Dive Report: Bill Boyde
Date: Sunday afternoon May 21, 2000
Boat: Miss Conduct
Captain: Conrad Nix

By: Mike Rodriguez

Four of the AUE core divers arrived on-time in the afternoon and
began loading the boat.  The same group dove together the previous
day on the Pappa's Wreck, and we were all looking forward to wrapping
up the weekend with a dive on the Bill Boyde.

Like the day before, conditions were good.  It was sunny with the
air temperature at 84F.  The ocean was running less than two feet
with a light current and a surface temperature of 82F; like the day
before on the bottom we would find much colder water at 66F.  The day
before, the visibility was good near the surface and poor on the bottom;
on this dive, it would be reversed - poor near the surface and good on
the bottom.

The Bill Boyde was a cargo ship and rests upright in the sand 270
feet down and pointing south.  It's an interesting dive but infrequently
visited by divers due to the depth.  In the holds there are several
empty railroad cargo containers and an old pick-up truck.  The wreck
has quite a lot of growth on it and is teaming with beautiful schools
of tiny fish.  Occasionally, some larger sea life can be seen there
as well.  On a recent dive I saw a ~3 foot ray swimming by in the
sand and a large jewfish.

As we reached the site, we noticed the water had a greenish cast
to it; this usually means bad visibility.  The captain set up the
drop as everyone geared up.  I took the floatline and when the captain
called out, everyone dropped into the green water.  The visibility at
the surface was only about 15 feet.  Fortunately, as we descended, the
viz opened up, and by the time we reached the bottom, it was 50 feet.
Due to the murky water near the surface, the bright sunlight 270 feet
above us didn't penetrate well to the bottom, and it felt like an
overcast day on the wreck.

I tied in the floatline near the bow and dropped to the sand where
I checked the temperature.  My bottom timer's thermometer responds
slowly to temperature changes, and although it would eventually settle
at 66F, at this point it was still saying 75F.

I swam down-current along the sand toward the stern and found a
porthole cover.  It was badly corroded, and I left it in the sand.
At the stern I studied at the large rudder; the ship's screw is missing,
though.  There's a large hole right at the keel where the scuttling
charge was placed.  It was too small to enter, so I swam up to the deck
and into the wheelhouse which is large and inviting but mostly empty.

I swam down to the engine room which is easily accessible, but
cramped.  It's full of interesting stuff to look at, but most
everything is corroded beyond recovery.

I left the engine room and swam forward in the cargo holds.  I stopped
to look inside the cab of the old pick-up truck, then into and around
the railroad cars.

I continued forward and near the bow I entered a storage room through
the port-side door, then out the starboard-side door.  I swam up to
the deck and noticed that the ship is covered with fishing and
anchor lines.

Our time ran out as all the divers converged at the floatline.  We
did a quick head-count, then my buddy and I unhooked us and we
drifted toward the stern.  The large crane near the stern threatened
to snag the floatline as we drifted north and we had to swim the line
away from the wreck to keep it free.  Once we'd drifted off the
stern, we let the line go and began our decompression which was
boring in the poor visibility near the surface.  Everyone was back
on the boat a while later warming up in the sunshine.

The Bill Boyde is a great dive if you have the training and experience
to dive it.  It's at about the same depth as the RBJ and just as
interesting, especially when the visibility is good.  I'm looking
forward to my next visit.