Atlantus

Shipwreck Atlantus
Type:
shipwreck, freighter, USA
Built:
1918, Liberty Shipbuilding, Brunswick GA USA
Specs:
( 260 x 43 ft ) 2000 gross tons, no crew
Sunk:
Tuesday June 8, 1926
dragged anchor and grounded in storm while awaiting final disposition
Depth:
25 ft
Shipwreck Atlantus

Atlantus was one of a class of experimental concrete ships built during World War I. The hull was constructed of reinforced concrete rather than steel, which had become scarce during the war. While this design offered a number of advantages, including lower noise and vibration, and a dryer cargo space, it was not economically competitive with steel hulls when peacetime resumed.

Shipwreck Atlantus
Shipwreck Atlantus
Shipwreck Atlantus
The breakdown of the wreck over time
Shipwreck Atlantus
The broken concrete remains of the Atlantus. The left piece looks like a hull section leaning over about 80 degrees on its side. Note all the rusty rebar jutting out of the right section.
Shipwreck Atlantus
The strong currents that swirl around the wreckage are evident here.

The Cape May - Lewes Ferry is crossing in the distance, while people on the beach look for "Cape May diamonds" - pretty quartz stones found on the beach. I wouldn't dive this spot, but it's a nice place to stop for lunch. The Cape May lighthouse and the ferry terminal are a short drive away.

Atlantus


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By Alex Brylske
Reprinted from Dive Training
Sept. 1996

PARALLELS ARE OFTEN DRAWN BETWEEN DIVING AND FLYING. Both take place in an environment where the ambient pressure is different than the earth's surface - where we spend most of our time breathing - and both require formal training to qualify as a participant. Yet, on one point the two activities diverge completely. In flying, the highlight of a pilot's life is his or her first opportunity to solo - to operate the aircraft alone. In fact, after earning a private pilot's license, aviators commonly fly with no one other than God as their copilot.

Not so in diving; the admonition to "never dive alone" is considered the hallmark of safe diving.

To most divers, entering the water without a buddy is tantamount to a pilot taking off without doing a preflight check of the airplane. But to assume that buddy diving is an absolute universal practice would be a mistake. Lots of divers dive solo. Some do it intentionally, but most end up sans buddy completely by accident.