Delaware Artificial Reefs
Coverage of Delaware is restricted to just those sites that are in the ocean.
Delaware Artificial Reef Charts
Delaware Artificial Reef Sites
Site #8 has a 70' tugboat "Golden Eagle". Site #6 has a 120' barge. Site #1 has a 40' pilot boat. Other than that, the Delaware Bay reefs are all concrete rubble.
- Type:
- artificial reef, freighter, purse seiner
- Built:
- 1944, Brooklyn NY USA, as Army FS-278
- Specs:
- ( 166 x 32 ft ) 542 gross tons
- Sunk:
- Friday, August 14, 2020 - Delaware #11 Artificial Reef
- GPS:
- 38°40.423' -74°44.295'
- Depth:
- 80 ft
More: Reedville (FS-278) ...
- Type:
- artificial reef, fleet tugboat, cutter
- Built:
- 1943, Portland, OR, as USS Zuni AT-95
- Specs:
- ( 205 x 38 ft ) 1,235 tons (light)
- Sunk:
- Wednesday, May 10, 2017 - DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef
- GPS:
- 38°31.144' -74°30.747'
- Depth:
- 125 ft
More: Tamaroa WMEC-166 ...
- Type:
- artificial reef, freighter, purse seiner
- Built:
- 1944, JK Welding - Yonkers NY, as FS-355 (US Army)
- Specs:
- ( 166 x 32 ft ) 542 tons
- Sunk:
- Thursday, Jan 21, 2021 - DelJerseyLand Artificial Reef
- GPS:
- 38°31.340' -74°30.671'
- Depth:
- 125 ft
John S Dempster Jr. is sister to Shearwater and Reedville, see those vessels for details, links in the sidebar. All three vessels were originally small Army transports, converted to Menhaden fishing by Omega Protein company. FS-355 was USCG-manned, and retained by USA as PVT Carl V. Sheridan (see below) until sold in 1972.
The aging Shearwater and Reedville were retired when Omega got two new modern vessels in 2017, but Dempster was kept as a reserve. Finally, almost 80 years old, the Dempster was sent to her reward as well. Another sister, Tangier Island, was reefed off Georgia in 2020. As of 2023, one old sister remains - Smuggler's Point, FS-400, launched in 1944!
More: John S Dempster Jr. (FS-355) ...
