Inshore Barge/Tug

Type:
schooner barge & tugboat ?
Depth:
85 ft

This is a fascinating big wreck of a wooden schooner barge. The broken stern is upended, forming a hollow pyramid that is full of fish. The sides and keel extend north from there to the bow, from which extends a chain which reaches to another much smaller wreck, which is known as the "Inshore Tug."

Whether this actually is the tug that was towing the barge, or just a coincidental sinking, is unknown. Using a chain for a tow line would be highly unusual. Perhaps the barge was anchored to ride out a storm, and the tug sank on top of its hook. It may not even be a tugboat - it might be named that simply because it is inshore of the Great Isaac.


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fish trap
A fixed fish trap. The curtain nets stretch from surface to bottom, and the fish are funneled into holding areas.

Fish traps are only practical in shallow water. They have the advantage of keeping both the targeted catch and the bycatch alive ( unless a shark gets in ! ) You can still see a few fish traps in use in Raritan Bay, where they are built around fixed pilings rather than buoys and anchors as shown here. In years past, shore-based trawling or "haul seining" was also practiced in the bay, where a net would be deployed off the beach by a small boat, and drawn in by donkeys or trucks.