![A large great white at Guadalupe Island]()
Noontime Shark Fest
Read MoreWe had 8 or 9 different sharks (the maximum count at once was 6!), with at least three females and many males.
![Nautilus Explorer and Belle Amie in dry dock]()
Annual Shipyard Refit Continues – How do we get the Ships out of the Water?
Read MoreI often get asked how the heck we get a 1 million pound plus dive boat out of the water…Good question!! We have used a number of different techniques over the years from a “railway” which is indeed just as it sounds – a railway track into the water with massive supports, and a heavy duty winch to a “travel lift” which is essentially a self-propelled “U” shape structure on wheels with giant belts that are slung under the ship and then tightened to lift the ship out of the water. I personally always find it somewhat terrifying to see…
![Shipyard crew works on the Undersea]()
The Undersea Renovations
Read MoreShipyard renovation and refit of the Nautilus Undersea continues – whoohooo! The featured photo is of the new main salon under construction that will extend aft into the old dive deck, with a separate lounge sitting area with big comfy couches on one side and dining room on the other side. Most exciting of all is the construction of a new stateroom adjacent to the dive deck designed to be ADA compatible for our friends with physical handicaps. Our intent is to make the entire main deck wheelchair accessible including dining room and lounge, stateroom, head and dive stations with…
![Undersea Hunter begins refit]()
Shipyard Madness!
Read MoreShipyard madness before start of Guadalupe great white shark season! Well, it’s refit – ie. that time of the year when all 3 ships get pulled out of the water for shaves and haircuts (which is what sailors call cleaning up their ship and painting the bottom), engine replacement, major overhauls, upgrades and lots of steelwork. The Undersea Hunter is getting loads of additional love with a hull extension of 18 feet, new main deck superstructure, extended sun deck and a new bow. The shape of the new bow can be seen outlined in wood below. She is going to…
Shipyard refit 2012 is complete and the Nautilus Explorer looks shinier than ever…Next stop: Guadalupe Island great white sharks.
Read MoreThe Nautilus Explorer and the Swell are our pride and joy. Each boat gets hauled out of the water every year for refit and makeover. We all get involved and work very long days over 3 weeks tiddlying things up with fresh paint and varnish, making improvements, overhauling machinery and conducting annual survey and audit by various regulatory bodies. The end of result is always a pretty boat that we are all very proud of. Big news this year on the Explorer was the addition of another head (restroom) on the dive deck. It may not seem like a big…
Captain Mike Is Back at the Helm and Loves It!
Read MoreThe good news is that the crew and I and a host of shoreside support workers (there are almost 30 of us!!) have been swarming the ship like busy ants and the Nautilus will once again be shiny and fresh and spotlessly clean with all sorts of improvements when we board our first Canada trip this coming Saturday… I can feel the soul of the ship rapidly getting re-energized and ready for sailing!! We can’t wait.
Our First Alaska Expedition and Dive Trip of 2008
Read MoreWe are enroute now for 2 days of scuba diving at Port Hardy (Queen Charlotte Strait, Browning Pass and Dillon Rock in Shushartie Bay), 1 day diving the wreck of the Transpac at Butedale and then it’s off to Alaska!
