Barges (4/10) ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Barges (4/10)

barge beached — Notice the blocky shape and structure of this stranded but otherwise typical old wooden barge. Barges usually have minimal crews, to tend the lines.

A barge is a vessel that does not have its own means of propulsion ( usually. ) Barges are towed or pushed from place to place by tugboats, or anchored in place to serve as temporary work platforms, floating docks, or storage. Some barges are self-propelled, in a limited way. These are known as scows, and their limited propulsive power restricts them to protected waters without the assistance of a tugboat.

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Coleman II

Type:: artificial reef, barge
Specs:: ( 60 x 25 ft )
Sponsor:: Coleman Construction Co, Fish America, Artificial Reef Association
Sunk:: Wednesday June 21, 1995 - Garden State North Artificial Reef
GPS:: 39°37.296' -74°01.214'
Depth:: 80 ft

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concrete

Type:: 4700 concrete slabs ( must be quite a pile )
Sponsor:: Delaware River Port Authority
Sunk:: 1988 - Cape May Artificial Reef

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crane barge

Type:: shipwreck, barge
Sunk:: March 2004
foundered under tow
Depth:: 60 ft

This medium-sized crane barge sank under tow in March 2004. The barge is upside-down, but propped up at a 30-degree angle by the crane, rising 30 feet off the bottom at the highest point. The crane is a large rotating affair that is permanently mounted on the barge. It is not the crumpled arm of the crane that supports the hull, but the central cab, so the wreck is stable, and it is safe to explore the cavernous dark space below. The bottom is coarse sand and pea gravel. Eventually, the wreck will crush flat, but that will probably take several years, and until then this is a fun and interesting site. Big eels, Sea Bass, and even one or two lobsters can be found here.

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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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drydock barge

Type:: shipwreck, dry-dock barge
Depth:: 110 ft

This anonymous big rectangular wooden dry-dock barge lies off Asbury Park, out near the edge of the Mud Hole. It is similar to the better-known Immaculata. The hulk of the wreck rises up as much as 10 feet, partially intact, while the upper sides have collapsed into the silty sand. Holes in the main wreckage allow penetration into the dark interior, which is surprisingly barren. A debris field of large rectangular ballast stones, wooden ribs, and rusted machinery extend from the western edge of the wreck, and to a lesser extent all around it. In exceptional late October fifty-foot visibility the view of this wreck from above was impressive, but overall this is not a very pretty site, and it is seldom dived. Good for lobsters, Sea Bass, scallops, and decompression.

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DVD Barge

Type:: artificial reef, barge
Name:: Named for the Delaware Valley Divers club, who sponsored it,
and their peculiar aversion to nature's perfect packaging.
Specs:: ( 140 x 40 ft )
Sponsor:: Delaware Valley Divers club & Peter King
Sunk:: Monday September 14, 1998 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.400' -73°57.080'
Depth:: 65 ft