drydock barge

Type:
shipwreck, dry-dock barge
Depth:
110 ft

This anonymous big rectangular wooden dry-dock barge lies off Asbury Park, out near the edge of the Mud Hole. It is similar to the better-known Immaculata. The hulk of the wreck rises up as much as 10 feet, partially intact, while the upper sides have collapsed into the silty sand. Holes in the main wreckage allow penetration into the dark interior, which is surprisingly barren. A debris field of large rectangular ballast stones, wooden ribs, and rusted machinery extend from the western edge of the wreck, and to a lesser extent all around it. In exceptional late October fifty-foot visibility the view of this wreck from above was impressive, but overall this is not a very pretty site, and it is seldom dived. Good for lobsters, Sea Bass, scallops, and decompression.

This was once a great dive spot. It was the best-producing place for a big catch of scallops and lobster on or near the high wooden walls and sandy but silty bottom. This was probably a very big dock in her day. Today, it has fallen apart from the ravages of the ocean and draggers so that not much remains. It is very hard to find now and divers can get easily lost swimming from piece to piece in limited visibility. There are probably scallops here still. It's still worked over pretty well by the scallopers. For those of us who dived here before, it's a shame to see what's become of her wreckage due to being dragged apart. A good example of habitat lost to bottom draggers.

-- Capt Steve Nagiewicz


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Redbird Subway Car - in service

There is a great deal of controversy over the use of subway cars as artificial reefs. There shouldn't be. Subway cars are fish condos. They are the perfect size and shape to provide homes for all sorts of fishes, as well as large attachment areas for other organisms. The fact that they come complete with large door and window openings is even better. Most reef materials, such as ships and barges, improve with age because they open up, allowing easier access to the interior. Indeed, some of the most barren reefs I have seen are those that are completely intact, since they offer little shelter.

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