Heavy Metal

reef Heavy Metal
Type:
artificial reef, tow boat
Built:
1956
Specs:
( 30 ft )
Sunk:
Tuesday July 18, 2006 - Townsends Inlet Artificial Reef
Sponsor:
Budget Towing - Point Pleasant / TowBoatUS / Friends of Margie Starns
Dedication:
Margie Starns
GPS:
39°06.306' -74°36.471'
Depth:

These old ex- Coast Guard utility boats were prized by commercial operators for their power and robust steel construction. On retirement from the Coast Guard, this one was acquired for use as a towboat, precisely what it was originally designed for.

Prior to sinking, the engine and transmission were removed and replaced with a reef ball for ballast. The cost of the prep work and towing was covered by the proceeds from the "Townsends Inlet Reef Fluke Tournament" on May 20, 2006. Local businesses and anglers from Avalon and Stone Harbor area organized the tournament.

reef Heavy Metal
At work, 2005

"This steel-hulled surf boat was eventually retired from active duty and fell into a state of disrepair. Budget Towing & Salvage ( TowBoatUS Manasquan, Shark River, and Mantoloking ) acquired the boat in 1991 and put it to work serving the boaters of central New Jersey. The boat was old, wet, and very noisy, although it handled seas extremely well, and it was great in the shallows for grounded boats. It had a large skeg that we could actually ground the boat on and work it up on the flats and then back out. Offhand, I can think of at least 6 dive boats that were towed in over the years by Heavy Metal."

-- Capt. Duane Clause, TowBoatUS

reef Heavy Metal

The untiring 30-foot utility boat was produced in several versions and served the US Coast Guard until it was replaced by newer 32- and 41- foot boats. The 30 footers could be seen serving from nearly every Coast Guard Station in the US and was used for all duties including law enforcement and SAR. The 30 footers were built of fiberglass in 1962 to replace older steel 30 footers that were built in the 1950s.

reef Heavy Metal
reef Heavy Metal
reef Heavy Metal
reef Heavy Metal

Heavy Metal has been utilized by the Artificial Reef Program many times over the years. More pictures of her in action can be found on the Axel Carlson Reef.


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light

Photography is all about light. Good lighting is the single most important factor in getting good pictures. After that, technique, experience, and artistic composition are second, and fancy expensive equipment is a distant third.

Unlike photo equipment, light is generally free, during the day anyway. For good results, you usually want to collect as much of it as possible for every picture. This is the job of your camera's lens. The lens is the most important part of a camera, and it is ironic how manufacturers of SLR systems with interchangeable lenses generally sell kits with fancy expensive bodies ( lots of buttons, etc ) and cheap lenses. Even more ironic, much low-end photography is done with disposable cameras that have no lens at all! Whether you use a point-and-shoot, a digital, or an SLR, make sure your camera has a good lens on it. Secondarily, shutter speed also affects your light-collecting ability. Better cameras have controllable shutters, while point-and-shoots are usually fixed at around 1/100 second.

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