New Jersey Scuba Diving

Tamaroa WMEC-166

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USCG Tamaroa reef
Type:
artificial reef, fleet tugboat, cutter
Built:
1943, Portland, OR, as USS Zuni AT-95
Specs:
( 205 x 38 ft ) 1,235 tons (light)
Sunk:
Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°31.144' -74°30.747'
Depth:
125 ft
USCG Tamaroa reef
Zuni assists the torpedoed cruiser USS Reno, 1944

Tamaroa was originally US Navy fleet tug Zuni, AT-95 ( Attack Tugboat? ) A fleet tug is a fully ocean-going vessel with the speed and range to go with the fleet wherever that takes it. For Zuni, that was the South Pacific, where she served in operations in the Marianas - Saipan and Guam, the Philipines and China, Caroline Islands - Palau and Peleliu, and Iwo Jima.

USCG Tamaroa reef
As a black-hulled Coast Guard cutter, 1947

USS Zuni was transferred to the Coast Guard in 1946, becoming USCGC Tamaroa WAT-166, later WMEC-166, a Medium Endurance Cutter. She served on the East Coast until 1994 and was a central figure in the book and movie "The Perfect Storm" ( although another vessel played her in the movie. )

USCG Tamaroa reef
Tamaroa capsized in a flooded drydock, New York, 1963

Efforts in Portsmouth VA to preserve the Tamaroa as a museum ship were well underway in 2012 when a leak in the engine room sank her, causing a collapsed bulkhead as well. More leaks and were found, and the effort had to be abandoned - the old hull had deteriorated beyond any reasonable repair. It was decided to use the famous ship as an artificial reef rather than scrap it outright.

USCG Tamaroa reef
Tamaroa in 1990, around the time of "The Perfect Storm" - Halloween 1991
USCG Tamaroa reef
Tamaroa painted back to Navy colors, 2008
Note that the 3" deck gun is gone
USCG Tamaroa reef
Just prior to sinking
I guess we'll finish with the obligatory 'pointing at the sky' shot

Artificial Reef Sites, Artificial Reefs, Coast Guard Artificial Reefs, Delaware Artificial Reef Sites, Delaware Artificial Reefs, DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef, Tugboats,

Comments on Tamaroa

John Fargo:

March 5, 2022 at 12:38 pm

I served aboard the CGC Tamaroa from 1983-1986 and I was wondering if anyone has taken any pictures of her since her reefing and if so, where would I be able to see them?

Thank you.

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Exposure Suits - Drysuits

drysuit

Serious New Jersey divers wear drysuits. A drysuit is a waterproof suit with built-in feet that seals around your neck and wrists ( some have built-in water-tight gloves and/or hoods as well, ) and a waterproof zipper to close it up. The idea is that although you are underwater, you don't get wet, but this is not entirely true. No seal is perfect, and certain actions will let small amounts of water leak in past the seals. However, most of the moisture that accumulates in a drysuit comes from its occupant, in the form of perspiration. If water can't get in, then it can't get out either. Perhaps these should be called dampsuits instead of drysuits.

Still, in cold water, a drysuit is much warmer than a wetsuit. This is because you maintain a constant layer of air between you and the cold, and air is an excellent insulator. While air is also the insulating factor in wetsuits, there is a difference. With either suit, the volume of air, and therefore the amount of insulation, compresses as you go deeper. With a wetsuit, there is nothing you can do about this, but with a drysuit, simply tap the inlet valve, and compressed air will flow from your tank into the suit, and puff it up again, keeping you warm. An added benefit is that by keeping the suit inflated to a constant volume, you maintain constant buoyancy, from the surface to the bottom, which can actually reduce the amount of lead you need to carry. Some divers even dispense with the BCD, considering that a drysuit can be thought of as a full-body BCD, but this is not recommended, and it is convenient to use the BCD as a quick trimming device and for surface flotation.

More: Exposure Suits - Drysuits ...

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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.

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