2.0 Nautical Miles off Mantoloking
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The Axel Carlson reef is situated in a trough next to an underwater hill known as the Manasquan Ridge. This is an area of silty mud bottoms, and usually has relatively poor visibility. Axel Carlson reef is sometimes referred to as the Mantoloking reef. It also contains a number of sunken army tanks ( not shown. ) Minimum clearance at mean low water is 40 feet.
Side-scan image of the entire reef, back when it was largely empty
Side-scan sonar images courtesy of Enviroscan Inc, Lancaster PA. / Vince Capone.
Budget Boat Towing readies the barge to be sunk
by cutting holes into her hull near the waterline with a torch.
( Heavy Metal is now sunk on the
Townsends Inlet Reef. )
Funds used to clean, tow and sink the vessels were raised from proceeds of several functions and film shows sponsored by local dive shops, clubs and individuals to support the New Jersey Reef Program. Named for Barbara Ann Nagiewicz.
Bay King "MRMTC"
These two tugboats were sunk together, 180 feet apart; close enough to share a single mark on the chart. The larger MRMTC is to the east of the "Four of Clubs." the full name of the sunken tug is the MRMTC Member Memorial Reef, to commemorate and honor members of that club who have passed away.
Megan Sue "Four of Clubs"
Side-scan sonar image of the tug on the bottom. Note the gouge in the sand where the ship landed and slid, still evident almost a year later. The black sonar shadow matches the profile of the wreck as seen in the photo above.
The
Colleen was a canal tugboat which towed barges on the Erie Canal between New York City and the Great Lakes. She also helped dock ships in port.
The Colleen is a near twin to the Spartan. At about 60 ft depth, large holes in the roof make it easy to drop down several decks inside the wreck, and still have daylight in sight above. Look for lobsters dug in under the edges of the hull, along with a great many Sea Bass. The rudder is cranked 90 degrees to one side, leaving plenty of room to swim through the gap where the propeller should be. At least one APC lies close-by off her stern, upside-down, and a reef ball lies on the aft deck.
Something unusual - the Colleen as she appears on a depth-finder trace, just
minutes after sinking, with streams of bubbles rising from the wreck.
A Reef Ball on the stern of the Colleen.
Part of the wheelhouse.
Inside the wheelhouse.
Side-scan sonar image, somewhat distorted. The vessel appears to be on its port side,
with the bow to the right in this image, an enormous sonar shadow below,
and a debris field spilled out from the deck above.
Clean Water of New York had a barge that was surplus to the company's needs and having prepared and cleaned other vessels for the Reef Program decided to donate the barge 'E 13' to this same program. Mr. Bill Figley, head of New Jerseys Division of Fish and Wildlife's artificial reef program cooperating with the Greater Point Pleasant Charter Boat Association renamed the barge in memory of "Jim Lynch". Lynch was a Port Authority officer of 22 years who died in the World Trade Center tragedy of September 11th and was the captain of the charter boat 'Finnaddict' out of Brielle. Funds to cover the cost of towing of the barge to the Carlson Reef off Mantoloking were provided by the association's Ship Sinking Fund. The barge had at one time delivered fuel in the New York/New Jersey Harbor area. Clean Water had prepared other vessels for the reef program for other companies and was familiar with the scope of preparations needed. The E 13/Jim Lynch was prepared by carefully removing all material that could remotely be deemed toxic or hazardous, any loose and/or floatable materials and any remaining oil or oil residue by thorough cleaning at Clean Water's modern barge cleaning facility. These artificial reefs are expected to provide opportunity for anglers and divers to harvest sea bass, blackfish, porgies and lobsters in the future.
Cleanwater 12
This must have been a very decrepit old hulk of a canal tugboat when it was selected for use as a reef. The hull shows rust damage far in excess of what could have occurred in such a short time on the bottom, and the whole thing just looks beat-up. It is very similar to the Spartan, with the engine room roof cut off, and the engine removed, and the moveable pilot house lowered. The washout under the stern is cavernous, with a large rudder and propeller.
The pilot house. The spray-painted name Charles J. McGurr, for
whom the reef is named, is barely visible, soon to be overgrown.
The interior of the ship is easily explored. The wheelhouse can be reached from the inside by squeezing down a narrow companionway. The vessel was completely stripped, but many of the interior fittings, including restored lamps and portholes, can now be purchased from www.TugBoatBrass.com.
Looks like a tugboat, but the side says "CLAM".
( The tow boat Heavy Metal is now sunk on the Townsends Inlet Reef. )
This barge was built by owner Les Swensen in 1970. It is 50 feet long by 16 feet wide and 4 ft draft. It was used for dock building, pile driving and small boat salvage and dredging. It had a small crane on it's deck. It was rebuilt refurbished in 1985 and saw most of its work in Belmar and Barnegat Bay.
Both this and the OWD III barge were overloaded with tire units and flipped over during sinking according to Captain Steve Nagiewicz of the dive boat Diversion II.
Both this and the Schmidiger barge were overloaded with tire units and flipped over during sinking according to Captain Steve Nagiewicz of the dive boat Diversion II.
I make no claim as to the accuracy, validity, or appropriateness of any information found in this website. I will not be responsible for the consequences of any action that is based upon information found here. Scuba diving is an adventure sport, and as always, you alone are responsible for your own safety and well being.
Copyright © 1996-2008 Rich Galiano
unless otherwise noted
