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.
"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."
H10224/86 -- OPR-C121-WH-86; WRECKAGE WITH 52 FT PNEUMATIC DEPTH GAUGE LEAST DEPTH, WHICH IS BELIEVED TO BE THIS ITEM, APPROXIMATELY 100M SW OF AWOIS POSITION; DIVERS FOUND THE WRECK OF A BARGE, APPROXIMATELY 20 X 45 M; THREE BOILERS AND NUMEROUS OTHER TYPES OF SHIPYARD DEBRIS WERE FOUND STREWN OVER AN AREA OF 360 X 165 FT; IN THE NW CORNER OF THE SITE THE REMAINS OF ANOTHER WRECK WAS FOUND WITH ONLY THE SHELL PLATING AND FLOOR FRAMING REMAINING; APPROXIMATELY 200 FT LONG, 27 FT BEAM AND SHELL PLATING EXTENDING 5 FT ABOVE THE BOTTOM; BOTH ENDS OF THE WRECK TAPERED INTO THE SAND WITH NO BOW OR STERN VISIBLE; ONE OBJECT CONSISTING OF GUARD RAIL TYPE METAL, APPROXIMATELY 2 FT WIDE, 3/8 INCH THICK, AND 40 FT LONG, FORMING A 60 DEGREE ARCH WITH THE MIDDLE STANDING 10 FT OFF THE BOTTOM; SITE CONSISTED OF TWO WRECKS AND SHIPYARD DEBRIS, INCLUDING A BOOM CRANE; LEAST DEPTH TAKEN ON THE TOP OF THE BOILER LOCATED AT THE NORTHEAST SECTION OF SITE. (UPDATED MSD 4/91)
