Early New Jersey Artificial Reefs ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Early New Jersey Artificial Reefs

These seven sites on the Sea Girt Artificial Reef predate the state-run reef program:

Sea Girt Artificial Reef

Informal reef-building took place all along the coast for decades, but these are the only sites for which records exist.

Carlson II

Type:: artificial reef, trawler
Specs:: ( 70 ft )
Sponsor:: Axel Carlson Jr.
Sunk:: June 1973 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.805' -73°57.176'
Depth:: 70 ft

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Cinderella

Type:: artificial reef, trawler
Built:: 1964, DESCO Marine, St. Augustine FL ?
Specs:: ( 70 ft )
Sunk:: Tuesday March 15, 1983 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
Sponsor:: Artificial Reef Committee
GPS:: 40°06.777' -73°56.860'

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Cranford

Type:: artificial reef, ferry, Central Railroad of New Jersey, USA
( sometimes incorrectly identified as a barge )
Name:: All CRRNJ ferries were named for New Jersey towns - Lakewood, Bound Brook, Red Bank, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Wilkes Barre, Cranford, Somerville, Westfield, and Bound Brook
Built:: 1905, Harlan & Hollingsworth, Wilmington DE USA
Specs:: ( 191 x 44 ft ) 1197 tons
Sponsor:: Ashley Development Corporation
Sunk:: Tuesday March 30, 1982 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.447' -73°56.227'
Depth:: 70 ft

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drydock

Type:: artificial reef, drydock barge
Specs:: ( 100 ft )
Sunk:: February 1979 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
Sponsor:: Artificial Reef Committee
Depth:: 75 ft
GPS:: 40°07.759' -73°56.384'

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Dykes

Type:: artificial reef, schooner barge, USA
( The small smokestack in the pictures is for an electrical generator. )
Built:: 1919, Union Shipbuilding, Baltimore MD USA
Specs:: ( 306 x 35 ft ) 2072 tons, 14 crew
Sponsor:: Modern Transportation Co.
Sunk:: July 1983 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.964' -73°57.571'
Depth:: 65 ft

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Kiley B

Type:: artificial reef, trawler
Specs:: ( 75 ft )
Sunk:: June 1983 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
Sponsor:: Artificial Reef Committee
GPS:: 40°06.540' -73°56.827'
Depth:: 70 ft

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Liberty Barge

The barge moored at Liberty State Park, 2011

Type:: artificial reef, car float barge, USA
Specs:: ( 330 x 40 ft ) cut into pieces
Sponsor:: NJDOT / NJDEP
Sunk:: Nov 2025 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°07.793' -73°56.824'
40°07.832' -73°56.546'
40°07.859' -73°56.515'
40°07.952' -73°56.413'
Depth:: 65 ft

The 330-foot car float barge Liberty was removed from the Hudson River in sections to clear space for a new ferry terminal at Liberty State Park. Formerly, Liberty was used at the park as a passenger-loading platform for ferries transiting to Ellis Island and the Statue of Liberty since 2005. It sank in a storm in 2020.

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