Carlson II ~ New Jersey Scuba Diving

Carlson II

Type:: artificial reef, trawler
Specs:: ( 70 ft )
Sponsor:: Axel Carlson Jr.
Sunk:: June 1973 - Sea Girt Artificial Reef
GPS:: 40°06.805' -73°57.176'
Depth:: 70 ft

If the date is correct, then this would be the earliest "modern" artificial reef sunk off New Jersey, sunk by the Artificial Reef Committee before the state's reef program began. I've never been able to find a newspaper record of the sinking.

While this vessel has always been referred to as a trawler, it looks a lot more like a tugboat to me. I don't see any deck space for fishing, and the large cutout in the roof is typical of a tugboat reef - to remove the engine. Nor do I see a cargo hold. It looks like maybe the pilothouse has been cut off and placed in the stern. The stubby hull and rounded stern also look a lot more like a tugboat than a fishing boat.

By now, all the upper works will be gone, the hull will be basically a bathtub. The towing bits will last a thousand years, and if I'm right, they're still there. If anyone ever dives this spot, please let me know. I really see a tugboat in this picture.

Carlson is almost certainly not the vessel's real name.

Artificial Reef Sites, Artificial Reefs, Early Artificial Reefs, New Jersey Artificial Reef Sites, New Jersey Artificial Reefs, Sea Girt Artificial Reef, Trawlers,

Sea Girt Artificial Reef

3.6 Nautical Miles off Sea Girt
Depth: 60-75 ft [download]

More: Sea Girt Artificial Reef ...

Manasquan Dive Sites Chart

Manasquan Chart

More: Manasquan Dive Sites Chart ...

Early New Jersey Artificial Reefs

These seven sites on the Sea Girt Artificial Reef predate the state-run reef program:

More: Early New Jersey Artificial Reefs ...

Comments on Carlson II

Questions or Inquiries?

Just want to say Hello? Sign the .

Submit a Comment Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Air Fills

The proper way to fill a scuba cylinder is very slowly so that the heat generated by the filling process can be bled away as it happens, and the tank does not become overheated. That's a great theory, but in real life, nobody does it that way. Most tanks are "hot-filled", that is to say, that they are filled too fast to prevent them from heating up during the process. If they are filled directly off a compressor, then they will receive a very hot fill. You would be surprised how warm the surface of a tank can get. This is not much of a safety issue, though, as it is well within the thermal limits of the material, either aluminum or steel.

The real issue here is that eventually ( after a few hours ) the tank will cool down, and as it does, the air inside will contract, and the pressure will drop. This typically results in about a 10% loss of pressure. At this point, you could top it off to the rated pressure again and have a truly full tank. Most of the time that's not an option. Therefore, if the shop hot-fills your tank to 3000, you will end up with 2700. To get 3000, you need to fill the tank to about 3300. While this is verboten, it is well within the 5/3 overpressure of the hydro test, and realistically there is no danger. The slight overpressure may wear out your o-rings a little faster, but o-rings are cheap - get a dozen of them at the hardware store for a buck.

More: Air Fills ...