New Jersey Scuba Diving

Type:

artificial reef, trawler

Built:

1971, Intracoastal Shipyard, Panama City FL, as Storm

Specs:

( 70 x 19 ft ) 132 gross tons

Sponsor:

Townsends Inlet Fluke Tournament, Ann E Clark Foundation

Sunk:

Tuesday April 10, 2007 - Townsends Inlet Artificial Reef

GPS:

39°06.476' -74°36.471'

Depth:

60 ft

I am not absolutely sure of the identification above, but it works if you discount the reported length of 77 feet. It would hardly be the first time the artificial reef program has mis-measured something. Those boys need to go to tape measure school, +/- 10% is not very good at all. The extra length could be fishing gear that is not actually part of the hull.

Ha Long Bay ( or Halong Bay ) is in Vietnam; perhaps that is a clue as to the previous owner. The vessel is cut-down, and the letters "Ha" have been removed, along with any other identification. I wish the reef program would report hull numbers, that would make identifications much easier. This boat was apparently replaced by a somewhat newer Ha Long Bay II.

This one has had almost the entire upper hull cut off. I really don't see how the rusty steel is worth more than the acetylene and the labor. Note the square plywood patch over the flooding hole. For sinking, the patch is removed, and water is pumped in until the hole reaches the water level, at which point it is all over.

IMO: 8856041
MMSI: 367103940

The search that finally produced results for this one was "Ha Long Bay IMO". That produced an IMO number that led to balticshipping.com, and a builder and the original name and details, which corroborate with other records. No pictures though.