Diving the Landing Craft. It's Dead, Jim.

[MaxBottomtime]

Visiting the Landing Craft today was like watching a friend die. I have nice memories of better times, but I can't get the images from my last two dives here out of my head.

Giant sea bass frequented the wheel house. I saw three when I dived here last, but none today.

Garibaldi protecting his territory at the gate end of the wreck. His home now rests in the sand, but he is still there. Many of the resident fish we recognized from years of diving the LCM3 remain. I guess they haven't received their eviction notice.


Visibility was poor and a moderate current swept particulates throughout the water, making wide angle photography difficult.

Garibaldi Gate

Remains of the wheelhouse

Sharp, rusty metal is everywhere. Anyone diving a drysuit or anyone with skin should avoid the wreck until you have lots of band aids and a tetanus shot.

The gate end with low relief looks the same.

Collapsed ceiling plates

A few of the animals who haven't checked their mail lately.

 

[Buoy_A]

Great pictures!

I gather a sight called The Landing Craft has pancaked?

 

[MaxBottomtime]

Flatter than day old beer.

 

[Buoy_A]

Flatter than day old beer.

I have this strange dream to be filthy rich and build artificial reefs along our coast. There just aren't enough of them, and it's sad when we lose the ones that are here now.

 

[drbill]

What's wrong with soft bottoms? There's life there, too... but it's often buried underneath. Artificial reefs are good for attracting hard bottom critters, but...

I have this strange dream to be filthy rich and build artificial reefs along our coast. There just aren't enough of them, and it's sad when we lose the ones that are here now.

 

[Buoy_A]

What's wrong with soft bottoms? There's life there, too... but it's often buried underneath. Artificial reefs are good for attracting hard bottom critters, but...

Very true Dr Bill, but truth be told I enjoy hard bottom structure and everything that comes with it.

 

[mangoconchile]

Awesome photos thanks for sharing. I want to try this spot soon

 

[drbill]

Back in the very early 1970s I used to party on board the Pisces. The captain and I were both after the same girl at the time and he won. Mysteriously the boat hit the breakwater in the Casino Point Dive Park and sank as I watched it go down back about the mid 1970s I think. It has been sad to watch it slowly disintegrate under water. For those who dive the park and don't know, the Pisces is the upside down Navy surplus glassbottom boat out with the sailboat wrecks in about 70 ft.

 

[merxlin]

And I am sure you had an alibi Bill.............

 

[Eric Sedletzky]

I always thought it would be cool to weld together a bunch of scrap metal pieces of various shapes and sizes (big) into sculptures and set then somewhere on a sandy base out of the way of boat traffic etc,. and leave it as an underwater art exhibit that you'd have to dive on to view. Eventually it would get encrusted and full of life so it would take on a second life in addition to the initial sculpture. Find a person with a barge and crane that would be willing to take them out and lower them into place.
Get Lincoln and Miller to sponsor some consumables and find another source for scrap steel.
The only problem I've thought about that could come up is dealing with the state of California, all the red tape, the permits, and the environmental groups. But at least they would be clean steel with no lead paints, chemicals, or left over fuel/contaminants.