HELP! GPS over board!

[+goldpot]

I had a terrible accident with my GPS on board a sailing yacht last Sunday.

 

When trying to put my Oregon safely in my coat pocket before stepping off the yacht onto the pontoon the zip jammed and in my effort to realise it I dropped my GPS. It decided to skate across the entire plastic deck and slipped through a narrow gap in the stern and plopped into the drink at Poole Harbour.

 

I recorded the precise location in the marina where it went into waters of a depth of 3 metres. I know it may be a long shot, but is there anyone who can help me to retrieve my GPS?

 

I quite happy to pay all cost and in fact I may organise an event during the occasion!

[team tisri]

I had a terrible accident with my GPS on board a sailing yacht last Sunday.

 

When trying to put my Oregon safely in my coat pocket before stepping off the yacht onto the pontoon the zip jammed and in my effort to realise it I dropped my GPS. It decided to skate across the entire plastic deck and slipped through a narrow gap in the stern and plopped into the drink at Poole Harbour.

 

I recorded the precise location in the marina where it went into waters of a depth of 3 metres. I know it may be a long shot, but is there anyone who can help me to retrieve my GPS?

 

I quite happy to pay all cost and in fact I may organise an event during the occasion!

 

Is there any point? IIRC they are rated to withstand one meter of water for 30 minutes. So far we seem to be talking three times the water depth and for more like 3000 minutes. Would it be cheaper to just buy another Oregon than pay a scuba diver to recover the old one that quite possibly won't even work any more?

[+ratcliffe]

As a diver, I'd be willing to give it a go, but it could of course move with the times, and as I live in Leicester it would take me a couple of weekends to get down to Poole (I love Poole and the diving from it too!)

How much is an Oregan anyway, because the costs of getting it recovered along with the chances of it not wanting to work anymore must be quite close ?

[+goldpot]

I had a impression that they were rugged and water proof.

 

I have bought another one, but not another Oregon. So, I'm back on the caching circuit!

[+ratcliffe]

I had a impression that they were rugged and water proof.

 

I have bought another one, but not another Oregon. So, I'm back on the caching circuit!

 

If I am down that way, and you have access to the boat, I'm quite happy to have a look, as if its survived up to now it will survive sort on indefinitely... if you see what I mean.

[+goldpot]

I had a impression that they were rugged and water proof.

 

I have bought another one, but not another Oregon. So, I'm back on the caching circuit!

 

If I am down that way, and you have access to the boat, I'm quite happy to have a look, as if its survived up to now it will survive sort on indefinitely... if you see what I mean.

 

We won't need a boat it's just off the pontoon in a marina!

[+Amberel]

I had a impression that they were rugged and water proof.

Water PROOF is a misleading term. Nothing like this is truly waterproof, they are merely water resistant to one degree or another. The deeper it goes and the longer it's there for, the more likely is water ingress.

 

Rgds, Andy

[team tisri]

I had a impression that they were rugged and water proof.

 

I have bought another one, but not another Oregon. So, I'm back on the caching circuit!

 

I'm sure they are rugged and waterproof but only to a point.

 

My 60CSx has survived several falls from waist height onto concrete and been out in torrential rain many times too. Just for good measure when I got it muddy after a long ride on my mountain bike through more mud than I expected I cleaned it off under the tap.

 

Even knowing all that I'd only expect so much from it. It might withstand drops but only from so high, and if I left it literally underwater I'd expect it to stop working at some point.

 

As others have said there's also the chance it will shift with the tides, or become covered over in silt or whatever. Perhaps we'll find an octopus finds it and takes up geocaching, setting a series of 5/5 rated caches under the water in the harbour

[+*mouse*]

Couldn't you free dive 3 metres? Doesn't seem massively deep to me - a bit like diving to the bottom of a swimming pool only muddier! Admit you'd only have a minute or so to search each time you went down, but would save you having to get another person in to do it. Would only cost the price of a mask.

[+Lovejoy and Tinker]

I think I'd be scrutinising the small print of my household contents insurance policy, many of which cover loss or damage to items taken outside the house.

 

If you'd dropped your sofa or TV in the harbour I don't think they would have been covered, but mobile phones, cameras and other portable equipment usually is.

 

But then I'm not keen on outdoor water in cold weather

[+Amberel]

I think I'd be scrutinising the small print of my household contents insurance policy, many of which cover loss or damage to items taken outside the house.

 

If you'd dropped your sofa or TV in the harbour I don't think they would have been covered, but mobile phones, cameras and other portable equipment usually is.

 

But then I'm not keen on outdoor water in cold weather

I lost my specs overboard from a small boat in Langstone harbour. As they are varifocal, photochromic, coated, lightweight lenses they cost a lot of money, and the insurance paid up OK (subject to an excess, of course).

 

Rgds, Andy

[+ratcliffe]

We won't need a boat it's just off the pontoon in a marina!

 

If it is at one of the pontoons that the boats moor up to, which it obviously must be from what you are saying, then I am not sure you'd get permission to dive/jump in there. You could check with the harbourmaster and see what he says...

[+maxkim]

Bad luck Peter, For info I managed to claim on the house insurance for a PDA which shattered when I dropped it caching (what else do you do with one??). There was an excess to pay though.... Cheers Mark

[+Jonovich]

Go fishing with a Magnet on string! We have a cache near here that is a similiar idea in a River lock.

 

Jon.

 

Edited to add linkey....

Edited October 6, 2010 by Dakar4x4

[+Matrix]

I know someone who dropped his watch into the sea off Greece and took a photo of the water so he could send it to his insurance company in case they wanted to know where he had lost it

 

True story

[+vw_k]

Post the co-ordinates as an extreme virtual cache.

 

Question to answer? What model of GPSr is submerged at this location?

[+Bear and Ragged]

Post the co-ordinates as an extreme virtual cache.

 

Question to answer? What model of GPSr is submerged at this location?

 

He needs someone to dive down, to read the co-ords on the GPS!

 

My sympathies are with you.

Don't think it would go straight down, action of the tides as well, and salt water isn't the best for metal and electrical contacts... It would start to oxidize when it was bought out of the water.

Edited October 6, 2010 by Bear and Ragged

[+currykev]

I think it's time for an early Christmas present to oneself.

[+goldpot]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

I've not given up, yet!

[team tisri]

Thanks for all the comments.

 

I've not given up, yet!

 

If you can recover it, it might be cool to get some photos of what's left of it.

[+goldpot]

I received this email from Garmin;

 

Whilst these are waterproof to ix 7 ratings they are not designed to be in this depth for long periods, however we have had reports of units surviving very unusual circumstances, including one unit lost in a river for over two weeks with no battery cover, so there is a possibility that this may work.

If you do recover it and it is still working then please also do please let us know as we would be very intereseted to hear this information.

[+londontavern]

You could always try the SBS who are based in Poole (eek! I hope I haven't blown there cover).

[+Alibags]

I heard of a man recently who got his watch back after it had been dropped into the harbour at Malta during the war. The harbour master still had a record of it and when it was dredged up, it was returned to him. After a clean, it still worked!

 

I think that even if your Oregon is totalled, it would be interesting to try to get it back. A cacher I know (no names) dropped his Oregon into a river and blubbed until his caching mate waded in and retrieved it for him

[+The HERB5]

Walking hols in Devon, it rained, not unusual.

 

My HTC Touch II eventually gave up the ghost on a REALLY WET and MISTY day.

Reset and it worked again but the SD card was U/S.

 

3 weeks later it started working again.....

 

Units may not work IN wet conditions, doesn't mean they wont eventually work AFTER wet conditions.

[+hobgoblinkiteflier]

I agree with Dakar4x4, a magnet on a string might be worth a try.

 

You can get extremely strong magnets from a dead hard drive, and they have convenient holes for attaching a string. After you open the cover your screwdriver will tell you where they are Most batteries have a steel case, and will stick to a magnet.

 

I have used this tecnique for retrieving a devious Snaik cache "A Drive By! WTF"

 

Good luck!

[+Alibags]

... and just imagine what else you might catch in a harbour?

[chrisf77]

Hi Goldpot

I live near Poole & I am a diver! So if you would like to "have a search party" I'd be willing to give you a hand! As one of the other items suggested you might have to get permission first, but after that ..... no probs!

When would you like to do it?

I'm very expensive though .... at least 2 pints!!

Regards

Chris

Edited October 8, 2010 by chrisf77

[+keehotee]

... and just imagine what else you might catch in a harbour?

 

I caught something in a harbour once.

But after the usual course of antibiotics, and a lot of ribbing from the rest of the crew, I'm now clean as a whistle

[+goldpot]

Thanks for all your encouragement. I will make contact with Chris...I could do with a couple of pints too! []

[+Bear and Ragged]

...I could do with a couple of pints too! []

To celebrate, or commiserate, either way works!

[Team Noodles]

Thanks for all your encouragement. I will make contact with Chris...I could do with a couple of pints too! []

an event in the making if I ever saw one

[+Palujia]

Keep us all informed of the outcome please !! Brings back memories of diving off Chesil and in the Harbour

many moons ago -back in the day of twin hose DVs and an ABLJ was the height of sophistication !!

glub glub

[+goldpot]

I got permission from the harbourmaster for a dive...he claims you can see the bottom at low tide!

 

Can I make my GPS a one off Geocache??? I know the precise coords!

Edited October 9, 2010 by goldpot

[+Mustards]

The Gadget show was testing some so called tuff pieces of equipment and one of these gadgets was an Oregon, it kept passing all the tests and the only way that they could stop it was to shoot it with a 12 bore shotgun. The winner of the challenge was a memory stick, but I can't recall the make of it, so there may be a chance that it will work if recovered pretty quickly.

[+goldpot]

The Gadget show was testing some so called tuff pieces of equipment and one of these gadgets was an Oregon, it kept passing all the tests and the only way that they could stop it was to shoot it with a 12 bore shotgun. The winner of the challenge was a memory stick, but I can't recall the make of it, so there may be a chance that it will work if recovered pretty quickly.

 

...what, before someone shoots it?

[team tisri]

The Gadget show was testing some so called tuff pieces of equipment and one of these gadgets was an Oregon, it kept passing all the tests and the only way that they could stop it was to shoot it with a 12 bore shotgun. The winner of the challenge was a memory stick, but I can't recall the make of it, so there may be a chance that it will work if recovered pretty quickly.

 

There used to be (and may still be) an article on Luminous Landscape about when the writer had his Canon EOS-1Ds with a 300mm f/2.8L lens mounted on a tripod on top of an 11-storey building. Unfortunately he'd failed to notice the tripod straddled a cable so when a workman reeled in the cable the tripod and all went over the side.

 

Needless to say the lens shattered, the camera was no more, but the flashcard still worked and still retained the pictures he'd taken up until then.

[+MartyBartfast]

 

There used to be (and may still be) an article on Luminous Landscape about when the writer had his Canon EOS-1Ds with a 300mm f/2.8L lens mounted on a tripod on top of an 11-storey building. Unfortunately he'd failed to notice the tripod straddled a cable so when a workman reeled in the cable the tripod and all went over the side.

 

Needless to say the lens shattered, the camera was no more, but the flashcard still worked and still retained the pictures he'd taken up until then.

 

Well here is a story from BBC South Today, where a couple on a cruise on Queen Mary II lost their camera overboard in the middle of the ocean; a year or so later a Spanish fishing boat dredged up the camera in it's nets; although the camera was dead the flashcard was in good nick and the fisherman was able to download all the pictures; there was nothing on there to show who the card belonged to so stuck the pictures on the Internet; BBC South Today picked up the story and it was seen by friends of the owners, who are from Joannesburg, and contacted the show; South Today then set up a meeting to reunite the owners with their holiday snaps, and the fisherman who dragged them up from the depths.

[team tisri]

 

There used to be (and may still be) an article on Luminous Landscape about when the writer had his Canon EOS-1Ds with a 300mm f/2.8L lens mounted on a tripod on top of an 11-storey building. Unfortunately he'd failed to notice the tripod straddled a cable so when a workman reeled in the cable the tripod and all went over the side.

 

Needless to say the lens shattered, the camera was no more, but the flashcard still worked and still retained the pictures he'd taken up until then.

 

Well here is a story from BBC South Today, where a couple on a cruise on Queen Mary II lost their camera overboard in the middle of the ocean; a year or so later a Spanish fishing boat dredged up the camera in it's nets; although the camera was dead the flashcard was in good nick and the fisherman was able to download all the pictures; there was nothing on there to show who the card belonged to so stuck the pictures on the Internet; BBC South Today picked up the story and it was seen by friends of the owners, who are from Joannesburg, and contacted the show; South Today then set up a meeting to reunite the owners with their holiday snaps, and the fisherman who dragged them up from the depths.

 

Now you mention it I remember that story too... hardy things those flashcards.

[+JeremyR]

Now you mention it I remember that story too... hardy things those flashcards.

Indeed - flash memory is tough stuff. My stepson put his USB memory stick (different shape, same tech) with all his school work on it in the washing machine the other week. I was absolutely stunned to find it survived not only the water but the enzymes in the washing powder and the beating of a full spin cycle to no ill effects, all data intact. I'm not sure whether or the experience reinforced my nagging about keeping backups or undermined it because the blummin' things are evidently invincible

 

So, in a vain attempt to bring this post on-topic, the if the OP gets the Oregon back, whether the device will work remains to be seen but if there's a microSD card in there, it should be fine!

[team tisri]

Now you mention it I remember that story too... hardy things those flashcards.

Indeed - flash memory is tough stuff. My stepson put his USB memory stick (different shape, same tech) with all his school work on it in the washing machine the other week. I was absolutely stunned to find it survived not only the water but the enzymes in the washing powder and the beating of a full spin cycle to no ill effects, all data intact. I'm not sure whether or the experience reinforced my nagging about keeping backups or undermined it because the blummin' things are evidently invincible

 

He'll appreciate the backup if he loses it. No matter how indestructible it is you can always lose it...

 

So, in a vain attempt to bring this post on-topic, the if the OP gets the Oregon back, whether the device will work remains to be seen but if there's a microSD card in there, it should be fine!

 

Which makes it somewhat ironic that the microSD card is probably the kind of thing you can get on fleabay for £10 and the £400-odd GPS is the bit that breaks.

[+ratcliffe]

I'll come and dive with Chris if we can log it (the cache AND the dive)

[+goldpot]

Now you mention it I remember that story too... hardy things those flashcards.

 

So, in a vain attempt to bring this post on-topic, the if the OP gets the Oregon back, whether the device will work remains to be seen but if there's a microSD card in there, it should be fine!

 

Indeed there is...and with the final coords to some puzzle caches!

[+Brian~!]

I personally think you should make it an underwater event cache!

[+Jacord]

I personally think you should make it an underwater event cache!

Thats seems more like something Simply Paul would do as his next extreme event

[+goldpot]

Update:

 

We are going to have a look this Thursday 21/10/10.

You may come and watch with me at noon.

Location; is at Salterns Marina, Liliput. N50'42.240 W001'56.950.

 

I would had have made it an event, but it is too short notice.

 

OK, a show of hands that we will find it and the GPS will function (with a fresh set of batteries of course).

[+Dorsetgal & GeoDog]

Update:

 

We are going to have a look this Thursday 21/10/10.

You may come and watch with me at noon.

Location; is at Salterns Marina, Liliput. N50'42.240 W001'56.950.

 

I would had have made it an event, but it is too short notice.

 

OK, a show of hands that we will find it and the GPS will function (with a fresh set of batteries of course).

 

Poole huh? Well our local scuba diving cacher is Fudgeman.

[+Unobtainium]

Why don't you put it on eBay for collection only. At the end of the auction, all you have to do is send them the coordinates.

Edited October 19, 2010 by Andy K!

[+Fudgeman]

Update:

 

We are going to have a look this Thursday 21/10/10.

You may come and watch with me at noon.

Location; is at Salterns Marina, Liliput. N50'42.240 W001'56.950.

 

I would had have made it an event, but it is too short notice.

 

OK, a show of hands that we will find it and the GPS will function (with a fresh set of batteries of course).

 

Hi Goldpot

 

I'm willing to bring my scuba gear down and join in the hunt. Sorry for the late reply but only just got back from holiday and unpacked.

[+The_Street_Searchers]

Will you be able to stream it live for those of us that cant make it ;-)

[+Jonovich]

Will you be able to stream it live for those of us that cant make it ;-)

 

Or you-tube it?

 

J