a thread ALL locals should read.

[large_diver]

There actually used to be a local organization called NEARS (New England Artificial Reef Society) that was looking at this...not sure what the status of this organization is. Their web site appears to be defunct at the moment.

http://www.nears.org

I was also at the MWDC "Wrecks" show a few years ago (2001?) and Dick Long, president of DUI, was there talking about the process they went through in San Diego getting approvals and funding for sinking of the Yukon as an artificial reef. Someone from the Mass Division of Marine Fisheries stood up in the meeting and said efforts were underway to look at artificial reefs for Mass......progress, if any, has obviously been slow.

http://www.mass.gov/dfwele/dmf/programsandprojects/artificia.htm#

 

[Diesel298]

artifical feefs provide a habitat for marine life. and with the way that thats goin. they can use all the help they can get.
yes im fimilar with the Idene, and yes i know there are alot of "real" shipwrecks....
and theres nothing wrong with the operation that brings me to wrecks, i think that our numbers book is just fine.
i also think that some of those government ships would be awesome, would it not be cool if WE got a battle ship or a aircraft carrier...
NY and NJ have quite a few shipwrecks themselves, but NJ has a reefing program...
i personally think this is a great idea, and with i had the time and resourses to get something goin on this.. but im so much not that person...
my fisrt letter full of typos and spelling errors to whom it may concern might just put a end to the idea befor it gets going...
but if there was something, id be first in line to do what i could, i think we can provide quite a voice, and im sure some of the local fishermaqn would be intrested in such a idea as well. espically fishing charters ans sport fisherman

 

[MASS-Diver]

Amen to that....There are a lot more wrecks up here than the Poling...you just need to dive with better/different operators.

At rec depths, in MA?

From what hear the pinthis is falling apart (I haven't been on her in a few years), what's another "nice" wreck in less that 100'? I'd like to see the kiowa and the romance at somepiont, but from what I've heard there's not much there. The Mars is just a tug, right? Aside from barges, I can't think of too many impressive, intact wrecks here at rec depths.

 

[Diesel298]

i was on Pinthis early this summer,
its fallin apart. and its turtled, so that makes it a little less intresting.
pennetration into vast open hold provodes little excitement. not like in a place where you might recognise things,
but all that aside i thought it was a great dive,... the vis was awesome. lotsa fish life... and its big...
id do it again if i had the oprutinity.
the mats is a tug. i havent been on that, but id like to check it out..
but yeah i agree, it would be nice to see a few things outy that way too..
or? just come dive in RI with us...

 

[Spectre]

John, The Pinthis is still in fairly good shape, or at least it was when I was there last [April]. But there are others. I did a few dives on the Pug Wreck [120'] over the winter, and then that last dive I got out on this year was on a new [to us] schooner in about 120'.

The key is to get out with diver/wreck hunter operators, not people like CAD that are just shuttle busses to the known wrecks; you need the operators [like Northern Atlantic Dive Expeditions that have a passion and are willing to spend money and time searching and researching, as opposed to 'fill the boat and go'.

Now in regards to the reef program. There was NEARS, but they definately don't appear to be around anymore. I forgot who was heading that up, if it was Bob Michelson or someone else. One of the MWDC folks could probably find out easily enough. I have also heard the 'not on our watch' type crap out of the MA government.

And FWIW, reefs aren't generally used to effect wave effect, or at least not to my understanding. The depths that a wreck needs to lie at to prevent a navigation hazard is a lot deeper than wave action generally will get down to. While I don't know that that -isn't- a reason, it doesn't seem to make much sense to me.

They are more used to promote habitats. Storm action -will- destroy habitats for fish and shellfish. They are generally used to provide shelter to aid in the promotion of a healthy fishing industry. If draggers take out too much of the natural shelter for lobsters, for example, and overfish them... then the fishery is going to crash. Artificial reefs provide more shelter to help stabilize a teetering fishing industry...

... and that's the economic reason they get done.

Now I know my ex, a marine biologist, is adamantly opposed to artificial reefs. Every time I tried to talk to her about it she didn't want to argue it [which was funny since she seemed to love to argue], even though I legitimately wanted to understand her side of it. So I can't really comment on the motivation to not allow them; but there has to be some sound reasons.

 

[Spectre]

pennetration into vast open hold provodes little excitement. not like in a place where you might recognise things,

Start by the prop shaft and squirm your way through the engine room into the holds. Trust me, it's a little higher on the excitement scale

 

[RIOceanographer]

i think we can provide quite a voice, and im sure some of the local fishermaqn would be intrested in such a idea as well. espically fishing charters ans sport fisherman

I think you hit the nail on the head right there. If you want to get something like this done, the sport-fisherman have way more numbers and influence than the divers around here so the best route to making it happen is to get their support.

 

[Diesel298]

I think you hit the nail on the head right there. If you want to get something like this done, the sport-fisherman have way more numbers and influence than the divers around here so the best route to making it happen is to get their support.

right
but the more the better..
i think this is something thats doable. im not expecting to see a new wreck next year, but..........i think we (as a group) can get something going

 

[RIOceanographer]

they sure as he11 not drop that on any wrecks...

They actually did dive surveys of the disposal sites to make sure there was nothing like wrecks or anything already there. The guy whose office is right across the hall from me at work was one of the divers that helped survey the proposed sites.

 

[Diesel298]

Start by the prop shaft and squirm your way through the engine room into the holds. Trust me, it's a little higher on the excitement scale

i have to admit, i dont have alot of time on that wreck, and deffinety want to explore it more...
and ill look at what your talkin about as well.
hopefully i can get out there again this season. your buddys keepin me pretty busy this summer