Clam Dredges (1/3)

small commercial fishing vessel
A small commercial fishing vessel of unknown type, although the bushels on deck would imply that she was after some kind of shellfish.

There are three basic types of commercial fishing vessels found in the Mid-Atlantic region: trawlers, seiners/gill-netters, and long-liners. A trawler or "dragger" operates by towing its fishing gear across the bottom. Weighted nets take bottom fishes, while cage-like steel dredges take clams and scallops. A seiner uses a floating net to encircle schools of surface-swimming fishes such as herring and tuna. A long-liner sets out miles of buoyed line with baited hooks to catch sharks, tuna, and swordfish. One could also add lobster boats and charter fishing or "head" boats to this list. And of course, dive boats.

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Shipwreck Adriatic

"This picture was taken several years ago by my wife, Debbie. We were searching for the Adriatic's lost clam dredge that day. Later, after the sinking, my group of divers was the first to dive on and identify her. I used this picture at the dive site to set the dive plan and objectives."

- Capt. Duane Clause, Porthole II

Type:
shipwreck, clam dredge, USA
built:
1977 - Master Marine, Inc., Bayou La Bâtre AL USA
Specs:
( 74 ft ) 134 gross tons, 4 crew
Sunk:
Monday January 18, 1999
foundered in rough seas - no survivors
Depth:
65 ft


Beach Haven reef
Originally built for menhaden fishing, converted to clam dredge.
Type:
artificial reef, purse seiner, clam dredge, USA
Built:
1949, RTC Shipbuilding Company, Camden NJ USA
Specs:
( 125 x 21 ft )
Sponsor:
Gifford Marine Company, Fish America Foundation, Artificial Reef Association
Sunk:
Thursday August 6, 1992 - Atlantic City Artificial Reef
GPS:
39°15.340' -74°14.017'

Becky Lee reef
Type:
artificial reef, clam dredge, USA
Built:
1968, Biloxi MS, as Big Bill
Specs:
( 85 x 23 ft )
Sponsor:
Cape May County Party & Charter Boat Association
Sunk:
Thursday July 25, 1991 - Cape May Artificial Reef
GPS:
38°53.110' -74°01.030'
Depth:
60 ft

Shipwreck Beth Dee Bob
Type:
shipwreck, clam dredge, USA
Built:
1990, Bock Marine - Beaufort NC USA
Specs:
( 84 ft ) 96 tons, 4 crew
Sunk:
Wednesday January 6, 1999
foundered in rough seas - no survivors
Depth:
120 ft

Under tow to the reef, with crushed wheelhouse and no masts
Type:
artificial reef, clam dredge
Built:
1983 - James K Walker Marine, Moss Point MS USA
Specs:
( 112x24 ft ) 188 gross tons
Sunk:
Wednesday March 8, 2000 - Moriches Artificial Reef
Depth:
75 ft
GPS:
40°43.505' -72°46.386'


Shipwreck Ellie B
Type:
shipwreck, clam dredge, USA
Specs:
( 68 ft ) 3 crew
Sunk:
January 17, 1999; ran up on jetty
no casualties
Depth:
15 ft



Clam Dredges

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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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