Military Reefs (5/6) ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Military Reefs (5/6)

These are all reefs that have some connection to the military or Coast Guard, including DPC tugboats.

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USS Algol AKA-54

USS Algol reef — The *Algol* just prior to sinking, November 1991.

Type:: artificial reef, Andromeda class attack transport ( freighter ), U.S. Navy, also known as a "Victory Ship", although often incorrectly referred to as a Liberty Ship
Name:: One of a series of Navy transports named for stars;
Algol is a star in the constellation Perseus, also known as the Demon star.
Built:: 1943, Moore Drydock, Oakland CA USA, as James Barnes
Specs:: ( 459 x 63 ft ) 13910 displacement tons, 429 crew *
* this figure almost certainly includes embarked Marines
Sponsor:: Federal Aid in Sportfish Restoration
Sunk:: Thursday November 22, 1991 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.545' -73°41.450'
Depth:: 145 ft +, starts at 70 ft, main deck at 110 ft

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USS Arthur W Radford DD-968

USS Arthur W. Radford reef — *Radford* with an experimental stealth mast

Type:: artificial reef, Spruance-class destroyer, US Navy
Built:: 1975, Ingalls Shipbuilding, Pascagoula MS USA
Specs:: ( 563 x 55 ft ) 8,040 tons
Sunk:: Wednesday, Aug 10, 2011 - DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°30.850' -74°30.656' originally, now ???
Depth:: 130 ft

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V.L. Keegan YO-166

Type:: artificial reef, tanker - Spentonbush Company, USA (Hess Oil)
Built:: 1932, Ira S. Bushey & Sons, Brooklyn NY USA
Specs:: ( 110 ft )
Sponsor:: Spectra Services
Sunk:: Saturday June 3, 1989 - Sandy Hook Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°21.525' -73°56.110'
Depth:: 60 ft

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VHFC / OWD I

Type:: artificial reef, MLB-44 patrol boats ( 2 ), US Coast Guard
Built:: 1963, Curtis Bay MD USA
Specs:: ( 44 x 12 ft ) 20 tons
Sponsor:: Ocean Wreck Divers (USCG 44333)
VHFC - Village Harbor Fishing Club, GDF (USCG 44322)
Depth:: OWD - 60 ft
VHFC - 80 ft
Sunk:: OWD - Tuesday July 11, 1995
VHFC - Tuesday May 16, 1995 - Garden State South Artificial Reef
GPS - OWD:: 39°33.426' -74°05.973'
GPS - VHFC:: 39°33.496' -74°05.991'

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Vincent Tibbetts AOG-33

Type:: artificial reef, T1-M-A2 tanker, gasoline
Built:: 1944, East Coast Shipyards, Bayonne NJ USA as USS Ochlockonee AOG-33
Specs:: ( 244 x 37 ft ) tonnage unknown after lengthening
Sponsor:: Cape May County Party & Charter Boat Association, PSE&G Habitat Restoration Fund, friends of Walt Hendee, Ann E Clark Foundation
Sunk:: Thursday Sept 5, 2002 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°58.385' -74°11.429'
Depth:: 135 ft

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YC-1479

Type:: artificial reef, barge
Built:: 1953, Avondale Shipyards, New Orleans LA, as BCL-1103
Specs:: ( 110 x 34 ft ) 144 tons
Sunk:: Friday Oct 20, 2000 - Delaware #11 Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°40.540' -74°43.957'

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YC-725

Type:: artificial reef, barge, US Navy
Built:: 1941, Dravo Corporation, Wilmington DE USA
Specs:: ( 110 x 35 ft ) 400 tons dead weight
Sunk:: Wednesday March 10, 2010 - Delaware #10 Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°36.608' -74°56.494'

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YOG-93

Type:: artificial reef, tanker, US Navy
Built:: 1945, RTC Shipbuilding, Camden NJ USA
Specs:: ( 174 x 33 ft ) 1390 tons
Sunk:: Monday June 25, 2007 - Delaware #11 Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°40.590' -74°43.957'

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YON-80

Type:: artificial reef, barge, US Navy
Built:: 1942, Levingston Shipbuilding, Orange TX USA
Specs:: ( 174 x 40 ft ) 200 tons light
Sunk:: Tuesday June 18, 2002 - Delaware #10 Artificial Reef
GPS:: 38°36.424' -74°56.498'

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YTM-544 / TD-24 Yatanocas

Type:: artificial reef, tugboat, US Navy
Built:: 1945, Consolidated Shipbuilding, Bronx, NY
Specs:: ( 101 x 28 ft ) 260 DT
Sponsor:: Abyss Dive Club
Sunk:: Thursday Sept 25, 2003 - Deepwater Artificial Reef
GPS:: 39°57.984' -74°10.771'
Depth:

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Military Reefs

1 4 5 6

March 28, 2025

I finally added two "new" artificial reefs, the Carrabassett on the Axel Carlson Reef and the New England Coast on the Shark River Reef. I have been waiting patiently for the numbers to be released, and was just informed that these two sites are undergoing "a period of successional development and monitoring" before publication. These studies were never announced at the time, in fact the New England Coast was kept out of the newspapers entirely, obviously so the science would not be tainted by the public. I imagine this study is a lot like this one, conducted by NJDEP fisheries biologists Jennifer Resciniti and Bill Figley over the course of 8 years, published in 2003.

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