goes.

 

[samdive]

we are getting there! the wood arrives tomorrow and then its all hands on deck (literally) to rip off the chip board and nail down the ply in time for the september meet

if anyone is around to help in the chepstow area later this week please get in touch

and donations are still welcome.. not quite covered it yet..

sponsorship is a possibility, the pontoon has four flagpoles and is visible to all the divers in the quarry!!

Sam

 

[samdive]

PONTOON UPDATE

After finding it totally unusuable (more like a sponge than a platform) last weekend - NDC are currently pulling out platform to bits and binning the chip board : (

The good news is that new wood is on the way and hopefully the slightly more solid version will be ready for the 25/26 Sept meet.

I have paid NDC the £250 but haven't quite recouped it yet so if you would like to contribute please feel free!

thanks to all those who have reached into their pockets so far - you know you'll appreciate it in February

We are considering having a dinner party out there one weekend to celebrate the new decking!

Sam

 

[samdive]

WEDNESDAY NIGHT

Is anyone free on Wednesday evening (22nd) to come over to the NDC and hammer nails into the new pontoon?

please let me know if you can make it. I will be leaving Bristol about 5.30 and can offer lifts



MONEY - so far I have paid NDC £250 for the new pontoon and got £70 back.. if anyone would like to help please can you bring your donation at the weekend or put it into the account as above. Any donations gratefully received. Sponsorship/Ad Spave is also possible as we have the chance to fly a few flags on the pontoon if you have one! If your company would like to advertise at saltFree, send me a flag and a donation and away we go...


thanks

Sam

 

[samdive]

this has now changed to THURSDAY night - 23rd. If you can make it please get in touch

thanks

Sam

 

[samdive]

The pontoon is finished and looking very smart! but not yet paid for...

so if you would like to make a donation, please either give it to me this weekend or on the 8.9th October or pay it into the account as above. If you pay it direct, please mark it by your name. I have received at least one anonymous donation so far!

thanks to whoever that was for the £15!!

Sam

 

[samdive]

the pontoon is saved.. nice new wooden floors all round.. looks like a posh chelsea flat... anyone got some spare sea grass?

patio heater to follow, picnic table installed...

my bank account on the other hand is still suffering.. so if anyone would like to donate please either follow the instructions above or stuff fivers down my wetsuit at the next meet

Sam

 

[samdive]

For everyone who was there last time -

the boom has now been moved to the centre of the pontoon so it is now far away from the mooring lines!

big thanks to NDC for all the work they have put in in the last few weeks

Sam

www.nationaldivingcentre.com - we love 'em!

 

[samdive]

Thank you, thank you, thank you to all the freedivers and Angels who gave generously - the pontoon is saved and my bank account is not too dented...

as ever, the improvements continue - the boom has been moved to the centre of the platform to keep it away from other ropes and next time the scuba line will be on the other side so that the Angels don't have to cross our path to get to the trapeze. If anyone can think of anything else (other than patio heaters, mini bar etc) that needs doing let me know.

Projects for the winter include painting the boom, buying and measuring a new, softer rope and possibly the introduction of a counter balance system next season.

Thanks again - you will appreciate it in the dead of winter when you can get out of the water to warm up between dives - if you don't already!

Sam

 

[laura storm]

Sam ... the Angels need to have our main support line looped every 10m for stages. I've asked Brad & Mike to help with this. It will mean keeping our line exclusive though (as in not to swapped once in place).

Angelfish

 

[samdive]

ok - the line is in Stuart's office - the spare yellow one coiled up not on the boom, they should be able to find that. I have been dropping it to the bottom of the quarry each time so they should be able to work out from that where to put the loops on (or they could mark the top of the line and run the measurement down from that)

It would however probably be easier for the freedivers if you guys used the trapeze a bit more and the line a bit less as it gets a bit close to us when there are loads of people decompressing on it - we had a bit of a problem with that on Sunday after the main dives as no one used the trapeze

but.. when it has been shifted over the scuba line will be a lot nearer the trapeze so that should help

your line has always been exclusive so no worries there - it only gets used for the Angels

S