New Jersey Scuba Diving

John Marvin

Type:: shipwreck, clam dredge, USA
Built:: 1951, RTC Shipbuilding, Camden NJ, USA, as Maidstone
Specs:: ( 120 ft ) 227 gross tons, 5 crew
Sunk:: Thursday January 16, 1992; winter storm - no casualties
Depth:: 70 ft

Shipwreck John Marvin

The John Marvin sank in the same storm as the Valerie E off Long Island. The storm was a surprise "Nor'easter" ( as the TV weathermen are so fond of calling everything nowadays ) that dumped a pile of snow on the region, caused considerable flooding, and quickly raised ten-foot-plus seas, catching the fishing fleet off-guard and scrambling for safe harbors. Not all of them made it.

The Coast Guard got the John Marvin's entire crew off safely just minutes before the vessel went down. With no casualties, no search, and no mystery, the incident scarcely even made the news - merely a footnote in a report on the Valerie E; and the vessel not even named, in the Asbury Park Press.

Shipwreck John Marvin

Shipwreck John Marvin — Close-up of the wheelhouse

Shipwreck John Marvin

Shipwreck John Marvin

Shipwreck John Marvin

John Marvin was sister to Carter's Creek

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Gear Lanyards

lanyard

Chances are your light or other piece of gear came with a wrist lanyard. This item is probably ok for diving in the tropics where you shouldn't be doing anything with your hands anyway, but around here it is lousy. Wrist lanyards are a pain to put on and a pain to get off, and in the case of a light, if you let go of it to do something with both hands, it will invariably get in the way and bob around until it shines in your eyes and blinds you. When you finally get fed up with it, you will take it off, and in a careless moment, your equipment will be lost. Here is a much better rig, commonly known as a "hi-lo" lanyard:

Take the wrist lanyard off, and throw it away. Get two brass snaps and a piece of rope. Braided 1/2 " nylon is what I used because it is supple, won't rot, won't unravel, and doesn't float. Attach a brass snap to each end. You can just tie them on, or get fancy like me and make streamlined loops. The end-to-end length of mine is about four feet, including the snaps, but you can experiment. Attach the base ring of one of the brass snaps directly to your gear where the lanyard was.

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