Ellie B
- Type:
- shipwreck, clam dredge, USA
- Built:
- 1978, Ancient City Boat Yard, St. Augustine, FL USA
- Specs:
- ( 68 ft ) 3 crew
- Sunk:
- January 17, 1999; ran up on jetty
no casualties - Depth:
- 15 ft
The Ellie B was returning home when she struck the north Manasquan inlet jetty. The winter sea quickly pounded the wooden hull to matchsticks. A few weeks later, nothing remained visible from the surface. The engines and heavy equipment were later salvaged, leaving no trace of the wreck behind.
Sunk photo by Capt. Thomas Hurst courtesy of Capt. Duane Clause
600541
Clam Dredges, Lost At Sea, Manasquan Dive Sites,
In January 1999, four clam boats were lost in separate incidents in the span of less than three weeks. First, on January 6, the Beth Dee Bob sank in rough weather with all hands. Two days later, the Cape Fear sank under similar circumstances. On January 18, the Adriatic went down with all hands, one day after the Ellie B ran up on the rocks at Manasquan Inlet. In total, 10 lives were lost, sparking a major Coast Guard investigation into safety practices on commercial fishing vessels.
- Coast Guard Report
More: Lost At Sea ...
The Manasquan River is overall not as nice a place to dive as the Shark River. The currents are stronger, the water never seems as clean, and the bottom is silty wherever it is not covered with mussels. The inlet jetties can be downright dangerous, and the boat traffic in the channel there is often very heavy. Off the north jetty is the so-called "Manasquan Wreck", but this is a long swim from shore and probably best approached with a boat.
More: Manasquan River ...
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