Mud Hole

Mud Hole

Deep and dark, the Mud Hole is the Hudson River's channel from a time when the oceans were much lower. Today it collects all the silt and sediment that the river carries out to the sea, making it a very fertile fishing ground, frequented by pelagic fishes and sharks. The contour shown on the chart is not any particular depth, but do give an idea of the location.

With depths ranging from 130 to 200 ft and difficult diving conditions, most Mud Hole wrecks are beyond the capability of a typical recreational diver without specialized equipment and experience. Where river water mixes with seawater, suspended particles form a constant snow of sediment in a process known as flocculation. This results in very dark and turbid conditions, often with visibility measured in inches and total darkness at the bottom. In addition to this, most Mud Hole wrecks are heavily fished and are covered with dangerous tangles of monofilament and fishing nets.

Mud Hole

The Mud Hole deepens into the Glory Hole, which deepens further into the Hudson Canyon, which follows the path of a seismic fault and eventually runs off the edge of the continental shelf down into the abyss at over a mile depth. Along the northeast edge of the Mud Hole is a relatively shallower plateau known as the Monster Ledge, on which lies the most well-known and accessible Mud Hole wreck, the Arundo.

Salvatore Big Pussy Bompensiero

Interestingly, all of the wartime Mud Hole wrecks with the exception of the Arundo are victims of collision rather than enemy action, which attests to the enormous amount of shipping in the region at that time.

Not marked on the chart: Salvatore "Big Pussy" Bompensiero, former Soprano family capo and FBI snitch, 2000. Sleeps with the fishes.



Type:
shipwreck, tanker
Specs:
( 120 ft )
Depth:
115 ft

This is erroneously called a tug, but its shape and size indicate that she was once might have been a small oiler or tanker. The wreck lies upright in the muddy bottom at 120 feet. She comes up 15 feet off the bottom in many places and is mostly intact. I have little idea of age, but her conditions suggest she's been there for 30-40 years or more.


Shipwreck Choapa
Type:
shipwreck, freighter, Chile
Built:
1937, England, as Helga
Specs:
( 292 x 41 ft ) 1700 gross tons, 67 crew
Sunk:
Thursday September 21, 1944
collision with tanker British Harmony, then with freighter Voco ( 5090 tons) while at anchor, then with tanker Empire Garrick - no casualties
Depth:
195 ft, starts at 160 ft

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

Shipwreck Arundo
The Arundo as she appeared just prior to sinking.
Note the locomotives on deck, foreward of the aft mast.
Type:
shipwreck, freighter, Netherlands
Built:
1930, New Castle England, as Petersfield
Specs:
( 412 x 55 ft ) 5163 gross tons, 43 crew
Sunk:
Tuesday April 28, 1942
torpedoed by U-136 - 6 casualties
Depth:
140 ft max; 110 ft min; 125 ft typical

Type:
sailing ship
Name:
Balaena is an old term for whale, derived from Latin. The name was found inscribed on the ship's bell.
Depth:
170 ft
Shipwreck Balaena

shipwreck, wooden hull full of coal

A wood sailing ship in the Mud Hole at a depth of 170 feet. She was a collier or ore carrier. She is still largely intact, coal in what's left of her holds. Divers tell tales of finding lots of deadeyes, but I haven't seen or heard of one coming from this wreck in many years. Her bell was found to identify her name, but not much else has been discovered about her history. A dive for the very experienced diver. Limited visibility, deep and dark. For those with the technical dive skill, it is a very nice dive.


Book: The Sea's Bitter Harvest

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

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