aue-mike
Contributor
March 10-11, 2001
Ocean Freeze & "Whistle Buoy Wreck"
Key Largo
The usual suspects meandered down towards the Florida Keys this past weekend to dive the wrecks of the Ocean Freeze and the "Whistle Buoy Wreck." Saturday afternoon, our dive team loaded the Dual Porpoise and headed out the canal, turning northwest for our 26 mile run to the wreck of the Ocean Freeze. Captain Steve "Semper Fi" Schalk got us to the wreck in short order, making more than 24 knots on the ride over 1-3 foot varying seas. The Ocean Freeze, originally named the Scott Mason-Chaite, was a 297-foot long refrigerated freighter sunk as an artificial reef just north of Pacific Reef. The Ocean Freeze was owned by a Vietnamese company that went bankrupt, then bought at auction by a lawyer who was also one of the co-owners of the Coconut Grove Sloppy Joes. Over time, the lawyer managed to ignore U.S. Coast Guard citations, numerous fines and docking fees, only to somehow manage to get a bill sponsored by State Representative Bruno Barreiro (R-Miami Beach) before the legislature that would pay him $165,000 for the ship to use as an artificial reef. However, Governor Chiles spotted the allocation and vetoed the bill. With pressure mounting, the attorney finally donated the vessel to the Atlantic Gamefish Foundation who subsequently sank it as an artificial reef on July 28, 1998.
After reaching the site, we had to make several attempts to hook the wreck. We found a southward current running over the length of the wreck which presented a narrow target to hit. To further complicate the task, the Ocean Freeze is completely inverted, providing few opportunities for our hook to purchase the wreck. We eventually managed to drop the hook directly adjacent to the wreck, snagging some random lines along the stern. The team suited up and quickly dropped down the line, swimming for the bottom. I led the way, intercepting the shotline which allowed me to pull myself down against the current. Due to the overcast day, conditions got a tad gloomy as we descended. Soon, I made out the shadow of a large wreck laying on the sandy bottom. As I observed the rudder, which is turned hard to port, a solitary jewfish decided to leave the scene and swam towards the interior of the ship. Waiting alongside the hull for the rest of the team to join me, I inspected a row of open portholes as the intact glass swingplates reflected my light back to me. The wreck rests on her stern superstructure which suspends the cargo hold and the remaining length of the ship high off the bottom. This support provides between 15-20 feet of clearance under the wreck, creating a neat swim-thru for visiting divers, with miscellaneous wreckage spilled out from the interior and down to the sand below. As I slowly swam up towards the bridge, checking into the various ports and hatches, I noticed a champagne bottle lying on the bottom at a 256-foot depth. Next to the bottle, I happened to notice a familiar ridged object almost completely entombed in the sand. Working to get a grasp on the object, I worked to wiggle it loose from the bottom to eventually reveal one of the running lights with its intact glass fresnel lens. As Joe swam over to check out the artifact, we both happened to notice a bright, shiny object attached adjacent to the portside of the bridge - strands of green, silver, and purple Mardi Gras beads left the day before from other divers. I grabbed the beads, placing them over my head as we swam over to a solitary picnic table that happened to be resting in the sand next to the wreck. Four of us grabbed a seat as Mark proceeded to capture the humorous moment. After partying at the table, we departed the scene as Mikey noticed a nearby tire that was suspended by a rope from the hulk overhead. Mikey was initially enthralled with his new tire swing but he was soon disappointed when he could not find anyone to push him. After finding a couple more gifts left from divers the day before, I swam up towards the bow which points generally northward. Under the hull amidst swarms of baitfish, I observed several doors to the forepeak remained open.
The wreck has just begun to be incorporated into a thriving habitat with moderate oyster and coral growth on the hull. The marine life was not as robust as found at other sites, with the lack of any bull sharks being a notable absent species; we usually observe numerous bull sharks on the deeper wrecks off the Florida Keys. However, it did appear that schools of juvenile fish had already found the wreck as I watched a large swarm of small red snapper swim along the hull. Looking closely at the wreck I also saw a plethora of bristleworms crawling along the peeling blue paint of the hull. Diving with a new wetsuit that was not as effective as I had hoped, I soon became chilled and decided to end my dive early. After confirming my departure with Joe, I drifted back to the stern to slide up our shot line. Stopping around 160 feet, I waited to make sure the rest of the team were able to extract the hook at the end of their allotted time. In the interim, I was joined by a large school of juvenile amberjack. Close to one hundred 14-inch fish followed me from the wreck, chaperoned by a few larger specimens. A few minutes later I saw the lights of the team move to the shotline and soon thereafter felt the hook being freed from the bottom. After an uneventful decompression, we boarded the boat and motored for the dock.
The following morning we were greeted with glorious conditions. During the course of the night a lack of wind had allowed the surface of the Atlantic to calm into an oily sheen. Enthusiastic with the fantastic weather, we motored out over the reef and headed along the coast at over 30 knots towards the "Whistle Buoy Wreck." The "Whistle Buoy Wreck," or "Harris Freighter," is an unknown wreck that was intentionally sunk several years ago. Little is known of how the wreck found its way to its current home in 220 feet of water near Pacific Reef. The water clarity on this day was insane - we could see reef and grassbeds pass 30 feet below us as if it was only inches below the hull. Sponges, sea turtles, rays, sharks and lobster traps were easily spotted in the clear water as they whipped past us, providing a great diversion until we reached our destination. In short order we soon found ourselves floating over the site of the wreck. Setting the hook, we all plunged into the mirror-like surface of the cobalt blue water and headed for the bottom. We could soon make out the lines of a large square-based tower that was laying on its side near the hook. Joe had scootered out and had already spotted the wreck, so Mikey tied in his reel as we all kicked towards the looming shadow. We all soon convened around the wreck which appeared to be a generic looking freighter, approximately 170 feet in length, with a stern wheelhouse that now lay collapsed backwards and what appeared to be concrete moldings in the interior of her holds. The wreck was sheared off near the bow, most likely by the scuttling charge by the appearance of the folded out hull plates. Observing a chain running out in the sand, I decided to call a "taxi" to check out where it went. Motioning Joe over with his scooter, I grabbed onto his fin as he pulled me along the chain for a little over 150 feet where we encountered the remainder of the wreck. Lying on its portside, the 30 foot chunk of bow was enshrouded by a school of small baitfish and tropicals. The windlass was knocked off on the starboard side adjacent to one of the anchors, with its two flukes the only trace of it above the sand. Off to the starboard, several other large pieces of debris lay scattered in the sand including a chunk of deck with two bollards. Off the portside of the bow was another one of the large tower structures on its side. If these objects landed upright, they would tower over 45 feet from the bottom, 20 feet more than they currently do on their side. Scootering back to the larger section, we passed Mikey and Mark who were on their way to the bow debris. After buzzing the cargo holds I dropped off and snooped around the superstructure. Stripped of any useful gear, the wreck appeared to have been down several years. Judging from the amount of bait boxes and other assorted fishing litter amongst the wreck, this site is popular with fishermen, though, surprisingly, there were few, if any, large gamefish. A random grouper or errant amberjack were overwhelmed by the tropical species that thrive on the wreck. However, we did note one solitary jewfish that had staked out this wreck as his home turf. Though we were blessed with exceptional visibility on this day, the clear water also brought 64 degree bottom temperatures which again chilled me quickly. Satisfied with my visit, I motioned to the other guys and headed for the hook. As I slowly ascended up the line, I soon spotted our boat while still at 180 feet - pretty spectacular visibility. During my abbreviated deco, I was momentarily joined by a school of yellowtail that leisurely passed by. After we all boarded to boat and got out of our gear, we were entertained by several sailfish that proceeded to jump out of the water as they chased a meal. All too soon, we were back at the dock and faced with the reality that it would be another week of work before we could get back out on the water...
Our thanks to Capt. Schalk and the Dual Porpoise for a great weekend!
Images of this weekends activities should appear on the website soon.
Cheers,
Michael C. Barnette
Association of Underwater Explorers
Because it's there...somewhere...maybe.
http://www.mikey.net/aue
Ocean Freeze & "Whistle Buoy Wreck"
Key Largo
The usual suspects meandered down towards the Florida Keys this past weekend to dive the wrecks of the Ocean Freeze and the "Whistle Buoy Wreck." Saturday afternoon, our dive team loaded the Dual Porpoise and headed out the canal, turning northwest for our 26 mile run to the wreck of the Ocean Freeze. Captain Steve "Semper Fi" Schalk got us to the wreck in short order, making more than 24 knots on the ride over 1-3 foot varying seas. The Ocean Freeze, originally named the Scott Mason-Chaite, was a 297-foot long refrigerated freighter sunk as an artificial reef just north of Pacific Reef. The Ocean Freeze was owned by a Vietnamese company that went bankrupt, then bought at auction by a lawyer who was also one of the co-owners of the Coconut Grove Sloppy Joes. Over time, the lawyer managed to ignore U.S. Coast Guard citations, numerous fines and docking fees, only to somehow manage to get a bill sponsored by State Representative Bruno Barreiro (R-Miami Beach) before the legislature that would pay him $165,000 for the ship to use as an artificial reef. However, Governor Chiles spotted the allocation and vetoed the bill. With pressure mounting, the attorney finally donated the vessel to the Atlantic Gamefish Foundation who subsequently sank it as an artificial reef on July 28, 1998.
After reaching the site, we had to make several attempts to hook the wreck. We found a southward current running over the length of the wreck which presented a narrow target to hit. To further complicate the task, the Ocean Freeze is completely inverted, providing few opportunities for our hook to purchase the wreck. We eventually managed to drop the hook directly adjacent to the wreck, snagging some random lines along the stern. The team suited up and quickly dropped down the line, swimming for the bottom. I led the way, intercepting the shotline which allowed me to pull myself down against the current. Due to the overcast day, conditions got a tad gloomy as we descended. Soon, I made out the shadow of a large wreck laying on the sandy bottom. As I observed the rudder, which is turned hard to port, a solitary jewfish decided to leave the scene and swam towards the interior of the ship. Waiting alongside the hull for the rest of the team to join me, I inspected a row of open portholes as the intact glass swingplates reflected my light back to me. The wreck rests on her stern superstructure which suspends the cargo hold and the remaining length of the ship high off the bottom. This support provides between 15-20 feet of clearance under the wreck, creating a neat swim-thru for visiting divers, with miscellaneous wreckage spilled out from the interior and down to the sand below. As I slowly swam up towards the bridge, checking into the various ports and hatches, I noticed a champagne bottle lying on the bottom at a 256-foot depth. Next to the bottle, I happened to notice a familiar ridged object almost completely entombed in the sand. Working to get a grasp on the object, I worked to wiggle it loose from the bottom to eventually reveal one of the running lights with its intact glass fresnel lens. As Joe swam over to check out the artifact, we both happened to notice a bright, shiny object attached adjacent to the portside of the bridge - strands of green, silver, and purple Mardi Gras beads left the day before from other divers. I grabbed the beads, placing them over my head as we swam over to a solitary picnic table that happened to be resting in the sand next to the wreck. Four of us grabbed a seat as Mark proceeded to capture the humorous moment. After partying at the table, we departed the scene as Mikey noticed a nearby tire that was suspended by a rope from the hulk overhead. Mikey was initially enthralled with his new tire swing but he was soon disappointed when he could not find anyone to push him. After finding a couple more gifts left from divers the day before, I swam up towards the bow which points generally northward. Under the hull amidst swarms of baitfish, I observed several doors to the forepeak remained open.
The wreck has just begun to be incorporated into a thriving habitat with moderate oyster and coral growth on the hull. The marine life was not as robust as found at other sites, with the lack of any bull sharks being a notable absent species; we usually observe numerous bull sharks on the deeper wrecks off the Florida Keys. However, it did appear that schools of juvenile fish had already found the wreck as I watched a large swarm of small red snapper swim along the hull. Looking closely at the wreck I also saw a plethora of bristleworms crawling along the peeling blue paint of the hull. Diving with a new wetsuit that was not as effective as I had hoped, I soon became chilled and decided to end my dive early. After confirming my departure with Joe, I drifted back to the stern to slide up our shot line. Stopping around 160 feet, I waited to make sure the rest of the team were able to extract the hook at the end of their allotted time. In the interim, I was joined by a large school of juvenile amberjack. Close to one hundred 14-inch fish followed me from the wreck, chaperoned by a few larger specimens. A few minutes later I saw the lights of the team move to the shotline and soon thereafter felt the hook being freed from the bottom. After an uneventful decompression, we boarded the boat and motored for the dock.
The following morning we were greeted with glorious conditions. During the course of the night a lack of wind had allowed the surface of the Atlantic to calm into an oily sheen. Enthusiastic with the fantastic weather, we motored out over the reef and headed along the coast at over 30 knots towards the "Whistle Buoy Wreck." The "Whistle Buoy Wreck," or "Harris Freighter," is an unknown wreck that was intentionally sunk several years ago. Little is known of how the wreck found its way to its current home in 220 feet of water near Pacific Reef. The water clarity on this day was insane - we could see reef and grassbeds pass 30 feet below us as if it was only inches below the hull. Sponges, sea turtles, rays, sharks and lobster traps were easily spotted in the clear water as they whipped past us, providing a great diversion until we reached our destination. In short order we soon found ourselves floating over the site of the wreck. Setting the hook, we all plunged into the mirror-like surface of the cobalt blue water and headed for the bottom. We could soon make out the lines of a large square-based tower that was laying on its side near the hook. Joe had scootered out and had already spotted the wreck, so Mikey tied in his reel as we all kicked towards the looming shadow. We all soon convened around the wreck which appeared to be a generic looking freighter, approximately 170 feet in length, with a stern wheelhouse that now lay collapsed backwards and what appeared to be concrete moldings in the interior of her holds. The wreck was sheared off near the bow, most likely by the scuttling charge by the appearance of the folded out hull plates. Observing a chain running out in the sand, I decided to call a "taxi" to check out where it went. Motioning Joe over with his scooter, I grabbed onto his fin as he pulled me along the chain for a little over 150 feet where we encountered the remainder of the wreck. Lying on its portside, the 30 foot chunk of bow was enshrouded by a school of small baitfish and tropicals. The windlass was knocked off on the starboard side adjacent to one of the anchors, with its two flukes the only trace of it above the sand. Off to the starboard, several other large pieces of debris lay scattered in the sand including a chunk of deck with two bollards. Off the portside of the bow was another one of the large tower structures on its side. If these objects landed upright, they would tower over 45 feet from the bottom, 20 feet more than they currently do on their side. Scootering back to the larger section, we passed Mikey and Mark who were on their way to the bow debris. After buzzing the cargo holds I dropped off and snooped around the superstructure. Stripped of any useful gear, the wreck appeared to have been down several years. Judging from the amount of bait boxes and other assorted fishing litter amongst the wreck, this site is popular with fishermen, though, surprisingly, there were few, if any, large gamefish. A random grouper or errant amberjack were overwhelmed by the tropical species that thrive on the wreck. However, we did note one solitary jewfish that had staked out this wreck as his home turf. Though we were blessed with exceptional visibility on this day, the clear water also brought 64 degree bottom temperatures which again chilled me quickly. Satisfied with my visit, I motioned to the other guys and headed for the hook. As I slowly ascended up the line, I soon spotted our boat while still at 180 feet - pretty spectacular visibility. During my abbreviated deco, I was momentarily joined by a school of yellowtail that leisurely passed by. After we all boarded to boat and got out of our gear, we were entertained by several sailfish that proceeded to jump out of the water as they chased a meal. All too soon, we were back at the dock and faced with the reality that it would be another week of work before we could get back out on the water...
Our thanks to Capt. Schalk and the Dual Porpoise for a great weekend!
Images of this weekends activities should appear on the website soon.
Cheers,
Michael C. Barnette
Association of Underwater Explorers
Because it's there...somewhere...maybe.
http://www.mikey.net/aue
