The "Captain Bart" came to rest on her port side, much like the Pinta. Minimum depth is about 100 ft. The blast holes in the bottom ( now the side ) are near the top of the wreck and large enough to fit through. There is a sparse debris field off the stern. The washout around the hull goes as deep as 140 feet in spots.
Ironically, as a "yard craft" who's duties were mainly to ferry fuel to and from ships in port, this could well have been the furthest out to sea that the old YOG-58 had ever gone. The YW-83 class appears to be the same as the YO-65 class. The "G" stands for gasoline.
Tenacious tows the newly-christened Captain Bart into position on the reef.
The State Police demolitions squad goes aboard to set the explosives.
But the anchor chain gets stuck ...
... and the new reef drifts in the wind and tide for nearly three hours.
Looking aft from the bow. Tugboat wake swirls in the distance
Looking up at the pilot house from the tugboat just before jumping over.
The view forward from the port-side bridge wing.
The inside of the bridge. Looks like junk to me, but I'm
sure it will all be quickly 'salvaged' by wreck hounds.
The sign says:
The Diversion II serves as press boat.
Explosives all set - time for everyone to get off.
Tenacious makes one final pass, and ...
Ka-boom !
The concussion could be felt even at a distance, as pieces of the wreck went flying.
Fires burn briefly after the explosion.
The Budweiser banner didn't make it.
At first the ship sinks very slowly ...
... but soon the tilt of the bow is unmistakable, as the stern plunges down ever-faster.
The metal hull creaks and groans as the ship sinks.
Now the pilot house is completely under.
Debris on the deck slides down into the water, like in Titanic.
The stern hits the bottom at 130 ft ...
... and the ship stands on end for several minutes ...
... digging down into the mud below ...
... before finally settling back down into the water.
YOG-58 disappears forever into a boiling mass of bubbles ...
... and becomes the newest addition to the Shark River Artificial Reef.
A sister ship on duty
"Captain Bart" is a twin to the "Mako Mania" and the "John Dobilas". See construction for more photos of this class of ship.
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
