Day 94 Hookah

Andy is a hero again
The hookah is a self contained unit consisting of a small gasoline engine connected to a compressor that has a long hose with several scuba style mouthpieces. The whole thing fits into a box that can be loaded into a dinghy.
Andy and Jim made the first dive while Mark monitored things in the dinghy. We had attached a 25 foot line to the bottom of the anchored line so they could make a radius sweep of the bottom.
The first descent was a short one. The hookah delivers enough air for two divers at 25 to 30 feet but at 75 feet, the divers must draw hard on the airline to get enough air. This is not the normal condition for scuba divers and it took some mental toughness to go to the bottom when it felt as though there would not be enough air. On the second try, they overcame their anxiety and stayed down for a half hour search although they did not find the chain. Wendy and Mark did the second dive after moving the anchor but were also unsuccessful.
We re-checked the GPS coordinates and moved the anchor for the third dive. Within a few minutes, Andy and Jim returned to the surface and reported that they had found the chain and had attached the end to the small line. Since it would have been impossible for a person to raise 75 feet of chain from the bottom, we untied Liahona and maneuvered her over the line that was now tied to the anchor. By using a winch on board, the crew were able to bring the end of the chain to the surface and then use the windless to retrieve the rest along with the anchor.
After inspecting the windless it was discovered that there had been a plate on the outside that prevented the chain from slipping out of its grooves. Somehow, this plate had come off and this was the reason the chain was not controlled in its descent. Jim realized he would need to replace this part before going much further.
After lunch both boats headed for another of Guy's suggestions, a snorkeling spot near one of the passes into the lagoon - pass Tohahotu.
We anchored carefully in 16 feet of water in case we had to dive again and use the two dinghies to transport all 8 of us and the hookah to the pass. Here the water was much deeper than at Tautau. The reef dropped to a flat area that was about 15 feet deep and at the pass itself, there was a precipitous drop into blue water - meaning it was likely to be several hundred feet deep.
Again by starting at the margin between the outer reef and the ocean it was possible to float on the current back into the lagoon. Here the fish were abundant and the coral even more beautiful than at the coral garden. The formations were large and generally undisturbed because of their depth. We free-dived and took turns on the hookah (except I had some problems equalizing my left ear and my turn on the hookah was very short). We all agreed that this was an amazing experience.
Because we were anchored securely and Jim and Wendy were concerned about tempting fate, we stayed near the pass for the night.