There was a time where I was a commercial free diver and time in
the water was not an issue as I was diving three times a week. But
times have changed and for a couple of years I really struggled
to get a dive in. My circumstances did not give me many opportunities
to coincide with my dive buddies; I needed a solution where I could
dive when it suited me.
Kayak as a platform?
I tried the kayak diving for a while and although it can be very
pleasant kayaking out to a rock it, could also get quite nasty too
if the wind picked up. Although I found the Perception Swing kayak
very sea worthy, I would have to say when I had to paddle in to
a 25knt wind made life very interesting. It’s very easy to
lose something over the side if one becomes a bit complacent. But
the other problem I had was the kayak was only good for shorter
trips. I found myself frequently diving the same areas due to accessibility
problems. I needed something that was quick safe and affordable.
Shopping for a vessel
There is plenty to choose from in the market of small boats and
they all have their place. I wanted something cheap on fuel, easy
to launch by myself, something that could handle rough seas and
a lot of water coming into the boat. And to top it all off I did
not have a lot of money at the time. Aluminum pontoon boats are
not a bad option as they wouldn't puncture like an inflatable but
the boat would not clear water out the same as a thundercat. And
although they look quite seaworthy for their size I did not know
of anyone who was taking these boats any long distances.
Plastic boat?
I considered these too which are very hard wearing, but talking
to others who owned these boats said they were quite heavy for their
size. Other than that I think that they have a lot in common with
their aluminum counterpart.
Jet ski as a dive platform?
I thought about a Jet ski an although a jet ski would actually be
quicker than a thundercat and if a jet ski was to be flipped it
would self rectify as where a thundercat would be a sitting duck
in the water. There was the issue of room.
The final choice, RIB or Cat
So then my list came down to either a rib or a thundercat. The RIB
was a close second place but one of the differences of a thundercat
is the transom, which is a frame that dissipates a large volume
of water very quick. This makes it a little safer. The Thundercat
has a flat soft floor which is quite nice when gearing up to get
in the water. When driving, one would sit on a on the pontoon of
a RIB where as a thundercat you sit in it with your feet bound in
and a solid handle for your right hand. I have been thankfully of
this on rough days where the boat is getting knocked about, I'm
sure in some of those instances I would have been sent flying had
I been on a RIB.
Cat it is.
The vessel I bought was a little different than most thundercats
as the runners underneath are made of fiberglass opposed to normally
having long skinny pontoons.
The engine
most thundercats have a 50hp engine where as mine only had a 30hp
Yamaha 2 stroke. This is enough when diving by myself but is a little
underpowered when there are two on board. Diving alone and fully
loaded with my dive gear, my top speed is around 50kph on a calm
day. As I have no auxiliary power I look after my outboard very
well and do a basic check over after every trip, and give it all
the usual servicing.
I have a 20lt fuel bladder which is enough to transport me from
Kuatunu to Cuvier and back which is about 60km's in distance. Needless
to say I carry extra fuel on trips like this. A bladder over a tank
has several pluses but one negative. It’s very unobtrusive
and if I lose my balance whilst standing close to the bladder, I
can stand on it without causing any harm to the tank or myself.
There is no air in the tank so the fuel ages slower. The tank has
no breather so no chances of water getting in. But one thing which
can be a bit messy is refueling, especially when out on the water,
although I am getting the hang of it now.
Launching
Launching at a boat ramp that has plenty of depth is a piece of
cake, so easy it’s a joke. But on a very shallow ramp I have
to get the van wet before I get water under the boat. But this is
a homemade trailer which sits a bit higher than others. But I do
have a newer trailer that is almost finished which is purpose built,
which has the boat lower and slides on and off the trailer a lot
better. Also the wheels are larger which makes it a lot easier to
man handle.
Here is my check list excluding dive gear.
Anchor and rope
Hand held vhf
Cell phone
Sunscreen
Swandry (A thick Jersey)
Dried food
3ltr of drink
flares
Swimming mask
Dry bag where the cell phone, hands held vhf, flares and my keys
go into.
I may seem strange to carry a swandry on a roasting hot summer’s
day but if I was out there overnight I think this would slow down
the onset of hypothermia. Although I don’t normally carry
much food I do eat before I go out. Weight and space is very limited
so I don’t really want to take any extras. The swimming mask
is for the rough days when there is a lot of water coming over the
side and this makes it a lot easier to see and has a lot wider vision
than a standard spearfishing mask. I’m very big on having
a good size drink for a good reason, hydration is important especially
if I was stranded.
A thundercats worst enemy other than a sharp implement I would say
is a strong gust of wind to the nose, although weighing down the
front does help a lot, even so when hits 25knts or more it just
lifts the front real quick. When I have been caught in these situations
I have had to tack home. I have been in some pretty rough water
but as long as the wind is not to strong I find it handles it very
well.
Conclusion As far as a vessel for transport and diving
it would be hard to simplify any more. A simple premix 2 stroke
tiller engine with no battery required. Very agile, stable and economic
on fuel. The driver will always endure a more comfortable ride than
the passenger. Because of its simplicity we skip any comforts of
home. No roof overhead or any way to hide from the weather rain
or shine. I would not recommend this boat for anyone line fishing.
Or even for scuba diving, the space would be limited if you had
two divers. For anyone thinking of going out in pairs I would recommend
a 50hp motor. As I dive frequently by myself I am very wary of potential
accidents and always wear the kill switch on my wrist even when
I am only trolling a short distance.
Incidents I have experienced so far :
I have had the anchor rope around the prop whilst close to a breaking
rock.
Hit a small branch which was bobbing just below the surface.
Come home in the dark and almost landed the boat on the rocks.
At the end of the day she gets me to primo spots
for a good price.
Below is a video of me out on the water using the
Thundercat.
