A ship is a large watercraft that travels the world's oceans and other sufficiently deep waterways, carrying goods or passengers, or in support of specialized missions, such as defense, research, and fishing. Ships are generally distinguished from boats, based on size, shape, load capacity, and tradition.
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.
In life, July 1939. At this time, CRRNJ ferries were painted overall dark green. Notice how it says MEN on one side and WOMEN on the other.
Type:
artificial reef, ferry, Central Railroad of New Jersey, USA
( sometimes incorrectly identified as a barge )
Name:
All CRRNJ ferries were named for New Jersey towns - Lakewood, Bound Brook, Red Bank, Plainfield, Elizabeth, Wilkes Barre, Cranford, Somerville, Westfield, and Bound Brook
Daghestan is a region in southern Russia, adjoining Chechnya and the Caspian Sea.
Built:
1900, England
Specs:
( 353 x 45 ft ) 3466 gross tons, 28 crew
Sunk:
Friday December 18, 1908 collision with freighter Catalone - no casualties
Depth:
70 ft
This wreck was named "Evergreen" for the large amount of green brass artifacts once recovered from it. The Daghestan was thoroughly demolished since it lay directly in the shipping lane and was a great danger to navigation.
If you are used to falling off a boat into the clear, warm, sunny Caribbean, and then being helped back into the boat after a nice drift, then a Jersey inlet dive may be something of a shock to you. Inlet diving requires more confidence and diving ability than almost any other kind of recreational diving.
