How would you like a major ship to be sunk right in our own backyard that you could dive? I'd like to take a few minutes of your time to tell you about an exciting project that I'm involved in and invite you to a meeting this Saturday.
I'm Bob Sommer, PADI Assistant Instructor at California Dive Center in San Bruno, Bobzilla here on MySpace and on Tribe.net, and a member of the Nortthern California Oceans Foundation Executive Board.
A group of us are working with Dick Long (DUI founder and *the* man who got the Yukon sunk in San Diego) to get a Ships2Reefs program established in the state of California. We've currently got projects underway to get additional ships sunk in Orange County, Northern San Diego and right here in Northern California.
Project Overview:
The Navy has a fleet of ships (the mothball fleet) awaiting disposal (approx 359 ships) some of which are at Susin Bay, you may have seen them. Congress has mandated and appropriated $ to dispose of these ships.
There are 4 options:
1. Leave them where they are, in long-term storage. This really isn't an
option because even if they were kept where they are for 50 years, you'd
still have to eventually dispose of them. Meanwhile it cost a lot to
make sure they don't sink and pour tons of toxins into the water.
2. Recycle them in the US, a better option, but still very expensive.
The Navy has actually had to repossess several ships from shipyards they
contracted to do ship disposal who were doing substandard work. Even if they were doing good work, the rate of disposal is insufficent to meet the Navy's needs.
3. Recycle them overseas. India, China, Bangladesh have shipbreaking
industries, but have atrocious records for handling the toxins and
worker safety. The ships would have to be towed there, which would cost
more than we'd get for the scrap. Regardless there are now strict laws
that prevent us from exporting our toxic waste.
The last and most economic option is reefing. Cleaning the ships of
toxins, and sinking them in shallower water (deep enough to not
interfere with maritime traffic), but close enough to shore to make them
a source of recreation for divers, and fishermen. In addition they
attract fish and other sea life and create habitat. All kinds of things
grow on them cold-water corals, invertebrates, etc. Plus the communities nearby
on shore benefit from the influx of divers and fishermen that travel to
the wreck. We have hard scientific and economic studies from the US and overseas to back this up.
The RAND report commissioned by the Dept of Defense concluded reefing was the best disposal option.
There are established ships to reefs programs on the east
coast, but on the west coast only Washington state has a formal program.
There was one ship sunk in San Diego, the Yukon, that was purchased from Canada with private money. Its been a boon to the economy and the
environment.
We have a goal to establish a program here in CA and get
ships sunk all up and down the coast.
Were working with the San Diego Oceans Foundation which now exists to help other
groups like us get programs up and runningand get this established statewide.
The bottom line is these ships are going to the bottom of therre ocean one way or
another, but reefing is the best option.
Now the meeting on Sat 2/4.
Jay Straith (Ships2Reefs) is flying in from Canada and Dick Long (DUI)
is traveling from San Diego to our meeting. These two combined know more
about the ins and outs of creating an artificial reef than anyone alive.
They've been through it all, from fund raising, dealing with
governments, working with environmental groups, National Marine
Sanctuaries, Public Relations, Speaker's groups and organizing divers
and more.
What we have planned is that for anyone who's interested in seeing
artificial reefs created from cleaned decommissioned warships such as
the Yukon in San Diego be created here in our own back yards, Northern
California, to come and see what each of our various committees are
doing and to participate in whatever capacity you want.
Lots of help is needed in all sectors to make this dream a reality.
We've got the formula and both Jay Straith and Dick Long will be working
with us in each committee to make sure we know what we need to do and
what specific objectives to achieve.
This day will be a power-packed day. Starting at 10:00 AM, both Jay
Straith and Dick Long will be making presentations giving us specific
overviews of our project and the obstacles we need to overcome. Then we
will be breaking up into individual committees and planning and getting
training on each committee's activities. We'll be finished at around
6:00 PM. Lunch is available at the Sequoia Yacht Club!
You need not attend the entire meeting, just stop by, say hello and sign
up for a committee. This is a multi-year project and will require the
energies of hundreds of people. I'll be there all day, just ask for me.
Warships to Reefs Workshop
Saturday February 4, 2006 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $0.00
Location:
Sequoia Yacht Club 455 Seaport Ct, Redwood City, CA
94063. From 101 you take the Woodside Road exit
and go west. It turns into Seaport Boulevard. You take Seaport Court to
the Yacht Club from Seaport Boulevard.
Bob Sommer
Northern California Oceans Foundation Executive Committee
NCOF Spearkers Committee Co-Chair
I'm Bob Sommer, PADI Assistant Instructor at California Dive Center in San Bruno, Bobzilla here on MySpace and on Tribe.net, and a member of the Nortthern California Oceans Foundation Executive Board.
A group of us are working with Dick Long (DUI founder and *the* man who got the Yukon sunk in San Diego) to get a Ships2Reefs program established in the state of California. We've currently got projects underway to get additional ships sunk in Orange County, Northern San Diego and right here in Northern California.
Project Overview:
The Navy has a fleet of ships (the mothball fleet) awaiting disposal (approx 359 ships) some of which are at Susin Bay, you may have seen them. Congress has mandated and appropriated $ to dispose of these ships.
There are 4 options:
1. Leave them where they are, in long-term storage. This really isn't an
option because even if they were kept where they are for 50 years, you'd
still have to eventually dispose of them. Meanwhile it cost a lot to
make sure they don't sink and pour tons of toxins into the water.
2. Recycle them in the US, a better option, but still very expensive.
The Navy has actually had to repossess several ships from shipyards they
contracted to do ship disposal who were doing substandard work. Even if they were doing good work, the rate of disposal is insufficent to meet the Navy's needs.
3. Recycle them overseas. India, China, Bangladesh have shipbreaking
industries, but have atrocious records for handling the toxins and
worker safety. The ships would have to be towed there, which would cost
more than we'd get for the scrap. Regardless there are now strict laws
that prevent us from exporting our toxic waste.
The last and most economic option is reefing. Cleaning the ships of
toxins, and sinking them in shallower water (deep enough to not
interfere with maritime traffic), but close enough to shore to make them
a source of recreation for divers, and fishermen. In addition they
attract fish and other sea life and create habitat. All kinds of things
grow on them cold-water corals, invertebrates, etc. Plus the communities nearby
on shore benefit from the influx of divers and fishermen that travel to
the wreck. We have hard scientific and economic studies from the US and overseas to back this up.
The RAND report commissioned by the Dept of Defense concluded reefing was the best disposal option.
There are established ships to reefs programs on the east
coast, but on the west coast only Washington state has a formal program.
There was one ship sunk in San Diego, the Yukon, that was purchased from Canada with private money. Its been a boon to the economy and the
environment.
We have a goal to establish a program here in CA and get
ships sunk all up and down the coast.
Were working with the San Diego Oceans Foundation which now exists to help other
groups like us get programs up and runningand get this established statewide.
The bottom line is these ships are going to the bottom of therre ocean one way or
another, but reefing is the best option.
Now the meeting on Sat 2/4.
Jay Straith (Ships2Reefs) is flying in from Canada and Dick Long (DUI)
is traveling from San Diego to our meeting. These two combined know more
about the ins and outs of creating an artificial reef than anyone alive.
They've been through it all, from fund raising, dealing with
governments, working with environmental groups, National Marine
Sanctuaries, Public Relations, Speaker's groups and organizing divers
and more.
What we have planned is that for anyone who's interested in seeing
artificial reefs created from cleaned decommissioned warships such as
the Yukon in San Diego be created here in our own back yards, Northern
California, to come and see what each of our various committees are
doing and to participate in whatever capacity you want.
Lots of help is needed in all sectors to make this dream a reality.
We've got the formula and both Jay Straith and Dick Long will be working
with us in each committee to make sure we know what we need to do and
what specific objectives to achieve.
This day will be a power-packed day. Starting at 10:00 AM, both Jay
Straith and Dick Long will be making presentations giving us specific
overviews of our project and the obstacles we need to overcome. Then we
will be breaking up into individual committees and planning and getting
training on each committee's activities. We'll be finished at around
6:00 PM. Lunch is available at the Sequoia Yacht Club!
You need not attend the entire meeting, just stop by, say hello and sign
up for a committee. This is a multi-year project and will require the
energies of hundreds of people. I'll be there all day, just ask for me.
Warships to Reefs Workshop
Saturday February 4, 2006 10:00 AM to 6:00 PM
Cost: $0.00
Location:
Sequoia Yacht Club 455 Seaport Ct, Redwood City, CA
94063. From 101 you take the Woodside Road exit
and go west. It turns into Seaport Boulevard. You take Seaport Court to
the Yacht Club from Seaport Boulevard.
Bob Sommer
Northern California Oceans Foundation Executive Committee
NCOF Spearkers Committee Co-Chair
