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  1. #1
    billyf
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    Default NSS-CDS March Social

    The CDS will be sponsoring a Social / Work Day at Cathedral on Saturday March 29

    Directions:
    Cathedral is located in Falmouth, FL
    I-10 at HYW-90
    Take HYW-90 West for 2.8 miles turn Left (South) on to Newburn Rd (185th Rd)
    Cathedral is on the right side ½ mile after the turn on the corner of Newburn Rd and Ball Rd(52nd St)

    http://www.nsscds.com/

    Sheck Exley donated approximately four acres containing Cathedral Sink to the National Speleological Society Cave Diving Section. The property is the furthest upstream of 18 known entrances into the Falmouth system that eventually empties into the Suwannee River at Ellaville Spring within the Suwannee River State Park. The system was explored and mapped by Sheck Exley, Mary Ellen Eckhoff, Paul DeLoach, Dave Fisk, L. Hall, John Harper, Lewis Holtzendorff, Randy Hylton, Bill Main, Clark Pitcairn, Wes Skiles, Bill Stone, Dale Sweet, John Zumrick and Court Smith, and contains over 41,020 feet of passage. On December 16, 1990, Sheck established what was then a record penetration of 10,939 feet on a multi-stage dive lasting nearly 12 hours, including decompression. (Upstream exploration was extended to over 17,000 feet in 2004.)

    When exploration first began in Falmouth-Cathedral System, the visibility in Cathedral was often 100 feet or more. Since then, changes in the aquifer have reduced visibility to only a few feet most of the year. Occasionally, conditions allow the visibility to improve to 40 feet or so. Because of this, and the depths involved, Cathedral is considered an advanced cave dive with depths to 200+ feet and the access policy is written with this in mind.


    Last edited by tj; 03-08-2008 at 08:31 PM.

  2. #2
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    76

    Default Social

    What time? just show up? what to bring?
    Thanks, Dick


  3. #3
    billyf
    Guest

    Default

    The work crew plans on starting at 9am
    There will be wood working, pouring concrete and general site maintenance.
    There is a flyer on the CDS home page
    www.nsscds.com


  4. #4
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2007
    Location
    Central Florida
    Posts
    76

    Default

    Thanks


  5. #5
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Pompano Beach, FL
    Posts
    2,852

    Default

    Sounds like a worthwhile day to me. Everything will still be flooded, hopefully we can get a lot of people out there.

    I'm only guessing but I imagine there will be everything from picking up litter and weed-whipping to construction so even the kids could help?

    It's bad luck to be superstitious.

  6. #6
    Member
    Join Date
    Jun 2007
    Location
    Brooksville & Luraville, Fl.
    Posts
    102

    Default

    Count us in (Jim & Bobbi)
    What costruction equipment is needed?

    Happiness is living close to the Nest & having your weekend house next to Cow Springs!!
    TDI & SDI Instructor #16934, PADI - Tec/Rec #MSDT 271247
    Cavern, Cave, Advanced Nitrox, Deep, Trimix

  7. #7
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Ellisville FL
    Posts
    137

    Default Cathedral Workday Photos Nov 18, 2006

    I posted some photos of the first workday almost a 1.5 years ago. We have come a long way since.

    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...&imageuser=163
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...&imageuser=163
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...&imageuser=163
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...&imageuser=163

    The types of tools we could use depends on what area you are interested in helping with; decking/stairs, concrete or general site cleanup. We also need a couple of generators.

    Woodwork - Todd will head this area up. Tools needed include cordless drills with extra batteries to drive deck screws, hammers, and skill saws.
    Concrete - Gene and Bill will head up this area. I will talk to Gene this week and find out what we still need.
    General Site Cleanup - Kelly will head up this area. I believe we will need rakes, shoves, weedwackers, chainsaws, etc.

    Thanks in advance for everyone who is willing to come out and help.

    Bill Oigarden
    Those who say it can't be done are always passed by those doing it!
    www.cavedivinghistory.com
    www.oigarden.com

  8. #8
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Pompano Beach, FL
    Posts
    2,852

    Default

    I've got a generator, I just ran it today for an hour to make sure I could get it started...couple pulls and she fired right up.

    It's not a real big one, 4500watts [5500 peak] but I can bring it.

    Last edited by Line Squirrel; 03-08-2008 at 07:41 PM.
    It's bad luck to be superstitious.

  9. #9
    Member
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Ellisville FL
    Posts
    137

    Default Generator

    Sounds good on the generator Mike. Gene is bringing an electric cement mixer. Sure beats mixing the concrete by hand.

    Bill Oigarden
    Those who say it can't be done are always passed by those doing it!
    www.cavedivinghistory.com
    www.oigarden.com

  10. #10

    Default More recent photos

    As Bill mentioned, we've made a lot of progress. Here's a bunch of cruddy cell phone pics I took at the end of today's workday:

    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7830
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7831
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7832
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7833
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7834
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7835
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7836
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7837
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7838
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7839
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7840
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7841
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7842
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7843
    http://www.cavediver.net/forum/galle...age.php?i=7844

    Unfortunately, the water is way up now. Unless it goes down a few feet by the 29th, the concrete plans will need to be limited. FWIW, the system is strongly reversed with dark tannic water. There's a vortex over what would ordinarily be the upstream side of Falmouth.

    There's a lot of trees down at Cathedral that should be removed, plus a number of dead trees that should be cut down and removed before they fall on the walkway or in the sink. I'd encourage people to bring chainsaws on the 29th, and hopefully we can make a big dent in this.

    Bill's list of tools should cover most of what we need for wrapping up the platforms. Also, the screws that will secure the stair treads need a hex driver.

    BTW, thanks to those who came out to work the last two work days...

    2/23/08:
    AJ Gonzales
    Bill Oigarden
    Bryce Thompson
    Cory Bell
    Curtis Baldwin
    Doug Mudry
    Todd Leonard

    3/8/08:
    Bob Schulte
    Curtis Baldwin
    Todd Leonard

    Thanks, and see you on the 29th...

    - Todd



 

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